Lenthal for his political behaviour, which may be confidered as his last dying words, and with which this dialogue remarkably well agrees. The Editor has not this hiftorical collection before him, to obferve how it correfponds with the account he has read, fince the first edition of this little Work, in Kennet's admirable Regifter and Chronicle, which, it may be pronounced, from the fashion of the compilation, would have been the completest history of England, or materials for one, that has appeared, if it had been taken up at the Conqueft, and could have been brought down to the Revolution.-Lenthal died with remorse, and with repentance, on account of the part he acted. His defcendent, ftill living at Burford, relates the traditionary ftory of this vifit of his great ancestor to Lord Clarendon at Cornbury, and of what paffed between them. The cynical Wood, the candid Eachard, the diligent Kennet, are fresh informers to the Editor: fo that there is not the leaft doubt, that what is recited is fubftantially true. This is inferted to prevent the fcepticism of the reader. Lenthal endeavoured to be elected a member of the Convention, for the University of Oxford; but, though recommended by Monk, he was kept out. Upon this, he retired, with the vast wealth he had acquired in that defperate mart of rebellion, as Clarendon expreffes it of fome other perfon, to his feat at Burford, where he died on

the

the 3d of September 1662, forgiven and forgot by the Court. He held the Mastership of the Rolls whilst he was Speaker of the Houfe of Commons, and at the Reftoration offered three thousand pounds to be continued. The King let him know, it was already promised (to Lord Culpeper).

The virtuous, but auftere, Lord Clarendon was bafely given up, or rather got rid off, by the King. He had offended him, beyond forgiveness, in getting a beautiful woman, Mrs. Steward, married to the Duke of Richmond, to render it impoffible for the King to make her his wife. This is to be found in Burnet, the Procopius of this King's reign. Charles began to revolt from Proteftant connexions, and to ceafe being in the intereft of his country; for he was beginning to be a penfioner to Lewis the Fourteenth. Clarendon's integrity prompted him to ftand a public trial. It is probable, his innocence would not have preferved him: for the popular diflike, however unmerited; the difgrace at Chatham, that demanded a victim; the malice of the King, and of Lady Caftlemain; and the violence of fome of the new minifters, and the death or defection of the old, would have imprisoned him in the Tower, and perhaps have put his life in danger. "A corrupted Court, fays Mr. Walpole, and a blinded populace, were

lefs

lefs the causes of the Chancellor's fall, than an ungrateful King, who could not pardon his Lordship's having refused to accept for him the flavery of his country."-- His Hiftory, which is properly Memoirs, contains, as Burnet expreffes it, the best apologies for those bad meafures they are capable of. He is partial, without defigning to violate the truth. Strange! that he cannot find one perfon to speak highly of, who is in oppofition to the Court; and that he can hardly acknowledge the valour or talents of the conquerors in the civil wars! Eachard, who makes great ufe of him, fays, he was obliged to read him over and over, on purpofe to understand him; for there is a disorder of time, place, and circumftances, that runs through his whole Hiftory. He fhews great knowledge of human nature, and took great pains to know the characters and tempers of his contemporaries, at least of his own party, and to bend them to his purpose. Every thing is alive in his History, and there is no laying it down, when once it is taken up *. But his periods are the periods of a mile. They partake of the pomp

*It was a whimfical cuftom of an Italian potentate, whofe name escapes the memory, to punifh any of his courtiers, who had offended him, by obliging them to get by heart a period or two of Guicciardini's Hiftory (a moft interesting and impartial work), fome of which are of the unconscionable length of half a page.

and

and statelinefs of his own deportment; but they are more pleafing, and have more importance, than the short sentences of one line only, according to the practice of a neighbouring nation, which fome of our prefent writers have unhappily imported.Reader, you will not be difpleased, if I felect fome acute remarks from the Catalogue of Royal and Illuftrious Authors, of which a new edition is much wanted." Yet he (Clarendon) has "both great and little faults. Of the latter, his "ftories of ghofts and omens are not to be defended, by fuppofing, he did not believe them "himself; there can be no other reafon for in"ferting them, nor is there any other medium. "between believing them and laughing at them. "No man ever delivered fo much truth, with "fo little fincerity. If he relates faults, fome "palliating epithet always flides in, and he has "the art of breaking his darkeft fhades with "gleams of light that take off all impreffions of "horror.-One may pronounce of Lord Claren"don, in his double capacity of ftatefman and "hiftorian, that he acted for liberty, but wrote "for prerogative."-The anecdote of the advice to Lord Clarendon, by his father, a gentleman of Wiltshire, "not to ftrain the prerogative "against the liberty of the fubject, if he came "to be at the head of his profeffion," is probably alluded to in the account of his own life: but it is given at full length, in the first volume of Bifhop Burnet's mafterly History of his own Times.

CONFERENCE VII.

LORD DANBY, LORD DEVONSHIRE, LORD

DELAMERE.

[At Whittington, in Derbyshire, juft before the Revolution in 1688.]

DELAMERE.

F one of the spies of the Court could trace us to this privacy, a meffenger would be dispatched into Scarfdale, to fetch us up, and carry us before the Council. I have had a narrow escape for my life very lately; but I am willing to venture it once more, against popery and arbitrary power. I am of opinion, that when the nation is delivered, it must be by force or miracle. It would be great prefumption to expect the latter; and therefore our deliverance must be by force, and I hope this is the right time for it. I have fignified my opinion and inclinations. of your Lordships will fecond me?

8

Which

DEVON