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back the papers, but your remarks on the paragraphs you shall think fit; for I have a copy here.

You desired me to enlarge more particularly about eternal verities, which, to obey you, I set about; but, upon examination, find all general truths are eternal verities, and so there is no entering into particulars; though, by mistake, some men have selected some, as if they alone were eternal verities. I never, but with regret, reflect on the distance you are from me—and am, sir, your most humble servant,

JOHN LOCKE.

(From Familiar Letters.)

TO THE SAME

OATES, 3rd September, 1694.

SIR-I have so much advantage in the bargain, if friendship may be called one, that whatsoever satisfaction you find in yourself, on that account, you must allow in me with a large overplus. The only riches I have valued, or laboured to acquire, has been the friendship of ingenious and worthy men, and therefore you cannot blame me, if I so forwardly laid hold of the first occasion that opened me a way to yours. That I have so well succeeded in it I count one of my greatest happinesses, and a sufficient reward for writing my book, had I no other benefit by it. The opinion that you have of it gives me further hopes, for it is no small reward to one who loves truth, to be persuaded that he has made some discoveries of it, and any ways helped to propagate it to others. I depend so much upon your judgment and candour, that I think myself secure in you from peevish criticism or flattery; only give me leave to suspect, that kindness and friendship do sometimes carry your expressions a little too far on the favourable side. This, however, makes me not apprehend you will silently pass by anything you are not thoroughly satisfied of in it. The use I have made of the advertisements I have received from you of this kind, will satisfy you that I desire this office of friendship from you, not out of compliment, but for the use of truth, and that your animadversions will not be lost upon me. Any faults you shall meet with in reasoning, in perspicuity, in expression, or of the press,

I desire you to take notice of, and send me word of. Especially if you have anywhere any doubt; for I am persuaded that, upon debate, you and I cannot be of two opinions; nor, I think, any two men used to think with freedom, who really prefer truth to opiniatrety, and a little foolish vain-glory of not having made a mistake.

I shall not need to justify what I have said of you in my book, the learned world will be vouchers for me, and that in an age not very free from envy and censure. But you are very kind to me, since for my sake you allow yourself to own that part which I am more particularly concerned in, and permit me to call you my friend, whilst your modesty checks at the other part of your character. But, assure yourself, I am as well persuaded of the truth of it, as of anything else in my book; it had not else been put down in it. It only wants a great deal more I had to say, had that been a place to draw your picture at large. Herein I pretend not to any peculiar obligation above others that know you. For though perhaps I may love you better than many others; yet, I conclude, I cannot think better of you than others do. I am, dear sir, your most affectionate, and most humble servant,

JOHN LOCKE.

(From the Same,)

BISHOP CUMBERLAND.

[Richard Cumberland, Bishop of Peterborough, was born in London in 1632. He was educated at St. Paul's School and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He distinguished himself considerably at College. He left the University to become Rector of Brampton, Northamptonshire, whence he was transferred to Stamford. William and Mary rewarded his fidelity to the Protestant cause at the Revolution by appointing him, much to his own surprise, to the Bishopric of Peterborough. He died in 1718 in his eighty

seventh year.]

BISHOP CUMBERLAND is best known by his Essay towards the recovery of the Jewish Measures and Weights, comprehending their Monies, by help of Ancient Standards, compared with ours of England. This little treatise is not without some historic interest even at this day, and shows considerable ingenuity and reasoning ability.

He published also a translation of Sanchoniatho's Phoenician history, from Eusebius, together with Eratosthenes' continuation, "with many historical and chronological remarks," so runs the titlepage, "proving them to contain a series of Phoenician and Egyptian chronology, from the first Man to the first Olympiad, agreeable to the Scripture accounts."

After his death, as a sort of sequel to the above, was published a collection of tracts by his lordship entitled Origines Gentium Antiquissima; or, Attempts for Discovering the Times of the First Planting of Nations.

Bishop Cumberland also wrote a work in Latin, on The Laws of Nature; Divine, Moral, and Political, which has been translated and edited.

The bishop wrote an excessively bad style, alike in Latin and in English. He is often quite unintelligible and always dull. Long, involved sentences, and tedious, almost irrelevant, digressions, mar his pages. That he was a man of deep learning,

careful judgment, and acute reasoning power is evident enough, but that he either could not or would not put his doubtless valuable matter into an attractive form, is also only too painfully evident.

There is neither humour, poetry, nor any embellishment in his writings. Clumsy, long-winded disquisitions on themes that have years ago lost any interest they may ever have had, constantly recur as we turn over page after page of his treatises.

To serve as a warning that, however valuable the matter, badness of manner will inevitably damn a book in the eyes of posterity is the only lasting good poor old Bishop Cumberland can claim to have accomplished.

A. I. FITZROY

PROVIDENCE IN THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN

I SHALL conclude these notes with this single observation, viz. That God did by his providence weaken the family of Canaan many years before the children of Israel were to make war against them, in order to the expelling the seven nations out of that land, which he had promised to the issue of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For,

1. The Avim, whom I have shewn to be Canaanites, were most of them destroyed by the Philistines coming from Egypt.

2. The Horites, who also were Hivites, were conquered by the Edomites.

3. The great body of the Canaanites, that invaded Egypt, was much weakened by about 250 years' war there, and with loss of many battles, were forced to capitulate for liberty to depart thence.

4. After this departure the Canaanites were weakened by being divided into two kingdoms, left in the southern parts of Canaan ; and a third kingdom, which yet was subdivided, was settled in the northern parts of Canaan, between Jordan and the Mediterranean sea, on which they had all the northern ports.

5. From their ports, as Tyre, Sidon, etc. they dispersed themselves into many colonies, both in the islands and continents adjoining to the midland sea of which see Bochart's Canaan. But the times of those plantations I find not sufficiently proved : only the times of two of those plantations from Phonice or Canaan, are recorded by Eusebius, viz. (1) The colony into Greece by Cadmus. And (2) That into Bithynia by Phoenix: and it's affirmed by him that both these plantations were contemporary with each other, and therefore both of them considerably before the time when Joshua subdued those who remained in Canaan.

Hence it evidently follows, that because all these things did

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