No man, fays Brantome, ever beheld her perfon without admiration and love, or will read her history without sorrow." To this we fhall fubjoin another character, that of Mary's illustrious rival, our Queen Elifabeth. "Foreigners often accufe the English of indifference and difrespect towards their princes. But without reafon; no people are more grateful than they to thofe monarchs who merit their gratitude. The names of Edward III. and Henry V. are mentioned by the English of this age, with the fame warmth, as they were by those who shared in the blethings and fplendor of their reigns. The memory of Elifabeth is still adored in England. And the hiftorians of that kingdom, after celebrating her love of her people, her fagacity in difcerning their true intereft, her steadiness in purfuing it, her wisdom in the choice of her miniiters, the glory fhe acquired by arms, the tranquillity fhe fecured to her fubjects, and the increase of fame, of riches, and of commerce, which were the fruits of all thefe, justly rank her anong the moft illuftrious princes. Even the defects in her character, they obferve, were not of a kind pernicious to her people. Her exceffive frugality was not accompanied with the love of hoarding; and though it prevented fome great undertakings, and rendered the fuccefs of others incomplete, it introduced economy into her administration, and exempted the nation from many burdens, which a monarch, more profufe, or more enterprising, must have impofed. Her flowness in rewarding her fervants, fometimes difcouraged ufeful merit; but it prevented the undeferving from acquiring power and wealth to which they had no title. Her extreme jealousy of thofe princes who pretended to difpute her right to the crown, led her to take fuch precautions, as tended no lefs to the public fafety, than to her own; and to court the affections of her people, as the firmeft fupport of her throne. Such is the picture the English draw of this queen. "Whoever undertakes to write the hiftory of Scotland finds himself obliged, Her frequently, to view her in a very different, and in a lefs amiable light. authority in that kingdom, during the greater part of her reign, was little inferior to that which the poffefsed in her own. But this authority, acquired at firft by a fervice of great importance to the nation, the exercised in a manner extremely pernicious to its happiness. By her industry in fomenting the rage of the two contending factions; by fupplying the one with partial aid; by feeding the other with falle hopes; by balancing their power fo artfully, that each of them was able to distress, and neither of them to fubdue the other; the rendered Scotland long the feat of difcord, confusion, and bloodshed; and her craft and intrigues, effecting what the valour of her ancestors could not accomplish, reduced - that kingdom to a state of dependence on England. The maxims of policy, often little confonant to those of morality, may perhaps juftify this conduct. no apology can be offered for her beha viour to Queen Mary; a fcene of diffimulation without neceffity, and of feverity beyond example. In almost all her other actions, Elifabeth is the object of our higheft admiration; in this, we must allow that the not only laid afide the magnanimity which became a queen, but the feelings natural to a woman." But The Reviewers then give two extracts, on the subject of affaffination, and the cataftrophe of the Earl of Effex. The for mer, after an obfervation, that the hiftory of Europe during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, abounds with detefiable inftances of this crime, fome of which are condefcended on, concludes thus. "The influence of any national cuftom, both on the understanding and on the heart, and how far it may go towards perverting or extinguishing moral principles of the greatest importance, is remarkable. The authors of those ages have perfectly imbibed the fenti ments of their cotemporaries, with regard to affaffination; and they who had leifure to reflect, and to judge, appear to be no more fhocked at this crime, than the perfons who commit ted it during the heat and impetuofity of paffion. Buchanan relates the murder of Cardinal Beatoun, and of Rizio, without expreffing those feelings which are natural to a man, or that indignaton which became an hiftorian. Knox, whofe mind was fiercer, and more unpolished, talks of the death of Beatoun and of the Duke of Guize, not only without cenfure, but with the utmoft exultation. On the other hand, the Bishop of Rofs mentions the affatfina tion of the Earl of Murray with fome degree of applaufe. Blackwood dwells upon it with the most indecent triumph, and afcribes it directly to the hand of God. Lord Ruthven, the principal actor in the confpiracy against Rizio, wrote an account of it fome fhort time before his own death; and in all his long narrative there is not one expreffion of regret, or one fymptom of compunction, for a crime no lefs difhonourable than barbarous. Morton, equally guilty of the fame crime, entertained the fame fentiments concerning it; and in his laft moments, neither he himfelf, nor the minifters who attended him, feem to have confidered it as an action which called for repentance; even then he talks of David's flaughter as coolly, as if it had been an innocent or commend able deed. The vices of another age aftopish and shock us; the vices of our own become familiar, and excite little horror." Thefe Reviewers conclude this article as follows. In the relation which our author gives of the establishment of the Prefbyterian church-government in Scotland, though he appears to be of that perfuafion himfelf, he difcovers none of that bigotry and fournefs which have been oft charged on that fect. As it is almoft impoffible, however, for the most impartal writer to diveft himself entirely of all prejudices of country, education, or profeflion, fome of our readers may perhaps imagine, that a certain degree of these prejudices can be found in the character which he gives of Knox, the great apoftle of the Scotch church; where, though his failings be acknowledged, yet an apology for them is, at the fame time, artfully interwoven. "Soon after the breaking-up of this affembly, Knox, the prime inftrument of fpreading and establishing the reformed religion in Scotland, ended his life, in the 67th year of his age. Zeal, intrepidity, difintereftednels, were virtues which he poffeffed in an eminent degree. He was acquainted, too, with the learning cultivated in that age; and excelled in that fpecies of eloquence which is calculated to roufe, and to inflame. His maxims, however, were often too fevere, and the impetuofity of his temper exceflive. Rigid and uncomplying himfelf, he fhewed no indulgence to the infirmities of others. Regardlefs of the diftinctions of rank and character, he uttered his admonitions with an acrimony and vehemence, more apt to irritate, than to reclaim. This often betrayed him into indecent and undutiful expreffions with refpect to the Queen's perfon Thofe very qualities, and conduct. however, which now render his charac ter lels amiable, fitted him to be the inftrument of Providence for advancing the reformation, among a fierce people, and enabled him to face dangers, and to furmount oppofition, from which a perion of a more gentle fpirit would have been apt to fhrink back. By an unwearied application to study, and to bufinefs, as well as by the frequency and fervour of his public difcourses, he had worn out a conftitution naturally ftrong. During a lingering illness, he difcovered the utmost fortitude; and met the approaches of death, with a magnanimity infeparable from his character. He was conftantly employed in acts of devotion, and comforted himfelf with thofe profpects of immortality, which not only preferve good men from defponding, but fill them with exultation in their laft moments. The Earl of Morton, who was prefent at his funeral, pronounced his eulogium in a few words; the more honourable for Knox, as they came from one whom he had often cenfured with peculiar severity: Here lies he who never feared the face of man." A I'd A sketch of the character of Mr JAMES HERVEY, Rector of Wefton-Favell. From a fermon preached, Jan. 4. 1759, upon his death, by W. Romaine, M. A. from Luke ii. 29.30. FI were to attempt to draw the character of this excellent man, I would confider him in the feveral relations in which he stood to God and man, and would exhort you to follow him, fo far as he followed Chrift. But the compass of this difcourfe will not fuffer me to enlarge. I can only juft observe some particular inftances, from whence it will evidently appear, that he had seen the falvation of God. He had a clear view of it by the eye of faith, and was able to act faith upon it; for his was a faith working by love. We love God, fays the beloved apostle, because he first loved us; because we know by faith that he first loved us: fo that our love is the reflex act of his love to us. And Mr Hervey had great experience of God's love to him, and therefore his heart was full of love to God; and out of the abundance of his heart his mouth fpake. There was such a sweetness of heart-love upon his tongue, that he used to speak of the love of the adorable Redeemer, like one who had feen him face to face in the fulness of his glory. He would, with all the power of languge, and dignity of fentiment, speak for a long time together in praife of the ever-bleffed Saviour. But you might plainly fee, though every body elle was pleafed, yet he was not fatisfied with what he had faid. He thought he had not faid enough, and what he had faid fell far below his Lord's merit: but ftill he would try again, and indeed was never weary. You could not hear him fpeak for any time upon this his favourite fubject, without being convinced, that he felt what he faid; and, if you had any love of God when you went into his company, his converfation would inflame it. He had an excellency which I never faw to fo great a degree in any other perfon. He never let an opportunity flip of fpeaking of the love of Chrift: he would take occafion from the most common incident, and yet would not appear forced; for he had wonderful talent at fpiritualizing and improving whatever happened abou him; by which means he hindered the converfation from turning upon trifling matters, and, at the fame time, kept it up with fpirit and usefulness. Having fet the Lord always before him, he faw the love of God in every thing; and therefore it is not to be wondered at, that all objects and events should give him occafion to fpeak of it. In his last fickness it continued ftill to be his favourite theme: for whenever a friend of mine, who was much with him, came into the room, he would begin to talk of the love of Chrift, and of the great things which Chrift had done for him, until his breath failed him; and as foon as he had recovered himfelf a little, he would proceed upon the same sweet fubject: fo that he might have truly ap plied to himself the words of the prophet, My mouth shall be telling of thy righteousness and of thy falvation all the day long: for I know no end thereof. This heart-love to God appeared evidently in every part of his character. As a minifter, his faith wrought by love to the fouls of men in all the offices of his function. While his health permitted him, he watched like a faithful fhepherd over his flock; he used to vifit them from houfe to house, and to fpeak freely to them of the ftate of their fouls: and when the weakness of his body obliged him to drop these religious vifits, he would often grieve that he could not be more useful, and would fpeak with great concern and uneafiness of his not being able to preach oftener, and to do more for Chrift. In the pulpit he was fervent and earnest with his people, and would often exert himself beyond his ftrength: for he preached the great doctrines of salvation as one who had experienced the power of them. It was manifeft to all who heard him, that he felt what he spake. And when we fpeak what we know, and testify what we have feen, then God bleffes this experimental preaching. He puts a divine power and energy into it, and renders renders it effectual to awaken finners, to comfort them that mourn for fin, and to edify and build up the faithful. Mr Hervey had many happy proofs of the usefulness of his preaching for each of these purposes; and therefore he did not think it enough to preach once a-week on the Lord's day, but he fet up a weekly lecture at Wefton-Favell, which was very well attended, and was bleffed to many of his neighbours, who will be his glory and crown of rejoicing in the prefence of our Lord Je. fus Chrift at his coming. He did not forget that he was a mi pifter in his own houfe: for he called his family together twice a-day to ferve God. It was his cuftom in the even ing, after the fervants had read the palms and the fecond leffon, to explain fome part of what had been read. In this exercife he would fometimes dwell for half an hour; and when he met with a fweet paffage upon the love of Chrift, I have heard him fpeak for three quarters of an hour, and then he concluded with prayer. own expences. In the morning, when the family were met together, he used to ask the fervants, "Well! where was our text laft night?" And after they had repeated it, he made them give an account of what had been faid upon it, and then he would repeat and enforce his laft night's difcourfe, concluding with prayer. He chofe rather to clothe the poor, than to give them money. He used to get fome judicious perfon to buy linen, coarfe cloth, ftockings, fhoes, &c. for them at the best could hand; alledging, that the poor not buy fo good a commodity at the little fhops, and with driblets of mo"I am God's fteward," fays he, ney. "for his poor; and I must husband the little pittance I have to bestow upon them, and make it go as far as poffible." But where money would be particularly ferviceable to a family long afflicted with fickness, or to a prudent housekeeper who had met with great loffes in trade, he would give five, ten, or fifteen guineas at a time, taking care it fhould not be known from whence the money came. In the afternoon, when he was called down to tea, he used to bring his Hebrew Bible or Greek Teftament with him, and would either fpeak upon one verfe or upon feveral verfes, as occafion offered. This was generally an improving feafon. The glory of God very feldom promoted at the tea-table; but it was at Mr Hervey's. Drink ing tea with him was like being at an ordinance; for it was fanctified by the word of God and prayer. is As a member of fociety, his faith wrought abundantly by love to his neighbour; for he was full of good works. His charities to the poor were very large; and that he might be liberal to them, he was very frugal in his He gave away a great number of good books, with fuitable instructions for their use, and especially Bibles. In the blank leaf he frequently wrote fomething ftriking, or elfe ftuck in a printed paper, relating to the promises of God in and through Jefus Chrift. Mr Hervey's income was but small, and it may be wondered how he managed it fo well as to have fuch fums to fpare for charitable uses; but what money was left after the family-expences were paid, and all the profits arifing from the fale of his books, which was a very confiderable fum, he gave away in charity. He made of it a bank for the poor. "And this," fays he, "I have devoted to God. I will on no account apply it to any worldly uses. I write not for profit, or for fame, but to ferve the cause of God; and as he has bleffed my attempt, I think myself bound to relieve the diftreffes of my fellow-creatures with the profit that comes from this quarter." And he is still relieving them. He was not willing that his charities fhould die with him; for he ordered all the profit arifing from the future fale of his books to be conitantly applied to charitable uses. Thus having believed in God, he was careful to maintain good works, knowing that these things are good and profitable unto men. In his private life he was under the influence of the fame faith, working by love to the will and commandments of God. His holy walking was very exemplary. What he said in words concerning his interest in the Redeemer's righteousness, he proved by his actions: for he was very fenfible of the importance of this fcripture, He that faith be abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked, 1 John ii. 6. Mr Hervey walked very clofe after Christ, and found that the belief of Chrift's righteoufnefs being imputed to him for his juftification, was fo far from being a licentious doctrine, that it infpired him with the nobleft motives to a grateful obedience. His holy life was an excellent recommendation of his principles; for I never faw one who came up so near to the fcripture-character of a Chriftian. God had enriched him with great gifts, and with great graces, and had made him humble; for he was humbled by the power of grace. He had been a very vain proud young man, but the grace of God emptied him of pride and felf, and clothed him with humility. Having put on Chrift, he had put on with him the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit; which ap. peared in his great patience and refignation to the will of God. He had fome very sharp trials of his faith and pa. tience, both from God and from men, and he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. It was very remarkable, that, in his long illness, he was never known to fret or be uneafy; nor did the perfons about him ever hear one angry, or one hafty word come out of his mouth. The fame principle of faith working by love was manifeft in his ftudies, which he directed to the glory of God. He was once a great reader of the Greek and Roman authors, and his writings fhew that he had a good tafte for claffical learning; but for fome years paft he chiefly applied himself to the facred fcriptures. God had blessed him with a fine understanding, and a great memory, which he exercifed in reading the Bible in the original languages. He was very well skilled in the Hebrew and was an excellent critic in the Greek and was a fcribe inftructed unto the kingdom of heaven, who, like unto a man that is an householder, bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. He had a great veneration for this treasure of the Old and New Te ftaments. He used to talk of them in the highest terms, next to that adorable perfon of whom they treat. They were sweeter to him than honey and the honey-comb; and fo they will be to every one who reads them, as he did, with faith. Whoever can act faith upon the exceeding great and precious promifes contained in the facred volume, will find so much sweetness in it, that he will have but little relish left for other books. As to his writings *, I leave them to speak * Mr Hervey's printed works are, Meditations, in 2 vols, which have met with a favourable reception, having already pasied through fourteen editions. Theron and Afpafio, in 3 vols, which have had a great run. Remarks on Lord Bolingbroke's letters. Three faft-fermons, and Some little tracts, which I hope will be collected when his letters are published. in defence of Theron and Afpafio. [In another place of the fame fermon we have the following note.] About a week before Mr Hervey was taken ill, I mentioned to him a report that was spread about, concerning Mr Sandeman's Letters upon Hervey) had written a letter to Mrs Cooke, and Theron and Afpafio, to this effect: That he (Mr therein had faid, That Mr Sandeman was in the right, and had convinced him of his error; or words to that purpose. To which he answerand therein he had acknowledged, that many of ed, That he had written a letter to Mrs Cooke; Mr Sandeman's remarks were judicious, and that he had corrected fome of his expreffions and inaccuracies. But he faid, That he was very far from having changed his opinion as to the fubhe thought Mr Sandeman was entirely wrong. stance and matter of the argument: for therein Whereupon I defired he would infert an advertifement in fome of the London papers, figned by himself, to let this mistake right, left it might hinder the fale and reading of his books, and greed; and added, that he would let that parathereby prevent much good. To which he agraph ftand in his Anfwer to Mr Welley, relating to |