ment, St. Martin's-Lane. N. B. To this edition is prefixed a large Preface, giving an Account of the In the lately-published Letters of Bishop Warburton Dr. Law is characterized as a man unhackneyed in the ways of the world. "Sept. 22, 1751. Our friend Browne is now on a visit (on invitation) at Mr. George Lyttelton's. It is about 250 miles from him, and he is accompanied by his friend, Dr. Law, as far as Litchfield; who takes this opportunity to visit his friend, the Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry. Which will prove the better Patron, the Layman or the Archpriest, for an even wager? And you shall choose your side. I think they might as well have gone to Hell (I mean the Classical Hell) to consult Tiresias in the ways of thriving. God help them! for they are a couple of helpless creatures in the ways of this world! and nothing to bear their charges but a little honesty, which, like Don Quixote's Chivalry, will pass current in never an Inn between Carlisle and London."—And again, in April 1753, Your reflections on poor Law please me for your own sake. They shew such a state of mind as puts your happiness out of Fortune's power; and would force me to love you for it, though you had no other claim to my affection. But what are fifty years to a man whose studies have never been occupied upon man; the only study from whence true wisdom is to be got? For, 'Whether in Metaphysics at a loss, Or wandering in a wilderness of moss,' 'tis pretty much the same, for all improvements in life. Hence, in his speculations, this poor man has been hurried from extreme to extreme. One while persecuting Dr. Middleton, at another time writing Theses ten times more licentious and paradoxical than the Doctor's.-And now at fifty! what a miserable thing, to have his head turned about a Mastership: of which, by the way, he is not half so fit as Sancho Pança was for his government." Bp. Law had a very numerous family, and was singularly fortunate in the different branches of it. His eldest son, Edmund, a very promising youth, went from the Charter-house school to St. Peter's college, Cambridge; where he died, in about a year after his admission. The next son, John, educated at the same school, on the foundation, was entered of Christ's college, in the same University, where he was a Tancred exhibitioner, and afterwards fellow. Having taken his degrees, and holy orders, he attended the Duke of Portland, lord lieutenant of Ireland, as one of his chaplains; where he was first promoted to the bishoprick of Clonfert, and thence translated to the see of Elphin; which he now enjoys. Edward, the third son, went young to the East Indies, where he remained some years; and having made a handsome fortune, returned to England, and married a daughter of Archbishop Markham. The fourth son, Edward, was likewise educated on the foundation of the Charter-house; went to St. Peter's college, where he became fellow. Having greatly several Latin Dictionaries and their Authors. Also a short Account of Robert Stephens's Life, and a complete Catalogue of the Books he printed, by the Author of the Lives of Stephens's, and of the chief Paris Printers *." The Proposals for this re-publication, which had been issued in 1732, provoked a discussion amongst distinguished himself in the University, and obtained many academical honours, he removed to the Inner Temple, intending for the profession of the Law; and has risen by due gradations to the honours of King's Counsel, Attorney-general, the Knighthood, and finally to that of Chief-justice of England, the Peerage by the title of Lord Ellenborough, and a Privy-counsellor. It is worthy of notice, that his Lordship is the single instance since the establishment of the Charter-house, in 1611, of any person's having risen, from being a scholar on the foundation there, to the rank of a Governor thereof. The value of such a distinction cannot be better expressed than in the words of the late worthy and learned school-master Dr. Samuel Berdmore, in an anniversary oration spoken in the great hall there, by the senior scholar, Dec. 12, 1785. (See Lusus Poetici ex Ludo Literario apud Ædes Carthusianas, &c. &c. Londini 1791, p. 147.) * A letter of business, from Dr. Taylor, on the subject of this publication, may perhaps be worth preserving: "I have paid Dr. Robinson] his demand against my judg ment; his demand was, that he paid for seven copies of Stephens, and received but six. I remember I was in a treaty with him, to be perfected through you, to deal with him for six copies of Stephens. Being at that time in town, and my copies at Cambridge, I would have had Harding advance the copies, or rather, upon reflection, the copies not being delivered to me, I drew upon him for six copies to be delivered to you, which he refused; doubtless that he might have the selling of them himself; the reason given, because he presumed, as he said, that you were to receive them in part of payment for the printing of Lysias, and therefore could afford to undersell them: so that I well remember I lost the sale of that set. All this I perfectly remember but then suppose that odd or seventh copy of mine sold and charged to Dr. Robinson, I was paid but once, though he may have paid twice. Nay, I could be but paid once if he had his six sets from Harding, as I remember he had. How this charge comes to be made upon me, I cannot call to mind nor account for; but he has used me ill in the manner of making his demand; a demand I cannot satisfy myself of. Perhaps you may set this matter right by acquainting him with what you know of it. In his account, he made himself debtor to somebody unknown for binding one set of Stephens. I think I heard you say, that in this negotiation you were out of pocket the binding a set. Probably this will help you to set it right. J. TAYLOR." the the Learned respecting the purity of some of the Latin phrases employed in it; which drew forth Mr. Bowyer as an advocate for his Cambridge friends; who were also not a little gratified by the following elegant testimonial of approbation from so competent a judge as Mr. Maittaire: "Clarissimis Rob. Stephani Thesauri Editoribus, Salutem. Quis sim, sciri paulum interest; non certè meâ, qui innotescere non percupio; minimè omnium, vestrâ, Viri clarissimi, quibus notissimis quid ex usu fuerit nôsse ignobilem? Quid autem velim, breviter expediam. Non potui me continere, quin vobis, quas gratias nemo literatus non fatebitur se debere, ego quoque, particula quantulacunque literariæ Reipublicæ perexigua, agerem: et gratularer, quod opus illud grande, consilio laudabili susceptum, magnâ laboris pertinaciâ continuatum, ad exitum tandem omnium votis responsurum pervenerit. Ex quo Romanus serino desiit esse vernaculus, illius linguæ cultores, qui puram-dictionis elegantiam studuerunt (et pauci admodum potuerunt, et etiamnum possunt) assequi, coacti sunt cum mortuis versari, frequentémque cum Authorum veterum scriptis familiaritatem inire, et eorum imitationi paulatim assuescere. Cùm autem id pensum requireret multum operæ magnámque memoriæ vim; Dictionariorum usus introductus est, ut illam minueret, hanc sublevaret. Non longè ab Artis Typographica initiis, primum Lexicon prodiit in lucem. Deinceps, literis incrementum capientibus, exorti sunt qui huic studiorum generi excolendo manus feliciter admoverunt. Verùm omnibus palmam præripuit Robertus Stephanus; qui, postquain in perficiendo operis instituti, quod anno 1532 proposuerat, tentamine decennium exegisset, anno 1543 orbem literatum Thesauro suo donavit; in quem * See Mr. Bowyer's "Miscellaneous Tracts," 4to. pp. 66–129. Latinæ Latinæ linguæ opes undecunque conquisitas recondidit; novoque ordinis artificio tam commodè disposuit, ut, cùm nihil utilius posset excogitari, multi postea in Lexicis contexendis eandem rationem servare voluerint. Actum agerem, si Roberti Stephani laudes post Thuanum prosequerer. Annis deinde haud paucis elapsis, Thesaurum illius recudere et locupletare aggressi sunt Lugdunenses; quos sua lucri spes minimè fefellit. Eorum editioni defuit neque laus neque pretium. Si cui tamen libeat et vacet illam subacto judicio propiùs examinare, erit nonnunquam, ubi in mentem veniat proverbium, Thesaurus Carbones. Id vos non fugit, Viri doctissimi. Quum enim in animo haberetis Roberti Stephani Thesaurum luci redonare, et (ne quid in re tanti momenti desideraretur) necesse esset evolvere, quid alii præstiterint, præsertim Lugdunenses; tot in horum editione animadvertistis menda, ut in iis corrigendis poni oporteret operam, ferè qualem Hercules in stabulo Augiæ repurgando insumpserat. Post editionem à Rob. Stephano finitam, nihil prodiit ad usus literarios magis necessarium; nihil magis operosum attentiore diligentiâ, nihil grandius elegantiore cultu, elaboratum est. Ille nunc Thesaurus preciosissimus novam séque dignam induit formam; et illius Author (si ad superos daretur defunctis reditus) optaverit reviviscere; ut suum opus tanto cum honore, cum tantâ bonæ frugis accessione, redivivum contemplandi voluptate frueretur. Valete, 1735, 5 id. Aprilis." To advert to a subject of somewhat more levity. It happening to fall to the turn of Mr. Bowyer and Mr. Edward Cave to invite their brethren of the typographic profession to a social feast, the facetious person to whom the office of summoning them was delegated addressed them thus: "SIR, Saturday, Jan. 17, 1735.. Supper Supper will be on table just at eight. Stewards, One of St. John's*, t'other of St. John's Gate+." This summons produced the following extempore answer, which I the rather transcribe, as the late Mr. Samuel Richardson's poetical productions are not very numerous : "Jan. 17, 1735. To Steward St. John, Steward St. John's Gate, No King John's sure e'er equall'd Saint John's men! Let him partake the praise, and make him mellow. No less such verse deserves-perpetual Poet he! Your notice, like your verse (so sweet and short!) * Mr. Bowyer. + Mr. Cave. On these verses (printed in Gent. Mag. vol. VI. p. 51) Mr. Cave thus remarks: "" Concerning this gentleman, the company observed, that though the publick is often agreeably entertained with his elegant disquisitions in prose, not one imagined that his extensive business would allow him the least leisure to invoke the Muses; without whose aid, the Johnians insisted, he could not have returned so poetical and so speedy an answer: "Their Bellman, hence, shall emulation fire, To raise, with grateful thanks, the metre higher, To him, whose genius makes one Printer shine, Rich-Son of Phoebus, darling of the Nine." That |