steady and sober Experience of Human Things. But, however, I cannot applaud it in him. It is certainly a great Disparagement to Virtue, and Learning itself, that those very Things which only make Men useful in the World, should encline them to leave it. This ought never to be allow'd to Good Men, unless the Bad had the same Moderation, and were willing to follow them into the Wilderness. But if the one shall contend to get out of Employment, while the other strive to get into it, the Affairs of Mankind are like to be in so ill a Posture, that even the good Men themselves will hardly be able to enjoy their very Retreats in Security."

To these extracts, from authors whose attention was particularly devoted to the cultivation of style, led us add a specimen of the manner in which our language was at that time written, from Locke on the Human Understanding. This treatise was published nearly at the period of king William's accession. It has by no means remained without its praise, for the appropriateness and elegance of its composition. Locke was a man of an uncommonly clear and masculine understanding, and greatly superior to many of his most distinguished contemporaries, who, instead of being contented to trace facts and phenomena as he has done, idly bewildered themselves in the invention of fanciful theories. His work forms too memorable an epoch in the annals of literature, not to render it im

proper that it should be omitted even in this slight essay towards a history of the English language. It is thus that he expresses himself, in Book I, Chap. I, §. 5.

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Though the Comprehension of our Understandings, comes exceeding short of the vast Extent of things; yet we shall have Cause enough to magnify the bountiful Author of our Being, for that Portion and Degree of Knowledge, he has bestowed on us, so far above all the rest of the Inhabitants of this our Mansion. Men have Reason to be well satisfied with what God hath thought fit to give them, since he has given them (as St. Peter says,) παντα προς ζωην και ευσεβείαν, Whatsoever is necessary for the Convenience of Life, and Information of Vertue; and has put within the reach of their Discovery the Comfortable Provision for this Life and the Way that leads to a better. How short soever their Knowledge may come of an universal or perfect Comprehension of whatsoever is, it yet secures their great Concernments that they have Light enough to lead them to the Knowledge of their Maker, and the sight of their own Duties. Men may find Matter sufficient to busy their Heads, and employ their Hands with Variety, Delight, and Satisfaction; if they will not boldly quarrel with their own Constitution, and throw away the Blessings their Hands are fill'd with, because they are not big

enough to grasp every thing. We shall not have much Reason to complain of the narrowness of our Minds, if we will but employ them about what may be of use to us; for of that they are very capable: And it will be an Unpardonable, as well as Childish Peevishness, if we undervalue the Advantages of our Knowledge, and neglect to improve it to the Ends for which it was given us, because there are some Things that are set out of the reach of it. It will be no Excuse to an Idle and Untoward Servant, who would not attend his Business by Candle-light, to plead that he had not broad Sun-shine. The Candle, that is set up in us, shines bright enough for all our Purposes. The Discoveries we can make with this, ought to satisfy us: And we shall then use our Understandings right, when we entertain all Objects in that Way and Proportion, that they are suited to our Faculties; and upon those Grounds, they are capable of being propos'd to us; and not peremptorily, or intemperately require Demonstration, and demand Certainty, where Probability only is to be had, and which is sufficient to govern all our Concernments. If we will dis-believe every thing, because we cannot certainly know all things; we shall do much-what as wisely as he, who would not use his Legs, but sit still and Perish, because he had no Wings to Fly."

This celebrated author was applied to by the

government of that period, as Milton had been in a similar instance, to write a defence of the principles on which king William was called to the throne. The consequence of this request, was the publication of his Two Treatises of Government, a work highly applauded at that time, and which maintains its reputation, by right of possession probably, to this day.

The first of these Treatises is confined to the refutation of Sir Robert Filmer's Patriarcha. The following passage may serve as a specimen.

"Supposing we should grant, that a Man is by Nature Governor of his Children, Adam could not hereby be a Monarch as soon as created: For this Right of Nature being founded in his being their Father, how Adam could have a Natural Right to be Governor before he was a Father, when by being a Father only he had that Right, is, methinks hard to conceive, unless he would have him to be a Father before he was a Father, and to have a Title before he had it.

"To this foreseen Objection, our Ą. answers very logically, He was Governor in Habit and not in Act: A very pretty Way of being a Governor without Government, a Father without Children, and a King without Subjects.-Tho' even this of Act and Habit, if it signified any thing but our A.'s Skill in Distinctions, be not to his Purpose in this Place. For the Question is not here about

Adam's actual Exercise of Government, but actually having a Title to be Governor: Government, says our A. was due to Adam by the Right of Nature: What is this Right of Nature? A Right Fathers have over their children by begetting them; Generatione jus acquiritur parentibus in liberos, says our A. out of Grotius. The Right then follows the Begetting, as arising from it; so that according to this Way of Reasoning. or Distinguishing of our A. Adam, as soon as he was created, had a Title only in Habit, and not in Act, which in plain English is, He had actually no Title at all." Book I, Chap. III, §. 18, 19.

SECT. IV.

AGE OF QUEEN ANNE.

WE come now to the age of queen Anne. This is the period of English prose, which has generally been attended with the highest and most extensive plaudits. A few scholars indeed have affected to praise the age of queen Elizabeth; but the multitude of readers, for a long time, perhaps to this day, have pitched their tents, and taken up their rest, under the banners of Anne.

Many reasons may be assigned for this. The literary characters of that age were called to fill active situations. Not to mention inferior instances, we may recollect the negotiations of

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