* determine all the cafes and doubts in focial

* morality."

Mr. Locke, in one of his Letters, fpeaking of the advantages of conversation, fays, There are "fcarcely any two men that have perfectly the "fame views of the fame thing, till they come "with attention, and perhaps mutual affiftance, * to examine it; a confideration that makes con❝verfation with the living a thing much more "defirable than confulting the dead, would the "living but be inquifitive after truth, apply their &C thoughts with attention to the gaining of it, " and be indifferent where it was found, fo they *could but find it."

In a letter of Mr. Locke's, not generally known, addreffed to Mr. Bold, who in a letter to him had complained that he had loft many ideas by their flipping out of his mind, he tells the latter, "I "have had fad experience of that myself; but "for that Lord Bacon has provided a fure remedy. "For, as I remember, he advises somewhere "never to go without pen and ink, or something, "to write down all thoughts of moment that

come into the mind. I must own I have often "omitted it, and have often repented of it. The "thoughts that come unfought, and (as it were)

valuable of any we have, and therefore fhould "be secured, because they seldom return again.→→ "You fay also, that you lose many things because

your thoughts are not steady and ftrong enough to pursue them to a juft iffue. Give me leave "to think, that herein you mistake yourself and "your own abilities. Write down your thoughts

ડ

upon any subject, as far as you have pursued "them, and then go on again fome other time, "when you find your mind difpofed to do it, and "fo till you have carried them as far as you can, "and you will be convinced, that if you have "loft any, it has not been for want of ftrength "of mind to bring them to an iffue, but for "want of memory to retain a long train of " reafonings, which the mind having once beat "out, is loth to be at the pains to go over again; "and fo your connection and train having stopped "the memory, the purfuit ftops, and the reafon"ing is neglected before it comes to the laft ❝conclufion."

LORD

1

LORD CHANCELLOR

SHAFTESBURY

was a man of fuch talents and fagacity, that at twenty years of age he carried a propofal of his own for fettling the differences between the King (Charles I.) and his Parliament to his Majefty, who told him, that he was a very young man for fuch an undertaking. "Sir," faid he, "that will "not be the worse for your affairs, provided I do "the bufinefs." It met, however, with no fuccefs; nor would, perhaps, a propofal made by Machiavel himself have fucceeded better, when the fword was once drawn.

In the reign of Charles II. after having filled fome great offices, he was appointed to that very dignified and illuftrious one of Lord Chancellor, though he had never ftudied the law, and had never been called to the Bar. On that account he used to prefide in the Court of Chancery in a brown filk inftead of a black filk gown. Dryden himself praises his conduct whilft he adininistered this great office, faying of him,

Yet fame deferv'd no enemy can grudge,

The statesman we abhor, but praife the judge.
In Ifrael's courts ne'er fat an Abethdin

With more difcerning eyes, or hands more clean;
Unbrib'd, unfought, the wretched to redress,
Swift of difpatch, and eafy of accefs.

Yet in another place he calls him,

For clofe defigns and crooked counfels fit,
Sagacious, bold, and turbulent of wit;
Restless, unfix'd in principles and place,
In power unpleas'd, impatient of disgrace;
A fiery foul, which, working out its way,
Fretted the pigmy body to decay,

And o'er. inform'd the tenement of clay.

Abfalom and Achitophel.

Lord Shaftesbury was, perhaps, one of the ableft debaters that ever fat in parliament; no one understood how to lead and to manage a que{tion better than himself. Mr. Locke, who was an intimate friend of Lord Shaftesbury's, thus defcribes him:

"I never knew any one penetrate fo quick into "men's breafts, and from a fmall opening furvey "that dark cabinet, as he would. He would "understand men's true errand as foon as they had "opened their mouths, and begun their story, in appearance, to another purpose. Sir Richard Onflow," fays Mr. Locke, and Lord "Shaftesbury were invited by Sir J. D. to dine "with him at Chelfca, and were defired to come

early, because he had an affair of concernment to communicate to them. They came at the "time, and being fat, he told them, that he made ❝ choice

"choice of them both, from their known abilities "and particular friendship to him, for their advice " in a matter of the greatest moment to him that "could be. He had (he faid) been a widower "for many years, and began to want fomebody that "might eafe him of the trouble of housekeeping, "and take fome care of him under the growing "infirmities of old age, and to that purpose he had

pitched upon a woman very well known to him "by the experience of many years-in fine, his "houfe-keeper. Thefe gentlemen (who were not "ftrangers to his family, and knew the woman

very well, and were befides very great friends to "his fon and daughter, grown up and both fit for

marriage, to whom they thought this would be

very prejudicial match) were both in their "minds oppofite to it, and to that purpose Sir "Richard Onflow began the difcourfe, wherein, "when he came to that part, he was entering upon "the defcription of the woman, and going to fet " her out in her own colours, which were such as "could not have pleafed any man in his wife.--"Lord Shaftesbury, seeing whither he was going, "to prevent any mifchief, begged leave to interrupt him, by afking Sir J. one question

66

(which, in short, was this), Pray, Sir John, are

you not already married? Sir J. after a little "demur, answered, Yes, truly, my Lord, I was "married

F 3