SECTION V.

Relieving Considerations amidst the many literary, political, and religious Contentions that so often agitate human Life; with some concluding Reflections.

FROM military feuds let us turn our attention for a moment to literary, political, and religious contentions, and try, as in the preceding cases, if we can discover any diminishing circumstances, which may help us to view them with more tranquillity.

I. It is disgraceful to human reason to find how much learned controversy has been lavished upon mere words and names. In the reign of Henry the Eighth, a curious dispute arose at Cambridge, concerning the right method of pronouncing the Greek tongue. Sir John Cheke, at the head of one party, stood up for a full and broad

pronunciation; Dr. Cajus, at the head of the opposite party, defended the old practice. The business was carried on for some time with much heat, till Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, who was then chancellor of the university, interposed; and, as might be expected, passed sentence against the innovators, with a penalty on all such as presumed to adopt the new method, which, notwithstanding his decree, afterwards generally prevailed *. A like notable contest was kindled at Paris, betwixt the university there, and the college royal, upon the right way of pronouncing the Latin language; and particularly whether the two words quisquis and quanquam, should be pronounced kiskis and kankam, or not; the university contending for the affirmative, and the college for the negative. At length the matter grew so serious, that it came under the cognizance of the parliament, who, after grave deliberation no doubt, wisely determined to leave both parties to

* Fuller's History of the University of Cambridge, p. 119-20.

their own discretion*. Again: What immense pains have been taken by learned

* Perhaps it may amuse some readers to see this erudite controversy more at length, as follows:

"Si dès contestations élevées au sujet de l'orthographe, nous passons à celles qu'a suscitées la prononciation, nous verrons encore les grammariens divisés. L'impossibilité de sçavoir comment il faut prononcer la plupârt des mots Latins, et les idées, à cet égard, des modernes Latinistes, mirent autrefois en combustion l'université de Paris et le collège royal. De serviles compilateurs des phrases, d'une langue qu'on a bien de la peine à entendre, plus amateurs des mots que des choses, osèrent se donner pour des oracles en fait de prononciation. Mais, nonobstant l'infaillibilité que chacun s'attribuoit, ils ne furent pas moins en guerre pour sçavoir de quelle manière on prononceroit les deux mots quisquis et quamquam. L'université de Paris vouloit qu'on prononçât kiskis, kankam. Quelques professeurs du collège royal, nouvellement établis, jaloux de se faire un nom dans le monde Latin, étoient d'avis contraire. Ils opinoient fortement pour qu'on prononçât quisquis, quanquam. Cette derniere prononciation etoit alors une nouveauté. La Sorbonne la crut dangereuse pour la religion et pour l'état: elle anathématisa quiconque ne se conformeroit point à la prononciation d'usage dans les écoles.

"Les professeurs royaux se mocquèrent des pareilles censures. Ils prononcèrent le Latin comme ils crurent devoir le faire, et engagèrent à un coup d'éclat un jeune bachelier, plus ardent encore qu'eux pour la nouvelle

men in editing the heathen classics, and what vehement contentions have thence arisen, must be known by every one who is the least acquainted with the history of literature. Let one instance suffice for all. In the works of Terence alone, contained in a small pocket volume, have been noted, we are told, no less than thirty thousand different readings*; which, at a moderate

prononciation. Cet abbé, au mépris des ordres reitérés de la Sorbonne, pronoçoit partout avec affectation quisquis et quanquam. Il fut bintôt cité au tribunal de la faculté de théologie, qui vouloit le dépouiller du revenu de ses bénéfices. Appel sur le champ de la part de l'abbé au parlement: l'affaire alloit devenir sérieuse; mais les professeurs royaux, engagés d'honneur à ne pas laisser condamner le plus zélé defenseur de leur opinion, allèrent en corps a l'audience, représentèrent avec eloquence à la cour l'injustice des procédés de la Sorbonne. Le parlement eut égard à la prière, et à la qualité des supplians. Il retablit l'abbé dans tous ses droits, et laissa chacun libre de prononcer le Latin comme on voudroit.”

Querelles Litteraires, tom. ii. p. 121-3.

*I advance this from memory, and on the authority of Dr. Bentley, (under the assumed name of Phileleutherus Lipsiensis) in his excellent remarks on Collins' Discourse of Free-thinking.

computation, must have occasioned fifteen thousand critical disputes; and all this learned toil and contention spent upon an old play-book!

These wars and occupations of grammarians and critics, were it not for the waste of time and talent which they occasion, might divert a sober man in a weary hour; to see such labor ineptiarum, so many difficiles nuga, the arrantest trifles treated with such airs of importance, such eagerness of opposition, and pompous declamation. One might suppose the safety of the country depended upon settling a reading in Virgil or Horace, and that a happy emendation merited a public triumph. "The glory," says Sanadon, "of this correction (namely, of si for sic, in one of the odes of Horace) is due to Rodellius +."

Nor have the lucubrations and strifes of the learned been less idly employed upon points of ancient history, chronology, and geography. What is it to us whether the siege of Troy, as sung by Homer, was in

*See Francis's Horace, lib. i. carm. 16.