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engaged in, again took up those authors, who had lain by untouched for a whole twelve→ month. I supposed my line in life was de cided for the church, the profession of my ancestors, and in the course of three years I had good reason to expect a fellowship with the degree of Master of Arts. These views, so suited to my natural disposition, were now before me, and I dwelt upon them with entire content. ✨

Having now been in the habit of reading upon system, I resolved to put my thoughts together upon paper, and began to form a kind of Collectanea of my studies. With this view I got together all the tracts relative to the controversy between Boyle and Bentley, omitting none even of the authorities and passages they referred to, and having done this, I compressed the reasonings on both sides into a kind of statement and report upon the question in dispute, and if in the result my judgment went with him, to whom my inclination lent, no learned critic of the present age will condemn me for the decision.

When I had accomplished this I meditated on a plan little short of what might be projected for an Universal History, or at least for

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that of the Great Empires in particular. For this purpose I began with studying the Sanchoniatho of Bishop Cumberland, contrasting the Phoenician and Egyptian Cosmogonies with that of Moses, by which I found myself at length involved in references to so many authors, which I had no means of consulting, and so hampered by Oriental languages, which I did not understand, that after filling a large folio foul-book, which I still keep in possession, I gave up the task, or more properly speaking reduced it to a more contracted scale, in which however I contrived to review all the several systems of the Heathen Philosophers, and discuss at large the tenets and opinions maintained and professed by their respective schools and academies. This was a work of labour and considerable research, and having had lately occasion to resort to it for certain purposes, which I have in hand, I must do myself the justice to say I found it very accurate, and derived all the aid and information from it that I expected or required. That I was at that age disposed and able to apply my mind to a work so operose and argumentative I ascribe entirely to the nature of the studies,

and the habitudes of thinking, I had so recently been engaged in.

Thus, after wandering at large for a considerable time without any one to guide me, I was at last compelled to chalk out for myself a settled plan of reading, which, if I had not been disciplined as above described, I certainly should have long postponed, or perhaps never have struck out. Why will not those, whose duty it is to superintend the education of their pupils in our universities, when they discover talents and a thirst for learning, point out to the student the best and nearest road to its attainment? It is surely within their province to do it, and the benefit would be incalculable.

I well remember, when I was newly come to college, with what avidity I read the Greek tragedians, and with what reverence I swallowed the absurdities of their chorus, and was bigoted to their cold character and rigid unities; and when Mason of Pembroke-Hall published his Elfrida after their model, though I did not quite agree with him as to his choice of plot, or the perfect legitimacy of his chorus, yet I was warm in my praises of that generally-admired production, and in imitation of it

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-planned and composed an entire drama, of which Charactacus was the hero, with Bards and Druids attached to it as a chorus, for whom I wrote Odes in the manner of Elfrida ; I have this manuscript now in my possession, and it is flattering to my choice of subject that Mason, with whom I had no communication or correspondence, should afterwards strike upon the same character for the hero of his drama: but though in this particular I have the good chance to agree with him, in point of plot I stray equally from him and from the history, for not writing with any thought of publication, I wove into my drama some characters and several incidents perfectly fictitious: there is a good deal of fancy and some strong writing in it, but as a whole it must be read with allowances, and I shall therefore pass it over, not wishing to make too many demands upon the candour of the reader.

Whilst I was thus living with my family at Stanwick in the enjoyment of every thing that could constitute my felicity, a strong contest took place upon the approach of the general election, and the county of Northampton was hotly canvassed by the rival parties of Knight

ly and Hanbury, or in other words by the Tories and the Whigs. My father, whose politics accorded with the latter, was drawn out upon this occasion, and gave a very active and effectual support to his party, and though the cause he embarked in was unsuccessful, yet his particular exertions had been such, thất he might truly have said

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Si Pergama dextrå 10gu Defendi possent, etiam hac defensa fuissent This second striking instance of his popularity and influence was by no means overlooked by the Earl of Halifax, then high in office and Lord Lieutenant of the county. Offers, which he did not court, were pressed upon him, but though he was resolute in declining all favours personal to himself, yet he was persuaded to lend an ear to flattering situations pointed out for me, and my destiny was now preparing to reverse those tranquil and delectable scenes, which I had hitherto enjoyed, and to transplant me from the cloisters of my college, and free range of my studies to the desk of a private secretary, and the irksome painful restraints of dependence.

Let me not by my statement of this event

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