peared in MRS. APHRA BEHN (1642–1689), celebrated in her day under the name of Astræa:

The stage how loosely does Astræa tread!

POPE.

The comedies of Mrs. Behn are grossly indelicate; and of the whole seventeen which she wrote-besides various novels and poems--not one is now generally read or remembered. The history of Mrs. Behn is remarkable. She was daughter of the governor of Surinam, where she resided some time, and became acquainted with Prince Oroonoko, on whose story she founded a novel, that supplied Southerne with materials for a tragedy on the unhappy fate of the African prince. She was employed as a political spy by Charles II.; and, while residing at Antwerp, she was enabled, by the aid of her lovers and admirers, to give information to the British government as to the intended Dutch attack on Chatham.

Extract from Wycherley's Plain Dealer.'

MANLY and LORD PLAUSIBLE.

MANLY. Tell not me, my good Lord Plausible, of your decorums, supercilious forms, and slavish ceremonies! your little tricks, which you, the spaniels of the world, do daily over and over, for and to one another; not out of love or duty, out your servile fear.

PLAUSIBLE. Nay, i' faith, i' faith, you are too passionate; and I must beg your pardon and leave to tell you they are the arts and rules the prudent of the world walk by.

MAN. Let 'em. But I'll have no leading strings; I can walk alone. I hate a harness, and will not tug on in a faction, kissing my leader behind, that another may do the like to me.

PLAUS What, will you be singular then? like nobody? follow, love, and esteem nobody?

MAN. Rather than be general, like ycu, follow everybody; court and kiss everybody though perhaps at the same time you hate everybody.

PLAUS. Why, seriously, with your pardon, my dear friend

MAN. With your pardon, my uo friend, I will not, as you do, whisper my hatred or my scorn, call a man fool or knave by signs or mouths over his shoulder, whi!st you have him in your arms. For such as you, like common women and pickpockets, are only dangerons to those you embrace.

PLAUS. Such as I! Heavens defend me! upon my honour—

MAN. Upon your title, my lord, if you 'd have me believe you.

PLAUS. Well, then, as I am a person of Lorour, I never attempted to abuse or lessen any person in my life.

MAN. What, you were afraid?

PLAUS. No, but seriously, I hate to do a rude thing; I speak well of all mankind. MAN. thought so: but know, that speaking well of all mankind is the worst kind of detraction; for it takes away the reputation of the few good men in the world, by making all alike. Now, I speak ill of most men, because they deserve it; I that can do a rude thing, rather than an unjust thing.

PLAUS. Well, tell not me my dear friend, what people deserve; I ne'er mind that. I, like an author in a dedication, never speak well of a man for his sake, but my own. I will not disparage any man to disparage myself; for to speak ill of people behind their backs, is not like a person of honour, and truly to speak ill of 'em to their faces, is not like a complaisant person; but if I did say or do an ill thing to anybody, it should be behind their backs, out of pure good manners.

MAN. Very well, but I that am an unmannerly sea-fellow, if I ever speak well of people-which is very seldom indeed-it should be sure to be behind their backs; and if I would say or do ill to any, it should be to their faces. I would jostle a proud, strutting, overlooking coxcomb, at the head of his sycophants, rather than

put out my tongue at him when he were past me; would frown in the arrogant, big, dull face of an overgrown knave of business, rather than vent my spleen against him when his back were turned; would give fawning slaves the lie whilst they embrace or commend me; cowards, whilst they brag; call a rascal by no other title, though his father had left him a duke's; laugh at fools aloud before their mistrsses; and must daire people to leave me, when their visits grow at last as trouble ome as they were at first impertinent. [Manly thrusts out Lord Piausible. FREEMAN. You use a lord with very little ceremony, it seems.

MAN. A lord! what, thou art one of those who esteem men only by the marks and value fortune has set upon 'em, and never consider intrinsic worth! But counterfeit honour will not be current with me: I weigh the man, not his title; 'tis not the king stamp can make the metal better or heavier. Your lord is a leaden shilling, which you bend every way, and debases the stamp he bears, instead of being raised by it.*

Song.-In Mrs. Behn's 'Abdelazer, or the Moor's Revenge.

Love in fantastic triumph sat,

Whilst bleeding hearts around him flowed,
For whom fresh pains he did create,

And strange tyrannic power he shewed.
From thy bright eyes he took his fires,
Which round about in sport he hurled:
But 'twas from mize he took desires

Enough to undo the amorous world.
From me he took his sighs and tears,
From thee his pride and cruelty;
From me his languishment and fears,
And every killing dart from thee:
Thus thou and I the god have armed,
And set him up a deity:

But my poor heart alone is harmed,
While thine the victor is, and frce.

PROSE LITERATURE.

The productions of this period, possessing much of the nervous force and originality of the preceding era, make a nearer approach to that correctness and precision which have since been attained in English composition. We have already adverted to some of the great names by which the period is illustrated; and we may here note the formation of the Royal Society of London in 1662, for the promotion of mathematical and physical science. There had previously been associations and clubs of a similar character, but they were small and obscure. The incorporation by royal charter of a body of scientific men and students of nature in England was a significant and memorable event. Following so soon after the res toration of Charles, it might seem to verify the couplet of Dryden: For colleges on bounteous kings depend, And never rebel was to arts a friend.

Burns has versified part of this sentiment:

The rank is but the guinea stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.

The Civil War naturally directed the minds of philosophical men to the subject of government, in which it seemed desirable that some fixed fundamental principles should be arrived at, as a means of preventing future contests of the like nature. Neither at that time nor since has it been found possible to lay down a theory of government to which all nations would subscribe; but some political works produced at this period narrowed the debatable ground. The 'Leviathan' of Hobbes was the most distinguished work on the monarchical side of the question; while Harrington's 'Oceana,' published during the Protectorate of Cromwell, and some of the treatises of Milton, are the best works in favour of republican institutions.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND POLITICAL WRITERS.

JOHN SELDEN.

One of the most learned writers, and at the same time conspicuous political characters of the time, was JOHN SELDEN, born December 16, 1581, of a respectable family at Sabington, near Tering, in Sussex. After being educated at Cuichester and Oxford, he studied law in London, and published in the Latin language, between 1607 and 1610, several historical and antiquarian works relative to his native country. These acquired for him, besides considerable reputation, the esteem and friendship of Camden, Spelman, Sir Robert Cotton, Ben Jonson, Browne, and also of Drayton, to whose 'Polyolbion' he furnished notes. By Milton he is spoken of as the chief of learned men reputed in this land.' His largest English work, 'A Treatise on Titles of Honour,' was published in 1614, and still continues a standard authority respecting the degrees of nobility and gentry in England, and the origin of such distinctions in other countries. In 1617 his fame was greatly extended, both at home and on the continent, by the publication of a Latin work on the idolatry of the Syrians, and more especially on the heathen deities mentioned in the Old Testament. In his next production, 'A History of Tithes' (1618), by leaning to the side of those who question the divine right of the church to that tax, he gave great offence to the clergy, at whose instigation the king summoned the author to his presence and reprimanded him. He was, moreover, called before several members of the formidable High Commission Court, who extracted from him a written declaration of regret of what he had done, without, however, any retractation of his opinion. Several replies appeared, but to these he was not allowed to publish a rejoinder. During the subsequent part of his life, Selden evinced but little respect for his clerical contemporaries, whose conduct he deemed arrogant and oppressive. Nor did he long want an opportunity of shewing that civil tyranny was as little to his taste as ecclesiastical; for being consulted by the parliament in 1621, on occasion of the dispute with James concerning their powers and privileges, he spoke so freely on the popular side, and took

so prominent a part in drawing up the spirited protestation of parliament, that he suffered a short confinement in consequence of the royal displeasure. As a member of parliament, both in this and in the subsequent reign, Seldon continuec. to defend the liberty of the people, insomuch that on one occasion he was committed to the Tower on a charge of sedition. In 1640, when the Long Parliament met, he was unanimously elected one of the representatives of Oxford University; but though still opposing the abuses and oppressions of which the people complained, he was averse to extreme measures, and desirous to prevent the power of the sword from falling into the hands of either party. Finding his exerti ns to ward off a civil war unavailing, he seems to have withdrawn himself as much as possible from public life. While in parliament, he constantly employed his influence in behalf of learning and learned men, and performed a great service to both universities. In 1643 he was appointed keeper of the records in the Tower. Meanwhile his political occupations were not allowed to divert his mind altogether from literary pursuits. Besides an account, published in 1628, of the colebrated Arundelian marbles, which had been brought from Greece the previous year, he gave to the world various works on legal and ecclesiastical antiquities, particularly those of the Jewish nation; and also an elaborate Latin treatise in support of the right of British dominion over the circumjacent seas. This last work appeared in 1635, and found great favour with all parties. defence of it against a Dutch writer was the last publication before the death of Selden, which took place November 30, 1654. His friend, Archbishop Usher, preached his funeral sermon, and his valuable library was added by his executors to the Bodleian at Oxford. In 1689, a collection of his sayings entitled 'Table-talk,' was published by his amanuensis, who states that he enjoyed for twenty years the opportunity of hearing his master's discourse, and was in the habit of committing faithfully to writ ing the excellent things that usually fell from him.' It is more by his Table-talk' than by the works published in his lifetime, that Selden is now generally known as a writer; for though he was a man of great talent and learning, his style was deficient in ease and grace, and the class of subjects he selected was little suited to the popular taste. The following eulogy of him by Clarendon shews how highly Selden was respected even by his opponents: 'He was a person whom no character can flatter, or transmit any expressions equal to his merit and virtue. He was of so stupendous a learning in all

A

*Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, who was a zealons patron of the fine arts, sent agents into Italy and Greece to collect and transmit to England interesting remains of antiquity. Among other relics so procured were the above-mentioned marbles. brought by Mr. (afterwards Sir William) Petty from Smyrna, and on which were found certain Greek inscriptions-including that called the Parian Chronicle. from its being supposed to have been made in the Isle of Paros, about 263 years before Christ. This Chronicle, by furnishing the dates of many events in ancient history, proved of great use in chronological investigations.

kinds and in all languages-as may appear in his excellent writings -that a man would have thought he had been entirely conversant amongst books, and had never spent an hour but in reading and writing; yet his humanity, affability, and courtesy were such, that he would have been thought to have been bred in the best courts, but that his good-nature, charity, and delight in doing good exceeded that breeding. His style in all his writings seems harsh, and sometimes obscure, which is not wholly to be imputed to the abstruse subjects of which he commonly treated, out of the paths trod by other men, but to a little undervaluing the beauty of style, and too much propensity to the language of antiquity; but in bis conversation he was the most clear discourser, and had the best faculty of making hard things easy, and presenting them to the understanding, that hath been known.'

Many of the sententious remarks in Selden's 'Table-talk' are exceedingly acute; others are humorous; while some embody propositions which, though uttered in familiar conversation, he probably would not have seriously maintained. As might be expected, there are satirical observations on the clergy, and indications of that cautious spirit which distinguished him throughout his career. Marriage, for example, he characterises as a desperate thing: the frogs in Esop were extreme wise; they had a great mind to some water, but they would not leap into the well, because they could not get out again.' The following are extracts from the Table-talk:'

Evil Speaking.

1. He that speaks ill of another, commonly before he is aware, makes himself such a one as he speaks against; for if he had civility or breeding, he would forbear such kind of language.

2. A gallant man is above ill words. An example we have in the old lord of Salisbury, who was a great wise man. Stone had called some lord about court, fool; the lord complains, and has Stone whipped; Stone cries: I might have called my lord of Salisbury fool often enough, before he would have had me whipped.'

3. Speak not ill of a great enemy, but rather give him good words, that he may use you the better if you chance to fall into his hands. The Spaniard did this when he was dying; his confessor told him, to work him to repentance, how the devil tormented the wicked that went to hell; the Spaniard replying, called the devil, my lord: I hope my lord the devil is not so cruel.' His confessor reproved him. cuse me,' said the Don, for calling him so; I know not into what hands I may fall; and if I happen into his, I hope he will use me the better for giving him good words.'

Humility.

Ex

1. Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice, and yet everybody is content to hear. The master thinks it good doctrine for his servant, the laity for the clergy, and the clergy for the laity.

2. There is humuitas quædam in vitio (a faulty excess of humility]. If a man does not take notice of that excellency and perfection that is in himself, how can he be thankful to God, who is the author of all excellency and perfection? Nay, if a man hath too mean an opinion of himself, it will render him unserviceable both to God and man.

3. Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up his dignity. In gluttons there must be eating, in drunkenness there must be drinking; it