terrific description of the infernal frozen continent beat with perpetual forms Of whirlwind and dire hail Par. Lost, b. ii. v. 587. is rather applicable to it. Having endeavoured to shew, my dear friends, that the passionate love of How far Camden was indebted to the following curious description of our country, written in the time of Edward vj, (of which I shall modernize the orthography,) the reader will judge for himself. The running title of the work is 'The Debate betwene the [French and English] Heraldes,' 8vo, printed in the bl. lett. (In the possession of Mr. Heber.) 'We have all manner of grains, and fruits, and more plenty than you; for, thanked be God, England is a fruitful and plenteous region, so that we have some fruits whereof you have few; as wardeines, quinces, peaches, medlers, chesnuts, and other delicious fruits; serving for all seasons of the year; and so plenty of pears and apples, that in the west parts of England and Sussex, they make perry and cider, and in such abundance, that they convey part over the sea, where, by the Monsieurs of France, it is covetted for their beverage and drinks.' Sign. L. iiij. rey. We have in Cornwall and Devonshire, (God be honored) the richest mines of silver and tin that may be, also in Ireland mines of silver, in Derbyshire mines of lead, alabaster, marble black and white. In Sussex, Yorkshire, and Durham, mines of iron, coal, slate, and freestone; and in every shire of England, generally quarries of hard stone, chalk, and flint: these be commodities honorable and not feigned, being of such estima. tion that France, nor other realms, may well forbear; and as for saltpetre, there is sufficient made in England to furnish our turn for the wars. Also we have hot fountains or baths, which you nor no other realms christened have.' Sign. L. v. rev. If ancient GILDAS speak the truth, Great Britain was no contemptible place twelve hundred years ago—the period when he lived and wrote his lachrymable history. "The iland of Britaine placed in the ballance of the divine poising hand (as they call it) which weigheth the whole world, almost the uttermost bound of his earth towards the South and West; extending itselfe from the South-West, out towards the North pole, eight hundred miles in length; and containing two hundred in bredth, besides the farre outstretched forelands hypothesis-[or a determination to make every man think and believe as we do] incorrigible carelessness-and equally incorrigible ill-nature-are each inimical to the true interests of literature, let us see what other evil qualities there are which principally frustrate the legitimate view of learning. In the example of GONZALO, with whom Philemon is perfectly well acquainted, a remarkable exemplification of the passion of Vanity occurs! I recollect, one evening he came rushing into a party where I sat, screaming with the extatic forelands of sundry promontories, embraced by the embowed bosomes of the ocean sea; with whose most spacious, and on every side (saving only the Southerne Streights, by which we sail to Gallehelgicke) impassable enclosure (as I may call it) she is strongly defended; enriched with the mouths of two noble floods, Thames and Severne, as it were two armes (by which out-landish commodities have in times past beene transported into the same) besides other rivers of lesser account, strengthened with eight and twenty cities, and some other castles, not meanly fenced with fortresses of walls, embattled towers, gates, and buildings (whose roofes being raised aloft with a threatening hugenesse, were mightily in their aspiring toppes compacted) adorned with her large spreading fields, pleasant seated hils, even framed for good husbandry, which over-mastereth the ground, and mountaines most convenient for the changeable pastures of cattell; whose flowers of sundry collours, troden by the feete of men, imprint no unseemly picture on the same, as a spouse of choice, decked with divers jewels; watered with cleere fountaines, and sundry brookes, beating on the snow-white sands, together with silver streames sliding forth with soft sounding noise, and leaving a pledge of sweet savours on their bordering bankes, and lakes gushing out abundantly in cold running rivers.' Epistle of Gildas, Transl. 1638, 12mo, p. 1, after the prologue. Whoever looks into that amusing and prettily-printed little book, ' Barclaii Satyricon,' 1629, 18mo, will find a description of Germany, similar, in part, to the preceding.— Olim sylvis et incolis fera, nunc oppidis passin insignis: nemoribus quoque quibus immensis tegebatur, ad usum decusque castigatis.' p. 316. terrific description of the infernal frozen continent beat with perpetual forms Of whirlwind and dire hail Par. Lost, b. ii. v. 587. is rather applicable to it. Having endeavoured to dear friends, that the passionate love of shew, my How far Camden was indebted to the following curious description of our country, written in the time of Edward vj, (of which I shall modernize the orthography,) the reader will judge for himself. The running title of the work is 'The Debate betwene the [French and English] Heraldes,' 8vo, printed in the bl. lett. (In the possession of Mr. Heber.) 'We have all manner of grains, and fruits, and more plenty than you; for, thanked be God, England is a fruitful and plenteous region, so that we have some fruits whereof you have few; as wardeines, quinces, peaches, medlers, chesnuts, and other delicious fruits; serving for all seasons of the year; and so plenty of pears and apples, that in the west parts of England and Sussex, they make perry and cider, and in such abundance, that they convey part over the sea, where, by the Monsieurs of France, it is covetted for their beverage and drinks.' Sign. L. iiij. rev. 'We have in Cornwall and Devonshire, (God be honored) the richest mines of silver and tin that may be, also in Ireland mines of silver, in Derbyshire mines of lead, alabaster, marble black and white. In Sussex, Yorkshire, and Durham, mines of iron, coal, slate, and freestone; and in every shire of England, generally quarries of hard stone, chalk, and flint: these be commodities honorable and not feigned, being of such estima. tion that France, nor other realms, may well forbear; and as for saltpetre, there is sufficient made in England to furnish our turn for the wars. Also we have hot fountains or baths, which you nor no other realms christened have.' Sign. L. v. rev. If ancient GILDAS speak the truth, Great Britain was no contemptible place twelve hundred years ago—the period when he lived and wrote his lachrymable history. "The iland of Britaine placed in the ballance of the divine poising hand (as they call it) which weigheth the whole world, almost the uttermost bound of his earth towards the South and West; extending itselfe from the South-West, out towards the North pole, eight hundred miles in length; and containing two hundred in bredth, besides the farre outstretched forelands wished-for eulogy of literary excellence-you tell him of nothing which he cares for. In truth, he might attain some portion of intellectual reputation, if he would throw aside his ridiculous habits. He must, as soon as the evening shades prevail, burn wax tapers-he must always have an Argand lamp lighted up before him, to throw a picturesque effect upon a dark wood painted by Hobbima-his pens must be made from the crow's wing-his wax must be green-his paper must be thick and hot-pressed; and he must have a portfolio of the choicest bits of ancient vellum that can be procured his body must recline upon a chintz sofa-his foot must be perched upon an ottomanin short he must have every thing for which no man of common sense would express the least conCan you be surprised, therefore, that he should commence his sonnet to friendship thus: cern. Oh, sweetest softest thing that's friendship hight! or that he should conceive the following address to women, by one William Goddard, worthy of being ranked among the most beautiful poetical efforts of the 16th century: Stars of this earthly heaven, you whose essence To you, to virtuous you, I dedicate This snaggy sprig* From A Satyrical Dialogue, &c. betweene Alexander the Great and that truelye woman-hater Diogynes. Imprinted in the low countryes for all such gentlewomen as are not altogeather idle nor yet well ocupyed,' 4to, no date. A strange composition! full of nervous lines and pungent satire-but not free from the grossest licentiousness. Enough,' exclaimed Philemon-while Lysander paused a little, after uttering the foregoing in a rapid and glowing manner-enough for this effeminate vanity in man! What other ills have you to enumerate, which assail the region of literature?' I will tell you,' replied Lysander, another, and a most lamentable evil, which perverts the very end for which talents were given usand it is, in mistaking and misapplying these talents. I speak with reference to the individual himself, and not to the public. You may remember how grievously ALFONSO bore the lot which public criticism, with one voice, adjudged to him! This man had good natural parts, and would have abridged an history, made an index, or analyzed a philosophical work, with great credit to himself and advantage to the public. But he set his heart upon eclipsing Doctors Johnson and Jamieson. He happened to know a few etymons more correctly, and to have some little acquaintance with blackletter literature, and hence thought to give more weight to lexicographical inquiries than had hitherto distinguished them. But how miserably he was deceived in all his undertakings of this kind, past events have sufficiently shewn. No, my good Philemon, to be of use to the republic of literature, let us know our situations; and let us not fail to remember, that, in the best appointed army, the serjeant may be of equal utility with the captain. 'I will notice only one other, and a very great, failing observable in literary men: and this is, seve C |