gaging themselves to make him amends, by bringing to his sermon their wives and children, their men servants, and maid-servants, in a word, their whole families, and to enjoin them not to leave the church till the blessing was pronounced. Dr. Wilkins promised to use his utmost endeavour for their satisfaction, and accordingly solicited Dr. Barrow to appear once more upon that stage, but all in vain; for he could not, by any persuasions, be prevailed upon to comply with the request of such conceited hypocritical coxcombs."

His sermons, for richness of matter, variety of illustration, and closeness of reasoning, are among the first in the English language; and he was so careful in the composition of them, that he generally transcribed them three or four times, his greatest difficulty being always to please himself.

He left little behind him except his books, which were so well chosen, that they sold for more than they first cost. Though he never could be prevailed upon to sit for his picture, some of his friends contrived to have it taken without his knowlege, whilst they diverted him with such discourse as fixed his attention. This picture was painted by the ingenious Mrs. Beale, and from it the engraved portrait of the doctor was taken. He was of a healthy constitution, and very fond of tobacco, which he used to call his panpharmacon, or universal medicine, and fancied that a pipe helped to compose and regulate

his thoughts. As a mathematician he ranked in the first order; and in the compass of invention, he was never excelled by any, his pupil, perhaps, the great Sir Isaac Newton, only excepted. Dr. Barrow, though a profound and universal scholar, was of a sportive fancy, and had a very ready wit.

The celebrated Lord Rochester meeting him one day in the Park, and willing, as he said, to put down the rusty piece of divinity, accosted him, by taking off his hat, and with a profound bow, said "Doctor, I am your's to my shoe-tie."-The doctor preceiving his aim, returned the salute with equal ceremony, saying, "My lord, I am your's to the ground."-His lordship then making a deeper congee, said, "Doctor I am your's to the centre. -Barrow replied, with the same formality, "My lord, I am your's to the Antipodes;"-on which Rochester made another attempt, by exclaiming, "Doctor, I am your's to the lowest pit of hell." "There, my lord," said Barrow," I leave you," and immediately walked

away.

THOMAS

269

THOMAS HOBBES.

'

THE " Philosopher of Malmsbury,” as he hath

been called, was born in that town, on Good Friday, in 1588. He was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, after which he travelled into France and Italy with the eldest son of William Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire; as he did also with the son of Sir Gervas Clifton. Just before the breaking out of the rebellion, Hobbes, who was always a very timorous man, went to Paris, that he might follow his studies in quietness, and converse with his friends Mersennus, Gassendus, and other men of eminent learning. While there, a nobleman of Languedoc, invited him to live at his house, but he chose rather to remain in that city, as tutor in the mathematics to the exiled Prince of Wales, afterwards Charles the Second. In the course of that employment, he wrote his celebrated treatise, entitled, "Leviathan, or the Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth," which he procured to be printed at London, in a small folio, 1651. The leading principles he lays down in his book are, that sovereignty derives from the people; that parents have no natural right of dominion over their children; and that whatever be the power established, or however it may be ob

tained,

tained, the same is to be implicitly obeyed. This was very acceptable doctrine to Cromwell, who then filled the throne, but without the title of king. Lord Clarendon, who was very intimate with Hobbes, says, that he was shewn by the author some sheets of it at Paris. On his asking him, "why he would publish doctrine of that nature at such a time;" Hobbes replied, that he was weary of living abroad, and therefore intended to publish this book, that he might obtain leave to visit his own country.

In a letter to Dean Barwick, dated Brussels, 25th July, 1659, his lordship writes thus-

"I hope it is only modesty in Mr. Wren,* that makes him pause upon undertaking the work you have recommended to him: for, I dare swear, by what I have seen of his he is very equal to answer every part of it: I mean, every part that requires an answer. Nor is there need of a professed divine to vindicate the creation from making man a veryer beast than any of those of the field; or to vindicate scripture from his licentious interpretation. I dare say he will find somewhat in Mr. Hobbes himself, I mean in his former books, that contradicts what he sets forth in this,

* Matthew Wren (son of the Bishop of Ely, who was confined in the Tower near twenty years). He was of the university of Cambridge, but, during the usurpation he studied. at Oxford. On the restoration he became Secretary to Lord Clarendon; and, after his fall, to the Duke of York. He died in 1672.

in that part, in which he takes himself to be the most exact, his beloved philosophy. And sure there is somewhat due to Aristotle, and Tully, and to our universities, to free them from his reproaches; and it is high time, if what I hear be true, that some tutors read his Leviathan, instead of the others, to their pupils. Mr. Hobbes is my old friend; yet I cannot absolve him from the mischief he hath done to the king, the church, the laws, and the nation: and surely there should be enough to be said to the politicks of that man, who having resolved all religion, wisdom, and honesty, into an implicit obedience to the laws established, writes a book of policy, which I may be bold to say, must be by the established laws of any kingdom or province in Europe, condemned for impious and seditious; and therefore it will be very hard, if the fundamentals of it be not to be overthrown."*

The noble writer of this letter, afterwards published an excellent confutation of the political doctrines of Hobbes's book, in a quarto volume, entituled, "A Brief View and Survey of Mr. Hobbes Leviathan." Several other persons attacked the philosopher, but the keenest writer against him was Dr. John Eachard, of Catherine-Hall, Cambridge, who turned all his own arguments against him, in two dialogues, between Timothy and

*Life of Dr. John Barwick, Dean of St. Paul's, in the Appendix. p. 450. 1724, 8vo.