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overlook. The most valuable works of this sort are the "Memoirs of Colonel Hutchinson," and the Diaries of Evelyn and Pepys.

9. Of the miscellaneous prose writers, Cowley has left a few essays on various subjects, and a "Discourse on Cromwell," written with unusual vigour and grace. Algernon Sidney wrote some political tracts, recommending his own views of government. Sir William Temple, the famous statesman, wrote a number of essays on a great variety of subjects, exhibiting considerable acuteness of reasoning and power of observation, in a singularly graceful and harmonious style. Of scientific writers, Wilkins, Thomas Burnet, Ray, and Boyle are entitled to favourable notice, and are still known to fame, though they have been eclipsed by the renown of Barrow and Newton, the greatest names in the scientific annals of our country. Of the cultivators of mental philosophy Locke is the most distinguished, and his "Essay on the Human Understanding" still exercises a most important influence on philosophical speculation, both in Britain and elsewhere. Cudworth, an able and learned writer on morals, has been more appreciated on the Continent than in his own country, where his "Intellectual System" is seldom read; and of the numerous host of authors who combated the moral dogmas of Hobbes, and obtained at the time a larger or smaller share of public applause, only a few are known even by name to well-informed readers. Dryden, in the preface to his poetical works, laid the foundation of the art of poetical criticism, and his critical canons are so just as to render all the more flagrant and inexcusable his wide departure from them. To the antiquarian the names of Dugdale, Wood, and Rymer, who flourished at this era, are familiar as "household words;" and their works, the Baronage and Monasteries of England," the "Athenæ Oxonienses," and the "Fœdera," are valuable repositories of information. Newspapers, too, may be considered as taking their origin at this period. They had, indeed, during the civil war been issued by the different parties, with the view of disseminating their own peculiar opinions; but they appeared only occasionally, and at irregular intervals; and it was not till the time of the Revolution that they began to be of importance in the country. Their increased importance was in a great measure due to the enterprise of Roger L'Estrange.

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10. The contributions to literature by Scottish authors during this period were both few and of comparatively little value. In poetry the highest name is that of Drummond of Hawthornden, whose poems, particularly his sonnets, are written in the style of Spenser; and, though somewhat deficient in vigour, are characterized by gracefulness in thought and beauty of language. No other poet of this era is now generally known, though Sir Robert Ayton, Hume of Logie, the Earl of Stirling, and James VI., not to mention others, wrote minor poems of some merit; those of Ayton, indeed, were commended by Dryden as among the best of the age. Latin poetry was still cultivated, especially by Arthur Johnston, a native of Aberdeenshire, whose Latin version of the Psalms is by some critics preferred to that of Buchanan. The prose literature of the period, notwithstanding the ceaseless theological and political contests, which might have been expected to call forth at least controversial talents, is not of much value. Buchanan wrote a political tract which has sometimes found

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admirers; Calderwood and Archbishop Spottiswoode have left historical works, which, especially the latter, are still consulted; and Patrick and John Forbes, successively Bishops of Aberdeen, were men of very considerable learning. Of the controversial works produced during the dispute between the Presbyterian and Episcopal parties, scarcely even the names are now known; the ground taken by the Presbyterian party was extreme and untenable, and was maintained with a rigid intolerance wholly indefensible, and such as to provoke the indignation even of Milton, who was himself by no means of a tolerant disposition. Some of these works by Calderwood, Gillespie, and Rutherford, have been recently reprinted; but their popularity has too manifestly passed away with the age which produced them. The letters of Rutherford still enjoy a considerable reputation in certain quarters; and those of Baillie, containing an account of the proceedings in London during the Westminster Assembly, are more generally known, and are of some historical value. The only theological writer of the period who has acquired any celebrity out of Scotland is Archbishop Leighton, a man of great ability, and most estimable character, whose "Commentary on St Peter" is still extensively popular, and has had its reputation considerably augmented of late by the praises which Coleridge has bestowed on it. The period after the Restoration is in theological literature nearly a blank; the outed ministers did, indeed, defend their peculiar opinions in numerous works, of which "Naphtali, or the Hind let Loose," is one of the best known and most characteristic. Such works are not, however, usually deemed worthy of a place in the literature of the country. Drummond, already mentioned as a poet, was perhaps superior as a prose writer; at least, his "Cypress Grove" is not excelled by any of his poetical productions. In the latter part of the period the chief prose writer was Sir George Mackenzie, whose conduct as Lord-Advocate brought him into bad odour with the covenanting party, but whose essays, which have been highly lauded by Evelyn-no mean judge— give abundant evidence of a highly-cultivated mind, well acquainted with all the literature of the day.

SELECTIONS.

I. RICHARD HOOKER.

RICHARD HOOKER was born near Exeter, probably in 1553. His parents were too poor to give him a regular education, and for his university training he was indebted to the discriminating patror.age of the learned Bishop Jewel. At Oxford he was distinguished by his knowledge of the Oriental languages, and he was also an eloquent preacher, but being of a retiring character, and averse to the vexatious turmoil of a public life, he resigned the position of lecturer at the Temple, to which, on account of his abilities, he had been advanced, and retired to the quiet country rectory of Boscomb in Wiltshire, where he devoted his leisure to the composition of his great work on "Ecclesiastical Polity." The first half of his work, embracing four books, was published in 1594, and the next year he was rewarded with the rectory of Bishop's-Bourne in Kent, where he died in 1600. The fifth book of his work appeared in 1597, but the remaining three were not published till 1647, long after the author's death, and there are, in consequence, some doubts as to the genuineness of the text of the sixth book as usually printed. His work was designed to supply a defence of the Church against the Puritans, not by answering all their objections, which were innumerable, many of them exceedingly trifling, not made upon any uniform principle, and some of them capable of being brought against every possible ecclesiastical system, but by showing the fundamental nature of law, the indispensable conditions of all church polity, and the general conformity of the Church of England to them. Every requisite of a great writer Hooker possessed in an eminent degree; extensive learning, sound judgment, acute reasoning powers, unfailing moderation, and unlimited command of rich, musical, and dignified language. He is perhaps the greatest of our prose authors, nor can his ability be better estimated than by a comparison with the meagre writings of his predecessors.

1. AN EXHORTATION TO CANDOUR AND MODERATION.-(FROM THE CONCLUSION OF THE PREFACE TO THE 66 ECCLESIASTICAL POLITY.")

The best and safest way for you, therefore, my dear brethren, is to call your deeds past to a new reckoning, to re-examine the cause

AN EXHORTATION TO CANDOUR AND MODERATION.

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ye have taken in hand, and to try it even point by point, argument by argument, with all the diligent exactness ye can; to lay aside the gall of that bitterness wherein your minds have hitherto overabounded, and with meekness to search the truth. Think ye are men; deem it not impossible for you to err; sift impartially your own hearts, whether it be force of reason or vehemency of affection which hath bred and still doth feed these opinions in you. If truth do anywhere manifest itself, seek not to smother it with glossing delusions; acknowledge the greatness thereof, and think it your best victory when the same doth prevail over you.

That ye have been earnest in speaking or writing again and again the contrary way should be no blemish or discredit at all unto you. Amongst so many so huge volumes as the infinite pains of Saint Augustine have brought forth, what one hath gotten him greater love, commendation, and honour, than the book' wherein he carefully collecteth his own oversights, and sincerely condemneth them? Many speeches there are of Job's whereby his wisdom and other virtues may appear; but the glory of an ingenuous mind he hath purchased by these words only," "Behold, I will lay my hand on my mouth; I have spoken once, yet will I not therefore maintain argument; yet twice, howbeit for that cause further I will not proceed.” Far more comfort it were for us (so small is the joy we take in these strifes) to labour under the same yoke, as men that look for the same eternal reward of their labours, to be joined with you in bands of indissoluble love and amity, to live as if our persons being many our souls were but one, rather than in such dismembered sort to spend our few and wretched days in a tedious prosecuting of wearisome contentions; the end whereof, if they have not some speedy end, will be heavy even on both sides. Brought already we are even to that estate which Gregory Nazianzen3 mournfully describeth, saying, "My mind leadeth me (since there is no other remedy) to fly and to convey myself into some corner out of sight, where I may 'scape from this cloudy tempest of maliciousness, whereby all parts are entered into a deadly war among themselves, and that little remnant of love which was is now consumed to nothing. The only godliness we glory in is to find out somewhat whereby we may judge others to be ungodly. Each other's faults we observe as matter of exprobration, and not of grief. By these means we are grown hateful in the eyes of the heathens themselves; and (which woundeth us the more deeply) able we are not to deny but that we have deserved their hatred. With the better sort of our own, our fame and credit is clean lost. The less we are to marvel if they judge vilely of us, who, although we did well, would hardly allow thereof. On our backs they also build that are lewd; and what we

1 Augustine's Confessions.

2 Job xxxix. 37. Hooker, of course, uses the old translation.

3 A famous Bishop, so called from his See, Nazianzum, in Cappadocia,

i.e., those of our own country or religion.

ie., the wicked found their arguments upon the assertions which we mutually make against each other.

object one against another, the same they use to the utter scorn and disgrace of us all. This we have gained by our mutual homedissensions. This we are worthily rewarded with, which are more forward to strive than becometh men of virtuous and mild disposition." But our trust in the Almighty is, that with us contentions are now at their highest float, and that the day will come (for what cause of despair is there) when, the passions of former enmity being allayed, we shall, with ten times redoubled tokens of our unfeignedly reconciled love, show ourselves each towards other the same, which Joseph and the brethren of Joseph were at the time of their interview in Egypt. Our comfortable expectation and most thirsty desire, whereof what man soever amongst you shall any way help to satisfy (as we truly hope there is no one amongst you but some way or other will), the blessings of the God of peace, both in this world and in the world to come, be upon him more than the stars of the firmament in number.

2. INTRODUCTION OF THE SUBJECT: DEFINITION OF LAW:
NATURAL LAW.-(BOOK I., SECTIONS I. II. III.)

He that goeth about to persuade a multitude that they are not so well governed as they ought to be, shall never want attentive and favourable hearers, because they know the manifold defects whereunto every kind of regiment is subject; but the secret lets2 and difficulties, which in public proceedings are innumerable and inevitable, they have not ordinarily the judgment to consider. And because such as openly reprove supposed disorders of state are taken for principal friends to the common benefit of all, and for men that carry singular freedom of mind, under this fair and plausible colour whatsoever they utter passeth for good and current. That which wanteth in the weight of their speech, is supplied by the aptness of men's minds to accept and believe it. Whereas, on the other side, if we maintain things that are established, we have not only to strive with a number of heavy prejudices deeply rooted in the hearts of men who think that herein we serve the time, and speak in favour of the present state because thereby we either hold or seek preferment; but also to bear such exceptions as minds so averted beforehand usually take against that which they are loath should be poured into them. Albeit, therefore, much of that we are to speak in this present cause may seem to a number perhaps tedious, perhaps obscure, dark, and intricate (for many talk of the truth which never sounded the depth from whence it springeth; and therefore, when they are led thereunto, they are soon weary, as men drawn from those beaten paths wherewith they have been inured); yet this may not so far prevail as to cut off that which the matter itself requireth, howsoever the nice humour of some be therewith pleased or They, unto whom we shall seem tedious, are in nowise injured by us, because it is in their own hands to spare that labour which 1 i.e., government. 2 .e., hindrances.

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