to those diseases which consigned to the tomb individuals whose names are famous in the annals of Grecian and Roman history. This accomplished physician has added dignity to his profession, which, when followed by honour and intelligence, must ever be considered as one of the most useful among mankind; in his honourable career he has gained a transcendent reputation, that will always associate his name with those of his illustrious predecessors; men, who, like Garth, Mead, and Sydenham, are deservedly ranked amongst the benefactors of the human race.

NOTE 13, PAGE 26.

In perusing the pages of the modern Tacitus, David Hume, we in vain look for an exposition of those dark political events with which it is now well understood, disgraced, in a frightful degree, the reign of Queen Elizabeth. How culpable the historian who has attempted to conceal them; " how miserable the age," says a celebrated writer, that compels him to suppress them." In D'Israeli's "Amenities of Literature," lately published, some remarks are made relating to a work known by the title of Leicester's Commonwealth," written, it is said, with a circumstantial narrative that gives to it all the air of a genuine production; the author of the " Amenities of Literature" says, when adverting to this remarkable document, and alluding to the character of the perfidious Leicester, the state favourite of Elizabeth, “that no historian from the days of Camden has dared to extenuate suspicions which come to us palpable as realities." Mr. D'Israeli considers it the production of one Parsons, and that it was printed abroad about the year 1583 or 1584; be this as it may, the author must have been a man of shrewd and extensive observation, and closely connected with all the leading statesmen of his time. Though the work presents a picture of atrocious crime, crime at which humanity shudders, and involving deeply the character of Elizabeth and her court, yet its details have scarcely been glanced at by those who have undertaken the task of giving to posterity an impartial recital of this period of English history.

This curious production, however, has been published under different titles, as at present the author of these pages has in his possession a volume printed in 1706, authenticated by the celebrated Dr. Drake, entitled "The Secret Memoirs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Prime Minister and Favourite of Queen Elizabeth," evidently corresponding in every particular

with that which the author of the "Amenities of Literature" names Leicester's Commonwealth." Guided by the apparent credibility which these memoirs possess, and taking history, encircled as it is with partiality and romance, we may truly say with Lord Plunkett," It is little better than an old almanack." The general reader must occasionally have met with the name of Parsons, in connection with the events of Elizabeth's reign;-he is mentioned in that able and interesting work the "Criminal Trials," published a few years ago by Mr. Jardine, unquestionably one of the most valuable contributions that have been lately made to English history. Parsons is there alluded to, in conjunction with Campion, as having, in 1580, converted to the Catholic faith, Sir Thomas Tresham, who possessed a princely estate in Northamptonshire.-Francis Tresham, his son and successor, one of the conspirators in the gunpowder-plot, from the examination of a mass of papers, discovered so recently as the year 1832, on the removal of a lintel over an ancient doorway in the old mansion of the Tresham's at Rushton, is proved, by an induction of numerous particulars, contrary to the opinion of most writers, to have been the individual who wrote the anonymous letter to Lord Monteagle, then residing at Hoxton, and which led to the discovery of a conspiracy, that is well termed one of the most famous transactions in the annals of our country. Upon the authority of Mr. Chalmers, we are told, Parsons ultimately suffered for his temerity;-he and his bookseller were hanged, drawn, and quartered, at London, not long after the publication of "Leicester's Commonwealth."

NOTE 14, PAGE 26.

A talented writer of the present day, when treating of the character of Shakspere as an historical dramatist, makes the following observations:

"The bustling and energetic Henry VIII., has been portrayed in the most favourable light. Not one of the enormities committed by that monster king, is hinted at; his infuriate passions and beastly lusts, are "quietly inurned," while all his superficial qualities are vaunted to the utmost. The manner in which Elizabeth is spoken of in Henry VIII., when read, after a perusal of impartial history, induces a feeling of regret ;perhaps in some of discontent-that he who wrote for all time should have written so much for the fleeting hour.

From these

splendid lines, (viz., the speech of the Archbishop Cranmer on the occasion of Elizabeth's baptism) replete with poetic beauty and redolent of sentimental loyalty, the worshipper of truth lifts an unsatisfied eye! Shakspere must have blushed when he permitted his golden pen to trace the lines.

"She shall be

A pattern to all princes living with her,
And all that shall succeed."

NOTE 15, PAGE 28.

The following remarks in the form of a letter from W. Mathers, Esq., a talented member of the Shakspere club, may perhaps not be deemed altogether uninteresting; adverting as they do, not only to the celebrated soliloquy, "To be, or not to be," but likewise to the learning of Shakspere, a subject that has been so much a matter of dispute, amongst the commen

tators.

MY DEAR SIR,

TRINITY STREET, ROTHERHITHE,
August 23, 1842.

In compliance with your request, I send you a copy of those lines which I named to you yesterday, relating to Shakspere, and which are to be found in the preface to "Langhorne's Translation of Plutarch's Lives."

"Amiot Abbé of Bellozane, published a French translation of "Plutarch's Lives" in the reign of Henry the Second; and from that work it was translated into English in the time of Queen Elizabeth.

It is said by those who are not willing to allow Shakspere much learning, that he availed himself of the last mentioned translation; but they seem to forget, that, in order to support their arguments of this kind, it is necessary for them to prove, that Plato too, was translated into English at the same time, for the celebrated soliloquy, "To be, or not to be," is taken almost verbatim from that philosopher, yet we have never found that Plato was translated in those times.

If this indeed be true, then I apprehend, that those who contend that Shakspere intended to represent Hamlet as in reality a madman, have come to the conclusion, that Shakspere entertained such decided contempt for Plato, (who is universally admitted to have been one of the most profound and eminent of the ancient Grecian philosophers) that his reasoning on the subject was only fit to be put into the mouth of a lunatic. This I think would be a libel upon Shakspere, even greater than the implied one against Plato.

I am, my dear Sir,

To P: Macdonell, Esq.,
Surgeon.

Yours very truly,

W. MATHERS.

NOTE 16, PAGE 29.

"The fact that 1000 persons are ascertained to commit suicide yearly in England, and that nearly as many more are returned as drowned, &c., in which the verdicts do not state whether death was accidental or suicidal, is sufficient to arrest attention on all the relations of the question."

[Extracted from Mr. Fair's Appendix to the third Report of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England.]

NOTE 17, PAGE 29.

Suicide in this country is generally committed under the influence of adversity, where the unhappy individual, destitute of moral courage, to brave the reverses of fortune, seeks rest in the peaceful mansions of the tomb, regardless of that obloquy which is thrown upon the memory of the self-murderer. In some cases, however, it is the result of calm and mature deliberation; the advantages and miseries of life being calculated, death is preferred to that which is considered a brief and useless state of existence.

Among the companions of my youth, C——, a student of law, fell a victim to this delusive mode of reasoning: in comfortable, if not in affluent circumstances, he had never felt the pangs of misfortune, and, whilst endowed with excellent talent, the sunbeams of prosperity, so far as worldly pursuits were concerned, might have held out to him an uninterrupted scene of future happiness; but possessing a frame of mind, which disposed him to look upon life, without the wish of participating in any of its enjoyments, he became weary of existence, and ultimately terminated the struggle at the early age of 23. With a disposition free from romance, he had long fostered in his breast the design of a voluntary death, and like the ill-fated Colonel Phillip Mordaunt, whose story is so pathetically alluded to by the pen of Goldsmith, shot himself from the mere distaste of life. As an intimate and confidential friend, poor Cdid not conceal from me his intentions; in short, whilst apparently enjoying the utmost serenity of mind, amidst the agreeable hours which I often passed with him, his conversation would occasionally run upon this theme, but neither my friendly persuasion, nor the small philosophy which I was master of, could divert him from his purpose ;-one day, after 1 had dined with him, he introduced the unhappy subject, and now that he had fixed the hour for bidding farewell to the world, he seriously proposed, that I should accompany him-the proposal was however, on my part, rejected, as I told him there existed considerations sufficient to deter me from entering at that time upon such a journey; one of which was, the severe blow such a proceeding would, in all likelihood, be to those with whom I was connected. I had just received a letter from an only sister, who is since dead, to whom I was warmly attached, intimating she would shortly be in Edinburgh, when she expected to have the happiness of meeting me; dwelling alone upon this recollection, my friend's proposal struck me with aversion, without, however, having any seeming tendency to alter his determination. I endeavoured to change the conversation, by directing his attention to those topics of literature of which I knew he was passionately fond; replete in the history of human knowledge, and guided by an elegance of taste and fluency of expression, that rendered him truly an intellectual and fascinating companion, we passed the latter portion of the evening with some appearance that he had forgotten his melancholy resolution. The night after, I again saw him, with three other companions, when his vivacity and gaiety of spirits, appeared more than usual-on the following day, however, he repaired to the sea-shore, where, during the silence and serenity of a summer's eve, amidst the soft murmurs of the sleeping