S

of

on

E.

ARTICLE XXI.

GEORGII BUCHANANI Scoti ad Vi ros fui feculi Clariffimos, eorumque ad eundem, Epiftolæ. Ex MSS. accurate defcripta, nunc primum in lucem edita. Londini, Impenfis D. Brown ad Infigne Cygni Nigri extra Portam vulgo dictam Temple-Bar & Gulielmi Taylor ad Infigne Nauis in vico vulgo dicto Paternofter-Row, 1711.

That is,

SEVERAL LETTERS, never before published, of GEORGE BUCHANAN, and Some Eminent Perfons of his. Age. London. 1711, in 8vo. pagg. 93.

THIS Collection confifts of Thirty-five Letters

fome of which were written by the Famous Buchanan, and others by Peter Daniel, Gifanius, Beza, Daniel Rogers, Philip Morneau, Chriftopher Plantin, Rodolphus Gualtherus, John de Serres, (Serranus) Hubertus Languetus, Elias Vinetus, Sir Thomas Randolph, &c. Moft of thefe Letters run upon the publick Affairs of that Time, or contain feveral Particulars relating to Books. I fhall infert here fome of thofe Paffages, that appear to me moft Curious and Remarkable.

The Third is dated in the Year 1564. and the laft in 1581,

In a Letter to the Earl of Murray (pag. 5. feq.) Buchanan gives an Hiftorical Account of his Elegy, and of fome other Poems, which he writ against the Francifcans, and fhews how he was violently perfecuted by thofe Fryars, who, fays he, Nihil mole ftius ferebant, quam pellem, ut ait Horatius, fibi detrahi.

7

Buchanan was extremely furprised to hear that there was a Match on Foot between Queen Eliza. beth and the Duke of Alenfon. He believed that Prince would murther the Queen of England, and marry the Queen of Scotland, who was a young and beautiful Princess, &c. * At brevi illac ven"turus in Britanniam, credam tibi, fi vis; fed quorfum eo? Ad nuptias ais; & id ego credo. “Ad quas? Cum Regina veftra? Alii ut volunt accipiant: Ego prorfus ejus confilium effe reor, ut "veftram trucidet, noftram ducat, forma, ætate, & "amicorum opibus florentem, & expertæ jam fæ"cunditatis. Quid noftra, inquies, qua in re dé "ficitur? Imo omnibus eis rebus erat non adeo

66

66

66

66

ઘટ pridem par, ac pene fuperior". Buchanan adds, That the Roman Catholicks in England, people that were in Debt, and in general the worst fort of Men would flock to the Duke of Alenson, and fide with him. "Non † tu ignoras unus, quod omnes vident, quanta fit & opibus & numero Papanorum factio, quam late fufa, quam animis adverfus veritatem obftinatis. Illi velut ex infidiis ad novum fpectaculum iftud erecti . fine tumultu, fine fufpicione accurrent: Ubi vires contemplati, fuum numerum inibunt, ftatim fe “fuccenturiabunt, & ad novum iftum Ducem velur "coelitus oblatum fe agglomerabunt. Accedent ad eos obærati, decoctores, fcelerati, in bello feditiofi &

86

66

Rag. 54. In a Letter to Daniel Rogers, dated Edin burgh, Nov. 9. 1579.

† Pag. 55, 56.

66

66 rapaces, in pace ignavi, & defidia marcidi, rei fuæ negligentes, alienæ cupidi; primum facient impe"tum in Reginas, quarum fi aut alteram trucidabunt, aut alteram è cuftodia eripient, vides, ut opinor, quid calamitatum fequi fit neceffe, &c.

66

Buchanan fays in the fame Letter, That he had made fome Alterations in his Tranflation of the Pfalms, and that he would have altered whole Pfalms, if his old Age had allowed him to apply himself to Poetry.

It appears from two Letters written by a French Gentleman to Buchanan, that the King of Navarre was exceedingly defirous to marry his Sifter to the King of Scotland, in order to promote his own Intereft and that of the Proteftant Religion.

There is in this Collection a Letter of Hubers Languetus to Buchanan, dated from Delft, Feb. 20. 1581. wherein he fays, That he lived many Years a very happy Life with Melanchthon; and that fince the Death of that illuftrious Divine, after feveral Mi fortunes he has at laft fettled himfelf in Holland, a Country, (fays he) which feems to be made for Eels and Frogs rather than for Men. He adds, That whenever he goes out of Delft, he has a Sight of Rotterdam, which brings into his Thoughts not only the great Erafmus, but alfo Buchanan himself; for (continues he) I cannot fufficiently admire how fuch difmal Countries could produce Two fuch Men, who cannot be paralleled for their Wit with any other, either in our Time, or in the latter Ages. Per hyemem viximus in Batavorum Lacunis, quæ a natura factæ videntur, ut eas ranæ & anguillæ, potius quam homines, incolant. Roterodamun habemus in confpectu, quandocunque prodimus ex hoc oppido, cujus confpectus non folum mihi reducit in memoriam magnum illum Erafmum, 66 quo cive gloriatur, fed etiam te. Non enim fatis mirari poffum, in locis tam horridis nafci poruiffe viros, quibus ingenio pares nec noftra, nec patrum, aut avorum noftrornm ætas vidit. Perhaps Buchanan was not very well pleased to be fo highly

h

"

highly complimented to the Prejudice of his Native Country. I fhall fet down a Paffage of that Learned Man in a Letter to Tycho Brahe, (pag. 24.) wherein he makes a judicious Obfervation relating to this Subject, Hlamque (fays he) etfi falfam, pluri66 mis tamen pro vero vulgatam opinionem, tuis mo"numentis, labore & induftria refutas, ingenia fcil. hominum fub hac languente & frigida coeli plaga, inertia effe a natura damnata. Igitur cum omnes populi ad feptentriones publice, & nos privatim tibi plurimum debeamus; non exiftimabis, &c."

66

ARTICLE XXII.

VIBIUS SEQUESTER de Fluminibus, Fontibus, Lacubus, Nemoribus, Paludibus, Montibus, Gentibus, quorum apud Poetas mentio fit. Ex recenfione FRANCISCI HESSELII, cum ejuf dem Adnotationibus. Roterodami. A

pud Arnoldum Willis Bibliopolam

MDCCXI.

That is,

THE NAMES of Rivers, Fountains Lakes, Woods, Marshes, Mountains an Nations, mentioned by the Poets, collected by VIBIUS SEQUESTER. A new Edition, il luftrated with the Notes of FRANCIS HESSELIUS. Rotterdam. 1711. in 8vo. pag. 295. Sold by P. Vaillant in the Strand.

A

ABOOK of this Nature does not require any

Extract; and therefore I fhall only obferve, That this new Edition of Vibius Sequefter will be of great Ufe to understand the Geographical Part of the ancient Poets. What is wanting in the Author is fully fupplied by the. Learned Notes of Mr. Heffelius, Mr. Reland, and Mr. Claude, Grandfon to the famous Minifter of that Name. Thofe, who love to read the Greek and Latin Poets, may confult this. Author up on feveral Occafions, without needing to have recourfe to any other Geographical Book..

A

ARTICLE XXIII,

PARIS.

BOOK, containing the oppofite Characters of A Men of different Degrees and Conditions, is lately come out.

3

Le Critique & Apologifte fans fard, ou Caractères ppofez dans differens etats & conditions. Paris. 1711. in 12mo. pagg. 350.

The Author examines all the Conditions of the Civil Society, and describes the good and bad Characters of each of them. What he fays of a Magiftrate, who does not mind the Duties of his Office, is expreffed in the following Words:

66

As foon as you come to Vertilas' House, two grat Hunting Dogs fall upon you, but without do26 ing you any Harm. They follow you to the very "Door of their Mafter's Apartment, and will not "leave you, unless they be turned out by the Ser"vant who fhews you the Way. When you get in

to Vertilas's Room, you find there another Dog ἐσ much bigger than the other two. His Name is Favourite, and he lies by his Mafter's Bed. Which

"Way