Davenant's works, in King James's reign, were high Calvinism, and left that society Calvinists: Mr. John Smith's lectures, a few years after, brought it back to free-will*. In the time of Dr. Plumptre, the late master, it inclined, with their tutors, to Arianism and Socinianism; and Queen's men were then foremost among the petitioning clergy, who met at Archbishop Tennison's library, for ameliorating the subscription to articles. Now, I understand, it has returned to the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and of the co-equality of the Son and Holy Ghost with God the Father; the doctrines taught by Luther, with some of the other first Reformers, and by the modern Calvinists.'

The anomaly, which King's College forms in the University, is treated by Mr. Dyer with all the tenderness that is characteristic of him in these volumes. Were he one of the most dutiful sons of Alma Mater, could he boast of her highest honours, or did he bask in her richest favours, he could not touch on abuses and defects with more gentleness and caution, or appear more anxious not to give offence.-Of that unrivalled specimen of Gothic elegance and magnificence, the chapel of this college, which intitles a Cambridge man to speak of the humble public buildings of his University when the magnificent structures of Oxford are the subject of conversation, Mr. Dyer says;

It is impossible for any one to approach this building without reverence. The architectural skill of the 15th and 16th centuries is here displayed in its utmost perfection. It appears, from the will of its founder, Henry VI., that it is not built exactly according to his original plan; but the work was continued, though too parsimoniously, by Edward IV. and Richard III.: the chapel, its roof, exterior decorations, turrets, and pinnacles, together with its interior oratories, and the glazing of the windows, were completed by Henry VI. but the finishing hand was given to it by Henry VIII. As it now appears, it would not be sufficient to say, that as an architectural work, it is the pride of Cambridge, and surpasses in magnificence any edifice at Oxford; it is allowed to be superior to every Gothic building in Europe. Without, the prodigious stones of which it consists, the vast buttresses by which it is supported, the loftiness and extent of the building, the fine proportions of the towers and pinnacles; and within, the grand extended view, the admirable arched roof, without the support of any pillars, displaying all the richness of its fine fanwork, and the matchless paintings on its windows, all combine to impress the beholder with emotions, which can be better felt than expressed.'

Christ's College has the honour of having had for its foundress the Lady Margaret, Countess of Derby and Richmond, in 1505; while it boasts of a liberal share of distinguished mem

The famous Arminian, John Goodwin, was also of Queen's."

bers.

bers. Among them, occur two instances of ecclesiastics who refused preferment, the ingenious Dr. Henry Moore and the admired Joseph Mede; as well as the late Archdeacon Paley, one of our greatest masters of reasoning. For its chief glory, however, it relies on having been the college of Miltop; and no visitor of this renowned seat of learning will quit it without taking a turn in the garden, and feasting his eyes on the decayed mulberry-tree which the poet is said to have planted with his own hands.

In the author's account of each subsequent college, (Saint John's, Magdalen, Trinity, Emmanuel, Gonville and Caius, Sidney Sussex, and Downing,) more or less curious matter occurs, to which our limits will permit us but imperfectly to ádvert.

Although in the present work Mr. Dyer is too complaisant to inveterate abuses and glaring defects, yet, by adverting to the places on which he most fondly dwells, and the persons whom he most panegyrizes, we shall be at no loss to discern the direction of his own partialities. Accordingly, we perceive that his account of Trinity-College is penned with peculiar animation; while it is obvious that, in the sketches which he draws of Dr. ' Raine, who was of this college, and of another incomparable person who belonged to the same society, the late Mr. Jones, as well as in his memoir of Mr. Wakefield, he is describing congenial minds. Mr. D. thus introduces this great college to our notice:

The vastness of the subject may be conceived on considering the many houses, out of which this college was originally composed, the extent of the present establishment, the names of the many great men by whom it has been adorned, and the most striking, and, in this country, unparalleled magnificence of its buildings.'

Its founders and benefactors have been kings and queens; and whatever else is deemed great in this country; and among its eminent characters is seen a series of the first men in literature, the fathers of science, who have enlightened not only this University, but all Eu rope; and further, if it possesses many things only in common with other colleges, it can boast many excellences peculiar to itself.'

Alluding to advantages which are peculiar to this foundation, he observes;

• Such are the nature of the fellowships, all being open to competition, unconfined to any county or school. The prizes, too, are numerous, and the examinations strict; circumstances, these, all highly auspicious and favourable to literary improvement. Add to this some motives that predispose to the study of Greek literature, and still more of Hebrew. We accordingly find, that from the time of Joshua Barnes, 1712, to the present time, all the Greek professors, except one, have been of this college, and all the Hebrew from about

the same period. To say nothing of that great constellation of mathematicians, the first in Europe, that shone forth at the same time, holding out a glorious light, and naturally enkindling in students a spirit of laudable emulation, and irresistible ambition.

After due respect to the great Porson, and an affectionate mention of the late Dr. Raine, Mr. Jones is thus introduced :

• Thomas Jones, Fellow, commenced A.M. 1739: he was not a less distinguished mathematical tutor in this college, than Dr. Raine was a classical, in the Charter-House school.

Being generally allowed to be one of the most eminent tutors in the University, of his time, I am constrained to follow the same rule in regard to Mr. Jones, that I have towards Dr. Raine, for he also has erected no monument to his fame: the only piece printed of his being a "Sermon on Duelling." He was a man of strict principle, and devoted himself to the conscientious and laborious office of a college tutor. He never held any church preferment: but of one, who so sedulously, conscientiously, and affectionately devoted himself to the improvement of his pupils in the higher sciences, the memory cannot be soon forgotten in the college.

Fine as the bust is, erected to his memory, on the north side of the chapel, it is not reckoned a good likeness: but every one who recollects the features of Mr. Jones, (agos ados autoQUES Cλas,) may contemplate one in this chapel very near, Mr. Jones's countenance being universally allowed to bear a strong resemblance to that of Sir Isaac Newton."

For the memory of Dr. Raine, the friends of piety, of liberal sentiments, of solid learning, and of high moral worth, must feel profound veneration: but we think that the turn of the author's compliment does not come up to the ideas which the friends of the late tutor of Trinity entertain of his transcendant merit. Mr. Dyer's statement that Mr. Jones's countenance bore a strong resemblance to the statues and portraits of Sir Isaac Newton is universally allowed; and we know that we do not exceed the feelings of Mr. Jones's friends, when we say that, of all the persons who have ever been educated at this celebrated seminary, no man can be named who was more estimable or more universally esteemed than he was. When Mr. Dyer observes that Mr. Jones never held any church-preferment, he might have added that, a few years before his death, he declined a very desirable and valuable living, which came to his turn as Fellow. Allied in genius and attainments to Newton and Clarke, he was supposed like them to have a taint of heresy; and, though it is understood that he never unbosomed himself on this subject to any person, his refusal of preferment, the line of his connections, and the general tenor of his conduct, strongly corroborate the suspicion,

In the notice of Professor Porson, Mr. Dyer has omitted two incidents of which Mr. P. himself never spoke but with great emotion; namely, his being passed over at the first vacancy of the Greek professorship, and the failure of his attempt to be elected lay-fellow of his college. He was accustomed to describe with much feeling the forlorn situation in which he was left, at the expiration of his original fellowship.

When it is considered that, in the list of those who have been members of this society are to be found the names of Bacon and Newton, we shall not be expected to add any others: but we request to be allowed to make one exception, in favour of Dr. Conyers Middleton, who was of this college, in order to mention some remarks on two celebrated performances of his pen, which Mr. Dyer's industry has collected, and which appear to us well to deserve the notice of our readers. In his life of Cicero, it is here said, this great writer translated the orator's letters but indifferently; and it is added that, in the same work, he borrowed largely from Bellendenus, without making any acknowlegement; while, in his equally celebrated Letter from Rome, he is strongly suspected of having been under similar obligations to Mr. Delaune, a learned nonconformist divine, who published a work intitled Eixov Onpie. The life of Cicero is charged by Wolfius with three capital faults, namely, exaggerating the character of the Roman orator, laying too great stress on his political and too little on his literary character, and exceeding the bounds of historical truth.

In closing our remarks on the publication of Mr.Dyer, we must repeat our wish that he had dwelt more on the state of literature in early times, and had made a fuller developement of it in more recent years; and we must add the farther wish that he had not encumbered his latter volume with accounts of obscure theologians, and with catalogues of their forgotten works. In order to be intitled to mention in a performance of this kind, it is not sufficient that a person should be a divine, and should have displayed laudable integrity, but he ought also to have deserved well of science or of letters. We would not be understood to exclude from the circle of worthies, who are to be embalmed in these pages, leaders or celebrated advocates of sects, or such as have given signal proofs of their attachment to principle; indeed, the frame of this work would, we think, have been thus made more perfect, while the volumes would have been rendered more equal in size. If against the substance of the publication, however, we have only light faults to allege, this is far from being the case with the manner of it; for seldom has a book passed through our hands which owed so

much

much to real merit and so little to finishing. The author does not seem to be in any degree aware of what is due to the dignity of his subject, nor of the decorum which the rules of history prescribe; and the liberties which he takes would be insufferable in a tract of a transitory and miscellaneous nature. Under the most trivial pretences, he incessantly obtrudes himself on his readers, mixes his garrulities with the most grave relations, and makes by far a greater figure in them than the most distinguished sons of Alma Mater. Notwithstanding these faults, the volumes abound in curious, instructive, and interesting matter; and the pains which the author must have taken in collecting it, as well as the judgment which he has shewn in its selection, cannot be too highly commended. His style also is simple and unaffected, but too often descends to the low and familiar; and, while the merits which the performance discloses could only be given to it by a well furnished mind, which deems no pains too great to attain its object, its faults are very much those of carelessness and inadvertence. We sincerely wish that the laborious and well informed author would sit down and earnestly endeavour to remove these objections thus rendering the volumes fair monuments of his own fame, and worthy of the subject which they treat. Still we must add that, while he renders ample justice to the excellence of every kind which distinguishes this noble seminary, we regret that he has been so sparing of censure on the crying vices and defects with which it is chargeable in the opinion of all liberal men. It might surely have been compatible with his undertaking to have observed freely on the present state of our national education; and his remarks, we are convinced, would have been as generally beneficial, as they would have been agreeable to those who desire to see this great University conducted in a manner that befits our enlightened age, the character which the country bears for wisdom, and the pre-eminent rank which she holds among civilized states.

We understand that Mr. Dyer proposes to make some additions and corrections to this history in another work which he is preparing, and which may be considered as forming a supple ment to it.

REV. FEB. 1815.

Z

ART.