lat n prose versions - forgotten books
TRANSCRIPT
E D ITOR’
S NOTE
DR . JOHNSON thus defines L atin :‘An exercise
practised by schoolboys who turn E ngl ish into
Latin .
’ Without accepting the limitations implied
in this J ohnsonian definition,teachers o f classics
will probably agree that the practice of Latin
Prose Composition suppl ies them with the ir most
e ffective instrument for teaching clearness o f
thought and purity o f style . I t has been thought,
therefore, that a collection Of spe cimens o f work
done in this department o f scholarship by those
who e ither a re, o r have been, teachers in o ur great
schools and Universitie s, cannot fail to b e o f
i nterest to all friends o f classical education . I t
is hoped that the names to b e found in the l ist
o f contributors to this volume will b e‘
a guarantee
that it is fairly representative o f the best Latin
schola rship o f this country at the present day.
The spe l l ing adopted in the Latin Versions
contained in this volume is a s nearly as possiblea 3
E DITOR ’S N OTE .
uniform . Where two spe l l ings a re found, if o ne
particular form is he ld to b e distinctly better than
another, that form has been adopted throughou t ;where the usage o f the best writers o f the best
period seem s to have varied (as be tween ta nqua m
and ta m qua m , qm’
a’
qm’
d and the spe lling
preferred by each contributor ha s been re tained .
The numbers enclosed in bracke ts at the foot o f
many o f the E nglish passages re fer to the number
o f the passage a s given in R a m say’
s L a tin P rose
Composition, Vol. I I where the le tters F. C.
occur, the reference is to Folz
'
om m Centurz'
a e.
As specimens o f a diffe rent style o f Latin,some
of the Complimentary Addre sses sent to Trin ity
College,Dublin
,o n the occasion o f the recent
Tercentenary have been appended .
I have to give my warm thanks to all the
Contributors for the kindness with which they
have placed at my disposal materials from
which the versions which follow have been
se le cted ; and I have e specially to thank
Mr. Montague J . R endall,and my A ssistant
Mr. John Brown, M .A ., late Scholar o f
Worcester College,Oxford
,fo r valuable he lp
given in the editing o f this volume .
G. G . R .
Um vsn sxrv o r GLASGOW,
Ma rch I , 1 894 .
L IST OF CONTR IBUTORS
Initia ls. Autho rs o f La tin Versio ns.
EVELYN A BBOTT , E sq . ,M.A . ,
L L .D. ,
Fe llow a nd Tutor o f B a l l io l Co llege
,Oxford .
ALFRED T. BARTON , E sq . , M.A .,
Fe l low a nd Tutor o f Pem brokeCo llege , Oxford .
Hrs GRA CE THE ARCHB ISHOP OF
CANTERBURY, D .D. , &c., &c. ,
fo rm erly He a dm a ster o f We ll ington Co llege
,a nd Fe llow o f Trin ity
Co llege , Ca m bridge .
HENRY BROADBENT, E sq . , M .A . ,
Ass ista nt Ma ster a t E to n Co llege ;la te Fe llow o f E xeter Co llege ,Oxfo rd .
S AMUEL H . B UTCHER, E sq .,M.A . ,
L L .D. ,L itt.D.,
Pro fessor o f Greekin th e Un iversity o f E dinburgh,la te Fellow o f Trin ity Co llege ,Cam bridge .
R EV . WILLIAM HAIG BROWN ,M.A .,
L L .D. , He a dm a ster o f Cha rterho use , la te Fe l low a nd Tutor o f
P em bro ke Co l lege,Ca m bridge .
R EV .A LFREDH. CRUICKSHANK,M .A .,
Assista ntMa stera tHa rrow S cho o l,
Fe l low o f New Co llege , Oxford .
99 , 1 09: 3 1 9
49 , I 7S 9 43:2 93.
3 , 45 a 1 1 97
2 3 , 1 2 7 , 1 6 1 ,1 63, 2 8 1 .
5 , 95, 35, 1 2 5,
337 °
2 9 , 1 55, 1 67,
t/iii
J . D. D .
T . S . E .
H . C. G .
LIST OF CON TRIB UTORS.
Authors o f L a tin Versions.
The la te JOHN CON I NGTON ,E sq . ,
M.A . ,
la te Pro fe ssor o f L a tin L itera turein th e Un iversity Of Oxford a nd
Fe llow Of Co rpus Christi Co llegeform erly Fe l low o f Un iversityCo llege .
JAMES D. DUFF, E sq .,M.A. , Fe l low
Of Trin ity Co llege , Ca m bridge , a ndL ecturer in Cla ssics.
R OB INSON E LLIS, E sq . , M.A .
,L L .D . ,
Pro fessor o f L a tin L itera ture in
the Un iversity Of Oxford,la te Vice
President a nd L ecturer, Trin ityCo llege ; fo rm erly Pro fesso r o f
L a tin in Un iversity Co llege,
L ondo n .
Th e la te R EV . THOMA S S . E VANS,M .A . D .D. , la te Pro fessor Of Gre ekin th e Un iversity o f Durham
,a nd
fo rm erly Ass ista nt Ma ster a t
R ugby S cho o l.
HARRY C . GOODHART,E sq . ,
M.A . ,
Pro fe ssor o f Hum a n ity in th e
Un iversity o f E dinburgh,fo rm erly
Fe llow a nd L ecturer o f Trin ityCo llege
,Cam bridge .
S I R WILLIAM D. GEDDES, L L .D. ,
Vice -Cha nce llo r a n d Principa l o fthe Un ivers ity Of Abe rdeen ; fo rm erly Pro fessor o f Greek.
JOHN HARROWER, Esq . ,M.A , Pro
fesso r o f Gre ek in the Un iversityo f Aberde en ; la te sch o la r Of P embro ke Co l lege , Oxfo rd .
WILLIAM R . HARD IE, E sq . , M.A. ,
Fe llow a nd Tutor o f B a ll io l Co llege , Oxford.
5 1 , 7 5, 1 4 1 ,
I I I .
89 , 1 35, 1 6r,
2 37 .
79, 8s, 95,
1 5, 6 1 , 65, 67 ,69 .
309 , 3 1 5
I nitia ls.
D . S . M .
E . D . A . M .
hd. J . FL
LIST OF CON TRIB UTORS.
Autho rs o f La tin Versio ns.
DAVID S . MA R GOL IOUTH , E sq . , M .A .,
S ub -Wa rde n , Fe llow a nd
L ecturer o f New Co l lege,Oxford
,
a nd L a udia n Pro fessor o f Ara bicin the Un iversity.
E DMUND D.A. MOR S HE AD ,E sq .
,M .A . ,
Assista nt Ma ster a t WinchesterCo llege , la te Fe l low o f N ew Co llege , Oxford .
R EV . FRANCIS D . MOR ICE,M.A. ,
Fe l
low o f Q ue en’
s Co l lege, Oxford ,
Assista ntMa ster a tRugby S cho o l .R E V . WI LLIAM W. MERRY, D .D. ,
P ublic Ora tor Of the Un iversity Of
Oxford , a nd R ector o f L inco ln
The la te HENRY NETTLESH IP , E sq .
,
M .A . ,la te Pro fesso r o f L a tin L itera
ture in the Un iversity o f Oxfo rd ,a nd Fe l low o f Co rpus ChristiCo llege n fo rm erly Fe llow Of L in
co ln Co l le ge .
JOHN P . POSTGATE , E sq . , M.A .,
L itt.D.,Pro fe sso r o f Co m pa ra tive
Philo lo gy in Un iversity Co l lege,
L o ndo n,a nd Fe llow o f Trin ity
Co llege , Ca m bridge .
TH E E DITOR .
GERALD H . R ENDALL, E sq . , M .A .
,
Vice -Cha nce l lor o f the Victo riaUn iversity, Principa l o f Un iversityCo l lege , L iverpo o l ; la te Fe l lowo f Trin ity Co llege
,Ca m bridge .
MONTAGUE J . R ENDALL , E sq . ,M.A . ,
Assista nt Ma ster a t Winche sterCo llege
,la te Fe l low o f Trin ity
Co llege , Ca m bridge .
364.
1 2 1 .
1 3 , 59 , 1 2 9 ,2 47 9 9 59: 359
1 7 7 45, 97 :1 47 , 1 8 1 , I 97 .
”3 ’2 33» 2 39>
2 49: 2 6 7 , 2 9 1 0
375°
Initia ls.
J . SL It .
J . E . S .
LIST OF CON TRIB UTORS.
Authors Of L a tin Versio ns.
JAMES S . R E ID, E sq . ,M .A . ,
L itt.D .
,
Fe llow o f Go nville a nd Ca iusCo llege
,la te Fe l low o f Christ’s
Co l lege,Ca m bridge .
A RTHUR S IDGWICK ,E sq . ,
M .A . ,
Fe l low a nd Tutor o f Co rpusChristi Co llege . Oxford, a ndGre ekR e a der in the Un iversity ; la te Fe llow o f Trin ity Co l lege , Ca m bridge .
JOHN E . SANDYS, E sq .
,M.A ,
L itt.D.,
Publ ic Ora tor o f the Un ivers ityo f Ca m bri dge ; Fe l low, Tuto r a ndL ecturer Of S t. J o hn ’
s Co llege .
The la te R EV . R ICHARD S H I L L ETO,M.A .
,C la ssica l L e cturer a t K ing’s
Co llege,Ca m bridge
,a nd fo rm erly
Fe llow Of S t. P e ter’s Co l lege .
THE VERY R EV . E DWARD C . Wc
HAM,M .A . , De a n o f L inco ln
,la te
He a dm a ster o f We l l ingto n Co l
lege , a nd form erly Fe l low Of N ewCo llege , Oxfo rd .WI LLIAM WYSE , E sq .
,M.A . ,
Pro
fesso r o f Gre ek in Un iversity Co llege , L o n do n ; la te Fe l low a ndTutoro f Trin ity Co llege , Ca m bridge .
L I S T OF A UTHORS OF E NGL I S H
P 'A S SAGE S
The n um bers ref er to the pages .
A ddiso n , 1 70, 1 86 , 2 2 4, 2 2 6,
3403
A l iso n , S ir A . , 2 32 .
Arn o ld , Dr. , 4 , 90, 1 40, 1 68 , 384 .
Arno ld,M. , 1 96 , 2 1 4, 2 62 .
Ba rrow, J 1 84.
B o l ingbro ke,L o rd , 2 32 .
Browne , S ir Tho m a s, 1 82 .
Burke , 1 1 2 , 2 94, 304, 308, 3 1 0 ,
32 6 .
Che eke , S ir J 2 82 .
Chesterfie ld, L ord, 1 2 6 .
Cowper,W. 336 . 344, 358
Cromwe ll, Ol iver, 38 .
Da rw in, 2 08 .
De Q u incy, 2 46.
Do ugla s, B ish o p. 300 .
Drum m o nd, H . , 58 .
Den,1 7 2 .
E l io t, Ge orge , 1 2 8 .
Erskine , L o rd, 3 1 4.
E ve lyn , 6 .
Fo ster, J . , 2 66 .
Fre em a n , 34 .
Fro ude , 1 2 , 1 46 , 2 1 0 , 2 40 .
G ibbo n ,2 2 , 2 8, 7 8, 80 , 84, 1 02 ,
1 1 6, 1 56 .
Go ldsm ith , 44, 1 76, 350.
Gra nta . Th e , 32 4.
Gra y. T. , 3 1 8 , 33 2 , 342 .
Gre en, I . R . 44, 98. 1 54.
Gro te , 2 , 60 , 64, 66, 68 .
Ha l l, R obert, 2 90.
Ho o ker, 1 74 .
Ho o per,8 .
Howe l, J . , 1 32 .
Hum e , 2 0, 2 6,1 08
, 2 1 4, 2 68 ,
3 2 2 .
Jebb, R . C . , 1 94 .
Jo hnso n , Dr.,1 36 .
Jowe tt’
s P la to , 1 60 .
Jun ius, 2 9 2 .
Ke a ts, 2 54 .
L a ndor, 4W. S .
, 36 .
L ecky, 40 .
Lewes, 1 66 .
x i i A UTH ORS OF E N GLISH PASSA GE S.
L o ngfe l low,H . W. , 52 .
Ma ca ula y , 30, 84 , 1 2 0, 1 2 4 . 1 32 ,
1 36 , 1 48, 1 58 , 1 90 ,2 1 8
,2 78 ,
2 80 .
Meriva le , 48, 94, 1 2 2 , 1 30 .
Mil l, J S .
,1 7 8 .
Mo n te iro , 88 , 90 .
Mo tley, 7 2 , 1 06 .
N ewm a n, J . H . , 2 38, 2 48 .
P a ley,W . , 2 86 .
P ercy Anecdo tes, 1 0.
P o pe , 2 36 , 334.
R a l e igh, S irW., 348 .
R a nke , 94.
R o bertso n , 56, 70, 7 4, 78 , 98,
R uskin ,1 00 , 2 58, 2 76 .
S co tt,S irWa lter
,1 88 .
S ha ke spe a re , 2 7 2 , 2 74 .
S o uthey, R . , 50 .
S pe cta tor, 1 9 2 , 2 00 , 2 02,2 2 2
2 50 .
Swift, 2 42 , 2 56, 2 88 .
Tha ckera y, 1 80 , 32 8, 338, 352
Thucydide s , 2 98 .
Trench, Mrs . , 356 .
Va rio us , a uth o rs n o t give n : 1 41 6
, 1 8 , 2 4 , 3 2 , 1 1 8 , 1 50 ,1 6 2
,
1 96 , 2 04, 2 1 8, 2 34, 2 64 . 302 ,
3 1 2 , 3 2 0 .
E R R A T A
P a ge vi i , co l. 3, l ine 6, om it 2 3vii i
, 3, om it l ine 2
vi i i , 3, l ine 4, insert 1 51vi i i , 3, 1 0, insert 2 3
x,insert
J . Y . S . J . YOUN G SARGE NT , E sq . , M .A .,
Fe l low o f Hertfo rd Co l lege , Oxford .
2 3, la st l ine , for II . rea d j. I I .
46, l ine 2 1,f or progress rea d prowess
46, la st l ine, forj R . Green rea d H um e
69, line 1 4,f or honestium rea d ho nestum
1 53, la st l ine , fo r] . C. rea d R . E .
1 97, l ine 4,f or pra estes rea d pra esta2 31 , 1 1
, f or gentibus read gentes
31 5, 9, fo r] . C. rea d ] . Y. S .
L a tin P rose Version s (qu a rto edition ]
x ii A UTH ORS OF E N GLISH PASSA GE S.
L o ngfe l low,H . W. , 52 .
Ma ca ul a y, 30, 84, 1 2 0 , 1 2 4 . 1 32 ,
2 78 .
R o bertso n , 56 , 70, 7 4, 78 , 98,
R uskin ,1 00, 2 58, 2 76 .
S co tt, S irWa lter,1 88 .
2 HISTORICA L
VE R and above the raging epidemic,they
had just gone ove r A ttica and ascertained
the devastations com mitted throughout all the
te rritory (except the Marathonian Te trapol is and
Deke le ia districts spared, as we a re told, through
indulgence founded o n an ancient legendary
sympathy) during the ir long stay of forty days .
The rich had found the ir com fortable mansions
and farms,the poor the ir modest cottages
,in the
various demes, torn and ruined . Death, sickne ss,loss of property
,and despair Of the future
,now
rendered the A thenians angry and intractable to
the last degree ; and they vented the ir fee l ings
against Pericles,as the cause, not me re ly o f the
wa r, but also Of all that they we re now enduring .
E ithe r with o r without his consent, they sent
envoys to Sparta to open negotiations for peace ,but the Spartans turned a deaf ea r to the proposi
tion . This new disappointment rendered them
still more furious against Pe ricles,whose long
standing pol itical enemie s now doubtle ss found
strong sympathy in the i r denunciations Of his
character and policy. That unshaken and maj estic
firm ness which ranked first among his many
em inent qual ities,was neve r more imperiously
required, and never more e ffe ctive ly manifested .
[NO. 2 58 ]
4 HISTORICAL
UT the prospect at hom e was not over
clouded mere ly ; i t was the ve ry deepe st
darkness ofmisery. I t has be en well said that long
pe riods Of general su ffe ring m ake far less impre s
sion o n Our minds than the sharp Short struggle
in which a few distinguished individuals perish ;not that we over-e stim ate the horror and the guil t
Of times o f open blood-Shedding, but we a re much
too patient o f the greater mise ry and greater sin
o f periods Of quie t legalised Oppression ; o f that
most deadly o f al l evils,when law
,and even
re l igion herse l f, a re false to the ir d ivine origin
and purpose,and the ir voice is no longer the
voice of God, but o f his enemy. In such case s
the evi l de rive s advantage, in a manne r, from the
very amount o f its own enormity. NO pen can
record, no volume can contain, the de tails Of the
daily and hourly suff e rings of a whole people,
endured without intermission, through the whole
l ife o f man, from the cradle to the grave . The
mind itse lf can scarce ly comprehend the wide
range of the mischie f .
[N o . Dr. A rno ld.
P E RIODS OF PROLON GE D MISE RY. 5
OM I intere a non m ina cia tantum omnia, sed,ut in perditis rebus, nihil dispici po tera t.
Haud insipienter illud quidem dictum est, non
tam diuturna uniuerso rum miseria a n im o s m o ueri,
quam iis dim ica ntium furo ribus qui cum S ingulo rum
e t inlustrium interitu Sin t co niuncti. Non quo
e a , quae in m a n ifestis ca edibus a tro citer ac ne farie
fiunt,aequo gra uio ra esse uidea ntur
,sed quia
parum indign a m ur quotiens maiore cum calamitate
et scelere,ne legib us quidem recla m a ntibus
,ue x a n
tur ciue S cum eo res recidit ut sa luis legibus
ac re ligio nibus, qua rum uis et origo peruerta tur,fas et ne fas m isce a ntur. Quo in gene re sua ipsiu
’
s
im m a nita te malum quodammodo a litur : nam quid
sit in uniuerso populo cotidiana do lo rum a d
siduita s, nullo temporum aut a eta tum interu a llo,
usque ad extremum ' Spiritum continuata, neque
memoriae prodi neque scriptis co ntineri potest ;idque malum quam late pa tea t ne cogitando quidem
satis com prehendim us.
S . H . B .
6 HISTORICA L
IS Majesty be ing dead, the Duke,now
K . James I I ,went im mediate ly to Council,and before entering into any business, passion
ate ly declaring his sorrow, told the ir Lordships
that since the succession had fallen to him,he
would endeavour to fol low the example o f his
prede ce ssor in his clemency and tende rness to
his people,that howeve r he had been m isrepre
sented as affecting arbitrary power, they Should
find the contrary,for that the laws of E ngland
had made the king as great a m onarch as he
could desire ; that he would endeavour to main
tain the government both in Church and S tate ,as by Law e stabl ished, i ts principle s be ing so
firm for Monarchy,and the mem bers of it show
ing themse lve s SO good and loyal subj ects, and
that as he would neve r depart from the ; j ust
rights and pre rogative s of the Crown, so would
he neve r invade any man’s property ; but as he
had Often adventured his l ife in de fence of the
nation,SO he would still proceed and preserve i t
in al l its lawful rights and l iberties . This be ing
the substance of what he said,the Lords de
sired i t might b e published, as containing matter
o f great satisfaction to a j ealous people upon
this change,which his Majesty consented to .
[F
A CCE SSION OF 7 AME S 1 1 . 7
ECE S S E RAT iam im perator et frater in
imperium a scitus e x tem plo sena tum adit .
Neque ulla m rem prius rettulit quam do lo rem
esse t fla gra ntissim e testa tus. S cirent patre s
se qui in principa tum successisset, exemplo diui
Carol i indulgentia m in populum misericordiam
que a dhib iturum . N im irum e sse qui dom ina
tio nem qua eri crim ina rentur ce terum al ia omnia
euentura . Quippe ipsius rei publicae leges prin
cip i tantum tribuisse quantum fas esse t optari ;destinasse igitur se m a io rum cum ~ ca erim o n ia s
tum instituta co nseru a re, praesertim cum ista
tanto opere unius Imperio fa uerent,ipsique ciues
et uirtute et Obsequio pra esta rent. S e quidem,
ut nihil de iure im peratorio et a ucto rita te detra hi
pa ssurum ,ita null ius bona inua surum immo et
sa epius antea dim ica ntem pro patria in pericu
lum uita e uenisse,et nunc in eo dem consil io
perseuera turum ,ut, iura ciuita tis lib erta tem que
uindica ret. Quae in hanc fere sententiam dix is
set, patre s edicenda censuere,quasi ad populum
,
ut in rerum m uta tio ne a rrectum, pergra ta futura ;
neque ipse recusa uit.
j. S . R .
8 H ISTORICAL 3
HE N the remnant o f the Old Guard
gave way, and Bulow’s Prussians marched
up from the valley to the chaussé e, they found
the main body o f the French flying in utte r
disorder along the road and across the fie lds .
The great high road was choked up by the
fugitive s ; the very e fforts o f the pursue rs were
Obstructed by the chaos into which they plunged .
A rm s we re thrown down, packs cast Off, guns
abandoned . The British and the Prussians, con
verging upon the Charleroi road be twe en La Be l le
A l l iance and R o ssom m e , forced all they did not
take o r slay into the fie lds o r the main road .
Darkness had se ttled over the fie ld ; the masse s,moving through the Obscurity
,hurtled against each
other,and more than once friends were mistaken
for foes . But in the gloom Of that summer
evening, l ighted only by a rising moon, there wa s
such exultation a s m en can fe e l only when,by
fortitude and skill,they have snatched a brill ian t
victory from the very jaws of destruction . As the
Prussians came up from the bloodstained vil lage
o f Pla nchen o it, the i r bands played God save the
K ing,’ and the he roic British infantry in the van
answered with true British cheers .
[No . 2 32 ]
WA TE RL o o . 9
AM cedentibus qui superera nt G a llo rum
uetera niS , Germ a no rum dux suos e ua lle in
stra ta m pa uim ento uiam e rigere et prom o uere ;
quo cum uen issent,Gallos e ff usa fuga aut uiam
occupare aut agros tra nscurrere co n spe x erunt ;
ipsa uia,ut lata e rat
,i ta fugientibus confe rta ;
n ec ipsi qui insecta b a ntur,corpore et arm is n isi,
co n fusa m uiro rum turbam aut pene trare aut
prope llere po tera nt, adeo a b iectis armis et sa rcinis
undique Ob sa epieb a ntur. Iam Britanni et Ger
mani inter duo praedia in unum co euntes quidquid
Ga llo rum nec cepera nt nec o ccidera nt aut in agros
aut in m a gna m uiam com pulerunt : inde, noctis
umbris cam po incum b entibus,uicto res inter cal i
ginem sibi o b uia m facti n o nnum quam ignari igna ris
ut ho stibus co ncurreb a nt: uerum inte r tenebra s
a estiui uesperis, oriente luna parum distincta s, e a
em ica b a t inte r so cia to s lae titia quae iis tantum
co nceditur qui inte r summa pericula , immi
nente e x itio , uicto ria m uirtute et consil io arri
puerint. I ta Germ a nis iam prae ter uicum strage
et sanguine fluentem progressis et patrio Brita n
norum more uicto ria m ca nentibus,qui peditis
nostri pro uectio res era nt, longa dim ica tio ne in
signem fa m a m meriti,Martio clam ore etsa luta tio ne
respo nderunt.
E . D . A . M .
I O H ISTORICA L :
N the Invasion o f France , many years afte r,some Polish regim ents in the service o f
R ussia passed through the vil lage where this
exiled patriot then lived . Some pillaging o f the
inhabitants brought Kosciusko from his ~
co tta ge .
When I was a Polish soldie r,’ said he
,addressing
the plundere rs,‘the prope rty Of the peace ful
citizen wa s respe cted .
’ ‘And who art thou ? ’
said an Office r,who a ddressest us with a tone of
authority I a m Kosciusko .
’ There was magic
in the word . I t ran from corps to corps. The
m archwa s suspended. They gathered round him,
and gaz ed with aston ishment and awe upon the
m ighty ruin he presented .
‘ Could it indeed b e
the ir hero, whose fame wa s identified with that of
the ir country ? ’
A.
th md interesting reflec
tions burst upon the ir they remembered
his patriotism,his devotion to l ibe rty
,his triumphs
,
and his glorious fal l . The i r iron hearts were
softened ; the tears trickled down the ir faces a s
they grieved in idle indignation over the ir country’s
sham e ful doom,nor is it difficult to conce ive what
would b e the fee lings Of the he ro himse l f in such
a scene .
[NO. P ercy A n ecdotes.
1 2 HISTORICA L
E R E,therefore
,we a re to ente r upon o ne o f
the grand scene s o f history ; a solemn battle
fought o ut to the death, yet fought without ferocity,by the cham pions o f rival principle s . Heroic
m en had fallen,and we re sti ll fa st fal ling, for what
was called heresy ; and now those who had inflicted
death o n others were called upon to bear the same
witness to the ir own sinceri ty. E ngland be came
the theatre of awa r be tween two armies of martyrs,
to b e waged,not upon the open fie ld, in Open
action,but on the stake and o n the scaffold
,with
the noble r weapons o f passive endurance . E ach
party we re ready to give the ir own blood ; each
party were ready to shed the blood Of the ir
antagonists ; and the sword wa s to single out its
victims in the rival ranks,not
,as in peace
,among
those whose crime s made them dangerous tosocie ty
,but as o n the fie ld o f battle
,where the
most conspicuous courage most challenges the aim
o f the enem y. I t was war though unde r the form
o f peace ; and if we would understand the true
spirit o f the time, we must regard Catholics and
Protestants as gallant soldiers,whose deaths, when
they fall,a re not painful, but glorious and whose
devotionwe a re equally able to admire,even where
we cannot equally approve the ir cause .
[N o . 2 55 ]
TWO ARMIE S OF MART YRS . 1 3
G IMVS igitur a nna libus no stris mag
a m rerum speciem , ubi pa rtium inter se
a em ula ntium uindices pro e lium a ugustum nullis
induciis, nulla ta m en impotentia com m itteb a nt.
Nam utmira constantia,no ua nda e sci l ice t religio n is
crimine,ca esi era nt ad m ulto s et ca edeb a ntur, ita
qui alios m orte m ulcta uera nt, fidem ipsi suam pari
supplicio testa rentur ne cesse e rat . I n Britannia
cruentum pra eb ituri era nt e x ercitus duo specta
culum pro elii non co lla tis S ignis, non aperto
campo,sed ad pa lum crucem que com m issi, cum se
nullis armis, sed, quod pra esta ntius erat,uirtute
omnes ac patientia de fenderent. I ta que, et his et
i l l is uel suum pra eb ere uel ho stium ha urire
sanguinem pa ra tis, fe rro destin a b a ntur utrim que
non qui,quae pacis ratio
,fa cino ribus rei publicae
periculo si, sed ut in acie,ubi Mars fo rtissim um
quem que pignera ri sole t . Cum igitur specie pacis
be l lum gereretur, deb em us, si rerum rationem
recte perspiciem us,et fa uto ribus Papac et a duer
sa riiS m ilitum tribuere uirtutem et fata utro rum
que a dm ira ti po tiuS quam lamentati, e tsi consil ia
pariter comprobare non possumus,co nsta ntia m
saltem la uda b im us.
M . J . R .
1 4 H ISTORICAL
OR two centurie s the history o f British
possessions in India was the history Of
accumulated successes . Dangers there had been,
and difficu lties but e ach onward movement, with
here and the re a fluctuation, ended in a triumph
which the fluctuation enhanced . There is no
record o f SO many and such prosperous struggle s
leading to such a supremacy in the previous
annals of any people save o f the R omans alone .
H ere,too
,as there, the empire seemed to grow
by the ve ry necessity o f the case . N ew contracts
brought new collisions . The sagacity o f the
civilized race,the steadfastness Of the discipl ined
host,he re by negotiation
,there by the shock o f
armies,widened the circle o f a conque st . There
was nothing which could b e called a reverse to
Shade the bright o utl ine except that o ne instance
which invested with horror the name Of S o o rajud-Dowlah . The mem ory o f disasters is lost in
the keener recol le ction Of disgrace . We boast
no longe r that the flag Of Bri tain in I ndia is
free from the soil o f dishonour. R ome had her
Furcae Ca udina e . On the page o f the E nglish
historian will stand o ut for eve r a blot unerased
the tale o f the Khyber Pass .
DISASTE R OF THE KH YB E R PA SS . I 5
E R a nno s ducento s fine s im pe rii Brita nn is
apud Indos propa ga ntibus uicto ria e uic
to ria s deinceps e x ceperunt. Multa quidem pe ri
cula et labores Ob eunda era nt quo tienscum que
ta m en lo ngius pergeb a nt arm a nostra, to tiens res
prospe re ad po strem um euenerunt, eo que fa ustius
quod a liqua ndo anceps fuera t fortuna . Tantum
uero im pe rium mullam aliam gentem a udiuim us
prae te r ipsos R omanos tot et tam pro speris
certa m inibus e sse co nsecuta m . N am que ut illo rum
sic nostra res tamquam ipsa necessitate auge ri
uideb a tur. Cum enim e no uis fo ederibus noua
o rirentur certam in a , Britanni, ut qui cum hoste
rudi co ntenderent, et so llerter res agendo et
constanti m ilitum in dim ica ndo discipl ina im peri i
fines sempe r pro m oueb a nt. N ec quicqua m sane
a cceptum est incom m odi quod tantam no stra m
cla ritudinem o b scura ret prae ter unam illam
cla dem quae nomen S o ra eodo lii in festum reddidit.
I am ne ro rerum aduersa rum memoriam pudor
e x supera t ; neque po stha c ia cta re possumus
uex illa Brita nn o rum nul lum in India dedecus
suscepisse : ut R omanis do lenda e era nt Furcae
illa e Ca udina e , sic no stris e x a nna libus cla diS
illius labes ad fauces a ccepta e Khyb ern ia s num
quam eluetur.
1 6 HISTORICAL
HE R E was there ever such peace, such
tranquillity,such justice
,such honours
paid to virtue, such rewards distributed to the
good and punishm ents to the bad ; when was
ever the state so wise ly guided, a s in the time
when the world had Obtained o ne head, and that
head R ome the ve ry time whe re in Go d de igned
to b e born o f a V irgin and to dwe l l upon earth .
TO every single body the re has been given a head ;the whole world there fore also
,which is called by
the poe t a great body,ought to b e content with
o n e tem poral head . For eve ry two -headed animal
is monstrous ; howmuch more horrible and hideous
a portent must b e a creature with a thousand
diff erent heads,biting and fighting against o ne
anothe r ! I f,however, it is necessary that there
b e more heads than o ne, it is neve rthe less evident
that the re ought to b e o ne to restrain all and
preside over all, so that the peace o f the whole
body may abide unshaken . Assuredly both in
heaven and in earth the sovere ignty o f o ne has
always been be st .
[NO.
M ONARCH Y A L AW OF N A TURE . 1 7
T quando fuit usqua m in terris tanta pacis,o tii, tra nquillita tis diuturnita s ? Quando in
tanto honore uirtus ? Quando tam digna bonis
im pro b isque uel la udis uel po ena e distributio ?
Quando um qua m tanta in gerendis rebus sapientia,quanta eo fuit tem pore cum R oma quasi caput
toti terra rum orbi pra e fuit, Deusque ipse, natus e
Virgine, inte r homines uersa ri dign a b a tur? Nam
ut co rpo rib us omnibus caput unum est natura
co nstitutum,ita et ipsi terra rum orbi, quod quasi
im m ensum corpus esse poe ta quidam fin x it, unum
modo caput ad dirigenda omnia imponi o po rtet.
Quippe corpora ea quibus bina sunt capita pro
m o nstris ha b entur : quanto im m a n ius et fo edius
po rtentum illud cu i mille sint capita, quae inte r
se pugn a ntia sese inuicem mordicus dila nient ?
Quod si capita existant plura ne cesse est, a ppa ret
tam en unum saltem ita esse o po rtere ut pra esit
ce teris, pa cem que omnibus imperio co nfirm et.
Nam ut ab uno diriga ntur omnia, id semper apud
deos hom inesque optimum esse e x istim a tum est.
G. G. R .
I 8 H ISTORICAL
UCH will b e the impotent c ondition of those
m en o f great hereditary estates who indeed
dislike the designs that ,a re carried o n, but whose
dislike is rather that o f spectators than o f parties
that may b e concerned in the catastrophe o f the
piece . But riches do not in al l cases se cure an
inert and passive resistance . There a re always
in that descrip tion m en whose fortunes, when
the ir minds a re once vibrated by passion o r evil
principle,a re by no means a security from the ir
actually taking the ir part against the public tran
guillity. We see to what low and despicable
passions o f all kinds many m en in that class a re
ready to sacrifice the patrimonial e states which
might b e pe rpe tuated .in the ir families, with
splendour and with the fame o f hereditary
benefactors o f mankind, from generation to
generation . D o we no t see how lightly people
treat the ir fortunes, when under the influence
o f the passion o f gaming ? The gam e Of ambition
o r resentment will b e played by many o f the rich
a nd great a s desperate ly and with as much blind
ness to the consequences as any other game .
[No .
2 0 I I I S TOR I CA L
OME time afte r, the people discovered the ir
sentiments in such a manner as was
suffi cient to prognosticate to the priests the
fate which was awaiting them . I t was usual o n
the festival o f St. G iles, the tute lar saint o f
E dinburgh,to carry in procession the image Of
that saint ; but the Protesta nts, in orde r to
prevent the ceremony,found means
,o n the eve Of
the fe stival,to purloin the statue from the church
and they pleased themse lves with imagining the
surprise and disappointment o f his votaries.
The clergy, howeve r, framed hastily a new image ,which
,in derision, was called by the people
young St . G iles ; and they carried it through the
stree ts, attended by all the e cclesiastics in the
town and ne ighbourhood . Themu ltitude abstained
from violence so long a s the queen-regent con
tinned a spe ctator, but the moment She re tired,they invaded the idol
,threw it in the mire, and
broke it in pieces . The fl ight and terror o f the
priests and friars,who , it was remarked, dese rted,
in his greatest distress, the object o f the ir worship,wa s the source of universal mockery and laughte r.
[NO. Hum e.
YOUN G S T . GILE S. 2 1
OSTEA a liqua nto plebes, quae in animo
habere t, fa cino re tali indica uit, ut facile
esse t sa cerdo tibus diuin a re, qu is exitus ipsos
m a neret. Forte enim ,cum mos esse t ut stato die
e ffigies DiuiA egidii, quem pra ecipue uenera b a ntur
E din enses, per urb em in pompa ferretur, eam tum
e ffigiem ,ne so llem ne fieret
,homines quidam
sa cerdo tibus a duersa rii e templo pridie i l lins die i
a uferendam curant : inopina tum id scil ice t et
luctuo sum religio nis culto ribus fore, coque magis
sibi ipsis lae tum . Sacerdotes autem fa b rica ntur
propere effigiem monam , quam pleb eii irridentes
A egvdiolum uo ca nt. Fereb a tur tamem per plateas,co m ita ntib us quodcunque sa cerdo tum aut in urbe
ipsa aut in uicinia e rat. Quae dum regina
specta b a t, ta ntisper m anus plebes co ntin eb a t
po stqua m recessit, statim,im pe tu facto
,effigiem
deiecta m et in luto pro stra tam'
con fregerunt. Ac
fugati et pa uentes pontifices ceterique sacerdotes
uulgo deridentur ; quippe qui proprium illum
suum et quasi peculia rem Diuum in extremo
discrimine ac pe riculo destituissent.
F. D . M
2 2 HISTORICAL :
T was scarce ly possible that the eyes of con' temporaries should discove r in the public
felicity the latent causes of decay. This long
peace and the uniform gove rnm ent Of the R om ans
introduced a Slow and se cre t poison into the V itals
o f the em pire . The minds o f m en were gradually
reduced to the same leve l, the . fire of genius was
extinguished, and even the military spirit eva po
rated . The natives Of E urope were brave and
robust ; Spain, Gaul, Britain ,and I l lyricum sup
pl ied the legions with exce l lent soldie rs,a nd
constitu ted the real strength o f the monarchy.
The ir personal valour remained, but they no
longer possessed that public courage which is
nourished by the love o f independence,the
presence o f danger, and the habit Of command .
They rece ived laws a nd governors from th e will
o f the ir sovere ign,a nd trusted for the ir de fence to
a mercenary army. The posterity o f the ir bolde st
leaders wa s contented with the rank o f citizens
and subjects . The most aspiring spiri ts resorted
to the court o r standard o f the emperors ; and the
deserted provinces, deprived Ofpolitical strength o r
union, in sensibly sunk into the languid indifference
Of private l ife .
[N o . 2 59 ] Gibbon .
SLOW DE CA Y OF ROM E . 2 3
IX quidem fieri po tuit ut ab 1 1s qui illo rum
temporum essent a equa les futuri semina e x itii
discernerentur quae sub ta nta omnium fe l ici tate
la teb a nt. Atta m en tamquam lene et o ccultum
uenenum pax il la diuturna teno rque perpe tuus
dicio n is R om a n a e in medullas im peri i ac uiscera
instilla b a nt. P a ulla tim enim factum est ut,re
stinctis ingeni i igniculis, nulli inter ciues Ob
indo lem em inerent, e x o lesceretque e tiam studium
militare . Prouincia rum e x inco lis,fortitudine
ua lidisque co rporibus m ilitia e a ptissim is, e x ple
bantur legiones, quod uerum imperii e rat tu ta
mentum . Ciuibus quidem singulis no n deera t
animus,eua nuera t ta m en illa uirtus quae in tota
ciuita te amore lib erta tis,periculo communi, usuque
im pera ndi nutritur. Im pera to ris ex arbitrio et
leges et pra efecto s a cceperunt ; a rmis m ercen a riis
suam sa lutem com m itteb a nt. A tque ade o iam loco
ciuium priua to rum contenti fuerunt qu i originem
a ducto ribus fortissim is tra x erunt glo ria e Si quis
e rat studio sio r, a d a ula
’
m aut ue x illa im pera to ris
se co ntulit. Ita que cum provinciis, desertis et
inte r se disiunctis, nihi l uirium esset relictum ,
apud cines qui in rebus priua tis uersa b a ntur
heb esceb a t cura rei publicae .
2 4 HISTORICAL
T such times socie ty, distracted by the con
flict of individual wills, and unable to attain
by the i r fre e concurren ce to a general wil l, which
might unite and hold them in subj ection, fee ls an
ardent desire for a sove re ign powe r, to which al l
individuals m ust submit ; and a s soon as any
institution pre sents itse l f which bears any o f thecharacteristics o f legitim ate sove re ignty, socie ty
rallies round it with eagerness ; as people unde r
proscription take refuge in the sanctuary o f
a church . This is what has ta ken place in the
wild and disorde rly youth o f nations, such as
those we have j ust described . Monarchy is won
derfully su ited to those times o f strong and fruitful
a narchy,if I may SO speak
,in which socie ty is
striving to form and regulate itse lf, but is unable
to do so by the free concurrence o f individual
wills . There a re other times when monarchy,
though from a contrary cause, h a s the same merit .
Why did the R oman world, so near dissolution at
the end of the republ ic, stil l subsist for more than
fifteen centurie s unde r the name Of an empire,which
,after a ll
, wa s nothing but a linge ring
de cay, a protracted death-struggle ? Monarchy
only could produce such an e ffe ct .
[N O .
N E E D FOR M ONA RCH Y. 2 5
IVSMODI temporibus, cum singulis inte r
se dissentientibus disco rda t ciuita s, neque
po ssunt ciues i ta conspirare ut ad uniuersi populi
uo lunta tem et arbitrium res publica reuo cetur,
uulgo homines im perium quo singuli co erce a ntur
e x petunt ; ita que primum quidque a m plectuntur
quod iure a liquo id sibi a droga re uidea tur ; huc,sicut in aram pro scripti co n fugiunt, omnium se
studia co n ferunt. Quod quidem in ciuita tibus
no ndum a dultis,et in ea , quam com m em o ra ui,
morum licentia iam sa epe euen it : tum enim cum
incondita a dhuc est l ibe rtas, cum incho a ta multa
sunt, perfectum nihil, cum homines id a gunt ut
institua tur et in form etur ciuita s, neque S ingulo rum
consensu id fieri potest, nihil tam co nuenit quam
penes unum esse sum m am rerum . I am nero
diuersa m o b causam est ubi eadem fere regni
uis sit. R em quidem R om a na m stante a dhuc
re publica pa ene disso luta m ,quid in m ilesim um
quingentesim um annum serua uit, ita ta m en ut
specie imperi i co nsenesceretetinterireta liqua ndo
Nempe id in regno omne positum est
2 6 HISTORICAL
O so oner wa s the king a lo n e,than his
tem per,more caut ious than sanguine ,
suggested very different views o f the matte r, and
represented eve ry difficulty and danger which
could occur . He refle cted that,however the world
might pardon this folly o f youth in the prince,
they would neve r forgive himse lf,who
,at his
years, and afte r his experience, could entrust his
only son, the he ir o f his crown, the prop Of his
a ge, to the discre tion o f fore igners, without so
m uch as providing the frail security o f a safe
conduct in his favour that i fthe Spanish monarch
were sincere in his professions, a fewmonths must
finish the treaty o f marriage,and bring the Infanta
into E ngland ; i f he were not sincere, the folly
was stil l more egregious o f committing the prince
into his hands ; that Philip, when possessed o f so
invaluable a pledge, might we l l rise in his demands ,and impose ha rder conditions o f treaty ; a nd/ tha t
the teme rity Of the ente rprise wa s so apparent,
that the event, how prosperous soeve r, could not
justify it ; and if d isastrous, i t would render himi
se lf infamous to his people,and ridiculous to all
poste rity.
[NO.
2 8 HISTORICA L :
HE N they we re introduced into his presence,they declared, perhaps in a m ore lofty style
than became the ir abject condition, that the
R omans were resolved to maintain the ir dignity,e ither in peace o r war ; and that, ifA laric re fused
them a fair and honourable capitulation, he might
sound his trum pe ts and prepare to give battle to
an innumerable people, exercised in arms, and
animated by despair. ‘The thicke r the hay, the
easier it is mowed,
’ was the concise reply o f the
Barbarian ; and this rustic me taphor wa s a ccom
pa n ied by a loud and insulting laugh, expressive
o f his contem pt for the menaces o f an unwarlike
populace, ene rvated by luxury before they we re
em aciated by famine . He then condescended to
fix the ransom which he would accept as the price
o f his re treat from the walls o f R ome ; al l the
gold and si lve r in the city,whe the r it we re the
property o f the state or Of individuals all the rich
and precious moveables and all the slaves who
could prove the ir title to the name of Barbarians .
The ministe rs o f the senate presumed to ask,in
a modest and suppliant tone,I f such
, O king, a re
your demands, what do you intend to leave us‘YOUR LIVE S,
’ replied the haughty conqueror they
trem bled and re tired .
[F .C. NO. 344 ] Gibbon .
A LARIC KIN G OF THE GOTHS.
D regem a dducti a sseuera b a nt superb ius
fo rta sse quam aff l ictos deceb a t, se statuisse
dignita tem suam uel in Marte uel in pace tueri
pro inde, Si condiciones acquas et honestas recu
sare t,b ellicum ca neret
,et decerta re cum populo
p a ra ret innume rabili, assue to armis, Spe deposita
se curo . Quibus re x b a rb a rus b reuiter respo ndit
quo densius fa enum eo fa cilius dem eti,a diecto
sententiae tam agresti cachinno contume l ioso quo
sign ifica b a t quantum minas hom inum ign a uo rum
sperneret, no n modo fame co n fecto rum sed luxu
iam antea diffluentium . Tum dem um e i pla cuit
pre tium co nstituere quo ex penso urb em relin
queret : omne scil ice t aurum et argentum quod
in urbe esset, et publicum et priua tum , supellec
tilem om nem pretio sam et diuitem,seruo s denique
omne s qui b a rb a ro rum originem sibi a sserere
po ssent. Tum legati a S ena tu uo ce demissa et
supplic i rogare ausi, quid sibi to t ta ntisque rebus
e x a ctis relinqueret. I lle autem,
‘V itas,
’
inquit,‘uestra s
’
: nec plura superb iens. I ll i trem ebundi
fa cessere .
30 HISTORICA L
HE road, a ll down the iong descent
, and
through the plain to the ba nks o f the rive r,wa s l ined, m ile a fter mile, with specta tors. Fromthe We st Ga te to the Cathedral Clo se the pressing
and shouting o n each side wa s such as re
minded Londoners o f the crowds on L ord Mayor’s
Day. Doors, windows, b a l con ies, a nd, ro ofs
were thronged with ga z ers. An eye a ccus
ta med to the pomp o f war wo uld have found
much to criticize in the spectacle For seve ra l
to ivlsom e m arches in the rain , through roads ,
where one who travelled on foot sank at eve ry
step up to the an cles in clay, ha d n ot improved
the appea rance o f m en o r the ir accoutrem ents .
But the p eople o f Devonshire, altoge the r um
used to the splendour o f well-o rdered cam ps,were overwhe lmed with delight a nd awe . De
scriptions o f the ma rtia l p ageant were circula tedal l over the k ingdom. They co ntainedm uch tha t
wa s we ll-fitted to gratify the vulgar a ppetite f o r
the marve llous. Fo r the Dutch arm y, .composed
o f m en who had been born in various clima tes,a nd had served under various standards, pre
sented an aspe ct at once grotesque, gorgeous, and
terrible to islanders,who had
,in general
,a ve ry
indistinct notion of fore ign countries .
[N o . Ma ca ulay .
WILLIAM E N TE RS E XE TE R. 3 1
E SC E NDE NT IBVS ,per tam longnum
cliuum et inde per ca m pum ad nipas fluuii
co ntinuata utrim que ingens series Specta ntium .
Ab occidental i porta usque a d a edem m a x im a m
o rn a ta e ut in festo domus, uco nferta e intu entibus
ia nua e, fenestrae, tecta , porticus. E t era nt ~quae
reprehenderet Si cui usita tio r b ello rurn apparatus .
Defo rm ara t m ilitum a rm o rurnque speciem re
petitus per im bres labor itinerum ,dum per uia s
profi ciscuntur'ub i .ut quisque pede s ib a t singulis
p ass ibus tenus ca cn o m ergeb a tur. S ed
Deuo nienses,quibus inso litus ca stro rum is deco r
et .disciplina, cum gaudio ‘m e tuque omnia pro
spicieb a nt. Increbrescere tub ique f ama tanti apparatus : nec san e de era nt I
quibus a uidum
m ira bilium uulgus ca peretur. q ippe ,Ba ta uo rum
e x ercitus, homines .qui a liis alii regio nibus nati
diuersa tulera nt stipendia, speciem pra esta b a nt ut
-ludicra m m agnifica m que, ita insu lam co lentibus
itenribilem : qu i incerta plerum que de p eregrin isrintellegerent.
32 H ISTORICA L
HE pirates called themse lve s C i l icians ;in fact the ir vesse l s were the rendezvous
o f desperadoes and adventurers from all countries—discharged me rcenarie s from the re cruiting
grounds o f Crete, burgesses from the destroyed
townships o f I taly,Spain
,and A sia
,soldie rs
and officers from the armies o f Fimbria and
Sertorius, in a word the ru ined m en o f all nations,
the hunted re fugees o f al l vanquished parties,
every o ne that was wretched and daring— and
whe re was there not mise ry and violence in
this unhappy age ? I t wa s no longer a gang of
robbers who had flocked toge the r,but a compact
soldier-state,in which the freemasonry o f exile
and crime took the place of nationality, and
within which crime redeem ed itse l f,as it so Often
does in its own eyes, by displaying the most
generous public Spiri t . I f the banner o f this
state wa s inscribed with vengeance against the
civi l socie ty which,rightly o r wrongly, had
ejected its members, i t might b e a question
whe ther this device was much worse than those
o f the I talian ol igarchy and the Oriental sultanship
which seemed in the course of dividing the world
be tween them .
(No .
TH E CILICIA N P IRA TE S. 33
ILICE S se pra edo nes a ppe lla b a nt, cum
re uera ex omnibus potins oris in n a ues
corum co nuenissent de Spera ti homine s re rum
que noua rum cupidi . A l i i Cre tenses era nt, con
ducti ol im mercede ad m ilita ndum , po ste a que
dim issi ; al ii, municipales quondam,ex o ppidis
be llo dirutis e odem co nflux era nt, I tali, Hispa n i,Asiani : fecera nt ali i cum Fim bria uel S erto rio
stipendia, o rdinesue du x era nt. Adeo e x omnibus
gentibus congregati era nt perditi omnes ; omnes
post pa rtium sua rum ru inas e x pulsi ac fugientes
denique quicquid m iserorum hom inum,quicquid
a uda cium usqua m e rat : quis autem usquam per
illo s a nno s locus aut m iseriis aut fa cino rib us
ua ca b a t? Ve rum ex la tro nibus casu et teme re
co ngrega tis factus e rat e x ercitus,ut i ta dica m
,ac
p a ene res publica ciuium inter se non cogna tio ne
quidem, sed ta m en com m unita te a liqua e x ilii
sce lerisque co niuncto rum quorum pra eterea
sce lera—id quod sce lerati fieri sa epe co nfidunt
m a x im is in commune m eritis com pensa b a ntur. At
so cieta ti generis humani, unde siue iure siue in
Inria e x pulsi era nt, be l lum indix erunt. Indix erint
sed nescio an ho nestius b ella uerint quam R omani
i ll i optimates Asia nusque re x,qui tum inter se
pa rtituri iam esse te rras omnes uid'
eb a ntur.
34 HIS TOR ICA L
N the whole comparison there can b e little
doubt that the balance Of advantage l ie s in
favour of the modern system of large states . The
small republic inde ed deve lops its individual
citizens to a pitch which in the large kingdom is
utterly im possible . But it so deve lops them at
the cost o f bitte r pol itical strife within , and o f
almost constant warfare without. I t may even b e
doubted whe the r the highest form o f the city
commonwealth does not require slavery a s a con
dition o f its most perfect deve lopment . The days
o f glory o f such a commonwealth a re indeed
glorious beyond comparison ; but it i s a glory
which is too brill iant to last, and in proportion to
the Short Splendour o f its prime is too often the
unutterable wre tchedness o f i ts long old a ge .
The r epub lics of Greece seem to have been shown
to the world for a m oment,like some mode l of
glorified hum anity, from which al l may draw the
highest o f lessons, but which none may hope to
reproduce in its perfection . A S the l iterature o f
Greece is the groundwork o f al l l ate r l iterature , as
the art o f Gree ce is the groundwork o f all late r
art, so in the great democracy of A thens we
recognize the parent sta te o f law and justice and
freedom,the wonde r and the example of eve ry
later a ge . But it is an example which we can no
36 DE SCRIP TIVE :
more reproduce than we can call back again the
inspiration o f the Hom eric Singe r, the more than
human Skill o f Pheidia s, o r the untaught and
inborn wisdom o f Thucydides . We can neve r b e
l ike them,if only be cause they have gone be fore .
[NO 2 73-1
N the promontory o f Misenus is yet standing
the mansion o f Corne lia,mother o f the
Gracchi ; and, whe ther from the reverence of
h er Virtues and exalted name, o r that the gods
preserve i t a s a monument o f womanhood,i ts
exterior is yet unchanged . He re she resided
many years,and never would b e induced to re
visit R ome after the murder o f her younge r so n .
S he cultivated a varie ty o f flowe rs,and naturalized
several plants,and brought toge ther trees from
vale and mountain, trees unproductive o f fru it
but affording her in the ir superintendence and
management a tranqu i l a nd expectan t pleasure .
We read that the Babylonians and Pe rsians were
formerly much addicted to similar places o f re
creation . I have no knowledge in these matters
and the first tim e I went thithe r I asked many
questions o f the gardener’s boy
,a child about nine
THE H OUSE OF CORN E L IA . 37
uel idcirco esse non possumus, quod il l i antea
uix erunt.
S . H . B .
XSTARE a dhuc in Miseni promontorio
dom um n idi Co rn elia e,Gra ccho rum matris ;
et species e ius—seu o b tantam uirtutem et in
signe nomen homines, seu monimento e x im ia e
pro femina firm ita tis Di serua uerunt—hodie e tiam
immutata est. Ibi m ulto s a nno s ipsa egit, nec
e i um qua m post filii minoris necem ut R om a m
rediret persua deri po tuit. Varia flo rum genera
co leb a t, e t nonnulla e tiam e x Oriente i llata in
serenda et solo a ssuefa cienda cura b a t nec non
arbores diuersi generisde m o ntibus et campo con
fereb a t, quae ut frugifera e om nino non era nt,i ta
curanti et fo uenti tra nquilla m qua nda m pa tientia e
et e x pecta tio nis uo lupta tem pra eb eb a nt. Istius
modi hortos a udiuim us Ba bylo nio s et Persas
o tii causa plurim um e x co luisse ipse ucro, cum talia
ignorarem,multa illuc primum prOfectus puerum
quenda m ,topia rii filium ,
nouem circa a nno s na tum ,
38 HISTORICA L :
years o ld. He thought m e still more ignoran t
than I wa s, and said among othe r such rem arks,I do not know what they call th is plant at R ome
,
o r whe ther they have i t there ; but it i s am ong
the commonest he re , be autiful as it is, and we call
it cytisus . ’ ‘Thank you, child,’ said I smiling ;
and pointing towards two cypresse s,
‘ pray what
do you call these high and gloom y trees, at the
extrem ity of the avenue , j ust above the precipice ?’
‘ Othe rs like them,
’ replied he ,‘a re called
cypresses but the se , I know n o t why, have
always been called Tibe rius and Caius . ’
[No . W. S . La ndor.
HE town is most ple asantly seated, having
a ve ry goo d wall with round and square bul
warks,after the Old manner o f fortifications . We
came thither in th e night, a nd indeed were very
much distre sse d by so re and tempestuous wind
and rain . A fter a long march, we knew not
we l l how to dispose of ourse lve s ; but finding an
Old abbey in the suburbs,and some cabins and
poor houses, we got into them, and had oppo r
tunity to send the garrison a summons . They
shot at my trum pe ter, and would not listen to him
HOW WE GOT THE TOWN . 39
perconta tus sum . Qui m e nil o m nino ratus
scire,inter al ia et similia ho c dixit : Hic utrum
apud uo s flo s inuenia tur, non didici, nec quo
nomin e R omae a ppelletur : apud nos ucro ut
pulcherrim us est,ita om nino non ra ruS et nomen
ci cytiso po nim us.
’
At ego a rridens,‘ Benigne
,
pue r,’ respondi : tum
,dua bus cupressis digito in
dica tis,‘ Quo tandem nomine,
’
inquam ,
‘ arbore s
ce lsa s il las et funebres, in fine xysti supe r
pra ecipiti pendente s cliuo , a ppella s ?’ ‘At istius
generis arbores,’
respo ndit,‘cupresso s ; dua rum
uero,quas indicasti, i lla apud nos Tiberius, haec
Caius a ppe lla tur sed ratio in obscuro est. ’
E . D . A . M .
PPIDVM a m o eno ia cet situ,firm is moemi
bus munitum, turrib usque ueteri more et
ro tundis et qua dra tis. Quo cum n o ctu uenis
sem us,uento pluuia que nimia co nfecti et l ongo
itinere laborantes, non e rat ubi perno cta rem us, nisi
templum ca sula sque extra m o enia repperissem us.
Huc receptis co piis o bsesso s e x tem plo se dede re
iube b a m . Qui quidem nuntium etsa gittis peteb a nt
et diu se nega b a nt a dm issuro s : ita que missis
quos no ra nt lega tis certio res feci ducem adesse
cum magna parte ex ercitus. Nostri om nino te l i s
40 HISTORICAL
fo r an hour’s space ; but having some officers
in o ur party whom they knew, I sent them to
let them know I was there with a good part o f
the army. We shot not a shot at them ; but
they were ve ry angry, and fired ve ry earnestly
upon us,te l ling us it wa s not a time o f night
to send a summons . But yet in the end the
gove rnor wa s will ing to send o ut two commis
sioners,—I th ink rather to see whe ther the re wa s
a force suffi cient to force him , than to any other
end. A fte r almost a whole night spent in treaty,
the town was de l ivered to m e the next morning,upon term s which we usually cal l honourable ;which I was the will inge r to give, because I had
l ittle above two hundred foot, and ne ithe r ladde rs
nor guns,nor anything e lse to force them .
[N o .
N the great lottery o f civi l war the prizes a re
enormous, and when such prize s may b e
obtained by a course o f action which is pro
foundly injurious to the S tate, the de terrent in
fluence o f severe penalties is especially necessary.
In the great majori ty o f cases,the broad distinc
t ion which it is now the fashion to draw be tween
political and other crime s, is both pernicious and
P UN ISHME N T FOR P OLITICA L CRIME . 4 1
a b stinere : i lli succensi intentius in no s co nicere ,
tam inoppo rtun am increpa ntes lega tio nem . Deni
que duo milites rem isit imperator, eo po tissim um
ut uideb a tur consilio ut cogn o sceret an satis
a desset copia rum ad uim a dhib enda m . Tota
ferme nocte lega tio nibus co nsum pta , deditum
po stridie oppidum a equa (ut uisum ) condicione :
cui eo fa cilius a ssentieb a r,quod uix CC ha b u i
milites, nec scalas nec tormenta quibus ex pug
narem .
A . 5 .
VM ciuilis be ll i auctore s maxima, si pro
spere gesserint, pra em ia co nsequa ntur, ita
ta m en po ssint gerere ut ciuita ti penitus n o ce a nt,
nece sse sane est ut poenis non m ino ribus de
terre a ntur. Pra ua ergo plerum que et e x itio sa
est corum sententia,qui fa cino ra co ndem n a nt
cetero rum ,res noua ntium so lent
’
e x cusa re . Vb i
enim fa cilius,ubi pernicio sius malae hom inum
4 2 HISTORICAL :
untrue . There is no sphere in which the worst
passions of hum an nature may ope rate more easilyo r more dange rously than in the sphere of politics.
There is no criminal of a deepe r dye than the
adventure r who i s gam bling for power with the
l ives of m en . The re a re no crimes which produce
vaster and more enduring suff erings than those
which sap the great pi llars Of order in the State,
and destroy that re spect for life, for property, and
for law,o n which al l true progress depends . So
far the rebe ll ion had been not only severe ly but
mercilessly suppre ssed . Score s o f wre tched
peasants, who were much more dese rving o f
pity than of blame,had been shot down . Ove r
great tracts o f country eve ry rebe l’s cottage had
been burnt to cinders . Men had been hanged
who, although they had been com pe lled o r induced
to take a leading part in the rebe ll ion, had so com
ported them se lve s as to e stablish the stronge st
claims to the clemency o f the Government . But
what inconsistency, what injustice , i t wa s asked,could b e more flagrant, than at this tim e to se
lect as special obje cts o f that clemency,the very
m en who we re the authors and the o rganizers
of th e rebe ll ion —the very m en who,if i t had suc
ceeded, would have reaped its greatest rewards
[N o . L ee/by .
44 NARRATIVE :
FTE R reading I entered upon my exhorta
tion,which was rather calculated at first to
amuse them than to reprove . I previously o b
served that no othe r motive but the ir we lfare
could induce m e to this ; that I wa s the ir fe l low
prisone r, and now got nothing by preaching .
I was sorry,I said
,to hear them so very profane ;
be cause they got nothing by it, bu t might lose
a great deal ;‘ for b e assured
,my friends
,
’ cried
I , —for you a re my friends,howeve r the world
may disclaim your friendship, —though you swore
twe lve thousand oaths in a day,it would not put
o ne penny in your purse . Then what signifies
cal ling every moment upon the devil,and courting
his friendship,since you find how scurvily he use s
you ? He has given you nothing he re,you find
,
but a mouthful o f oaths and an empty be l ly ; and,by the best accounts I have o f him
,he will give
you nothing that’s good hereafte r. ’
[No .
HE E nglish and Normans now prepared
themse lves for this important decision . But
the aspect o f things, o n the night be fore the
battle, wa s very different in the two cam ps . The
THE VI C/ IR IN PRISON . 45
IN ITA recita tio ne comites a dlo qu1 incepi,
i ta tamem ut o b lecta rem po tius quam o b iur
garem ; pra efa tusque m e id modo agere ut pro
dessem iis—quippe qui et ipse ca ptiuus essem,
neque lucri quicqua m e x o ra tio ne percepturus
inuitum m e tot im pie dicta a udiisse dixi, unde
boni nihil pro fecto ,damni fo rta sse aliquid euen
turum .
‘ S cito te enim,am ici
,
’
inquam ,—‘ nam
amici mihi re uera estis, qua ntum uis a ce teris co n
tem pti—si uo s im pia atque ne fasta totum usque
per diem im precem ini, n e minimo quidem num mo
uo s inde ditio res fore . Quid pro dest igitur
S a ta na m istum identidem inuo ca re, eiusque a ucu
pari gra tia q ui uo b is tam inique usus sit ? Nam
uiuis pro fecto nihil n isi m a ledicere cum inedia
do n a uit ; neque m o rtuis,si quid ego ueri a uguro r,
boni quicquam la rgietur.
’
G. G. R .
V0 in discrimine rem nert i po stquam uter
que uidera t ex ercitus, diuersa erat facies
b ino rum inter apparatus ca stro rum pridie quam
pugna tum est. N o ctem Angli cum strepitu, comis
46 HISTORICAL :
E nglish spent the time in riot, and jollity, and
disorde r ; the Normans in silence and prayer, and
in the functions of the ir re l igion . Oh the‘
m o rning,
the duke called toge the r the most considerable o f
his Chie ftains,and made them a spee ch suitable
to the occasion . He represented to them that the
event which they and he had longwished for was
approaching,and the whole fortune o f the war now
depended o n the ir sword,and would b e decided
in a single action ; that never army had greater
motive s for exe rting a vigorous courage,whe ther
they considered the prize which would attend
the ir victory, o r the inevitable destruction which
must ensue upon the ir discom fiture '
; that if the ir
martial and ve te ran bands could once break those
raw soldiers, who had rashly dared to approach
them,they conquered a kingdom at o ne blow, and
we re justly entitled to al l the ir possessions as the
reward of the ir prosperous valour ; that, o n the
contrary, i f they remitted in the least the ir wonted
progress,an enraged enemy hung upon the ir rear,
the sea m et them in the ir re treat, and an ign o
m inious death was the ce rtain punishment o f the irimprudent cowardice .
[No . 2 08]
THE BA TTLE OF HASTIN GS . 47
sa tio ne , turb is ducere, Normanni inter silentium
ac sacra. Dux mane principibus snorum con
uo ca tis co ntio nem habuit quae tempus deceret.
Quem ipse, quem ill i sibi tam diu e x pecta ssent
diem adesse ; to ta m in m a n ib us be ll i fo rtun a m
stare ; uno pro e lio decerta tum iri ; quem unqua m
e x ercitum animis intentis operae a la crius incum
be re o po rtuisse Quippe quod uincendi fore t prae
mium, quippe quanta uictis clades sub eunda,con
tem pla rentur. Qui si forti ac uetera no suo milite
temerarios tirones satis in se a uda cter a ggresso s
profliga ssent, fore ut uno ictu gemtem deb e lla rent,iustissim is autem virtutis fo rtuna eque nom inibus
omnes eo rundem possessiones prom ererentur.
S i so litis uiribus de fecissent, ultro iratos sibi a
tergo im m inere hostes, fugientibus po ntum obia
ce re,tantam im prudentia m ,
tantam infirm ita tem
animi uno necis atque in fa m ia e pia culo uindi
ca tum iri .
E . W B .
48 HISTORICAL
HE oracle of De lphi had fal len into oblivion
o r contempt in the gene ral de cay of faith,
o r o n the discove ry of its pro fliga te corruption .
Whatever credit m ight still attach to the ir pre
tensions to divine inspiration, its hierophants were
no longe r the confederates or the creatures o f the
statesm an. A larmed and bewildered,they sought
to disclaim the invidious responsibi l ity : ‘ The
destinies o f R ome,
’ they said,‘were recorded
once for all in the verses of the Sybi l : the con
flagra tio n o f the ir tem ple by the Gauls had choked
the cave with cinders. and stifled the voice o f the
god he who spurned from his shrine the profane
and unrighteous,found none to address in the se
degenerate days . ’ But all the se evasions were
vain . Appius demanded the event o f the wa r,and pertinaciously claimed a reply. The priestess
took her seat o n the fatal tripod,inhaled the
intoxicating vapours,and at last de l ive red the
response which her prompters deemed the most
l ike ly to gratify the intrude r : ‘Thou,Appius
,
hast no part in the c ivil wars : thou shalt possess
the hollow o f E uboea. ’ The proconsul wa s
satisfied . He de term ined to abandon all active
measures for the party which had entrusted the
province to him , and fondly hoped that, in re tiring
to the deep re cesses o f the E uripus,where the se a
TH E DELPHIC ORA CL E . 49
RACVLVM De lphis, seu obsolescente in
deos pie tate, seu nenale repertum ,in
o b liuio nem et co ntem ptum uenera t,m inistrique
e ius, de a fila tu isto diuino quo dcunque a dhuc
crederetur, desiera nt ce rte co nscii regum aut
instrumenta esse . Pa uidi igitur turb a tique de
trecta nt tantum inuidia e : fata R omae l ibris
S ibyllin is sem e l esse condita ; templum autem
Gal l i cum incendissent, o ppleto cineribus antro
fa tidica e uo ci interclusum iter ; nec deum,qui
pro enl a se profanos im pio sque ha b ea t, degene ri
in a euo inuen ire quibus o ra so lua t. S ed frustra
erat e a fraus pro co nsule responsa ac so rtem be ll i
e ffla gita nte . Tum Pythia fatali in tripode co nsedit,ha ustuque ua po rum furibunda id dem um responsi
edit quod auctores e ius credidere molesto bom in i
lae tum : Bello rum , Appi, ciuilium e x pers es,tu
ca ua m E ub o e a m po ssideb is.
’
Satis Appio id uisum .
Mota pro iis arma qui sibi pro uinciam credidissent
o m ittere sta tuit et in sinu E uripi sub sidere,‘
qu a
Aulim inter et Cha lcida a ngustum mare ra pitur,
50 DESCRIPTIVE
rushes through the gorge be twe en Aul is arid
Chalcis, the wave s of civil war would pass by him ,
and leave him in undisturbed possession of his
island sove re ignty. But he had scarce ly reached
the spot when he was se ized with feve r, and the
oracle was trium phantly fulfil led by his death and
burial on the rock-bound shore .
EW Carthage is situate near the middle o f
the coast o f Spain,upon a gulph that looks
towards the south-west, and which contains in
length about twenty stadia, and about ten stadia
in breadth at the first entrance The whole o f
this gulph is a perfect harbour. For an island
lying at the mouth o f it,and which leaves on
e i ther side a ve ry narrow passage, rece ives al l the
waves of the sea,so that the gulph remains
entire ly calm ; except only that its waters a re
some times agitated by the south-we st winds blow
ing through those passages . A ll the other winds
a re intercepted by the land,which encloses it o n
eve ry side . I n the inmost part of the gulph
stands a mountain in form o f a peninsula, upon
which the city is built . I t is surrounded by the
5 2 NARRATIVE :
sea , upon the east and south ; and on the west
by a lake, which is extended also so far towards
the north, that the rest o f the space, which l ie s
be tween the lake and the se a , and which joins
the city to the continent, contains only two stad ia
in breadth . The middle part o f the city is flat ;and has a leve l approach to i t from the sea
,o n the
side towards the south . The other parts a re
surrounded by hil ls, two o f which a re very high
and rough ; and the other three,though much
less lofty, a re ful l o f cavities and difficult of
approach .
[F C. R . S outhey.
T wa s vacation-time, and that gave m e a
loo se from my business at the bar fo r it wa s
the season after the summer’s heat, when Au tumn
promised fair a nd pu t o n the face o f temperate .
We set o ut, there fore, in the morning early, a nd
as we were walking upon the sea -shore, and a
kindly bree z e fanned and re freshed our limbs, and
the yie lding sand softly submitted to our fee t and
made it de l icious trave ll ing, Caecilia s o n a sudden
espied the statue o f Serapis, and acco rding to the
vu lgar mode o f superstition, raised his hand to
his mouth a nd paid his adoration in k isses. Upon
A WALK UPON THE S E A -SHORE. 53
co ntinea t. Media urbs in aequo est : fa cilis per
planum aditus ex meridiana parte a mari ascend
entibus. Cetera s partes cingunt quinque colles,quorum duo magnae et pra erupta e sunt a ltitudinis.
R eliqui tre s multo quidem hum ilio res, sed ca uo rum
pleni et pa ene ina ccessi .
AM uero ludi R om ani rerum fo rensium inter
missionem a ttulera nt. Tum enim tem po ris, u i
caloris rem issa,a uctum nus speciem tepida e tem
pesta tis prae se fereb a t. Multo igitur mane pro
fecti se cundum litus a m bula uim us, aura mi tis
sima membra uentila nte ac reficiente tum harena
mollis,quae lente uestigiis cedeb a t, uiam pra ebeb a t
gra tissim a m . Mo x autem Ca ecilius,imagine S e .
ra pis co nspecta , de sol ito uenera ndi more manu
sub la ta et o sculis ia ctis a do ra uit. Ita que Octa uius
ad m e co nuersus, Haud bene fa cis,Marce frate r,
’
inquit,‘ quod so da lem co n iunctissim um uulga ri
54 NARRATIVE
'which Octavius, addressing him se lf to m e,said
,
‘ I t is not we ll done, my brothe r Marcus, thus to
leave your inseparable companion in the depth of
vulgar darkness, and to suffer him,in so clear a
day,to stumble upon stones ; stones, indeed, of
figure and anointed with o il and crowned ; but
stones, however, stil l they a re — fo r yo u cannot
but b e sensible that your permitting so foul an
e rror in your friend redounds no less to your
disgrace than his This discourse of his he ld us
through half the city ; and now we began to find
ourse lves upon the free and open shore . There
the gently washing waves had spread the extremest
sands into the order o f an artificial walk ; and as
the sea always expresses some roughness in his
looks,even when the winds a re still , although he
did not roll in foam and angry surges to the shore,
yet we re we much de lighted, as we walked upon
the edges o f the water, to see the crisping,frizzly
waves glide in snaky folds, o ne while playing
against o ur fee t, and then again re ti ring and lost
i n the devouring ocean . Softly, then, and calmly
as the sea abou t us, we trave lled o n and kept
upon the brim o f the gently de clining shore,b e
gu il ing the way with o ur stories .
H . W Longfellow,translated from M z
’
nucz’
us Felz‘
x .
[F . C.
A WALK UPON THE S E A -SH ORE . 55
o b scurita te re linquis o b uo lutum ,eum que sinis die
tam clare lucente pedem in lapides o ffenders,
sculpto s illo s quidem o leo que inuncto s etco ro na to s,
lapides tamem. Neque enim te fa llere potest,quod
tibi,qui tam fo edo amici e rrori uen ia m concedas
,
haud minus quam ill i uitio dandum est.’ Tali
se rmone nos usque per dim idia m urbis partem
tenem ur ; uentum den ique ad latum pa tulum que
l itus . Ibi fluctus leniter a llisi extremas ipsa s
h a ren a s in a m b ula tio nem quasi manu fa cta m
com pla n a uera nt. Vt autem mare,uentis e tiam
com po sitis, semper aliquid sa euitia e pra e fert, n ec
ta m en spum a s fluctusue iracundos tum ad li tus
a duo lueb a t, no s multum iuua b a t propter li tus a m
bula ntes undas crispas et crista ta s a nguium more
sinua ta s intueri, tum pedibus no stris a lludentes,
tum ' autem reducta s atque in ponti uo ra gin em
a b so rpta s ; ita que leniter ut ipsum mare se cundum
mollem lito ris decliuita tem u iam sermone falle
b am us.
W H . B .
56 HISTORICAL
IS success in this scheme for reducing the
powe r of the nobility encoura ged him to
attempt a diminution of the ir possessions, which
we re no less exorbitant . During the contest
and disorder inseparable from the feudal govern
ment, the noble s, ever attentive to the ir own
interests, and taking advantage o f the weakness
and distress o f the ir monarchs, had se ized some
parts of the royal deme sne , obtained grants o f
othe rs, and having gradually wrested almost the
whole o ut o f the han ds o f the prince s, had a n
ne x ed them to the ir own e state s . The t itle s by
which most o f the grande es he ld the ir lands were
extreme ly de fe ctive : it was from some successful
usurpation,which the crown had be en to o feeble
to dispute, that many de rived the ir only claim
to possession . An inqu iry carried back to the
origin o f these encroachments, which were almost
coeval with the feudal system, wa s impracticable ;as it would have stripped every nobleman in
Spain o f great part of his lands, i t must have
excited a general revolt. Such a step was to o
bold even for the enterprising spirit of Ximenes .
He confined himse l f to the re ign o f Fe rdinand ;and beginning with the pensions gra nted during
that time, refused to make any furthe r payment,because all right to them expired with his l ife . He
REFORMS OF XIM E N E S. 57
TA fe l iciter, uti dix im us,im mm
ita nimia opti
m a tium auctoritas eo Xim enem im pulit ut
possessiones a eque et ipsa s im m odica s recidere
co na retur. Nam inter tumultus co ntentio nesque
feoda li quod uo ca nt imperio pro pria s sui semper
tenacissim i nobiles, regum que a ngustiis aut imbe
cillita te usi, a grum regium partim u i ra ptum
partim dono co ncessum , uniuersum fere principi
e m a n ibus e x to rsera nt, suisque ipsi pra ediis
co ntinua uera nt. S ed plerisque parum ua lida
possidendi auctoritas, cum com plures eo dem um
iure niterentur, quod principem inferiorem quam
ut o b sisteret despo lia ssent. Q ua rum ta m en o ccu
pa tio num in initium ipsi ferme imperio a equa lium
non po tuit fieri inquisitio quae cum nobil issimum
quem que per H ispa nia s magna a gro rum parte
pra eda tura esse t,uerendum e rat ne in uniuersum
co nfla retur seditio . Periculo sius hoc consil ium
quam pro audaci ipsius Xim enis ingenio . I ta que
intra Ferna ndi regnum stetit o rsusque a pecuniis
a nnuis eo rege donatis nega uit se quidquam u ltra
so luturum : rege enim m o rtuo periisse e tiam ius
a ccipiendi. De in ab iis repeteb a t si quis eo dem
tempore a grum regium usurpa sset, quidquid idem
al ieni iuris fecisset ilico reuo ca to . Ce te rum e a
res ad plero sque optim a tium pertineb a t; Fe rnan
dus enim cetero qui parum lib era lis, cum ta m en et
58 OE S CR I P TI VE :
then called to acco unt such as had acquired crown
lands under the administration o f that monarch,
and at once resumed whatever he had alienated .
The e ffects o f this revocation extended to many
persons o f high rank, for, though Fe rdinand wa s
a prince o f l ittle generosity, yet he and I sabe l la
having been raised to the throne o f Castile by
a powerful faction o f the noble s, they were
obliged to reward the z eal of the ir adhe rents
with great l iberality, and the royal demesnes
were the ir only fund for that purpose
[N o . 2 1 7 ,
NTO the heart o f this mysterious Africa I wish
to take you with m e now. And let m e magnify
my subj ect by saying at once that it is a wonderful
thing to see . I t is a wonde rful thing to start from
the civilization of E urope,pass up these mighty
rivers and work yourway in to that unknown land,—work your way alone and on foot, mile afte r mile,month after month
,among strange birds and
beasts and plants and insects,mee ting tribes which
have no nam e,speaking tongues which no man
can interpre t,ti ll you have reached its secre t heart
and stood whe re white m a n has neve r tro d before .
60 HISTORICA L
I t is a wonderful thing to look at this we ird world
o f human be ings—halfanim al, halfchildren,wholly
savage and wholly heathen ; and to turn and come
back again to civil ization before the impre ssions
have had time to faint, and while the myriad
problem s of so strange a spe ctacle a re sti l l see th
ing in the m ind . I t is an education to se e this
sight,an education in the meaning and history o f
m a n . To have been here i s to have l ived be fore
Menes . I t is to have watched the dawn o f evo lu
tion . I t is to have the great moral and social
problem s o f l ife,of anthropology
,o f e thnology
and even of theology,brought home to the
imagination in a new and startl ing l ight .
[N o . H . Drum m ond.
HE beginning o f the following year saw the
revolt of Mytilene . The news was rece ived
at first with incredulity by the A thenians who
were al l but crushed by the recent plague and
harassed by the repeated invasions o f the Spartans.
Butwhen confirm ation of the tidings le ft no room
RE VOLT A ND BLOCKADE OF M YTILE N E . 6 1
pene tralia progressus ibi tandem’
co nstiterit,ubi
E uropa eo rum antea nemo ? I llud e tiam plane
miraculo est, cum tot et tam miras hom inum
gentes, pa ene dix erim a nim a lium uel in fa ntium
,
hum a nita tis o m nis deo rum que cul tus expertes
e x plo ra ueris, impresso a dhuc animo recentibus
re rum uestigiis, et inte r mille specta cula ac cogita
tio n es titubante,in mostram hanc uita m ac co nsue
tudinem e x tem plo reuerti. Didicit enim,qui hae c
uidit, unde pro fecti sint hom ines et quo rsum
creati . Vix it,ut ita dica m
,qui hic uersa tus est,
ante be llum Tro ia num ,ipsique rerum hum a n a rum
origini interfuit : quid fa s et nefas, quid ciuium
societates sibi uelint, quae sit hominis ipsius ratio,quae gentium
,immo quae deo rum ,
haec omnia
insol ita i l la m ira b ilique rerum specie p lane co a ctus
est ut animo co ntem pletur.
N EVNTE proximo anno descierunt Mytilena ei
ab Atheniensibus. Adla to nuntio primumuix credeb a nt ciues
,ia m recenti paeme fracti
pestilentia , crebrisque S pa rta no rum incursio nib us
co nflicta ti. Cum ta m en,
re co nfirm a ta,haud
diutius dubitare po ssentquin no uum et inopin a tum
62 HISTORICAL
for doubt that the state was threatened by a n ew
and unexpected danger, a blaz e of indignation
ensued . A thens had neve r subje cted Mytilene to
harsh or overbearing ru le : when alm ost eve ry
other state in the confede racy had b een ~ reduced
to a position of dependence, Mytilene had enjoyed
equal rights and had been treated with m arked
distinction,paying no tribute and re taining its
fortifications and its navy. N ow on the fl imsy
pre text that they had no assurance o f safe ty in the
future,and were unwill ing to go hand in hand
with the A thenia ns in the ir scheme s for the sub
jugation o f the whole of Gree ce , the ir allies had
se ized the moment when they fancied A thens wa s
tottering to its fall to revolt to the enemy. I f this
example were followed, if A thens were stripped
o ne by o ne of the supports o n which it leant, what
hope o f success remained How could the state
continue the struggle against ove rwhe lming oddswhen it wa s already plunged in such difficulties
Exaspe rated as much by the insolence as by the
treachery o f the ir ally, the A thenians de termined
to prove that the ir power was not at so low an
ebb as was im agined,and accordingly equipped
a powe rful flee t and despatched it to blockade
Mytilene .
[No . A daptedf rom Gra te.
RE VOLT A ND B L OC/( ADE OF M YTILE N E . 63
pe riculum urbi im m ineret, summa indign a tio ne
e x a rserunt animi . Num qua m enim Mytilen a eis aut
crudeliter aut superbe a se im perita tum esse
cum omnes fere a lia e e ciuita tib us fo edera tis
stipendia ria e fa cta e essent, eo s pari iuris con
dicio n e usos, pra ecipuo que in honore h a b ito s nulla
pendere tributa et m o en ia n a uesque longas
retinere . Nunc tamem cum nanam interpo suis
sent causam quod nulla m ha b erent fiducia m
futura e sa lutis, no llentque secum participes e sse
co nsilio rum to tius sub iuganda e Gra ecia e , a rrepta
occasione qua labare iam crederent res Athen i
enses,ad hostes defecisse socios . Quid ? eo rum
exemplum si alii imitati essent, si deinceps
ill is tam quam a dm iniculis quibus a dniterentur
essent e x uti, quam spem rei prospe re gerenda e
e sse relictam ? Quomodo enim ciuita tem uiribus
im parib us in certamine persta re posse iam in
tantas dela psa m angustias E t contum acia et per
fidia so cio rum irritati Athenienses, cum ostendere
sta tuissent no ndum opes adeo com m inuta s esse,m a gna m cla ssem o rn a ta m m iserunt quae Myti
lena eo s o bsideret.
64 H ISTORICAL :
I SAPPOINTED at length in the ir hopes o f
assistance from the Spartans, and reduced
to utter despair by the growing pressure o f
famine,the Mytilen a ea n authorit ies de te rmined o n
’
arming the populace and making a sortie against
the blockading force . But the result o f this step
was different from the ir expectati ons . The starving
citizens who had neve r been in sympathy with the
revolt no sooner found themse lves possessed o f
weapons than they declined to face so perilous
an enterprise . Se cre t complaint and discontent
changed to open menace and abuse o f the i r
masters . The cry was raised,invariable at such '
a mom ent, that the authoritie s had stored up great
quantities o f food which they shared with the rich,while the poor we re dying o f starvation . Unless
they brought the contents o f the ir granaries into
the l ight o f day and distributed them at large,immediate surrender was threatened . We ll aware
that this meant the ir own certain destruction, the
magistrates prefe rred themse lves to take the
initiative in this movement, and opened n ego tia
tions with the A thenian general, the result being
that the town was conditionally made over to him,
while an embassy was despatched to Athens to
sue for pardon .
[No .
M YTILE NE SUE S FOR PARDON. 65
ANDEM deiecti spe a ux ilii S pa rta no rum ,
et ingra uescente fame ad ultimam a dducti
despera tio nem ,Mytilena ei magistratus con
'
sil ium'
a rm a ndi pleb em et in o b sidentes hoste'
s e x
urbe erum pendi inierunt. Quod ta m en al iter
e uenit atque e x pecta uera nt. Ciues enim fame
p a ene co n fecti,simul atque in manus ceperunt
arm a,recusa uerunt ne tantis periculis se oppone
rent, utpo te qui num qua m ab Atheniehsibus
deficere uo luissent. I am non per se cre tas
querim o nia s et inuidiam a gita b a tur : minae et
co nuicia propalam in principes ia cta ri. E tia rn
cla m ita b a nt, id quod semper tal i in discrimine fieri
sole t,'
magistratus m agnam uim frumenti co a cer
uatam cum diuitibus pa rtiri dum pa uperes inopia
e neca rentur : quod nisi omnium in co nspectum
e lata ea quae ho rreis co ndidissent uulgo :uellent
distribuere, urb em se ex tem plo'
dedituro s esse .
Magistratus ta m en cum non igno ra rent si quae
m ina rentur e x secuti essent ciues,id sibi certo fore
e x itio , auctores ipsi huius incepti esse m a luerunt,
e t de deditio ne cum Atheniensium duce '
, a geb a nt ;
unde factum est ut co ndicionibus ratis urbs ci
co ncederetur, lega tique Athenas ueniam petendi
causa m itterentur.
HE exu ltation at A thens was unbounded . At
last the opportunity had come fo r wreaking
vengeance o n the Mitylen a ea ns. I n the blind
re sentm ent of the moment all praye rs for mercy
we re reje cted, and it was resolved to put to death
the Whole male po pulation of military a ge, and to
se l l the women and children a s slaves . This
frightful decision was taken mainly o n the advice
o f C leon, a man of low extraction, who a t that
time commanded most influence with the populace .
But hardly had the assembly broken up before the
citizens began to repent o f the ir headlong haste .
R eflex ion showed them that it wa s a piece o f
m onstrous crue lty to cut o ff a whole population at
a blow : the ir anger would fal l o n innocent a nd
guilty a l ike, a nd the honour o f A thens would be
seriously compromised . In this sta te o f public
fee ling, Dio do tus a nd others who we re advocates
o f milder measures succeeded with little diffi culty
in getting the magistrate s to call a se cond mee ting
o n the morrow for the purpose o f giving the whole
question fresh conside ration .
[N o . 2 35 ]
68 H ISTORI CA L :
EXT day in the assembly Cleon violently
attacked the populace for the inconstancy
they had displayed, warning them at the sam e
time that itwa s the he ight o f madness for a people
with such imperial responsibilities as the irs to give
way to unwise tenderness o f heart . The Myti
lenaeans had inflicted o n them grievous injury
without provocation, and unless stern justice we re
me ted o ut, there would b e fresh outbreaks of these
troubles in the not distant future . They ought to
adhere to the ir former decision and turn a deaf e a r
to politicianswhose prime aim was not the common
wealth but se l f. On the othe r hand Dio do tus
argued the folly Of de ciding a matte r o f such
mom ent unde r the influence o f strong passion .
Even if considerations o f expediency we ighed
more with them than those o f honour,some
mitigation o f the ir harsh sentence wa s called for.
I t would not prevent any other o f the al lied state s
from revolting if a fair chance o f success appeared
and beyond all que stion a revolted ally would resort
to the most desperate measures rather than fall
into the hands o f so pitiless a fo e . Happily for
Mitylene the party o f mercy carried the day, and
messengers we re at once despatched with orders
fo r the A thenian general to spare the vanquished
city.
[N o .
THE DECREE RE VE RSE D . 69
OSTE RO die , co ntio ne habi ta, C leon ue
hem enter pleb em incusa t quod adeo ua cilla s»
sent animi, m o netque summae esse dementiae ,cum tantum impe rium Atheniensium e sse t, stulta e
indulgere clem entia e . Nisi enim in Mytilena eo s
o b iniuria s gra uissim a s quas ultro a ttulissent,
acerrim e a n im a duerterent, fore ut perbreui
hae c mala recrudescerent. Priore igi tur sta rent
sententia, neue iis o b edirent o ra to ribus qui
ipso rum , non communi commodo studerent.
Contra Diodo tus co ntendit non esse prudentium
rem ta nta e gra uita tis, dum flagra rent ira animi,decernere . E tia m si a ntiquius ill is quod utile quam
quod ho nestium esse t, aliquid de seuerita te illius
po en a e rem ittendum esse , quippe quae ali i null i
e ciuita tibus fo edera tis obici fore t quominus defi
cere t, si modo a dsta ret o cca sio re i bene gerenda e
speciosa ; nec dubium esse quin extrema omnia
e x periri m a llent si qui socii de fecissent,quam
ho stium tam sa euo rum uenire in potestatem .
Mytilena eis bene euenit ut uincerent m itio rum
auctores co nsilio rum, sta tim que missi sunt qui
ducem Atheniensium uicta e urbi parcere iub erent.
70 H ISTORICA L :
FTER his departure everything tended to the
wildest anarchy. Faction and discontent had
often risen so high among the o ld settlers that
they could hardly be kept within bounds . The
spirit o f the new-come rs wa s to o ungovernable
to bear any restraint . Several among them o f
be tter rank‘
were such dissipated, hope less young
m en as the ir friends were glad to send o ut in
quest o f whateve r fortune m ight be tide them
in a fore ign land . Of the lower order, many were
so pro fliga te o r de spe rate that the i r country wa s
happy to throw them o ut a s nuisa nces to so cie ty.
Such persons we re l ittle capable o f the regula r
subordination,the strict e conomy, and perseve ring
industry,which the ir situation required . The
Indians,obse rving the ir misconduct, and that
eve ry pre caution fo r sustena nce or safety wa s
neglected, no t only withhe ld the supplies o f pro
visions which they we re accustom ed to furnish,but also harassed them with co n tinua l hostilities .
All the ir subsistence wa s de rived from the store s
which they had brought from E ngland ; these
were soon consumed ; then the domestic an imals
sent out to breed in the country were devoured ;and by this inconsiderate waste they were reduced
to such extremity o f fam ine , as not only to e a t
the most nauseous and unwholesome roots and
THE VIRGINIAN COLON Y. 7 1
IMVL discessum est a co lo nia , ,
et omnia in
e ffren a ta m licentiam re tro ruere . Nam et
a ntiquis colonis pra uita s et discordia sa epe eo
usque fla gra uera t, ut sisti non posse t : et qui
proxime a dscripti sunt, iis animus im po tentio r et
co ercentium im patiens. Quorum qui loco m elio re
nati era nt, perdito s plero sque adolescentes e t
nulla spe boni qua lem cunque fo rtun am in al ieno
e x perturo s haud inuiti re lega uera nt propinqui.
Vulgus autem im pro b issim um genus et flagi
tio sissim um lub enter patria tamquam com m unem
hom inum pestem euom uera t. Hi parum idone i
uideb a ntur qui pro necessitate loci aut apte
pa rerent imperio, aut pa rsim o nia e co nsulerent,
aut gra uiter et strenue a gerent. Quos cum Indi
male rem gerere, neque sa lutis neque cib a rio rum
rationem iam habe re a n im a duerterent, no n modo
so lito s comm ea tus intercipere, sed co ntinuis
pro eliis la cessere . Vtensilia suppeteb a nt nulla
nisi quae secum ex Anglia a ppo rta uera nt, quibus
b reui a b sum ptis carne b estia rum m ansueta rum
quae fetura e causa domo em issa e era nt uesce
bantur donec inconsul te prodigi eo fam is reda cti
sunt ut non solum baccae et radices teterrim a e et
maxime pestifera e, sed Indo rum quoque ca esorum
ca da uera et ipso rum com itum quos tam multi
plex ca lamitas co nfecera t, uictum necessarium
7 2 HISTORICAL
berries,but to feed o n the bodies o f the Indians
whom they slew,and even o n those o f the ir
companions who sank under the oppression o f
such complicated distresses . I n less than six
months,o f five hundred pe rsons whom Smith le ft
in V irginia,only sixty remained : and they so
feeble and dejected that they could not have
survived for ten days if succour had not arrived
from a quarte r whence they did not expect it .‘
[No . R obertson .
HUS supported upon his crutch and upon
the shoulde r o f William o f Orange, the
Emperor proceeded to addre ss the State s . He
reviewed rapidly the progre ss o f events from his
seventeenth year up to that day. He sketched
his various wars,victories a nd treaties o f peace,
assuring his heare rs that the we l fare o f his subjects
a nd the se curity of re l igion had ever been the
leading objects o f his life . As long as God had
granted him health,he continued, on ly enemies
could have regre tted that Charles was l iving and
re igning ; bu t now that h is strength wa s but
v anity, and his life fast ebbing away, his affection
for his subjects,and his regard for the ir intere sts,
SPEECH OF CHARLES V, OCT . 1 555. 73
pra eb erent. Intra se x menses e x quingentis
hom inibus, is enim numerus erat ante legati
decessum Virginiensis, uix sex aginta superera nt
fe ssi et fracti animo,neque in diem decim um
uitam sustenta turi n1 ex inopinato subuentum
esse t la b o ra ntibus.
TAQ VE Caesar, simu l bacu lo suo simu l Bata
uo rum Principis umero inn ix us, primore s
ciuita tum a llo cutus est. A septimo decim o a eta tis
sua e anno e x o rsus, quae usque ad id tem po ris
deinceps essent facta, omnia b reuiter percensere .
Be l la, uicto ria s, fo edera strictim percurrere , et
a udientibus co nfirm a re nihil se unqua m a ntiquius
h a buisse quam ut ciuium com m oda et re rum
diuina rum sa lutem pro sua parte tueretur. Ol im
cum,deo rum b eneficio
,integra esse t ua litudine
,
nec uiuere se nec regnare ull i nisi patriae hosti
m o lestum fuisse . Nunc uero , in fra ctis uiribus, et
de crescente in dies quicquid uita e superesset, pro
amore erga cines qu ibus libentissim e inseruiret
74 HISTORICAL
required his departure . Instead o f a decrepit
o ld man with o n e foot in the grave, he presented
them with a sovere ign in the prime o f l i fe and
the vigour o f heal th . Turning toward Philip he
obse rved, that for a dying father to bequeath so
magnificent an empire to his so n was a deed
worthy of grati tude ; but that when the father
thus descended to his grave before his time , and
by an anticipated and living burial sought to
provide fo r the we l fare o f his realms and the
grandeur o f his so n,the benefit confe rred wa s
sure ly far gre ate r. H e added that the debt
would b e am ply repaid to him , should Philip
conduct him se l f in his administration o f the pro
vince s with a wise and affectionate regard fo r
the ir true interests .
T wa s now broad day ; the hurricane had
abated nothing o f its violence , and the sea
appeared agitated with al l the rage o f which that
destructive e lement is capable ; al l the ships o n
which alone the whole army knew that the ir
safe ty and subsistence depended we re driven from
the ir anchors, some dashing against each other,
76 HISTORICA L :
s'
ome beat to piece s on the rocks, many forced
ashore, and not a few sinking in the wave s . I n
less than an hour,fifteen ships o f wa r, and o n e
hundred and forty transports with e ight thousand
m en perished : and such o f the unhappy crews
a s escaped the fury o f the sea, we re murdered
without mercy by the A rabs, a s soon a s they
reached land . The Emperor stood in silen t
anguish and astonishment, beholding the fatal
event which at once blasted all his hopes o f
success,and buried in the depths the vast stores
which he had provided as we l l for annoying the
enemy as for subsisting his own troops At last
the wind began to fall and to give some hope s
that as many ships might escape as would b e
sufficient to save the army from perishing by
famine and transport them back to E urope . But
these were only hopes : the approach o f evening
cove red the sea with darkne ss : and it be ing
impossible for the offi cers aboard the ships which
had outl ived the storm,to send any inte l l igence
to the ir companions who were ashore, they
remained during the night in all the angu ish o f
suspense and uncertainty.
[N o . R obertson .
A E OLUS WRECKS AN ARMADA . 77
uiro rum octo milia. ‘Quorum m isero rum si qu i
maris ra b iem e ffugissent te rrae a ppulso s A rabes
trucida b a nt. Sta bat princeps tristis a tto nitusque
qui una clade spe s frangi, opes siue ad hoste s
la cessendo s siue ad suos sustenta ndo s colle ctas
in alto sepeliri a spicieb a t. Tandem cadente uento
spera b a tur tot n a ues eua sura s e sse quot satis
forent ad e x ercitum fame haud dubie periturum
in E uropam tra nsuehendum u Quae ta m en spes
no ndum rata est : caligante enim sub a duentum
uesperis mari, cum ducibus na uium superstitibus
nulla esse t co nsilio rum cum terrestribus facu ltas,nox summa a nx ieta te tra nsa cta est.
78 HISTORICAL :
FTE R the mutual and repeated discharge o f
missile weapons, in which the archers o f
Scythia might signal iz e the ir superior dexterity,
the cavalry and infantry o f the two armies were
furiously m ingled in closer combat. The Huns,who fought unde r the eyes o f the ir k ing
,pie rced
through the doubtful and feeble centre o f the
allies, separated the ir wings from each other,and whee l ing with a rapid e ffort to the le ft,directed the ir whole force against the V isigoths.
As Theodoric rode along the ranks,to animate
his troops, he re ce ived a mortal wound from the
j ave l in o f Anda ges, a noble Ostrogoth, a nd im
mediate ly fe l l from his horse . The wounded
king was oppressed in the general disorder, and
trampled under the fee t o f his own cavalry ; and
this important death se rved to explain the ambi
guo us answer o f the haruspices .
[No . Gibbon .
HE cardinal,although virtuous and disin
terested and capable o f governing the king
dom with honour in time s of tranquill ity,pos
sessed ne ither the courage nor the sagacity
necessary at such a dangerous j uncture . Finding
DE A TH OF THE ODORIC. 79
I S S IL IBVS crebris inuicem efi’
usis quo
rum suum usum sagittari i S cythici prae se
ferre po ssent, pedites equitesque utriusque ex er
citus co lla to gradu fero citer pugn a nt. Hunni, qu i
regis sub oculis dim ica b a nt, mediam so cio rum
a ciem inua lida m incerta m que perfregerunt
a la rumque discidio facto, sinistro rsum celeriter
co nuersi, cuncti in Visigo tho s incubuere .
'
Theo
do ricum , dum ordines perequita ns m ilitum erigit
a nim os,ab Andage, Ostrogo tho nobili, iaculo
leta liter percussum , statim dela psum equo pro
m iscua que o brutum turba equites sui ca lcibus
protriuere . I nsignis ea clades ambiguo haru
spicum ua ticm io ex pediendo erat .
ONT I FICI uero , sanctis m o rib us et citra
a m b itio nem agenti, qui per otium rem pub
lica m salua dignitate regere ua leret, deera t et forti
tudo et prudentia qua tanta pericula eua deret.
Cum fa cinora ante oculo s patrata com pescere ne
80 H ISTORICA L
himse lf unable to check the se outrage s committed
under his’
own eye, he attempted to appease the
people by prote sting that Fo nseca had exceeded
his orders and had by his rash conduct offended
him as much as he had injured them . This
condescension, the e ff ect o f irre solution ; a nd
timidity,rendered the malcontents bolde r a nd
more insolent ; and the cardinal having soon
afte r recalled Fonseca, and dismissed his troops,which he could no longer afford to pay
,a s the
treasury,drained by the rapaciousness o f the
Flemish ministers, had rece ived no supply from
the great cities,the people were left at full libe rty
to act without control,and scarce ly any shadow
o f power remained in his hands.
R obertson .
S soon a s the approach o f the troops was
announced,the Caesar went o ut to mee t
them,and ascended his tribunal, which had been
e re cted in a plain before the gates o f the city.
A fter distinguishing the officers and soldiers who
by the ir rank o r merit deserved a pe cu liar atten
tion,Julian addressed himse lf in a studied oration
to the surrounding m ultitude : he ce lebrated the ir
A WRON G M OM E N T FOR CON CE SSION . 8 1
quisset, pleb em studetmulcere, tamquam Fonseca
inconsulte mandata egressus tantum ipsius a nim um
la esisset quantum ciues tem era sset. Turbulentis
gliscere in dies audacia petula ntia , com ita tem
in so co rdia m leuita tem que trahentibus. Mo x
pontifex e x uit lega tione Fo nseca m ,milites ex
a ucto ra t ; quippe stipendium iam non suppetere,
neque quicqua m subsidii e m agnis ciuita tibus
fisco ab auaris prouincia rum pra eto ribus exhausto .
Inde penes ipsum ne imago quidem po testa tis,
populo quod libuisset agendi plena im punita s.
j. S . R .
D nuntio s iam propinqua ntis e x ercitus egres
sus in ca m pum Caesar structo ante portas
tribunali consedit. Ac primo, ut quisque cen
turio num et m a nipula rium pra ecipua dignitate au t
factis n o ta b ilis, id com m enda tionibus insignitum
de in conuersus ad uulgum et circum fuso s composi
tam iniit o ra tio nem ,mixta re rum gésta rum gra tu
la tio ne la udibusque, et a dho rta tus a gno scerent
G
82 HISTORICAL
exploits with grateful applause encouraged them
to accept,with alacrity, the honour o f serving
under the eyes o f a powerful and libe ral monarch
and admonished them that the comma nds o f
Augustus required an instant and cheerful obedi~
ence . The soldiers, who were apprehensive o f
offending the ir general by an indecent clam our, o r.
o f be lying the ir sentiments by fa lse and venal
acclamations,maintained an obstinate silence ;
a nd after a sh ort pa use were dismisse d to the ir
qua rtersJ The principal offi cers were entertainedby the Caesar
,who professed, in the warmest
language o f friendship, his desire and inability to
reward,according to the ir deserts, the brave com
panions o f his victories . They re tired from the
fea st fu l l o f grief and perplexity ; and lamented
the hardship o f the ir fate,which tore them from
the ir be loved gene ral and the i r native country.
The only expedient which could prevent the ir
separation wa s bo ldly agi tated and approved ; the
popular re sentment was insensibly moulded into
a regular conspiracy ; the ir just re a sons o f co m
plaint were he ightened by passio n, and the ir
passions were inflamed by wine, a s o n the eve o f
the ir departure the troops we re indulged in licen
tious festivity.
[No . 2 49 ] Gibbon .
84 HISTORICAL
T is no t the purpose o f this work to enter
into any minute descriptions of the R oman
exe rcises . We shall only remark that they com
prehended whatever could add strength to thebody
,activity to the l imbs
,o r grace to the mo
tions . The soldiers were diligently instructed to
march, to run, to leap, to swim, to carry heavy
burdens, to hand le every spe cies o f arms that wa s
used e ither fo r offence o r for defence, e ither in
distant engagement o r in a closer onse t to form
a varie ty o f evolutions ; and to move to the sound
o f flutes,in the Pyrrhic o r martial dance . In the
midst o f peace, the R oman troops familiarized
themse lves with the practice o f war ; and it is
pre ttily remarked by an ancient historia n who had
fought against them, that the e ffusion o f blood
was the only circumstance which distingu ished a
fie ld o f battle from a fie ld o f exercise .
[No .
HARNOCK he ld very different language .
He acknowledged that the plot in which
he had been engaged appeared, even to many
loyal subj ects, highly criminal . They called him
assassin and murderer. Yet what had he done
THE ROMAN EXERCISES. 85
ON huius est operis R om a no rum ex er
cita tio nes uerb is a ccura tius depingere, cui
satis erit consultum si'
quidquid corporis ro b o ri,
m em bro rum a gilita ti, m o tuum denique uenusta ti
prom o uenda e inseruia t, id omnes e a s com plecti
dix ero . Ad incedendum currendum sa liendum
n a ndum milites in fo rm a b a ntur ; ferre onera atque
arma tra cta re disceb a nt, se cum portare si quid
usui esse posset, siue in ferre arma, siue sese
defendere e x pediret, siue em inus siue com inus
pugna ndum : qu in et ua ria s co nuersiones flex us
que agm inis quam plurim o s facere, et ad tibi
cinem sa lta tio ne Pyrrhica seu Martia m o ueri.
I ta factum est ut media in pace cotidiano usu et
consue tudine milites quasi be llo interessent, neque
inelega nter a nescio quo scriptum est qui a duersus
eo s ipse stipendia m eruera t, no n nisi e ffuso
sangu ine ex ercentium pro lusio nes et uera prOe lia
digno sci.
E NTVLVS nero alia omnia dissereb a t.
Non enim denegare quin il la in qua ner
satus sit co niura tio multis e tiam bonis uiris
fa cinero sissim a uideretur. S ibi quidem ca edem
et pa rricidium ex pro bra ri. Qu id tam en se a d
86 HISTORICA L :
more than had been done by Mucius Scaevola ?
N ay, whathad he done more than had b een done
by everybody who had borne arms a gainst the
Prince o f Orange I f an army o f twenty thousand
men had suddenly landed in E ngland a nd surprised
the usurper, this would have been called legitim ate
wa r. Did the difference be tween war and assas
sina tion depend o n the number o f pe rsons engaged
What then was the smallest numbe r which could
lawfully surprise a n enemy ? Was it five thou
sand,o r a thousa nd, o r a hundred Jonathan and
his armour-beare r were only two . Yet they made
a great slaughter o f the Philistines. Was that
a ssassination ? I t ca nnot,said Cha m ock
,b e the
me re act,i t must b e the cause , which makes
kil ling assassination . I t followed tha t i t wa s not
assassination to kill o ne— a nd he re the dying man
gave a loose to a ll his ha tredw who had declared
a wa r o f exte rmination against loyal subjects, who
hung, drew, and quartered every man who stood
up fo r the right, a nd who had laid waste E ngland
to enrich the Dutch .
88 DE SCRIP TIVE .
‘
TS stem is some times as thick as a man’s
thigh,and in the dense woods at Q uib a lla
I have seen a conside rable extent o f forest
festooned down to the ground,from tree to tree,in al l directions with its thick stems, l ike great
hawsers above,the trees were nearly hidden
by its large,bright
,dark-green leaves, and studded
with beautiful branches o f pure white star-like
flowers,most swee tly scented . I ts fruit is the
size o f a large orange, o f a ye l low colour when
ripe, and perfe ctly round, with a hard brittle she l l ;inside it is full o f a soft reddish pulp in which the
seeds a re contained . This pulp is of a very
agreeable acid flavour,and is much liked by the
natives . The ripe fruit, when cleaned o ut,is
employed by them to contain smal l q uantities
o f o il, &c. I t is no t always easy to obtain ripe
seeds, a s this creeper is the favourite resort o f
a villainous, semi-transpa rent, long-legged red
ant—with a stinging bite, like a red-ho t need le
which is very fond o f the pu lp a nd seeds .
[No .
HE Blacks ascend the trees by the aid of
a ring formed o f a stout piece o f the stem
THE GIAN T TREE-CREEPER. 89
I PITE S his interdum humani fem inis crassi
tudine : quorum ego gra ndibus thyrsis prope
Q uib a lla m ,ubi densio r tractus silua rum ,
n idi
magna nemorum spatia e x arbore in a rb o rem
tamquam m a gnis funibus in hum um usque depen
dentia,supe rne autem prope o cculta ri arbores
fo liis amplis nitidisque et in nigro rem uirentibus,
distincta s glo b is flo rum qui stella rum instar can
derent, essent autem odo ris gra tissim i. Pom is
magnitudo mal i aure i a m plio ris, color fla uus simul
atque m a turuerunt, ro tundita s plena,follicu lus
durio r fragilio rque : in tus caro mol lis ac ru fescens,in qua semina. Carnis sapor a cida e iucundita tis,
gra tissim us b a rb a ris. Pom um a dultum purga nt,
eo que tamquam uase ad ole i parua pondera uel
sim ilium utuntur. Neque semper parabile ma
turum semen, cum fruticis maxim a sit gratia 1n
h a b ita ntibus fo rm icis : his inpro b a species, corpus
prope dilucidum , longa crura, color rufus, morsus
nix minus ca nde fa cta pungens acu : carmem et
semina adamant .
R . E .
N has Afri ut scandant a nulo s ex ca udicibus
effi ciunt trunco rum fruticis qui a rbo ribus
90 HISTORICAL
o f a creeper, which is exce ssive ly strong a nd
supple o n e end is tied into a loop, and the othe r
thrown round the tree i s passed through the loop
a nd bent back : the end be ing secured forms a
ready and perfectly safe ring, which th e operator:
passes over his waist . The stumps o f the fa l len
leaves form projections which very much assist
him in ge tting Up the tree . This is done by
taking hold o f the ring with each ha nd, and by
a succession o f jerks the climber is soon up at
the top, with his empty gourds hung round his
neck . With a pointed instrument he taps the
tre e at the crown,and attaches the mouth o f
a gourd to the aperture,o r he take s advantage
o f the grooved stem o f a leaf cut o ff short to use
as a channe l for the sa p to flow into the gourd
suspended be low.
[No . 2 39 ] Montez'
ro .
N far different pl ight,a nd with far othe r
fee l ings than those with which they had
ente red the pass o f Ca udium ,did the R oman
army issue o ut from it again upon the plain o f
Cam pania . De feated and disarmed , they knew
no t what reception they might mee t with from
the ir Campanian all ies : i t wa s possible that
92 HISTORICAL .
Capua might shut her gates against them,and
go over to the victorious enemy. But the Cam
pa nia ns behaved faithfully and generously ; they
sent supplies o f arms, o f clothing, and o f pro
visions,to mee t the R omans even be fore
'
they
arrived at Capua ; they sent new cloaks, and the
l ictors and fasces o f the ir own magis trates, to
enable the consuls to resume the ir fitting state ;and when the army approached the ir city, the
Senate and people went o ut to mee t them,and
we lcomed them bo th individually and publicly
with the greatest kindness. N o attentions, how
eve r, could soothe the wounded pride o f the
R omans : they could not bear to raise the ir eye s
from the ground, nor to spe ak to a nyo ne; Full
o f shame they continued the ir march to R ome ;when they came near to it, al l those sold iers who
had a home in the country dispersed, and escaped
to the ir several homes singly and silently : whilst
those who l ived in R ome l ingered without the
walls till the sun wa s set,and stole to the ir
homes under cove r o f the darkness . The consuls
were obliged to enter the city publicly and in the
l ight o f day,but they looked upon themse lves as no
longe r worthy to be the chief magistrates o f R ome ,and they shut themse lves up at home in privacy.
[No . Dr. Arno ld.
RE TURN FROM THE CA UDIN E FORKS. 93
uestim enta comm ea tus e x ercitui appropinquanti
m ittunt : co nsulibus noua paludamenta, suo rum
m a gistra tuum fasces, prout dignitas po stula b a t,suppedita nt: et uenientibus Ca pua m cunctus
senatus populusque o buiam egressi iustis omni
bus ho spita libus priua tisque et pub licis funguntur
o fficiis. Nulla tam en comitate R om a no rum
ignominia et indignita s leniri : neque o culo s
attollere, nec quem quam a llo qui : pudor omnium
im plere amimos ad urb em pro ficiscentium : ubi
iam propius m o enia a duentum est, quibus ruri
praedia era nt suam quisque in dom um singuli
ac si lentes dila b eb a ntur : qui in urbe ha b ita b a nt
diu extra morati sero dom um post o b o rtas
tenebra s intra tecta sese a bdiderunt. Co nsules
autem quibus palam intra nda erat urbs et
interdiu,rat i se ha udqua quam dignos qui primi
Popul i R omani magistratus ha b erentur, domi se
tamquam priua ti cla userunt.
94 DE SCRIP TIVE :
ROM the hill o n which this villa stood the
spectator surveyed a wide and various
prospect, rich at once in natural beauty and
historic associations . The plain at his fee t was
the battle-field o f the R oman kings and o f the
infant comm onwealth ; i t was strewn with the
marble sepulchres o f patricians and consulars ;across it stre tched the long straight l ines o f the
military ways wh ich transported the ensigns o f
conquest to Parthia and Arabia . On the right,over meadow and Woodland, lucid with rivule ts, he
behe ld the White turre ts o f Tibur, Aesula , Prae
neste , strung like a row o f pearls o n the bosom o f
the Sabine mountains ; o n the left,the glistening
wave s o f A lba sunk in the ir green crater, the
towering cone o f the Latin Jupite r, the oaks o f
Aricia and the pines o f L a urentum , and the sea
bearing sails o f eve ry nation to the strand o f
Ostia.
[NO 2 45
TRANGE and de lusive destiny o f man
The pope was at his villa o f Ma llia na when
he re ce ived inte l l igence that his party had trium
pha ntly entered Milan : he abandoned himse lf
96 NARRATIVE :
to the exultation arising naturally from the suc
cessful comple tion o f an im portant ente rprise,and looked chee rfully o n at the festivitie s his
people were preparing o n the occasion . He
paced backwards and forwards till deep in the
n ight,be tween the window and a blazing hearth
—it wa s the month o f November. Somewhat
exhausted, but stil l in high spirits, he arrived at
R ome, and the rej oicings there ce lebrated for his
triumph were not yet concluded when he was
attacked by a mortal d isease . Pray fo r m e,
’
said he to his servants,‘ that I may yet make yo u
al l happy.
’ We see that he loved life ; bu t his
hour wa s come, he had not t ime to rece ive the
viaticum nor extreme unction . So suddenly, so
premature ly, and surrounded by hopes so bright,he died- a s the poppy fade th .
“
[No . R a nke.
NOTHE R o f the king’s chief m en, a p
proving o f his words and exhortations,
presently added : ‘ The present life o f man,
0 king, seems to m e,in comparison of that time
which is unknown to us,l ike to the swift flight of
a sparrow through the room where in yo u sit at
LIFE LIKE A SPARROW’
S FLIGH T . 97
uultu populum specta re foris o ua ntem huc illuc
a d m ultam no ctem o b a m b ula re inte r fenestram
fo cique ignem ,quippe mense N o uem b ri. Quibus
rebus haud inde fessus R om a m uenit, ubi eum nix
finita o ua tio ne m o rtifer co rripuitmorbus . Orate
pro m e,
’
a dsistentibus inquit,‘ut per m e e tiam
nunc sitis fe l ices . ’ Ita que qua m uis a uenti uita m
ta m en aderat fa ta lis dies . N e ad E ucha ristia m
quidem unctura m que suprem a m e x cipiendam
suppeteb a t tempus . Adeo inopinato et intem pes
tiue m ortuus est inte r summas spes,ue lut falce
o ccisum langue t pa pa uer.
T. 5 . E .
alius quidam e principibus qu i us quae
dicta era nt a ssentieb a tur,illud m o x insupe r
a ddidit : ‘ Mihi quidem, O rex,
’
inquit,‘uidetur
haec ae tas nostra, si cum ante acto om ni tem pore
quod nobis ignotum est com pa retur, ita esse quasi
cum brum ali tem pore,dum horrida foris omnia
H
‘
98 HISTORICAL .
supper in Winte r with your commanders and
m inisters , and a good fire in the midst, whilst the
storms o f rain and snow prevail abroad ; the
sparrow, I say, flying in at o n e door, and imme
dia te ly out at another, whilst he is within, is safe
from the wintry storm ; but after a short space o f
fair weather, he immediate ly vanishes o ut o f your
sight,into the dark winte r from which he had
emerged . So this l ife o f man appears for a short
space , but o f what went before , o r what is to
fol low,we a re utterly ignoran t . I f, there fore , thi s
new doctrine contains some thing more ce rtain, it
seems justly to deserve to b e followed .
’
The
other e lders and king’s counse llors, by Divine
inspiration,spoke to the same e ffect.
[No . 2 09 ] j. R . Green .
T would b e diffi cult to describe the eagerness
with which the American throws himse l f upon
the vast prize, thus offered him by fortune . I n
pursuit of it,he braves without fear the arrow
o f the Indian and the disease s o f the wilderness .
The silence o f the forests does not awe him ;the attacks o f wild beasts do not alarm him .
Passion,stronger than the love of life, is for
ever goading him o n . Before him there is
I OO DE SCRIP TIVE .
‘
spread o ut an alm ost boundless continent,and
it might b e said that fearing even now that
there will not b e room in it, he is hastening
lest he should arrive to o late . Some times the
emigrants advance so fast, that the wilde rness
reappears behind them . The fore st ha s but
bent beneath the ir fee t : the moment they a re
passed by, i t rises again . is not uncommon
to meet with dwe l lings a ndo ned in the midst
o f woods . The ru ins o f a but a re often dis
covered in the very heart o f a wilderness, and
we a re surprised at many attempts at clearing
the ground, which attest at once the powe r and
the fickleness o f m a n . On these ruins o f a day
the ancient forest soon throws o ut new sucke rs,
and Nature comes with a smile to cover with
flowers and leaves the traces o f man, and to do
away with every vestige o f his brief occupation .
[F C. R obertson .
E RHAPS there i s no more impressive
scene o n earth than the solitary extent o f
the Campagna o f R ome under evening light .
L et the reader imagine himse l f for a moment
withdrawn from the sounds and motions o f the
l iving world,and sent forth alone into this wild
THE CAMPA GNA . 1 0 1
festinare, me serio r a duenerit,nullum que sibi in
tanta regione locum inuenerit relictum . Non
nunquam coloni tam celeriter pro uecti sunt, ut
post pra eteruecto s so litudo i terum recrudesca t,
e t oppressa modo pedibus silua a tergo statim
resultet. Mediis in saltibus haud raro dese rta
o ccurrunt te cta, m ulto sque agri purga ndi conatus
intuens turn uires cum inco nsta ntia m hom inum
m ira b eris. Em issis ucro in has fugaces ru inas
e x uetusta silua pla nta riis, natura uelut sub
ridens fo liis flo ribusque omnia uestigia hom inum
ita o b ruit ut ne signum qu idem breuissim a e
dom ina tio nis relinqua tur.
E . A .
IH I L in orbe terra rum m ira b ilius, nihil
a ugustius noui ua sto i l lo campo, R om a m
adiacente,si sero quis et in uespertina luce con
tem pletur. Immo istuc se finga t lector uel mini
mum tem po ris, in spatium a ridum et desertum ,
re licto R om ae strepitu, silentio solo com ita nte,
1 02 DE SCRIP TIVE
and wasted plain . The earth yie lds and crumbles
beneath his foot, tread he never so l ightly,
’
for
i ts substance is white, hol low a nd carious,like
the dusty wre ck o f the bones o f m en . The
Icing knotted grass waves and tosses feebly in
the evening wind, and the shadows o f its motion
shake feverishly along the banks o f ruin thatl i ft themse lves to the sunlight . H il locks of
moulde ring earth heave around him,as if the
dead beneath were struggling in the ir sleep ;scattered blocks o f black stone
,foursquare
,rem
nants o f mighty edifices; not o ne left upon anothe r,lie upon them to keep them down . A dull
,purple
,
poisonous haze stre tches leve l along the desert,ve i ling its spectral wre cks of mossy ruins, o n
whose rents the red l ight rests l ike dying fire
o n defiled altars . The blue ridge o f the A lban
Mount l ifts itse l f against a solemn space o f gre en,clear
,quie t sky. Watch-towe rs o f dark clouds
stand steadfastly along the promontorie s o f the
Apennines . From the plain to the mountains,
the shattered aqueducts,pier beyond pier, me lt into
the darkness, l ike shadowy and countless troops of
funeral mourners, passing from a nation’s grave .
[No . R uskin .
1 04 HISTORICAL
S early as the time o f C icero a nd Varro it
was the Opinion o f the R oman augurs that
the twe lve vu lture s which R omulus had seen
represented the twe lve centuries assigned for the
fatal period o f his city. This prophecy, dis
regarded perhaps in the seaso n o f heal th and
prosperity, inspired the people with gloomy a ppre
hensio ns when the twe lfth century, clouded with
disgrace and misfortune, was almost e lapsed and
even poste rity must acknowledge with som e
surprise that the arbitrary inte rpre ta tion o f an
accidental o r fabulous circumstance has been
seriously verified in the downfall o f the Weste rn
Empire ! But its fal l was announced by a cleare r
omen than the fl ight o f vultures : the R oman
Governm ent appeared every day less form idable
to its enemies,more odious and oppressive to its
subjects. The taxes were multipl ied with the
public distress ; economy wa s neglected in pro
portion as it be cam e ne cessary ; and the inj ustice
o f the rich shifted the unequal burden from them
se lves to the people, whom they defrauded o f the
indulgence s that might some time s have alleviated
the i r mise ry. The seve re inquisition, which con
fisca ted the ir goods and tortured the ir pe rsons,compe l led the subje cts of Valentinian to pre fe r
the more simple tyranny of the barbarians, to fly
ROM E UNDE R VALE N TIN IA N . 1 05
VGVR I BVS a ntiquis, Cicero nis etVa rro nis
a equa libus, duodecim R omuli uultures duo
decim saecula po rtendeb a nt urbi fato a ttributa .
Quod pra esa gium sa luis ac pro speris rebus fo rta sse
neglectum tum dem um m e tus ac tristitia m populo
incutieb a t cum duo decim um saeculum dedeco re ac
luctu de fo rm a tum ad finem uergeb a t E tm ira ndum
uideb itur e tiam po steris, quod im peri i Occidentalis
casus re i fo rtuita e uel ficta e cupida m inte rpre ta
tio nem pro b a uit. E ra nt ta m en a uguria quae multo
m a n ifestius ruina m im peri i m o nstra b a nt : in dies
enim R omani minus fo rm ido lo si fieb a nt ho stibus,inuisi magis ac gra uio res. Crescente miseria
m ultiplica b a ntur tributa, po sci m agis ac neglegi
parsimonia . E t qua m uis po tuerint indulgentia e
interdum mise rias pa uperum leua re, ita tamem iis
diuites fra uda b a nt populum,ut in iquum onus a se
ad tenuio res tra nsferrent. Tandem sa eua inquisi
tione bonis spo lia ti, cruciati corpora, a Valenti
n iamo ad barbaros,sim plicio res scilice t dom inos,
in siluas m o ntesque co n fugieb a nt, aut m ercenn a
rio rum condicionem uilem atque a b iectam a m plec
teb a ntur. Ciuium R om a no rum nom en,omnium
quondam gentium studiis e x opta tum ,a b iura b a nt
1 06 HISTORICA L
to the woods and mountains, o r to embrace the
vile and abje ct condition o f me rcenary se rvant'
s .
They abjured and abhorred the name of R oman
citizen,which had formerly excited the ambition
o f mankind . I f all the ' b a rb a ria n conquerors
had been annihilated in the same hour, the ir total
de struction would not have restored the empire of
the West and if R om e sti l l survived,she survived
the loss of freedom , o f virtue , and of honour.
[No . Gibbon .
H E tidings o f despair created a terrible
commotion in the starving city. The re
was no hope e ither in subm ission o r resistance .
Ma ssacre o r starvation we re the only alter
native . But if the re wa s n o hope within the
walls, without there was stil l a soldie r’s death .
Fo r a moment the garrison and the able -bodied
citizens resolved to advan ce from the gates in
a solid column,to cut the ir way through the
enem y’s camp, o r to perish o n the fie ld . I t was
thought that the he lpless and the infirm,who
would alone b e left in the city, m ight b e treated
with indulgence afte r the fighting m en had all
been slain . At any rate,by remaining, the strong
1 08 NARRA TIVE
cou ld ne ither protect nor comfort them . As soon,however, as this resolve was known, the re was
such wailing and outcry of wom en and children as
pie rced the hearts of the soldie rs a nd burghers,and caused them to forego the proje ct . They fe l t
that it was cowardly not to die in the ir presence .
I t was then de term ined to form all the females,
the sick,the aged
,and the children, into a square ,
to surround them with al l the able -bodied m en who
stil l remained, and thus arrayed to fight the ir wayforth from the gates, and to conque r by the
strength o f de spair, o r at least to perish all to
gether.
[No .
HE SE papers were asse rted to b e equivalent
to a second witne ss, and even to many
witnesses . The prisone r replied, that there wa s
no other reason for ascribing these papers to him
as the author,beside s a simil itude o f hand ;
a proof which was never admitted in crim inal
prosecutions That allowing him to b e the author,he had composed them sole ly for his private
amusement, and had neve r published them to
the world , or even com municated them to any
P APE RS A GAINST A LGE RN ON S YDN E Y. 1 09
m ulierum puero rum que gem itus tantus fit, ut uersi
in mise ricordiam m il ite s ciuesque rem o m iserint,
illud scilice t m etuentes, me ign a ui uiderentur, si
pra esentibus his perire n o llent. S ta tuunt igitur
co llectis in unum m ulieribus ceterisque a eta te siue
morbo inua lidis quicquid integrum a dhuc ha b erent
uirium circum da re : de in e portis egre ssi uiam sibi
pugnando efficere,propter ipsa m despera tio nem
uicturi, aut una saltem omnes perituri .
VOS comm enta rio lo s alte rius testis, immo
plurium testium instar esse dictita b a nt.
Contra reus a rgueb atnulla al ia de causa lib ello sillo s sibi a dscrib i, quam quod simili manu e x a ra ti
essent ; chirogra pho rum autem testimonium num
quam contra capitis reos pro ferri. Quod si se
scripto rem esse co nfiteretur, scripsisse ta m en
animi causa ; neque edidisse um qua m neque
coram alio legisse inspe cto autem atramenti
colore m a nifestum fore eo s multis a bhinc annis
I I O H ISTORICAL
single person : That, when examined, they a p
pe a red, by the colour of the ink, to have been
Written many years be fore, and we re in vain
produced a s evidence o f a present conspiracy
against the government : And that whe re the law
positive ly requires two witnesses, o ne witne ss,
attended with the most convincing circumstances,could never suffi ce ; much less, when supported
by a circumstance so weak and precarious. All
these arguments, though urged by the prisone r
with great courage and pregnancy o f reason,had
no influence .
[F. C . 2 69 ] H um e.
Y his skil l in astronom y Columbus knew that
the re was shortly to b e an eclipse of the
moon . He assembled all the principal pe rsons
o f the district around him o n the day be fore i t
happened,and
,afte r reproaching them for the ir
ficklen ess in withdrawing the ir affection and
assistance from m en whom they had late ly revered,
he told them that the Spaniards were servants of
the Great Spirit'
who dwe l ls in heaven, who made
and governs the world that he,offended at the ir
refusing to support m en who were the objects
1 1 2 HISTORICA L :
o f his pe culiar favour,was preparing to punish
this crime with signal severity, and that ve ry
night the moon should withhold her l ight, and
appear o f a bloody hue, as a sign o f the divine
wrath and of the vengeance ready to fal l upon
them . To this m arve l lous prediction som e*
o f
them listened with the care less indiffe rence
peculiar to the people of America ; others, with
the credulity natural to barbarians . But when
the moon began gradually to b e darkened, and at
length appeared o f a red colour, all we re struck
with terror. They ran with consternation to
the ir houses,and re turning instantly to Columbus
loaded with provisions,threw them at his fee t,
conjuring him to inte rcede with the Great Spirit
to avert the destruction with which they were
threatened .
[No .
HE SE northern people were distinguished
by tal l“
stature,blue eye s
,red hair and
beards . They were inde fatigable in war, but
indolent in sedentary labours . They endured
hunge r more patiently than thirst,and cold than
the heat of the meridian sun . They disdained
THE HARD Y N ORTH . 1 1 3
lunam ,denegata luce, speciem sa nguineam e sse
sum ptura m ; quod cum uidissent, inte llegerent
deum ira sci, sibi poe na s im m inere . Ho c por
tentum dum pra edicit, al ii, quae est Ame ricano
rum incuria,neglegere, ali i solita b a rb a ro rum
credulita te m ira bundi e x cipere ; cum uero luna,luce p a ulla tim o b scura ta , tandem in rub o rem
mutata e sse t, om nes eo dem tim ore perterriti
statim ad sua quisque tecta discurrere, inde ad
Co lum bum redire et com m e a tus quos secum
po rta b a nt e i ad pedes pro icere, denique obse crare
ut deum illum maxim um pla ca tum sibi redderet, et
ca la m ita tem iam im pendentem depreca retur.
f . D . D .
E PTENTR IONAL IVM pa rtium gente s
magh is co rpo ribus insignes, o culis ca erule is,
com is ac barbis rutilis. Militia e ad labores im
pigri,domi segnes ; ce te rum inedia e quam sitis,
frigoris quam solis meridiani pa tien‘
tio res. Vrb es
co ntem ptui habere tamquam uel inertibus recepta
1 1 4 H ISTORICA L :
towns as the refuge o f a tim orous, and the hiding
places o f a thievish populace . They burnt them
in the countries which they conque red, o r suffe red
them ito fal l into decay ; and centuries e lapsed
before they surrounded the ir villages with walls .
The ir huts, dispe rsed like those o f the A lpine
people, were placed o n the banks o f rivule ts,o r
near fountains, o r in woods,o r in the midst of
fie lds . E ve ry farm constituted a distinct centre
round which the herds o f the owner wandered, o r
where , among agricul tural tribes, the women and
slaves til led the land . The Germans used very
little clothing,’ for the habit o f enduring cold
served them in its stead . The hide s o f beasts,the spoils of the chase, hung from the shoulders
o f the warriors ; and the wom en wore woollen
coats ornamented with feathers, o r with patche s of
skins which they se lected fo r the i r splendid and
various tints. The use o f clothe s which,fitting
accurate ly the different parts o f the body, covered
the whole o f it,was introduced many ages afte r
wards,and wa s looked upon even then a s a signal
corruption o f manners .
[No .
1 1 6 HISTORICAL
UL IAN disguised the silent anxie ty o f his
own mind with smiles o f confidence and
joy,and amused the hostile nations wi th the
spectacle o f military games, which he insultingly
ce lebrated beneath the walls o f Coche . The day
wa s consecrated to pleasure ; bu t as soon a s the
hour o f supper was past,the emperor summoned
the generals to his tent, and acquainted them that
he had fixed that night for the passage o f the Tigris .
They stood in silent and respectful astonishment
but when the venerable Sallust assumed the pri
vilege o f his a ge and experience, the rest o f the
chiefs supported with freedom the we ight o f his
prudent remonstrances . Julian contented himse l f
with obse rving that conquest a nd safe ty depended
o n the attempt ; that, instead o f diminishing,the
numbe r o f the ir enemie s would b e increased by
successive re inforcements ; and that a longer ».de lay wou ld ne ither contract the breadth o f the
stream no r leve l the he ight o f the b a nkfi The
signal wa s instantly given, and obeyed the most
impatient o f the legionarie s leaped into five vesse ls
that lay nearest to the bank ; and as they plied
the ir oa rs with intrepid dil igence, they were lost
after a fewm oments in the darkness o f the night .
Gibbon .
_
‘
7UL IAN’
S DE CISION OF CHARA CTE R. 1 1 7
VL IANVS ta citis animi sui curis risum quasi
spem ac la etitiam uo luta ntis pra etendit simul
ho stium na tio nes m unere m ilita rium ludo rum
e ludit, quos contum elia e causa sub ipsis oppid i
m o enibus edit . To tus hic dies uo lupta ti deditus
statim tameh ut cena uera nt, princeps lega tis in
prae torium uo ca tis nuntia t se no ctem insequen
tem tra iciendo amni destina uisse . Inde undique
silentium simul obsequium simul a dm ira tio nem
testa ntium . Mo x S a llustius, uir a eta te gra uis,
cum lib erta tem qua senectuti qua rebus gestis
debitam usurpa uisset, tum ceteri ultro iis quae
prudenter a dm o nuera tpondus a ddidere . Iulia nus
nihil u ltra respo ndet nisi sa lutem et uicto ria m in
e o co epto nert i scilice t non minui hostes,immo
a ux iliis in dies augeri si diutius m o ra rentur,nec
flum in is a lueum a rtio rem fore nec hum ilius
ripa rum fastigium . Da t e x tem plo signum et
ipsi o btem pera tur, dum a cerrim us quisque m ilitum
v n a uiéula s quae a ripa sta b a nt escendit qui
cum audaces et strenui rem iga rent, ci to n o cturnis
tenebris o buo luuntur.
1 1 8 CHARA CTE RS
C I PIC was o f the same opinion . H e was
fully persuaded o f the greatne ss o f the evil,and with a courage de serving o f honour
,he
without respe ct o f persons remorse lessly assailed
it,and carried his point where he risked himse l f
alone . But he wa s also pe rsuaded that the
country could only b e re lieved at the price o f
a revolution similar to that which in the fourth
and fifth centuries had sprung o ut of the question
o f re form,and rightly o r wrongly the remedy
seemed worse to him than the dise ase . S o with
the small c ircle o f his friends he he ld a middle
position be tween the aristocrats, who neve r fo r
gave him for his advocacy o f the Cassian law,
and the democrats whom he ne i ther satisfied nor
wished to sati sfy ; sol ita ry during his l i fe, praised
afte r his death by both parties, now a s the
champion o f the aristocracy, now a s the pro
mote r o f re form . Down to his time the censors
in laying down the ir offi ce had ca l led upon the
gods to grant greate r powe r and glory to the
state ; the censor Scipio prayed that they might
de ign to pre se rve the state . His whole confe ssion
of faith l ies in that painful exclamation .
1 2 0 CHARA CTE RS :
OME RS was equally eminent as a jurist and
as a politician,a s an orator and as a writer.
In the great place to which he had been re cently
promoted,he had so borne himse lf that, after a
very few months, even faction and envy had
cease d to murmur at his e levation . In truth,he
united all the qualities o f a great judge : a n in
tellect comprehensive,quick
,and acute
,diligence
,
integrity,patience, and suavity. In council the
calm wisdom,which he possesse d in a measure
rare ly found among m en o f parts so quick and
of opinions so decided as his,acquired for him
the authority of an oracle . The superiority o f his
powers appeared not less clearly in private circles .
The charm o f his conve rsation wa s he ightened
by the frankness with which he poured o ut his
thoughts . His good tempe r and his goo d breed
ing never failed . H is gesture, his loo k, his tone s
were expre ssive o f benevolence . H is humanity
was the more remarkable ; because he had re
ceived from nature a body such a s is general ly
found united with a peevish and irritable mind .
M a ca ulay .
S ON/E RS . 1 2 1
OME R S pari iuris et rei publ icae prudentia
dicendi laudes scriptis a equipera uera t. S um
mum in honorem cum nuper euectus esse t, talem
se in eo pra ebuera t ut pa uco s post menses me
fa ctio si quidem atque inuidi pra ela tum ce teris
iam indign a rentur. E nim uero qua ecum que egregii
sunt indicis omnia unus ha b eb a t,mentem am pla m
a crem uegeta m , industriam idem et fidem,leni
tatem 1et com ita tem . De re publica cum de
lib era retur, placida qua da m sapientia, qua lem in
i lla animi celerita te co nsiliisque tam pa ra tis ra rius
inueneris,quasi o ra culi fidem sibi co ncilia uera t.
Priua tim quoque non minus ce te ris a ntecelleb a t.
S erm o nis uenusta tem a ugeb a t sim plicita s hominis
quidquid sentieb a t e ffundentis. Num qua m sua
uita tem in eo , num qua m hum a nita tem requireres .
Benignum se gestu uoltu uo ce significa b a t, cle
mentia eo a dm ira b ilio re quod corporis illa m
naturam a ccepera t cuius comes plerum que sit
animi m o ro sita s et ira cundia .
Cf. Cic.Ma ren . 4 1 pra etor. . .b eneuo lentia m a diungitlenita te
a udie ndi.’
1 2 2 CHARA CTE RS :
TILL,notwithstanding these unpre cedented
m arks o f favour, and the symptoms they re
vealed o f the emperor’s infirmity and blindness,
Sejanus could not fail to see, in the re cent e le
vation of Drusus,how far his master yetwa s from
contem plating the transfe r o f the em pire from his
so n to a stranger. T o remove the rival whom he
despaired o f supplanting was be come necessary
for his own security, for Drusus was instinctive ly
hostile to him ; he had murmured at h is pre
tensions,unve iled his intrigues
,and even in the
pe tulance o f power had raised his hand against
him . The prince had complained that his fathe r,
though having a so n o f his own,had in fact de
volved no small portion o f the Government upon
a mere al ien . Sejanus,he muttered,wa s regarded
by the people as the em pe ror’s actual col league
the cam p of the Prae torians was the creation o f
his caprice for the advancement o f his authority
the soldiers had transferred to him the ir military
allegiance, and his image had been openly exhibited
as an obj e ct of popular interest in the theatre of
Po m peius.
1 2 4 CHARA CTE RS :
OTH ING in the political conduct of E ssex
entitles him to esteem ; and the pity with
which we regard his early and terrible end is
dim inished by the consideration that he put to
hazard the l ive s and fortune s o f his most attached
friends, and endeavoured to throw the whole
country into confusion,for objects pure ly personal .
S til l it is impossible not to b e deeply intere sted
for a man so brave,high spirited, and generous ;
fo r a man who,while he conducted him se l f towards
his Sove re ign with a boldness such as wa s then
found in no othe r subject,conducted himse lf
towards his dependents with a de l icacy such as
has been rare ly found in any other patron . Unlike
the vulgar herd o f bene factors,he de sired to
inspire not gratitude, but affection . He tried to
make those whom he be friended fee l towards him
as an equal . His mind— ardent,susceptible,
naturally disposed to admiration o f all that is
great and beautiful—wa s fascinated by the genius
and accom plishments o f Bacon . A close friend
ship was soon formed be tween them ,a friendship
destined to have a dark,a mournful
,a shameful
end.
[N o . 3 1 3 ] M a ca ulay .
E SSE X. 1 2 5
VOD ad rem publ icam a ttinet, nihi l hic a d
m ira tio ne dignum habe t : ipsa autem mors
ta m immatura,tam a tro x , eo minus mise ricordiam
m o uet,quod sua e i lle utilita tis causa uita m fo rtu
n a m que co niunctissim o rum a m ico rum in a le a m
dedit, uniuersa e ciuita ti turbas co ncita uit. V irum
tam en tam forti ingenio,tam alacri
,tam mag
na nim o , qui e rga regin a m ferox prae ter ciuilem
qu i tum erat modum,e rga cliente s pa tro nus e rat
si quis alius uerecundus, ecquis non cupide
intuetur? Neque enim,sieut sole t m ultitudo ,
gra tum in se a nim um sed a m o rem bene merendo
conciliare uo luit ; neque alio pacto b eneficia
co llo ca b a t quam ut par cum pari co nso cia retur.
Hominem uiuido m o llique anim o pra editum , quic
quid e x cellentius,quicquid uenustius
, e ius admira
tione facile ca ptum ,m irum quantum delecta b a t
Bacomi ingenium et e lega ntia : unde m o x sum ma
illa orta est amicitia in euentum a liqua ndo tristem ,
in fa ustum,flagitio sum peruentura .
S . H . B .
1 2 6 CHARA CTE RS
MUCH que stion whe ther an im partial char
acte r of this man will o r ever can b e trans
m itted to posterity ; for he gove rned this kingdom
so long,that the various passions o f mankind
mingled with eve ry thing that was said o r written
concerning him . Never was man more flattered,
nor more abused ; and his long power wa s
probably the chie f cause of both . I was much
acquainted with him both in his public and his
private l ife,I mean to do ‘ impartial justice to his
character ; and the re fore my picture of him will
perhaps b e more l ike him than it will b e l ike any
o f the othe r picture s drawn o f him . I n private
l ife he was good-natured, chee rful, social . He
had a coarse,strong wit
,which he wa s too free o f
for a man in his station,as it is always inco n
sistent with dignity. He wa s ve ry able a s a
minister,but without a ce rtain e levation o f mind
ne cessary for great good o r great mischie f. Pro
fuse and appe tent, his ambition wa s subse rvient
to the desire of making a great fortune . H e would
do m ean things for profit,and neve r thought o f
doing great ones for glory .
[F. C. 360 ] L ord Cb esleifi eld.
1 2 8 CHARA CTE RS :
E RHAPS, while no preache r ever had a
more massive influence than Savona rola,no
preacher eve r had more he terogeneous materials
to work upon . And o ne secre t o f the massive
influence lay in the highly mixed character o f his
preaching. Baldassa rre,wrought into an ecstasy
o f se lf-mastering revenge,wa s only an extreme
case among the partial and narrow sympathies o f
that audience . In Savonarola’s preaching there
were strains that appealed to the very finest
susceptibi lities o f men ’s natures, a nd the re were
e lements that gratified low egoism,tickled gossip
ing curiosity,and fascinated timorous superstition .
His need o f pe rsonal predominance,his la byrin
thine al legorical interpre tations o f the Scriptures,
his enigmatic visions, and his false ce rtitude about
the Divine intentions, never ceased, in his own
large soul,to b e ennobled by that fervid pie ty
,
that passionate sense o f the infinite , that active
sym pathy, that clear-sighted demand for the sub
jectio n o f se lfish inte rests to the gene ral good,
which he had in common with the greatest o f
mankind . But for the mass o f his audience al l
the pregnancy of his preaching lay in his strong
assertion o f supernatural claims, in his denuncia
tory v isions,in the false ce rtitude which gave his
sermons the interest of a political bulle tin ; and
S A VONAROL A . 1 2 9
AVD scio an alius nem o, qu i sacerdos
populum a dho rta tus est, tantum inte r se
statu ac uo lunta te discrepantes tam uehem enter
unus homo co m m o uerit. Cuius rei si rationem
qua erim us,summae serm o nis ua rieta ti multum e st
a dscrib endum . Nam quod multi e x a udientibus,
in proprios singillatim affe ctus intenti, idem acer
rime sensit Ba lda ssa rius, sui scilice t ulciscendi
cupidita te usque ad im po tentia m e ffera tus. H iero
nym us enim,ut uiris ad nobil issim a pro cliuibus
stim ulo s interdum a dm o ueb a t,ita in suas res de
fix o s ue l noua ad serm o nem qua erentes quasi titil
lare po tera t, tim ido sque ac superstitio so s sub suam
plane ditio nem sub iungere : qui cum secundas
partes uitio naturae nusqua m a geret, scripta sacra
to rtuosissim a im a ginum ratione e x plica ret,ambigua
uiso rum specie certissim am diuina e mentis scien
tiam falso profiteretur, idem ta m en nir amplissim a,
siquis alius,indole, fe rn ida, ut ita dicam , e rga Deos
pie tate insignis, in infinita tem ipsa m ardenti animo
peregrina b a tur ; quod si a lio rum commodis a criter
deceb a t interesse, uel S ingulo rum bona rei publicae
po stha b enda pra ecipere, prudentia om nium qui
uix erunt ne i l lustrissimo quidem co ncedeb a t.
Apud plero sque nero ita elo quens, i ta gra uis e rat,
ut qui diuini aliquid co nfidenter sibi a droga ret,uisis suis in populum nates inueheretur, decre ta
x
1 30 CHARA CTE RS
having once he ld that audience in his mastery, it
was necessary to his nature— it wa s nece ssary
for the ir we l fare— that he should keep . the
maste ry .
[N o . 305 ] George E liot.
HOUGH her own security had been the first
object,and her ambition the second, the
inspire r of so many licentious passions wa s at last
enslaved herse lf. S he m ight d isdain the fear o f
a rival potentate, and de fy the indignation o f
Octavius,but her anxie ty about his siste r was the
instinct o f the woman,rather than of the queen .
S he could not forge t that a wife’s legitim ate
influence had once de tained her lover from her
side for more tha n two whole years : she might
still apprehend the awakening o f his reason, and
his renunciation o f an all ian ce which at tim es he
fe lt,she we l l knew
,to b e bitte rly degrading. To
re tain her grasp o f her admirer, a s we l l as her
seat upon the throne o f the Ptolemies, she must
drown his scruples in voluptuous oblivion, and
invent new charms to revive and amuse his j aded
passion .
[No .
1 32 CHARA CTE RS
E wa s a man o f personage proper, inclined
to tallness, in his youth valiant and active ,towards his latter a ge full and corpulent, o f a ful l
face and clear complexion,with an ere cted fore
head,and a large grey eye bright and quick .
Sound and sure he was o f his words,true and
faithful to his friends, somewhat choleric, yet apt
to forgive, chee rful in his j ourneys o r at his meals,o f a sound and deep judgement
,with a strong
memory, both which were much b ea utified with
his we l l-composed langua ge and graceful de l ive ry .
He wa s somewhat prodigally incl ined in h is youth,and generously thrifty in his a ge, giving good
exam ple to his greatest ne ighbours by his constant“ hospitality. E arnest he was and sincere in the
rightful cause o f his cl ient, pitiful in the re l ief of
the distre ssed, and merciful to the poor.
[No . ja m es H owe].
T is creditable to Charles’s temper that, ill as
he thought o f his species, he neve r became a
misanthrope . He saw l ittle in man but what was
hateful . Yet he did not hate them. Nay, he wa s
so far humane that it was highly disagreeable to him
to see the ir su ff erings,or to hear the ir complaints .
This,however, is a sort of humanity which, though
A M ODE L A DVOCA TE . 1 33
TATVRA fuit iusta , sed pro cerio r : in adules
centia fortis et uelo x , po stquam se ae tas
flexit,pingu i corpore et obeso ; spa tio so uultu, in
quo color tra nsluceb a t, fronte e lata, o culis m agn is
gla ucisque ac uegetum quiddam splendentibus.
Certus et tenax e rat prom issi, in a m ico s uera x
fidelisque ; ira cundio r, sed ut facile igno sceret :
hila ris in itinere uel cum cena ret, iudicii nec
peruersus nec futtilis,ua lidus mem oria : quae
utra que ut se rmone commodo,ita decora pro
nuntia tione com m enda b a t. Adulescens in sum ptus
e ffusio r, pa r'
cus in senectute, citra sordes ta m en,
utexem plo libera lita tis esse t propter hospitia e tiam
m a x im is uicino rum . Clientum ubi iusta causa
fuit,diligens n ec qui pra eua rica retur, inopes sub
leua b a t, pa uperum m isereb a tur.
D Carolo laudi est,quod cum homines tan to
opere co ntem psisset, nunquam eua sit cynicus,
neque odera t eo s quos e x omni parte odiosos
puta ret ita scilice t hum a nus ut nec dolente s
uidere posse t nec querente s audire . Quod in
homine priua to , cui angusti fines(
bene et male
faciendi circum da ti sunt, gra tum est et laudabile ;
1 34 CHARA CTE RS :
amiable and laudable in a private man,whose
powe r to he lp or hurt is bounded by a narrow
circle, had in princes often been rathe r a vice than
a virtue . More than o ne We l l-disposed ru le r ha s
given up whole province s to rapine and o ppression,mere ly from a wish to see none but ha ppy face s
round his own board and his own walks . No man
is fit to govern great societies who he sitate s about
diso bliging the fewwho have acce ss to him for the
sake o f the many whom he will neve r see . The
faci lity o f Cha rle s wa s such a s pe rhaps has neve r
been found in any man o f equal sense . He wa s
a slave without be ing a dupe . Worthless m en
and women,to the ve ry bottom o f whose hea rts
he saw, a nd whom he knew to b e destitute o f
aff ection for him and undeserving o f his co n
fidence, could easily wheedle him o ut o f titles,
places,domains
,state secre ts, and pardons. He
bestowed much ; yet b e ne ither enjoyed the
pleasure nor acquired the fam e o f b eneficence .
He never gave Spo ntaneously but i t wa s painful
to him to refuse . The consequence wa s that his
bounty generally went, not to those who dese rved
it best,nor even to those whom he l iked best, but
to the most sham e less and im portunate sui tor who
could obtain an audience .
[No . 300 ] Ma ca ulay .
1 36 CHARA CTE RS :
E had that general curiosity to which no
kind of knowledge is indifferent or supe r
fluo us and that general benevolence by which no
order of m en is hated o r despised . His principles
both o f thought a nd action were great a nd com
prehensive . By a solicitous examination o f o h
jections and judicious comparison o f opposite
arguments, he attained what inquiry never give s
but to industry and pe rspicuity,a firm and
unshaken se ttlement o f conviction . But his
firmness was without asperity for knowing with
how much difficul ty truth is some times found, he
did not wonder that many misse d it . His de l ive ry,though unconstrained
,wa s not negligent, and,
though forcible, wa s no t turbulent ; disdaining
a nxious nice ty o f emphasis, and laboured artifice
o f action, i t captivated the hearer by its natural
dignity ; it roused the sluggish and fixed the
volatile,and de tained the mind upon the subject
without dire ct ing it to the speake r.
[N o . S . johnson .
E was pronounced guilty of the act o f which
he had in the most solemn manne r pro
t ested he was innocent ; he wa s sent to the
A DIVIN E . 1 37
MNIA scire a uenti nulla pars do ctrina e
superua cua aut neglegenda uideb a tur
omnes b eneuo lentia complexo nullum genus
hom inum odio nec co ntem ptui. Quae cogita b a t,
quae a geb a t, a magno pro ficisceb a ntur anim o
la rgo que pectore . E x ceptio n ibus accurate pensa tis,
qua eque in utram que partem diceb a ntur subtiliter
com pa ra tis, pra em ium industria e atque intelle
gentia e a ssequeb a tur ut sententia im m o tus con
sta ret. S ed constantia huius ca reb a t a sperita te
quam a egre enim no nnum quam reperia tur uerum
e x pertus, non m ira b a tur m ulto s fa llere . A ctio
parum a stricta nec soluta, et sine uio lentia uehe
mens Spre ta sollicitudine co ntentio nis gestusque
opero sis a rtificiis na tiua dignitate a udientes
ca pieb a t ; e x cita b a t pigro s, detineb a t leues, ut
oratio oratore fal lente amimos o ccupa ret.
D . S . M .
VNC e rgo e ius sce leris dam na tum,quod
maximo opere infitia b a tur, in Tullia num
dem issum ,ho no ribus e x utum ,
m o tum sen a tu,
1 38 CHARA CTE RS
Towe r : he was turned o ut o f all his places, and
his name was struck o ut of the Council Book . I t
might we l l have been thought that the ruin of his
fam e and o f his fortunes was irreparable . But
there was about his nature an e lasticity which
nothing could subdue . In his prison, indeed, he
was as violent as a falcon just caged, and would, i f
he had been long de tained, have died o f me re
impatience . His only solace wa s to contrive wild
and rom antic scheme s for extricating himse lf from
his diffi culties and avenging himse l f o n his
enem ies . When he regained his l ibe rty, he stood
alone in the world,a dishonoured man, m ore
hated by the Whigs than any Tory,and by the
Tories than any Whig,and reduced to such
poverty that he talked o f re tiring to the country,l iving like a farmer and pu tting his Counte ss into
the dairy to churn and to make cheeses . Yet,
even after this fall, that mounting Spirit rose
again,and rose higher than eve r. When he next
appeared be fore the world,he had inherited the
earldom of the head o f his fam ily ; he had ceased
to b e called by the tarn ished name o f Monmouth
and he soon added new lustre to the name o f
Pe terboro ugh .
[No . 2 94] M a ca ulay .
1 40 CHARACTE RS .
MI ND l ike Scipio’s,working its way under
the pe culiar influences o f his time and coun
try,cannot but move irregu larly ; it cannot but
b e full o f contradictions . Two hundred years
later, the mind o f the dictator Caesar acquiesced
contentedly in E picureanism : he re tained no
more o f enthusiasm than was inseparable from
the intensity o f his inte l lectual powe r,and the
fervour o f his courage,even amidst his u tter
moral degradation . But Scipio could not b e l ike
Caesar. His mind rose above the state o f things
around him ; his spirit wa s solitary and kingly ;he was cramped by l iving among those as his
equals whom he fe lt fitted to guide as from
some higher sphere ; a nd he re tired at last to
L iternum to breathe free ly, to enjoy the simplicity
o f childhood,Since he cou ld not fulfi l his natural
call ing to b e a hero king. So far he stood apart
from his countrymen,admired
,reverenced, but
not loved . But he could not shake o ff all the
influences o f his time ; the virtue, public a nd
private,which still existed at R ome, the reverence
paid by the wisest and best m en to the re l igion
o f the ir fathers,were e lements too congenial to
his nature not to re tain the ir hold o n it : they
cherished that nobleness o f sou l in him , and that
faith in the invisible and divine, which two cen
P UBLIUS CORNE LIUS SCIP IO .
N IMVS qua lis fuit S cipio nis, ua riis cum loci
turn tem po ris m om entis o bno x ius, tantum
a b est ut uno a liquo eodem que tenore promo
uea tur, ut no nnum qua m quam lo ngissim e se cum
discrepet. Ducento s post a nno s C . Caesar in
E picuri pla citis ita a cquieuit, ut nihil om nino a l
tio ris disciplin a e retinuerit,nisi quo prae maxima
ingeni ui et uirtute feruidissim a e tiam in summ a
m orum turpitudine carere non po tuerit. Quod
idem ut pa teretur Scipion i ha udqua qua m licuit.
Inera t ei anim us rebus suis maior,inera t inge
nium singulare et uere regium ; neque non indign a b a tur quod inte r isto s ciuiliter uiuendum esse t,quibus tamquam e loco superiore im perare de
b uerit. I ta que L iternum concessit,ut l iberius
respira ret, et pueril i sal tem S im plicita te frueretur,
cui negatum esse t,id quod sibi destin a sset natura,
hero icum imperium e x ercere . Ha ctenus a suis
sem o tus uix it,e a condicione ut reuerentiam a d
m ira tio nem que omnium co ncilia ret, a m o rem repe l
lere t . Neque ta m en sacculi mores om nino ex uere
po tuit. Quippe uirtus,turn publica tum ~ priua ta ,
quae R omae etia m num floreb a t, et reuerentia
qua optimus quisque et sa pientissim us pa tria m
religio nem persequeb a ntur, magis ingenio e ius
co ngrueb a nt, quam ut inde facile diuellerentur
immo fo ueb a nt illam animi m agnitudinem ,illa m
1 4 2 CHARA CTE RS
turies of growing unbe l ie f rendered alm ost im po s
sible in the days of Caesar. Yet how strange
must the confl ict b e , when faith is combined with
the highest inte lle ctual power, and its appointed
obje ct is no be tter than Paganism ! Longing to
be l ieve, yet repe l led by palpable falsehood, crossed
inevitably with snatches o f unbe lie f, in which
hypocrisy is ever close at the'
door, i t breaks
o ut desperate ly, a s it may seem, into the region
o f dreams and visions and mysterious commun
ings with the invisible, as if longing to find that
food in its own creations, which no outward
obje ctive truth o ff ers to it . The proport ions of
be l ie f and unbe l ie f in the human mind in such
cases,no hum an judgem ent can de te rm ine ; they
a re the wonde rs of history : characters inevitably
misrepresented by the vulgar,a nd viewed even
by those who in some sense have the key to
them as a mystery, not fully to b e comprehended,and sti l l less explained to others . The genius
which conce ived the incomprehensible characte r
o f H amle t,would alone b e able to describe with
intuitive truth the character o f Scipio o r of
Cromwe ll .
Dr. A rno ld.
1 44 CHARA CTE RS .
HE R E is no pe rson in that a ge about whom
historians have been more divided,or whose
character ha s been drawn in such opposite colours .
Pe rsonal intrepidity, military skill, sagacity, and
vigour in the adm inistration o f civi l affairs,a re
virtues which even his enemie s allow him to have
possessed in an eminent degree . H is moral
qual itie s a re more dubious,and ought ne ithe r to
b e praised nor censured without great rese rve,
and many distinctions . In a fierce a ge he was
capable o f using victory with humanity, a nd o f
treating the vanquished with moderation a patron
o f learning, which, among martial nobles, was
e ither unknown o r de spised zealous for re l igion,to a degree which distinguished him, even at a time
when professions of that kind we re not uncommon .
His confidence in his friends was extreme, and
inferior only to his liberality towards them,which
knew no bounds . A distinguished passion for the
l ibe rty o f his country prompted him to oppose the
pernicious system which the Princes of Lorraine
had obl iged the Que en-mother to pursue . On
Mary’s re turn into Scotland, he served her with
a zeal and aff ection to which he sacrificed the
friendship of those who were most attached to
his person . But,on the other hand, his ambition
wa s imm oderate ; and events happened that
THE RE CE N T M URRA Y. 1 45
EMO id a eta tis e x stitit de quo magis dis
crepat inte r scripto res ta m in diuersum
uita m e ius depingentes. V irtute be l l ica, reimilitaris
peritia , re i publicae a dm in istra nda e uigo re ac con
sil io,his a rtibus magno opere eum co nSpici ne ipsi
quidem inimici infitia ntur. De m o ribus res magis
in dubio est,quos neque laudari neque reprehendi
nisi caute et cum de lectu a liquo o po rtuerit. I n
a tro cita te temporum po tuit uicto ria clem enter uti,et uictis parcere . L ittera rum quoque fautor, quae
inter nobiles be l l i a uido s aut igno ta e era nt aut
co ntem ptui ha b ita e : idem religio num studiosus
ut supra a equa les et ipsos idem studium prae se
ferentes enitesceret. Accedeb a t magna a m icorum
fiducia,m aio r ta m en m unificentia , quae erat in
finita . Neque dubium est quin funestis co nsiliis
in quae L o rro nenses regis m a trem im pulere in
corrupto lib erta tis patriae am ore adductus se
o ppo suerit : nec minus constat Mariae in Cale
do n ia m reuersa e eo studio et ca rita te inseruisse
cui a m icitia m sui a m a ntissim o rum po stha b uerit.
Contra cupidita s glo ria e erat infinita : qua eque
intercesserunt nego tia ingenti spe proposita eo
usque a uidum ingenium a lle x erunt,ut plus quam
ciuilia a gita ret. N a m in reginam et so ro rem , et
optim e de se m erita m,contra quam fra trem et
b eneficio rum memorem decet sese gereb a t.
1 46 CHARA CTE RS
opened to him vast proje cts which allured his
enterprising genius, and led him to actions inco n
sistent with the duty of a ‘ subje ct. His treatment
o f the Queen, to whose bounty he was so m uch
indebted, was unbrotherly and ungrateful . The
dependence on E l izabe th, unde r which he brought
Scotland,wa s disgraceful to the nation . He de
ceived and be trayed Norfolk with a baseness
unworthy o f a man of honour.
[No . 31 4] R obertson . V
ITE RATUR E was a neutral ground o n which
he could approach his political enemy with
out too open discredit,and he courted eagerly the
approval o f a critic whose l iterary genius he
esteemed a s highly as his own . Men o f genuine
ability a re rare ly vain o f what they can do real ly
We l l. C icero admired himse lf as a state sman with
the most unbounded enthusiasm . He wa s proud
of his verses, which Were hope lessly common
pla ce . In the art in which he was without a rival
he was mode st and diffident. H e sent h is various .
writings for Caesar ’s judgement . Like the
trave l le r who has overslept him self,
’o he said,
‘
yet
1 48 CHARA CTE RS :
by extraordinary exe rtions reaches his goal
soone r than if he had been earl ie r on the road,
I will follow your advice and court this m a n .
I have been asleep too long. I wi ll corre ct my
slowness with my speed ; and as you say he
approve s my ve rses,I Shall trave l not with
a com m on carriage,but with a four-in-hand of
poe try.
’
[No . 2 78]
E was born with violent passions and quick
sensibil ities : but the strength o f his em o
tions was not suspected by the world . From
the multitude his joy and his grie f,his affection
and his resentment, we re hidden by a phlegm atic
serenity,which made him pass for the most cold
blooded o f mankind . Those who brought him
good news could se ldom de te ct any Sign o f
pleasure . Those who saw him afte r a defeat
looked in vain fo r any trace o f vexation . He
praised and reprimanded, rewarded and punished,with the stern tranquill ity o f a Mohawk chie f ; but
those who knew him we l l and saw him near
were aware that under al l this ice a fierce fire
wa s constantly burning. I t was se ldom that anger
WILLIAM I I I . 1 49
pro pera nt, euenit,
ut propera ndo e tiam citius
e o quo ue lint peruen ia nt quam S i m a turius pro
fecti essent ; sic ego te suadente quoniam in
isto homine co lendo tam indo rm iui diu, cursu
co rrigam ta rdita tem , et quoniam scrib is poema
ab eo nostrum laudari,non iam equis, ut a iunt
,
sed po eticis qua drigis
G. G. R .
Cf. Cic. a d Q . Fra t. i i . 1 5, 5 3 .
ATVRA quidem flagra ntio r et a ffectibus
prom ptio r, ta m en cines a rdo rem ingeni i
cela b a t. N e populo laetitia luctus studium o ffensio
no tesceret,o b tentui e rat frons fix a et com posita
,
qua fretus tamquam rigidi Si quis alius an im i
a geb a t. Prospera eten im nuntia ntibus nullum
ga udii signum ,irritique a egritudinem e x plo ra re
qui uicto a dera nt. S iue quem laude et pra em iis
seu questu po enisque digna retur, uultus c i ut
S a rm a ta rum cuidam regulo quie tus ac seuerus
dura b a t. N ecessa rii autem quibuscum uiueb a t
gn a ri era nt hoc rigore uel a cerrim um feruo rem
tegi . Non sa epe im po tens ira rue re, quando
autem e x a rsera t,im pe tu m etuendus ; nec quo
tiens id, sed raro, a ccidera t, tutus ad eum aditus.
1 56 CHARA CTE RS :
deprived him o f power over himse lf, but when he
was re a l ly enraged the first outbreak o f his passion
was terrible . I t was indeed scarce ly safe to
a pproach him . On the se rare occasions,howeve r
,
as soon as he had regained his se lf-com m and, he
made such ample reparation to those whom he
had wronged as tem pted them to wish that he
would go into a fury again . H is aff e ction was as
impe tuous a s his wrath . Whe re he loved,he
loved with the whole ene rgy o f his strong mind .
When death separated him from what he loved,the few who witnessed his agonies trem bled for
his reason and h is l ife . To a ve ry small circle of
intimate friends,on whose fide l ity and secrecy he
cou ld absolute ly depend,he was a diff erent man
from the reserved and stoical William whom the
m ultitude supposed to b e destitute o f human
fee lings .
Ma ca ulay .
N his private life , he was severe , morose ,inexorable, banishing al l the softer affe ctions
as natural enemie s to justice a nd as sugge sting
false motives o f acting from favour, clemency and
compassion . In public affairs he wa s the same ;
1 52 CHARA CTE RS
he had but o ne rule o f pol icy- to adhe re to what
was right,without regard to tim es o r circum stance s
o r even to a force that could control him : for
instead of managing the power o f the great so a s
to mitigate the il l o r extract any good from it, he
was urging it always to acts o f violence by
a perpe tual defiance ; so that with the best
intentions in the world he often did great harm
to the republic . This wa s his general behaviour
yet from som e particula r facts explained above i t
appears that his strength o f m ind was not always
impregnable, but had its weak place s of pride ,ambition and party zeal
,which
,when encouraged
and flattered to a certain point,would be tray him
some time s into measures contrary to his ordinary
rule o f right and truth . The last act o f his l ife
wa s agreeable to his nature and philosophy.
When he could no longe r b e what he had been,
and when the i lls o f l ife overbalanced the good
(which by the principle s o f his sect was a just
cause for dying), he put an end to his life with
a spirit and resolution which would m ake o ne
im agine that he was glad to have found an
occasion o f dying in his prope r character. On
the whole , his l ife was rather admirable than
amiable, fit to b e praised rathe r than im itated .
M . P ORCH/S CA TO . 1 53
co ntem pto r ; idem si in pub licis rebus uer
sa retur, nihil nisi quod rectum esse t specta re , eo
omnia re ferre ; ita temporum incurio sus,ut ne
po tentio rum quidem rationem habe re t : quorum
a ucto rita tem cum ita temperare posse t, ut ue l
pro dessent rei publicae, ue l ce rte minus no cerent,obstando sempe r in superb ia m uio lentia m que
a geb a t; ita utquam uis inseruire rei publicae uellet,
gra uissim o earn damno plerum que a fficeret. Ho c
fe re ingenio pra editus erat : is ta m en cuius
egregios mores posse t no nnum qua m e x pugna re ,
ut ante dix im us,superbia, studium,
nimia in
ho no ribus ca pessendis cupidita s ; quibus qu i
tem pestiuo obsequio uterentur, im pulere interdum
ut quaedam contra rectum uerum que a geret.
Finem uita e neque ingenio neque philo so phia e
a lienum habuit ; cum enim qua lis fuera t, diutius
esse no n posse t,causam a deptus m o riendi, quod
S to ico rum quidem iudicio fe licita tis minus quam
m iseria rum esse t, mortem sibi co nsciuit, ita forti
anim o et o b stina to ut lib enter o cca sio nem n a ctus
uideretur qua ut Ca to n em deceret m o reretur.
Ce te rum fa cilius a dm ira tus eum fueris quam
dile x eris laudes quam im itere .
1 54 CHA RA CTE RS
N Walpole ’s day the E nglish clergy were the
idlest and the m ost life less in the world . I n
o ur own tim e no body o f re ligious ministers
surpasses them in pie ty, in philanthropic ene rgy,o r in popular regard . But the movement was far
from be ing limited to the Me thodists o r the clergy.
Fn the nation at large appeared a n ew moral
enthusiasm ,which, rigid and pedantic as i t Often
se em ed,was still healthy in its social tone, and
whose powe r showed itse lf in a gradual disappear
ance o f the profliga cy which had disgraced the
upper classes, and the foulness which had infested
literature eve r Since the R estoration . A ye t nobler
result o f the re ligious revival wa s the steady
attem pt,which has neve r ceased from that day to
this,to rem edy the guilt, the ignorance
,the
physical su ffe ring, the social degradation o f the
pro fliga te and the poor . I t was n o t til l the
Wesleyan impulse had done its work that this
philanthropic impulse began . The Sunday schools
e stablished by Mr. R aike s o f G l oucester, at the
close o f the century, were the beginnings o f
popular education . Bywritings, and by her own
pe rsonal example,Hannah More drew the
sympathy of E ngland to the pove rty and crim e o f
the agricultural labourer. A passionate im pulse
of human sympathy with the wronged and afflicted
1 56 CHARA CTE RS .
raised hospitals, endowed charitie s, built churche s,sent m issionarie s to the heathen, supported Burke
in his plea for the H indoos, and C larkson and
Wilberforce in the ir crusade against the iniquity
o f the slave trade .
I . R . Green .
L EXANDE R rose early ; the first moments
of the day Were conse crated to private
devotion,and his domestic chape l wa s filled
with the images o f those heroes, who, by im
proving o r re forming human life, had deserved
the grateful reve rence of posterity . But,a s he
deemed the service of ma nkind the most acceptable
worship o f the gods, the greatest part o f his
morning hours was em ployed in his council,
Where he discussed public aff airs,and de te rmined
private causes,with a pa tiencd and discre tion
above his years . The dryness o f business wa s
re l ieved by the charms o f l i terature ; and a portion
of time was always set apart for his favourite
studies of poe try, history, and philosophy. The
ALE XANDE R SE VE RUS.
proni essent. E x a rsit am or incita tus et in iuria
la eso rum et co rpo ribus deb ilium ,quippe qui ipsi
homine s essent: dom us e x strui a egro rum sede s
pecunia e co nferri m isero rum so la m in a , fana aedi
fica ri : ad barbaros em itti qui Christi doctrina
instituerent : Burcius pro Indis co ntio na‘
bundus,
Cla rso nus et Vilb erfo rcius uo cifera ti contra ser
uo rum commercia cum pla usibus e x cipi.
R IMA luce e thalamo A lexander, quasi
cum sole e x o rtus, se deo rum o b serua ntia e
dabat immo apud se in po rticu qua da m
simulacra corum uiro rum qui uel com m o da ue l
noua uirtutis exem pla e x hib endo ce teris pro fuera nt
et digni qui summ a gratia co lerentur uisi era nt,
.plurim a po suera t. Cum nero hom inum commodis
inseruiendo deos optime col i a rb itra retur, quod
tem po ris a ntem eridia ni superera t, id in consilium
cum suis ca piendum insum eb a t,et ca usis cum
pub liciS'
tum priua tis seca ndis, m ira et m a turio re
quam pro a eta te patientia et prudentia,operam
dabat . L ittera rum e tiam studiis rerum molestias
leua b a t, tempore a liqua ntulo iis,quibus ipse
fa ueb a t, po eta rum scil ice t
,et histo rico rum et
1 58 CHARA CTE RS
works of Virgil and Horace,the republics of Plato
‘and C icero, formed his taste , enlarged his unde r
standing,and gave him the noblest ideas o f man
and governm ent . The exercises of the body
succe eded to tho se of the m ind ; and A lexande r,who wa s tall, active , and robust, surpassed most
o f his equals in the gymnastic arts . H is table
was se rved with the m ost frugal simplicity ; and
wheneve r he was at libe rty to consult his own
inclination,the com pany consisted of a few se lect
friends,m en of learning and virtue
,amongst whom
U lpian was constantly invited .
[No . 306] Gibbon .
O the re ligion o f his country,he o ff ered, in
the me re wantonn e ss o f im pie ty, insults too
foul to b e de scribe d . His mendacity and his
e ffrontery passed into proverbs . Of all the l iars
of his time he was the most de l iberate , the most
inventive,and the most circumsta ntial . What
Shame meant he did not seem to understand . No
reproaches, even when pointed and barbed with
the sharpest wit,appeared to give him pain .
Great satirists,anim ated by deadly personal
1 60 CHARA CTE RS
ave rsion, exhausted all the ir strength in attacks
upon him . They assailed him with keen inve ctive
they assailed him with stil l keener irony : bu t they
found that ne ithe r invective nor irony could move
him to a nything but an unforced smile,and a good
hum oured curse ; and they at length threw down
the lash, acknowledging that it wa s impossible to
m ake him fee l . That with such vices he Should
have played a great part in l ife,should have carried
nume rous e le ctions against the m ost form idable
opposition by his personal popularity, Should have
had a large fol lowing in Parl iam ent, should have
risen to the highest offi ces in the state , seems
extraordinary. But he l ive d in tim es when faction
was almost a m adness ; and he possessed in an
eminent degre e the qual ities o f the leader of
a faction .
[F C. 52 8 ]
E E ING,then, that he has no pe rsonal attrae
tions,I may free ly say
,that in all m y
acquaintance, which is ve ry large , I neve r knew
any o ne who was his equal in natural gifts : for
he has a quickness of apprehension which is alm ost
AN A THE N IAN YOUTH . 1 6 1
satira a cerrinii priua tis insuper odus uehem ehtis
sime a ccensi ; iuua b a t omnes ingenii fa culta tes
comparare, iuua b a t hominem a cerb is co nuiciis
aperte insecta ri, ca uilla tio ne uel a cerb io re oblique
perstringere ; haec autem omnia cum nihil illum
moue re pOSsent quominus risu minim e a rcessito
excepta in m alam rem abire animi causa iub eret,tandem uelut omisso fla gello uerb era inca ssum
e ffusa esse confessi sunt . Mirum sane dictu qu i
tantis uitiis cum ula tus e sse t eum uiri principis
semper personam sustinuisse, com itiis tot gra uis
simos com petito res per fa uo rem populi uicisse, fac
tio nem ha udqua quam co ntem nenda m sibi in sena tu
conciliasse,honore s in re publica a m plissim o s con
secutum esse . Atqui cum in illa tempora incidisset
quibus pa rtium studia usque ad a m entia m progre ssa
era nt,“ tum ipse na tura atque ingenio ductor erat
pa rtium germ a nissim us.
H . B .
IC cum nul la parte corporis formosus S it, non
uereo r dicere m e e x omnibus fa m ilia ribus
m e is— sunt autem perm ulti—pari ingenio alterum
nosse nem inem inest enim uelo x et paem’
e
singu la ris cognitio rerum,estque hum a nissim us
,
M
1 62 CHARA CTE RS
unrivalled,and he is remarkably gentle, and also
the m ost courageous of m en ; there is a un ion of
qual ities in him such a s I have never seen in any
othe r,and should scarce ly have thought that
the combination wa s possible for those who, l ike
him,have quick and ready and re tentive wits, have
generally also quick tempers ; they . a re ships
without bal last, which go darting abo ut, and a re
mad rather than courageous ; and the steadie r
sort,where they have to face study, a re stupid and
cannot remembe r. Whereas he moves sure ly
a nd smoothly and successful ly in the path of
knowledge a nd enquiry ; and he is ful l o f gentle
ness, and always making progre ss, l ike the noise
less flowo f a river o f o il ; at his age, it is
wonderful .
jowett’s Thea etetus .
HE m en o f the e ighteenth century knew little
o f that sort o f passion for comfort which is
the mother o f se rvitude—a re laxing passion,though it b e tenacious and unalterable, which
mingles and inte rtwines itse lf with m any private
virtues, such as domestic aff ections, regularity o f
l ife, respect for re l igion, which favours proprie ty
1 64 CHARACTE RS :
but proscribes heroism,and which exce ls in
making decent live rs but base citizens . The
m en o f the e ighteenth century were be tte r and
they were worse . The French of that a ge were
addicted to joy and passionate ly fond o f amuse
ment they were perhaps more lax in the ir habits,and more vehement in the ir passions and opinions
than those o f the present day, but they were
strangers to the temperate and decorous sen
sua lism that we see about us . I n the uppe r
classes m en thought more of adorning life than of
rende ring it comfortable ; they sought to b e il lus
trio us rather than to b e rich . E ven in the middle
ranks the pursuit o f com fort neve r absorbed eve ry
faculty o f the mind ; that pursuit was often aban
do ned for highe r and m ore refined enjoyments ;eve ry man placed some object beyond the love of
money before his eyes . I know my countrymen,
’
said a contem porary writer, in language which,though eccentric
,is spirited : ‘ apt to me l t and
dissipate the me tals, they a re not prone to pay
them habitual reverence, and they will not b e
slow to turn again to the ir former idols,to valour
,
to glory,and
,I will add
,to magnanimity.
’
[F C. 343]
M E N OF THE E IGHTE E N TH CE N TURY. 1 65
carum pon im usquae dom estica e ha b entur implicata
et perm ix ta est,quae animi m odera tio nem foue t
m agnitudinem e x term ina t,denique quae ciuium
priua tim ho nesto rum publice turpium progeniem
suppedita tuberrim a m . His autem illo s etm elio res
dix eris etpe io res. Gal li quidem illo rum tem porum
cum in gaudia e ffusi o b lecta m enta m irum quantum
in deliciis ha b erent,ut m o ribus nescio an usi sint
so lutio ribus utque omnia his qui nunc sunt im
pensius cupere omnia im pensius sentire so leb a nt,
i ta ab hoc studio uo lupta tum sobrio, ut ita dica m ,
ac temperato plane a bho rreb a nt. N o b ilita s uero
magis studeb a t uita m e x o rna re quam o tio sa m
reddere,a ntiquio rque ei fuit gloria quam diuitia e ;
atque e tiam tenuio res tantum a fuit ut otium tota
mente co nsecta rentur,
ut sa epe in uo lupta tes
hum a n io res relictis so rdibus incum b erent, et Sibi
quisque al iquid lucro pulcrius propo nerent. Audi
amus Si place t quem dam e iusdem a eta tis scripto rem
si inusita tius at satis neruo se lo quentem . Noui
populares meos,
’
inquit,‘ quos metal la quae to tiens
lique fa cere et dissipare so lea nt piget nim is con
sta nter adorasse nec multa b erele m ora erit quin
ad illa reuerta ntur quae olim in loco num inum
ha b eb a nt, fo rtitudinem glo ria m que a nim ique, hoc
andeo dicere,a ltitudinem .
’
H . B .
1 66 CHARA CTE RS :
S we familiarize ourse lve s with the de tails o f
this episode , there appears less and less
plausibili ty in the often iterated declamation
against Goe the o n the charge o f his having ‘ sacri
ficed his genius to the Court. ’ I t becomes indeed
a singularly foolish display o f rhe toric . L et us
for a moment conside r the charge . He had to
choose a caree r. That o f poet was then, a s i t is
still, te rribly de lusive verses could create fame,but no money f a m a and f a m es were then, as now,in terrible contiguity. No soone r is the nece ssity
fo r a caree r admitted than much obj ection falls to
the ground ; for those who reproach him with
having wasted his time o n court festivities and the
dutie s o f government, which others could have
done as we ll, must a sk whe the r he would have
saved that time had he followed the career o f
j urisprudence , and jostled lawyers through the
courts at Frankfort ? Or would they prefer
see ing him reduced to the condition o f poor
Schille r, wasting so much o f his precious life in
literary ‘ hackwork’,translating French books for
a mise rable pittan ce ? Tim e,in any ca se, wo uld
have been claimed ; in re turn for that given to
Karl August, he re ce ived, as he confesses in the
poem addre ssed to the Duke ,‘ what the great
se ldom bestow— affection,le isure , confidence ,
1 68 ORA TORICAL
garden, and house . No o ne have I had to thank
but him and much have I wanted, who as a poe t
il l understood the arts of gain . I f E urope praised
m e,what has E urope done for m e ? Nothing .
E ven my works have been an expense to m e .
’
[No . Lewes.
HAT is there , then, ye will say to m e,in
this third ordinance which thou so m is
likest I will answer you in fewwords . I mislike
the changing o f the laws of o ur fathe rs, specially
when these laws have respect to the worship o f
the gods . Many things,I know
, a re orde red
wise ly for o ne generation, which notwithstanding,a re by another gene ration no less wise ly ordered
otherwise . There is room in hum an affairs for
change,there is room also for unchangeablene ss .
And whe re sha l l we seek for that which is un
changeable,but in those great laws which a re the
very foundation o f the commonwealth ; most o f
all in those which,having to do with the immortal
gods, should b e also themse lves immortal .’
Dr. A rno ld.
SPE E CH OF S . CORN E L . MAL UGI N E N S I S . 1 69
quae raro dare principes uidem us,
a m o rem ,otia
,cum fide Penates :
huic soli hu ic mihi gratia est habenda .
nam ua tes egui inscius lucra ndi
toto si legor orbe , nil dat orbis ;ipsi imp ensa fue re mi libe ll i .
A . H . C.
VIDNAM in hac tertia roga tio ne insit si
uelint sciscita ri, quod ipse tantum im pro
b a uerit paucis respo nsurum . Displicere Sibi ut
m a io rum instituta, e a pra ecipue quae ad deo rum
im m o rta lium cultum spectent, im m utentur. Multa
satis scire aliter a liis tem poribus instituta esse
quae tam em nullo tempore inco nsultius ordi
n entur. Quod si in rebus hum a nis sint quae
m utari, esse e tiam quae stare ac manere opo rte a t.
E cqua autem in re stabile esse quicquam e x pedire ,
S i non in illis legibus quibus summ a res publica
innita tur ? atque in iis ante al ias quae,cum ad
deos im m o rta les pertinea nt, eiusdem im m o rtalita tis
esse quodam modo participes deb ea nt.
E . W. B .
1 70 RE FLE CTIVE
HE R E is nothing that more betrays a base
ungenerous spiri t than the giving of secre t
stabs to a man ’s reputation . Lampoons and
satires, that a re written with wit and spirit, a re
l ike poisoned darts, which no t only infl ict a wound,but make i t incurable . Fo r this reason I am
very much troubled when I see the talents o f
hum our and ridicule in the possession of a n il l
natured man . There cannot b e a greate r gra tifica
t ion to a barbarous and inhuman wit than to stir
up sorrow in the heart o f a private pe rson, to
raise uneasiness among near re lations, and to
expose who le families to de rision , at the same
time that he remains unseen and undiscovered .
I f; be sides the accomplishments o f be ing witty
and i ll-natured,a man is vicious into the bargain,
he is o ne o f the most mischievous creature s that
can ente r into a civi l socie ty. His satire wil l
then chiefly fall upon those who ought to b e the
most exempt from it . V i rtue,me rit, and every
thing that is praiseworthy,will b e made the subje ct
o f ridicule and buffoone ry.
[No . 386 ] Addison .
1 7 1 LITE RAR Y :
Y what ha s been said o f the manners, it will
b e easy for a reasonable man to judge ,whe ther the characters b e truly o r false ly drawn
in a tragedy : for if there b e no manne rs appear
ing in the characters, no concernment for the
persons can b e raised, no pity o r honour can b e
moved but by vice or virtue ; there fore without
them, no pe rson can have any business in the
play. I f the inclinations b e obscure , i t is a sign
the poe t is in the dark,and knows not what
manner of man he presents to you ; and con
sequently you can have no idea, o r ve ry imperfect,o f that man, nor can judge what re solutions he
ought to take, o r what words o r actions a re proper
for him . Most comedies,made up o f accidents o r
adventures, a re l iable to fall into this error, and
tragedies with many turns a re subje ct to it ; . for
the manners can neve r b e evident .whe re the sur
prises o f fortune ta ke up all the business o f the
stage,and where the poe t is more in pain to te l l
yo u what happened to such a' man than what he
was . I t is o ne o f the exce llencies o f Shakespeare
that the manners o f his pe rsons a re generally
apparent, and you se e the ir bent and inclination .
[N o . Diyden .
THE DRAMA . 1 73
RVDENTI igitur in prom ptu crit, si re cte
de m o ribus disputa uim us,personas trago edia e
iudicare num ad uerita tem sint a ccom m oda ta e .
Nisi enim mores distinguuntur, nihil est cur
a nim um quis perso nis a duerta t. Neque enim ad
terrorem neque in misericordiam com m o uem ur
nisi uitiis ac uirtutibus ; quae Si a b sunt, frustra
prodeunt personae . E tenim simores male demon
stra ntur, uix intellegit sane poe ta qua lis sit i lle
quem o stenda t: quod ubi fit,ingenium personae
aut obscure . a specta ntibus com prenditur aut
om nino igno ra tur, ut neque quid talis deb ea t
co nsulere . scia m us,neque quid e a m indo lem
dece a t agere uel dicere . In quem erro rem
incidunt plerum que com o edia e, quae in ca sibus ac
periculis uersa ntur, et quaedam e tiam tra go edia e,
si ua riis fo rtunis res geritur. Nam necesse est
more s neglega ntur, cum id agit poe ta ut res gestas
a dm irem ur,et plus in eo la b o ra t ut quid e x pertus
S it . quidam discam us,quam quali fuerit ingenio .
I n quo genere pra esta t i lle noster, quia more s in
lucem ita profert ut natura personarum indo lesque
intellega ntur.
A . S .
1 74 RE FLE CTIVE :
OW i f Nature should inte rm it her course
a nd leave altoge ther, though it were only
for a while, the obse rvation o f her own laws ; if
those principal and mothe r e lements o f the world,whereof all things in this lower world a re made ,Should lose the qualit ies which now they have ;if the frame of that heavenly arch e re cted over
o ur heads should loosen and dissolve itse l f ; if
ce lestial spheres should forge t the ir wonted
m otion,and by irregular volubil ity turn them
se lves any way as it m ight happen if the prince
o f the l ights o f heaven, which now as a giant doth
run his unwearied course,should a s i t we re
through a languishing faintness begin to stand and
to re st him se lf ; if the moon should wander from
her beaten way ; the tim e s and seasons of the
year blend them se lve s by disorde red and confused
m ixture ; the winds breathe o ut the ir last gasp ,the clouds yie ld no rain
,and the earth b e defeated
by heavenly influence ; the fruits of the earth
pine away a s children at the withered breasts
of the ir mothe r, no longe r able to give them
relief : what would become o f m a n himse lf,whom these things now do all serve ? S ee we
not plainly that the obedience o f creature s to the
law of nature is the stay of the whole world
[No .
I 76 DE SCRIP TIVE :
S E E,
’ cries m y friend,‘ that you a re for a
speedy adm inistration of justice ; but all the
world will grant, that the more time there is
taken up in considering any subj ect, the be tter
will it b e unde rstood . Besides,i t is the boast o f
an E nglishman,that his property is secure
,and all
the world will gra nt that a de liberate administration
o f justice i s the best way to secure his property .
Why have we so many lawyers,but to secure o ur
prope rty Why so many formal ities, but to secure
our property ? Not less than o ne hundred thou
sand families l ive in opulence mere ly by se curing
our property.
’ ‘ But bless m e,
’ re turned I ,‘what numbers do I see here— all in black—how
is it possible that half this m ultitude find employ
ment ? ’ ‘ Nothing so e asily conce ived,’ re turned
m y com panion,‘ they live by watching each other .
For instance, the catch-pole watches the m a n in
debt,the attorney watches the catch-pole, the
counse llor watches the attorney, the solicitor the
counse l lor,and all find suffi cient employment .
’
‘ 1 conce ive you,
’ inte rrupted I ,‘ they watch each
othe r : but i t is the client that pays them all for
watching .
’
[N o . 359 ] Go ldsm ith .
THE L E GA L PROFE SSION . 1 7 7
Lentulus Moras o disti,’
inquit,‘ in omni
causa iudicum sententias citius reddenda s
esse putas . Ve rum constat,
ut reo r, rem
qua lem cunque quo diutius, eo me l ius ex am ina ri
etenim R omani est, omnia R om a no rum bona in
tuto esse dictita re . E stne qui neget, nusquam
m e l ius bona in tuto co llo ca ri quam ubi lentus
iudicio rum processus Sit,lenta a dm inistra tio ?
Q uo rsum , nisi ad bona nostra co nserua nda , tot
causidici ? quo rsum tot in legibus enuntia ndis
mysteria ? Immo innumeri homines rem no stram
nobis co nfirm a ndo lo cupleta ntur.
’ ‘At mehercle,
’
respondi, quot et qua les a dsta re uideo , a tra tio res
quam tristio res ! po testne fieri ut uel dim idia
ta nta e m ultitudinis pars qua estum face re po ssit
Facile inte lle x eris,’
inquit‘ alter alterum
o b serua ndo uictum habe t ; recipera to r scil ice t
deb ito rem o b serua t, a duo ca tus recipera to rem ,
co nsultus a duo ca tum , prae tor denique co nsultum
ita unusquisque ido neum uictum,ne dica m o pulen
tiam,a dipiscitur.
’ ‘ R em ,
’
inqua m ,
‘manifestam
fecisti ; cornix co rn icis o culo s co nfigit, causi
dicus ca usidicum o b serua t,et lo cupleta tur. At
sum ptu co nsulto ris inconsultissim i hoc fit ; qui,quos pa tibulo suspendere deb eb a t, iis pecunia m
pendit .’
E . D . A . M .
1 7 8 RE FLE CTIVE :
T is noble to b e capable of resigning entire ly
one ’s own portion o f happiness,or chances
o f i t : but after al l this se lf-sa crifice must b e
for some end ; i t is not its own end ; and if we
a re told that its end is not happiness,but virtue
which is be tte r than happiness,I ask
,Would the
sacrifice b e made i f the hero o r martyr did not
be l ieve that i t would earn for others immunity
from similar sacrifices Would it b e made if he
thought that his renunciation o f happiness for
himse lf would produce no fruit for a ny o f his
fe l low-creatures but to make the ir lot l ike his, and
place them also in the condition o f pe rsons who
have renounced happiness ? All honour to those
who can abnegate for themse lves the personal
enjoyment o f l ife, when by such renunciation
they contribute worthily to increase the amount
o f happiness in the world but he who does it, o r
profe sses to do it, fo r any othe r purpose, is no
more dese rving of admiration than the asce tic
mounted o n his pillar. He m ay b e an inspiring
proof o f what m en can do,but assuredly is not
an example o f what they Should .
[N o .
1 80 RE FLE CTIVE :
HAT do we look for in studying the history
of a past a ge I s it to learn the political
transactions and characters o f the leading publ ic
m en ? I s it to make ourse lves acquainted with
the l ife and be ing o f the t ime ? I f we set o ut
with the former grave purpose, where is the
truth,and who be l ieve s that he has it entire ?
As we read in the se de lightful volumes of the
Spectator, the past a ge re turns, the England of
o ur ancestors is revivified. The May-pole rise s
in the Strand again in London, the churches a re
thronged with daily worshippe rs, the beaux a re
gathering in the coffee -house s,the gentry a re
going to the drawing-room ,the ladies a re throng
ing to the toy-Shops, the chairmen a re jostling in
the stree ts, the footmen a re running with l inks
be fore the chariots o r fighting round the theatre .
I say the fiction carrie s a greater amount o f truth
in solution than the volume which purports to b e
al l true . Out o f the fictitious book I get the
expression o f the l i fe o f the time o f the m anners,
o f the movement, the dress, the pleasures, the
laughter,the ridicule o f socie ty- the o ld time s
l ive again,and I trave l in the o ld country of
E ngland .
[N o . 393] Tha cberay .
FICTION M'ORE TRUE THAN HISTORY. 1 8 1
T, qua eso , quo consilio nobis est a ntiquita s
cogno scenda ? Vtrum ut quid fecerint niri
principe s,quo modo se in re publica gesserint,
e x quira m us : an potins ut saecula ipsa antiqua,a ntiquo s ipsos pe rno sca m us uiro s ? Quod si
gra uius illud nobis propositum in anim o est, quis
est qui se om nia,ut re uera era nt
,ue l inuestiga re
posse,uel com ple cti anim o a rb itretur ? At librum
illum iucundissim um,cui S pecta to ri inditum est
nom en, perlegentib us, pra eterita i lla omnia redire,
atque antiqua il la Anglia quasi sub o culis reuiuis
ce re uidetur. Tum uero festa il la L o ndinii in
uiis attoll i arbor, turn a piis ite rum celeb ra ri
tem pla,ab e lega ntibus tabernae : hic ad regiam
cernas sa luta tum propera re nobiles, illic em ptum
crepundia m ulieres : hic in uiis obstante s a lec
tica riis sum m oueri,illic pedisequo s ue l pra ecedere
cum funa libus ca rpenta , ue l circum the a tra inte r
se rix a ri. I n ta libus pro fecto fa b ulis plus m era e
uerita tis quam in ueris istis a nna libus co ntinetur
in iis cernere omnia et quasi praesentia intueri
uideo r : quo modo se tum gesserint homines, quid
fe cerint, qua ueste fuerint, quibus deliciis : quid
risui ha buerint, quid ludibrio : resurgunt m ihi
i te rum ipsa antiqua tempora, atque per prisca m
illa m Anglia m peregrin a ri uideo r.
G. G. R .
1 82 RE FLE CTIVE
H E R E a re wonders in true affection ; i t is
a body of enigm as,m ysterie s
,and riddles
,
whe re in two so be come o ne as they both become
two ; I love my friend before myse lf! and yet
me thinks, I do not love him enough . Som e few
m onths hence, my multipl ied affe ction wil l make
m e be l ieve I have no t loved him at all . When
I am from him,I am dead till I b e with him ;
when I a m with him ,I am not satisfied, but would
stil l b e nearer him . United souls a re not satisfied
with embraces, but desire to b e truly each othe r,which be ing impossible
,these desire s a re infinite,
and must proceed without a possibility o f satis
faction . Anothe r m isery there i s in affe ction, that
whom we truly love l ike o ur own se lve s,we forge t
the ir looks,nor can o ur memory re tain the idea
o f the ir face s ; and it is no wonder, for they a re
ourse lves, and o ur affections make the ir looks o ur
own . This noble affe ction falls not o n vulgar and
comm on constitutions,but o n such as a re marked
for virtue . He that can love his friend with this
noble ardour wil l,in a compe tent degree, aff e ct
all .
[No . 338] S ir Tnom a s B rowne.
1 84 RE FLE CTIVE
LL things about us do ministe r (o r at least
m ay do so , ifwe would improve the natural
instrum ents and the opportunities afforded us) to
o ur preservation, ease o r de l ight . The hidden
bowe ls o f the earth yie ld us treasures o f me tals
and mine rals the vile st and most common stone s
we tread o n (even in that we tread o n them ) a re
useful, and se rve to many good purposes beside
the surface o f the earth how it is bespread all over,a s a table we l l furnished, with varie ty o f de l icate
fruits,herbs and grains to nourish o ur bodies, to
ple ase o ur tastes, to cheer o ur Spirits, to cure o ur
diseases ! How many fragrant and beautiful
flowers offe r them se lve s for the comfort o f o ur
sm e l l and the de l ight of o ur sight ! Ne ithe r can
o ur ears com plain, Since eve ry wood breeds a quire
o f natural musicians, ready to ente rtain them with
easy and unaffe cted harmony : the woods, I say,which a lso adorned with state ly tre es aff ord us
a pleasant view and a refreshing Shade, she l te r
from weathe r and sun, fue l for o ur fire s, materials
fo r o ur houses and o ur shipping, with dive rs othe r
needful utensils.
[F. C. No . 2 2 2 ] I. B a rrow.
B OUN TIFULN E SS OF N A TURE .
NSE RV IVNT om nia uel certo inseruire po ssunt,si modo instrum entis iis atque o pportunita tibus
quas natura fe rt recte uti uo lum us,co nserua tio ni
no stra e, o tio
,uo lupta ti. E x a b sco nditis te rrae
ca uernis e ff o ditur aurum cetero rum que m eta llo rum
copia : im mo uilissim i quos ubique co nculca m us
lapide s ue l o b ea m ipsam rem nobis usui sun t,et m ulto s porro utilita tis fructus pra eb ent. Adde
huc terra m uniuersa m mensae in modum la utis
sim a e a bunda ntem incredibil i fructuum iucundo rum
ua rieta te,herb a rum ,
frum ento rum,quae corpora
nostra sustentent,gustus o b lectent
,reficia nta nim o s
,
a egro ta ntibus medicinam a ffera nt. Quae ucro et
quam ua ria genera flo rum fra gra ntium pulcherri
m o rum que, qui cum o do ra tu tum a spectu sensus
no stro s delecta nt l Neque minus pro fecto aurium
uo lupta ti co nsultum qua rum ad delecta tio nem
sim plicem qua m da m ea m que iucundissim am musi
corum sym pho n ia ni natura ipsa in Siluis com
pa ra uerit. I a m uero silua e ipsa e a rb o rib us pro ceris
e x o rna ta e specta culum o tio sis pra eb ent, um b ra m
fa tiga tis, ab im b re perfugium et a sole ; e a edem
nero lignum ignibus suffi ciunt,domos uel n a ues
a edifica ntibus m a teria m , et multa al ia ad uictum et
ad uitam ne ce ssaria .
E . C. l/V.
1 86 RE FLE CTIVE :
HOUGH I a m always serious, I do not know
what it is to b e m e lancholy,and can the re fore
take a view of Nature in her deep and solemn
scenes with the same pleasure as in her most
gay and de l ightful ones . By this means I can
improve myse lf with those objects which others
consider with terror When I look upon the
tombs of the great, eve ry emotion of envy dies
in m e when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful,every inordinate desire goes out ; when I mee t
with the grie f o f parents upon a tom bstone , m yheart me lts with compassion : when I see the
tomb of the parents themse lves, I consider the
vanity of grieving for those whom we m ust quickly
follow : when I se e kings lying by those who
deposed them,when I conside r rival wits placed
side by side, o r the holy m en that divided the
world wi th the ir contests and disputes, I reflect
with sorrow and astonishment on the l ittle com pe t i
tions, factions and debates o f mankind . When
I read the several date s o f the tom bs, of some
that died yesterday, and some S ix hundred years
ago, I consider that great day when we shal l al l
o f us b e contemporaries,and make our appearance
toge ther .
[F. C. 2 47 ] S . Addison .
1 88 RE FLE CTIVE
T is the same with m e in pol itics . I n general
I care ve ry little about the matte r,and
from year’s end to year’s end have scarce a
thought connected with them , except to laugh at
the fools who think to make themse lves great
m en o ut of little by swaggering in the rear of a
party. But e ither actually important events,or
such as seemed so by the ir close ne ighbourhood
to m e, have always hurried m e o ff m y fee t, and
made m e, a s I have som e tim es afte rwards re
gretted, more forward and violent than those who
had a regular j og-trot way o f busying them se lve s
in public matters . Good luck ; for had I l ived in
troublesome t imes,and chanced to b e o n the
unhappy Side , I had been hanged to a certainty.
What I have always remarked has be en that
many who have hallooed m e on at publ ic m ee tings,
and so forth, have quie tly le ft m e to the odium
which a man known to the public always has
more than his own share o f ; while on the othe r
hand they were easily successful in pressing be fore
m e,who never pressed forward at al l, when there
was a distribution of public favours o r the l ike .
DAHOE RS OF TH E P OL ITICIA N . 1 89
E Q VE alite r de rei publicae co ntentio nibus
sentio ; to ta m enim istam rem plerum que
non n a uci h a b eo,neque o m nino de ea nisi
longis tem porum interua llis cogitare soleo immo
stultissim o s isto s derideo qui se magnos e x
pusillis e fficere uo lunt, dum sese ia cta nt et e x
trem um agmen pa rtium sua rum cla udunt. Quo
tiens tamem incidit al iquid uel re uera magnum,
uel quod ita mihi uidea tur,quia m e proxim e
tangit,tum uero in lubrico uerso r
,neque queo
consistere,et sero non num qua m m e pa enitet
quod inso lentio r e x stiti et a rdentio r quam ii qu i
uno tenore rem publ icam ca pessunt. 0 m e
hom inem felicem l N empe Si temporibus ciuita tis
turbulentis uix issem , a ccidissetque mihi ut parte s
ca la m ito so rum sequerer, certum h a b eo m e laqueo
fuisse periturum . I llud enim sempe r cogno ui, eo s
qui m e in co ntio ne uel in alio quoda m co etu
dicentem cla m o ribus suis inflam m a runt,postea
delituisse,ut ego solus inuidia de fungerer, cuius
incendio quisquis in o culis ciuium uersa tur semper
plus aequo co nfla gra t. Cum ta m en rei publicae
b en eficia uel al ia e ius modi com m o da in spe
essent,idem hom ines nul lo labore m e n e curren
tem quidem pra eterierunt.
j. S . R .
1 90 RE FLE CTIVE
HE R E is only o n e cure for the evils which
newly-acquired freedom produce s ; and that
cure is freedom . When a prisone r first leaves
his ce l l, he cannot bear the l ight o f day : he is
unable to discriminate colours o r recognize faces .
But the remedy is, not to remand him into his
dungeon, but to accustom him to the rays of the
sun . The blaze o f truth and l ibe rty may at first
dazzle and bewilde r nations which have become
half blind in the house o f bondage . But let them
gaze o n,and they will soon b e able to bear it . I n
a few years m en learn to reason . The extreme
violence o f opinions subsides . Hosti le theories
correct each other. The scattered e lements o f
truth cease to contend, and begin to coalesce .
And at length a system o f j ustice and order is
educed out of the chaos . Many pol iticians of o ur
t im e a re in the habit o f laying it down as a se lf
evident proposition,that no people ought to b e
free,til l they a re fit to use the ir freedom . The
maxim is worthy of the fool in the o ld story, who
resolved not to go into the water till he had learnt
to swim.
Ma ca ulay .
1 92 RE FLE CTIVE :
OFTE N consider mankind as wholly inco n
sistent with itse lf. Though we se em grieved
at the shortness o f l ife in gene ral, we a re wishing
eve ry period o f it at an end. The minor longs to
b e at a ge, then to b e a man o f business, then to
make up an e state , then to arrive at honours, then
to re tire . Thus,although the whole o f l ife is
al lowed by eve ry o ne to b e Short,the seve ral
divisions o f i t appear long and tedious . We a re
for lengthening o ur span in general, but would
fain contract the parts of which it is composed .
The usure r would b e very we l l satisfied to have al l
the time annihilated that lies be tween the present
moment and next quarter-day. The love r would
b e glad to strike o ut o f his existence all the
m om ents that a re to pass away before the happy
m ee ting . Thus, as fast as o ur time runs,we Should
b e very glad in most parts of o ur l ive s that it ran
much faster than it does . Several hours o f the
day hang upon o ur hands ; nay, we wish away
whole years ; and trave l through time as through
a country fi l led with m any wild and empty
wastes,which we would fain hurry over, that
we m ay arrive at those several l ittle se ttlements
o r imaginary points o f rest which a re dispersed
up and down in it.
[N o . 370] Specta tor.
H UMA N I N CON S I S TE N CV. 1 93
AE PE numero mihi cogitanti parum nobis ipsi
uidem ur homines constare , qu i uita m o m nino
b reuem e sse questi singula e ius quasi spatia finita
cupia m us. Gestit puer togam uirilem sumere ,m o x negotium gerere , de inde patrimonium con
dere,postea honore s ca pessere, postremo o tio frui .
T o ta m uita m b reuem esse fa tenturomne s singula e
p a rticula e lo nga e uidentur ta edium que a ff erunt
et curriculum ipsum quidem produce re,quibus
nero constat parte s co rripere cupim us. L ib enter
to lleret fa enera to r Spatium quo praesens tempus
a pro x im is Ka lendis sepa ra tur : n o n inuito peri
rent amatori quot horae ante pro x im um a m
plex um la psura e sunt . E rgo cum cito ruat uita
plerum que e tiam ce lerio rem m a lim us : tardant
co tidie al iquot horae,quin totos a nno s notis
to llim us perque uita m tamquam desertis terra m
ha ridisque squa lentem locis iter fa cim us,pro
p era ntes scilice t, quo celerius ad deuerso ria i lla
ac domicil ia qua e p a ssim sparsa fingim us animo
deuen iam us.
D . S . M .
1 94 LITE RARY :
ET speeches,’ says Voltaire ,
‘a re a sort o f
oratorical lie, which the historian used to
allow himse l f in o ld tim es . He used to m ake
his heroes say what they might have
At the present day these fictions a re no longe r
tolerated . I f o ne put into the mouth of a prince
a spee ch which he had never made,the historian
would b e regarded as a rhe torician .
’
How did it
happen that Thucydide s allowed him se l f this‘ oratorical lie
,
’ —Thucydides,whose strongest
characteristic is devotion to the truth, im patience
o f every inroad which fiction m akes into the
province o f history, laborious persistence in the
task o f separating fact from fable ; Thucydides,who wa s not constrained, l ike later writers o f the
o ld world,by an e stablished literary tradition ;
who had no Greek predecessors in the fie ld of
history, except those chroniclers whom he despised
precise ly be cause they sacrificed truth to e ffect ?
Thucydides might rathe r have been expe cted to
express himse lf o n this wise :‘ The chroniclers
have some time s pleased the ir hearers by report ing
the ve ry words spoken . But,as I could not give
the words,I have been content to give the sub
stance,when I could learn it . ’
[N o . 401 ] R . C.jebb .
1 96 RE FLE CTIVE
HOU Sayest, Men cannot adm ire the
sharpness of thy wits .” Be it so ; but
the re a re many other things of which thou canst
not say,
“ I am not formed for them by nature .
”
Show those qual ities, then, which a re altoge ther
in thy power,
- Sincerity,gravity
, endurance o f
labour,aversion to pleasure
,contentment with
thy portion and with few things,benevo lence ,
frankne ss,no love o f superfluity, freedom from
trifl ing,magnanim ity. Dost thou not see how
many qual ities thou art at once able to exhibit,as
to which there is no excuse o f natural incapacity
and unfitness, and yet thou still remaine st vo lun
ta rily be low the m ark ? Or art thou compe l led,through be ing de fe ctive ly furnished by nature, to
murm ur,and to b e mean, and to flatter, and to find
fault with thy poor body,and to try to please m en ,
and to make great display, and to b e so restle ss in
thy mind ? No,i ndeed ; but thou mightest have
been de l ivered from these things long ago .
’
[No . 32 1 ] M . A rno ld.
N this crisis I must hold my tongue, o r I must
speak with fre edom . Falsehood and de lusion
a re allowed in no case whateve r ; but, as in the
US E WHA T Q UALIT Y YOU HA VE . 1 97
EMPE negas tibi acutum esse ingenium , quod
a dm irentur hom ines . E sto : at no n multa
habe s ad quae naturam te ido neum fin x isse
non potes denegare ? Quin tu igitur ea pra estes
quae pene s te ipsum sunt : pra eb e te grauem
hom inem atque ape rtum ,sorte tua quam uis hum ili
co ntentum, pa tientem la b o ris
,a uo lupta tibus
a uersum ,b eneuo lum den ique atque m a gn a nim um .
Quae om nia cum in tua Sint pote state,ita ut Si
im par tibi sis, neque naturam po ssis neque in
gen ium tuum incusa re,tu sem per ultro inte r
nullius momenti uiro s co ntem ptus ia ces ? Aut
si forte quid natura tibi nega uerit, idcirco
necesse est sis so rdidus atque nugator,ut de
corpore sem pe r tuo,quam im b ecillum Sit
,con
quera ris, atque ia cta to r tui, b la ndito r cetero rum ,
animo semper uta ris inquie to ? Immo omnibus
hisce uitiis iam pridem po tera s lib era ri.
G. G. R .
AM in ho c tanto rei publicae tempore aut
ta cendum est mihi aut lo quendum l ibere . E t
l ice t sane a liqua ndo , non quidem fuco fa lla ciis
1 98 ORA TOR I CA L
exercise of al l the virtues, the re is an economy
o f truth . I t is a sort o f tempe rance by which
a man Speaks truth with measure that he may
speak it the longe r. But as the same rules do not
hold in al l cases,what would b e right for you
, who
may presume o n a se ries o f years be fore you,would have no sense for m e
,who cannot
,wi thout
absurdity,count on Six months o f l ife . What
I say,I must say at once . Whatever I write is in
its nature testam entary. I t may have the weak
ne ss,but it has the since rity of a dying declaration .
Fo r the few days I have to linger he re, I am
removed comple te ly from the busy scene o f the
world but I hold myse lf to b e stil l responsible fo r
eve rything that I have done whilst I continued in
the place o f action . I f the rawest tyro in pol itics
ha s been influenced by .the authority o f my grey
hairs,and led by anything in my Speeche s o r my
writings to approve this war,he has a right to call
upon m e to know why I have changed m y opinions,o r why, when those I voted with have adopted
be tte r notions, I pe rseve re in exploded e rror.
[NO 445 ]
2 00 RE FLE CTIVE
ONGS T too m any instance s of the great co r
ruption and degene racy o f the a ge in which
we l ive, the great and gene ral want o f since rity
in conversation is not the least . The world is
grown so full of dissimulation and complim ent,
that men ’s words a re hardly any signification o f
the ir thoughts and if any m a n measure his words
by his heart, and speak as he thinks, and do
n o t express more kindness to every m a n,than m en
usually have for any man, h e can hardly escape
the censure o f i l l bre eding . The old E nglish
plainness and sincerity,that generous integrity o f
nature,and honesty of disposition
,which always
argue true greatness of mind, and a re usually a c
com panied with undaunted courage and resolution,a re in a great m easure lost amongst us ; the re
has been a long ende avour to transform us into
fore ign m anners and fashions, and to bring us to
a se rvile im itation o f none o f the best o f o ur
ne ighbours in some of the worst of the ir qual ities .
The dialect o f conversation is now—a -days so
swe l led with vanity and com plim ent, and so
surfe ited, as I m ay say, o f expre ssions o f kindness
and respect,that if a m a n that lived an age or two
ago should re turn into the world again,he would
really want a dictio nary to he lp him to understand
his own language,and to know the true intrinsi c
INSIN CE RIT Y IN CON VE RSA TION . 2 0 1
pra ui . sint et in deterius co rrupti
s huiusce sa eculi,ut exem pla al ia
'
pra eterm itta m quam plurima, id haud qua qua m
minim um a rb itro r quod fe re in uniuersum collo
quendi uerita s desidera tur. R e fe rti enim eo usque
iam sum us dissim ula tio ne ac b la nditiis, ut uix et
ne uix quidem index interpresque cogita tio num
Sit oratio quod si quis e x anim i sententia uerb a
pro fera t, si eadem sentia t,eadem lo qua tur, neque
in omnes plus b eneuo lentia e , quam qua S inguli in
singulo s fe re a fficim ur,sign ificet, uix fieri potest
ut rusticita tis crimen de fugia t. E nim uero uetus
i lla atque ape rta no stra tium sincerita s, Sim plex et
ue re honesta naturae ingenuita s, quae ut animi
sane m agni indicium pra eb et, ita fo rtitudinem e t
co nsta ntia m fere secum sole t a dpo rta re, m agna
ia m e x parte interiit. Diu ia m in eo la b o ra tur ut
ex tero rum mores co nsuetudinesque im item ur, e t
a peregrinis, neque . iis optimis, pessim a quaedam
exempla seruiliter m utuem ur. I ta b la nditiis e t
a dsenta tio n ibus se rm o co tidia nus turget, ita
be neuo lentia e et o b serua ntia e significa tio nibus, ut
ita dica m, sa gina tus est
,ut Si quis a bhinc paucis
sa eculis ~ mortuus reuiuisca t,ad intellegendam
lingua m suam inte rpre tem desideret,
nec nisi
inuitus creda t quam nili pretio ne rba sum m a m
ca rita tem prae se fe rentia in cotidiano usu ac
2 02 RE FLE CTIVE
value o f the phrase in fashion, and would hardly
at first be lieve at what a low rate the highest
strains and expressions o f kindness imaginable do
com m only pass in common paym ent ; a nd when
he Should come to understand, i t would b e a great
while be fore he could bring him se lf with a good
countenance and a good conscience to converse
with m en upon equal terms and in the ir own
[N o . 333-1 Specta to r.
T is difficult to think to o highly o f the me rits
and de l ights o f truth ; but there is often in
men ’s minds an exagge rated notion o f some
bit o f truth,which proves a great assistance to
falsehood . Fo r instance, the shame o f finding
that he ha s in some spe cial case been led into
falsehood becomes a bugbear which scare s a man
into a caree r o f false dealing. He h a s begun
making a furrow a little o ut of the line,and he
ploughs o n in it,to try and give some consistency
and m eaning to it . He wants almost to persuade
himse l f that it was not wrong,and entire ly to hide
the wrongness from othe rs . This is a tribute to
the maj esty of truth : also to the world ’s opinion
2 04 P OLITICAL
about truth . I t proceeds, too, upon the notion
that al l falsehoods a re equal, which is not the
case,or on som e fond craving for a Show o f
perfection, which is som e tim e s ve ry inim ical to the
real ity. The practical, as we l l as the high-minded,view in such cases, is for a man to think how he
can b e true now. To attain that, it may, even for
this world,b e worth while for a man to admit that
h e has been inconsistent,and even that he has
been untrue . H is hearers, did they know any
thing o f themse lves,would b e fully aware that he
was not singular, except in the courage of owning
his insincerity .
[N o . Specta tor.
HAT system of morality, even in the tim es
when it wa s powerful and in many respe cts
beneficial, had made it alm ost as much a duty to
hate fore igne rs as to love fe l low-citizens . Plato
congratulates the A thenians on having shown in
the ir re lations to Persia, beyond all the othe r
Greeks,
‘ a pure and heartfe lt hatred of the fo re ign
nature .
’ I nstead of opposing,i t had sanctioned
and consecrated the savage instinct which leads
us to hate whateve r is strange or uninte l l igible ;
A N CIE N T HA TRE D OF FORE IGN E RS. 2 05
interesse, uel Speciem uirtutis stulte e x quirit, eo que
difficilius,utfit
,ipsa m uirtutem co nsequitur. Quippe
cum tale quid a cciderit, prudentis acque etgenerosi
est id agere ut statim ad uerum reuerta tur quod ut
fiat,uel in hac uita utile fo rta sse erit co nfiteri se a
constantia,imm o a uerita te declinasse . Qui enim
a udiunt,Si sese modo n o rint
,nihil in eo sciant
m ira ndum nisi quod fraudem a udea t co nfiteri.
quibus hae c o fficio rum norma pla cuit, turn
quoque cum et,m ultum ua leb a t et pro dera t
multis, tam fere in odio h a b endo s a lieno s quam
amandos esse ciues uo luerunt. E t Plato quidemAthenienses laudat quod ill i po tissim um Grae
corum in Pe rsis o stenderint, pen itus insedisse in
anim is germ a num b a rb a ro rum odium . Cum enim
omnes natura eo im pellim ur ut quicquid ignotum
uel parum intellectum sit pro infesto ha b ea m us,
ut discretis amne nihil co nfida m us,
ut aliena
2 06 P OLITICA L
to distrust those who l ive o n the farther side of
a rive r ; to suppose that those whom we hear
talking toge ther in a fore ign tongue must b e
plotting some mischie f against ourse lves. The
lapse o f time and the fusion o f race s doubtless
diminished this antipathy considerably,but at the
utmost it could but b e transformed into an icy
indiffe rence, fo r no cause wa s in operation to
convert it into kindness . On the othe r hand,the
closeness o f the bond which united fe ll ow-citizens
was conside rably re laxed . Common interests and
common dangers had drawn it close ; the se in
the wide se curity o f the R oman Empire had
no longer a place . I t had depended upon an
imagined blood-re lationship ; fe llow-citizens could
now no longer fe e l themse lve s to b e united by the
tie o f blood . E very town wa s ful l o f resident
aliens and emancipated Slaves,persons be tween
whom and the citizens nature had e stabl ished no
connexion, and whose presence in the city had
originally been bare ly tolerated from motive s o f
expediency. The se lfishness o f modern times
exists in defiance o f morality ; in ancient times
it was approved, she lte red, and even in part eh
joined by moral ity.
[N o . 344]
2 08 ORA TOR I CA L
T is argued that se lf-inte rest will preven t
excessive crue l ty ; as if se l f-in te re st protected
Our domestic animals, which a re far less like ly
than degraded slaves to stir up the rage of the ir
savage masters . I t is an argument long Since
protested against with no b le fee l ing,and strikingly
exemplified, by the ever illustrious Humboldt. I t
is often attem pted to palliate slave ry by comparing
the state o f slaves with o ur poore r countrymen :
if the misery o f our poor b e caused not by the
l aws o f nature,but by o ur institutions
,great is our
sin but how this bears o n Slavery, I cannot see ;as we l l might the use o f the thumbscrew b e
de fended in o ne land by Showing that m en in
another land su ffered from some dreadful disease .
Those who look tenderly at the slave-owne r, and
with a cold heart at the Slave,never seem to put
themse lves in the position o f the latte r : what a
chee rless prospe ct,with no t even a hope o f
change ! picture to yourse lf the chance , eve r
hanging ove r you,of your wife and little children
- those objects which nature urges even the slave
to call his own— be ing torn from you and sold like
beasts to the first bidder ! And these deeds a re
done and palliated by m en,who profess to love
the i r ne ighbours as themse lves,who be l ieve in
God,and pray that his Will m ay b e done
'
on
A TTA CK ON SLA VE RY . 2 09
T enim quo minus homines nimia crude lita te
sa euia nt ipso rum utilita s pro hibeb it. Quasi
nero a n im a libus quae usui domestico inseruiunt
utilita s Sit pra esidio , quae ta m en multo minus
quam serui consue tudine depra ua ti truce s dominos
solent ira cundia incendere . Atqui de ista co n
clusio ne m ulto s a bhinc anuos Hum b o ldtius i lle ,qui sempiterna flo ret gloria, recusa uit, cum
multa cla rissim a exempla prom eret,multa ipse
splendide sentiret. Qui enim seruitutis patro
cinium suscipere uo luerunt,sa epe numero ser
uo rum res cum tenuio ribus e no stris ciuibus
com pa ra uerunt Si autem isti no stris institutis,non qua da m quasi naturae rerum lege sunt a erum
nosi,nonne pra uita te no s uel maxima la b o ra m us
S ed quo modo hoc ad seruitutis disputa tio nem
pertinea t equidem non inuenio nam eo dem iure
co nfirm es in alia ciuita te homines eculeo recte
to rqueri, Si in alia morbo quo da m te terrimo ciuiS
a egro ta re dem o nstra ueris. Scilice t qui dominos
benigne, inim ice seruo s respiciunt, num quam ex
horum sorte causam uidenturco ntem pla ri. Quam
misera istis futuri tem po ris e x specta tio l Q ua rn
nulla spes fo rtuna e in me l ius co nuertenda e !
Vellem e tiam cogita tio ne tibi illud fingeres, uxorem
et im b ecillo s l iberos, quos e tiaml
serui non pos
sunt quin suos esse putent et a natura sibi datos,
2 1 0 PHILOSOPHICAL
earth ! I t ma kes one ’s blood boil, yet heart
tremble, to think that we E nglishmen and o ur
Am’
e rican descendants, with the ir boastful cry of
libe rty, have been and a re so gu ilty : but i t is a
consolation to reflect that we at least have made
a greater sacrifice than wa s ever made by any
nation, to expiate o ur sin .
Cha rles Da rwin .
was true then, it is infinite ly more true now,that what is cal led virtue in the common sense
o f the word, sti l l more, that nobleness, godliness,o r heroism o f character in a ny form whatsoeve r,have nothing to do with this o r that man ’s
prospe rity o r even happiness . The thoroughly
vicious m a n is no doubt wre tched enough ; but
the worldly,prudent
,se lf-restraining man, with his
2 1 2 PHILOSOPH ICA L :
five senses, which he understands how to gratify
with tem pe red indulgence, with a conscience
satisfied with the hack routine o f what is’
called
respectabil ity—such a man fee ls no wre tchedness
no inward uneasiness disturbs him,no desires
which he cannot gratify ; and this though he b e
the basest and most contemptible Slave o f his own
se lfishness. Providence will not interfere to punish
him . L et him obey the laws under which pros
perity is obtainable, and he wil l obtain it, let him
neve r fear. He will obtain it,b e he base o r
noble . And again i t is not true , as optimists
would persuade us, that such prosperity brings no
re al pleasure . A man with no high aspirations,
who thrive s and make s money, a nd enve lope s
himse lf in comforts,i s as happy as such a nature
can b e . I f unbroken satisfaction b e the most
blessed state for a man (and this ce rtain ly is the
practical notion o f happiness) he is the happiest
o f m en . N o r a re those idle phrases any truer,that the good man ’s goodness is a neve r ce a sing
sunshine ; that virtue is its own reward, &c.,&c.
I f m en tru ly virtuous care to b e rewarded fo r it,the ir virtue is but a poor investment o f their moral
capital .
[N o . 382 ]
VIRTUE NOT HAPP IN E SS. 2 1 3
a ppetitibus modicam uo lupta tem meditate con
cedit, pra ecla re actnm e sse ratus, Si in co nsue
tudine hom inum atque aurea, quod a iunt,morum
m edio crita te m a nserit, no n is animo crucia tur,
neque a ngo ribus intus la cessitus neque irritis
cupidita tibus ; cum tam en ipse sibi em a ncipa tus
turpissim e deseruia t. H ic ab ultio n e deo rum
securus a ssequenda e fo rtun a e ra tio n ibus o b tem
pe re t fo rtun a m a ssequetur turpisne Sit an
ho nestus perinde crit. N eque ucro iiS qui
uo lunt optime omnia e sse co nstituta assen
tiendum est, non cum ista fortuna dictita ntibus
co niunctam esse ullam , quae quidem ue ra Sit,
delecta tio nem . Immo qui nulla animo m a io ra
suscipit, qui o pibus pecunia que a ugetur uita e
que com m odita tibus circum fluit, pro natura sua
quam b ea tissim us est. S i sibi num qua m dis
plicere, id est hom ini e x opta tissim um—n eque
alite r certe in uita e consue tudine beati d icun
tur— hic erit omnium b e a tissim us. Neque plus
nalent decantata i l la, ho nesta tem esse ho nestis
lucem sem piternam ,suam sibi m ercedem esse
uirtutem , ce tera huiusm odi. Ho nesta tis enim
m ercedem si quis requirit, suo il le damno uirtutem
fa enera tur.
S . H . B .
2 1 4 RE FLE CTIVE .
o
ITH every power thatwe have we can do
two thin gs : we can work, and we can play.
E ve ry power that we have is at the same time
usefu l to uS and de l ightful to us. Even when
we a re applying them to the furtherance o f o ur
personal objects, the activity o f them gives us
pleasure ; and when we have no useful end to
which to apply them,it is still pleasa nt to us to use
them ; the activity o f them gives us pleasure for its
Own sa ke . There is no motion of o ur body o r mind
which we use in work, which we do not also use
in p lay o r amusement . I f we walk in order to
a rrive at the place where o ur interest requires us
to b e, we also walk about the fie lds for enjoyment .
I f we apply o ur combining and analyzing powe rs
to solve the problems o f mathematics, we use them
some times also in solving double acrostics .
[NO 335-l
HE mere phi losophe r is a character which is
comm only but l ittle acceptable in the world,as be ing supposed to contribute l ittle e ither to the
advantage o r pleasure o f socie ty ; while he l ive s
remote from communication with mankind, and is
wrapped up in principles and notions equally
2 1 6 PHILOSOPHICAL
remote from the ir comprehension . On the othe r
hand, the me re ignorant is still more despised ;
no r is anything deemed a surer Sign o f an ill iberal
genius in an a ge and nation whe re the science s
flourish, than to b e entire ly destitute of al l re l ish
fo r those noble en te rtainments . The most perfect
character is supposed to b e be tween those extrem es :
re taining a n equal ability and taste for books,
company and business,prese rving in conversation
that discernment and de l icacy which arise from
polite le tters,and in business that probity and
accuracy which a re the natural result o f a just
philosophy. I n order to diffuse and cultivate so
accomplished a characte r, nothing can b e more
use ful than compositions o f e asy style and man ner
which draw not too much from life,require no
deep application o r re treat to b e comprehended,
and send back a student among mankind full of
noble sentiments and wise precepts,applicable to
eve ry exigence o f human life . By m eans o f such
compositions virtue becomes amiable , science
agreeable, company instructive, a nd re tirement
ente rtaining.
[No . 32 2 ] Hum e.
THE P E RFE CT CHARA CTE R. 2 1 7
ca ptu a bho rrentibus. Contra ipse per se insipiens
maiori a dhuc co ntem ptui est ; neque ulla alia est
ingenii inface ti certio r significa tio , quam et in
sa eculo et ciuita te do ctrinis abundante, nihil quid
quam ex hisce la utissim is epulis de l ibare . Qui
pe rfe ctus totis num eris et a b so lutus est,uidetur
inte r duas personas quas de fo rm a uim us medium
locum o b tinere : qui pari ingenio ac studio ad
libros, ad co nuictum hom inum ac so cieta tem ,ad
nego tia a ccedit ; qui in co llo quiis lim a tam iudicii
elega ntia m e x litteris hum a nio ribus o rtam pra esta t,
idem in nego tiis diligentiam et pro b ita tem quam
accurata philosophia suopte ingenio progeneret.
Quae persona tot do tibus ex o rna ta ut ex co li et
propa ga ri po ssit, nihil magis sole t conducere quam
facili stilo et o ra tio ne scripta legere ; quae cum
non ita multum a co tidia nis a uo cent a bduca ntque,
neque ut intellega ntur a ssiduita tem et ua ca tio nem
o fficio rum postulent, et legentem ab umbratil i
studio foras regredientem cogita tio nibus iustis
et sa pientibus pra eceptis instruunt ad qua lescun
que uita e necessitates a ccom m oda tis. E x huius
modi scriptis id usu uenit ut a m a b ilio r fiat uirtus,do ctrin a e iucundio res, a co nuictu hom inum plus
utilita tis et ab o tio maiores uo lupta tis fructus per
cipia ntur.
2 1 8 PHILOSOPHICA L
HE Brahm ins assert that the world arose
from an infinite spider, who Spun this
whole complicated mass from his bowe ls, and
annihilates afte rwards the whole, o r any pa rt o f it,by absorbing it again, and resolving it into his own
essence . Here is a theory which appears to us
ridiculous ; because a Spide r is a li ttle contemptible
anim al, whose operations we a re neve r like ly to
take for a mode l o f the whole universe . But still
it is in keeping with what goe s on in o ur globe .
And were th e re a world wholly inhabited by
spide rs (which is very possible) this theory would
there appear a s natural and irrefragable a s that
which in o ur plan e t ascribe s the origin o f a ll things
to design and inte l ligence , as explained by
C lean thes . Why an orderly system may not b e
spun from the be l ly, a s we l l a s from the brain, it
will b e diffi cult for him to give a satisfactory
reason .
[No . 346]
NDOUBTEDLY we ought to look at an cient
transactions by the light o f mo de rn know
ledge . Undoubtedly it i s among the first dutie s
of a historian to point o ut the faults of the eminent
2 2 0 RE FLE CTIVE :
m en o f forme r generations . The re a re no errors
which a re so like ly to b e drawn into precedent,and therefore none which it is so necessary to
expose, as the errors o f personswho have a just
t itle to the gratitude and admiration o f po ste rity .
I n politics,a s in re ligion
,there a re devotee s who
Show the ir reverence for a departed saint by
conve rting his tomb into a sanctuary for crime .
R e ceptacle s fo r wi ckedness a re suff ered to remain
undisturbed in the ne ighbourhood o f the c hurch
which glories in the re lics o f some martyred
apostle . Because he was merciful, his bones give
se curi ty to assassins . Be cause he was chaste, the
pre cinct o f his temple is fi lled with licensed stews .
Privileges o f an equally absurd kind have been set
up against the jurisdiction o f political philosophy.
Vi le abuse s cluster thick round every glorious
event, round eve ry vene rable name ; and this
evil assuredly cal ls for vigorous measures o f
l iterary police . But the prope r course is to abate
the nuisance without de facing the Shrine, to drive
o ut the gangs o f thieves and prostitutes without
doing foul and cowardly wrong to the ashes o f the
i l lustrious dead .
[No . 356] Ma ca ulay .
E RRORS OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS DE A D . 2 2 1
hendet Si quid pra ue fecerunt qui apud ueteres
laude flo ruere . Quae enim peccant i i qui bene
de po steris meri ti sum m am a ucto rita tem co nsecuti
sunt,idcirco notanda sunt pra ecipue, qu ia, Si fe
fe llerint,exemplo a liis esse solent . Fit autem in
re publica quod in rebus diuinis : qui caste uix it,
qui deo rum fructus est colloquio—Am phia ra um
puta—e ius sace l lum b o vx ov ut a iunt co nstituunt,
e ffi ciuntque ut sica riis,la tro nibus, ueneficis arx et
perfugium Sit. Ca lcha ntis ossa uenera ntur Colo
pho nii : quid igitur V icina quoque aedi sce lera
torum la tibula re l igio tuetur. Castus fuit Calchas,
nem ini no cuitm o rta lium : co nfugiuntad sepulcrum
e ius no centissim i, a edis area lupa na ribus, Spreta
a edilium potestate,re ferta est. Haud al iter rationem
hanc no stram ,qua e de re publica gerenda suscipitur,de ferenda a edilibus uitia spernunt atque eludunt
nulla res gesta est insignior, null ius nomen
incla ruit, qu in plurim a e se sorde s eo recipia nt,
eiusque sub umbra se tuea ntur. Quid e rgo
Non ut illic secure s licto rum , hic a nna lium scrip
toris opem inuo ca b im us ? Qui tameh ita grassa
b itur, ut dum subm o uentur furum greges et sco r
torum, integri tamem sint m o rtuorum cineres nec
ulla in eo s infera tur contume l ia .
2 2 2 RE FLE CTIVE :
N E o f the strongest incitements to.
exce l in
such arts and accomplishments as a re in
the highe st esteem among m en,is ' the natural
p assion for glory which the mind o f man haswhich
,though it may b e faulty in the excess o f it,
ought by no means to be discouraged . Perhaps
some moralists a re to o seve re in be ating down
this principle,which seems to be a spring
implanted by nature to give motion to all,
the
latent powers o f the soul, and is always obse rved
to exert itse lf with the greatest force in the mostgenero us dispositions. The m en whose ch aracters
have shone brightest among the ancient R omans
appear to have been strongly animated by this
passion . C icero, whose learn ing and se rvices to
his country a re so we l l known,was inflamed by it
to an extravagant degi'
ee, and warm ly presse s
L ucceius, who was composing a histo ry o f those
times,to b e very pa rticular and zea lous in re lating
the sto ry o f his consulship ; and to execute it
speedily, that he might ha ve the pleasure o f
enjoying in his li fe time some part o f the honour
which he fore saw would be paid to his memory.
This wa s the ambition o f a great mind, but he is
faulty in the degree o f it,and cannot re frain from
soliciting the historian, upon this occasion, to
n eglect the strict laws of history, and in praising
2 2 4 RE FLE CTIVE
him,even to exceed the strict bounds o f truth .
The younge r Pliny appears to have had the
same passion for fame, but accompanied with
greater chasteness a nd mode sty.
[No . 342 ] Specta tor. t/
OT to lose ourse lves in the infinite void o f
the conjectural world, o ur business is with
what is l ike ly to b e affected for the be tter o r the
worse, by the wisdom or weakness o f o ur plans .
I n all speculations upon m en and human a fl'
a irs,
i t is o f no smal l moment to distingu ish things
o f accident from perm anent causes, and from
e ffects that cannot b e altered . I t is not eve ry
irregularity in o ur movement that is a total devia
tion from o ur course . I am not quite o f the mind
o f those Specu lators, who seem assured, that
ne cessarily, and by the constitution o f things,
al l states have the same periods o f infancy, man
hood,and decrepitude
,
‘
that a re found in the
individuals who compose them . Paralle ls o f this
sort rather furnish simil itudes to i l lustrate o r to
adorn,than supply a nalogies from whence to
reason . The objects which a re attempted to b e
forced into an analogy a re not found in the same
classes of existence . Individuals a re physical
be ings,subj ect to laws universal and invariable .
OF CA USE S I N P OLITICS . 2 2 5
neritas la rgiretur. Plinium quoque m inorem ita
idem fa m a e a ppetitus co m m o uit, utmaiore quadam
tem pera ntia et uerecundia m odera retur.
ERVM,ne nubes et ina nia sectem ur deu11, ~ea
nobis sunt tra cta nda quae prudenter agen
tibus m e liora fient, peio ra im prudenter. Quotiens
autem de hom inib us quae ritur rebusue hum a nis,
magni interest ut fortuita et fluita ntia ab iis discer
namus,quae
,Siue efficiunt aliquid Siue efficiuntur
,
m utari nequeunt. S a epe enim ita de uia disceditur,ut repe ti m o x o rb ita m
,interm issa rursus uigescere
uidea s. N ec mihi quidem pro rsus opinio place t
e o rum qui eadem ciuita tibus quae singulis bomini
bus percurrenda esse sta tuunt a eta tis spatia,ut
fo edere quodam n a tura e'
et necessitate e pueritia
in iuuentutem , e iuuentute in senium uerga nt.
Quae qui loquitur, e x o rn a re potins o ra tio nem
puta ndus est quam uia et ratione gra ssa ri. I ta
enim a liuS rei naturam ex al ia co lliga s, Si in
e odem Sint genere quae com po nuntur. S inguli
autem homines eisdem ,quibus cetera a nim a ntia ,
uelut legibus uidentur teneri : in quibus, e tsi quid
qua eque e ff ecerit causa parum constat,at quae
plerum que efficiuntur reuo ca ri ad ca lculo s et
2 2 6 RE FLE CTIVE :
The immediate cause acting in these laws may
b e obscure : the general results a re subjects of
certain calculation . But com monwea lths a re n o t
phys ical but moral essences . They a re artificial
combinations ; and in the ir proxim ate efficient
cause, the arbitrary productions o f the human
mind . We a re not yet acquainted with the laws
which necessarily influence the stability o f that
kind o f work made by that kind o f agent. There
is ' not in the physical order (with which they do
not appear to hold any assignable connexion)a distinct cause by which any o f those fabrics
must ne cessarily grow,flourish or decay ; nor, in
my opinion,does the moral world produce anything
more de te rminate o n that subje ct, than what m ayserve as an amusement (l iberal indeed, and in
genious, but stil l only an amusement) for Speculative
m en . I doubt whe ther the history o f mankind is
yet comple te enough, if eve r it can b e so , to furnish
grounds for a sure theory o n the inte rnal cause s
which ne cessarily aff ect the fortune o f a State .
I am far from denying the operation o f such
causes : but they a re infinite ly uncertain, and
much more obscure,a nd much more diffi cult to
trace, than the fore ign causes that tend to raise, to
depress, and some tim es to overwhe lm a community.
[N o . 360]
2 2 8 RE FLE CTIVE :
HE end of a m an ’s life is often compared‘
to the winding-up o f a we l l-written play,
where the principal persons still act in
characte r, whatever the fate is they undergo .
There is scarce a great person in the Grecian
o r R oman history,whose dea th has not been
remarked upon by som e write r o r other, and
censured or applauded according to the genius
o r principles of the person who has descanted
upon it . Monsieur de St . E vrem o nd is very par.
ticula r in se tting forth the constancy and courage
of Pe tronius A rbite r during his last moments,
and thinks he discovers in them a greate r
firmness o f m ind and resolutio n than in the
death o f Seneca, Cato, o r Socrates . There is no
question but this polite author’s affe ctation of
appearing Singular in his remarks, and making
discoveries which had e scaped the observation
o f others, threw him into this course o f reflex io n .
I t was Petronius’ me rit that he died in the same
gaie ty o f temper in which he l ived but as his l ife
was altoge ther loose and dissolute, the indiff erence
which he Showed at the close o f i t is to b e looked
upon as a piece of natural care lessness and levity,rathe r than fortitude . The resolution of Socrates
proceeded from very diff e rent m otives, the con
scio usness o f a we l l-spent life , and a prospect
M E N HA VE THE IR E XITS. 2 2 9
AE PE nume ro uita e exitus cum fabula
bene scripta est com pa ra tus, ubi ad finem
quicquid euenerit pro sua qua eque indole parte s
a ga nt personae . Quid enim ? in Gra eco rum
R om a no rum que a nna libus quis um quam ex stitit
insignis,quin mortem e ius scripto res pro ingenio
ac sententia uel reprehenderint uel la uda uerint?
Nonne Petro nii m o rientis uirtutem m ira tur Mo n
tanus, et constantius fo rtiusque ait o b isse quam
S eneca m , Ca to nem , S o cra tem ? Quod ucro ita
censet uir lepidus, id e ius nim irum est qui semper
gestit inusitata e x cogita re, ac quod alii om iserint
recludere . E t laudi sane fuit Pe tronio,quod
animo non minus la eto quam uix era t m o reretur :
cum tamem m o ribus o m n ino fo edis ac lux urio sis
e sse t, no n ta m uirtute iudica tur mortem contemp
sisse,quam insita ingenii leuita te ac so co rdia .
At nihil e ius modi in Socrate : qui ideo fortem se
pra eb eb a t, quod uita m bene a cta m sibi co nsciret,ae ternam spera ret b e a titudinem . Quod S i face to
isti tam pla cuit m o rientis lae titia, quidni Mo rium
nostrum com m em o ra uit? hoc enim longe prae
cla rius e ius fo rtitudinis exemp lum .
2 36 RE FLE CTIVE :
o f a happy e ternity. I f the ingenious author
above -m entioned was so pleased with gaie ty o f
hum our in a dying man, he might have found
a much nobler instance o f i t in o ur countryma n
Sir Thomas More .
[NO 355
HE sea dese rved to b e hated by the o ld
aristocracies as it has been the mightiest
instrument in the civilization o f mankind . In the
depth o f winter when the Sky is cove red with
clouds, and the land presents o ne cold and blank
and life le ss surface o f snows,how re fre shing it is
to the spirits to walk upon the shore , and to enjoy
the e ternal freshness and live l ine ss of ocean .
E ven so,in the deepest winter o f the human race ,
when the e arth wa s but o ne chill ing expanse o f
inactivity,l ife wa s stirring in the waters . The re
began that spirit whose genial influence ha s now
reached the land,ha s broken the chains o f winte r,
and covered the face o f the earth with beauty.
[N o . 384] Dr. A rno ld.
2 32 RE FLE CTIVE :
HE N passion, whe the r in the political body
o r in the individual, is once roused, i t is
vain,during the paroxysm, to combat it with the
weapons o f reason . A man in love is proverbially
in a ccesmb le to argument, and a nation heated in
the pursuit o f pol itical power is as incapable o f
l istening e ither to the deductions o f the under
standing,o r the lessons o f experience . The only
way in such time s o f averting the evil is by pre
senting some new obje ct o f pursu it wh ich is
attractive not only to the th inking few, but to the
unthinking many ; by counteracting o ne passion
by the growth o f another, and summoning to the
support of truth not only the armour o f reason but
the fire o f imagination .
[No . 358] S ir A . A lison .
HE landed m en a re the true owners o f o ur
political vesse l : the m oneyed m en, as such,a re no more than passengers in it . To the first,therefore, all exhortations to assume this spirit o f
disinterestedne ss Should b e addressed . I t is the ir
part to set the example : and when they do so,
they have a right to expect that the passengers
Should contribute the ir proportion to save the
HOW TO DE AL WITH PASSION . 2 33
B l seme l e x a rsit Siue in corpore ciuita tis
siue in hominis animo lib idinis aestus,frustra
,dum furit
, ra tio nis te l is aggredia re . Vt
enim amantes surdos esse ferunt, sic lib erta tis
am ore percussa gens neque ratione col lecta neque
usu percepta Sibi obici Sinit . Vua tunc salus
n o uam rem ostendere quae tam pa uco s ac
prudente s quam m ulto s atque indo cto s ad se
quendum a llicia t; dum lib idinem l ibidine am o liris,
quoque uerum tuea ris,non m odo a rgum entis a c
cingeris sed faces spe i a ccendiS.
D . S . M .
ETE RVM ut a rebus n a uticis imaginem ad
rem publicam no stra m tra nsfera m us, cum
uecto rum tantum in nume ro habendi Sint qui in
magno aere suo uersa ntur, na uiculari uero ipsius
locum o btinea nt agri ac pra ediorum po ssesso res,
hos po tissim um ho rta ri deb em us,ut publico bono
priua ta com m o da po stha b ea nt. Ab his prio rib us
subueniendum est : quod cum fecerint, tum dem um
2 34 RE FLE CTIVE
vesse l . I f they Should prove re fractory, they m ust
b e told that there is a law in behalf o f the public,
m ore sacred and more ancie nt too, for it is a s
ancient as political socie ty, than all those under
the terms of which they would exempt themselves
from any reduction o f interest and consequently
from any re imbursement of the ir principal though
this reduction and this re imbursement be a b so lutelynecessary to restore the prosperi ty of the nation
and to provide for her se curity in the meantime .
The law I mean is that which nature and reason
dictate,and which de clares the preservation o f the
com m onwealth to b e superior to al l othe r laws .
[No . 364] B olingbroke.
OFTE N apply this ru le to myse lf ; and when
I hear o f a satirical speech o r writing that
is aim ed at m e,I
“
examine my own heart, whe the r
I deserve it o r not . I f I bring in a verdict against
m yse lf, I endeavour to rectify my conduct for the
future in those particulars which have drawn the
censure upon m e ; but if the whole invective b e
2 36 RE FLE CTIVE
grounded upon a falsehood, I trouble myse lf no
furthe r about i t, and look upon my name‘ at the
head of it to signify no more than o ne o f those
fictitious nam e s made use o f by an author to
introduce an imaginary character. Why should
a m a n b e sensible o f the sting o f a reproach,who
iS la stranger to the guilt that is im plied in it ? or
subje ct himse lf to the penalty, when he knows he
ha s neve r committed the crime This is a piece
o f fortitude,which eve ry o ne owes to his own
innocence,and without which it is impossible for
a man o f any merit or figure to l ive at peace with
himse lf in a country that abounds with wit and
l ibe rty.
[No . 353]
HE highest gratification we rece ive he re
be low is mirth, which at the best is but a
fluttering unquie t motion that beats about the
breast for a fewmoments, and afte r leave s it void
and empty. So l ittle is there in the thing we so
much talk of,and so much magnify— keeping good
company. E ven the best is but a less shameful
art of losing time . What we call science here ,and study
,is little be tter . The greater number of
A L L I S VA N I TV. 2 37
to ribus finguntur nomina, cum personas com m en
ticia S inducunt. Cur enim crimine do le a t, qui a
scelere quod crim inentur a bho rre a t Cur poenam
sub ea t qui fa cino ris se scia t e x pertem ? Quippe
inno centis est se co nsta ntem adeo pra eb ere : quod
n i fa cia t, quis est homo uirtute ue l laude insignis
qu i a equum po ssit a nim um in hac urbe serua re, ubi
et ingenium tam a bunda t et quo duis dicendi
l ibertas ?
A . S .
RAECI PVAM uo lupta tum a Dis cepim us
hila rita tem ,quae ut summ a Sit, mentis tantum
trepidatio est, quae cum pa ulisper nos inquieta u it
et intus tumultuata est, inanes m o x et ua cuo s
relinquit. Adeo nihili est id quod tantum ia cta tur,tantum e x to llitur, cum la utiS uersa ri. Qui lice t
Sint la utissim i,nihil pra esta nt nisi ut ho nestius
tempus teri po ssit. Quid ergoI
Sapientia quam
hic a ppella m us ac studia num m a io riS sunt ?
2 38 RE FLE CTIVE
arts to whichwe apply ourse lves a re m ere groping
in the dark ; and even the search of our most
im portant concerns in a future be ing, is but a
needless, anxious, and urrce f ta in haste to 1 b e
knowing soone r than we ca n,what without a ll this
know a little afte r. We a re
but curious impe rtinents in the case o f f uturity.
I t is not our busine ss to b e guessing
'
wha t the
state of souls is,but to b e doing what may make
o ur own happy . We cannot b e knowing, but we
can b e virtuous .
[No 357
N a word,from the t ime that Athens was the
University of the world,what has Philosophy
taught m en,but to promise without practising, and
to aspire without attaining ? What has the de ep a nd
lofty thought o f its disciple s resu lted in but e loquent
words Nay,what has its teaching eve r meditated
,
when it wa s boldest in its remedie s f o r humari i l l,beyond charming us to sleep by its lesso ns, that
we m ight fee l nothing at al l ? like some me lodious
air,o r rather l ike those strong perfumes; which at
first spread the ir swee tness ove r eve rything they
touch,but in a little while do but offend in propor
2 49 P HILOSOPHICAL
tion as they once pleased us . Did Philosophy
support C icero under the disfavour o f the fickle
populace, o r ne rve Seneca to oppose an imperial
tyrant ? I t abandoned Brutus, a s he sorrowful ly
confessed, in his greatest need, and it forced Cato,as his panegyrist strange ly boasts
,into the false
position of de fying heaven .
[No . 366] J . H . N ewm a n .
HEY knew nothing o f God or the gods,but
they had some thing in themse lve s which
m ade sensuality nauseating instead o f pleasant to
them . They had an auste re sense o f the meaning
o f the word ‘ duty.
’ They could distinguish and
reverence the nobler possibili ties o f the ir nature .
They disdained what was base and e ffem inate,
and,though re l igion failed them,
they constructed
o ut o f philosophy a rule which would serve to l ive
by. Stoicism is a not unnatural refuge o f thought
ful m en in confused a nd sceptical ages . I t adhe re s
rigidly to morality. I t offe rs no easy E picurean
THE STOICS . 2 4 1
isto s odores po tius co ntuleris, qui principio quidem
omnia n ix iam contacta propria dulcedine o bducunt,m o x uero non minus fastidio sunt quam h upe r
o b lecta m ento . Num Tullium aurae popularis
inco nsta ntia fra ctum firm a uit philosophia ? num
S eneca e a nim o s a ddidit,
ut nutum principis
co ntem neret? Quin Brutus ipse se in sum mo
re rum discrim ine ab eadem co nqueritur relictum ,
Cato autem eo dem um depulsus est dementiae ,ut m inas—de quo gloriari m iro r equidem
la uda to rem e ius— ih deos nltro ia cta uerit.
G. H . R .
EVM unum Siue deos plures cum non
n o ssent,inera t m entibus eo rum cur l ibido
fastidium non uo lupta tem a fferret. Vo ca bulum
o fficii seuerum in modum interpreta b a ntur ; uis
humana quae uirtutes sequitur nec la teb a t et
co leb a tur. Co ntem pto res eo rum quae turpia sunt,quae mollia, cum deficeret re ligio
,no rm a m ad
quam uita m a gerent a philosophia peteb a nt. Iure
autem prudentissimo cuique turb a tis hom inum
m entibus fra ctisque religio num no dis Porticus fi t
perfugium , m a gistra morum non lenis, neque
E picuria facilitate hominis originem deducens, e x
2 4 2 RE FLE CTIVE
explanation o f the origi n o f man,which resolves
him into an organization o f particle s, and dismisse s
him again into nothingness . I t recognizes only
that m en who a re the slaves o f the ir passions a re
m isera ble and impotent, and insists that pe rsonal
inclinations shall b e subordinated to conscience .
I t prescribes plainne ss o f l ife, thatthe number o f
o ur necessities m ay b e a s few a s possible and in
placing the business o f l ife in inte l lectual and
moral action i t destroys the temptation to sensua l
gra tifica tio ns. I t teaches a contempt o f death so
complete that it can b e encountered without
a flutter o f the pulse and while it raise s m en
above the su ffe ring which m akes others mise rable,generates a proud submissiveness to sorrow which
noble st natures fee l most keenly, by representing
this huge scene and the Shows which it presents
as the work o f some unknown but irresistible force,
against which it is vain to struggle and childish to
repine .
[No . 369]
H I S write r went through all the usual topics
of moralists,Showing how dim inutive, con
tem ptib le, and he lpless an animal wa s man in his
2 44 RE FLE CTIVE .
own nature ; h ow unable to de fend him se lf from
the inclem encie s of the air or the fury of wild
beasts how much he was exce l led by o ne creature
in strength, by another in speed, by a third in
foresight, by a fourth in industry. He added that
Nature wa s degenerated in these latter declining
age s o f the world, and would now produce only
small abortive births in comparison o f those in
ancient times. He said it was ve ry reasonable to
think not only that the Species o f m en were
original ly much large r,but also that there must
have been giants in forme r ages ; which as it is
asserted by history and tradition , so it hath been
confirmed by huge bones and skull s, casually dug
up in several parts of the kingdom, far exceeding
the common dwindled race o f m a n in our days .
He argued that the very laws o f nature absolute ly
required we Should have been made in the
beginning o f a size m ore large and robust,not so
liable to destruction from eve ry little accident of
a tile fall ing from a house, o r a stone cast from
the hand of a b oy, o r be ing drowned in a little
brook . From this way o f re a soning the author
drew several moral applications useful in the
conduct o f l ife,but needless here to repeat .
MAN HE L P LE SS IN H I S OWN N A TURE . 2 45
contra cae l i inclem entia m e t b e lua rum iras in
defensum, qua rum alia uiribus, al ia pern icita te,
alia pro uidentia , al ia industria longe cum ante
ce l lat . Degenerasse enim sen escentis m undi uires
et tantum pusillo s irrito sque partus prae a ntiquis
edere,ac Sim ile ueri esse non modo homine s
ipsos fuisse olim gra ndio res, sed et gigantes e x
stitisse, quod et historia et fama tra ditum de
m o nstra re uideri procera ossa et ca lua ria s hic illic
fortuito e x a ra ta s,hom unculis ucro a eta tis no stra e
multo maiores . Porro ipsius naturae leges pos
tulare ut gra ndio res et ro bustio res ab initio creati
fuerim us,nec m o rtiferis ca sibus ita o b no x ii per
deiecta m tegulam uel m issum a puero quo da m
lapidem,uel in transitu a m nis lapso pede . Quo
usus disserendi more nonnulla ad uita m prae
cepta utilissim a ille quidem dux it, quae ta m en ut
hic repeta m superua ca neum est.
A . T. B .
2 46 RE FLE CTIVE
HE to wn of L . represented the earth,with its
sorrows and its graves left behind, yet not
o ut of Sight, nor whollyforgotten . The ocean in
everlasting but gentle agitation,and brooded ove r
by a dove -l ike calm,might not unfitly typify the
mind and the mood which then swayed it. For it
seemed to m e as if then first I stood at a distance
and aloof from the uproar o f l ife as if the tumult,the feve r and the strife we re suspended o r respite
granted from the secre t burdens of the heart
a sabbath o f repose , a resting 'from human labours .
Here we re the hope s which blossom in the paths
o f l ife reconciled with the peace which is in the
grave ; motio ns o f the inte l lect as unwearied as
the heavens, yet for al l anxie t ies a halcyon calm,
a tranquill ity that seemed no product o f ine rtia, but
a s if resulting from mighty and equal antagonisms
infinite activities,infinite repose . Oh
,just
,subtle
,
and mighty opium that to the hearts o f poor and
rich alike fo r the wounds that wil l neve r heal, and
fo r ‘the pangs that tempt the Spirit to rebe l,
’
bringest an assuaging balm e loquent opium that
with thy potent rhe toric ste a lest away the purpose s
of wrath ; and to the guilty man for o ne night
givest back the hopes o f his youth and hands
washed pure from blood ; that sum m o nest
to the Chance ry of dreams, for the trium phs of
2 48 RE FLE CTIVE
su ffering innocence, false witnesses ; and cori
foundest perjury, and dost reve rse the sentence s
o f unrighteo us judges .
[No . 363] De Quincey.
L L we see , hear, and touch, the remote
side real firm a m ent,as we l l as o ur own sea
and land,and the e lements which compose them
and the ordinances they obey, a re His. The
prim ary atoms of matter,the ir propertie s, the ir
mutual action,the ir disposition and collocation,
e lectricity,magne tism ,
gravitation,l ight
,and what
ever othe r subtle principles o r ope rations the wit
o f man is de tecting o r Shall de te ct, a re the work of
H is hands . From H im ha s been eve ry movem ent
which has convulsed and re fashioned the surface
o f the earth . The m ost insignificant o r unsightly
inse ct is from Him,and good in its kind ; the
ever-teem ing,inexhaustible swarms o f anim alculae ,
the myriads o f l iving motes invisible to the naked
eye, the restless eve r-spreading vege tation which
creeps l ike a garm ent over the whole e arth, the
lofty cedar,the umbrageous banana a re H is . His
E V H IM WE RE A L L THIN GS MADE . 2 49
unam tantum no ctem spe s pueriles de x tra m que
restituis incruenta m : tu so m nia nti ad ca ncello s
quo sda m ,ne in ique plecta ntur innocente s, falsa
testifica to s a rcessis tu pe iera ntes reda rguis, iudi
cum que iniquo rum de cre ta antiquas .
VICQ VID denique o culis intueri a uribus
percipere manu co ntingere possumus, Siue
per sem o tum illum stelliS que co nsitum cae l i
com plex um ,Siue in hoc nostro terra rum orbe et
m arium,omnia parite r illo a ucto re e x e lem entis
suis co nficta sunt,illius legibus o b tem pera nt.
S ta tuit porro idem ille prima m a teria e corpuscula
qua les essent ipsa maturas ha b itura , quem a dm o dum
inter se uersa ri, quem inuicem ha b itum ac S itum
serua re deb erent : im mo uero uis fulm in is occulta,mirabilis il la corporum se inuicem a dliciendi
facultas, po nderum inclinatio, natura lucis, uel Si
quam aliam his ipsis tenuio rem in re rum natura
uim inesse et uersa ri aut iam inuenit aut inuen
turum est hum a num ingenium,haec omnia il lo
e x stiterunt a ucto re . Nullus pro fecto absque i l lo
motus terra rum o rb em qua ssa tum ln h onam fa ciem
redegit : e idem porro tribuendum est quod adeo
2 59 RE FLE CTIVE
a re the tribes and families of birds and beasts,
the ir gra cefii l forms, the ir wild gestures, a nd their
passionate cries .
[N o . 365]
NOTHE R conside ra tio n which may che ck
o ur presumption in putt ing such a con
struction upon a misfortune is thi s,that it i s
im possible for us to know what a re calamities
and what a re ble ss ings. How many accidents
have passed fo rmisfortunes, which have turned to
the we alth and prosperity o f the pe rsons to whose
lot they have fa l len Howma ny disappointments
have in the ir consequences saved a man from
2 52 RE FLE CTIVE .
ruin ? I f we could look into the e ff ects of every
thing we might b e al lowed to pronounce boldly
upon blessings and judgements : but for a man to
give his opinion o f what he sees but in part and in
its beginnings is an unjustifiable pie ce of rashness
and folly . The story o f B iton and C leobis, which
was in great reputation among the heathens (for
we see it quoted by all the ancient authors, both
Greek a nd Latin,who have written upon the
im m ortal ity o f the soul ) m ay teach us a caution in
this m atter. These two brothers, be ing sons of a
a lady who was priestess to Juno, drew the ir
mother’s chariot to the temple at the tim e o f a
great solemnity, the persons be ing absent who by
the ir office were to have drawn the chariot o n that
occasion . The mothe r was so transported with
this instance o f fi l ial duty that She pe titioned her
goddess to bestow upon them the greatest gift that
could b e given to m en : upon which they were
both cast into a deep sle ep and the next morning
found dead in the temple . This was such an
event as would have been construed into a j udge
m ent had it happened to the two brothe rs after an
act of disobedience , and would doubtless have be en
repre sented as such by any ancient authority who
had given us an account of it .
Specta tor.
NARROWN E S S OF H UMA N VISION . 2 53
pra esum ere po ssem us, fas esse t fo rta sse de bonis
aut poenis a dis im m o rta libus im m issis fidenter
iudicare,sed contra quae im perfecta tantum ac
na scentia uidem us,de iiS sententia m ferre teme
ra rii ineptique hominis uidetur esse . Quod ut
ca uea m us documento S it i l la de B itone et Cleo b i
fabula,ita ab a ntiquis ce lebrata, ut omnium qui de
a nim o rum im m o rta lita te co nscripserunt, nemo e a m
pra eterierit. H i forte fratres e nobil i muliere
Iuno nis sacerdote nati, cum ii a b essent quorum
e rat o ffi cium ca rpentum illius tra here, ipsi iugum
sub eunt m a trem que so llenni quo da m festo ad fana
deducunt. E a igi tur tam pra ecla ro pieta tis argu
mento e lata de am e x o ra t ut quod maximum donum
hom inibus co n ferri po ssit, id natis suis contingat .
Continuo autem ambo alto sopore capti postera
luce in templo m o rtui inueniuntur. I s certe casus
e rat ut S i e isdem Spre to e rga pa rentem o ffi cio
superuenisset, omne s in ultio nis speciem tra cturi
fuerint nec dubie, S iquis e x a ntiquis re rum scrip
to ribus id na rra sset, haud al io more depinx isset.
j. S . R .
2 54 LI TE RA R V :
NOWING within m yse l fthe m anne r in whichthis poem ha s been produced
,i t is not with
o ut a fee l ing o f regre t that I make it public . What
manner I mean wil l -b e quite clear to the reader,
who must soo n perce ive great inexpe rience ,immaturity, and every error denoting a feve rish
attempt,rather than a deed accomplished . The
two first books, and indeed the two last, I fee l
sensible a re no t o f such comple t ion as to warrant
the ir passing the press ; nor sho uld they, i f
I thought a year’s castigation would do them any
good —itwil l no t : the foundations a re too sandy.
I t is just that the youngster Should die away
a sad thought for m e,if I had not some hope that
while i t i s dwindling I may b e plotting a nd fitting
myse lf for ve rses fit to l ive . This may b e spe aking
to o presum ptuously and may dese rve a punish
ment : but no fee l ing m a n would b e forward to
inflict it : he will leave m e alone with the con
victio n that the re is no fiercer torment than the
failure in a great obje ct . This is not written with
the least atom o f purpose to forestal l criticisms,but from the desire I have to c
'
oncil iate m en who
a re com pe tent to look, and who do look, with
a jealous eye to the honour o f E nglish lite rature .
The im agination of a boy is healthy,and the mature
imagination o f a man is healthy,but the re is a space
2 56 DE SCRIP TIVE
o f l ife be tween , in which the soul is in a ferment,the character undecided, the way of l ife unce rtain,the am bition thicksighted thence proceeds m aw
kishness, and all the thousand bitters which those
m en I speak o f must necessarily ta ste in going
ove r the following pages .
[No . 398] Kea ts.
HE R E is a socie ty o f m en among us, bred
up from the ir youth in the art o f proving,by
words multipl ied fo r the purpose, that white is
black,and black is white
,according a s they a re
paid . To this socie ty all the rest o f the people
a re Slaves . Fo r example, if my ne ighbour has
a m ind to my cow,he ha s a lawye r to prove that
he ought to have my cow from m e . I must then
hire another to defend my right, it be ing against
all ru les o f law that any man Should b e al lowed
to speak fo r himse lf. N ow,in this case
,I who a m
the right owne r, lie unde r two great d isadvantages :
first,my lawye r, be ing practised almost from his
cradle in defending falsehood, is quite o ut . o f
his e lement when he would b e an advocate for
justice,which is an unnatural offi ce he always
attempts with great awkwardness, if not with il l ,
H ON OURARL E PROFE SSION OF L A W. 2 57
Co nro b o ra ti, interpo sita e autem a eta tis Spatio
a estua t animus, ua cilla nt mores, a m b igua e uita e
rationes,spes uo tum que in obscuro hinc insulsa
illa,hinc inepta, et sescenta quae ne ce ssario
am aram facient lectio nem iis saltem quos S igni
fica ui ho m inibus.
W. W
XSTAT in nostra ciuita te h om inum quaedam
socie tas,a
'
pueris in ea arte e rudita, ut
nerbis quam plurim is alba nigra, nigra alba, prout
m ercedem ha b ea nt, dem o nstrent. Quibus sane
ceteri inseruiunt omnes . S i enim uicinuS ua cca m
meam a dfecta t, co nsultum pretio a dducit qui
dedendam a rgua t. Quam ob rem et mihi condu
cendus alter, qu i ius meum de fendat, cum nulla
lege'
licea t ut quisqua m pro se dica t. Cum
autem ita fiat,ego (cu ius iure est ua cca ) duo bus
laboro incom m odis : primo enim a duo ca tus meus,
a matris pa ene gremio falsa defendendi peritus,cum ius cupit tueri
,ut in noua atque insolita re
,
causam inepte uel e tiam morose suscipit. Deinde
ca utissim e est ei agendum ne a iudicibus culpetur,
odio que sit co nsultis tamquam ~litium num erum
im m inua t. S i igitur.
ua cca mihi serua nda est,
S
will . The se cond disadvan tage is, that my lawyer
must proceed with great caution, o r e l se he will
be reprimanded by the judges, and abhorred
by his bre thren, a s o ne that would lessen the
practice o f th e law. And therefore I have but
two me thods to prese rve my cow. The first is,
to gain over my adversary’s lawyer with a double
fee,
’
who will then be tray his client,by insinuating
that he ha s j ustice o n his Side . The second way
is,fo r my lawyer to make my cause appear as
unjust a s he can, by allowing the cow to be long
to my adversary, a nd this, if i t b e skilfully done
wil l ce rtainly bespeak the favour o f the bench .
[N o . 389]
F this final baseness o f the false ideal, its
miserable waste o f the time, strength, and
available inte l lect o f man, by turning, a s I have
said above,innocence o f pastime into Seriousness
o f occupation, it is o f course hardly possible to
Ske tch o ut even so much as the leading mani
festa tio ns. The vain and haughty projects o f
youth for future l ife ; the giddy reve ries o f ih
satiable se lf-exaltation ; the discontented dreams
o f what might have been or Should b e, instead of
the thankful understanding of what is the casting
2 60 RE FLE CTIVE :
abo ut for sources o f interest -in sense le ss fiction,instead o f the real human histories o f the people
round us ; the prolongation from a ge to . a ge o f
romantic historical deception instead o f Sifted
truth ; the pleasures taken in fanciful portraits of
rural o r rom antic life in poe try and o n the stage,
without the sm allest e ffort to rescue the living
rural population o f the world from its ignorance
or misery ; the excitement o f the fee l ings by
laboured imagination o f spirits,fairies
,monsters,
a nd demons,issuing in total blindness of heart
and Sight to the true presences o f b eneficent o r
destructive spiritual powe rs around us ; in fine , the
constant abandonment o f all the straightforward
paths o f sense and duty, for fear o f losing some of
the enticement of ghostly j oys,o r trampling some
what sopra lor‘
va nita,clze pa rpersona all these
forms o f false idealism have so entangled the
modern mind,often called, I suppose ironical ly,
practical,that I truly be l ieve there neve r yetwas
idolatry o f stock o r staff so utterly unholy a s this
o ur idolatry o f Shadows .
[No . 41 1 ] R uskin .
THE FALSE IDE AL . 2 6 1
po tuerit, quid esse deb ea t, queribundi com m inis
cantur : ita non uicinorum et re uera uiuentium
fo rtuna e co ndicio n ique student, unde e x quisitam
re rum ac uerita tis rationem po sterita ti tra da nt,
ut,cum se ineptis lo ngissim eque petitis fa bulis
delecta uerint, ficto s quo sda m com m enticio sque
annale s co nfirm entatque perpetuent. Idem inan i
bus uel po eta rum uel histrio num ruris et ne scio
qua rum futilium pe rsonarum descriptio nibus
quasi titilla ntur : ipsos homin es,ipsos agricolas
m iseriis ac stultitia nihil om n ino a gunt ut lib erent
aut ex pedia nt. Quid ? cum a nim um lemures,
nymphas, po rtenta , genios commentando infla m m a
uerint, resta t ut numina ipsa, quibus circum da m ur,
Siue m a leuo la sunt Siue benigna,mente penitus
o cca eca ti non com prehenda nt : quod denique
prudenti,quod integro hom ini quasi an te o culo s
positum est,illud idcirco uita nt ut a rca n is quibus
dam deliciis me priuentur, ut suas ipsi ineptia s,quas graues esse credunt, n e pro tera nt atque co n
culcent. His et horum similibus erro ribus ita
irre titi sunt nostri,quorum prudentia m ; inuerS iS ,
credo, uerb is comprobare so lem us,ut haud scio an
ne im purissim us quidem eo rum qui l igna uel
b a culo s uenera ti sunt cum n o stris his um bra rum,
non deo rum,culto ribus pari S it odio detesta ndus. .
2 62 RE FLE CTIVE
T is common to hear remarks o n the frequent
divorce be twe en cul ture and character, and to
infer from this that culture is a mere varnish, and
that character only deserves any serious attention .
No e rror can b e more fatal . Culture without
characte r is,no doubt
,some thing frivolous
,vain
and weak ; but character without culture is o n the
othe r hand, some thing raw, blind, a nd dangerous .
The most interesting, the most truly glorious
peoples, a re those in which the alliance of the two
ha s been e ffected most successfully,and its result
Spread most wide ly. This is why the spectacle o f
ancient A thens has such profound interest fo r
a rational man, that it is the specta cle o f the
cu lture o f a people . I t is no t an aristocracy,
leavening with i ts own high Spirit the mul titude
which it wie lds,but leaving it the unformed
multitude still ; i t is not a democracy, acute and
energe tic, bu t taste less, narrow-minded,and ig
noble : it is the middle and lowe r classes in the
highest deve lopment o f the ir humanity that these
classe s have yet reached . I t was the many who
re l ished those arts, who we re not satisfied with
l ess than those monuments . I n the conversations
re corded by Plato,o r even ‘by the matte r-o f-fact
Xenophon, which for the free yet refined dis
cussio n o f ideas have set the tone fo r the
2 64 CRITICA L
whole cultivated world, shopkeepers and trades
m en o f A thens mingle . For any o ne but a pedant,
this is why a handful o f A thenians o f two thousand
years a go a re more interesting than the millions
o f most nations o ur contemporaries.
[No . 406] M . Arnold.
MONG the di ff erent kinds o f representation,
statuary is the most natural,and Shows uS
some thing likest the obje ct that is represented .
T o make use o f a common instance,let o ne
who is born blind take an image in his hands,
and trace out with his finge rs the different furrows
and im pre ssions of th e chise l,and he will e a sily
conce ive how the Shape o f a man o r beast may b e
represented by it ; but should he draw his hand
ove r a picture whe re all is smooth and uniform,he
would neve r b e able to imagine how the several
prom inences and depressions o f a human body
could b e Shown o n a plain pie ce o f canvas, that
STA TUARY, P A IN TIN G, DE SCRIP TION . 2 65
duo milia a nno rum uix erunt Athenienses studia
hom inum in se se co nuerterint,non innum era e
no stro rum temporum m ultitudines.
autem rerum figura e multis modis adum
brari po ssunt, ita sculpto res imprimis et
naturam m a gistra m ha b ent, et simulacra nobis
exhibent a rebus ipsis minime distantia . Nam
ut e medio exemplum peta m ,Si natus fuerit a liquis
cae cus,is,Si sum pta
'
in manus statua sulcos omnes
digitis pertrectet, n o ta sque quibus ca clo Sit incisa,facile intellega t, qua ratione po ssit e ffigies e a
speciem hominis uel b estia e pra eb ere Sin per
curra t idem m a n ibus pictura m ,quae res est omni
ex parte plana atque a equa b ilis, num quam sane
concipere animo po ssit, quomodo’
corporis humani
partes, qua rum e x surga nt aliac, a lia e deprim a n
2 66 RE FLE CTIVE
h a s in it no unevenness o r irregularity. De
scription runs yet further from the thing it repre
sents than painting ; for a picture bears a real
resemblance to its original, which le tters and
syllables a re wholly void o f. Colours speak al l
languages, but words a re understood only by such
a people o r nation . We a re told that in America,
when the Spaniards first arrived there, expresses
were sent to the Emperor o f Mexico in paint,and
the‘
news o f his country de l ineated by the stroke s
o f a pencil, which was a more natural way than
that ofwriting,though at the same time much more
imperfect, because i t is im possible to draw the
l ittle connexions o f speech, o r to give the picture
o f a conjunction o r an adve rb .
[No . 399]
HE R hodians had a story o f the ir island,he
said,that when Jupiter, who ruled them,
wa s de l ivered o f Pal las,i t rained there gold in
abundance ; and this,afte r the ir fashion, they
moralized . Pallas, so born, they he ld to sign ify both
prowess and policy,martial worth and wisdom :
wisdom too, both human and divine, implying
not only instruction for the affairs of m en but
2 68 RE FLE CTIVE :
in,
the se rvice and worship o f the gods . The
fable,E l iot thought, might have j ust application
to m em be rs o f that house, and some instruction for
the ir purpose . A fore time might the ir island have
been taken for a R hodes, the proper seat o f gods,whe re in
,when actionhad been added unto counse l,
and counse l joined to action,when re l igion and
resolution had com e toge the r,there wanted nothing
o f the fe l icity or blessing that wealth and honour
could impart . Wisdom and valour singly had
availed not ; Apollo had not satisfied, Mars had
be en too weak ; but both the i r virtue s mee ting
with re l igion, and concurring in that centre— as
in the pe rson o f the ir Pallas,the ir M inerva
,the ir
last great queen I— neve r had those failed in the ir
chronicles and stories to give both riches and
reputation,the true Showers o f gold mentioned
in the fable .
[No . 440] j. Foster.
E L F -SATISFACTION at least in some
degree is an advantage which equally attends
the fool and the wise man ; but it is the only
o ne,nor is there any other circum stance in the
conduct of life whe re they a re on an equal
TH E CURSE OF FA TUI T V. 2 69
re rum disciplinam in se co ntineret, sed e tiam
deo rum sacra cultum que re Spiceret. S ibi quidem
uideri fa bulam ha udqua qua m a n o stris sena to ribus
etab hac re latione al ienam : no stra m quo que insula m
po tu isse olim alte ram R hodon, propria m deo rum
uideri sedem in qua cum neque a gendi a la crita s
consil io deesset neque consilium a la crita ti, con
iuncta pie tate cum constantia,ne ulla quidem iam
pars a b esset fa usta e e ius fe licita tis, quae in opibus
et dignitate po neretur. Parum quidem ipsam per
se sa pientia m ua luisse,uirtutem parum : neque
enim arte Apo llin em satis fecisse , neque ui
Ma rtem cum uero utriusque uirtus cum re l igione
ita co iissetut in unum caput omnes co ncurrerent
quod ipsi sua nuper Pallade, sua Minerua , a m
plissim a sua imperante regina,sensissent—num
quam,Si fa stis fide S ha b eretur
,non ill is temporibus
Simul e x stitisse diuitia s ac fam a m,uerio res quam
fa bula e illius im bres a ureo s.
G. H . R .
I BI uero placere com m odum est quod a liqua
quidem ex parte stultum sa pientem que pariter
sequa tur ; sed hac una in re e x omnibus quae
ad uita m a ttinent, sole t hic cum i l lo e x a equa ri.
S tultus enim nego tiis studiis serm o nibus pro rsus
2 79 RE FLE CTIVE
footing. Business, books, conversation, fo r'
a ll o f
these a fool is total ly incapacitated, and except
condemned by his station to the coarsest drudge ry,remains a use less burthen upon the earth . Accord
ingly i t is found that m en a re extreme ly jealous of
the ir character in this particular, a nd many ih
stances a re seen o f profliga cy and treache ry the
most avowed and unreserved, none o f bearing
patiently the imputation o f ignorance and stupidity.
Dica ea rchus the Macedonian general, who, as
Polybius te lls us,openly e rected an altar to
impie ty,another to injustice
,in order to bid
defiance to mankind ; even he, I am we l l assured,wou ld have started at the epithe t fool,
’ and would
have meditated revenge fo r so injurious an appe l la
tion . E xcept the affection o f parents, the strongest
and most indissoluble in nature, no connexion ha s
strength sufficient to suppo rt the disgust arising
from this character. Love i tse lf,which can subsist
unde r treachery, ingratitude , malice and infide l ity,is immediate ly extinguished by it when perce ived
and acknowledged,nor a re deformity and o ld a ge
more fatal to the dominion o f that passion ; so
dreadful a re the ideas o f an utte r incapacity fo r any
purpose or undertaking, and o f continued e rror and
misconduct in l ife .
Hum e.
2 7 2 DRAMA TIC
E N EDICK . 0,She misused m e past the en
durance ofa block ! an oak with but o ne gre en
leaf o n i t would have answered her ; my ve ry visor
began to assume li fe and scold with her : She told
m e,not thinking I had been myse l f
,that I was the
prince ’s jester ; that I wa s dulle r than a great
thaw huddling jest upon jest with such im possible
conveyance upon m e, that I stood l ike a man at
a m ark,with a whole army shooting at m e ; She
Speaks.
poniards,and eve ry word stabs ; i f her
breath were as terrible as her te rm inations there
were no l iving near her, She would infe ct to the
north star. I would not marry her, though She
were endowed with all Adam had left him before
he transgressed She would have made Hercules
have turned Spit yea , and have cle ft his club‘ to
make the fire too . Come , talk not o f her ; you
shall find her the infe rnal Ate in good appare l .
I would to God some scholar would conjure her ;fo r ce rtainly while She is here a man
‘may live
as quie t in he l l a s in a sanctuary ; and people
Sin upon purpose,be cause they would go thith
‘
er
so indeed all disqu ie t,horror, and perturbation
follow her.
[No . 41 0] S ha kespea re.
BE A TRICE AND BE NE DICK. 2 73
E US ,illam ne mihi ira sci ? quem ita laces
siuit ut uel stipes co nuiciis restiturus fuerit ;utcaduca quercus, quae uel unam a leretfro ndem , in
iurgia stim ula ta esse t : immo ipsa haec m e a per
sona uita m sumere . et cum . e a a lterca ri uo luit.
E tenim m e alium esse interpre tata scurra m m e
principis e sse coram -a ffirm a uit
,et niue lutu lenta,
IdibuS Februa riis,cra ssio rem : tamquam pruestigiis
l inguae ludibria ludib riis a ccum ula b a t,ut ipse, niro
Similis in quem sa gittas intenda t tota Pa rtho rum
ca terua , a tto nitus constarem ita uerb is uerb era t
ista,et ubi al iquid io cula tur, ia cula tur. S i pariter.
a c serm o spiritus in fensus esse t, ca uerent omnes,re fugerent, infortunium uita rent ; immo . Hype r
b o reispericulo essentistius linguae contagia. Quae
S i uel Croesi diuitia s et aurea Saturni regna doti
re ferret, ego non ducerem : in culinam Herculem
co egisset a d ne ru uersa ndum ,et cla ua m ipsa m pro
fomite diffissa m igni im po suisset. Tace , ne nomi
nando ea m eiro ces A lecto enim,A lecto
,lauta ueste
et a ppa ra tu, prodib it. Vtina m Thessa lus modo.
magus adsit qui ‘ carmine eam rem itta t ! quae Si
lo ngius in terris m o ra b itur, tra nquillius apud
Furias uiuendum crit quam apud Vestam , et a
mu ltis consu lto pecca b itur, ne Tartaro diutius
ca rea nt : ita ea m tamquam familiares com ita ntur
Te rror Perturb a tio Discordia .
E . D . A . M .
2 74 DRAMA TIC.
HE lady Beatrice ‘h’
ath a quarre l to you ;the gentlem an , that dan ced wi th her told
her She is much wronged by you .
’
0, she mis
used m e pa st the endurance o f a block ! a n o a k,bu t
with o ne green . leaf o n it, wou ld have answered
her : my very visor began to a ssume l ife and scold
Wi th her : she told m e, no t thinking I had been
m yse lf,that I wa s the prince ’s j ester ; that I wa s
dul ler than a great thaw ; hudd l ing jest upon jest
with such impossible conveyance upon m e, that
I stood l ike a m a n at a mark, with a whole army
shooting at m e ; she Speaks poniards, a nd every
word stabs if her breath were a s te rrible a s her
terminations, there were no l iving near her, She
would infe ct to the north star. I would no tmarry
her,though She were endowed with a ll that Adam
had left him be fore he transgressed She. would
have made Hercules have turned Spit ; ye a ,“
a nd
have cleft his club to ma ke the fire to o . Come ,talk no t o f her ; yo u Shall find her the inferna l
Ate in good appare l . I would to God some
schola r would conjure her ; for certainly, while
She is here, a m a n may live a s quiet in he l l, a s in
a sa nctuary ; and peop le S in upo n purpose, be cause
they would go thither : so , indeed, a ll disquie t,horror, and perturba tion follow her.
’
[F C. 318]
2 76 CRITI CA L :
HE tempe r, there fore , by which right taste
is formed, is c haracte ristically patient. . I t
dwe l ls upon what is submitted to it. I t does, no t
trample upo nr it, le st it Should b e, pearls, even
though it look l ike huSkS . I t is a good ground,soft, penetrable, re tentive ; it does not send up
thorns o f unkind thoughts, t o choke the weak
seed i t is hungry and thirsty to o , a nd drinks al l
the dew that falls o n i t. I t is an honest and good
heart,that Shows no to o ready springing before the
sun b e up, but fails not afte rwards ; i t is distrustful
o f i tse lf, so a s to b e ready to be l ieve and to try
a ll things, and yet so trustfu l o f itse lf that it will
n e ithe r quit what it ha s tried, no r take anythingwithout trying. And the pleasure which it ha s
in things that it finds true and good is so great,that it cannot possibly b e led aside by any tricks
o f fashion, o r disea ses o f van ity ; i t cannot b e
cramped in its conclusions by partial ities and
hypo crisies ; its visions and its de lights a re to o
pene trating, to o l iving, fo r a ny whitewashed object
o r Shallow founta in long -
.to endure o r supp ly.
1 . The conclusions o f this . dispo sitio n . a re sure
to b e eventually right ; more and more right a c
cording to the general maturity o f all the powers
but i t is sure to come right at last, because its
operation is in analogy to,and in harmony with
,
THE TE MPE R FOR RIGHT TASTE . 2 77
L LVD igi tur ingenium unice docile est, unde
uerum na scitur indicium . Im m o ra turtrei iudi
ca nda e, ne
’
que ei, quam uis paleae speciem pra ebe a t,
insulta t,‘
ne forte m a rga ritam la eda t. S ic enim
omnia fouet, Sic malis care t cogita tionibusy qua si
solum bonum,molle, penetrabile, in quo tenerum
semen mullis Spinis eliditur, quod fa m em sentit ac
S itim , quod rores caducos perb ib it. E x probo
scili ce t animo atque bono nihil pr0pera t ante lucem
nasci, exorta autem luce nihi l deficit. I l le i ta sibi
diffidit a n imus ut paratus Sit omnia credere,omn ia
ex periri ita fidit, ut'
nec -probata uelit re l inqu ere,ne c quicquam a c
'
cipia t‘ nisi probatum .
. Adeo iiS
rebus delecta tur, qua s'
uera sacbonas esse cognouit,ut n eque sa eculi flo sculis pellicia tur, nec ueneno
ua nita tis. I llud indicium nec gratia nec falsa
species depra ua t. Acies il la acerrima et uiua x,
i lla dulcedo co ntem pla ndi,‘ nihi l fucati patitur.
Sacros amat fontes,
‘
riuulo s apertos co ntem nit.
Huins modi ingenium'
qua m uis aliquid erra uerit,ad
sum m am ta m en e recte iudica b it, eo que rectius quo
magis omnibus partibus m a turescit : scilice t quia
uniuersa e morum ra tio ni, qua lis Christia no rum
est, agit consen tanea, et in magh is felicita tis prin
cipus ad ultimum,e x pleto amore, a cquiescit, quae
cum omnibus hom inibus Sint communia, turn in
the ,who le . Spirit o f rthe . Christia n m oral system,
and m ust ultim a tely Jove‘
a nd rest.in the great
so urcesm f h appiness common to a ll the 'hum a n
race, a nd .based on the'
rela tio ns they hold to the irC reator. 1:
Ruskin .
GR EAT’
Writer is the friend and benefactor
o f his re aders ; a nd they cannot but judge o f
him under the de luding influence o f friendship and
grati tude . We a ll know howunwil ling we a re to
a dmit the truth o f any disgra ceful story about
a person whose So cie ty we l ike, and from whom
we'
have re ce ived favours ; how long we struggle
a gainst evidence ; how fondly, when the‘ facts
cannot be disputed,we cling to the hope that there
may b e some e xpla nation o r extenuating circum
stance withwhich we a re unacquainted . Just Such
is the'
feeli'
ng which a man o f l ibe ral education
natural ly entertains towards the great m inds o f
form er ages; The debt which he owes to them is
incalculable . They have guided him to truth .
They ha ve fi lled his mind with noble a nd grace ful
images . They have stood by him in all vicissitudes,comforters in sorrow
,nurses in Sickness, com
2 80 RE FLE CTIVE :
pa nions in solitude . These friendships a re exposed
to no danger from the occurrences by which othe r
attachm ents a re weakened o r dissolved . Time
glide s o n ; fortune is inconstant tempers a re
soured bonds which seemed indissoluble a re
daily sundered by inte rest, by emulation, o r by
caprice . But no such cause can aff ect the Silent
converse which we hold with the highest o f human
inte llects . That placid intercourse is disturbed by
no jealousies o r resentments . These a re the o ld
friendswho a re neve r seen with newface s,who a re
the same in wealth .and in poverty, in glory, a nd in
obscurity.
[No . 408] Ma ca ulay.
UCH is th e fee l ing whi ch a m a n o f l ibe ral
education natural ly ente rtains towa rds the
great minds o f forme r age s. The debt which he
owes to them is incalculable . They have guided
him to truth . They have fi lled his mind -with
noble and graceful images . ' They have sto o d‘
by
him in all vicissitudes, comforte rs in sorrow,nurses
in Sickness,companions in solitude . These friend
S hipS' a re exposed to no dange r from ~ the occur
rences by which other a tta chments » a re wea kened
GRE AT IN TE LLE CTS . 2 8 1
posse'
so lui uisa era nt uincula per utilita tem ,
per a m b itio nem , per‘
lib idinem crebro so luuntur.
Tales casus ad tacita il la cum m a x im is ingeniis
commercia ‘
a ditum non ha b ent ; non'
turbat
liuo r. quie tos, no n irae ; una e a dem que semper
a m ico rum Species, per diuitia s ac pa uperta tem ,
splendidiS ac so rdidis.
D . S . M .
VR E igitur ho c animo esse sole t Si quis l ibera
liter institutus est in pra ecla ra i l la ingenia
quae tulit a ntiquita s. Quo modo enim iiS tanta
uel referri potest gratia quibus ducibus neri ih
timam naturam cogno uerit, qui menti tot Splendida
tot uenusta in fuderint, . qui m a erentem so la cio ,
fom entis a egro ta ntem , deso la tum soda lita te,_ per
omnes denique fo rtuna e euentus auxilio prae
sta ntissim o a diuverint? S cilicet‘
huius modi ami
citiis nihil e a nocent quae alias fam ilia rita tes
2 82 ORA TORICAL
o r dissolved . Time glides o n ; fortune is incon
stant tempers a re soured ; bonds which seemed
indissoluble a re da ily sundered by interest, byemulation, o r by caprice . But no such cause can
aff ect the silent converse ‘ which we hold with the
highest o f human inte llects. That placid inter
course is disturbed by no jea lousies o r resentments;
These a re the o ld friends who a re never seen with
new faces, who a re the same in wealth a nd in
pove rty,in glory and in obscurity. With the dead
there is no rivalry. I n the dead there is no change .
[F C. 534] M a ca ulay .
E pre tend to a commonwealth . How ame nd
ye i t by kill ing o f gentlemen, by Spoiling o f
gentlemen, by imprisoning o f. ge ntlemen A mar
vello us tanned commonwea l th . Why shou ld ye
hate them for the ir riches, o r fo r the ir ru le R ule,they never took so much in '
ha nd as ye do now.
They never resisted the king, never wi thstood
his council, b e faithfu l at this day, when ye b e
faithless, not only to the king whose subjects ye
be, bu t also to your lords whose tenants ye b e .
2 84 t ORA TORI CAL
Is this your true duty—in some o f homage, in
most o f fealty, in all o f al legiance—to leaveyour
duties, gO‘back from your promises
,fall from your
faith, and contrary to law a nd tru th; to ma ke
un lawful assemblies,ungod ly companies, wicked
a nd detesta b le camps, to disob’
ey your be tters, and
to obey your tanners,to change yOur obedience
from a king to a Ke t,'
to submit yourselveS'
to
tra ito rs, l a nd break your faith to'
your tr‘
ue ’king
and lords ?
I f riches offend yo u, because ye would have the
likep fhen think that to be no commonweal th but
envy to the commonwealth . E nvy it is’ ' to impa i r
a no thei‘ man ’s estate, withou t the amendment o f
your own ; and to have no gentlemen, because
ye b e none yourse lves, is to bring down an estate
and to mend none . Would ye have al l al ike
rich ? That is the ove rthrow o f al l labour,a nd
utter decay o f work in this realm . Fo r who wil l
labour more, if, when he hath gotten more, the
idle Shall by lust, without right, take what him list
from him under'
pretence o f equali ty with him ?
This is the bringing in o f idleness which destroye th
the commonwealth,and not the amendm ent “
o f
labour which m a inta ine’
th thecommonwealth:
[F. C. 75]
REMONSTRAN CE WITH LE VE LLE RS. 2 85
au tem infidi non modo ipsum erga principem cu ius
in regno ac dicio ne estis, sed e tiam erga dominos
quorum agros colitis . . Num ucro sic a gentes in
o fficio estis—multi enim iure furando,'
plures fide
data,omnes lege estis o b stricti—ut m uneribus
relictis, fo ederibus ruptis, fide uio la ta , m o ribus et
innocentia corruptis, coetus iniusto s ha b ea tis,
co ntio nes scelesta s a duo cetis, castra iniqua ac de
testa nda ca pia tis, ut bonis hom inibus neglectis,
co ria riiS pa rea tis, ut regem R egulo comm utetis,
et scelestorum dicto a udientes erga regem uerum
ac dominos fidem fa lla tiS Quod Si uo b is diuitia e
sunt inuisa e propterea quod nos eadem desidera tis,
istud uero non est rem publicam constituere, sed
po tiusrei publicae inuidere . Nam inuidorum est
al terius rem deterere, nec suam°
a ugere, tum uiro s
l iberales ex pellere propterea quod uo sno n l ibera le s
estis, istud est ciuita tem proruentis nec in me lius
prom o uentis. Om nesne uultiS paribus fru i diuitiis
I ta uero.opera om nis interit, ita qua estus in hac
re pub lica pereunt. Quis enim operam qua estui
da b it'
S I pluribus co ngestis diuitiis, 1gn a u1S 5 1m uS
quisque , tanquam par sit, l ibidine et iniuria quas
libe t .res . co rripiet S ic autem infertur ign a uia ,
quae rei publicae damno est, non lex lata est labori
quo res publica co ntinetur.
W H . B .
2 86 RE FLE CTIVE :
N E great cause o f o ur insensibility' to the
goodness o f the Creator is'
the ve ry e x i
tensiveness zo f hiS bounty. .We prize but little
what we“
Share only in common with the re st, o r
with the gene ral ity o f o ur species . When we
hear o f blessings, we th ink forthwi th o f successes;o f prosperous fortunes, o f honour, riches, prefer?
ments, i. e . o f those advanta ges and supe riori ties
over others wh ich we happen’
e ither to posse ss
or to b e in pursu it o f, o r to cove t; The common
benefi ts o f o ur nature entire ly e scape ius. Yet
the se a re the great things . The se constitute what
most prope rly ought tOb e '
a ecounted blessings o f
Providence ; what alone, if we might so speak,a re worthy of its care . Nightly rest and daily
bread,the ordinary use o f o ur l imbs
,and senses,
and understandings, a re gifts which admit o f no
comparison with any other. Yet because almost
every .m a n we mee t possesses these, we leave
them o ut o f o ur enumeration . They raise no
sentiment ; they move n o gratitude . N ow,he re in
i s o ur judgement pe rverted by our se lfishness.
A blessing ought in tru th to be the more satis
factory, the bo unty a t least o f the donor is
rendered more conspicuous, by its very diffusion,its commonness
,its cheapness ; by its falling to
o ur lot, a nd forming the happiness, o f the great
2 88 LI TE RARY :
bulk and body o f our species, as .we l l as o f o ur
se lves . Nay, even when we do'
no t possess it,
1 it
ought to b e matter o f thankfu lness that others do .
[F. C. 1 41 ]
HE whole course o f things be ing thus entire ly
changed be twee n uS and the an cients, and the
modem s wise ly sensible o f it, we o f this age have
discovered a shorte r and more prudent m ethod to
become scholars and wits,wi thout the fatigue o f
reading o r o f thinking. The most accomplished
way o f using books at present is two -fold e i ther,first, to serve them as some m en do lords, learn
the ir titles exactly, and then brag o f the ir a c
quaintan ce o r,se condly, which is indeed the
choicer, the profounder, and po li te r method, to
ge t a thorough insight into the inde x , by which
the whole bo ok is governed and turned, l ike fishes
by the tai l . Fo r to enter the palace o f learning
at the great gate requ ire s an expense o f time and
form s ; there fore m en o f much ha ste and little
ceremony a re content to get in by the back-door.
Thus a re the science s found, like Hercules’ oxen,by tracing them backwards . Thus a re o ld sciences
unrave l led,l ike o ld stockings, by beginning at the
foot . Besides all this, the army o f the sciences
B OOKS WI THOUT RE ADIN G.
percipim us,ta m en hoc ipsum,
quod fruuntur,
gra tissim um nobis esse debe t.
E . PV. B .
OS autem prudenter a gno uim us to ta m ratio
nem inte r nos et a ntiquo s homines m uta ta m
esse . Igitur b reuius agitur et sa pientius, scilice t
utSine legendi aut cogita ndi labore do cti fiam us et
ingenio si. Duplex scil ice t, ut nunc se res habe t,
est inte r peritos usus libro rum ; aut enim nomina
e o rum ,ut quidam in n o b ilibus amicis fa ciunt
, per
discenda sunt et consue tudo ia cta nda , aut (quod
altius multo et elega ntius est et magis urbanum)indicem opo rtet bene habere perspectum ,
quo,S icut
cauda pisces, to tuS l iber regitur quodam'
modo et
uersa tur. Cum enim ia nua dom um intrare im pen
dium habe t tem po ris ac religio nis, postico contenti
sunt qu i moras huiusmodi ac molestias a uersa ntur.
I ta,sieut boues Herculis
, scientia e a uersis uestigiis
inda ga ntur, et doctrina uetuS , S icut cal iga, a pede
rete x itur. Acceditquodscientia e,multa disciplina
quasi o rdinibus suis instructa e, uno conspectu
celerrim e lustra ri po ssunt. Quod tantum bene
ficium indicibus ac sum m a riis totum referem us
a cceptum ,quibus
,quasi cauti fenera to res, patres
2 90 RE FLE CTIVE
ha s been o f late, with a wo rld o f ma rtial discipline ,drawn into its close order
,so that a view o r
muster may b e taken o f i t with abundance o f
expedition . For this great blessingwe a re wholly
indebted to systems and abstracts,in . which the
modern fathers o f lea rning, like prudent usurers,spent the ir labour fo r the e ase of us the ir
children . For labour is the seed o f idleneS S,
. a nd
it is the pe culiar happine ss of our noble a ge to
gather the fru it.
[No . 407 -1
E NCE that unexampled unanimity which
distingu ishes the present season . I n other
wars we have been a divided people ; the e ff ect o f
o ur external operations ha s be en in some measure
weakened by intestine dissension . When peace
has re turned, the breach has widened, while parties
have been formed o n the me ri ts o f particu lar m en,
o r o f part icular measures . These have all dis
appeared we have buried o ur mutual animosities
in a regard to the common safe ty. The sentiment
o f se lf-prese rvation,the first law which nature ha s
impressed, has absorbed every othe r fee l ing ; and
the fire o f l ibe rty has me lted down the discordant
sentiments and minds of the British Em pire into
2 92 ORA TORI CA L
o ne mass, and prope l led them in o ne dire ction .
Part ial intere sts and fee l ings a re suspended, the
spirits o f the body a re collected at the heart, a nd
we a re awaiting with anxie ty, but without dismay;the discharge o f that mighty tempest which hangs
upon the Skirts o f the horizon,and to which the
eye s o f E urope and o f the world a re turned in
Silent and awful expectation . While we fee l
sol icitude, let us not be tray dejection, no r b e
alarmed at the past successe s o f o ur enemy,Since
they have raised him from obscurity to an e levation
which has made him giddy,and tempted him to
suppose everything within his power. The in
toxication o f his success is the omen o f his fall .
[No . 442 ] R obertH a ll.
F an honest, and, I may tru ly affi rm,a laborious
zea l fOr the public service, has given m e any
we ight in your e steem,let m e exhort and conjure
you neve r to suffe r an invasion o f your political
constitution,however minute the instance may
appear, to pass by, without a de te rmined, perseve r
ing resista nce . One precedent creates another.
They soon accumulate,and constitute law. What
yesterday was fact,tod ay is doctrine . E xamples
‘ THE BRITISH CONSTI TUTI ON .
’
opiniones,quasi in massam a rdentem ‘ co a cta s,
omnes Simul eodem pr0pulit. I acent priua ta
diuersa rum pa rtium studia ; co lliguntur circum
praecordia to tius corporis uires nos ipsi denique
soll icito quidem animo sed im pa uido ingentem
tem pesta tis im petum e x specta m us quae extremis
iam cae l i oris ingruit, qua m que intentis o culis tristi
cum silentio et E uropa intuetur et orbis terra rum
to tus. Insta t sane so llicitudo no lite nero tristi
tiam,no lite m e tus a dm ittere
,quod tot hosti con
.
tigerint uicto ria e : nonne ab obscuro il le loco ad
summum re rum fastigium sub la tus,tanti animi
uertigine co rripitur, ut nihil non posse a rb itretur
Pra eb et ipse pro fecto , fortuna ebrius,certissim um
ruina e a ugurium .
G. H . R .
I Sincera et,quod .
uerissim e dix erim,im pensa
rei publicae cura aliquid mihi apud uo s
a ucto rita tis dederit, o ro uo s et o b secro ne leges
uestra s uio la ri um qua m sin a tis, quam uis in
pusilla uidea tur re,ut non omne s summo studio
ac pertm a c155 1m e repugn etis. E x uno exem plo
alterum n a scitur,cito plura ac m o s fit
,et quod
singulare h uper e rat hodie inte r pra ecepta est.
Vitio sissim is co nsiliis a ucto rita tem a dstruunt
‘
2 94 ORA TOR I CA L
a re Supposed to justify the most dangerous
measures ; and where they do not suit exactly,the defect is suppl ied by analogy. Be assured
that the laws which protect us in o ur“
civi l rights,
grow o uto f the constitution, and they must fall o r
flourish with it . This is no t the cause o f faction,Or o f party, o r o f any individual, bu t the common
interest o f every man in Britain. A l though the
king Shou ld continue to support his present
system o f government, the period is not ve ry
distant,at which you wil l have
'
the’
means o f
redress in your own powe r. I t ' may b e nearer,
perhaps, than any o f us expect and I would warn
you to b e prepared for it . The king may possibly
b e advised to dissolve the present parl iament
a year or two before i t expires o f course, and
precipitate a new e lection, in hopes o f taking the
nation by surprise . I f such a measure b e in
agitation, this ve ry caution may defeat o r pre
vent it .
UT if I profess all this impolitic stubbornness,I may chance neve r to b e e lected into Parlia
ment . I t is ce rtainly not pleasing tdb e put o ut o fthe public service . But I wish to b e a member of
2 96 ORA TORI CA L
Parliament to have my Share o f doing good and
resisting evil .” I t would therefore b e absurd to
renounce my objects in orde r to obtain my seat .
I dece ive myse lf indeed most grossly if I had not
much father pass the remainder o f my life hidden
in -the recesses '
o f the deepest obscurity,feeding
my m ind'
even with the visio ns a nd imaginations
o f such things,than to b e placed o n f the . m o st
Splendid throne in the universe, ta nta lized with
a denial of the practice o f all which can make the
greatest S ituation any other than the greatest
curse . Gentlemen,I have had my day. I can
never suffi c iently express my gratitude to you for
having set m e in a place where in I could lend the
sl ightest he lp to great and laudable designs . I f
by my vote I have aided in securing to fam i l ies the
best possession,peace ; if I have joined in re
co nciling kings to the ir subjects and subjects to
the ir prince ; if I have thus taken part with the
best o f m en in the best o f the ir actions,I can Shut
the book . I might wish to read a page or two
more but this is enough for my measure,—I havenot l ived in vain .
[No i447-1
B URKE ON THE H USTIN GS. 2 97
populi R omani quoniam ideo e x petiui ut pro m ea
parte ho nesti Sim auctor o bsista m que im pro b ita ti,quid ineptius quamquo ad curiam fa cilius peruenia m
ab institutisme is desciscere A tque adeo— nisi m e
uehem enter fallo—mallem multo, quidquid re li
quum Sit uita e, o b scurissim o loco ignotus delite
Scere ut his co nsiliis perfrua tur animus cogitando
dum ta x a t et optando po tius quam ad e x ce llentem
a liqua m in omni mundo dignita tis pra esta ntia m
attolli, S i ta men id unum uo tis den egetur, e a colere
et persequi quibus detra ctis om nis honoris am pli
fica tio nil nisi a cerb io res uidea tur a dferre cruciatus .
Sed,Quirites, sentio iam m e meas parte s trans
egisse . Vobis quam grato Sim animo, qua tandem
o ra tio ne satis decla ra re possum,qui m e eo
co llo ca ueritis ubi ad magna et inlustria incepta
opis a liqua ntulum liceretco n ferre Quo in loco Si,
quoad m e a sententia pro ficere potni, ciuibus rei
sa luta rissim a e fructum conserua ui, o ti atque pacis,Si plebis sena tusque anim o s a b a liena to s co niungere
studui et conciliare,Si den ique quas res uiri
ho nestissim i gesserunt ho nestissim a s, e a rum ego
socius '
eXS titi,co nquiescere non gra ua b o r. Op
ta uerim fo rta sse lo ngius pa ullulo pro currere, sed
tam en mihi quidem, qua ntulo cum que sum ingenio
,
satis illud,quod ' non nequiqua m uideo r uix isse .
300 ORA TORI CA L
UT a ga in let m e ask what a re 'you r hearts
doing ? These m i llions, 1 80 millions— for
I cannot too often remind yo u that we have here
to answe r fo r about a fifth portion o f the earth’s
1nha b ita nts,m en l ike yourse lves—whe re a re your
hearts when your eyes fall on them,and see them
at the foo t o f your armies and gove rned byyour own sons
,brothers
,countrymen ? Soldiers
flow into the country and give up the ir l ives in
wa r to du ty when it calls them,
'
a nd even in peace
to the more terrible demands o f a climate which
we ars them o ut,and to disease, which occasional ly
breaks o ut in fierceness and cuts them o ff by tens
and hundreds in a day. C ivilians flow in also,eager for employm ent, until now the stre a m a is
checked be cause i t is supe rabounding. Merchants
a nd m en o f business add them se lve s to the gathe r
ing waters, peopl ing the Presidential town s and
dire cting the whole course o f trade , which in
remote corne rs of the land fee ls eve rywhere the ir
presiding influence . Barristers and solicitors
succeed and re a p' from a l itigious people harvests
o f gold,which afte r a few years o f strenuous work,
they carry back with them to the ir native soil,there in comfort and in rest to end the ir days .
E ngineers and artisans follow,making locom otion
easy and distributing with swiftness a nd precision
BRITISH RE S PON S IB I L I TY FOR INDIA . 30 1
ED i terum qua eram ,cines, quid pa ene frigid i
a ga tis. R espicite i l la mil ie s o ctingenties
hom inum—ma m non possum nimis sa epe facere
ut illud reco rdem ini,nobis perm issa m esse quin
tam eo rum partem qui orhem terra rum inco lunt,
homines uestri sim illim o s—quos cum o culis respe
x eritis, nonne animis quoque m isera m ini homine s
e x ercitibus uestris sub iecto s,filiis fra tribus cini
bus denique dicto a udientes ? nam milite s nostri
prouincia m inundant, et cum in be l lo o fficium
pra epo nunt uita e, tum per pacem ipsa m tem pes
tatem Marte a tro cio rem facile pa tiuntur, donec
e a sunt co n fecti, et morbos qui sa euo impe tu
denos uel centenos in singulo s dies nonnunquam
o pprim unt. Magistratus influx erunt homine s
im pigerrim i quorum numerus, cum iam nego tiis
suppeta nt, minui est co eptus. His equites et
nego tia to res com m iscentur, urbes pra ecipua s con
ce lebrant, com m ercio rum cursum dirigunt, quorum
socie tates loca uel remotissima a m plectuntur.
Aduo ca tideinceps et actores secuti a urea m m etunt
m essem in populo litigio so ,'
qua m aliquot annis
in m a x im is la b o ribus co llo ca tis dom um secum
a spo rta nt, ubi o tio si et securi u1tam . re liqua m
dega nt. Ma china to res postremo et Opifices sunt ,qu i cum omnia uiis m un itis plana fecerint, et e a
quae te llus gignit cum celerita te dispertienda et
ORA TOR I CAL
the produce which the land yie lds and the inte l
ligence which interests all nations . We ru le the
land ; upon the whole unselfishlyand wise ly .
‘We
restrain such evil a s an honest love o f right and
truth can put down, by instruments far from
pe rfect, but the best which the la nd furnishe s .
[No . B is/z ap Dougla s of B om bay .
HE S E a re maxims so o ld and so trite, that
no man care s to dwe l l o n them,fo r fear o f
be ing told that he is repeating what he learned o f
his nurse . But they a re no t the le ss true for
be ing tri te ; and when m en suffer themse lve s
to b e hurried away by a set o f new-fangled
notions diame trically opposite , they cannot b e
repeated to o often . I f we pe rsist in the othe r
course, we must go o n increasing o ur debt til l
the burden o f o ur tax es becomes intolerable .
That boasted constitution,which we a re daily
impairing, the peop le wil l estimate no t by what
it once has been,o r is stil l asserted to b e in
the‘
declamations against anarchy,but by its
practical e ffects ; and we shall hardly escape
go 4 ORA TORI CAL .
the ve ry e xtrem e we a re so anxiously desirous
o f shunning. The o ld government o f Fran ce
was sure ly provided with suffi cient checks against
the l icentiousness o f the people ; -but o f what
avail were those checks when the ambition and
prodigal ity o f the Gove rnment had exhausted
eve ry resource by which e stabl ished gove rn
ments can b e supported ? M inisters attempt
to fix upon others the charge o f innovation,while they themse lves a re
,every session, making
greater innovations than that which they now
call the most dreadful o f all, name ly, a re form
in the representation in parliam ent . But i t i s
the infatuation o f the day that, while fixing al l
o ur attention upon France , we almost conside r
the ve ry nam e o f l ibe rty as odious : nothing o f
the opposite tendency gives us the least alarm .
[No . 41 4-1
THANK you for pointing to m e . I really
wished much to gain your attention in an early
stage o f the debate . I have been long ve ry
deeply,though perhaps inefi
‘
ectua lly, engaged in
the pre l iminary inquiries,which have continued
without intermission,for some years. T hough
FOX’
S INDIA B ILL . 305
tissime ca uem us. Ha b eb a t sane Ga llo rum antiqua
res publica unde po pula ri licentia e resisti posse t :
ecquid ta m en ista pro fuerunt cum om nia, quae
re i publicae quasi fundamenta sunt, pro iecisset
luxuria principum et cupidita s At nostri quidem
principes a liis rei publicae im m inuenda e crim en
o b iciunt ; ipsi singulo s i n anuos maius al iquid
in hoc ordine mutant quam illud quod omnium
no centissim um esse uo lunt,ut legibus de sena
to ribus cre a ndis o b rogetur. S ed ea hodie insania
est utGallos respicientibus lib erta tis pa ene nomen
inuisum sit, a seruitute plane securi sim us.
S . H . B .
RAT IAS ago co nsuli,Patre s Co ns
'
cripti, quod
m e pra ecipue sententia m ro ga uerit, qui de
hac re uel inter primos quae sentirem dice re
uehem enter cuperem . Cum enim inquisitio nibus iis
quae huius roga tio n is causa per plures ammos ia m
co ntinua ta e sunt, diligentia m egom et,si forte ih
x
go o ORA TOR I CA L
I have fe lt with som e degre e o f sensibility the
natural and inevitable impressions o f the several
m atters of fact, as they have been succe ssive ly
disclosed, I have not at any time attempted to
trouble yo u on the merits o f the subje ct ; and
ve ry l ittle o n any o f the points which incidentally
arose in the course of o ur proceedings . But
I should b e sorry to b e found totally silent upon
this day. Our inquiries a re now come to a fin al
issue : i t is now to b e de te rmined whe ther the
three years of laborious parl iamentary research.whe ther the twenty years o f patient Indian suffe r
ing,a re to produce a substantial reform in o ur
easte rn adm inistration, o r whe ther o ur knowledge
of the grievances has abated o ur zeal for the
corre ction of them,and o ur very inquiry into the
evil was only a pre text to e lude the remedy which
is demanded from us by humanity,by justice and
by eve ry principle o f true policy. Depend upon
it this business ca nnbt b e indifferent to o ur fam e .
I t wil l turn o ut a matte r o f great disgrace or great
glory to the whole British nation . We a re o n
a conspicuous stage and the world marks our
demeanour.
B urke.
go 8 ORA TOR I CA L
HE last cause o f this disobedient spirit in the
colo nie s is hardly less powe rful than the rest,as it is not mere ly moral, but laid deep in the
natural constitution o f things . Three thousand
miles o f ocean lie be tween yo u and them . No
contrivance can prevent the e ff e ct of this distance
in weakening government. Seas roll, a nd ,m o nths
pass,be tween the order and the execution ; and
the want o f a speedy explanation o f a single point
is enough to defe at a whole system . You have ,indeed, winged ministers o f vengeance, who carry
your bolts in the ir pounces to the remotest verge
o f the sea . But the re a powe r steps in that l imits
the arrogance o f raging passions and furious
e lements,and says ‘ S o far shalt thou go and
n o farthe r. ’ Who a re you that should fre t and
rage,and bite the chains o f nature ? Nothing
worse happens to you than does to a ll nations
who have extensive empire ; and it happens in
all the forms into which empire can b e thrown .
In large bodie s, the c irculation o f power m ust b e
less vigo rous at the extrem i ties . Nature has said
it. The Turk cannot govern E gypt and A rabia .
a nd Kurdistan as he governs Thrace ; no r has he
the same dominio n in Crimea a nd A lgie rs which
he has at Brusa and Smyrna . Despotism itse lf is
obliged to truck and huckster. The Sultan ge ts
AMERICA TOO FAR TO GOVE RN . 309
BC tantum propter insita m hom inibus in
do lem hoc euenit ut parum o btempera ntes
habea m us colonias, sed ipsa quoque natura causae
stetit et uo lunta s deo rum ,interpo sita maris
im m ensita te, qua quominus heb esca t uis imperi i
mullis a rtibus effici potest . Sub al io sidere im
pera tur, sub alio pa tra ntur mandata : fluctus in
m edio m ulto rum que m ensium n a uiga tio , sub la ta que
facultate dub ita ntem lega tum edo cendi tota fieri
potest utratio co nsilio rum etcompages la b efa ctetur.
At enim,sicut fulm in is a litem m inistrum Iuppiter,
sic nos in extremas terra rum oras n a ues longas
im m ittere possumus ultrices. Fa teo r. S ed est quod
obste t ultio n is cupidis, est quo tenus ire de tur, est
quod tumescente s amimos com pesca t ac delenia t.
Fingite enim no b iscum lo quentes deos.‘Vos,
’
inquiunt,‘ qui tandem estis qu i reca lcitretis
frenum que detrectetis quodque ratum est pati
no litis ? Nihil in uo s durius co nstitutum est
quam in cetero s quicunque lo nginquis im perita runt
gentibus : ratio autem im pera ndi nulla potest
e x cogita ri quin huic co ndicio ni sit o bno x ia .
’ Non
uera lo quentur ? Non sic edix it natura ut et in
pedibus digitisque lentio r quam in pra eco rdiis
flua t sanguis, et pro uecta in lo nginquum imperia
la nguesca nt? A lia Persarum regis in Susa et
E cbatana, alia in Cariam Cyprum que etAegyptum
g1 o ORA TOR I CA L
such obedience as he can . H e gove rns with a
loose re in, that he may govern at all, and the
whole o f the force and vigour o f his authority
in the centre is derived from a prudent re laxation
in his'
b o rders. Spain in her provinces is pe rhaps
not so we l l obeyed as you a re in yours . S he
complies too,she submits
,she watches times .
This is the immutable . condition,the e ternal law of
extensive and de tached empires .
[No . B urbe.
UT who gave R obe spierre the power o f be ing
a tyran t ? And who were the instruments o f
his tyranny ? The present virtuous constitution
mongers . He was a tyrant, they were his sate l lites
and his hangmen . The ir sole merit is in the
murder . o f the ir colleagues . They have expiated
the ir othe r murders by a new murde r. I t has
always been the case among this banditti : they
3 1 2 ORA TORI CAL
have always had the knife at each othe r’s throats,after they had alm ost blunted it at the throat o f
every honest man . These people thought that in
the com m erce o f murde r,he was l ike to have
the be tte r of the bargain if any time was lost ; they
there fore took o ne o f the ir short revolutionary
me thods,and massacred him in a manne r so
perfidio us and crue l as would shock all humanity
if the stroke wa s not struck by the present rulers
o n o ne o f the ir associates . But this last act o f
infide l ity and murder is to expiate all the rest,and
to qualify them for the amity o f a humane and
virtuous sovere ign and civil ized people .
[No .
Y Lords,I should b e ashamed if at this
moment I attempted to use any sort o f
rhe torical bla ndishments whatever. Such arti
fices would ne ithe r b e suitable to the body that
I represent, to the cause which I sustain,o r to
my own individual disposition upon such an
occasion . My Lords, we know ve ry we l l what
these fallacious blandishments too frequently a re .
We know that they a re used to captivate the
RHE TORICA L BLANDISHM E N TS. 3 1 3
la tro nes usita tius quam sica s optimum quem que
iugulando iam retusa s su is inuicem iugulis
intentare ? Vereb a ntur, credo, hom ines ne fa rii
n e in hoc ca edium commercio eundem sibi i lle,modo tempus da retur
,qua estum esse t pra erepturus ;ita que, prout solent rerum no ua rum auctores, rem
tra nsigeb a nt, et so cium adeo immani perfidia
o b trunca uerunt, qua nem o non a bho rreret, nisi i l le
percussus, hi fuissent percusso res. At enim,di
im m o rta les,supremo hoc scelere ne fa nda e ca edis
satis iam ce te ra purga runt fa cino ra , satis dignos
scil icet se pra ebuerunt qui in m itissim i o ptim ique
regis, et in ciuium hum a nissim orum so cieta tem
atque am icitia m reciperentur.
G. H . R .
VDE R ET rne iudices, ho c praesertim tem
pore,lenocinium a liquod aut illeceb ra s ner
borum ra tio ni m ea e a dhib ere : quod genus neque
ordin i nostro neque huic causae neque m eo
ingenio co nuen ire a rb itro r. N empe hae c oratoria
pigmenta quid sa epissim e uelint haud ignoramus .
E tenim so imus e a ad uo lunta tem sub sellio rum
ca pta nda m an im o sque iudicum concilia ndo s non
e rga causam sed erga hominem com pa ra ri. So imus
3 1 4 ORA TORICAL
benevolence o f the court, and to conciliate the
affe ctions o f the tribunal rathe r to the person
than to the cause . We know that they a re used
to stifle the remonstrances o f conscience in the
judge and to reconcile it to the violation o f his
duty, and that thus al l partie s a re induced to
separate in a kind o f good humour, as if they
had nothing more than a verbal dispute to se ttle,o r a sl ight quarre l over a table to compromise
while nations,whole su ffering nations
,
’
a re le ft
to beat the empty air with crie s o f suffe ring and
angu ish, and to cast fo rth to an offended heaven
the imprecations of disappointment and de spair.
[NO 452 ]
R IVE N from the accusation upon the subje ct
o f pikes, and even from the very colour o f
accusation,and knowing that nothing was to b e
done without the proof of arms,we have got this
miserable, solitary knife , he ld up to us as the
engine which was to destroy the consti tution
o f this country ; and Mr. Groves, an Old Bailey
solicitor, employed as a spy upon the occasion,ha s been se le cted to give probabili ty to this
monstrous absurdity by his respectable evidence .
I understand that this same gentleman has carried
31 6 ORA TOR I CA L
his system of spying to such a pitch as to practise
i t since this unfortunate man has been standing
a prisoner be fore you, profe ssing him se lf as a
friend to the committee preparing his de fence,that he might d iscover to the Crown the materials
by.which he meant to de fend his l ife . I state this
only from report, and I hope in God I am
mistaken ; for human nature starts back appalled
from such atrocity,and shrinks and tremble s at
the ve ry statem ent o f it. But as to the perjury
o f this miscreant,it wil l appear palpable beyond
all question, and he shall answer for it in due
season . He te l l s you he attended at Chalk Farm
and that there,forsooth
,amongst about seven
o r e ight thousand people he saw two o r three
persons with knives . He might,I should think
,
have seen ma ny more, a s hardly any m a n goe s
without a knife o f some sort in his pocke t . He
a sked,however
,i t seems, where they got the se
knives,and wa s directed to Green, a hairdre sser,
who deals besides in cutle ry ; and accordingly
this notable Mr. Grove s went (a s he told us) to
Green’s,and asked to purchase a knife, when
Green, 'in answe r to him,said
,
‘ Speak low, for
my wife is a damned aristocrat .’ This answe r
was sworn to by this wre tch,to give you the idea
that Green,who had the knives to se l l, was
DE FE N CE OF TH OMA S HA RD Y. 3 1 7
a n te uo s, iudices, a dstitit, ea m'
ex ercere destiterit,
sed defensio nem pa ra n tibus am icum se eo consil io
pro fessus sit ut quibus hic caput de fensurus esse t
ra tio nibus co nsulibus de ferret. Ho c ego a uditum ,
no n com pertum refero : quod di fa x int ut falsum
sit : scelus enim tam immane nix ferre potest
hom inum natura, sed uerb is tantum
,no n re ipsa
expe rta, o b stupescit ho rrescitque . Hunc autem
peiera sse meridiana luce clarins erit ; da b itque,
da b it, inqua m ,a liqua ndo poemas . A it se Ga b iis
fuisse ibi inter septem uel octo milia hom inum ,
duos tresue se uidisse qui sica s h a b erent. Po tuit,
o pino r, et plures uidere . Q uo tus quisque enim est,
quin cultellum qua lem cunque sub ueste ha b ea t
S ciscita nti ucro, unde pa ra to s e o s h a b erent,
m o nstra ta m sibi N a euii cuiusda m to nstrina m ,qui
ferramenta quoque uendita ret. E o cum uenisset
popo scissetque, qua e rat a stutia , culte llum—sic
enim n a rra b a t—hunc in modum respo ndetN a euius,‘Amabo te
,subm itta s ‘uo cem uxor enim,
’
inquit‘ quam di perduint, S ulla na rum est pa rtium .
Haec il le homo nequissim us non dixit modo,sed
iure iura ndo quoque fulcire conatus est ; ideo
scil ice t ut no s cultro rum illum uendito rem puta
retis haud igna rum fuisse quantum in’
sce lus
uenirent cultri, n ec e o s palam esse‘
uendendo s .
31 8 EPISTOLARY
conscious that he kept them for an illegal a nd ‘
wicked purpose, and that they were not to b e sold .
in public .
[N o .
MUS T 'no t close my le tte r without giving yo u
o ne principal event of my history ; which
was,that (in the course o f my late tour) I set
o ut o ne morning before five o ’clock,the moon
shining through a‘ da rk and m isty autumnal air
,
and got to the sea -coast time e nough to b e at
the sun’s levee . I saw . the clouds and dark
vapours open gradually to righ t and left, rol ling
ove r o ne another in great sm oky wreaths, and
the tide , as it flowed gently in upon the sands,
first whitening, then sl ightly tinged with gold
and blue and al l at once a l ittle l ine o f insuff er
able brightness that (before I can write these
five words) was grown to half an o rb , and now’
to a whole o ne,to o glorious to b e distinctly '
seen . I t is very o dd it m akes no figure o n
paper ; yet I shal l remembe r it a s long as the
sun,o r at least as long as I shal l endure .
I wonder whe the r any body eve r saw it be fore :
I hardly be l ieve it.
[No . 489-1
32 0 E PISTOLARY :
IR C lem ent te l ls m e yo u will shortly come to
town . We begin to want comfort in a few
friends around us, while the winds whistle,and
the waters roar. The sun give s a parting look,
but ’
tis but a cold o ne ; we a re ready to change
those distant favours o f a lofty beauty,fo r a gross
material fire that warms and comforts more .
I wish you could b e here ti l l your family come
to town ; you’ l l l ive more innocently, and kil l
fewer harmless creatures, nay none, except by
your proper deputy,the butche r. I t is fi t for
conscience ’ sake that you should come to town,and that the duche ss should stay in the country
,
where no innocents o f another species may suff e r
by her. I advise you to make man your game,
hunt and beat about here for coxcombs,and truss
up rogues in satire : I fancy they’ l l turn to a good
account,if you can produce them fresh
,o r m ake
them keep : and the ir re lations wil l come and buy
the ir bo dies o f yo u .
[F.C. No .
TOWN OR COUNTRY ? 32 1
CR I PS E RAT mihi quem mosti eques, te
R om a m b reui uenturum : quod
n obis a ccidet,
a m ico r um ,quot fue
tatem nunc desidera ntibus, ubi,'
ut ait Fla ccus
noste r,
Bruma nines A lb a nis illinit agris.
S o l qu idem seme l tamquam discessurus nos
respicit, uerum frigidius : cu i hum ilem et benig
nio rem foci ignem , ut nunc est, a nteponim us, cum
me l iussit,quod a iunt, a turpio re amari quam a pul
cherrim a despici. Ve l im mecum sis, donec R om am
tui e t iam uenerint innocentius enim uiues,nec
to t innocua a nim a lium corpora trucidab is, immo
nulla'
nisi per la nium rectius tibi’
a d id suffec
tum . E rgo ad istam tuam uirtutem recupera nda m ,
R om am'
uenia s ; maneat ruri Tullia'
tua,ne per
illa m e tiam a lia e,sed diuersi gene ris
,inso ntes
a nim a e perea nt. At tu no b ilio rem e x pete pra eda m ,
m e'
a uctore hom ines s ecta to r ; N om enta num et
Pa nto la bum excipe et agita ; deinde occisos satira
tamquam ne ru fige et uersa den ique aut recente s
pone, aut nigro sale conditos . Accedet inde et
a I o ue aliquid fa uo ris, et a Sosus :'
uen ient enim,
ut decet, in fra tris fumera fratres, em ent lib e llum
quo in stulto s inue x eris,eo rum sim illim i.
E . D . A . M .
32 2 E P I S TOLA R V :
I mam thijo ugh. your volume o f history with
grea t avidity a nd impa t ience, I canno ti fo r
beati :discovering somewha t. o f the sam e im
patience in re turn ing yo u thanks for yo una greerable present; Van 'd expressing the satisfaction
which the perfo rmance has given m e . Whe therI consider the dignityo f your style, the depth o f
your matte r,o r the extensiveness o f your learning,
I must regard the Work as equally the Object o f
esteem ,and I own that if . I had not previously
had the iness o f yourpersonal acquaintance,
such"
a nce from an Englishm an in . our
a ge would h a ve given m e some surprise . Yo u
may smile at this sentiment ; but as i t seems to methat your countrymen, for almost a whole genera
l
tion,have given themse lves up to barbarous a nd
absurd faction,and have totally neglected all polite
le tters, I no longe r expe cted any va lua b le\ pro _
duction to come from them. 1 kn ow it will'
giveyou pleasure, as it did m e
,to find that al l the m en
o f le ttersin thisplace . concur in then admiration
o f your work,and in the i r anxious desire o f your
continuing it .
Hum e ( to Gz’
Obon ) .
32 4 EPISTOLARV:
Y DE A R RANDOL PH,
I m ust confess it’s rather hard o n you
that afte r yo ur who lesa lei
sla ughter o f wild l ions
(sic) in'S . A frica , you should have m ade -so l ittle
impression On your re turn . upon:the tame cats .
I mean,o f course
, yr constitue nts at
.
Paddington .
On the other hand (pa rdon'
a l ittle brag) -it’s
won de rfu l how popular I’
ve late ly become with
the Tories . I wish ypu had heard my speech o n
the Local Government B i l l for I re land the othe r
night in the House .
‘ Queen and Constitution,’
‘the Emerald Isle,
’
the Union of hea rts, &c . , &c.
R ounds o f applause fol lowed my loyal sentiments .
We’
re o n the eve o f a dissolution . The G . O. M.
i s, a las, a s fresh . as even . S til l I . rea lly.
fe lt a bit
o f .the o ld love fo r him when he harangued the
other nigh t o n ‘ Disestablishment o f the We lsh
and Scotch Churches,
’ ‘One man o n e vote,’ and
R econstruction o f the House o f Lords. ’ These
were once my principle s, you know.
Are they still ? you will a sk. We ll, to te l l you
the truth,I hardly know myse lf.
Yours ever,JOSEPH .
[No .
A COAT OF MANY COLOURS. 3 2 5 .
ATEOR quidem ho c a duersa e tuae fortuna e
fuisse, te, cum feriis Latinis feras plurim a s
sub sole Aethio pe trucida uisses,a pud
'
fa uto res
tuo s in Ca rinis a prica to s ita re frix isse , ut no n feris
sed inferis com m ittendus uiderere . Contra,pace
tua dix erim , Ko'
mro s m ipecrn Km’
m‘
&n a pvofip a t To
m irum,quanta gratia ipse apud bonos fia m .
Nuper quidem te uehem enter desidera b a m , de
S iculo rum m unicipiis a dm inistra ndis e lo cutus ;
pero ra ntem m e solita, scilice t deum R om ulum
deifilium ,et f x a p
'
rrovvfio ov, etR o m a no rum e sse
idem sentire de re publica, multiplici pla usu
e x ceperunt boni . Intra triduum ad suffragia
discedendum est. I a rn iste, quem no sti,impio tate
gra uissim us,Oyw ovra érns z sed uiridi et impigra
senectute esse la crim a bundus fa teo r : quem nuper
Co ntio nantem pra e feruida i sta, scilice t Deo rum
templa Dis, non a era rio,cura e esse debere, et
tribus pra eroga tiua e re ligio nem a b o lenda m e sse ,et sen a tum fortins purga ndum , m ay, ut prio ris
a m icitia e m em o r, de
‘k ouri ye v q
'
i a dm ira tus sum ;
quippe ista eadem olim - ipse co ntio na b a r, et
fo rta sse sentieb a m . At, inquies, im m uta to ne es
animo ? Immo in hoc ha ereo,et diludia postulo .
Vale .
E . D . A . M .
32 6 E P JS TOL AR V :
AD i t pleased Go d to continue to m e
the hopes o f succession, I should have
been according to my mediocrity, and the
mediocrityo f the a ge I l ive in,a sort o f founder
o f a family : I should have left a so n , who, 1n al l
the points in which personal merit can be viewed,would not have shown himse lf inferior to the Duke ,o r to any o f those whom he traces in his l ine .
But a Dispose r whose power we a re l ittle able to
resist, and whose wisdom it behove s us not at al l
to dispute, ha s ordained it in another manner, and,whatever my queru lous weakness might suggest,a far be tter. The storm has gone over m e . I a m
stripped o f al l my honours,I am torn up by the
roots,and lie prostrate o n the earth There , and
prostrate there, I most unfe ignedly recognize the
divine justice,and in some degree submit to i t .
Butwhilst I humble myse lf before God, I do not
know that it is forbidden to repe l the attacks o f
unjust a nd inconsiderate m en . The patience o f
Jo b is proverbial . A fter some o f the convulsive
struggle s of o ur i rritable nature, he subm itted
himse l f, and repented in dust and ashes . But
even so,I do not find him blamed for reprehending,
and with a considerable degree o f ve rbal asperi ty,those i l l-natured ne ighbours o f his
,who visited his
dunghi ll to read moral, political, and economical
32 8 EPISTOLARY :
lectures On his misery: :I am alone . I have none
to mee t m y enemie s in the gate . Indeed,my lord
,
I . greatly de ce ive myse lf if, in this'
hard sea son,
I would give’
a-pe ck o f re fuse wheat fo r al l that is
called fame a nd honour in the world
[No . B urke.
Y DEA R W ILL IAM,
I have just rece ived your k ind m es
sage and me lancholy news . Thank you fo r
thinking that I ’m interested in what concerns
you, and sympathize in what give s you pleasure
o r grief. We ll, I don’t think the re is much more
than this to-day : but I recall what you have said
in o ur many talks o f your father, a nd remember
the aff ection and respect with which yo u always
regarded and spoke o f him . Who would wish
for more than honour,love
,obedience
,and a
tranquil end to o ld a ge ? And so that generation
which engendered us passes away, and the ir p lace
knows them not ; and o ur turn comes when we’
a re to say good-bye to our joys, struggles, pains,affections, and o ur young ones will grieve and b e
consoled for us and so o n . We’ve l ived a s much
in forty as your good o ld father in his four score
FRIENDL Y CONSOLATION .
Omnia co im ere , quicquid apud homines fama uel
gloria nuncupetur.
C ITO m e, iucundissim e amice , sa lutem mihi
tuis uerb is missam a ccepisse, do lo rem que
ex tam tristi nuntio sub iisse . Scilice t illud mihi
pergra tum a ccidit quod reputas nihi l tua rum
re rum a m e esse a lienum ,om nia que quae tibi uel
o b lecta tio nem uel m a erorem a ffera nt, ad m e quo
que pertinere . Non equidem uideo quid hodie
a m plius a m e tibi sit scrib endum : uerum ta m en
ista quae in no stris plurim is de patre tuo ser
m o nibus pra edica sti reco rdo r, m em inique quantum
e ius a m o rem, qua ntam uenera tio nem et h a b ueris
sempe r et significa ris. Quis tandem plura posse t
sib i optare quam magni a estim a ri,dil igi
,suspici,
tum integra tra nquillita te ad senectutem peruenire ?
Ad istud quidem exemplum illa quae no s pro
dux it ae tas hom inum eua nescit et in suis sedibus
desidera tur m o x nobis quoque eadem erit sors
ut gaudia certam ina dolore s amores m isso s facia
3go EPISTOLARY :
years, don’ t you think so —and how awfully tired
and lone ly we a re . I picture to,myse lf the placid
face o f the kind o ld fathe r with all that trouble
and doubt over—his l ife expiring wi th supreme
blessings for you all— for you and Jane and un
conscious li ttle Magdalene prattl ing and laughing
at l ife ’s threshold ; and know that you will b e
tenderly chee red and consoled by the good man ’s
blessing for the three o f you ; while yet but a
minute, bu t yesterday, but all e te rni ty a go, he
wa s he re loving and su ff ering. I go o n with the
pape r be fore m e— I know there ’s nothing to say-but I assure you o f my sym pathy and that I
am yours my dear o ld friend affe ctionate ly,Willia m Tha ckeray .
332 EPISTOLARY :
HE unhappy news I have j ust rece ived from
you equally surprises and afflicts m e . I have
lost '
a pe rson I loved very much and have been
used to f rom my infancy ; but am much more
concerned for your loss,the circumstan ces o f
which I forbear to dwe ll upon,as you must b e to o
sensible“
of them yourse lf ; and will, I fear, more
and more need a consolation which no o ne ca n
give except He who ha s preserved her to you so
many years, and at l ast when it was His pleasure
ha s taken her from us to H imse lf : and pe rhaps if
we refle ct upon what she fe lt in this l ife, we may
look upon this a s an instance o f His goodness
both to her,and to those that loved her. S he
might have languished many ye ars be fore o ur eye s
in a continual increase o f pain and totally he lp
less ; she might have long wished, to end her
misery without be ing able to attain it ; o r perhaps
even lost all sense and yet continued to breathe
a sa d spectacle to such a s must have fe lt more fo r
her than she could have done fo r herse lf. How
ever you may deplore your own loss, yet think
that she is at las t easy and happy ; and ha s now
more occasion to pity us than we her. I hope
and b eg you will support yourse l f with that resignation we owe to H im
,who gave us our be ing for
our good,and who deprives us of it for the same
THUS. GRA Y TO HI S M OTH E R. 333
NOPINATVM a eque fuit et luctuo sum quod
mihi a ttulisti. E arn enim rne a m isisse nun
tiabas qua m ,ua lde a m a ui et quae toti m e a e uita e
co niunctissim a fuera t. Ve rum ma gis doleo de
tua ipsius calamitate ; de qua ta m en plura dice re
molim : quanta enim sit iam dudum nimio plus
sentis et uereo r ne magis in die s so la tio n em ea m
requisitura sis quam nemo pra esta re po tuerit nisi
i l le qui so ro rem tuam cum per tot a nno s tibi asser
nault, tum idem quando sibi uisum est ad se reuo
cauit . Quod pro fecto ipsum,
'
si'
quae uiuendo
pa ssa sit in animo tenem us, haud scio an deiO . M .
et -
'
e rga ipsam et erga nos,’
qui e a m a m a uim us,
bo nita tis indicio' habere deb e a m us.
'
Po tuit enim
per m ulto s'
a nno s'
insa na b ilis morbi a uctis per
petuo'crucia tibus fra cta in co nspectu nostro ita
languere utet ipsa mortem tanquam do lo rum finem’
nequiqua m desidera ret ; ueln sensu omni am isso
uitam solam'
producere,
'
quod'
specta culum iis sane
luctuo sissim um fuisset qui magis e ius causa quam
sua ipsa do lerent. Quam igitur a m isisti ita debe s'
lugere ut non o b liuisca ris illa m o tio“
tandem ac
fe l icitate frui ; cui pro fecto nostri iam m isereri
potius quam'nobis illius iustum sit. Obsecro
autem te ut te ipsa m s o leris, quod et facturam
e sse spero, res omnes dei O. M'
. uo lunta ti per
m ittendo,qui b eneuo lentia e causa uitam unicuique
334'EPISTOLARY:
reason . I . wo uld . ha ve come to - you
you do not sayiwhether you desire
n o t ; if you do; I beg I may knowit, ifo r '
there'
. is
nothing . to hinde r m e,and :I . am ih
'
ve ry good
health .“ 1
“
[F.
l‘
n . L .
' l c l \ \ 1
VE NTyour expo'
stulations a re pleasing to m enfor tho ugh ithey Show you a ngry, yet they
a re .not without many. expre ssions o f: yo ur, k ind
ness a nd therefore I am proud to be so'
chidden .
Yet I canno t so f a r a b ando n'
m y own,de fence,, as
to confe ss -any idlene ss o r forge tfulness .o u mypart . What ha s hindered m e from writing to youwa s neither il l-he alth _ ,
nor a wo rset hing, ingra tiJ
tude,but a floo d o f l it tle businesses,which yet a re
necessary -to my subsistence, a nd o f whiehx I,hope
‘
d
to have given you a good account b efore '
this time :
but the court rathe r speaks kindly,o f m e tha n doe s
anything for m e,though they promise 1 large ly
and perhaps they think I will advance as they ’
go
backward, in which they wil l b e much de ce ived ;for I can never go an inch beyond my conscience
and my honour. I f they will considerm e a s a man
who'
has done my be st to improve the language
336 EPISTOLARY : 4
a ndue specia lly the poe try o f my country,and wil l
b e content with my acquiescence under the pre sent
government, a nd-f orbearing satire‘
o n it, that I can
prom ise, be cause I ca n , perfo rm it ; but I can
ne ithe r take the oaths nor forsake my re ligion .
Truth is but o ne ; and they who have once heard
o f it can plead no excuse if they do not em brace
i t . But these a re things to o serious for a trifl ing
le tte r.
[NO 458
Y de a r Walter,—7 1 know that yo u a re too
re a sonable a m a n to expe ct . anything l ike
punctuality o f corre spondence from a translator
o f Home r, especial ly from o ne who is . a . do er
also o f many othe r things at the same tim e ; . fo r
I la bour hard no t o nly ; to : a cquire a little fame
fo r myself; but to win it .a lso for others
,m en o f
whom I . know nothing, no t even the ir names, v'
Vho
send m e their poe try, that, by translating it o ut
o f prose into verse, I may make it more l ike
poe try than it wa s. Having heard all this, you
wil l fee l yourse l f not only incl ined to pardon my
long si lence, . but to pity m e also fo r the cause
o f it. Yo u may,if you p lease, be lieve likewise,
A N A P OLOG Y. 337
potero et perficere : sed neque iure iura ndo o b
stringar neque no uo s ritus a ccipia m . Quippe una
est uerita s : quam qui cogn ita m no lint a m plecti,
non ha b ent quod excusent. S ed gra uio ra i lla
quam quae nugis epistula e conuenia nt.
A . 5 .
C10 equidem ,mi Pomponi
,no n adeo te im »
pro bum esse ut scrib endi diligentia m ab eo
requira s qui cum Hom erum Latine uerta m,tum
a liis perm ultis rebus simul intersim . E n ito r enim
ut fa m a e a liqua ntulum non mihi modo com
parem, sed a liis e tiam quorum omnia, et ipsa
quidem nomina ignota ' sunt,qui tam en ad m e
uersiculo s suos m ittunt ut e soluta o ra tio ne in
num erum'
reda cti po em a ta qua lia cum que fia nt.
Tu uero cum haec legeris, lib enter et uenia m
tam diu tacenti, et si causam respe x eris mise ri
co rdia m a dhibeb is. S ic quoque tib i uelim per
sua dea s,posse m e e tiam interm issis episto lis
m eo rum e sse memorem,nec pilo quidem minus
2
338 E PISTOLARY
for it is true , that I have a faculty of remembering
my friends even when I do no t write to them,and
o f loving them not o ne j ot the less, though I leave
them to starve fo r want o f a letter from m e . And
now, I think, you have an apology both a s to
style, matter, and manner, altogether une x ceptio n
able .
[No . W. Cowper.
Y le tter to-day, dear lady, must needs b e
a ve ry short o ne,for the post goes in half
a n hour,a nd I
’
ve been occupied all day with
my own busine ss and other people’s . At three
o ’clock,just a s I was in fu l l work, comes a
le tte r from a protegee o f my mother’s, a certain
Madame de B . , inform ing m e that she, Madame
de B .,had it in view to commit suicide immediate ly,
unless she could b e in some measure re l ieved
(o r releived, which is i t ? ) from her present dif
ficulties. So I have had to post o ff to this Madame
de B .,whom I expected to find starving
,and
instead m et a woman a good deal fatter than the
m ost full-fed person need b e, and having just had
a good dinner ; but that didn’ t preven t her
,the
confounded old fiend,from abusing the woman
340 EPISTOLARY
who fed her and wa s good to her,from spoil ing
the half o f a day’s work fo r '
m e,and takingm e o f
a fool’s erra nd . I wa s quite a ngry,instead o f
a corpse pe rhaps, to find a fat a nd'
vo lub le person
who had no more idea o f hanging herse lf to the
b ed post than you o r I have .
Tha ckeray .
R . SPECTATOR,
The night before I le ft London I went
to‘
see a play called the Humorous L ieutenant .
Upo n the rising o f the curtain I wa s ve ry much
surprised with the gre at concert o f cat-calls
which wa s exhibited that evening, and began to
think with myse lf that I had made a mistake, and
gone to a music mee ting instead o f the playhouse .
.I t appeared inde ed a little o dd to m e, to see so
many persons o f qual ity,o f both sexes, assembled
.toge the r at a kind o f cate rwauling for I cannot
look upon that performance to have been anything
7 OHN SHALLOW TO MR . SP E CTA TOR. 34 1
etenim la utio ribus epulis -modo se ipsa a ccepera t.
Quod : quidem uetula rn istam,quam pessim a m
pessime d i perdant, min ime pro hibuit quo m inus
o ptim a e fem in a e, quae cibum im pertiera t bene
ficiisque cum ula ra t, co ntum elio sissim e m a lediceret,
o peram que meam pa ene dim idii unius die i to lleret,cum m e ineptia rum causa aduo ca sset. Plane eram
ira tus, qui opinione m ea ad mortuam fo rta sse
festin a rim , pinguem e a ndem que lo qua cissim a m
inuen erim ,cui no n magis quam mihi aut ipsi tibi
consil ium e rat in -cubiculo suo collum in la queum
inserendi.
j. S . R .
R IDI E quam e x urbe discessi,ueni uespe ri
in theatrum . Inducta est ibi togata, quae
m iles cerebrosa s inscrib itur. Dem issis a ula eis
statim m ira tus sum co ncinere undique pa sto ricia s
fistulas ; ac uisus sum mihi propte r erro rem ali
quem m usicis pro mimis interesse . Turn in il lo
h a ereb am , quod uideb a ntur ad ua gitum a liquem
tot mundi auditores,cum uiri, turn e tiam m ulieres,
co nflux isse . Qui enim co ncineb a nt,sibi quidem
(credo) pla ceb a nt satis, mihi autem u isi sunt
ua gitum germ a num edere . De : e a re certio r
turn fieri nequib a m , propterea . quod fa m ilia rium
34 2f EPISTOLARY :
be tte r, whateve r the musicians themselve s might
th ink'
o f it . As I h ad no acquaintance in the house
to a sk'
questio ns'
o f, and wa s forced to
'
go o ut of
town Early th e nex t morning, I could notlearn the
secret'
b f this 'm a tter. Wha t. I would therefore
desire o f to ~ give rne some account of this
stra nge instrum ent, which I found the company
ca lled] a catscal l ; and particu larly to let m e know
whe ther i t be a piece Of 1music late ly come' from
I talylsz .
Fo r my own part,to be fre e with you,
I would rather hear an E nglish fiddle : though
I durst not show my disl ike whilst I was in . the
playhouse,i t be ing my chance to sit the very next
man to o ne o f the performers .
I am,S ir
,
Your most aff ectionate friend and se rvant,
JoHN SHALLOW,E sq .
[No . Addiso n .
TRUST to the country and that easy indolence
yo u say you enjoy the re , to restore yo u your
health and spirits ; a nd doubt not bu t, when the
sun grows warm enough to tempt yo u from your
fireside, yo u wi ll (l ike all other things) be th e be tter
fo r his influence . He is my o ld friend, a nd an
excel lent nurse I assure you . Ha d it not been for
344 EPISTOLARY :
him,li fe had often been to m e intole rable . Pray
do not imagine that Tacitus, o f all authors in the
world,can b e tedious . An annalist
,you know
,is
by no means !master o f hiS '
subject ; and'
I think
o ne may venture to say that if those Pannonian
a ffairs a re tedious in his hands, in another’s they
would have o b een insupportable . However,fear
not,they will soon b e over, and he will make
ample a mends. A man who could j oin the
brilliant o f wit and concise sententiousness
peculia r to that a ge, wi th the truth and gravity o f
be tter time s,and the deep reflection and good
sense o f the best modem s, cannot choose but
have something to strike yo u . Yet what I admire
in him above all,is his de testation o f tyranny,
and the high spiri t o f l iberty that eve ry now and
then breaks o utwhe ther he wou ld o r no .
OUR entertaining a nd p leasan t le tter, re
sembling in tha t respect al l that I rece ive
from you, deserved a more expeditious answer ;and shou ld have had wha t it so we ll dese rved,
TO A FRIEND. 345
re fo uenda ua litudine sa lub errim us quo si caren
dum fuisset, sa epius iam uita e perta esum esset.
S ed heus tu qu i Ta citum , quem minime deceb a t,in scrib endo m o lestum e sse credis. An fugit te
a nna lium scripto rem minime suo arbitrio quae
scrib a t e l igere ? I llas uero res Pa nno nica s, si ab
ipso parum com m enda ntur, bona nenia dix erim ab
alio scripta s om nino no n fuisse ferenda s. Ve rum
e rige te , pera ctis enim his m o lestiis bren i tibi
cumulate sa tisfa ciet. Nempe in quo uno ex stite
rint no n solum quae in illa potissim um a eta te
e niteb a nt, sale s. a rgutia e, pressa quaedam dicendi
sub tilita s,sed fidei quoque et gra uita tis quantum
mutati in me l ius mores a dhibuerint : cum idem
sapientia et iudicio tantum ua lea tquantum pauci uel
eorum qu i hodie scribunt,nonne hunc a dm ira tio ne
a liqua esse dignum co nfitendum est ? Mihi uero
cum plurima in il lo n iro placent, turn in primis
sa eua i lla in tyra nno s indignatio, etuindex lib erta tis
animus qu i inuito ipso a liqua ndo tamem erum pit.
AM lepida e tam que iucunda e fuerunt littera e
tuae, quam solent omnes esse quas a te
a ccipio . Ad ea s deb eb a m rescrib ere citius ; et
quod deb eb am fecissem , nisi ad m e turn perne
E P ISTOLARY .
‘
had it not reached m e at a time when,deeply in debt to all my correspondents, I had
le tters to write withou t number. Like ‘ autumnal
leaves that strew the brooks in Val lombrosa,’
the
unanswered farrago lay before m e . I f I quote at
all, yo u must expect m e hence forth to quote none
but ~Mi lton,since for a long time to come I shal l
b e occupie d with him only.
Iwa s much pleasedwith the extract yo u gave
m e from your sister E l iza’s le tte r ; she writes‘
very
e legantly, and (if I m ight say it without seeming
to flatter you) I should saymuch in the manner o f
her brothe r. I rejoice that you a re so we l l with
the learned B ishop o f Sarum,and we l l remembe r
how he ferre ted the ve rmin Laude r o ut o f al l his
hidings,when I was a boy at Westminste r.
What le tter o f the ro th o f De cembe r is that
which yo u say yo u have no tyet answe red Con
sider, i t is April now,and I never remembe r
anything that I write half so long . But pe rhaps
it re la tes to Calchas, for I do remember that you
have not yet furnished m e with the se cre t history
o f him and his family,which I demanded from you .
Adieu,Yours most sincere ly,
W . Cowman .
Wssro u,April 8 .
[No .
348 EPISTOLARY :
OST sorry I am (as Go d knows) that be ing
thus surprised by death, I can leave yo u n o
be tter e state . God is my witness, I meant yo u al l
my office o f wines, o r that I could have purchased
by se l l ing it ; half my stuff , and all my jewe ls, but
some o ne for the boy ; but God hath prevented
al l my resolutions, even that great God that
worke th all in al l : but if you l ive free from wan t,care for no more , fo r the rest is but vanity ; love
Go d,and begin be times to repose your trust in
H im there in shal l yo u find true and lasting
riches, and endless comfort . Fo r the rest, when
yo u have travailed a’
nd wearied your thoughts over
al l sorts o f worldly cogitation, you shal l but sit
down by sorrow in the end. R emembe r your
poor child fo r his father’s sake, who chose yo u
a nd loved you in his happiest time . Get those
le tters (if i t b e possible), which I writ to the lords,where in I sued for my l ife . God is my witness, i t
was fo r yo u and your’s that I desired life ; but it
i s true that I disdain myse l f fo r begging it, for
know (dear wife) that your so n is the so n o f a true
man, and o ne who in his own respect despise th
death, and all his misshapen and ugly forms .
I cannot write much, God He knowe th how
hardly I steal this time while others sleep ; and i t
is also high time that I should separate my thoughts
RALE IGH ’S LAST LE TTE R. 349
D m ehercule maxime doleo,quod morte
pra euentus rem tibi ita im m inuta m re l inquo ;tibi enim cella m uina riam om nem ,
uel quantum
uendenda comparare po ssem , et instrumenti
dim idium , om nesque gemmas destina uera m , una
a liqua excepta quam sepo suera m puero ; quae
omnia ne fa cerem Deus im pediuit Optim us
Maximus,cu ius omnium re rum perficienda rum
arbitrium est. Tu si no n egeb is, nol i quod superest
curare,ce tera enim pro fecto ina nia sunt . Deum
ama,hu ic incipe mature co nfidere, in quo uera e
a eterna eque diuitia e ac sine fine so la cium . Quid
enim ? cum la b o ra ueris teque in omni rerum
cogita tione fa tiga ueris, ta mem ad finem tibi cura
a dsideb it. Memento pueri patris causa, qu i te
in rebus me is felicissim is duxi uxorem et am a ui.
E pistolae quibus mortem depreca tus sum cura,si
potes, ut tibi a iudicibus redda ntur. Deos testor
m e tu i qu idem ac tuo rum causa cupiisse uitam ,
tam en m e ipse contem no qui ad preces descem
derim ; scis enim,uxor carissima, scis pro fecto
filii tu i pa trem esse uirum,qui mortem
, quo tquo t
turpes info rm esque . induerit species, ipse con
tem na t. Plura scrib ere nequeo ; ho c ta ntulum
m ehercule tem po ris a egre, a liis do rm ientibus,
subripio tem pusque erat m e ab huius modi re rum
cogita tio ne a b sistere . Corpus meum,quod uiuum
350 E P ISTOLARY
from the world . Beg m y dead body, which living
wa s denied thee, and e ithe r lay it at Sherborne
( i f the land continue ), o r in E xe te r church by my
fathe r and mother ; I can say no more,tim eo a nd
de ath cal l m e away.
[N o . S ir l/V. R a leigh.
HAVE already given my landlady orders for
an entire reform in the state o f my finance s .
I de claim against ho t suppers, drink less sugar
in my tea,and check my grate with brick
bats. Instead of hanging my room with pictures
I in tend to adorn it with maxims o f frugal ity.
These will make pre tty furniture enough,and
wont b e a bit too expensive fo r I shal l draw them
all o ut with my own hands, a nd'
my landlady’ s
daughte r shal l frame them with the parings o f my
black waistcoat . E ach maxim is to b e inscribed
o n a shee t o f clear paper, and wrote wi th my be st
p en ; o f which the fol lowing will serve a s a
spe cim en .
‘Look sharp ;’ ‘M ind the main chance
Money is money now ; I fyou have a thousandpound
, yo u can put your hands by your side s'
and
say you a re wo rth’
a thousand pounds eve ry day o f
the year ;’ ‘ Take a farthing from an hundred
352 E P ISTOLARY :
pound,and it will b e an hundred pound no longer. ’
Thus,whicheve r way I turn my eyes
,they a re sure
to mee t o ne o f those friendly monitors and a swe
a re told o f an actor who hung his room round with
l ooking-glasses to corre ct the defe cts o f his person,
my apartment shall b e furnished in a peculiar
manner to correct the errors o f my mind .
[No . Goldsm ith.
HOUGH there is no use in writing because
there is no post, but que wa les-Doug,
M a da m e ? On a im e a dire a n petit bonjour a ses
a m is. I fee l almost used to the place already
a nd begin to b e inte re sted about the politics . Some
say there’s a revolution ready for to-day. The
town is crammed with soldiers, and o ne has
a curious fee l ing o f interest and excitement, as in
AT PARIS I N THE‘FORTIE S .
’
353
Quam a dm ira ndum illud hoc a ge quam Horatio
digna illa,
‘
quo cunque modo rem,
’
et‘ 0 ciues,
ciues, qua erenda pecunia prim um est quin
illud recentio ris cuiusdam a ddiderim
Q ua dringenta tenes ? i, to ta m o stende per urb em ;
E n, quo d habes, om ni fit noua sum m a die .
’
Denique sapientissimi ho c inscrib etur
Parce tuis num m is m inua s quo s asse ue l uno ,
Pauper e ris, uictus ratione ruentis a cerui.’
Q uo quo igitur o culo s co nuertero , co rrecto rem
b eneuo lum intueb or : im mo ad exemplum R o scii,
’
qui speculis per ca m era m dispo sitis ne se
a grestius in scena tra duceret studeb a t, ipse paries
mihi m irifice indo lis no stra e erro ribus et culpis
co rrigendis inseruiet.
E . D . A . M .
VAMQ VAM non opus erat litteris,quia
ta b ella rio s nullos ha b eb a m,ta m en rt o o l
Ota cpe’
pec, cf) ytf
va t ; o f) ydp &n a vres (pikofio-w gum s
robs ! !o s dowd§e06a 1 . E quidem hic m e ho spitem
n ix iam sentio 1m m o res huius populi cura e mihi
co eperunt esse . Sunt quidem qui o pinentur hic
hodie o rb em re i publicae se co nuersurum . Vrb s
ce rte m ilitibus est referta ; et nobis animus est
A a
354 EPISTOLARY
walking about on ice which is rather dangerous,and may tumble in at any moment . I had thre e
newspapers for my breakfast, which my man (i t is
rathe r grand having a la qua is a'e pla ce, but I can
’ t
do without him and invent al l sorts Of pre texts to
employ him) bought for five pence o f your money.
The mild pa pers say we have e scaped a great
dange r, a form idable plot has been crushed, and
Paris would have been on fire and fury but for
the t ime ly discovery. The R ed R epubl icans say,Plot ! no such thing
,the infernal tyrants at the
head of affairs wish to find a pre text for perse
cuting patriots, and the good and the brave a re
shut up in dungeons. ’ Plo t or no plot, which is
it ? I think I prefe r to be l ieve there has been
a direful conspiracy, and that we have e scaped
a tremendous danger. I t m akes o ne fee l brave
somehow,and as if o ne had some merit in ove r
throwing this rascally conspiracy.
W M . Tha ckeray .
g56 EPISTOLARY:
OTH I NG e lse (but il l health) should havede tained m e so long at Paris
,a place which
in cold weather I think excessive ly disagreeable
and peculiarly unwholesome . I n fine weather,
when a stranger can visit the various works o f art
which the tempest has assembled here from eve ry
quarter o f the globe,i t is highly interesting ; and
it is encircled by so many de lightful gardens,that
o ne may pass the summer here without fee l ing
one ’s absence from the country. Yet I have neve r
seen a spot Whe re I should more grieve at fixing
my re sidence,nor a nation with
'
which I should
find it so difficult to coalesce . A revolution does
no t seem to b e favourable to the morals o f a people .
In the upper classes I have seen nothing but the
most ardent pursuit after sensual o r frivolous
pleasures,and the most unqual ified egotism,
with
a devotion to the shrines o f luxury and vanity
unknown at any former pe riod . The lower ranks
a re chiefly marked by a total want o f probity, and
an earnestne ss for the gain o f to-day,though
purchased by the sacrifice o f that characterwhich
might ensure them ten-fold advantage o n the
morrow. You must not think m e infected with
national prejudice . I speak from the narrow
circle o f my own observation and that o f my
friends, and I do not include the suff ering parts
PARIS UN DE R THE FIRST CON SUL . 357
IH I L aliud nisi languor L utetia e m e retinere
po tera t, in loco frigo ribus, utmihi uidetur,m irum quam ina m o eno et insa lub errim o . Nam
aprico tem pore a duena e,dum arte s inuisunt pluri
m a s quas huc e x omni parte orbis&pvrm a t (iwnpehl/ a vro ,multum se o b lecta re po ssunt : circum iecti e tiam
horti plurim i flo rentissim i ubi ita dege re a esta tem
po ssis ut rus non desideres. S ed nunquam nec
locum nidi ubi sedem habe re minus uelim ,nec
populum quo cum difficilius meus co a lesca t animus .
R es pro fecto no ua e m o ribus corum qui passi
sunt,non uidentur pro desse . Nam apud optimates
uo lupta rio s solos atque ineptos com peri, eo sque
a rdentissim o s, qui se tantum diligunt, lux um et
ia cta ntiam uenera ti tanquam deos sicut nunquam
antea : in plebe autem probita s nulla, ut sum m a tim
dicam ,lucri hodierni summum studium
,e tsi
decem plex cras co m m odum m o ribus ita corruptis
o m ittunt. S ed ne m e odio gentil i infectam hae c
lo qui puta ueris : diceb a m'
sane de iis quae et ego
et ,amici a n im a duerteram us in gyrum ex iguum
inclusi m itteb a m de parte populi la b o ra nti, quae
alia inte r se societate quam nostra co niuncta ex teris
minim e utitur. N a po leo nem et uxorem sa luta tum
iera m : la utissim us apparatus, Splendor summus .
I pse est habitu optimo, uultu parum blando .
A . H . C.
g58 E P ISTOLAR Y :
o f the nation, who have li ttle intercourse with
strangers, and who form a socie ty apart. I have
be en presented to Bonaparte and his wife, who
rece ive .with great state,ceremony, and magn i
ficence . His manner is very good,but the e x
pression o f his countenance is not attractive .
[No . Mrs. R . Trench.
KNOW that the ears o f modern verse -writers
a re de l icate to an excess, and the ir readers
a re troubled with the same squeamishness a s
themse lve s . S o that if a l ine do n o t run a s smooth
as quicksilver they a re offended . A critic o f the
present day se rve s a poem a s a cook does a dead
turkey,when she fastens the legs o f i t to a post
and draws o ut a ll the sinews. Fo r this we may
thank Pope ; but unless we cou ld imitate him in
the closeness and com pactness o f his expression,a s we l l as in the smoo thness o f his numbers, we
had be tte r drop the imitati on, which se rves no
othe r purpose than to ema sculate and weaken
all we write . G ive m e a manly rough line,with
a deal o f meaning in it,rather than a whole poem
full o f musical periods, that have nothing but
the ir oily smoothness to recommend them .
360 E P ISTOL‘
ARY : .
I have said thus much, as I hinted in the
beginning, because I have just finished a much
longer poem than the last ; which o ur common
friend will rece ive by the same messenger that has
the charge of this le tter. I n that poem there a re
many line s which an ea r so nice as the gentleman ’s
who made the above-mentioned alteration would
undoubtedly condemn and yet (if I may b e per
m itted to say it) they cannot b e made smoother
without be ing the worse for it . There is a rough
ne ss o n a plum,which nobody that unde rstands
fruit wou ld rub o ff , though the plum would b e
much more polished without it.
[N o . Cowper.
P OLISHE D P L UM S . 36 1
Haec scrib eb a m ,quod an tea sign ifica ueram ,
qui
iam lo ngius postremo et modo perfectum carmen
e idem tabe llario, cui has littera s, ad a m icum illum
nostrum tra didissem . Nam insunt ibi uersus
non null i quos homo ea iudicu sub tilita te ut istud
em enda rit uitium ,sine dubio sit co rrecturus ; qui
ta m en (ut ne quid molesti dica m ) leuio res fieri
non po ssunt quin detrim entum ca pia nt. I ta pruno
a sperita s quaedam inest, qua ce rte carens leuius
fiat etpo litius quam tam en imperiti esta b stergere .
364 TE RCE N TE N AR Y OF
quintum usque ad o cta uum lulu, MDCCCXC I I
o ra m usque ut certio res nos fa cia tis quos a d
lega ueritis.
DA BAMVS DVB L IN I,die 7
01 0 N ouem bris,MDCCCXCI .
S crib endo a dfuerunt,
ROSSE,
Ca ncella rius Vm'
uersita tzls Dublinensis .
GEORG IUS SALMON,
Dublinensis .
v rnsrrA'
rr S A CR OSA NCTA E ET I NDIVIDVA E
TR IN ITAT IS IVXTA DVBL INVM
CA NCE L L A R IVS MA G I S TR I A C S CHOLA R E S
VnrvrnsrrA rrs Ox o m snsrs
S . P . D.
RATVLAMVR ex anim o uo b is Ferias
Trisecula res hodie co nce leb ra ntibus, prae
sertim cum tan ti tem po ris decursus neque
senectutem uestra e S o cieta ti neque ueternum
neque ro b o ris de fe ctum a ttulerit, sed contra
n o uam uirium a ccessio nem et la uda b ilem doc
trinae pro fectum .
Nos quoque Ox o niensesj quibus uo b iscum
am icissima sempe r fuit ne cessitudo ac fa m ilia rita s,
pra esentis la etitia e partem haud pa rua m capes
TRINITY COLLE GE , DUBLIN . 365
sim us,
’
tam ho no ra b ilem uiro rum insignium con
cursum uehem enter a dm ira ti, qui ab om n i fere
orbis terra rum regione a dsunt, ut debito honore
Vn iuersita tem uestra m pro sequa ntur.
Quod si lo ngissim e lice a t respicere et Socie tatis
uestra e primordia in memoriam reducere, ha b etis
e t iam tunc a m icitia e n o stra e quasi pra ero ga tiua m
si modo fide sit dignum ab eruditissim o niro I o a nne
Case,a m plius CCC a bhinc annis, editum esse
Ox o nu lib ellum ,noui typogra phei prim itias, in quo
po tentissim o s rei publicae principes a ffa tus
‘ fera cissim a H ib erno rum ingenia ’
e x to llit illud
modo co nquestus, quod in tam beato solo nullum
Musa rum Collegium,nullum philo sophia e sem ina
rium flo re a t.’
Pergra tum est nobis reputa ntibus
o pta bile illud consil ium ,quod tecte innuera tn o stra e
Vniuersita tis alumnus, summa m unificentia con
fecisse E liz a b etha m regin a m , cuius singula rem
fa m am in b ella ndo,impe rando
, do ctrin a m pro
m o uendo nulla fe re regio, nulla nescia t ae tas .
Verum enim ucro inter tantam ho spitum alum
norum que frequentiam ,a ppro b a nte e tiam omnium
uo lunta te,superua ca neum uidetur uestra e domus
felicem fo rtun am fusius re ferre, quot qua ntisque
diff iculta tibus deb ella tis quam ce lso se in fastigio
sta b iliuerit, qua nta m in omnibus hum a n ita tis ac
littera rum studiis co nsecuta sit la udem . Neque
366 TE RCENTENARY OF
ta m en om nino pra eterire fas estsum m o rum uiro rum
nomina quorum Ope tam clara lux uestra e S o cieta ti
a ffulserit. Quis enim est qui igno retAdam i Lofti
miram sa ga cita tem ,aut P la to nica m Berkeleii
sub tilita tem ac uim dia lectica m ? Cui non nota
est Burkii sublimis elo quentia , omnibus num eris
absoluta aut Co ngreuii pallia ta e aut benigna
Go ldsm ithii uen a aut strictus ensis quo secuerit
urb em Lucil ius alte r;
prim o res
’
po puli a rripiens populum que tributim ?
Adest e tiam hodie et ipsis o rdin ibus uestris tam
pra ecla ra a lum no rum co ho rs,theo logia e, philo
so phia e, scientia e,uniuersis denique littera rum
studiis tanto opere pollens, utnon tam ueteri fa m a e
quasi incum b e re sed optim a m spem successus
po sterita ti spo ndere uidea m ini.
Quod ut fe l icite r uo rta tVn iuersita ti uestra e orat
o b secra tque A cademia Ox o n len 5 1s.
Datum in domo nostra Co nuo ca tio nis die septimo
mensis I unii, A . S . MDCCCXC I I .
VN IV E R S ITA S CANTABR IGI E NS I S
VN IVE R S ITA T I DVBL INE N S I
S . P . D.
EM nobis periucunda m fecistis, uiri do ctissim i,quod Vniuersita tis uestra e ludos sa ecula res
368 TE RCE N TE N AR Y OF
H a b etis nom ina uiro rum et littera rum hum a
n io rum et scientia e non unius amore insignium ;
quos eo b en ignius sine dubio a ccipietis, quod uni
e x iis,quondam a uo b is honoris ca usa . Iuris
Do cto ri nominato, ipsa H ibernia patria n a ta lis fuit
quod alter a Caledonia Hib ernia e donatus,a nobis
deinceps . a uspiciis optimis Brita nnia e redditus
est; quod e Co llegio rum denique Pra e fectis uterque
Anglia m ipsa m pa tria m esse pro fiteturf quae
im perii Britannici partem e x irnia m insulam illam
e sse glo ria tur, ubi uestra Vniuersita s trium
sa eculo rum per uices arx et asylum do ctrina e,et
lib erta tis legibus tem pera ta e propugnaculum e x
stitit. Vale te .
j. E . S .
DATVM CA NTA B R I GLA E ,
Dre x v 1 1° Decem brz'
s,
A . S . M .DCCC.XC I.
VN IVE R S ITA S CA NTA BR IGIE NS I S
Vnre srrArr DVB L INE NS I
S . P . D.
VOD uo b is, n iri do ctissim i, a uspicus optimis
illo die sum us om ina ti, quo primum nobis
ferias uestra s sa ecula res indix istis, idem . hodie
fe l iciter euenisse uehem enter la etam ur. N am que
TRINITY COLLE GE ,DUBLIN . 369
uestra e Vniuersita tis uo cem trans maria lata
uo cantis plurim a e do ctrina e sedes pro cul audi
uerunt,a udita e lib enter o bsecuta e sunt . Nostra
ucro Academia, necessitudinis uinculo a rtissim o
uo b iscum olim consociata, per legatos suos uelut
ipsa ludis uestris interesse uideb itur uestra per
atria spa tia ri; uestra templa uenera ri ; uestra s
aulas,siue littera rum studiis siue ho spitii o h
lectam entis ua riis dedica ta s,ingredi ; uestram
e lo quentiam a dm ira ri ; uestro in thea tro fabulas
lepida s specta re ; uestro s denique inter hortos,fa ctionum a clam o ribus disso nis remotos
,quasi
inter ipsa s Musa rum sedes nagari,quasi ipsos
Hesperidum susurros audire, ipsi Hesperia e omnia
fausta precari .
Quod ad uestram autem Aca dem iam a ttinet,
nihi l hodie a uspica tius a rb itra m ur, quam doctrina e
sedi tam in signi anuos iam trecentos fe l icite r
exactos gra tula ri, atque e tiam in po sterum per
saecula plurima fo rtunam in dies feliciorem e x
optare . Vale te .
J . E . S .
DATVM CA NTABR IGIA E ,
Menszs I um'
i die xx10,A . S . M .DCCC .XCI I .
g7o TE RCE N TE N ARY OF
Vrnrs A MPL I S S IM I S OR NA T I S S IM I S
CA NCE L LA R IO Do cr0R 1 13vs MA GI STR I S
ro rrgvs VN IVE R S ITA T I Dvsu urnsr
S . P . D.
S E NA TVS Vnre sn A'
rrs GLA SGVENS I S
RATVLAMVR nobis animis libentissim is'
quod tribus uita e a ca dem ica e fe l icissime
pera ctis sa eculis, has fe rias hodie ce lebrare
uo luistis,celeb rantibusque bona omnia et fausta
et fe l icia precamur.
N o n leuis enim glo ria ndi uo b is,nobis autem
gra tula ndi, ca usa adest’
,quod per tot saecula, per
tot ta nta sque reipublicae ia cta tio nes, apud populum
cuius is ardor animi est ut nullas laude s no n
a ttigerit, in nullos no n eruperit furores, per
Collegium uestrum illustrissim um sa cro sa ncta e et
indiuidua e Trinitatis toti orb i pa te fa ctum est
terra rum quid in litteris posse t.
tenue illud atque
e x quisitum ingenium Hiberno rum,quid in scientia
,
quid in omnibus denique co lendis artibus quibus
nostra haec humanitas o rna ri po ssit.
Quod propositum a m a ioribus exemplum uo s
ipsi,qu i nunc estis, diligentissim e secuti, artes
omne s atque ingenia cum tanto la b o rum fructu
e x co luistis,ut hodie ia cta re licea t ta eda m uo s illa m
scientia e do ctrin a eque quam lucentem a pa rentibus
a ccepistis, a rdentem atque adeo fla gra ntem po steris
TE RCE N TE NAR Y OF
Q . B. F . F . F. S .
S E NA TVS ACADEMICVS ABE RDONE N S I S
S E NA TVI ACADEM ICO DVBL INE NS I
S . D. P.
OROREM in so ro ris sua e rebus pro speris
ipsam quoque la eta ri co nsenta neum est.
Aca dem ia e igitur uestra e Ludos S a ecula res
tertium celebra tura e, rite, ut par est, ex animo
gra tulamur, eo que impensius, qu ia gaudio est
recordari Hib erniam uestra m et S co tia m no stram
genere lingua institutisque O pristin is e sse cogna ta s,
a deo ut utra sit prisca Scotia in dubio re l iu
quendum sit. Huc quoque accessit uinculum
cogna tio nis a rctissim um,quasi proprium
’
et pe
culia re, quoniam unum e x Co llegiis no stris,
sci li ce t Ma risca lla num , .uestro Collegio inclito
paeme gem ellum ex stitit, quippe quod ta ntum m odo
uno anno posterius funda tum sit atque eodem
fluctu decum ano R eligio nis R efo rm a ta e sub
E liz a betha e cl ipeo il lustri fe l iciter pro uenerit.
Gra ndem igitur e x im iam que seriem luminum
uestrorum quae in litteris hum a nioribus scientiis
que per tria saecula incla ruerunt, iuua t co n
templari,
uestra eque Aca dem ia e omnia fausta
precari . Q ua pro pter Aca dem ia m uestram in
insul ls Brita nnicis maxime Occidenta lem iterum
TRIN ITY COLLE GE,DUBLIN . 373
atque iterum .sa luta t Academia maxime Arcto a .
Valete .
W. D . G.
ABERDON I A E ,
K a l. Ma rl . A . D . M .Dccc.x cu .
S E NATV I ACADEM ICO Dvsm nsnsr
S . P . D.
S E NA TVS ACA DEM ICVS E DINBVRGE NS IS .
VOD nobis nuper sa ecula ria sacra te rtium
a gentibus amicissime gratulati e stis, pie tatesimul atque o fiicio im pellim ur ne in pari uestrum
lae titia nostra e rga uo s b eneuo lentia desideretur.
Qua in re uidem ur uel optim o iure posse uo b is
gra tula ri, si quidem inter no stra m uestra m que
Aca dem iam non modo temporum quibus sunt
co ndita e congruentia , sed studio rum quoque
co nsensio haud mediocris intercessit. Quantum
enim in re medica per trecentos hos a nno s pariter
utra que e la bo ra uerit neque ipsi ignoramus et no s
paulo ante com iter'
scriptis episto lis in mem oriam
redux istis. Accedit quod m a them a tica e scientia e
periti multi insignes n iri annales uestro s nomini
bus illustra uerunt. Quorum plerique cum in
m a nibus et o culis hom inum et sint et fuerint non
374 TE RCE N TE NARY OF
est qu'
od nom in a tirn enum erentur. Vnum uero
Pra esulem uestrum Georgium Salm on non
possum us hoc loco silentio pra eterire, quem
propter miram ingen i do ctrina eque pra esta ntia m
m a them a t1c1 Simul atque theologi,tam ex teri quam
no stra tes,certa tim la udibus e fferunt. I am illud
nouissim um decus quod Vniuersita s uestra sicut
per tria saecula ce teris quae dix im us studiis
summa cum laude fe l icite r incubuit,ita intra
ho s pro x im o s anuos ad proprium littera rum
hum a n io rum patrocin ium a crius atque e la tius
a spira uit. Cuius quidem uo ti ut compos fieret
Pro fesso rum qui hodie uiuunt uigentque doctrina,a cum ine
,so llertia perfectum est.
Decora pra eterita reco lentibus succurrit quasi
sa eculo rum quodda m a ugurium futuro rum . Place t
uota pro inco lum ita te uestra publice nuncupa re,
ut quam uiam nobis usque a dhuc fo rtuna uerit
Deus Optimus Maximus e am fa ustis om inibus
ad im m o rta lita tem glo ria e sequam ini.
Vale te, et nobis, ut fa citis, fa uete .
Da b a m us E dinburgi, mensis Iunu die uicesim o
quarto, anno MDCCCXC I I .
376 TE RCE N TE NAR Y,E TC.
de fuitnec consil ium nec uirtus nul la no n littera rum
etdo ctrina e certamina fe l iciter a ttigistis pra ecla ra
ex omnibus partibus scientia e siue diuina e siue
hum a na e tropa ea reporta stis ; neque quisquam est
e re publica littera rum qu in multum uel m a x irni
momenti a lum nis uestris a cceptum referat . Nobis
quidem laus erit eximia ita uestris insistere
uestigiis ut us tan dem a uspicus a equipa rem us,
quibus no s hodie cla rissim a a lum norum cohorte
stipati inte r greges am ico rum et ingenti hom inum
pla usu quartum iam uita e saecu lum inire pergitis.
G. H . R .
A . D . 1 1 1 Non . Iul. M .DCCC .XCI I .
I NDE X TO E NGL ISH PA S SAGE S
[The Num ber pmfl ted to a Ref erence is the num ber of tha tP a ssage in Vo l. II of ‘ Ra m say
’
s L a tin P rose Com posih'
on .
’
The I m'
lza ls f o llowing i! a re those of the A ulhor of the L a tinVersion ]
F IRST WORDS . CONTRIBUTORS .
A grea t writer is the friendA m ind like S cipio ’
s
After his depa rtureAfter rea ding I entere dAfter the m utua l a nd repe a tedA lexa nder ro se e a rly E . D . A . M .
A ll things a bo ut usAll we see, hea r, a nd to uch G. H . R.
Am o ng th e diff erent kindsAm o ngst to o m a ny insta nces R . 5 .
An o ther co nsidera tio nAno ther o f the king’s chie f m en G. G. R .
As e a rly a s the tim e
As I ra n thro ughAs so o n a s the a pproa ch PV. WAs we fam il ia riz e o urse lvesAt such tim es so cietyBut a ga in let m e a sk A . H . C.
But if I pro fess a ll thisBut the pro spe ct a t hom e
Butwho ga ve R o bespierreBy his ski ll in a strono m yBy wha t ha s be en sa id A . S .
378 INDEX TO E N GLISH PASSA GE S.
FIRST “ ’ORDS . CONTR IBUTORS .Chaw o ek he ld very diff ere nt j. S . R .
Disa ppo inted a t lengthDriven from the a ccusa tio nE ven your expo stula tio nsFo r two centuriesFrom the hill o n whichHa d it plea sed God toHe ha d tha t genera lHe wa s a m a n o f perso na geHe wa s born w ithHe wa s pro n ounced gui ltyHence tha t unexa m ple dHere , therefore ,we a re
His Majesty be ing dea dHis success in this schem e
I ha ve a lre a dy given my
I know tha t the e a rsI m uch questio nI m ust n o t clo se my letterI o ften a pply th is ruleI o ften co nsider m a nkindI see ,
’cries my friend E . D . A . M .
I tha nk yo u fo r po intingI trust to the co untryI f a n ho nest, a nd,In a word
,fro m the tim e
In fa r d iff erent pl ightIn his priva te lifeIn th e grea t lo tteryIn the inva sio n o f Fra nceIn this crisis I m ust ho ldIn Wa lpo le ’
s day
Into the hea rtIt rs a rgued tha t j. S . R .
It rs com m o n to hea r rem a rksIt rs credita ble to Cha rles’
s
3 80 INDE X TO E N GLISH PASSA GE S .
a xa sr wo rm s. com ra uro a s.
Perha ps, while n o pre a cherS cipio wa s o f the sa m e
S e e ing, then , tha tS elf ~ sa tisfa ction a t lea stS et spe eches,
’sa ys Vo lta ire
S ir Clem ent te l ls m eS om e tim e a fter, th e pe opleS om ers wa s equa lly em inentS till, no twithsta n dingS tra nge a nd de lusiveS uch is the fee l ing H . B .
S uch wil l b e the im po tentTha t system o f m orality S . H . B .
The beginn ing o f the
The B la cks a scend th e tre esTh e Bra hm ins a ssert .The ca rd in a l, a ltho ughThe end o f a m a n
’s l ife
The E nglish a nd N orm a ns
The exulta tio n a t A thensThe highest gra tifica tio n R . E .
The la dy Bea trice ha thThe la nded m en a re the G. H . R .
The la st ca use o f thisThe m en o f the 1 8th centuryTh e m ere philo sopherThe ora cle o f Del ph iTh e pira tes ca l le d them se lvesThe R ho dia ns ha d a story G. H . R .
The ro a d, a ll down the lo ngThe sea deserved to b e G. G. R.
The tem per, therefore, byThe tidings o f despa irThe town is m ost ple a sa ntly A . S .
The town o f L . representedTh e unha ppy n ews
E . W. B .
j. S . R .
E . D . A . M .
INDE X TO E N GLISH PASSACB S . 38 1
awsr wo rms com ruuro a s.
The who le co urse o f things H . N .
There a re wo nders in true T. S . E .
There is a so ciety o f m en A . 5 .
There is n o perso n in tha t a ge R. 5 .
There is no thing tha t m oreThere is o n ly o ne cureThese a re m a xim s so o ld 5 H . B .
These n o rthern peo ple G H . R .
These pa pers were E . A .
They knew no thing o f God . D . S . M .
This writerwent thro ugh A . T. B .
Tho u sayest,
“ Men ca nno t G G. R .
Though her own securityTho ugh I a m a lwa ysThough there is n o use
Thus supported upo nTo th e re l igionUndo ubte dly we oughtWha t do we lo o k fo rWha t is there , thenWhen pa ssio n , whether inWhen the rem na n tWhen they were intro duce dWhere wa s there ever such
D . S.
E . D . . M .
G. G.
With every power G. G.
W. H .
F . D .
w
as
Ye pretend to a com m o nwe a lthYour enterta ining
'
a nd plea sa nt a
s»
FIN IS .