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Iudging from the little I know of

thew writings.

I think there is a

great

resemblance between Browne & Words. -worth, Coleridge vi. The care golism, enthusiasm. tending to myshciam, & either a magnanimous superiority to ridicul or a remarkable insenestiality to it, OBSERVATIONS The re :semblance would be more striking, 4

UPON Wordsworth would condescend to write

in proses

RELIGIO MEDIOT or in

•blank vorn

only

Occasionally written by

Sir KENELME DIGBY Knight.

Browne was an

carly favourite

of Dr Johnson, yet there is not the slightest resemblance between them either in thought or in style.

}

OBSERVATIONS

UPON

RELIGIO MEDICI..

To the Right Honourable Edward Earl of Dorfet, Baron of Buckhurft, &c.

MY LORD,

Received yesternight your Lordfhip's, of the 19th current; wherein you are pleased to oblige me, not only by extreme gallant expreffions of favour and kindness; but likewise by taking fo far into your care the spending of my time during the tedioufnefs of my reftraint, as to recommend to my reading a book that had received the honour and protection of

your

appro

of

approbation; for both which I most humbly thank your Lordship. And fince I cannot, in the way of gratefulness, exprefs unto your Lordship as I would, those hearty fentiments I have of your goodness to me, I will, at least, endeavour, in the way of duty and obfervance, to let you fee how the little needle of my foul is thoroughly touched at the great loadstone yours, and followeth fuddenly and strongly which way way foever you direct it. On this occafion, the magnetick motion was impatient to have the book in my hands, that your Lordship gave fo advantageous a character of; whereupon I tam fent presently (as late as it was) to Paul's church-yard, for this favourite of yours, Religio Medici; which after a while found me in a condition fit to receive a bleffing by a vifit from any fuch mafter-piece as you look upon with gracious eyes;

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for

for I was newly gone to bed. This good-natured creature I could eafily perfuade to be my bedfellow, and to wake with me as long as I had any relish to entertain myself with the delights I fucked from fo noble a converfation. And truly my Lord, I clofed not my eyes till I had enriched myself with, or at least exactly furveyed, all the treasures that are wrapt up in the folds of those few sheets. To return only a general commendation of this curious piece, or at large to admire the author's fpirit and smartness, were too perfunctory an account, and too flight a one, to fo difcerning and fteddy an eye as yours, after so particular and encharged a fummons to read carefully this difcourfe. I will therefore presume to blot a fheet or two of paper with my reflexions upon fundry paffages thro' the whole con text of it, as they fhall occur to

my

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