take in what they call 'speaking their minds.' A man of this make will say a rude thing for the mere pleasure of saying it, when an opposite behaviour, full as innocent, might have preserved his friend, or made his fortune.

It is not impossible for a man to form to himself as exquisite a pleasure in complying with the humour and sentiments of others, as of bringing others over to his own; since it is the certain sign of a superior genius, that can take and become whatever dress it pleases.

I shall only add, that, besides what I have here said, there is something which can never be learnt but in the company of the polite. The virtues of men are catching as well as their vices; and your own observations added to these will soon discover what it is that commands attention is one man, and makes you tired and displeased with the discourse of another.

N. B. In the second paragraph of this paper, it is said, that Lady Lizard burnt her fingers as she was lighting the lamp for her tea-pot.' Silver tea-pots, with lamps under them, are still preserved among the college-plate.

N° 25. THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1713.

Quis tam Lucili fautor ineptè est,

Ut non hoc fateatur ?

-What friend of his

So blindly partial, to deny me this?

HOR. 1 Sat. x. 2.

CREECH.

THE prevailing humour of crying up authors that have writ in the days of our forefathers, and of passing slightly over the merit of our contemporaries, is a grievance, that men of a free and unprejudiced thought have complained of through all ages in their writings.

I went home last night full of these reflections from a coffee-house, where a great many excellent writings were arraigned, and as many very indifferent ones applauded, more (as it seemed to me) upon the account of their date, than upon any intrinsic value or demerit. The conversation ended with great encomiums upon my lord Verulam's History of Henry the VIIth. The company were unanimous in their approbation of it. I was too well acquainted with the traditional vogue of that book throughout the whole nation, to venture my thoughts upon it. Neither would I now offer my judgment upon that work to the public (so great a veneration have I for the memory of a man whose writings are the glory of our nation), but that the

* Of the poet Lucilius.

authority of so leading a name may perpetuate a vicious taste amongst us, and betray future histórians to copy after a model, which I cannot help thinking far from complete.

As to the fidelity of the history, I have nothing to say to examine it impartially in that view would require much pains and leisure. But as to the composition of it, and sometimes the choice of matter, I am apt to believe it will appear a little faulty to an unprejudiced reader. A compleat historian should be endowed with the essential qualifications of a great poet. His style must be majestic and grave, as well as simple and unaffected; his narration should be animated, short, and clear, and so as even to outrun the impatience of the reader, if possible. This can only be done by being very sparing and choice in words, by retrenching all cold and superfluous circumstances in an action, and by dwelling upon such alone as are material, and fit to delight or instruct a serious mind. This is what we find in the great models of antiquity, and in a more particular manner in Livy, whom it is impossible to read without the warmest emotions.

But my lord Verulam, on the contrary, is ever, in the tedious style of declaimers, using two words for one; ever endeavouring to be witty, and as fond of out-of-the-way similies as some of our old play-writers. He abounds in low phrases, beneath the dignity of history, and often condescends to little conceits and quibbles. His political reflections are frequently false, almost every where trivial and puerile. His whole manner of turning his thoughts is full of affectation and pedantry; and there appears throughout his whole work more the air of a recluse scholar, than of a man versed in the world.

After passing so free a censure upon a book which for these hundred years and upwards has met with the most universal approbation, I am obliged in my own defence to transcribe some of the many passages I formerly collected for the use of my first charge sir Marmaduke Lizard. It would be endless should I point out the frequent tautologies and circumlocutions that occur in every page, which do (as it were) rarify instead of condensing his thoughts and matter. It was, in all probability, his application to the law that gave him a habit of being so wordy; of which I shall put down two or three examples.

That all records, wherein there was any memory or mention of the king's attainder, should be defaced, cancelled, and taken off the file-Divers secret and nimble scouts and spies, &c. to learn, search, and discover all the circumstances and particulars-to assail, sap, and work into the constancy of sir Robert Clifford.'

I leave the following passages to every one's consideration, without making any farther remarks upon them.

'He should be well enough able to scatter the Irish as a flight of birds, and rattle away this swarm of bees with their king.-The rebels took their way towards York, &c. but their snow-ball did not gather as it went.-So that (in a kind of mattacina of human fortune) he turned a broacht that had worn a crown; whereas fortune commonly doth not bring in a comedy or farce after a tragedy.The queen was crowned, &c. about two years after the marriage, like an old christening that had stayed long for god-fathers-Desirous to trouble

* A frolicksome dance.

↑ A spit.

the waters in Italy, that he might fish the better, casting the net not out of St. Peter's, but out of Borgia's bark-And therefore upon the first grain of incense that was sacrificed upon the altar of peace at Bulloigne, Perkin was smoaked away-This was the end of this little cockatrice of a king, that was able to destroy those that did not espy him first-It was observed, that the great tempest which drove Philip into England, blew down the Golden Eagle from the spire of St. Paul's; and in the fall, it fell upon a sign of the Black Eagle, which was in St. Paul's churchyard, in the place where the school-house now standeth, and battered it, and broke it down: which was a strange stooping of a hawk upon a fowl.-The king began to find where his shoe did wring him-in› whose bosom or budget most of Perkins's secrets were laid up.-One might know afar off where the owl was by the flight of birds-Bold men, and careless of faine, and that took toll of their master's grist— Empson and Dudley would have cut another chop out of him-Peter Hialas, some call him Elias; surely. he was the forerunner of, &c.-Lionel, bishop of Con cordia was sent as nuncio, &c. but, notwithstanding. he had a good ominous name to have made a peace, nothing followed-Taxing him for a greater taxer of his people, not by proclamations, but by court-fames, which commonly print better than printed proclamations-Sir Edward Poynings was enforced to make a wild chace upon the Wild Irish-In sparing of blood by the bleeding of so much treasure—And although his own case had both steel and parchment more than the other; that is to say, a conquest in the field, and an act of parliament--That Pope knowing that King Henry the Sixth was reputed in the world abroad but for a simple man, was afraid it would but diminish