Page images
PDF
EPUB

"for fo long a time. I write this unto you fo

largely, that you may know the difpofition of "the man, and how kindly he used my Lord of "Ely for his good entertainment. For when " he took his leave of the King, he fell into dif"courfe what a famous Church was here in "England, what worthy men the Bishops were, "how he admired the ecclefiaftical government, "what great contentment he received by con"ference with many learned men. • But,' "faith he, I do perceive that your great men "do not all agree in those questions controverted "amongst us; for, in talking with my Lord of Ely, I perceive that he is of opinion, that a

[ocr errors]

man that is truly juftified, fanctified, may ex"cidere à gratiâ, although not finaliter yet tota"liter.' The King's Majefty knowing that my "Lord of Ely had heartofore inclined to that "opinion, but, being told the King's judgment "of it, had made fhew to defift from broaching fuch thing, (for then it was as well finaliter as totaliter,) did fecretly complain to me that 6c my Lord fhould revive any fuch thing, and

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

any

especially make it known unto a stranger. "Whereupon I moved my Lord in it, and told

him what the Doctor had faid, and to whom; "but thereunto he replied with earnest affever"ation, that he had not ufed any fuch speech "unto him, and was much abused by that re66 port.

"port. Thereupon he offered by letters fent "into Holland to challenge Grotius for it, as "having done him a fingular wrong to report "fo of him to the King. I replyed, that I held it fitter to let it alone, not to draw contention on himself with fo bufy a man, I would fatisfy the King, and fo might his Lordship "alfo; but he would do well to be wary how "he had to do with any of thofe parts ill affected, "for he had been once before fo ferved by Ber

66

tius, the Author of the book De Apoftafiâ "Sanctorum; who, upon speech with Mr. Bed"well Leyden, vauntingly gave it out, that his Lordship and the Bishop of Lincoln were of "his opinion. You will ask me what is this to you? I must tell you, therefore, that you shall "not be without your part. At the fame time "that Sir Noel Caron was together with Gro"tius, being now to take his leave of the King, "it was defired of his Majefty that he would "not haftily give his judgment concerning points "of religion now in difference in Holland, for "that his Majefty had information but of one "fide; and that his Ambassador did deal par"tially, making the reports in favour of the one "fide, and saying nothing at all for the other;

for he might have let his Majesty know how "factious a generation thefe Contradictors are; "how they are like to our Puritans in England;

"how

.

66

"how refractory they are to the authority of "the civil magistrate, and other things of like "nature, as I wrote you in my former letter. I ❝ doubt not but Grotius had his part in this in"formation, whereof I conceive you will make "fome use, keeping these things privately to yourself, as becometh a man of your imploy❝ment, When his Majeftie told me this, I 66 gave fuch an answer as was fit, and now, upon "the receipt of your letters, fhall upon the first "occafion give further fatisfaction. All things "rest here as they did, and I, as ready to do you all good offices, do remaine, &c. "G. CANT.

66

"From Lambeth,"

Grotius, in a letter to Ifaac Voffius, gave him his fentiments upon the education of boys. "Many perfons," fays he, " make use of tutors "for the education of their children, which "hardly ever fucceeds as it was intended. I "have never approved of that method of educa

tion, for I know that young perfons learn only "when they are together, and that their appli"cation is languid where there is no emulation. "I am as little of a friend to fchools where the

mafter fcarce knows the names of his fcholars; "where the number is fo great, that he cannot "diftribute his attention upon each of them,

"whofe

whofe compofition requires a particular at"tention. For these reasons, I wish that a "medium of the two methods were taken; that

દર

a master took only ten or twelve boys, who fhould live in the fame houfe, and be of the "fame claffes, by which means the mafter him"felf would not be overloaded with cares."

Auberi du Maurier, Ambaffador from France to Holland, defired Grotius to give him a plan of study. He complied with his requeft, and it is printed in a Collection on the fame fubject, intitled, "De omni Studiorum Genere Inftituendo," Elzevir. 1637. He recommends his fcholar to begin with an Abridgment of Ariftotle's Logic; to proceed to Phyfics, where he is not to remain long, and where indeed, in the time of Grotius, there was little to arreft the attention; next to proceed to Metaphyfics and to Morals; which latter fcience he highly recommends Ariftotle's Book of Ethics to Nicomachus; then to proceed to Hiftory; and, differently from all others, he here laid down rules for that study. He advises his pupil to begin with those histories that are nearest to his own times.

for

This great civilian and general fcholar is thus defcribed by Du Maurier:

[blocks in formation]

1

..

"Grotius was a very good poet in the Greek "and in the Latin languages, and knew per"fectly well all the dead and the living lan guages. He was, befides, a profound lawyer, " and a moft excellent hiftorian. He had read "all the good books that had ever been pub. «lifhed; and what is aftonishing, his memory "was fo ftrong, that everything which he had "once read, was ever prefent to it, without his forgetting the most trifling circumstance. It "has been often remarked, that perfons of great "memories have not always been perfons of "good and of found judgment. But Grotius

[ocr errors]

66

was extremely judicious, both in his writings " and in his converfation. I have often," adds Du Maurier," feen this great man just cast his

eye upon a page of a huge folio volume, and "inftantaneously become acquainted with the ❝contents of it. He used to take it for his

[ocr errors]

motto, Hora ruit, to put himself in continual "remembrance that he fhould usefully employ "that time which was flying away with extreme rapidity.

σε

"Grotius was born at Delft in Holland; was ་ a tall, ftrong, and well-made man, and had a 66 very agreeable countenance. With all these "excellencies of body his mind was ftill as ex"cellent. He was a man of opennefs, of vera

66 city,

« PreviousContinue »