nothing, but to runne headlong without advise to doo their own businesse, like to a river that runneth with great violence." Demosthenes calleth it "a naughtie beaste;" to which Plato adds, that is one with many heads, not to be "turned with reasons, with authorities, nor persuasions, because, the one they understande not, the other, they refuse; to hear perswasions they are dull and obstinate; whose manners be always very unconstant, desiring new things, and hating them that are presente." Thus, he sums up; and, in this summing up, whether we be ultras or liberals in our secret thoughts, most cordially do we agree with him. with him. “Finally, no philosophie, no arte, no science, is necessarie to the wel governing of the common weale, but the vertue of the rulers; for very well one, very well a few, very well the people doo governe, if they be vertuous, and most naughtilie, if they be wicked."

We should do Cornelius Agrippa very great injustice, if, from the following conclusion to the chapter on Religion, we were to infer any suspicion of his being deficient in those essentials of which pure and undefiled religion is compounded. He had seen enough of the world to mark well the distinctive line between externals and internals. "In the thinges which have bene invented for the setting forth of religion, and for the salvation of men, there is founde much naughtinesse, joyned with vanitie;" which assertion he proceeds to prove by, as he says, "ranging through every part and parcell." Images and churches he places nearly on a par, as tending to feed the mind rather with the forms than realities of religion, his argument tending to prove that they are "nothing convenient for Christians to the worshipping of God;" in support of which, he quotes Lactantius, "who sayth churches are not to be erected unto God with stones heaped on highe; but every one ought to keepe a place in his harte, whereunto he may go to worshippe God." With respect to religious edifices, at least, we entirely differ; and, in answer, we cannot refrain from reminding our readers of that beautiful passage of Madame de Stael's: "Aucun édifice ne peut être aussi patriotique qu'une église ; c'est le seul dans lequel toutes les classes de la nation se réunissent, le seul qui rappelle non seulement les événemens publiques, mais les pensées secrétes, les affections intimes, que les chefs et les citoyens ont apportées dans son enceinte. Le temple de la Divinité semble présent comme elle aux siècles écoulés."* We fear, too, that the wealth displayed in some of our new London churches would ill accord with the sentiments of Cornelius. "Moreover, the sumptuousnesse of their building

*Madame de Stael, Allemagne, vol. i., p. 66.

VOL. XIV. PART II.

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is stately, whereupon very muche godly money and almesse are consumed, with the which many poore Christians, the true temples and images of God, which die for hunger, for thirste, for heate, for colde, for labour, for feeblenesse, for povertie, ought to be sustayned."

He grievously laments over the unhallowed uses to which "Christian people" have applied "festivall dayes;" and takes occasion to comment on the uncertainty respecting some of the moveable feasts; "to this daye there being no true and certayne day of Easter, disputing of the reformation of the calender, taking counsayle of the astrologers; a worthy thing doubtlesse, for the whiche the churche should sustaine so great a losse for the obstinate religion of one Romish Pope." A tolerably severe slap, by the by, at the presumed infallibility of the sovereign pontiff, from a professed Catholic. Ceremonies and the "pompes of rites, in apparell, in vessels, in lightes, in belles, in organs, in singing, in gestures, in pretious pictures, and such things," he looks upon as " having broughte in innumerable sectes into the churche, and bin the seedes of the greatest schismes;" a charge, which the stoutest defender of the faith in such like matters would have some difficulty to refute. The chapter closes with a hint towards moderation and forbearance, which we recommend alike to Protestant, as well as Catholic, clergy and laity. He is speaking of dissensions in the ecclesiastical world, originating in the fruitful topic of transubstantiation, and adds, "the Roman bishops might have taken away many mischiefes, and have kept the churche quiet and sounde, if they had suffered the leven of the Greekes, and the chalice of the Bohemians."

In discussing the question of church-government, he presses hard on those who," eyther by filthy flatterie, or by giftes, or by the favour of princes, have climbed and ascended to priesthoods, benefices, and bishoprickes, and those

That do delite in horse and hownde,

And grass of sunnie fielde."

From hence to the "sectes of the monkes" is a natural digression; persons "bearing the names of laudable men and most holie fathers," but of whom as "wicked, the number is great. Hooded monsters with beards, with coardes, with leather gyrdels, with corded shoes, with wooden shoes, with bare legges attired in browne, in black, in graye. If I should write the errours and vanities of these men, al the skinnes of Madian would not suffice."

Scurvily as we see Cornelius had been treated by royal patrons and patronesses, he may be pardoned for bearing no extraordinary good will towards "kingly or courtly govern

ments;" for thus he speaketh of the court. It is "nothing els in effect but a college of giauntes, an assembly of noble men and famous knaves, a theatre of most wicked waiters, a schole of very corrupt customes, and a refuge of detestable wickednesse;" followed by a long-continued tissue of most uncourtly abuse, with which we deem it not advisable to fill our pages. In a succeeding chapter, he notices a class still in existence, in the constant exercise of their same lawful callings: certain " common or meane courtiers, who go from one noble man's house to another, and hold up their tales for a dinner or supper, living at other men's tables :" thus purchasing quaintaunce and familiar friendship with noble men, wherein they trusting, doe easily compasse what they desire."

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A fearful list of vices and improprieties is placed to the credit of the "women of the court, lurking under those fayre skinnes," better, for the sake of decorum and respect for these ladies, to be passed over, or imagined, rather than written; therefore, taking leave of princes and palaces, proceed we to other "partes of economie," beginning with Marchaundise; "subtell searcher out of privy gaines, never content with enough, but always very miserable for the desire to gette;" and that, too, in the opinion of Cornelius, not always in the most honest way; for "he that dothe not deceyve cannot gayne." But bad as this may be, "these be the leaste mischiefes; farre greater than these are behinde;" e. g. trade being nothing else but lyes, dissimulation, clowdes of wordes, privie searching, conspiracie, deceytes, and open treason." Nay, the old fathers thought so ill of it, that Chrysostome avowed, that no "merchaunt could please God:" let no Christian, then, be a merchant; and, if he will be, let him be excommunicated; and Augustine adds, that neither merchants nor soldiers could even truly repent.

Nearly allied to the commercial world are they of the "Treasourership," amongst whom he apparently includes commissaries, army and navy agents, brokers, and so forth: "a certaine theivish kind of men, and, for the most part, servile and hired for monie; rich through the fingers onely, with which they caste accompts of talents and millions, which they have so clammie like birde lime, and beset with infinite crooked hookes, that all money, how light soever it be, fleeting, and sliding and slippery, like adders and eales, touched of these, doth stick faste, nor can easily bee taken awaye."-But as their "marchauntes and treasourers, if at any tyme satisfyed with gayne, at length doo employe themselves to tyll and trimme theyr groundes and possessions; therefore wee wyll add here under what is thought of husbandrie :" against which he has not a syllable of railing accusation to adduce; a goodly

art, which "giveth us, beside divers kyndes of fleshe, milke, cheese, butter, to eate; and for apparell, wool, skinnes, and hides, all doubtlesse as well very necessary, as also profitable to manne's life."

Of Fishing, we are told that it was a sport had in great price among the Romans, who made "fish-pooles and pondes full of most pretious fishes;" that it was, moreover, a royal amusement; for we "reade that the Emperour Octaviane Augustus was wonte to angle for fishe;" but, after all, Cornelius commends it not even on this account, because fish is of "a hard nourishment, and unwholsome for the body."

Of Hunting and Fowling he has little praiseworthy to say, "detestable artes, and vaine studies, and unhappy strifes, with maney labours and watches, to fighte, and exercise tyranny agaynste beastes, from night to night;" and as "cruell an arte whiche our humanitie ought to eschewe, the chiefest exercise of most wicked menne and sinners ;" and in his time," which is more to be lamented, the religion of abbottes, bishops, and other prelates of the churche, whose business was nothing "els but hunting, wherein they doo chiefly occupie themselves, and shew their worthinesse." But now "let us passe from hunting and husbandmen" to "the arte of Warre and Souldiers," of whom Cato affirmed, that "very valiaunt and worthy souldiers we see begotten." This "arte" he defines to "be nothing els but a common slaughter and sporte of many, souldiers being nothing els than hired theeves," nevertheless approved by "Catholic doctours of the churche," and by no means disallowed by the popes," albeit Christ and the apostles bee of a contrarie opinion." From war he traces the sects and orders of many holy knights, whose religion "consisteth in bloude, murders, robberies, and piracie." Finally, “battaile and warre doe make many Bishoppes, and oftentimes they fight for the Papacie; and this is then called the constauncie of marterdome, when men fight valiantly for the Papacie with a great slaughter of Christians."

From war, Cornelius proceeds to Nobility, a sort of weed, he seems to infer, springing from it; we fear, indeed, that our worthy author would, in our days, have been classed with our Hunts and Cobbetts; for he speaks severely of dignities, most audaciously maintaining, that" there hath bene no nobilitie, which hath not had a naughtie beginning," backing his argument, it must be confessed, with a sore list of the high and mighty, who were not better than they should be. "Finally, the sufficiencie of all gentlemen is herein declared, if they can hunte, if they have been damnably taught in dysing, if they shewe the strength of their bodie with great quaffing, if they be given to pride, to excesse, and to all intemperance; and,

enimies of vertues, doo forget that they were borne, and that they shall dye :-But they be much more noble, if this wickednesse shall descend from the fathers to the children, and enter into them with greater authoritie !"

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From "Warrefare and Nobilitie," he passes to Physic, certayne arte of manslaughter altogyther servile," ranking itself superior to law as a profession, seeking to have the next place to divinitie; "wherefore there is a great contention between phisitians and lawyers." Thus stands their argument, seeing "there be three kyndes of goodes by order of the soule, body, and fortune; the divine hath charge of the firste, the phisitian of the seconde, the lawyers the thirde.-But there was a certayne mayor of a citie, that made an end of this matter in variaunce, with a pretty and pleasant demaund. For he asked of them that were in strife, what usage and order was observed in carrying men to the gallowes? whether wente before, and behinde, the theefe or the hangman; and when they answered, that the theefe wente before, and the hangman nexte, hee gave sentance, saying, the lawyers then goe before, and the phisitians come after; reproving, in this manner, theyr notable robberie, and rashe murthers." But whatever be its rank, Cornelius holds it to be but an art established " upon false experimentes, and fortified with lyghte beleefe of the sicke, no less venemous than beneficiall; so that often times, and well neere alwaies, there is more daunger in the phisitian, and the medicine, than in the sicknesse itselfe, whiche thing, the very chiefest in this arte do freely confesse, to witte, Hippocrates." We recollect an anecdote, currently reported of the late Dr. Baillie, which, if true, places him pretty much on a par with this father of physic. "Our profession," observed the doctor, "is but a profession of guessing; and he succeeds best who is the best guesser. We think our readers will thank us, for introducing them to a first-rate doctor of physic of the sixteenth century. "Verie excellente also is that phisitian, whiche is clad in brave apparell, having ryngs on his fyngers, and glimering with pretious stones, and whiche hath gotten authoritie, fame, and credence, for having beene in farre countryes, for having made long pylgrimages, or for beeing of a divers religion, (as a Jewe or a Marane,) for having a verie effectuall unshamefastnes of face to deceyve, and an obstinate manner of avaunting, with stiffe lies, that they have greate remedies for, having continually in his mouth many wordes, half Greek, and barbarous ;" uttered "with a leaden gravitie, and, as it were, with a souldier's boldnesse."-He who is thus prepared, "then taketh in hand to practise phisicke. First, he visiteth the sicke, he beholdeth the water, he feeleth the pulse, he looketh on the tongue, he gropeth the sides, he