In 1665, upon the breaking out of the war between England and the United Provinces, ten per

befell him in the sixth of his reign, Neothan Abbot told him, were justly come upon him for neglecting in his younger days the complaints of such as injured and oppressed repaired to him, as then second person in the kingdom, for redress; which neglect, were it such indeed, were yet excusable in a youth, through jollity of mind unwilling perhaps to be detained long with sad and sorrowful narrations; but from the time of his undertaking regal charge, no man more patient in hearing causes, more inquisitive in examining, more exact in doing justice, and providing good laws, which are yet extant; more severe in punishing unjust judges or obstinate offenders. Theeves especially and robbers, to the terror of whom in cross waies were hung upon a high post certain chains of gold, as it were daring any one to take them thence; so that justice seemed in his daies not to florish only but to tryumph. No man then hee more frugal of two pretious things in man's life, his time and his revenue; no man wiser in the disposal of both. His time, the day and night, he distributed by the burning of certain tapours into three equal portions; the one was for devotion, the other for public or private affairs, the third for bodily refreshment; how each hour past, he was put in minde by one who had that office. His whole annual revenue, which his first care was sould be justly his own, he divided into two equall parts. The first he imploi'd to secular uses, and subdivided those into three; the first to pay his souldiers, household-servants and guard, of which divided into three bands one attended monthly by turn; the second was to pay his architects and workmen, whom he had got together of several nations, for he was also an elegant builder, above the custome and conceit of Englishmen in those days: the third he had in readiness to relieve or honor strangers according to their worth, who came from all parts to see him, and live under him. The other equal part of his yearly wealth he dedicated to religious uses, those of fowr sorts. The first to relieve the poor; the second to the building and maintenance of

sons were sent by King Charles II. to Augsburg in Germany to assasinate Colonel Sydney; and probably might have effected their design, if he, having

two monasteries; the third of a school, where he had perswaded the sons of many noblemen to study sacred knowledge and liberal arts, some say at Oxford; the fourth was for the relief of foreign churches as far as India to the shrine of St. Thomas, sending thether Sigelm, bishop of Sherburn, who both returned safe and brought with him many rich gems and spices: guifts also and a letter he receaved from the patriarch of Jerusalem; sent many to Rome, and from thence receaved reliques. Thus far, and much more might be said of his noble minde, which rendered him the miror of princes. His body was diseased in his youth with a great soreness in the seiege; and that ceasing of itself, with another inward pain of unknown cause, which held him by frequent fits to his dying day; yet not disinabled to sustain those many glorious labors of his life both in peace and war.

The history of Britain, that part especially now called Eng

land, from the first traditional beginning to the Norman conquest. By John Milton. London, printed 1671, in quarto.

The reader will forgive the following digression, if it be a digression, respecting good and bad ministers, which makes part of Milton's inimitable prayer, in his first prose tract, intitled "Of Reformation," etc. London, printed 1641, in quarto,

"Then amidst the hymns and halleluiahs of saints, some one may perhaps bee heard offering at high strains in new and lofty measures, to sing and celebrate thy divine mercies and marvelous judgements in this land throughout all ages; whereby this great and warlike nation, instructed and inured to the fervent and continuall practice of truth and righteousnesse, and casting farre from her the rags of her old vices, may presse on hard to that high and happy emulation to be found the soberest, wisest, and most christian people, at that day when thou the eternall

† Memoirs of Edmund Ludlow, p. 404.

undertaken a journey to Holland, upon business relating to the public, had not removed from that city before their arrival.

and shortly-expected king shall open the clouds to judge the severall kingdomes of the world, and distributing national honors and rewards to religious and just commonwealths, shall put an end to all earthly tyrannies, proclaiming thy universal and milde monarchy through heaven and earth. Where they undoubtedly, that by their labors, counsels and prayers, have been earnest for the common good of religion and their countrey, shall receive, above the inferior orders of the blessed, the regall addition of principalities, legions and thrones into their glorious titles; and in super-eminence of beatific vision progressing the datelesse and irrevoluble circle of eternity, shall clasp inseparable hands with joy and blisse, in over measure for But they contrary, that by the impairing and diminution of the true faith, the distresses and servitude of their country, aspire to high dignity, rule and promotion here, after a shamefull end in this life, which God grant them, shall be throwne downe eternally into the darkest and deepest gulfe of hell; where under the despightfull contro ule, the trample and spurne of all the other damned, that in the anguish of their torture shall have no other ease then to exercise a raving and bestiall tyrranny over them as their slaves and negros, they shall remaine in that plight for ever, the basest, the lowermost, the most dejected, most underfoot and downe trodden vassals of perdition."

ever.

* Edmund Ludlow, knight of the shire for the county of Wilts, in the Parliament which began Nov. 3, 1640; one of the council of state; lieutenant-general of horse and commander in chief of the forces in Ireland....An honest man by the confession of his enemies. His seat was Maiden Bradley, with a paternal estate, it is said, of upwards of 30001. a year belonging to it. During his retirement in Switzerland, he wrote his "Memoirs," and several curious valuable tracts.

He continued abroad till the year 1677, when he procured leave to return to England; and obtained a particular pardon, * according to Bishop Sprat, "upon repeated promises of constant quiet and obedience for the future." Bishop Burnet affirms, that "he came back when the Parliament was pressing the king into a war. The court of France obtained leave for him to return. He did all he could to divert people from the war; so that † some took

It may not be improper here, to give an extract of a letter from Philip, Lord Viscount Lisle, to his father Robert, Earl of Leicester, dated Nov. 6, 1649, taken from the Sydney state papers; as it accounts, in part, for the kindness and attention shewn afterwards in Switzerland to the commonwealth party, which sheltered themselves there...." The Parliament's declaration made since the change of the government, hath been, as the council is informed, much approved of, in many parts of the Swisses countrey; and the ministers there, do publicly give God thanks for the establishment of the republic, and pray for it upon which I believe an agent will shortly be sent thither."

The declaration, the Latin edition of it, was printed Mar. 22, 1648, in quarto, under this title, "Parliamenti Angliae declaratio. In quâ res nuperam gestae, et decretum de statu Angliae regio in liberam rempublicam vertendo, asseruntur." And the following order was placed before the title, " Die Sabbathi, 17 Martii, 1648. Comitiis populi Parliamentariis deternitur, hanc declarationem typis esse ilicò mandandam. Hen. Scobell Cleric. Parliamenti."

Hist. of the Rye-house plot.

(Some took him for a pensioner of France.)

The following anecdote having been communicated to Dr. Hutcheson, of Glasgow, was frequently related by him to his

him for a pensioner of France. But he said, our court was in an entire confidence in France, and had no other design in this shew of a war, but to raise an army and keep it beyond sea, till it was trained and modelled." But it is evident from a letter of his *

friends, "That during Mr. Sydney's stay in France, one day hunting with the French king, and being mounted on a fine English horse, whose form and spirit caught the king's eye, he received a message that he would please to oblige the king with his horse, at his own price. He answered that he did not chuse to part with him. The king determined to have no denial, and gave orders to tender him the money or to seize the horse; which being made known to Mr. Sydney, he instantly took a pistol and shot him, saying, that his horse was born a free creature, had served a free man, and should not be mastered by a king of slaves."

(*To Henry Savile, the English ambassador in France,)

Mr. Savile is said to have replied to a Frenchman, who exulted upon the fine writings of his countrymen, that there were but two subjects in nature worth a wise man's thoughts, namely religion and government, and they durst speak of neither.

The Independent Whig, numb. 1.

The celebrated Mons. Voltaire, in his "Ode sur la mort de Madame de Bareith, avec une lettre," etc. seems to have entertained nearly the same idea as Mr. Savile; and fixes the superiority of the English nation, where alone it centers, VPON

ITS LIBERTY.

"Les Italiens, ces peuples ingénieux, ont craint de penser; les Français n'ont osé penser qu'à demi, et les Anglais qui ont volé jusqu'au ciel, PARCE QU'ON NE LEVR A POINT COVPE LES AILES, sont devenus les précepteurs des nations. Nous leur devons tout, depuis les loix primitives de la gravitation, depuis le calcul de l'infini et la connaissance précise de la lumiére