Lux Mathematica &c.

Cenfura Doctrine Wallifianæ de Libra.

Rofetum Hobbefii, London 1672 in quarto. Principia et Problemata aliquot Geometrica ante defperata, nunc breviter explicata & demonftrata, London 1674, 4to.

Epiftola ad Dom. Ant. Wood Authorem Hiftoriæ & Antiquitat. Univerfit. Oxon. dated April 20, 1674; the fubftance of this letter is to complain of the figure which Mr. Wood makes him appear in, in that work; Hobbs, who had an infinite deal of vanity, thought he was entitled to higher encomi ams, and more a minute relation of his life than that gentleman gave. An Anfwer was written to it by Dr. Fell, in which Hobbs is treated with no great ceremony.

A Letter to William, Duke of Newcastle, concerning the Controverfy he had with Dr. Laney, Bishop of Ely, about Liberty and Neceffity, London 1670 in 12mo.

Decameron Phifiologicum, or Ten Dialogues on Natural Philofophy, London 1678, 8vo. To this is added the Proportion of a Straight Line to hold the Arch of a Quadrant; an account of this book' is published in the Philofophical Tranfactions, Numb. 138.

His Last Words, and Dying Legacy, printed December 1679, and publifhed by Charles Blunt, Efq; from the Leviathan, in order to expofe Mr. Hobbs's Doctrine.

His Memorable Sayings in his Books, and at the Table, printed with his picture before it.

Behemoth, the Hiftory of the Civil Wars of England, from 1640 to 1660, printed London' 1679.

Vita Thomæ Hobbs; this is a Latin Poem, written by himself, and printed in 4to, 1679.

Hiftorical

Hiftorical Narration of Herefy, and the Punishment thereof, London 1680, in four sheets and a half in folio, and in 1682 in 8vo. of this we have already made fome mention.

Vita Thomæ Hobbs, written by himself in profe, and printed at Caropolis, i. e. London, and prefixed to Vita Hobbianæ Auctarium 1681 in 8vo. and 1682 in 4to.

A Brief of the Art of Rhetoric, containing the Subftance of all that Aristotle hath written in his three Books on that Subject, printed in 12mo. but without a date.

A Dialogue between a Philofopher and a Student of the Common Law of England.

An Answer to Archbishop Bramhall's Book I called the Catching of the Leviathan, London 1682 in 8vo.

Seven Philofophical Problems, and two Pofitions of Geometry, London 1682 in 8vo. dedicated to the King 1662.

An Apology for himself and his Writings, of which we have already taken notice.

Hiftoria Ecclefiaftica carmine elegiaco concinnata, London 1688 in 8vo.

Tractatus Opticus, inferted in Merfennus's Cogitata Phyfico-Mathematica, Paris 1644 in 4to.

He tranflated into English Verfe the Voyages of Ulyffes, or Homer's Odyffeys. B, ix, x, xi, xii. London 1674 in 8vo.

Homer's Iliads and Odyffes, London 1675, and 1677 in 12m0; to which is prefixed a Preface concerning Heroic Poetry. Mr. Pope in his Preface to his Tranflation of Homer's Iliad, fays,

that

Mr. Hobbs, in his Verfion, has given a correct explanation of the fenfe in general, but for particulars and circumstances, lops them, and often omits the most beautiful. As for its being a clofe ⚫ tranflation, I doubt not, many have been led into that error by the fhortnefs of it, which pro

6

'ceeds

ceeds not from the following the original line by line, but from the contractions above mentioned. He fometimes omits whole fimiles and fentences, and is now and then guilty of mistakes, into which no writer of his learning could have fallen but through carelessness. His poetry, like, Ogilby's, is too mean for criticism.' He left behind likewife feveral MSS. Mr. Francis Peck has published two original Letters of our author; the firft is dated at Paris October 21, 1634, in which he refolves the following question. Why a man remembers lefs his own face, which he fees often in a glafs, than the face of a friend he has not feen a great time? The other Letter is dated at Florence, addreffed to his friend Mr. Glen 1636, and relates to Dr. Heylin's Hiftory of the Sabbath.

Thus have we given fome account of the life and writings of the famous Philofopher of Malmsbury,` who made fo great a figure in the age in which he lived, but who, in the opinion of fome of the best writers of that time, was more diftinguished for his knowledge than his morals, and there have not been wanting those who have declared, that the leffons of voluptuoufnefs and libertinifm, with which he poifoned the mind of the young King Charles II. had fo great an effect upon the morals of that Prince, that our nation dearly fuffered by this tutorage, in having its wealth and treasure fquandered by that luxurious Monarch. Hobbs feems not to have been very amiable in his life; he was certainly incapable of true friendship, for the fame cowardice, or falfe principle, which could inftigate him to abandon truth, would likewife teach him to facrifice his friend to his own fafety. When young, he was voluptuous, when old, peevish, detitute alike of refolution and honour. However high his powers, his character is mean, he flattered the prevailing follies, he gave up virtue to fashion,

fashion, and if he can be produced as a miracle of learning, he can never be ranked with thofe venerable names, who have added virtue to erudition, and honour to genius; who have illuminated the world by their knowledge, and reformed it by example.

Sir ASTON COKAINE,

A Gentleman Hew lived in the reign of

Charles I. He was fon of Thomas Cokaine, efq; and defcended from a very ancient family at Afhbourne in the Peak of Derbyshire; born in the year 1608, and educated at both the univerfities. Mr. Langbaine obferves, that Sir Afton's predeceffors had fome evidence to prove themfelves allied to William the Conqueror, and in thofe days lived at Hemmingham Caftle in Effex. He was a fellow-commoner at Trinity College in Cambridge, as he himfelf confeffeth in one of his books. After he had left the univerfity, he went to the Inns of Court, where continuing awhile for fashion's fake, he travelled afterwards with Sir Kenelm Digby into France, Italy, Germany, &c. and was abfent the fpace of twelve years, an account of which he has written to his fon , but it does not appear to have been printed. He lived the greatest part of his time in a lordship belonging to him called Pooley, in the parish of Polesworth in Warwickshire, and addicted himself much to

Athen. Oxon. p. 756, vol. ii. | Wood, ubi fupra."

books

books and the ftudy of poetry. During the civil wars he suffered much for his religion, which was that of Rome, and the King's caufe; he pretended then to be a baronet, created by King Charles I. after by violence he had been drawn from the Parliament, about June 10, 1641; yet he was not deemed fo by the officers of the army, because no patent was enrolled to justify it, nor any mention of it made in the docquet books belonging_to the clerk of the crown in Chancery, where all Patents are taken notice of which pafs the Great Seal. Sir Afton was efteemed by fome a good poet, and was acknowledged by all a great lover of the polite arts; he was addicted to extravagance; for he wafted all he had, which, though he fuffered in the civil wars, he was under no neceffity of doing from any other motive but profufion.

Amongst our author's other poetical productions, he has written three plays and a mafque, which are in print, which we shall give in the fame order with Mr. Langbaine.

1. A Mafque, prefented at Bretbie in Derbyshire, on Twelfth-Night 1639. This Entertainment was prefented before the Right Honourable Philip, first Earl of Chesterfield, and his Countefs, two of their fons acting in it.

2. The Obftinate Lady, a Comedy, printed in 8vo. London 1650. Langbaine obferves, that Sir Afton's Obftinate Lady, feems to be a coufin Jerman to Maflinger's Very Woman, as appears by comparing the characters.

3. The Tragedy of Ovid, printed in 8vo. 1669. I know not (fays Mr. Langbaine) why the author calls this Ovid's Tragedy, except that he lays the fcene in Tomos, and makes him fall down dead with grief, at the news he received from Rome, VOL. II. No. 9.

L

in