his most intimate friend he said just before his departure I am sorry I have nothing to present to my merciful God, but sin and misery; but the first is pardoned, and a few hours will now put a period to the latter.' What a contrast is this to the conduct and end of the proud and selfsufficient sceptic, who devotes his talents to the vile purpose of robbing men of their best hope, and consoles himself at last with the gloomy reflection, that death is no more than taking a leap in the dark!'

Mr. Herbert died in the year 1635, before he had completed his fortieth year. His poems were held in such esteem, not only in his own time, but for many years afterwards, as to go through numerous editions, and to procure for the author the appellation of the divine Herbert.' They are, however, now seldom read; but his book entituled 'The Priest to the Temple,' merits the frequent perusal of every clergyman. Of the learning and judgment of Mr. Herbert, lord Bacon had so high an opinion, that he would not suffer his works to be printed, before they had passed his examination.

JOHN SELDEN.

PATRIOTISM is a quality of such a dazzling nature, and may be so easily counterfeited, that it requires a close acquaintance with men's motives and dispositions, to judge whether their pretension to that virtue be just or not. Some men become patriots in the loose sense of the term, from too great a confidence in their own powers, and from an impatience of contradiction. Others have gone to the most excessive lengths in opposing a government from a just resentment of occasional acts of oppression; and there have been those again who continued in connexion with men they despised, because they were too proud to acknowledge they had been led into error by giving way to their passions.

Many other causes might be assigned why men have distinguished themselves in resisting and even overturning establishments: but if instead of looking at the ostensible pretences, we were to take a minute view of the tempers and conduct of the leading actors in those revolutions, we should come to a more exact conclusion with regard to the real springs by which the whole. was effected.

The share which Selden, called "the glory of England," had in the contests between Charles

the

the first and his parliament, renders an acquaintance with his character a matter of importance, towards forming a right opinion of the troublesome period in which he lived.

He was a lawyer of great eminence, and with his professional knowledge, he possessed a vast body of general learning, particularly in antiquities. He drew He drew up "a Treatise on the Civil Government of England before the Conquest," at the age of twenty two years; which gained him a great reputation among the most learned men of his time. His opposition to the measures of the court in the reign of James, as well as that of his successor, do honour to his integrity; but it is a matter of question whether he was actuated by pure principles in his conduct in the Long Parliament. He was equally avaricious of money and popularity, and both were more easily gained and secured in connection with the opposition faction than in the ranks of loyalty. In short, whatever may be conceded to the moral character of Selden in the outset of his political career, it is to be feared that little apology can be offered for his continuance with the murderers of his king.

He was very positive and fixed in his own opinion; and he was fond of quibble and contradiction. In the house of commons, and in the assembly of divines, for he was a member of each, he appears principally to have delighted in gravelling

velling other speakers, and perplexing a debate. Of this we have two odd instances.

When the bill was brought in for abolishing episcopacy, Mr. Harbottle Grimstone, one of the most zealous advocates of the measure, gravely argued thus, "That archbishops are not jure divino, is no question; ergo, whether archbishops who are not jure divino, should suspend ministers who are certainly jure aivino, I leave to you, Mr. Speaker."

To this whimsical logic Mr. Selden immediately made this witty reply :-" That parliaments are not jure divino is out of the question; that religion is jure divino, is past dispute; now, whether parliaments, which, without question, are not jure divino, should meddle with religion, which, without doubt, is jure divino, I leave to you, Mr. Speaker."

The assembly of divines at Westminster who were appointed to regulate the ecclesiastical government and all matters of religion, consisted of a strange mixture of laics and men in orders, a few episcopalians, some independents, and the majority presbyterians. For the most part they were men of narrow minds, and of little learning, and Seiden used to take great delight in teazing them by questions and objections which were beyond their understandings. A writer of that peperiod, who was well acquainted with them and their proceedings, gives this account of Selden and the assembly. Mr. Selden visits them as the

Persians

used to see wild asses fight; when the commons have tired him with their new law, these brethren refresh him with their mad gospel. They lately were gravelled betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho ; they knew not the distance between these two places-one said twenty miles, another ten, and at last it was concluded to be seven, for this brought from Je

strange reason, that fish was

richo to Jerusalem market. Mr. Selden smiled and said, perhaps the fish was salt fish, and so stopped their mouths."

His disposition to dogmatize and to quibble is still more strikingly displayed in the excellent little volume called his "Table Talk," in which, unquestionably, there are many valuable hints and observations, but in which there are also many assertions strange and sophistical. In one place he undertakes to defend the cruel and absurd statute against sorcery, while at the same time he denies the possibility of the crime itself. There are also some things said so ludicrously upon religious subjects, as would almost incline a reader to believe that the author's creed was very loose and indefinite. Yet Selden was, notwithstanding a sincere believer in the Christian revelation, and though he did not lend the aid of his little finger in support of the falling hierarchy, and for the preservation of the liturgy, he was notwithstanding, at heart, attached to the church of England. It is also evident that he was a friend to a monarchical form of government, and thoroughly

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