the Poets, that is, with great self-sufficiency,afferts, Nec meus Eudoxi vincatur Faftibus annus. Now, if he had looked carefully into Lucan, X. 187. he might have found, that they are not the words of the Poet, but of Julius Cafar; who was the Reformer of the Roman Year, and might speak thus, without arrogance. I do not remember to have feen in any Author the time mentioned, when the Olympic Games, and other games of the fame kind in other places, 'ceafed to be celebrated.* In order to be chofen one of the fix principal magiftrates of Strafburg, a man muft prove that he is ignoble, and a Plebeian, defcended from Plebeians for eight generations. See La Mothe le Vayer. The more abfurd and incredible any divine mystery, the greater honour," fays Bacon, we do to God in believing it." I wonder that fuch a man should have adopted fuch a doctrine, and have had fo little regard for his own reputation; for he who talks in this manner, will always fall under * In a fubfequent paffage, Dr. Jortin obferves from Maffieu, Hift. de L'Acad. III. 67. That the Ifthmian Games ceased about the time of the Emperor Hadrian. + See Vol. I. of this work, P. 373. the the fufpicion of being either a true Fanatic, or a difguifed Infidel. As to Bacon's Editor, he hath taken fufficient care, both in his note upon this paffage, and in a Preface, Vol. II. p. 284. to let us know that he himself is not a Fanatic. See Bacon's Works, by Shaw. As to Bacon, he seems to have given way to his fancy, and exercifed his wit, in drawing up Chriftian Paradoxes. Vol. I. p. 262., II. p. 285. The fame Author tells us, that "the age of the cat terminates between fix and ten." What Juvenal fays of Tyrants, (Sat. X. 112) is true of Cats, -that feldom do they die a natural death. Ad generum Cereris fine cæde et vulnere paucæ But, if they escape the hands of violence, they hold out beyond the period affigned by Bacon. I had one that lived with me fourteen years *; and I have heard of fome that were much older. How little the duties of Toleration and Moderation were understood, either by Papifts or Protestants, in the fixteenth century, is evident from a letter of Melanchthon, who yet feems to have been *For an Epitaph on this favourite domestick, fee No. XIX. of the LUSUS POETICI, inferted in Vol. I. Page 39. a Divine 66 a Divine of much mildness and good nature. Con、 cerning the burning of Servetus, he fays to Bullinger, Legi que de Serveti blafphemiis refpondiftis, et pietatem ac judicia veftra probo. Judico etiam Senatum Genevenfem rectè feciffe, quod hominem pertinacem, et non omiffurum blafphemias fuftulit: Ac miratus fum effe, qui feveritatem illam improbent." It is certain that the Romans greatly abhorred and condemned human facrifices, long before Christianity had made its appearance amongst them: and I obferve that the Fathers and ApologiftsTatian, Theophilus, Athanafius, Tertullian, Cyprian, Minucius, Firmicus, Prudentius,-speak with caution upon this fubject. None of them fay directly that human victims were offered up to Jupiter Latiaris, but only human blood; which might be done many ways, without any human facrifice in form. I take the cafe to have been, that at a certain time of the year, when they had fhews in the Amphitheatre, they took the blood of fome condemned man, fome gladiator, or fome criminal who was expofed to wild beafts, and offered it up to this Jupiter *. If a Cæfar, a Livy, or a Tacitus had lived in later ages, and heard of the proceedings of the Inquifition, they would have faid that thofe nations worshipped Christ, and his mother, as a Goddess; and used to * See Juftin Martyr, p. 128, and Thirlby's note. offer offer up human victims to them in a cruel manner, by burning them alive. It is an observation of Montaigne, that " Of those who have made themselves famous in the world, he would lay a wager to produce more who died before, than after, thirty-five." Effais, Tom. I. 19. I have, I believe, confidered this matter more than Montaigne, and marked the years of the life of many hundred fcholars. And, fetting afide violent deaths, I look upon fixty-three to be the middle. term of life; there being about as many who have died before, as at fixty-three and upwards. The number of those who died at or near fixty-three is that I suspect fo far greater than at any other year, it hath not been called the grand climacteric, without fome reason. The bodies of many perfons feem to be a machine wound up for that period; which may be fhortened, but cannot be much lengthened. The feparation of the Jews from the Gentiles was a proof that the Jewith religion was not of general concern; for if there had been no other way to heaven, God would not thus have fhut out the Gentiles. In the first protestant schools and universities of Germany, most of the ftudents were very poor: They supported themfelves by begging and finging pfalms pfalms from door to door: they ftudied by moonlight, for want of candles; they were almost starved for want of fire; and often went to bed with an empty ftomach: Yet the earneft defire of erudition conquered all thefe difficulties, and they became private tutors, schoolmafters, preachers, and profeffors. Our young folks now have not the tenth part of these hardships to endure, nor a tenth part of their industry and learning. Blackwell is an author who hath taken commendable pains to vindicate the style, and to point out the beauties of the New Teftament. It is pity that his own ftyle fhould be fo conceited, and fo full of affectation. The Athenians, a polite people, gave polite names to ugly things. They called the jail, the houfe; the hangman, 7ov Anov, the commoner; a thief, a LOVER: that is, "one who fell in love with a purfe of money, or with fome fuch pretty object, &c." Herodotus fays, that amongst the Thracians, to work was mean and infamous; to do nothing was the mark and privilege of a gentleman. 'Apy ov είναι, κάλλισον γῆς δὲ ἐργάτην, ατιμοτατον. In many places Erafmus highly commends Sigifmundus Gelenius, who was the corrector of FroVOL. I. Ff ben's |