which are introduced by the following juft remarks from the Editor.

"Memoirs are the materials, and often the touchftone of hif tory; and, even where they defcend to incidents beneath her no tice, they aid the ftudies of the antiquary, and the moral philo fopher. While therefore it is regretted, that the referved temper of our nation has generally deterred our foldiers and statefinen from recording their own ftory, an attempt to preferve, explain, or render more generally acceffible the works which we poffefs of this nature, feems to have fome claim upon public favour."

To this pofition we heartily affent, and therefore hallen to give a fhort account of the prefent volume. Cary's Me moirs were first published by the late Earl of Cork and Orrery, in 1759, from a manufcript entrufted to him by Lady Elizabeth Spelman, daughter to the Earl of Middleton'; and by him copied, as he fays, with religious fidelity *. what hands it had been preferved till that time, we are not told; nor is it clear whether the original was ftill preferved, or now exifts. The account of Queen Elizabeth's death had been before extracted and published by Dr. Birch. Lord Orrery introduced the Memoirs by a preface of fome length, which is here republished, and he added alfo explanatory notes, which are now augmented, particularly in the parts that relate to Border Hiftory, by the pen, we prefume, of Mr. Walter Scott. Sir Robert Cary was Deputy Warden, firft of the Weft Marches towards Scotland, for his brotherin-law, Thomas, Lord Scroope, and afterwards of the Eaft, for his own father, and exerted himself much in reducing that turbulent district to some order. At his father's death, he was first continued warden, during the Queen's pleasure, and then obtained the patent for the place. The hiftory of this appointment is fo peculiarly characteristic of the manners of Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers that, though it is not now new to the public, we cannot refift the pleafure of tranfcribing it, with the note of the prefent editor. Cary having filled his father's place for a twelvemonth, without falary, became anxious to go up to court, but was refused permiffion; on which he ventured to go without leave, a very hazardous ftep under fuch a miftrefs. He thus relates the refult of his adventure..

"The Queen lay at Theobald's, and early in a morning I came thither. I first went to Mr. Secretary [Cecil] who was

* It is evident, however, that he has very widely departed from the fpelling of the writer.

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BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXIV. JULY, 1809.

much

much troubled when he faw me, and by no means could I get him to let the Queen know that I was there, but counfeiled me to return, that the might never know what I had done. When I could do no good with him, I went to my brother, who then was Chamberlain, after my Lord Cobham's death. I found him far worse than the other; and I had no way to fave myself from fome great difgrace, but to return without her knowledge of my being there; for, by no intreaty could I get him to acquaint her with it. I was much troubled, and knew not well what to do. The Queen went that day to dinner to Enfield. Houfe; and had toiles fet up in the park to fhoot at bucks after dinner. I durft not be seen by her, thefe two counsellors had fo terrified me. But after dinner, I went to Enfield; and walking folitary in a very private place, exceeding melancholy, it pleafed God to fend Mr. William Killegrew, one of the Privy-Chamber, to pafs by where I was walking, who faluted me very kindly, and bade me welcome. I anfwered him very kindly, and he perceiving me very fad, and fomething troubled, afked me why I was fo? I told him the reafon. He made little reckoning of what they had faid to me, but bade me comfort myself, for he would go prefently to the Queen, and tell her of my coming up, on fuch a fashion, as he did warrant me, fhe would take it well, and bid me welcome. Away he went, and I ftayed for his return. He told the Queen that he was more beholden to one man, than to many other, that made greater fhew of their love and fervice. She was defirous to know who it was. He told her it was myfelf; who, not having feen her for a twelvemonth and more, could no longer endure to be deprived of fo great a happiness; but took poft with all fpeed to come up to fee your Majefty, and to kifs your hand, and fo to return immediately again. She prefently fent him back for me, and received me with more grace and favour than ever fhe had done before; and after I had been with her a pretty while, he was called for to go to her sports. She arofe, I took her by the arm and led her to her ftanding. My brother and Mr. Secretary, feeing this, thought it more than a miracle. She continued her favour to me the time I ftayed, which was not long; for she took order, I fhould have five hundred pounds out of the Exchequer, for the time I had ferved; and I had a patent given me under the Great Seal, to be her Warden of the Eaft March. And thus was I

This dexterous turn placed Cary's journey in a view quite irrefiftible. Her courtiers understood well how to play upon the Queen's paffion for general admiration. In the Life of Sir Walter Raleigh, there is an admirable letter, defcribing his affectation of fury, at being deprived the fight of his queen and goddefs, as The paffed in a barge by the Tower, in which he lay prisoner. It is obviously calculated for the Queen'e eye, and probably, as in the prefent cafe, had its ufual mollifying confequences. E."

preferved

preferved by a pretty jeft, when wife men thought I had wrought my own wrack. For out of weakness, God can fhew strength, and his goodness was never wanting to me in any extremity." P. 84.

The folemn importance given to the incidents in this narrative, by afcribing them to Divine goodness, is as characteriftic as any part of it. Yet the writer calls the turn of Killigrew" a pretty jeft."

Sir Robert Naunton's " Fragmenta Regalia," alfo reprinted here, contains a collection of fhort but authentic characters of Queen Elizabeth and her Courtiers. It is here illuftrated with potes, apparently by the fame hand as thofe marked E. in the former part. The Author's own'account of his performance, at the end, will give the most fatisfactory notion of it.

"And thus have I delivered up this my poor effay, a little draught of this great Princefs, and her times, with the fervants of her ftate and favour; I cannot fay I have finished it, for I know how defective and imperfect it is, as limbed only in the original nature, not without the active blemishes, and fo left it as a talk fitter for remote times, and the fallies of fome bolder pencil, to correct that which is amifs, and draw the reft up to life; as for me to have endeavoured it, I took it to confideration how eafily I might have dafhed in too much of the ftain of pollu tion, and thereby have defaced that little which is done; for I profefs I have taken care fo to mafter my pen, that I might not, ex animo, or of fet purpose, difcolour truth, or any of the parts thereof, otherwife than in concealment. Happily there are fome which will not approve of this modefty, but will cenfure me for pufillanimity, and with great cunning artists attempt to draw their line further out at large, and upon this of mine, which may, with fomewhat more eafe be effected, for that the frame is ready made to their hands, and then happily I could draw one in the midft of theirs, but that modefty in me forbids the deface. ments of men departed, whofe pofterity, yet remaining, enjoys the merit of their virtues, and do ftill live in their honour; and I had rather incur the cenfure of abruption, than to be confcious, and taken in the manner + of finning by eruption ‡, and of trampling on the graves of perfons at reft, which living we durft not look in the face, nor make our addresses to them, otherwife than with due regards to their honours, and renown to their vir tues." P. 300.

This modefty is much in favour of the Author's veracity. The characters given by him are, the Queen, Leicester, Suffex, Burleig, Sir Philip Sidney, Walfingham, Wile

• Defe&.

+ In the fact.
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+ Excefs.

loughby,

loughby, Sir N. Bacon, Lord Norris, Sir Francis Knowls, Sir John Perrot, Sir Ch. Hatton, Lord Effingham, Sir John Packington, Lord Hunfdon, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir F. Greville, Effex, Lord Buckhurst, Lord Mountjoy, Sir R. Cecil, Sir Francis Vere, Lord Worcefler. In all twentythree.

ART. III. A Series of Difcourfes, on the Principles of Religious Belief, as connected with Human IIappiness and Improvement. By the Rev. R. Merebead, A. M. of Baliol College, Oxford; Junior Minifter of the Epifcopal Chapel, Cowgate, Edinburgh. 8vo. 441 pp. 9s. Edinburgh and London, Conftable and Co. 1809.

WE

E have not often met with a volume of fermons better calculated to ferve the purpose for which they were published, than this feries of difcourfes on the principles of religious belief. The defign of the author, as he informs us in the preface, was to exhibit a fimple and popuJar view of the evidences of religion, and of the effects of religious belief. He wrote not for the conversion of the hardened infidel, but for the inftruction of those who appear indifferent to the truths of religion, through an indolent mifapprehenfion of its true nature and general foundations. On fuch men, he fays, and fays truly, that direct contros verfy and formal argument have but little effect; because to follow a train of argument requires an effort of attention, which indolence will not exert.

"Its cure," fays Mr. Morehead, is to be effected, not by topical applications of detailed proof, or fpecial refutation, but by the general tonics of more enlightened and comprehensive views, as to the nature of men and of the univerfe; arguments that point out the connection and confonancy between religion and all that we know or feel of existence; and reflections which tend to cultivate thofe difpofitions which lay the foundations of reli.. gious belief, not only in our understanding, but our affections.”

Thefe tonics, to continue the ufe of a metaphor, which however appears to us the only inftance of bad taste in the whole volume, the author applies in twenty-eight difcourfes,

The metaphor is the more offenfive, because it brings immediately into view the Medical School of Edinburgh, as infecting the Language of all orders of men in that city. Had the work been published any where else the evil would hardly have attracted notice.

which, though they were written, we are affured, at different times, and without any precife view to this prefent arrangement, have undoubtedly fuch a mutual coherence and dependency as to entitle them to the appellation of " a feries." They are dedicated, in a ftrain of affectionate refpect, to his colleague in the chapel where they were preached, the Rev. A. Alifon, LL. B. &c. the author of well known Effays on Tafle, and are on the following fubje&is:

10.

"ift. The Character of Religion, 1 Kings xix. 12. 28. The Character of Scripture, St. John v. 39. 3d. The Character of Wisdom, Prov. xvii. 24. 4th. The Character of Faith, St. John xx. 29. 5th. On Natural Religion, St. John xiv. 8. 6th. On Revealed Religion, St. John xiv. 9. 7th. The Nativity of Chrift, St. Matt. ii, 11. 8th and 9th. On Man, as a ra tional, moral, and religious Being, Job xxxii. 8. 10th and 11th. Proofs of Immortality from Reafon and Revelation, 2 Tim. i. 12th. On the Refurrection of the Dead, Ezekiel xxxvii. 3. 13th. The Temporal Advantages of Christianity, Ephef. iv. 8. 14th. The fuperior Importance of Moral Duties, St. Matt. ix. 13. 15th. Connection of Morality and Religion, Heb. x. 38. 16th. The Character of the good Centurion, St. Matt. viii. §. 17th. On Chriftian Charity, as it influences our Judgments of each other, St. Matt. vii. 1. 18th. On Chriftian Charity, as it influences Conduct, St. John xiii. 34. 19th. On the Leffons to be learned from the Afflictions of Life, Ecclefiaftes vii. 2. 20th. On Religious Confolation in Affliction for the Death of Children, St. Matt. ii. 18. 21ft. Os Religious Education, Prov. xxii. 6. 22d. On Religious Education, St. John xiv. 15. 23d and 24th. On Religious Rites, 1 Cor. xi. 26, and Ifaiah vi. 7. 25th. On Public Worship, Pfalm c. 3. 26th. On youthful Piety, Ecclefiaftes xii. 1. 27th. On redeeming time, Ephef. v. 16. 28th. Religious Meditations, Rev. i. 8."

It is needlefs to obferve that fermons, of which twentyeight are printed, with a large type and refpectable margin, in 441 8vo. pages, cannot, any one of them, be of great length. It would not indeed have anfwered the preacher's purpofe of attracting the attention of the lukewarm and indolent, to have made them long, or to have exhaufted any one of the fubjects brought into view. All that he aims at, is to exhibit, in a fhort compafs, and in a ftyle remarkable for elegant fimplicity, every fubject of which he treats, in fuch a light, as ought to convince the moft careless reader that it is a fubject at once intereffing and important; and this aim he has furely accomplished. To novelty or ingenuity of Scripture criticifm, he lay s no claim; and we have feen him exprefsly declaring, that profound argumentation was foreign from his object; but we confefs ourfelves fome

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what