lege, Oxford, who being a warm partizan and violent writer in favour of the royalists, was imprisoned, and underwent great difficulties during the usurpation.

Having been eminently serviceable as a contriver and decypherer of secret confidential let ters to Queen Henrietta, after the restoration of King Charles the Second he was presented by Dr. Juxon, Archbishop of Canterbury, to the vicarage of St. James, in Dover, and the neighbouring rectory of Houghham; but finding the income of both not adequate to his support, for, united, they scarcely produced him fourscore pounds a year, he became melancholy and dejected with so poor a return for his past services, but afterwards recovered his health and spirits, on being further rewarded with preferment at Stamford, in Lincolnshire.

Swadlin was a ready writer; and while his associates were opposing the parliamentary forces with sword and gun, he directed against them his artillery from the press, as a diurnal

writer.

He also engaged warmly in the popish controversy, and was thought to have completely overset the reasoning and arguments of Cardinal Bellamire; his other writings were either political or on practical divinity. He was,

as may be naturally expected, a zealous supporter of the rites of the Church of England, and wrote in a manner somewhat eccentric on the marriage ceremony. To his volume of Anniversary Sermons, the texts of many of which are whimsically selected, the following Dedication is prefixed;

"To the King's Most Excellent Majesty, Charles the Second. "Great Sir,

"That Your Majesty may vouchsafe to give these Anniversaries a gracious reception; that you may be blest with a long life, a quiet reign, faithful counsellors, a pious clergy, valiant soldiers, and a loyal people; that you may be preserved from presbyterians and independents, is the petition of Your Majesty's faithful subject,

"THOMAS SWADLIN." He died in 1669, desiring the following words to be placed over his grave:-Hic vixit temporibus quibus Carolum primum Britanniæ regem farino morte trucidarunt rebelles. Of the word farino I do not clearly see the meaning,

the ground now occupied by Somerset House, and afterwards of the Inner Temple.

His learning and diligence recommended him to the notice and patronage of Thomas Cromwell, then a court-favourite, and Principal Secretary of State to King Henry the Eighth; by the interest of his patron, Taverner was appointed one of the clerks of the Signet.

From this place he was dismissed at the accession of Queen Mary, in consequence of his avowed propensities to the doctrines of Luther; and during the greater part of that bloody reign, he lived retired at his seat called Norbiton Hall, in the county of Surry.

When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, Taverner has tened to court, where he was graciously received, and addressed Her Majesty in a long Latin speech, occasionally ornamented with Greek.

It ought to have been previously observed, that, in 1552, the subject of our present article, though a layman, had obtained from King Edward the Sixth a special licence, written and subscribed by the Monarch himself, by which he was authorized to preach in any part of His Majesty's dominions. The cause for granting so uncommon a privilege

being at the same time mentioned, "because of the lamentable scarcity and laxity of ministers in preaching God's unadulterated word," a great number of the clergy still adhering to the errors of the church of Rome; so that many of the royal chaplains were sent to ride circuit, for the purpose of diffusing the necessary information in different parts of the kingdom.

When Taverner preached at court, he appeared with a round black velvet cap on his head, a damask gown, and his neck ornamented with a golden chain.

But I return to the auspicious reign of Queen Elizabeth, who employed him in many confidential offices; he was elected a member of parliament, and is accused by the controversial writers, at that period, of sharing largely in the general plunder and demolition of religious houses in Oxfordshire, of which county he was High Sheriff in 1569.

It was remarked, as a notable singularity, that while he exercised this civil office, he preached at St. Mary's church with a sword by his side, and his customary decoration of a gold chain suspended on his shoulders; the reluctance with which the clergy in general preached against popery, the necessity of enlightening the public mind, and Taverner, be

sides,

sides, possessing a considerable portion of protestant zeal, being, a Master of Arts, were probably considered as sufficient reasons for justifying the novelty of a man thus ascending a pulpit, with the appendages of a layman, and without episcopal ordination.

In his conduct and conversation, Taverner somewhat resembled the modern Methodists; he walked the streets, followed by crowds of old and young, whom as place, opportunity, or inclination served, he would turn round and harangue, "in apt phrase, but with somewhat of a certain quaintness in conceit."

The children he would at times examine and catechize on Christian doctrines and scriptural history, then not generally known, more particularly on points in which the disputed matters between the two churches, and the corruptions of Rome, were involved; to those who answered pertinently, and appeared to have received benefit from his former instructions, he distributed little gifts of money, fruit, wearing apparel, and little books containing extracts from the scriptures, with explanatory com

ments.

excited the vengeance of his enemies, and both printer and author were committed to prison, "from whence he was speedily rescued from the malice of those Romanists, by His Majesty's more especial favour."

The following part of a sermon, preached at St. Mary's, before the University, by Taverner, is peculiar; and if the editor is not very much mistaken, he has heard it repeated, almost word for word, by some modern pupil of Whitfield, Wesley, or Hill:

"I am, at length, after a tedious and perilous journey, arrived at St. Mary's Mount, and have secured a place in the rocky stage where I now stand; but I did not forget to lay in a stock. of comfortable good things for you and myself.

"I have brought you some fine biscuits, baked in the oven of charity; they were carefully preserved for the chickens of the church, the sparrows of the Spirit, and the sweet swallows of salvation."

Such was the language, so unbefitting the place and occasion, of a gentleman of property and family, high in office, and warinly and loudly praised by the learned congregation.

St.

advanced in years, demanded a private audience of the Empress, and informed Her Majesty, in a few words, that she was too gentle in her treatment and mode of behaviour towards her husband; that nothing was so likely to restore him to health as a little matrimonial discipline, duly and regularly administered; in short, that if Her Majesty wished to preserve so valuable life, it must be her business to vex and irritate the Emperor by every means in her power.

The imperial matron replied, that she was very far from being deficient in so essential and indispensible a part of nuptial duty, but, like a good wife, she frankly confessed that, in administering this domestic medicine, she had somewhat relaxed her discipline since her husband's illness, lest it might exasperate his complaint. Of this the privy counsellor assured her there was no danger. Her Majesty followed the advice of this kind neighbour, and dispensed with liberality this remedy, which, from the earliest ages of the world, has been so generally used.

Whether, on all occasions, it has been attended with such manifest and immediate advantage, is not certain; but, in the case before us, the irritation produced by the well-meant efforts of the

Empress,

Empress, brought on a copious perspiration, which, producing a salutary crisis, completely restored the royal patient, and he lived to a good old age.

If the narrative here given may be relied on, and it is told by a contemporary historian, it will help to reconcile us to, and explain an apparently contradictory paradox, which certain reasoners sometimes sport, that a husband may be killed with kindness, and a wife break her heart from want of contradiction.

THINKING ALIKE. In

stances sometimes occur where this coincidence of idea presents itself without a possibility of the author's having read, or heard of the thoughts of his predecessor.

The following resemblance between the lines of a late writer, and the Lady's Looking-glass, written by Matthew Prior, cannot be considered as coming under this description.

I shall first recite the more recent performance, because the lines are confessedly well written, and, in my opinion, would have been faultless, but for their want, their unacknowledged want, of originality.

When clouds that angel face deform,

Anxious I view the rising storm;

When lightnings flash from that dark eye,

And tell the gath'ring tempest nigh;

I curse the sex, and bid adieu To female friendship, love, and you.

But when soft passions rule that breast,

And gentle tones, to me addrest; When cloudless smiles around you play,

'Tis then with me love's holiday; I bless the hour when first I knew

Dear female friendship, love, and you.

The words of Prior. Celia and I, the other day, Walk'd o'er the sand-hills to the