His lordship's

"Letter to David Mallet, on the intended Publication of Lord Bolingbroke's Manuscripts,"

was printed in Dr. Hawkesworth's edition of Swift's works; and it is a monument, says the worthy editor, that will do more honour to the writer's memory, than all that mere wit or valour has achieved since the world began: a portion of it therefore may be offered as a valuable appendage to this article.

"To David Mallet, Esq.

"I learn from England, sir, that lord Bolingbroke has left his manuscripts to you. His friends must see with satisfaction those title-deeds of his reputation in the hands of the author of the life of the great lord Bacon; and you will have had the distinguished honour of having been guardian to the fame of two of the greatest geniuses which our country, and perhaps humanity, has produced: but with the greater honour to you in this last instance, because you are such by the designation and choice of the author himself.

"Lord Bolingbroke's Summary Review of the History of the great Transactions of Europe, is a work which will instruct mankind and do honour to its author: and yet I will take upon me to say, that for the sake of both you must publish it with caution.

"The greatest men have their faults, and sometimes the greatest faults; but the faults of superior minds are the least indifferent both to themselves and

7 Vol. xx. p. 256.

to society. Humanity is interested in the fame of those who excelled in it; but it is interested before all in the good of society, and in the peace of the minds of the individuals that compose it. Lord Bolingbroke's mind embraced all objects, and looked far into all; but not without a strong mixture of passions, which will always necessarily beget some prejudices, and follow more. And on the subject of religion particularly (whatever was the motive that inflamed his passions upon that subject chiefly), his passions were the most strong: and I will venture to say, (when called upon, as I think, to say what I have said more than once to himself, with the deference due to his age and extraordinary talents,) his passions upon that subject did prevent his otherwise superior reason from seeing, that even in a political light only, he hurt himself and wounded society, by striking at establishments, upon which the conduct at least of society depends; and by striving to overturn in men's minds the systems which experience at least has justified, and which authority at least has rendered respectable; as necessary to public order and to private peace, without suggesting to their minds a better, or indeed any system.

8

» Such seems also to have been the philosophism of Voltaire ; when with a sacrilegious hand he sought to undermine the basis of religious faith, to level the superstructure of Christianity, and then admit his sceptical proselytes to raise what kind of edifice each might please upon the desolated ruins. We have been shewn indeed, most lamentably, by the infidel reformers of revolutionary France, into what extravagance of folly and prodigality of crime

"You will find, sir, what I say to be true in a part of the work I have mentioned, where he digresses upon the criticism of church-history.

"While this work remained only in the hands of those I have mentioned, (except as I have been telling you, to himself and to them in private conversation,) I have otherwise been silent upon the subject: but I must now say to you, sir, that for the world's sake and for his, that part of the work ought by no means to be communicated further; and you see that it is a digression not necessary to that work. If this digression should be made public it will be censured; it must be censured; it ought to be censured. It will be criticised too by able pens, whose erudition as well as their reasonings will not be easily answered. In such a case I shall owe to myself and to the world to disclaim publicly that part of a work which he did me the honour to address to me; but I owe to the regard which he has sometimes expressed for me, to disclaim it rather privately to you, sir, who are entrusted with his writings; and to recommend to you to suppress that part of the work, as a good citizen of the world, for the world's peace, as one intrusted and obliged by lord Bolingbroke, not to raise new storms to his memory.

"I am, sir, your very humble servant,

"Paris, March 7, 1752."

" HYDE."

mankind diverge, when they abandon the path of pure religion to pursue the wretched "devices and desires of their own hearts." 9 Mr. Pope, sir William Wyndham, lord Bathurst, lord Marchmont, Mr. Murray, and Mr. Lyttelton.

Mallet did not profit as he ought to have done by this advice, but returned for answer "That the book was printed off before lord Cornbury's letter reached his hands; and that he apprehended he could not omit any thing in the works of lord Bolingbroke without being unfaithful to the trust reposed in him."]

GEORGE BOOTH,

EARL OF WARRINGTON.

2

HAVING been obliged to remove from this Catalogue the first peer of this family, I am enabled to replace him by his grandson, the late earl, who, some years ago, wrote a tract (though concealing himself for the author) entitled,

"Considerations upon the Institution of Marriage, with some Thoughts concerning the Force and Obligation of the Marriage Contract; wherein is considered, how far Divorces may or ought to be allowed. By a Gentleman. Humbly submitted to the Judgment of the Impartial." Lond. printed for John Whiston, 1739.

It is an argument for divorce on disagreement of temper. In the introduction his lordship

3

2 [See vol. iii. p. 358.]

[This had been the logical aim of Milton in his Tetrachordon, when he argued, that the institution of marriage itself from the beginning was never but conditional, as all covenants are; that while man and woman were perfect there needed no divorce; but when both degenerated to imperfection, and oft-times grew to be an intolerable evil to each other, the law did then more justly