But there is this to be said for Fuller's digressions, they never confuse. He lightens his subject by numerous paragraph breaks, made with considerable though not perfect accuracy, and-which is his main preventive of confusion with every considerable change of subject, he gives a summary italic heading, and makes a fresh start.

Figures of Speech.-His style is thickly interspersed with ingenious similitudes. "The chief diseases of the fancy," he says himself, "are either that it is too wild and high-soaring, or else too low and grovelling, or else too desultory and over-voluble." The last is his own "disease." Ingenious as is the play of his fancy, it is much more luxuriant than would be tolerated now, and did not escape censure even in his own day.

His figures, like Bacon's, are taken largely from his own observations of common life-only, unlike Bacon's, they are nearly all, in accordance with the author's ruling tendency, calculated to make the reader laugh or smile. So far from exalting the object they are applied to, their purpose is to set it in a whimsical light; the most serious subjects are set off with odd similitudes, and the reader is tempted to laugh where propriety requires him to be grave. The following are one or two examples. Of the good bishop, he says:—

"He is careful and happy in suppressing of heresies and schisms. He distinguisheth of schismatics as physicians do of leprous people: some are infectious, others not; some are active to seduce others, others quietly enjoy their opinions in their own consciences. To use force before people

are fairly taught the truth, is to knock a nail into a board without wimbling a hole for it, which then either not enters, or turns crooked, or splits the wood it pierceth."

Again

"Let us be careful to provide rest for our souls, and our bodies will provide rest for themselves. And let us not be herein like unto gentlewomen, who care not to keep the inside of the orange, but candy and preserve only the outside."

And, condemning the use of high-flown language with inferior matter, he says—

"Some men's speeches are like the high mountains in Ireland, having a dirty bog in the top of them."

He advises the young writer to take advice of a faithful friend :

:

"When thou pennest an oration, let him have the power of the 'Index Expurgatorius' to expunge what he pleaseth; and do not thou, like a fond mother, cry if the child of thy brain be corrected for playing the wanton.”

Fuller himself "plays the wanton" in similitudes so often that we see a touch of the ludicrous in nearly every comparison that he

makes, just as in conversation we are tickled by every word that falls from an acknowledged wit.

A great many of his comparisons are historical parallels, or ingenious figurative applications of historical facts. The following is an instance. Writing of one of his worthies, he says:—

"He obtained a plentiful estate, and thereof gave wellnigh three thousand pounds to Sidney College. Now as it is reported of Ulysses, returning from his long travel in foreign lands, that all his family had forgot him; so when the news of this legacy first arrived at the College, none then extant therein ever heard of his name (so much may the sponge of forty years blot out in this kind); only the written register of the College faithfully retained his name therein.

"This his gift was a gift ndeed, purely bestowed on the College, as loaded with no detrimental conditions, in the acceptance thereof. We read in the Prophet, 'Thou hast increased the nation, and not multiplied their joy.' In proportion whereunto, we know it is possible that the comfortable condition of a College may not be increased, though the number of the fellows and scholars therein be augmented, superadded branches sucking out the sap of the root; whereas the legacy of this worthy knight ponebatur in lucro, being pure gain and improvement to the College.

Here we see the same whimsical vein, the same tendency to make ludicrous comparisons of small things with great, and great things with small. The following, from his Mixt Contemplations,' is a sample of his elaborate similitudes; it also illustrates the ludicrous meanness of comparison that grave divines have pronounced unpardonable levity:

"I have observed that children when they first put on new shoes, are very curious to keep them clean. Scarce will they set their feet on the ground for fear to dirt the soles of their shoes. Yea, rather they will wipe the leather clean with their coats; and yet, perchance, the next day they will trample with the same shoes in the mire up to the ankles. Alas, children's play is our earnest! On that day wherein we receive the sacrament, we are often over-precise, scrupling to say or do those things which lawfully we may. But we, who are more than curious that day, are not so much as careful the next; and too often (what shall I say?) go on in sin up to the ankles: yca, our sins go over our heads."

While the great majority of Fuller's similitudes have a whimsical turn, he often employs them to convey sound practical advice. Thus

"Parents who cross the current of their children's genius (if running in no vicious channels), tempt them to take worse courses themselves."

QUALITIES OF STYLE.

Simplicity. The drawback to Fuller's simplicity is the vice of his age the parade of learned terms and unnecessary allusions. Expressions are quoted with chapter and verse when the quotation serves no purpose of illustration, and can excite in the reader only

a pedantic pleasure that he has seen it before, or a whimsical surprise at seeing brought together two cases that have no material resemblance. It is, however, but just to say that he is much less pedantic than Taylor or Browne, and immeasurably less so than Burton. Only now and then do we come across such a passage as occurs in the following Dedication to Douse Fuller :—

"I cannot say certainly of you, as Naomi did of Boaz, 'He is near of kin unto us,' Ruth ii. 20; having no assurance, though great probability, of alliance unto you. However, sir, if you shall be pleased in courtesy to account me your kinsman, I will endeavour that (as it will be an honour to me) it may be to you no disgrace."

Or such as the following, where the homeliest Saxon rubs shoulders with canonical Latin :

“First, soundly infix in thy mind what thou desirest to remember. What wonder is it if agitation of business jog that out of thy head which was there tacked rather than fastened? whereas those notions which get in by violenta possessio, will abide there till ejectio firma, sickness, or extreme age, dispos sess them. It is best knocking in the nail over-night, and clinching it in

the next morning."

Perspicuity. One thing that helps largely to make Fuller's style so remarkably easy reading is his perspicuous arrangement. Method," he says himself, "is the mother of memory." In all his works he follows a simple plan there is consequently no confusion, no perplexity; we are not irritated by searching for a fact, and finding it out of its proper connection; we can find what we want in a moment. Take, for instance, his 'Worthies.' He there gives an account of the notabilities of England county by county, proceeding in each county after a fixed order, which he explains at the beginning of the book. How highly he valued the principle of order appears in his anxiety to show how well he had observed it. In an introductory chapter designed to anticipate objections to the "style and matter of the author," divided into heads and numbered, as is his manner with every subject, he supposes "Exception 16" to be as follows:

:

"You lay down certain rules for the better regulating your work, and directing the reader, promising to confine yourself to the observation thereof, and break them often yourself. For instance, you restrain the topic of lawyers to capital judges and writers of the law; yet under that head insert Judge Paston and others, who were only puny judges in their respective Why did you break such rules, when knowing you made them? Why did you make such rules, when minding to break them?"

courts.

To this he returns the following

Answer.-I never intended to tie myself up so close, without reserving lawful liberty to myself upon just occasion. I resolved to keep the key in my own hands, to enlarge myself when I apprehended a just canse thereof. However, I have not made use of this key to recede from my first

limitations, save where I crave leave of and render a reason to the reader ; such anomalous persons being men of high merit, under those heads where they are inserted."

In giving an account of arguments, he states the two sides separately, often printing them in parallel columns. The reasonings of opposite parties in the Church are exhibited on this handy method. So when he argues himself, he analyses the positions of his adversary, and replies to them one by one, numbering each position, and labelling the argument and the answer with an italic heading to prevent every possibility of confusion, and to let the reader know where he is at a glance.

97 66

The Holy State' and the 'Profane State' are models of simple arrangement. In the Holy State' he describes a number of good characters, first an ideal unfolded in a number of maxims, then an example to correspond. Thus, for "the good servant he lays down seven maxims—“(1) He doth not dispute his master's will, but doth it;" " (2) He loves to go about his business with cheerfulness; (3) He despatches his business with quickness and expedition," and so on. This is followed up by the life of Eliezer, the steward of Abraham's household. The Profane State' is the counterpart of the Holy State,' dealing with bad characters, the Harlot, the Heretic, the Traitor, &c. One of the books of the 'Holy State' deals with virtues and vices in the abstract, plentifully illustrated and embellished with anecdotes and fancies. Strength.-Under this head little need be said of Fuller. His style has the vigour of brief statement and well-chosen words; but he never attempts to soar, and when he does, is soon tempted back to his homely level by some oddity of comparison.

Brevity is a very conspicuous feature in his style. In none of Fuller's works could we read three sentences on end without being reminded of the saying that "Brevity is the soul of wit."

Pathos. His genius was more inclined to pathos than to strength but his expression of tenderness is seldom direct; : it is to be found in the disguise of humour, lurking in some droll conceit. There is a quaint kindliness in his conclusion of the 'Life of Philemon Holland,' the translator of Camden's 'Britannia.' "This venerable translator was translated to heaven in the year 16—."

But how little he could resist the attraction of comical allusions, even in the most pitiful circumstances, is seen in his account of an accident that happened to a Catholic congregation :

"The sermon began to incline to the middle, the day to the end thereof; when on a sudden the floor fell down whereon they were assembled. It gave no charitable warning groan beforehand, but cracked, broke, and fell, all in an instant. Many were killed, more bruised, all frighted. Sad sight, to behold the flesh and blood of different persons mingled together, and the

brains of one on the head of another! One lacked a leg; another an arm; a third whole and entire, wanting nothing but breath, stifled in the ruins.`

As we noted in the case of Macaulay, his interest in unimportant facts overbears his interest in the tragic aspects of a scene. His account of the death of Charles is very matter-of-fact, and shows the antiquary predominating over the man. True, one or two of the facts are suggestive. Even the conclusion, the most dryasdust of the whole, will set some on the track of a reflection or a moral :

"On the Wednesday se'nnight after, (February 7th), his corpse, embalmed and coffined in lead, was delivered to the care of two of his servants, to be buried in Windsor; the one Anthony Mildmay, who formerly had been his sewer, as I take it; the other John Joyner, bred first in his Majesty's kitchen, afterwards a parliament-captain, since by them deputed (when the Scots surrendered his person) cook to his Majesty. This night they brought the corpse to Windsor, and digged a grave for it in St George's Chapel, on the south side of the communion-table."

But certainly there is no superfluous sentiment on the part of the author. It might, indeed, have been dangerous to moralise under the circumstances; we could, however, have dispensed with the gossip about his Majesty's cook.

or gay.

Wit and Humour.-The chief part of our author's reputation is based on his wit. A pleasant vein runs through everything he wrote, no matter what the subject, dignified or undignified, grave His very sermons are full of the same quaint humour. By some of his contemporaries, as we have said, he was frowned upon for treating solemn things in a tone of levity; but there is no better evidence of the power of wit to disarm resentment than the fact remarked by his recent editor, that Fuller "was permitted to give utterance to some strong sentiments, which less favoured individuals durst scarcely own to have found a lodgment within their breasts."

His wit is genial and good-natured; sometimes he burlesques the conduct of a sectary with considerable rudeness; but in general his laugh is kindly.

Nearly all Barrow's varieties of wit might be illustrated copi ously from Fuller; indeed, he may have written his remarks on wit with Fuller's pages open before him. We have seen examples of the "odd similitude" and the "pat allusion to a known story." The "seasonable application of sayings," and the "forging of apposite tales," are of the same kind, and need not be farther illustrated. A large part of the wit consists in "playing in words and phrases, taking advantage from the ambiguity of their sense or the affinity of their sound." Laud is "a man of low stature, but of high parts;" Dr Field is "that learned divine whose memory smelleth like a Field the Lord hath blessed;" Nicholas