ment. The Gentleman's Magazine, in August 1735, began to give a monthly synopsis of the debates in Parliament. These debates are said to have been done for this magazine from 1740 to 1743 by Dr Johnson, who, with his well-known political bias, "took care that the Whig dogs should not have the best of it." Thirty years after this time the same plan was adopted by the newspapers. Still in the earlier part of this volume the pulpit is perhaps best represented, owing to the scarcity of reported speeches. The leading idea in the present compilation has been to furnish specimens of the speeches, sermons, and addresses of some of the greatest statesmen, divines, and others, of the last four centuries, arranged in chronological order, with brief biographies and notes. The term eloquence has been limited to spoken utterances, otherwise the field might have been practically limitless. The specimens given are sought to be either interesting in themselves, or as read in the light of history. For example, the progress of the Eastern Question may be traced from the allusion of Latimer (p. 17), that "thou shalt first kill the great Turks, and discomfort and thrust them down," through the speeches of Fox, R. L. Sheil, on to the statesmen of recent times. Considerable space has been given to the great speeches of Edmund Burke, William Pitt, Sheridan, Brougham, Disraeli, Gladstone, etc. The great divines will also be found well represented. It was the advice of a noted speaker to a young orator that he should deeply meditate on the "beauties of our old English authors, the poets, the moralists, and perhaps more than all these, the preachers of the Augustan age of English letters." The speeches of Sir John Eliot and Cromwell, of Lord Belhaven on the union between England and Scotland, throw light on special periods of the history of our country. The great lawyers are also represented. The addresses of Lord Lytton, Carlyle, Maurice, J. A. Froude, etc., on literary and educational topics, from the eminence of the speakers, not less than the intrinsic merit of the utterances, will be found worthy of all attention. Although seventy-four names are included, yet fully to represent the great speakers in the political, legal, or ecclesiastical world, was impossible in the present case, even had it been desirable. The Editor is aware, that had the volume been twice its present size only relative completeness would have been gained. The length of the specimens is in no sense intended to be representative of the eminence or public worth of the speakers. Through want of space and other reasons some names have been omitted, which, as originally intended, would have found a place in the collection. These omissions, it is hoped, however, are both few and unimportant. Except in the case of Jeremy Taylor, whose sermons are overloaded with classical allusions, no liberties have been taken with the text, which stands as given by the best authorities. In the preparation of the earlier part of the volume, Dr Goodrich's "Select British Eloquence" has been freely drawn upon. The best thanks of Publisher and Compiler are here accorded to those authors or publishers who have very kindly permitted the use of much copyright matter,-to Dean Stanley, Mr J. A. Froude, and Rev. C. H. Spurgeon; to Messrs Longman & Co., Macmillan & Co., Henry S. King and Co., Daldy, Isbister, & Co., and Messrs Passmore & Alabaster. THE TREASURY OF BRITISH ELOQUENCE. THE PLOUGHERS.* HUGH LATIMER. 1490-1555. "ALL things which are written are written for our erudition and knowledge. All things that are written in God's book, in the Bible book, in the book of the Holy Scripture, are written to be our doctrine." I told you in my first sermon, honourable audience, that I purposed to declare unto you two things. The one, what seed should be sown in God's field, in God's plough land; and the other, who should be the sowers. That is to say, what doctrine is to be taught in Christ's church and congregation, and what men should be the teachers and preachers of it. The first part I have told you in the three sermons past, in which I have essayed to set forth my plough, to prove what I could do. And now I shall tell you who be the ploughers; for God's Word is a seed to be sown in God's field-that is, the faithful congregation-and the preacher is the sower. And it is in the Gospel-Exivit qui seminat seminare semen suum [“A sower went out to sow his seed" (Luke viii. 5)]. He that soweth, the husbandman, the ploughman, went forth to sow his seed; so that the preacher is resembled to a ploughman, as it is in another place-Nemo * Quecumque scripta sunt ad nostram doctrinam scripta sunt [" Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning" (Rom. xv. 4)]. Preached at the Shrouds, St Paul's, January 18, 1549. "What a merry wit he has! What a kind and loving heart! How his daily fighting with craft has made him a subtle spirit! What skill he has in fence and parry! How he relishes the telling of a good story! Dauntless, incorruptible, despising wealth, except as the instrument of charity; an enthusiastic social reformer, as well as a godly teacher; a lover of the people, Hugh Latimer stands there and expounds unto them who be 'The Ploughers." "-Edward Arter. admota arato manu, et a tergo respiciens aptus est regno Dei ["No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke ix. 62)]. No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh back, is apt for the kingdom of God. That is to say, let no preacher be negligent in doing his office. Albeit this is one of the places that hath been racked, as I told you of racking Scriptures. And I have been one of them myself that hath racked it; I cry God mercy for it, and have been one of them that have believed and have expounded it against religious persons that would forsake their order which they had professed, and would go out of their cloister, whereas, indeed, it toucheth not monkery, nor maketh anything at all for any such matter. But it is directly spoken of diligent preaching of the Word of God. For preaching of the Gospel is one of God's plough works, and the preacher is one of God's ploughmen. Ye may not be offended with my similitude, in that I compare preaching to the labour and work of ploughing, and the preacher to a ploughman. Ye may not be of fended with this my similitude, for I have been slandered of some persons for such things. It hath been said of me-"O Latimer! nay, as for him, I will never believe him while I live, nor never trust him, for he likened our blessed Lady to a saffron bag," where, indeed, I never used that similitude. But it was, as I have said unto you before now, according to that which Peter saw before in the spirit of prophecy, and said that there should come afterward men -Per quos via veritatis maledictis afficeretur ["By reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of" (2 Peter ii. 2)]. There should come fellows by whom the way of truth should be evil spoken of and slandered. But in case I had used this similitude, it had not been to be re |