their eulogiums on the fame mournful occafion. Lord Brooke valued his friendship fo highly, that he ftyles himfelf on his tomb, "The Friend of Sir Philip Sidney." Genius, talents, elegant erudition, heroic valour, unblemished morals, and a fupreme regard for religion, combined to render him the boast and ornament of his times.

His "Arcadia" is the most celebrated of his works; it was printed firft in 1615, and has been tranflated into a variety of languages.

Cibber's Lives of the Poets, Vol. I.-Female
Biography, Vol. IV.

FRANCIS BACON.

FRANCIS BACON was the fon of Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord keeper of the great feal in the reign of Elizabeth, and was born in the year 1561. His mother was Anna, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, a lady illuftrious for her claffical attainments and domestic virtues.

He made fuch rapid advances in claffical learning, that he was judged qualified for the university at twelve years of age; and entered at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he made fuch incredible progrefs in his ftudies, that before the age of fixteen he had run through the whole circle of liberal arts, as then taught, and even at this early period, he began to perceive the futilities and imperfections in the reigning philofophy, which for the fervice of mankind he afterwards fo effectually expofe and exploded.

Leaving the university with the highest applause, he was fent on his travels, and before his return, he acquired a deep and almost intuitive knowledge of the manners and customs of other countries, and the characters and views of their princes and minifters, which he exemplified in a paper on the general state of Europe, published before he attained his nineteenth year.

During the reign of Elizabeth, the enmity of Sir Robert Cecil prevented him from being advanced at eourt; hence he profecuted his philofophical studies with energy; and published a number of learned works.

In the reign of James I. his promotions were rapid. In 1614, he was appointed attorney general; and in 1616, was raised to the dignity of privy counsellor, and in 1617, he was appointed lord keeper of the feals.

Soon after Sir Francis Bacon had attained the fummit of his wishes, he was hurled from his station with the lofs of his honour and the impeachment of his honesty. He was charged with bribery and corruption in quality of chief judge. His character is differently reprefented by various authors. However, the candid fuppofe that, he fell a martyr rather to his want of prudence, than want of integrity. The authors of the Biographia Britanica obferve, that "the faults in his character prove no more, than that even the greatest men have their weaknesses, and that the corruptions of courts are capable of tainting the nobleft minds." His principal fault appears to have been, too great indulgence to his fervants, who made fuch a corrupt use of it, that it ftripped him of all the riches and honours, which were bestowed upon him, as the just reward of his eminent services, and diftinguished merit.

Lord Bacon retired, after a fhort imprisonment, from the entanglement of an active life, to which he had been called, much against his genius, to the fhade of a contemplative one, which he had always loved. Whilst he was profecuting some discoveries in experimental philosophy near Aighgate, he was suddenly taken ill, and being carried to the earl of Arundel's house in the vicinity, after a week's illness, he breathed his laft on the 9th of April, 1626.

Towards the latter part of his life he declared, " that the first principle of right reason is religion, and he serioufly profeffed, that after all his ftudies and inquiries, he durft not die with any other thoughts than those of the christian religion.”

This author has remarked, in feveral parts of his works, "that a thorough insight into philosophy makes a good believer, and that a fmattering in it naturally produces fuch a race of defpicable infidels, as the little profligate writers of the present age, whom, (I must confefs) I have always accused to myself, not fo much for their want of faith, as their want of learning."

"I had rather, fays he, believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind; and therefore God never wrought a miracle to convert an atheist, because his ordinary works confute it; it is true a little philofophy inclineth men to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth their minds to religion; for whilft the mind of man looketh on fecond causes scattered, it must sometimes rest in them, but when it beholdeth the chain of them confederated and linked together, it muft needs fly to Providence and Deity."

Mr. Addison, in one of the Tattlers, in which he vindicates the christian religion, by fhewing that the wifeft men in all ages, have profeffed themselves believers in it, fpeaks of Bacon thus, "I fhall in this paper only inftance Sir Francis Bacon, a man, who, for the greatness of his genius and compafs of knowledge, did honour to his age and country, I could almoft fay to human nature itfelf. He poffeffed at once all thofe extraordinary talents, which were divided among the great authors of antiquity; he had the found diftinct knowledge of Ariftotle, with all the beautiful light graces and embellishments of Cicero one does not know which to admire moft in his writings; the ftrength of reafon, force of ftyle, or brightnefs of imagination. I was infinitely pleased to find among the works of this extraordinary man, a prayer of his own compofing; which, for elevation of thought and piety of expreffion, feems rather the devotion of an angel than a man."”

Biographia Britanica, Vol. I.-Tattler, Vol. IV.
No. 267.

HUGO GROTIUS.

HUGO GROTIUS, an eminent civilian, was defcended from a family of the greatest distinction in the Low Countries. His father was burgomafter of Delf, and curator of the university of Leyden. He was born at Delf, April 10th, 1583. His early progrefs in literature was uncommonly rapid. Nature had bestowed on him a profound genius, a folid judgment, and tenacious memory;

and thefe extraordinary endowments had all the advantages that education could give them. He was fo happy, as to poffefs in his father, a pious, and an able governour, who formed his mind and his morals. Before he completed his twelfth year, he was fent to Leyden under the celebrated Francis Junius. He continued three years at the univerfity, where the famous Jofeph Scaliger was fo ftruck with his prodigious capacity, that he condefcended to direct his ftudies; in 1597, he maintained public theses in the mathematics, philofophy, and law, with the higheft applause.

In 1598, he accompanied the Dutch ambaffador into France, and was honoured with feveral marks of esteem from Henry IV. Having chofen the law for his profesfion, he took his degree of doctor of laws in that kingdom; and upon his return, he attended the law courts, and pleaded his firft courfe at Delf with univerfal applaufe, though he was scarcely feventeen; and he maintained the fame reputation as long as he continued at the bar.

This employment however did not engross his whole time; but he found leifure to publish several valuable works, which exhibit proofs of his general learning, as well as his great knowledge of abstract sciences.

In the midst of these profound ftudies this prodigy of a young man found time to cultivate the mufes. He was but eight years old, when he wrote fome elegiac verses, which were then thought very pretty; he also publifhed three tragedies, which raifed his reputation fo high, that he was efteemed one of the best poets in Europe.

In 1603, the glory, which the United Provinces had 'obtained by their illuftrious defence against the whole