fo much? Confider likewife, how thefe Hummings, and this Noife of us poor Mortals, outlive not the prefent Age: For who knows what was faid of the Nobleft Ladies who lived in Queen Elizabeth's Court; much lefs in the Country during her Reign? And History fcorns to preferve fuch ridiculous Fopperies, as have no furer Foundations than Rumor or Malice: But tho' it did, yet a little Time fhall confume us and them. And therefore I fhall finifh this Letter, as Virgil doth his Reflection upon the Battels, Toil, and Noife of the Bees;ada ni i Hi motus animorum, atq; hæc certamina tanta, TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. F Inding fuch various Opinions concerning the first and fundamental Rules of Justice, ur ged with great Animofity, and that the Laws of Nations were alledged by all Sides; I refolved, after having ftudied the Roman Laws, and the Municipal Law of our own Nation Forty Tears, to spend fome Time in enquiring Seriously into the Laws of Nations. For this End I retired into your Famous Univerfity, whofe Library the Learned and Curious Selden, has enrich'd with Books on these Subjects, beyond what is to be found in any other in Europe; nor could it be that any thing could have been added to his Excellent Collection, if your extraordinary Care, and this laft Age, had not furnished you with many Books, which either had escaped him, or he could not know: But after I had with all the Diligence I could, inftructed my felf as far as I thought T thought was poffible, I clearly found that these Debates were not fo much occafioned by the Laws of Nations, as fed by Luxury and Avarice, which of late have given Authority to that which Some Men think a mere obliging Law, called Conveniency: And therefore I refolved to attack likewife this powerful Enemy of Law and Justice; and I now prefent my Undertaking to you,not only because it was first formed within your Univerfity, but because I know that you of all Men, with greatest Reason, think your felves rather Stewards than Proprietors of Benefits, being you reckon the Wants of those who are in Diftrefs among ft your principal Debts, and because that to fupply thefe is the greatest Convenience a felfdoomed and illuminated Christian ought to study. And after I bad calculated what you have of late bestowed upon the Exiled French Proteftants, the Fugitive Irith, and the Starving Clergy of your own Profeffion in Scotland; befides the particular Briefs poured in daily upon you for Alms to your own Countrymen, whom Accidents have ruined; I could not but admire, how even Frugality it felf could have made you live with that Neatnefs I obferved among you. I am to lay up the other Marks of Esteem I have for your Learning, and that Elogy which is due to your Libraries, whereof each of your Colleges has one, which might almoft fupply the Want of a Bodleian any where else, until I compleat, by the Helps I found amongst you, the Obfervations I am now writing upon the Digefts, and fome illuftrious Questions, which have in this laft Age employed |