1. Literary Life and Select Works of Benjamin Stillingfleet; several of which have never before been published. Illustrated with Plates. By the Rev. Witham Coxe, Rector of Bemerton, &c.; 3 Vols. 8vo; pp. 907; Longman and Co. 1811. WE have long wished to see the Miscellaneous Traets of the amiable and ingenious Mr. Stilling fleet collected together in a manner worthy of their merit, and prefaced by such a memoir of his life as might rescue it from mistakes or oblivion; and we are now gratified by a coincidence of circumstances which promised the best results. Mr. Coxe, whose various writings show what research can do in the ablest hands, undertook the present work from an early attachment to Mr. Stillingfleet; and, probably while meditating something of the kind, "chance led him," to use his own words, "to Mr. Nichols, who is well known as the Editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, and still more for his knowledge of the History Antiquities, and Topography of this country."

"Having just obtained, from Commodore Locker the communication of some Dramas written by Mr. Stillingfleet, which, though printed, were never published, and other posthumous papers, he expressed his intention to re-print them with the other poetical pieces of the Author; and, as I was acquainted with several persons who possessed some of his fugitive writings in prose and verse, as well as other papers, I offered to join my stock of materials with his, in raising some monument to the memory of so distinguished a scholar and amiable a man."

The works of an author are generally said to be his best monument: but we have here another, reared with taste and care, which, we trust, will add very considerably to his fame. The "Literary Life of Mr. Stilling fleet" forms one entire volume; and, to men of literature, to meu curious in literary history, must form a very interesting memorial.

Benjamin Stilling fleet was the grandson of Edward Stillingfleet, bishop of Worcester. His father, of whom we have some authentic memoirs, was first a physician, but afterwards entered into Holy Orders. He died in 1708, leaving a son and three daughters; Benjamin, the subject of this article; Elizabeth, the eldest daughter, who espoused John Locker, esq. GENT. MAG. January, 1811.

a barrister; and two other daughters, who married brothers, of the name of Sabourn, one in the profession of the Law, the other in that on the Church. Benjamin was born in 1702, and educated at Norwich school, where he classical literature. In 1720, he enmade a considerable proficiency in tered as a subsizar at Trinity College, Cambridge, whore, while he improved his class cal knowledge, he attached himself with success to mathematical studies. On May 3, 1723, he was admitted a scholar, and, the same after this he left the University, and year, took the degree, of B. A. Soon Windham, esq. of Felbrig, as precepin 1724 he lived in the family of Ashe tor to William, his only son, then about seven years old. In the beginbridge, in hopes of succeeding to a ning of 1726 he returned to Camfellowship, there being then four vacancies. But in this he was disappointed, "by the influence, it is said, of Dr. Bentley, who has been accused of repaying with this instance of ingratitude the obligations he had received from the father of the unprotected candidate." Bentley, we are told before, had been private tutor to his father, and domestic chaplain to the Bishop, and was much indebted to the patronage of his family. This is a serious charge, but we should suppose it had some foundation, as Mr. Stilling fleet" seldom afterwards omitted an opportunity of testifying his resentment against Bentley." After this failure in his hopes of an establishment in the University, he attached himself wholly to his patrou Mr. Windham, and to the education of his pupil; and at the mansion of Felbrig, one of the most pleasant residences in the county of Norfolk, passed the next fourteen years of his life, “beloved and respected by all who visited or were connected with the family." Mr. Coxe gives some very interesting particulars of his instructions to his pupil, respecting the study of the antient languages. His letter to Mr. Windham on his coming of age is an admirable composition. It comprehends the opinions of a wise and thinking man, opinions which universal experience has confirmed, and ever will confirm. But it is long, and we cannot give the whole; and it is so well connected in all its parts, that we know not well

'how

how to detach a passage that shall be a just specimen. No young man, especially young men of fortune, and who are destined for public life, ought to be without this useful docu

ment.

While Mr. Stilling fleet was "employed in the grateful task of instruct ing a youth of superior talents and amiable disposition," he was insensibly led into a tender attachment, in which he was not successful. The lady was a Miss Anne Barnes: "with the inexperience of youth, and the thoughtless gaiety of a volatile temiper, she encouraged his addresses; and he passed several years in her society, in the ardent hope that a favourable change in his circumstances at no distant period would unite him with the object of his first and lasting passion. But an attachment apparently so durable did not escape those fatalities to which this passion seems almost peculiarly exposed; and, after a long and hopeful courtship of ten years, the prudence of the lady outweighed her affection. As she was, herself, without fortune, and Mr. Stillingfleet without profession, employment, or means of establishing himself in life, she listened to an advantageous offer, and soon afterwards espoused a Mr. Russel, a richer and more fortunate rival."

It appears that this disappointment Imade a deep impression; and his Biographer has given us some lines against Woman, which, as he justly observes, shew how anguish and disappointment could change the sentiments of a man so mild and amiable, so fond of domestic life, and so respectfully attached to the fair sex. The lines (for which we refer the reader to the volume) are certainly severe; but allowance must be made for the immediate provocation.

Soon after this disappointment, in 1737, he accompanied his pupil, Mr. Windham, to the Continent. "The events of this Tour, and the connexions to which it gave rise, fixed the future course, and formed the happiness of his life. Mr. Coxe's account of it is highly amusing, and introduces us to the acquaintance of many persons, now, or lately, distinguished in the political or literary world. One of the results of this Tour was, "A Letter from an English Gentleman to Mr. Arlaud, a celebrated Painter at

Geneva, giving an Account of the Glacieres, or Ice Alps of Savoy, written in the year 1741." This was written chiefly by Mr. Windham and Mr. Price (of Foxley in Herefordshire,) with the assistance of Mr. Stilling fleet, and illustrated with the drawings of Mr. Price. They are said to have been the first travellers who penetrated into these Alpine recesses. In 1743 Mr. Stilling fleet returned with his pupil to England. His pupil's father gave Mr. S. an annuity of £100. which for some time was his principal support. He now resid ed partly in London and partly with some friends in the country; and his leisure hours were dedicated to literary pursuits, some of which Mr. Coxe has specified, particularly an edition of Milton, illustrated by notes, in which he had made considerable progress when the appearance of Dr. Newton's Proposals induced him to relinquish his design. His MSS, however, still remain in the possession of Bp. Dampier, and were obligingly lent to Mr. Todd, for his late excellent edition of our great Epic Poet. Mr. Coxe has also given here some valuable extracts, which induce us to think that his edition would have been very superior in critical acumen and taste to Bishop Newton's. About this time Mr. S. composed some of his poemas, particularly those on Conversation, and Earthquakes.

In 1746 Mr. S. took up his residence at Foxley, the seat of the above-mentioned Mr. Price, or rather in a neighbouring cottage, where he was master of his time and pursuits; and passed his leisure hours with the family. An indifferent state of health first led him to the pursuit of Natural History, which forms his principal distinction as an author; and he soon became one of the first defenders and earliest propagators of the Linnæan system in England. On this occasion Mr. Coxe has introduced a very able and perspicuous sketch of the state of Botany in England at the time of Mr. Stilling fleet's publication, in 1759, of "Miscellaneous Tracts in Natural History," with a Preface, which, Mr. Coxe remarks, "contains a spirited eulogium of the study of Nature, and a just tribute of applause to the talents and discoveries of the great Swede." The publication of the first edition of this Miscellany may be considered

considered as the era of the establishment of Linnæan Botany in England. Mr. Coxe gives the following, account of his successors in the same pursuit :

"In the following year, Dr. Solander, the favourite pupil of Linnæus, took up his residence in this country, and contributed to diffuse the principles of his mas

ter.

From his acquaintance Mr. Stillingfleet greatly enlarged his botanical knowledge, and increased his veneration for Linnæus. Lee published also a translation of the Philosophia Botanica, under the name of an Introduction to Botany. Hill's Flora Anglica next appeared; Hudson's Flora Britannica followed in 1762; and about the same period the Sexual System was publicly taught by Professor Martyn at Cambridge, and Dr. Hope at Edinburgh. Dr. Withering made considerable improvements in the generic and specific names of British plants in his Botanical Arrangements; and the system of correct nomenclature has received farther amendments from the labours of Professor Martyn, who in his admirable edition of Mil. ler's Gardener's Dictionary has comprised all the additions to our botanical knowledge since the time of the laborious and intelligent author. Lastly, Dr. Smith, President of the Linnean Society, and possessor of the Linnæan Collections, has much corrected the generic and specific characters, added new genera and species, and has made considerable improvements in the science, in his accurate Flora Britannica, and many other works."

The Journal of Mr. S.'s excursion into part of North Wales, which is here inserted, is illustrative of his character and observatious, and is curious as one of the first of those Local Tours which are since become so fashionable.

In 1760, Mr. S. received an addition to his income by obtaining the place of Barrack master at Kensington, through the interest of his friend Mr. Price, brother-in-law to Lord Barrington, then Secretary at War. But in 1761 he had the misfortune to lose, by death, his friend Mr. Price, and also his pupil Mr. Windham. The latter left him guardian to his only son, the late much-lamented statesman William Windham, esq. His feelings were not a little tried also, about this time, by the death of his sisters and their husbands, whose history, as well as that of Messrs. Price, Windham, and Williamson, form a very interesting part of these Memoirs. That of his nephew, Capt. Locker, is particularly so, as he was

one of those who contributed to form the wonderful mind of our gallant hero, Lord Nelson.

After the publication of the second edition of Mr. S.'s Miscellaneous Tracts, in 1762, he embarked on a scheme which was likely to employ the remainder of his life. This was a General History of Husbandry, from the earliest ages of the world to his own times. Of this work he left six volumes of MS Collections, of which Mr. Coxe has given such an analysis as will display the Author's plan, and the diversified materials which he had collected for its execution; and he has given what Mr. S. drew up as Prefaces to the different parts.

Two extracts, on Hieroglyphics, and on the use of Obelisks, we shall here present to our readers, as they could not find a place in the analysis:

"Some have attributed the figurative way of expression used among the Egyptians to their use of Hieroglyphics. I be lieve that the reverse is true. That innate faculty of the mind by which we are disposed to conceive the qualities of things by their similitude to one another, in certain respects, to represent a whole by a part, &c. is what laid a foundation for expressing by external images or marks, our internal conceptions; and whether we do this by mute marks, or marks that convey the idea of sound, it amounts to the same thing. By mute marks, I mean hieroglyphics or symbols; by the other, I mean an alphabet. The operations of the mind are employed in three several ways; for we conceive by intuition, by demonstration, or by deduction from analogy. Intuition and deduction are most known and practised by illiterate people, whose notions, being simple, corporeal, and confined within the narrow limits of the senses, they have very seldom, if ever, occasion or skill to employ demonstration. Intuitive knowledge among this sort of people shews itself in all those maxims which guide them so steadily in the common affairs of life. The spirit of analogy leads men to the figurative manner of expression, and among the vulgar produces proverbs. Thus that part of a watch or clock which points out the hour is naturally called the hand; we say also the wing of an army, the brow of a hill.-It is not at all surprising that men should use this figurative way of speech, because there are certain conveniences attending it. For first, the words of a language are much fewer in number by this mens, than if we had a primitive word for every different thing. Secondly, in many cases this method gives energy to the thought, as when

we

we say we are overwhelmed with a torrent of words. Thirdly, this method saves us from circumlocution, as when we say he darted upon his enemy, &c. Expressions of this sort are not adopted from hieroglyphies, but arise from the nature of the human mind in all countries, and are more popular than the dry and accurate terms of philosophy; and, though regarded as a part of rhetoric, and taught as such, yet they are by no means the product of art; for art only teaches how to use them with propriety. The less polished a people are, the more they abound in such expressions, and the impressions of the objects on our imagination with which we are much conversaut are SO stron, and tincture our ideas to such a degree, that we may almost conclude with certainty where any one has chiefly lived, by his allusions. On the contrary, people who affect a sort of precision and philosophical language, and know little of the common and striking phenomena of nature, who live in cities, and spend their time in retired speculations on the working of the passions, the intrigues of courts, the abstruse disputes concerning religion, and the productions of art, are extremely cautious how they employ figurative language, and cere.nomously make an apology for using a metaphor, which their more manly neighbours would scarcely think bold enough -But even philosophical language itself is far from being free from figures. He who should undertake to write upon morality, politics, law, or, any subject but mathematics, without them, would soon find that he must frame a new set of words. Nay, even in mixed mathematics, he would be frequently puzzled to explain himself. Thus the rays of light, the twinkling of the stars, &c. mus be given up, as not used in their primitive sense. The truth is, our first conceptions are merely of a corporeal nature, except those which arise from intuition; and, as we advance in our researches, and embrace intellectual ideas, we are naturally led to express the operations of our minds by analogy to those first impress.ons. Thus obliged by law, melted with pity, of a cool disposition, are all words taken from corporeal ideas.-As to the translation of the hieroglyphics into the sacred language, men toned by Clemens Alexandrinus, which has so much puzzled men of learning, I apprehend that it does not mean putting the hieroglyphics into another mute character, which would serve no manner of purpose, but translating the hieroglyphic characters into the common alphabet. It may, perhaps, be asked, why are they then called sacred? Were the common alphabetical characters sacred? I answer, certainly not; nor is it said that the hiero

glyphics were translated into the sacred characters, but into the sacred language*. Now the case seems to have been, that, after the alphabet was invented, the ease and conveniency of it were so striking, that even the priests thought fit to make use of it; and, in order to keep concealed the mysteries contained in the hieroglyphics according to their novel and corrupted interpretations, they invented an enigmatical language. I gather this from some few remains preserved in Plutarch, and Jamblichus, of the doctrines of Py-thagoras, who confessedly borrowed his method of instruction, as well as many of his doctrines, from the Egyptian priests. The sentences ascribed to Pythagoras are, "ignem gladio ne fodias, fabias ne comedas, cor ne edas," &c. These I suppose to be in a language resembling the sacred language of the Egyptians; for the meaning of these sentences remains as much a secret as if they had been delivered in hieroglyphics. This is sufficiently distinguished, both from the hieroglyphic and epistolary method, which are the two others mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus; for the epistolary I take to have been such as was used in the common correspondence between people at a distance, about the ordinary affairs of life, which most probably was the chief use made of writing. by the vulgar in a country where the priests engrossed all kind of learning."

"Obelisks.

"We are apt to adopt ideas that agree with our own customs and manners, when we go back to the beginnings of things, not considering that the first steps of an uncivilized people are few and slow. There is a simplicity among them that we overlook, or look down upon wich contempt; and therefore wan to refine every thing we meet with when we are examining the 'remains of nations which have made a considerable figure. Thus as we see vast pillars raised to do honour to some con- · queror, or to record some extraordinary event, and for no other purpose, we are induced to think that every other use of such structures is beneath their dignity. Yet, with all due deference to heroes and their admirers, I cannot help thinking that directions given to a whole nation about the chief and most essential concerns of life, I mean how to distinguish the seasons proper for doing every kind of rural work, deserve as much to be honoured with extensive and lasting structures as the triumphs of Trajan, or the fire of London. Besides, we ought to consider that the old Egyptians had no other almanack to recur to. The name of an almanack-maker with us, raises the idea