COLOMESIANA. JOHN SELDEN WAS the most eminent scholar of his time; but his style of writing was harsh and unpleasant. England never produced before him a person so celebrated for his knowledge of the belles-lettres. He died in 1654, at the age of seventy. The following spirited couplets were written on him, and placed under his portrait*. Talem se ore tulit, quem gens non barbara quævis Quantovis pretio mallet habere suum. Qualis at ingenio, vel quantus ab arte, loquentur Diique ipsi et Lapides, si taceant homines. *Verses written by Dr. Gerard Langbaine, editor of Lon COLOMESIANA. JOHN SELDEN WAS the most eminent scholar of his time; but his style of writing was harsh, and unpleasant. England never produced before him a person so celebrated for his knowledge of the belles-lettres. He died in 1654, at the age of seventy. The following spirited couplets were written on him, and placed under his portrait*. Talem se ore tulit, quem gens non barbara quævis Quantovis pretio mallet habere suum. Qualis at ingenio, vel quantus ab arte, loquentur Diique ipsi et Lapides, si taceant homines. * Verses written by Dr. Gerard Langbaine, editor of Lon Lo! such was Selden, and his learned fame All polish'd nations would be proud to claim. The Gods*, nay, e'en the Stones †, their voice would raise, Should men by silence dare withhold their praise. M. Junius, who was very intimate with Selden, assured me that this profound scholar used to employ a variety of persons to read for him, and extract, &c. His library, which was very extensive, forms now a part of the Bodleian. HONOURS CHANGE MANNERS. "Honores mutant mores" is a common proverb; and the following account of a great Prelate is a singular instance of the truth of the observation. Baldwin, who from the state of an obscure monk became Archbishop of Canterbury, so changed his conduct and manners, that Pope Urban the Second, hearing of his evil life and *See his book on the Syrian Gods. His treatise on the Parian Marbles. conversation, sent him a letter with this superscription: "Balduino, Monacho ferventissimo, Abbati calido, Episcopo tepido, Archiepiscopo remisso:" To Baldwin, the most zealous Monk, the warm Abbot, the lukewarm Prelate, and the careless Archbishop*. GROTIUS. The book on the Truth of the Christian Religion, written by Grotius, is a most admirable performance, and deserves to be the vade-mecum of every sincere christian. It has been honoured with various translations into foreign languages. Besides two French translations, this treatise is known by Arabian, Grecian, English, and German versions. LEO X. I saw in the library of my friend Vossius a large MS. folio written in Latin, which contained an exact detail of every day's transactions of Leo X. during his pontificate. M. Vossius put a very high value on this *See Gyraldus Barrius, Cambrensis Itinerar. lib. ii. cap. |