A speech in the lower house of parliament, by occasion of a motion concerning the union of A report in the house of commons, of a speech delivered by the earl of Salisbury; and another speech delivered by the earl of Northampton, at a conference concerning the petition of the merchants upon the Spanish grievances . 474 A certificate to his Majesty touching the projects of Sir Stephen Proctor relating to the penal A speech used to the king by his Majesty's so- licitor, being chosen by the commons, as their mouth and messenger, for the presenting to. his Majesty the instrument or writing of their persuading the lords to join with the commons in petition to the king, to obtain liberty to treat of a composition with his Majesty for A frame of declaration for the master of the Directions for the master of the wards to observe, for his Majesty's better service, and the gene- A speech, persuading the house of commons to desist from further question of receiving the king's messages by their speaker, and from the body of the council, as well as from the An argument in the lower house of parliament, proving the king's right of impositions on merchandises imported and exported A certificate to the lords of the council, upon information given touching the scarcity of sil- Advice to the king touching Mr. Sutton's estate 494 A speech in the lower house, when the house was in great heat about the undertakers 497 A speech in parliament, being lord chancellor, Of the true greatness of the kingdom of Britain 502 Advice to Sir George Villiers, afterward duke of Buckingham, when he became favourite to Notes of a speech concerning a war with Spain 530 Considerations touching a war with Spain . 532 Advertisement touching a holy war 19. Non impedit clausula derogatoria, quo minus ab eadem potestate res dissolvantur, a quibus 20. Actus inceptus, cujus perfectio pendet ex voluntate partium, revocari potest; si autem 3. Verba fortius accipiuntur contra proferentem 550 4. Quod sub certa forma concessum vel reser- vatum est, non trahitur ad valorem vel com- 5. Necessitas inducit privilegium quoad jura INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. "LORD BACON was the greatest genius that England, or perhaps any other country, has ever produced." So says POPE, after he had penned that bitter couplet upon Bacon, which has passed into a proverb; and the saying is related by Spence. This is the judgment expressed by a favourite poet, concerning an English writer of the seventeenth century, the formation of which pre-supposes the most exalted qualifications. To be entitled to assert such an opinion absolutely, would require almost supernatural endowments, and a universal acquaintance with the famous characters of all countries. It would involve the collation of eras and cycles; it would be, to raise the dead and scrutinize the living to examine the long muster-roll of the sons of genius, and make a doomsday book of it-to weigh libraries and ransack universities-to glance at all, and single out one, and say, that "this man was the greatest of men-the greatest not of a city, but of the world—not of one age, but of all time.” But although it may not be possible to come to any such absolute conclusion; and to assert it roundly would be as extravagant as gravely to refute it would be ridiculous; and even if it were feasible we have no security for its justice;-the dictum is nevertheless a very remarkable one; and, construed in the probable sense in which it was evidently spoken, it is a most interesting one. It is the deliberate opinion of a man, who united great genius with consummate judgment, and had won his way to the summit of reputation as a poet; of one who was a vigorous thinker, acute observer, accomplished scholar, and, in short, the foremost man in the most brilliant circle of our Augustan age. He was, also, totally devoid of enthusiasm; and his associations were all of the nil admirari caste: with Swift, the bitterest of our satirists, Bolingbroke, the most satiated of libertines and the most disappointed of politicians, Arbuthnot, one of the strongest-minded men of his time, and many others of contemporary repute; in fact, all his chosen friends were, like himself, professed wits and nothing more-men who could not have done what they did, or been what they were, the ablest critics of life and manners in the language, without throwing away every thing that savoured of strong feeling, zealous affections, or passionate admiration. He was, moreover, not only versed in ancient learning, but well acquainted with modern speculations and discoveries. Locke is always mentioned with the respect of a disciple; he prepared an epitaph for Newton, which speaks for itself; and, when we recollect that the controversy between the ancients and moderns was then raging, it must not merely be admitted that he was entitled to pronounce the opinion which we have quoted, but it may be inferred that the opinion which he gave was that of his age. b |