ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM WARBURTON TO PETER DES MAIZEAUX †. LETTER I. For Mr. P. DES MAIZEAUX, at Mr. Woodward's, Bookseller, at the Half-moon, over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street, London. GOOD SIR, Newarke-upon-Trent, I REMEMBER with a very particular pleasure those two or three agreeable hours which I had the happiness of passing in your conversation. It was a satisfaction like that the curious feel in viewing the * From Birch MSS. in the British Museum, 4288. †This learned Writer, the son of a Protestant Clergyman, was born at Auvergne, in France, in 1666. He came over in his youth to England, and appears to have led the life of a man of letters, continually employed in composing or editing literary works. In 1720 he was elected F. R. S. and from his numerous letters in the British Museum, appears to have carried on a very extensive Correspondence with the learned men of his time, especially St. Evremont and Bayle. He died at London in June 1745. Bayle he assisted with many articles and remarks for his Dictionary, and published his "Letters" at Amsterdam, 1729, 3 vols. 12mo, with a variety of observations, which shew an extensive knowledge of modern Literature. He also wrote the Life of Bayle, which was prefixed to the edition of his Dictionary published in 1730, and was reprinted at the Hague in 2 vols. 1732, 12mo. By a letter in the beginning from Des Maizeaux to M. la Motte, it appears that the latter had induced him to undertake this life of his Friend. In 1732 he edited Bayle's Miscellaneous Works in 4 vols. folio, and probably was likewise the Author of the "Nouvelles Lettres de Pierre Bayle," Hague, scene of any past action; for all the occurrences in the literary world did then immediately present themselves to me, in which I knew you had borne so long and so glorious a share. But the relations of Foreign Journals could but faintly represent to me, though they all concurred in doing it, that abounding candour and humanity that so much captivated my esteem and veneration. But was it only to tell you this (though I have been ambitious that you should know it) that I give you this trouble, I should be very much without excuse. What occasions it is, my chancing upon a little kind of curiosity, which, if it proves so, may not be unacceptable to you. It is a gold coin, which the Parisians of the League, when they held out against Henry IV. in 1592, struck to the old Cardinal of Bourbon, under the title of Charles X. The device is, the Arms of France, and the legend, CAROLUS X. D. G. FRANCOR. REX, 1592. The reverse, the fleur de lis, en croix, with this inscription, CHRISTUS REGNAT, VINCIT, ET IMPERAT. If this be any curiosity, I desire your acceptance of it, and will take care to 1739, 2 vols. 12mo. His intimacy and friendship for St. Evremond led him to publish the life and works of that writer, in 1709, 3 vols. 4to and 8vo, often reprinted aad translated into English. He also published the lives of Boileau in French, and of Chillingworth and Hales of Eton in English, which he wrote fluently. For some time it is said he was engaged in an English Dictionary, historical and critical, in the manner of Bayle, but no part of it appears to have been published, except the abovementioned Life of Hales, in 1719, which was professedly a specimen of the intended Dictionary. In 1720 he published some pieces of Locke's which had not been inserted in his works; and the same year "Recueil de diverses pieces sur la philosophie, la religion naturelle, l'histoire, les mathematiques, &c. by Leibnitz, Clarke, Newton, and others; Amst. 2 vols. 12mo. He appears likewise to have been the Editor of the "Scaligerana, Thuana, Perroniana, Pithoeana, et Colomesiana," Amst. 1711, 2 vols. Besides these, and his translation of Bayle's Dictionary, he was a frequent contributor to the literary Journals of his time, particularly the "Bibliotheque Raisonné, and "The Republic of Letters." Chalmers's Biog. Dict. vol. XI. p. 514. There transmit it to you; being, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, W. WARBURton. There is a small hole in it, as if it had hung about the neck in a ribbon; and I imagine it was so employed by these poor wretches, drunk with superstition, rage and enthusiasm. LETTER II. For Mr. PETER DES MAIZEAUX. DEAR SIR, Newarke, May 15, 1736. I deferred paying my acknowledgments for the obliging civilities I received from you when I had the pleasure of your company in London, till I could tell you that you might expect to receive the papers you was so good as to promise me you would insert in the Bibliotheque Angloise *. I have directed them for you at Mr. Woodward's. They come up in the Newarke waggon, carriage paid; and I hope will be in town this day fortnight. I have inclosed the small piece of French gold, which I request your acceptance of, as a trifling mark of my sincere esteem and friendship. I have likewise inclosed 15s. with which I beg you will buy me the 6 volumes of Bibliotheque that are already come out; and to send them me down by the Newarke waggon. As nothing does me a greater honour than your friendship, so nothing will be a greater pleasure than your correspondence. Your universal knowledge in Literature makes you need no assistance in any of your learned undertakings; so that I have no other way of shewing my friendship, but where at the same time I shew my sense, and my justice-I mean in your commendation. This is my usual subject to my friends here, to whom I boast how much I am, dear Sir, your most affectionate friend, and humble servant, W. WARBURTON. * Or, rather Britannique; see p. 64. LETTER LETTER III. For Mr. PETER DES MAIZeaux. DEAR SIR, Newarke, May 22, 1736. Along with this you receive the Emendations on Paterculus, which I beg the favour of you to get inserted in the Bibliotheque Britannique. I hope they may be inserted all together in one part, for I think they will not make above 40 pages. I have inscribed them to the Bishop of Chichester*, to whom I have great obligations. Inclosed you will find the bit of French gold, which I beg you will be so good as to accept as a small mark of my esteem and friendship for you. Dear Sir, if you will do me the favour to let me hear from you now and then, at your leisure, the state of your health, and what news is stirring in the literary world, believe me no greater pleasure or honour can be done to, dear Sir, your most affectionate and most obliged humble servant, W. WARBURTON. LETTER IV. For Mr. PETER DES MAIZEAUX. DEAR SIR, Newarke-upon-Trent, August 16, 1736. I received the Bibliotheques Britanniques by Mr. Giles, which you was so good as to procure for me. It is but an ill way, I confess, of making my apology for the trouble I gave you, by putting you to more; but I should be much obliged to you, for letting me know the price of Montfaucon's Cata * Dr. Francis Hare, under the abbreviation of F. E. C. by whom he had been recommended to Queen Caroline. They were inserted accordingly, in the seventh volume of that work, for July, August, and September, 1736, and occupy the pages from No. 256 to 294. logue logue of MSS. if it be yet published, because I would buy it. Not having had the honour of hearing from you otherwise than by Mr. Gyles, and knowing how much you are afflicted with the rheumatism, I was much apprehensive for your health: there being no one who more truly esteems and honours you, than, Dear Sir, your most obedient and most obliged humble servant, W. WARBURTON. LETTER V. For Mr. PETER DES MAIZEaux. DEAR SIR, Newarke, Sept. 16, 1738. 1 had the pleasure of hearing of your health by Mr. Gyles, in a letter I lately received from him. I find I am indebted to you for the favour of the last Bibliotheque Britannique, which he tells me you was so good as to leave at his shop for me. I hope he sent you one of my Sermons which I published this summer, and that it met with your approbation. Pray what news is there in the learned world? Will you favour us with a Supplement to Bayle, of the English Learned? That news would be a great pleasure to me. What think you of our new set of Fanatics, called the Methodists? I have seen Whitefield's Journal; and he appears to me to be as mad as ever George Fox the Quaker was. These are very fit Missionaries, you will say, to propagate the Christian faith among Infidels. There is another of them, one Wesley, who came over from the same mission. He told a friend of mine, that he had lived most deliciously the last summer in Georgia, sleeping under trees, and feeding on boiled maize, sauced with the ashes of oak leaves; that he will return thither, and then will cast off his English dress, and wear a dried skin, like the savages, the better to ingratiate VOL. II. F |