ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, THIRD EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, GRANDSON of the chancellor, and a man whose morals were as amiable as the life of the former was hateful. The first was an author only to serve the purposes of the factions in which he was engaged; the writings of the latter breathe the virtues of his mind, for which they are much more estimable than for their style and manner. He delivers his doctrines in ecstatic diction, like one of the Magi inculcating philosophic visions to an eastern auditory! His principal works are published in three volumes, well known by the title of "Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times"." We have besides a small collection of his "Letters to Robert Molesworth, Esq. (the first Lord Viscount of that Name), with a large Introduction 3," • [These were published in 1711, 1713, 1727, 1732, 1737, 1749, &c.; and Baskerville printed a beautiful edition at Birmingham in 1773-] 3 ' [By Toland the editor, who first surreptitiously put forth his lordship's Inquiry concerning Virtue. This volume giving an account of the earl's public principles, which were just what became an Englishman and a philosopher. One anecdote, not mentioned there, but an instance of his modest ingenuity, ought to be recorded. Attempting to speak on the bill for granting counsel to prisoners in cases of high treason, he was con-founded, and for some time could not proceed; but recovering himself, he said, "What now happened to him, would serve to fortify the arguments for the bill-if he, innocent and pleading for others, was daunted at the augustness of such an assembly, what must a man be who should plead before them for his life?" "A Letter concerning Design 5." "Advice to a young Clergyman"." "Preface" was printed in 1721, and sold by J. Peele, in whose hands the original letters were left for three months to satisfy the curious of their authenticity. Ten of his letters were published in 1716, under the title of "Several Letters written by a noble Lord to a young Man at the University." This young man was Michael Ainsworth, of the parish of St. Giles, where lord Shaftesbury lived, at whose expense he was educated and maintained at Oxford. Biog. Brit. ut sup.] 4 [Dr. Kippis tells us, on the contrary, that Toland's Introduction was chiefly founded on conjecture, whence many things in it are absolutely false.] • Printed in Bickerston's Collection, p. 75. |