versed in the intrigues of state; and had L. C. been so fortunate as to have seen thoroughly into the original of Government, or the times given him liberty to have owned some conclusions publicly, he would still have had a greater advantage over Hobbes: for from those very principles (so many of Mr. Hobbes's as were true, and some very extraordinary ones doubtless there were,) he might have shewn how they necessarily produced other opposite conclusions.

L. C. discovers very clearly and profoundly Mr. Hobbes's exceeding gross ignorance in history and laws, and proves his motives in writing his book were little, base, and infamous; no other than, by flattering that most unnatural usurpation of Cromwell, to be received under his protection.

There is always great art in an historian, where he can serve two ends at once. An instance in the story of the King's inclosing a park for red deer, at the latter end of Lord Clarendon's 1st book, which shews the Archbishop's temper, and gives one of the causes of the people's murmurs, &c. Now, did this only shew the Archbishop's temper, and not conduce to the knowledge of higher things, it had been faulty.

A most beautiful metaphor, speaking of the

X

Scots"The monument of their presumption, and their shame, would have been raised together, and no other memory preserved of their rebellion, but in their memorable overthrow." (vol. i. p. 113.)

Of an association :-"The Scots took it to a man, without grieving their conscience or reforming their manners." (vol. i. p. 117.)

It is to be observed, that a particular strain of enmity and contempt of the Scots, runs through his whole History. He had reason for it. What he says of the Earl of Essex, may be applied to himself. "Between a hatred and contempt of the Scots, he had nothing like an affection for any man of that nation." Thus again, see p. 145, v. i.

So he says, "the Duke of Lennox was not at all a Scotsman, but had the manners and affections of an Englishman." V. i. p. 122. Another instance of this prejudice is, the case of Duke Hamilton, who certainly was not false.

Secretary Coke, at fourscore, for whom nobody cared, being made a sacrifice for the first infamous peace made with the Scots, puts one in mind of that pleasant story Butler tells of the weaver, that lay bed-rid in the plantations.

L. C. very remarkably avoids a fault that Dion.

Halicar. objects to Theopompus, (in his discourse of the Greek Hist. to Pompey,) "Quod si in iis in quibus summum studium posuit, collisionem vocalium, et numerosas circumscriptiones ac figuras similes neglexisset, longè melior in elocutione se ipso evasisset."

Mr. Bayle judged of this well, when he said. "Il y a sans doute je ne sçais quelle petitesse dans ces sortes d'affectations, lorsque la grandeur du sujet doit attirer toute l'attention de l'écrivain ;" for, as Menage says, on a not unlike occasion, a polished Colossus would be ridiculous; the beauty of it consists in its just proportions.

L. C. so fully explaining all the concurrent causes of the Rebellion, not only sufficient to overturn a kingdom, but a world;-this sets him above all other historians.

309

THOUGHTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS.

I. THEOLOGICAL.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM BISHOP WARBURTON TO MR. MILLAR.*

Feb. 7th, 1757.

SIR,

I supposed you would be glad to know what sort of book it is which you are about to publish with Hume's name and yours to it. The design of the first essay is the very same with all Lord Bolingbroke's, to establish naturalism, a species of atheism, instead of religion; and he employs one of Bolingbroke's capital arguments for it. All the difference is, it is without Bolingbroke's abusive language.

All the good his mutilation and fitting it up for the public has done, is only to add to its other follies that of contradiction. He is establishing atheism ;

;

*This Letter is inserted here on account of its connexion with the subject of the succeeding article.