My life was worn with ferving you and you, "To birds of prey leave my old cage and fly. Athen. Oxen. Vol. ii. page 494 & 495. "Henry Martin," adds Wood, " became a "Gentleman Commoner of University College, Oxon, at the age of 15 years, in 1617, where "and in public giving a manifeftation of his preg"nant parts, he had the degree of Batchelor of "Arts conferred upon him in the latter end of "1619." He was a ftriking inftance of the truth of Roger Afcham's obfervation:" Commonlie," fays he, "men very quick of wit, be very light "of conditions. In youth they be readie fcof"fers, privie mockers, and ever over-light and "merrie. In age they are teftie, very waspish, "and alwaies over miferable: and yet few of "them come to any great age, by reafon of their "miferable life when young; but a greate deal "fewer of them come to fhew any great counte' nance, or beare any great authority abroade "in the world, but either live obfcurely men "wot not how, or dye obfcurely mcn mark not "when." 467] THOMAS HOBBES used to say, that evil Government was like a tempeft, which may throw down a tree, here and there a fruitful tree; but Civil War, or Anarchy, like a deluge, would fweep all away before them. "The Papacy," faid he, " is the Ghost of "the deceafed Roman Empire, fitting crowned It is a fhuttle-cock kept up "by the difference between Princes. upon the grave. "Ambitious men wade through the blood of "other perfons to their own power. "Words are the counters of wife men, they "do but reckon by them; but they are the "money of fools, that value them by the au "thority of Cicero, Ariftotle, and Thomas "Aquinas." END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. |