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THE

TABLE-TALK OF JOHN SELDEN.

INTRODUCTION.

BOOK of Apothegms is an armoury of thoughts more or lefs felicitously expreffed. Rightly read, it acts as a tonic on the mind. The subjects are fo difconnected and follow the one the other fo rapidly the opinions and arguments are so incisively expreffed, and are often fo apparently contradictory and paradoxical: that the whole work becomes hard to read, and still harder to digeft. Rapid reading of fuch condenfed thought is unproductive; careful study, however, makes it both enjoyable and fruitful: and that in proportion to the activity of the reader's mind.

It is clear, therefore, that Apothegms are rather fub jects for confideration than articles for belief. They must be thoroughly examined. They must be, fo to speak, unravelled and unfolded, that their inwrapped principles may be understood in their nature, applications, and confequences; in order that concinnated speech may not beguile us from truth, or aphorifms charm us into injustice and error.

It is further evident, that our final judgment of the opinions of the Author must be suspended until we thus poffefs his whole work. In particular, in the present inftance, we should not forget that we have but ftray fragments of talk, separated from the context of cafual and unreftrained converfations; collected -probably without the Speaker's knowledge-one, two, or three at a time, over a period of twenty years; and claffified long afterwards, as feemed beft to their Preferver.

These Sayings were published thirty-five years after Selden's death, and nine years after their recorder— the Rev. Richard Milward, S.T.P., who died Canon of Windfor, Rector of Great Braxted, and Vicar of Ifleworth-had paffed away. While they are, therefore, thus doubly pofthumous in publication, they must be long antedated in utterance. Table-Talk belongs/ chiefly, if not entirely, to 1634-1654, and therefore/ appertains to the first rather than the fecond half of the Seventeenth century.

These Discourses show somewhat of the mind, but not the whole mind of Selden, even in the subjects treated of. What must have been the fulness of information, the aptnefs of illuftration, the love of truth, the juftness of reasoning, when fuch fragments as these could be picked up by a casual hearer? Bacon's Effays are most carefully finished compositions: Selden's Table-Talk is the fpontaneous incidental out pouring of an overflowing mind; and yet it may not unworthily compare with the former.

Paffing by acute infight into human nature, and great antiquarian refearch, can we gather, however imperfectly, from the present work, any idea as to what Selden's main opinions were? We think we may

In this work, as elsewhere, John Selden is the Champion of Human Law. It fell to his lot to live in a time when the life of England was convulfed, for years together, beyond precedent; when men searched after the ultimate and effential conditions and frames of human fociety; when each ftrove fiercely for his rights, and then as dogmatically afferted them.

Amidft immenfe, prepofterous, and inflated affumptions; through the horrid tyranny of the fyftem of the Thorough; in the exciting debates of Parliament; in all the form of the Civil War; in the still fiercer jarring of religious fects; amidst all the phenomena of that age; Selden clung to 'the Law of the Kingdom.' All is as the State pleases.' He advocates the

fupremacy of Human Law against the so-called doctrin of Divine Right. He thrufts out the Civil Power against all Ecclefiaftical pretenfions, and raising it to be the highest authority in the State, denies the exitence of any other co-ordinate power. So ftrongly does he affert the power of the Nation to do or not to do, that, for the purpose of his argument, he reduces Re ligion almost to a habit of thought, to be affumed or caft off, like a fashion in dress, at will. 'So Religion was brought into kingdoms, so it has been continued, and so it may be cast out, when the State pleases.'* 'The Clergy tell the Prince they have Phyfick g od for his Soul, and good for the Souls of his People, u or that he admits them: but when he finds by Experie ce they both trouble him and his People, he will have no more to do with them, what is that to them or any body else if a King will not go to Heaven'† 'The State ftill makes the Religion and receives into it, what will beft agree with it.'§

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Selden lodges the Civil Power of England, in the King and the Parliament. He fhews that our English Constitution is but one great Contract between two equal Princes, the Sovereign and the People ; and that if that Contract be broken, both parties are t parity again. That, by a like consent, the majority in England governs; the minority affenting to the judgement of the majority, and being involved in their decifion. Finally, reducing all relationships to like mutual Agreements, he urges the keeping of Contracts, as the effential bond of Human fociety. 'Keep your

Faith.'

The way these views are enforced, fully justifies Lord Clarendon's opinion of him, that 'in his Conversation He was the most clear Difcourfer, and had the best Faculty in making hard Things easy, and presenting them to the Understanding, of any Man that hath been known.'t

* P. 29.

+ P. 36.

§ P. 130.

+ P. 8.

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5. 1726. Londini.
3 vols. (6 parts) fol.

II.

Second

Third

English Reprints: see title on page 1.

With other works.

Joannis Seldeni Iurifconfulti_opera omnia, tam edita quam inedita. Edited by Rev. DAVID WILKINS, S. T. P. 'Archdeacon of Suffolk, &c. 'Table Talk' occupies iii. 2000-2080.

It is ftrange, that but for the efforts of two gentlemen, Dr. Irving and Mr. Singer, only a single edition of the 'Table Talk' would have appeared this century. The neglect of our English masterpieces of thought is a thing incredible.

BEING THE

DISCOURSES

OF

John Selden Efq.;

OR HIS

SENCE

Of Various

MATTERS

OF

WEIGHT and High CONSEQUENCE

Relating especially to

Religion and State.

Diftingue Tempora.

LONDON,

Printed for E. Smith, in the Year MDCLXXXIX.

1682

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