took notice of the man before; for his verse is as clean, and his sense as easy and clear, and his satyr against the vicious churchmen of that time as biting, as any you shall see in Bapt. Mantuanus, or any poet that was not born in the true times of natural poetry. This man is to be music to the feast, to make the victuals digest well, and give you some sport; as Sir Thomas Bayns used to say of Esop-that when he had dulled himself in following Plato or Virgil, he was fain to call for Esop to be his fiddler and refresh him. Mr. Dean, you shall be most heartily welcome hither; Mr. Raworth bids me tell you he longs to see you, and so doth his family, and so doth mine. Send my service, I pray, Mr. Dean, to Mr. Hopkins, till I can do it to his consent, and give the same to Mr. Charlett, when his boots and spurs are off. So I rest,

Your most humble and most affectionate and obliged servant,

NIGELLUS, JUN.

He lived in the 15th century, and wrote very freely on the abuses of the Church, and the vices of ecclesiastics, under the names of Vetus Vigellus and Brunellus. Both Bale and Pits speak in the highest terms of his learning and piety. The latter describes him as-"Vir pietate et doctrina clarus, variæ lectionis, boni judicii, theologus insignis, philosophus non vulgaris, rhetor facundus, poeta elegantissimus.”—To which he adds, Atque ita virtutis et eruditionis intuitu non solum suo monasterio, sed etiam toti patriæ decus fuit et De Illustribus Anglia Scriptoribus,

ornamentum."

LETTER XXV.

Mr. PARSONS to Dr. CHARLETT.

Mr. Creech.

G. 27 May, [16]90.

DEAR SIR,

I AM much indebted to you for the continuance of your civilities; and my obligations had much more increased, had you been so kind as to have accompanied our good friend Mr. Creech in his journey to Gloucester, who is exceeding welcome to me, and your reception should not have been less; where we might have enjoyed the happiness of an innocent and free conversation; where we might have philosophized upon all the unaccountable occurrences, and settled our own thoughts, as well as the nation, without any check or controul. But this blessing is in part denied us by your absence, and therefore I will keep Mr. Creech so much the longer, though he maketh excursions to see an old mistress or the like, whose covetousness was more than her love, or else she had never married a spark that hath more acres than grains of sense; and were the brute capable of being rhymed to death, Mr. Creech should do it genteely, and take the widow with her jointure; but 'tis so insensible a thing, that all the invectives and satires will make no more impression upon his thick

skull than a cannon bullet will against Shotover hill. When our friend returns, he shall come loaded with my thanks and services to you for all your favours

I am, with all sincerity,

Your affectionate friend and humble servant,

RICH. PARSONS.

LETTER XXVI.

Dr. HICKES to Dr. CHARLETT,

Congratulating him on his appointment fo the Mastership of University College.

SIR,

July 13, 1692.

YESTERDAY I received a letter from Mr. Gibson, who wrote on purpose to me to acquaint me with the good news of the honourable election which the fellows of University college made of you into the Master's place. I believe you are the first, that in the memory of man hath been chosen by the fellows of another house to be their governor in our University, and I heartily wish you joy of it, and that it may be but the auspicious beginning of greater honours, and promotions to you; though for the sake of the University, which needs public and active spirits, I could almost wish you might live and

die there. I shall now come thither, when I come, with greater pleasure, and in the mean time think it long till I can see you in your lodgings, and there renew my congratulations to you. I thank you for the Legg. Wisigoth. &c. and will ever be

Your most faithful and humble servant,

G. H.

LETTER XXVII.

Extract of a Letter to Mr. JOSHUA BARNES.

On the Word "Clericus."

* I ADMIRE you should take Clerk for a law term, which is nothing but Clericus (which, indeed, is the word you should have used in Latin) made English of Clerus [λйpos] an old ecclesiastical name used by the Fathers for the College of Ordered Men. St. Augustin paticularly tells his opinion of the reason for it: Clericos hinc appellatos puto qui sunt in Ecclesiastici Ministerii gradibus ordinati, quia Matthias sorte electus est, quem primum per apostolos legimus ordinatum. [In Ps. 67] Though I confess, I fancy another original of this use of the word, viz. when the notions of the Christian Clergy's sanctity and strict consecration to God began to run high, and be very much conformed to those

of the Jewish priesthood, and they looked upon themselves not only as professors and teachers of Christianity, but as God's particular lot and inheritance, then it is my conjecture, they took up this appellation out of the Septuagint, where they found the same Israelites, that in one place are called a kingdom of Priests, in another styled daos ou nai nλupos 08 [8]. But it is but a trifle, and whatever gave the first occasion for the use of the word, it is certainly ancient, and sprung from Ecclesiastics, not Lawyers.

That imputation, if you consider, does more properly belong to your Generosus. For this use of that word, for a Gentleman, cannot be classical, but seems to be Law-Latin, or something as barbarous. I have, indeed, met with such epithets as these for distinction of degrees, Illustris, Spectabilis, Clarissimus, Perfectissimus, Egregius, &c. but it was about Constantine's time, in the depth of the Roman monarchy, when Latin was extremely depraved, when too they were invented by modellers of the government, and a sort of lawyers; and for generosus, I have not even yet found it thus used. But I never examined these matters; I only tell you my present thoughts.

W. WN.

Chart. Lond. Nov. 15, 1692.