which, by his last will, was not to be printed till six years after his death. It was corrected through the in Templo Rotulorum Londini administravit, (ut iis qui rerum tum potiebantur visum est) malas artes insectatur, ab officio submotus est. E patriâ temporum iniquitate profugus et deinceps cum Principe Auriaco reversus, à Rege Gulielmo et Regina Mariâ et in summum tandem fiduciæ testimonium semper infensum scripta eruditissima demonstrant, veræque Religionis strenuum collocârat. Postquam autem Dei providentiâ singulari sceptro Britanno potitum conspexerat, annorum et felicitatis satur, Amplissimam pecuniam in pauperibus alendis moriens duo millia aureorum, Aberdoniæ Saltonoque ad juventutem pauperiorem instituendam, testamento legavit. Obiit 1715; ætat. 72." On taking down the old church in September 1788, the new wall being four feet shorter than the old, the Bishop's remains were unavoidably disturbed. On this occasion his body was found, inclosed in a leaden coffin (the outside wooden one being decayed). The lead was broken at the head, through which the skull and some hair was visible. The inscription was much corroded. The coffin of his grand-daughter, Mrs. Mary Mitchell, lay upon the Bishop's. On the South side of him lay the body of his son Thomas: the plate inscribed, "The Hon. Sir Thomas Burnet, knt. one of the justices of his Majesty's Court of Common Pleas, died 17 May, in the 59th year of his age." press by the Rev. John Blackbourne*. Mr. Bowyer possessed a copy of this volume, with many MS notes age." On the coffin of Sir Thomas lay that of James Mitchell, who died Dec. 11, 1779, aged 65. Between the Bishop and the Judge lay his great grandson Gilbert Burnet, son of Bur net, surgeon and apothecary, Chigwell, Essex; died in 1769. Two leaden coffins lay near the above, but without inscriptions. -They are now within the church, placed as follows: On the South, the Judge and Mr. Mitchell; the leaden coffin which lay on the North side of the Bishop; the Bishop on it; on the Bishop Mrs. Mitchell; between the Burnets the child Gilbert. Malcolm's Londinium Redivivum, vol. III. p. 212. * Swift, in his "Short Remarks on Bishop Burnet's History," [ed. 1808, vol. V. p. 98] says, "This Author is in most particulars the worst qualified for an Historian that ever I met with. His style is rough, full of improprieties, his expressions often Scotch, and often such as are used by the meanest people. His characters are miserably wrought, in many things mistaken, and all of them detracting, except of those who were friends to the Presbyterians."-Many of those characters were struck through with his own hand, but left legible in the MS. which he ordered, in his last will, "his executor to print faithfully, as he left it, without adding, suppressing, or altering it in any particular." In the second volume, Judge Burnet, the Bishop's son and executor, promises that "the original manuscript of both volumes shall be deposited in the Cotton Library." But this promise does not appear to have been fulfilled; at least it certainly was not in 1736, when two letters were printed, addressed to Thomas Burnet, esq. In p. 8, of the second letter, the writer asserted, that he had in his own possession an authentic and compleat collection of castrated passages."-A copy of the castrated passages has been printed, since this note was first written, in the European Magazine for 1795 and 1796, vol. XXVII. pp. 37. 157. 221. 374; vol. XXVIII. pp. 88. 245. 312. 392; vol. XXIX. p. $7; with MS observations on Burnet's History, by Lords Ailesbury and Hardwicke, Dean Swift, Mr. Onslow the Speaker, Mr. Goodwin of Baliol college, &c.The notes of Mr. Onslow speak a different opinion of the Bishop from that which was entertained by the Dean; and, in consequence of it, the late Lord Clarendon has been heard to mention, that Mr. Onslow used to say, he had found many things in the Bishop's History to be true, which had been objected to as falsities; and that he did not doubt many more would in process of time be confirmed." On the "Memoirs of P. P. Clerk of this Parish," by the Scriblerus Club, Dr. Warton observes: "It was impossible but that such a History as Burnet's, which these Memoirs are intended to ridicule, relating recent events, so near the time of their transaction, should be variously represented by the violent parties that have agitated and disgraced this country; though by Mr. Blackbourne (and, I believe, the castrations); which now forms part of the very valuable library of though these parties arise from the very nature of our free government. Accordingly this Prelate's History of his own time was as much vilified and depreciated by the Tories, as praised and magnified by the Whigs. As he related the actions of a Persecutor and a Benefactor, he was accused of partiality, injustice, malignity, flattery, and falsehood. Bevil Higgins, and Lord Lansdown, and others, wrote Remarks on him; as did the great Lord Peterborough, whose animadversions, as his amanuensis, Mr. Holloway, assured Dr. Warton, were very severe; they were never published. As Burnet was much trusted and consulted by King William, and had a great share in bringing about the Revolution, his Narrations, it must be owned, have a strong tincture of self-importance and egotism. These two qualities are chiefly exposed in these Memoirs. Hume and Dalrymple have taken occasion to censure him. After all, he was a man of great abilities, of much openness and franknses of nature, of much courtesy and benevolence, indefatigable in his studies, and in performing constantly the duties of his station. His character is finely drawn by the Marquis of Halifax: one paragraph of which is too remarkable to be omitted: His indifference for preferment, his contempt not only of splendour, but of all unnecessary plenty; his degrading himself to the lowest and most painful duties of his calling; are such unprelatical qualities, that let him be never so orthodox in other things, in these he must be a Dissenter. Few persons or prelates would have had the boldness and honesty to write such a remonstrance to Charles II. on his dissolute life and manners, as did Burnet in the year 1680. We may easily guess what the sycophants of that profligate court, and their profligate master, said and thought of the piety and freedom of this letter." Sir John Dalrymple acknowledged his obligations to the late Earl of Dartmouth, for the use of a copy of Burnet's History, with MS notes by his ancestor Lord Dartmouth, who was secretary of state at the time described; and has written at the end of vol. I. "So far I read, and did not perceive any design in the writer to pervert or mislead; but this was not the case in the succeeding volume. Now Lord B- tells me, that a man must be a simpleton to talk so, because all the anecdotes are in the first volume, and consequently there was the opportunity for taking liberties; but that the subsequent ones are a mere compilation from newspapers." T. F-Another copy of Burnet's History was in the library of the late Marquis of Lansdowne, with MS remarks by Dean Swift. [The same valuable library 'contained also the Dean's copy of "Lord Herbert's Life of Henry VIII." with MS notes, remarkable for being the first in the list of the books Swift has given us, as read by him at Moor Park. The Dean's MS remarks on 66 Macky's Characters" are printed in his Works, from a copy which belonged to the late Mr. Astle and those on " Gibbs's Psalms" from a MS in my possession.] Mr. Mr. Gough.-The second volume of the Bishop's History was not published till 1734.] Among the other books printed in this year were, "The Christian Religion not founded in Allegory; or, a Vindication of our Faith from the Falsehood objected against it, in a late Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion," 8vo. "A Sermon by William Leathes, Vicar of Isell, Cumberland; on Eccles. xii. 13," 8vo. "A Funeral Sermon for the Hon. Mr. Vane*," 8vo. "Dissertationes Medicæ et Chirurgica, habitæ in Amphitheatro Collegii Regalis Medicorum Londinensium. A Gualtero Harris, M.D. in eodem Collegio Præside Nato et Chirurgia Professore." 66 "The Rule of Conscience; or, Bp. Taylor's Ductor Dubitantium abridged. By Richard Barcroft, Curate of Christ Church, Surrey," 2 vols. 8vo. Origines Gentium antiquissima; or, Attempts for discovering the times of the first planting of Nations: In several Tracts. By the Right Rev. Richard Cumberland, D. D. late Bishop of Peterborough. Published from his Lordship's Manuscripts by S. Payne §, M. A. Rector of Barnack in Northamptonshire;" Svo. An Index to Aretæus, for Dr. John Freind, the physician; and, for his brother Dr. Robert * John Vane, esq. second son of William Lord Viscount Vane, and Baron Dungannon, died at Naples, Feb. 3, 1723-4, æt. 17. † Of whose writings, see before, p. 212. Dr. Richard Cumberland, bishop of Peterborough 1691. He died Oct. 9, 1718, in his 87th year, and was buried in his own cathedral, leaving behind him the well-deserved character of having been a man of very uncommon parts, very uncommon learning, and of virtue and true,piety still more uncommon. § Of whom see before, p. 193. The Index to Aretaus was compiled at the request, and printed at the expence, of Dr. John Freind, by Mr. Maittaire, who has introduced it with a short Latin Preface. It is comprised in 14 sheets folio, is annexed to the splendid edition of Dr. Wigan, printed at the Clarendon press in 1723; and is by much the most difficult, and not the least handsome, part of that elegant volume. Freind, Freind, the master of Westminster school, a translation of " Cicero's Orator." "The Difference between Absolute and Limited Monarchy, &c. By Sir John Fortescue," &c. (as in p. 156.) The third edition, 8vo. A new edition of " Drelincourt on Death," 8vo. In 1724, "A compleat and private List of all the Printing-houses in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, together with the Printers' names, what News-papers they print, and where they are to be found: also an Account of the Printing-houses in the several Corporation Towns in England; most humbly laid before the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Townshend," was gathered up by one Samuel Negus, who took upon him to distinguish them by their political principles; and was rewarded by a letter-carrier's place in the Post-office. The introductory epistle, which accompanied it, is copied below. * Of these learned brothers, see the "Essays and Illustrations," in vol. V. No III. † Oldys, in Brit. Top. I. 82. + "To the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Townshend, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State. "My good Lord; I was persuaded by some friends, who have the honour to be known to your Lordship (which is a happiness I have not yet arrived at), to offer this List to your Lordship's perusal. I have the misfortune of being brought up to this business, and was set up of my trade by the goodness and generosity of my ever-honoured uncle, Captain Samuel Brown of Norwich, (through the persuasions of my two excellent friends Mr. John Gurney and Mr. John Eccleston). Your Lordship may not be altogether insensible of the hardships and the temptations a young beginner in Printing may meet with from the disaffected; and how hard it is for such men to subsist, whose natural inclinations are to be truly loyal and truly honest, and at the same time want employ; while the disaffected printers flourish, and have more than they can dispatch. I have been a printer about 23 years, but have not been for myself above two years; in which time I have suffered very much for want of employ. On this account I have implored Counsellor Britriff, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Gurney, Colonel Francis Negus, Mr. Churchill, and some other gentlemen, that they would please to move your Lordship on my behalf, that you would please to get me admitted as an Extraordinary |