dience be more edify'd, than they generally are? Do you not think that according to the Rules of Eloquence we laid down, fuch a Difcourfe would even be more eloquent than thofe over-ftrain'd Panegyricks that are commonly made?

B. I'm of opinion that fuch Sermons as you speak of would be as inftructive, as affecting, and as agreeable as any other. I'm now fatisfy'd, Sir: 'tis time to release you. I hope the Pains you have taken with me will not be loft: for I have refolv'd to part with all my modern Collections, and Italian Wits, and in a ferious Manner to ftudy the whole Connection and Principles of Religion; by tracing them back to their Source.

C. Farewell, Sir: the best Acknowledgment I can make, is to affure you that I will have a great Regard to what you have faid.

..

A Gentlemen, good night. I'll leave you with thefe Word of S. JEROM to NEPOTIAN: "When you teach in "the Church, don't endeavour to draw Applause, but rather Sighs and Groans from the People: let their Tears praise you. The Difcourfes of a Clergyman fhou'd be full of the Holy Scripture. "Be not a Declaimer, but a true Teacher "of the Mysteries of Go D.

FINIS.

A

LETTER

From the late

Archbishop of CAMBRAY

TO THE

French ACADEMY;

Concerning

Rhetorick, Poetry, Hiftory:

AND

A COMPARISON between the ANTIENTS and MODERNS.

A

LETTER

то

Mr. FONTENELLE, Secretary to the French ACADEMY.

SIR,

201

AM afham'd of having defer'd fo long to answer your Letter but my ill State of Health, and a continual Hurof Affairs occafion'd this Delay. The Choice that the ACA

ry

*

DEMY

Of late in many Parts of Europe, fome Gentlemen met together; fubmitted to common Laws, and form'd themselves into ACADEMYS. But it has been for the moft part to a different Purpofe [from the ROYAL SOCIETY's: and most of them only aim'd at the fmoothing of their Stile and the Language of their Country. Of

thefe,

you

DEMY has made of for their perpetual Secretary, is worthy of fuch a Society; and promifes great Advantage to the Commonwealth of Learning. I own, Sir, that I'm fomewhat perplex't with the Request you make me in the Name of a BODY to which I'm fo much oblig'd. But feeing they defire it, I will freely give them my Opinion, with a great Diftrust of my-felf, and a fincere Deference for those who vouchsafe to confult me.

thefe, the First arofe in Italy But that which excell'd all the other, and kept it-felf longer untainted from the Corruptions of Speech was the FRENCH ACADEMY at Paris. This was compos'd of the nobleft Authors of that Nation; and had for its Founder the great Cardinal de Richelieu: who amongst all his Cares, whereby he eftablish't and enlarg'd that Monarchy fo much, did often refresh himself by directing, and taking an Account of their Progrefs. And indeed in his own Life, he found fo great Succefs of this Inftitution, that he faw the French-Tongue abundantly purify'd, and beginning to take place in the Western World, almost as much as the Greek did of-old, when it was the Language of Merchants, Souldiers, Courtiers, and Travellers. But I shall say no more of this ACADEMY, that I may not deprive my Reader of the Delight of perufing their own Hiftory, written by M. de PELISSON; which is fo mafculinely, fo chaftly, and fo unaffectedly done, that I can hardly forbear envying the French Nation this Honour; that while the English ROYAL SOCIETY has fo much outgone their illuftrious Academy in the Greatness of its Undertaking, it hou'd be fo far fhort of them in the Abilities of its Hiftorian. I have only this to allege in my Excufe, that as they undertook the Advancement of the Elegance of Speech, fo it became their Hiftory to have fome Refemblance to their Enterprize: whereas the Intention of Our's being not the Artifice of Words, but a bare Knowledge of Things; my Fault may be efteem'd the lefs, that I have written of Philofophers without any Ornament of Eloquence.

Bp. SPRAT'S Hift. of the Royal Society. p. 39, 40.