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guages*, in which he made fo rapid a progress, that he wrote a Latin, a Greek, and an Italian Grammar. He makes great complaints of the ignorance of his times, and fays, that the Regular Priests ftudied chiefly fcholaftic divinity, and that the Secular Priefts applied themselves to the study of the Roman law, but never turned their thoughts to philofophy. The learned Dr. Freind, in his Hiftory of Phyfic, very justly calls this extraordinary man "the "miracle of the age in which he lived;" and fays, that he was the greatest mechanical genius that had appeared fince the days of Archimedes. Roger Bacon, in a Treatife upon Optical Glaffes, defcribes the Camera Obscura, with all forts of glaffes that magnify or diminish any object, bring it nearer to the eye, or remove it farther; and Dr. Freind fays, that the telescope was evidently known to him. "Some of these, and "his other mathematical inftruments," adds that learned Writer, "coft 200l. or 300l."

*How much the ftudy of the learned languages was neglected in his time, Roger Bacon himself informs us; for in a letter to his patron Clement the Fourth, he tells him, that there were not four among the Italians who understood the grammatical rudiments of Greek, Latin, and Italian; and he adds, that 'even the Latin tongue, for the beauty and correctness of it, was fcarcely known to any one. He says, that the Scholars, as they were then called, were fitter for the cradle than for the chair.

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and Bacon fays himself, that in twenty years he spent 2000l. in books and in tools; a prodigious fum for fuch kinds of expences in his day!

Bacon was almoft the only Aftronomer of his age; for he took notice of an error in the Calendar with respect to the aberration of the folar year; and propofed to his patron, Clement the Fourth, a plan for correcting it in 1267, which was adopted three hundred years afterwards by Gregory XIII.

Bacon was a chymift alfo, and wrote upon medicine. There is still in print a work of his, on retarding the advances of old age, and on preferving the faculties clear and entire to the remotest period of life; but, with a littleness unworthy of fo great a mind as his was, he fays, "that he does not choose to exprefs himself fo "clearly as he might have done respecting diet "and medicines, left what he writes fhould fall "into the hands of the Infidels."

Gunpowder, or at least a powder that had the fame effect, seems to have been known to him, if he were not the inventor of it; for, in a letter to John Parifienfis, he says,

"In omnem diftantiam quam volumus, poffumus "artificialiter componere ignem comburentem, ex

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fale petræ et aliis, viz. fulphure && carbonum pulverem. Præter hanc, (fcilicet combustionem,) funt alia ftupenda, nam foni velut tonitus et cor"rufcationes fieri poffunt in aëre, immo majore horrore quàm illa quæ fiunt per naturam:-By our "fkill we can compose an artificial fire, burning "to any distance we please, made from falt66 petre and other things, as fulphur and char"coal powder. Befides this power of com

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buftion, it poffeffes other wonderful pro"perties; for founds like thofe of thunder and "corufcations can be made in the air, more "horrid than thofe occafioned by Nature."

EDWARD THE THIRD.
[1327-1377.]

"THIS Monarch," fays a French Hiftorian, 66 was defirous that his fon, Edward the Black "Prince, fhould have all the honour of the "glorious day at Creffy. He wished to teach "him to be victorious, and he entrusted him "to two Noblemen very proper for that pur-. "pofe. He faid to him, after the battle, Beau "fils, Dieu vous doit bonne perfeverance; vous "étes mon fils, car loyaument vous êtes acquité en ce jour, fi êtes digne de terre tenir.”

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Aimeri di Pavia, an Italian by whom Edward the Third was educated, was entrusted by him with the government of Calais, then lately taken from the French. He had agreed for a certain fum to restore it to them; and Geoffroy de Charny, the Governor of St. Omer, was on a day fixed to bring the money, and enter the town. On the day appointed, he came with fome chofen troops, placed them near Calais, and sent in the money to the Governor. A delay took place, under pretence that the money was wrong; and Edward the Third, to whom Aimeri had discovered the whole tranfaction, rushed out on horseback, disguised, with some horsemen, to attack the French troops. Among them was a Knight celebrated for his bravery, named Eustache de Ribaumont. The King, defirous to try his strength with him, cried out, "A moi, Ribaumont!" The valiant French Knight immediately flew at him with great violence, and unhorfed him. Edward, remounting, attacked him again with great bravery, but could make no impreffion upon him: at last, Ribaumont finding himself alone, his friends and companions having fled, furrendered himfelf to Edward, without knowing that he had the honour of being made prisoner by a Sovereign. Edward conducted him to the Castle of Calais, where, among fome other foldiers, he found

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found the Governor of St. Omer.

"For you,

"Sir," faid he to Charny, "I have very little "reason to love you, for you wished to get " from me for fixty thousand crowns, what had "coft me much more. For you, Messire Ribau"mont Eustache, of all the Knights in the "world that I have ever seen, you best know "how to attack your enemy, and to defend

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yourself. I never in my life was engaged in 66 any combat, in which I had more to do to "defend myself than I have had just now with 66 you. I give you very readily the glory of it, "and that of being above all the Knights of my "Court, as I am in honour obliged to do by a

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juft judgment." At the fame time the generous Prince, taking from his own head a coronet of pearls, which he had worn, placed it on that of Ribaumont, and told him to wear it for that year, as a mark of his courage. "I know," added Edward, "Meffire Euftache, that you "are gay, fond of the ladies, and delight in "their company; fo wherever you go, always " mention that I gave you this coronet. I re"leafe you from your prison, and you may quit "Calais to-morrow, if you please."

"This inftance," fays the candid Author of Hiftoire du Patriotifme François, "of good"humour and generofity, in the true fpirit of

"chivalry,

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