The Philobiblion. was, Let these Lines, taking Truth, Delineate." 275 unto; Particularly Perkins, Ames, Prefton, Sixty Eighth year of his own Age; And Hilderham, Dod, and others, which had on the Day, yea, at the Hour, of his coneen peculiarly Dear unto himself beides ftant Weekly Labours in the Lecture. Relt, in that General Affembly. While wherein, he had been fo long Serviceble, thus Lay Sick, the Maggirates, the Min- even to all the Churches of New-England of the Country, and Chriftians of all Upon Tuelday the Twenty eighth of De Reforted unto him, as unto a Publick cember, he was most Honourably Interred, full of fad Apprehenfions, at the with a moft, Numerous Concourfe of Peow of fuch a Publich Bleffing, and ple, and the moft Grievous and Solemn Hous Words, that Proceeded out Funeral, that was ever known perhaps th, while he had Strength to ut- upon the American Strand; and the Lee itable Conceptions of his Mind, tures in his Church, the whole Winter fol to Reckon thefe their Vifits, lowing, performed by the Neighbouring that ever they had made. Minifters, were but fo many Funeral Ser , the then Prefident of the mons, upon the Death and Worth of this many Tears, defired of Mr. Extraordinary Perfon: Among which the is Departure, to below his Firft, I think, was Preached by Mr. Rich faying, I know in my ard Mather, who gave unto the bereaved you Blefs, fhall be Blef Church at Bojton, this great Character of ng before his Death, he their Incomparable COTTON, Let of the Church, whereof, Pray, that God would Raife up fome Ele an Elder; who, hav- azer to fucceed this Aaron; But you can Apoftolical Direction, hardly Expect, that fo large a Part of Exhorted them to the Spirit of God should dwell in any one, ich they were Over as dwelt in this Bleed man! And gen eir Watch against erally in the other Churches through the he faw the Pro- Country, the Expiration of this General grinto: Adding, Bleffing to them all, did produce Funeral Face been more Sermons full of Honour and Sorrow; even unto the Lord as many Miles above an Hundred, as New -found Him a haven was diftant from the Malachufet Collegue, Mr. Bay, when the Things of Mr. Cotton's 6 the Light with many Tean bewailed it, in a Publick him, with a Deceafe arrived there, Mr. Davenport, he inft Difcourfe on that in a Sam. 1, 26. I am Treature of Learning was laid is own Decays; his Bed, Lay fhew their Head) vithout Divifion, t make no Incifion; k Notions di Ministers Devotions; ular in That) He Admired not: a Mortal Birth, en while he was on Earth: 5, Radiant with Light celld the Beholders Sight, autifi'd, you'ld Count orn, and Bred upon the Mount: ng Bible; Tables where s, at Large, engraven were; in's Heart, had Each it's Columne; Index to the Sacred Volumn; e a Title-Page; and next, Commentary on the Text. fonument of Glorious Worth, ia New Edition, he comes forth, rrata's, may we think he'l be ves and Covers of Eternity! f Might, at Heavenly Eloquence, x the Ear, and Charm the Confcience; pollos were Reviv'd in Him, e had Learned of a Seraphim; Many Tongues in One; One Voice and Senfe rought, Joy and Sorrow, Fear and Confidence; $ Rent before him, Blind Receiv'd their Sight; ouls Levell'd to the Dunghill, ftood Upright; his Grammar, he had a very fingular skill in thofe Three Languages the knowledge whereof was by the Infcription on the Crofs of our Saviour, propofed unto the perpetual ufe of his Church. The Hebrew he understood fo exactly, and fo readily that he was able to Difcourfe in it. In the Greek, he was a Critick, so Accurate, and fo Well Verfed, that he needed not like Austin, to have studied it in his reduced Age. Thus, if many of the Ancients committed Grofs mistakes in their Interpretations of the Scriptures, through their want of skill in the Originals, Mr. Cotton, was better qualified for an Interpreter. He both Wrote and Spoke Latin also with great facility, and with a moft Ciceronian Elegancy, Exemplified in one Published Compofure. Next, for his Logic he was compleatly furnished therewith to Encounter the Subtileft Adversary of the Truth. But although he had been Educated in the Peripatetick way, yet like the other Puritans of those times, he rather affected the Ramaan Discipline; and chofe to follow the methods of that Excellent Ramus, who like Juftin of old, was not only a Philofopher, but a Chriftian, and a Martyr also, rather than the more Empty, Trifling, Altercative Notions, to which the Works of the Pagan Ariftotle derived unto us, through the Mangling Hands of the Apoftate Porphyrie, have Difpofed his Difciples. Laftly, for his Theologie, there 'twas that he had his Greatest Extraordina riness, and most of all, his Textual Divinity. His Abilities to Expound the Scriptures, caufed him to be Admired by the Ableft of his Hearers. Although his Incomparable Modefty would not permit him to fpeak any more than the Leaft of Himself, yet unto a private Friend he hath said, That he knew not of any Difficult Place in all the whole Bible, which he had not weighed somewhat unto Satisfaction. And hence, though he Ordinarily bestowed much pains upon his Publick Sermons, yet he hath fometimes Preached moft Admirably, without any Warning at all; and a New Note upon a Text before him, occurring to his mind, but just as he was going into the Affembly, has taken up his Difcourfe for that Hour, fo Pertinently and Judiciously, that the moft Critical of his Auditors, imagined nothing Extemporaneous. Indeed, his Library was vaft, and vaft was his Acquaintance with it; but although amongst his Readings, he had given a Special Room unto the Fathers, and unto the School-men, yet, at laft, he preferr'd one Calvin among them all. If Erafmus, when offered a Bishoprick to write against Luther, could answer, There was more Divinity in a Page of Luther, than in all Thomas Aquinas. "Tis no wonder that Salmafius could fo Venerate Calvin, as to fay, That he had rather be the Author of that One Book, THE INSTITUTIONS written by Calvin, than have written all that was ever done by Grotius. Even fuch a Calvinift was our COTTON! Said he, I have read the Fathers and the Schoolmen, and Calvin too; but I find, that he that has Calvin, has 'em all. And being asked why in his Latter Dayes, he Indulged Nocturnal Studies, more than formerly, he pleasantly Replied, Because I Love to Sweeten my mouth with a piece of CALVIN, before I go to sleep... "He was even from his Youth to his Age, an Indefatigable Student, under the Confcience of the Apoftolical Precept.. Be not Sloathful in Business'; but Fervent in Spirit Serving the Lord. He was careful to Redeem his Hours, as well as Dayes; and might lay claim to that Character of the Bleffed Martyr, Sparing of Sleep, more Sparing of Words, but moft Sparing of Time. If any came to vifit him, he would be very Civil to 'em, having learn'd it as his Duty, To ufe Gentleness towards all Men: and yet he would ofn fay with some Regret, after the Departure of a Vifitant, I had rather have given this Man an Handfull of Money, than have been kept thus long out of my Study Reckoning with Pliny, The Time not fpent in Study for the moft part, Steel'd away. For which caufe, he went not much Abroad; but he judged Ordinarily that more Benefit was obtain'd, according to the Advice of the Wife King, by converfing with the Dead in Bocks than with the Living in Talks, and that Needlefs Vifits do commonly Unframe our Spirits, and perhaps difturb our Comforts. He was an early Rifer, taking the Morning for the Muses; and in his Latter Dayes forbearing à Supper, he turn'd his former Suppingtime, into a Reading, a Thinking, a Praying-Time. Twelve-Hours in a Day he commonly Studied, and would call that, A Scholars-Day, refolving to wear out rather with Ufing, than with Rufting. "He was One fo Clothed with Humility, that according to the Emphasis of the Apoftolical Direction, by this Livery his Relation as a Difciple to the Lowly Jefus was notably discovered, and hence he was Patient and Peaceable, even to a Proverb. One would have thought the Ingenuity of fuch a Spirit should have broke the Hearts of Men, that had indeed, the Hearts of Men in them, yea, that the hardest Flints would have been broken, as is ufual, upon fuch a Soft Bag of Cotton! But alas! he found it otherwife, even among Some who pretended unto High Attainments in Chrif tianity. Once particularly, an Humourous and Imperious Brother, following Mr. Cotton home to his Houfe, after his Publick Labours, instead of the Grateful Respects with which those Holy Labours, were to have been encouraged, Rudely told him, that his Miniftry was become Generally, either Dark or Flat; whereto this Meek man, very mildely and gravely, made only this Answer, Both, Brother, it may be, both. Let me have your Prayers that it may be otherwife! But it is Remarkable, that the Man Sick thus of Wanton Singularities, afterwards Dyed of thofe Damnable Herefies, for which he was defervedly Excommunicated.. Another time, when Mr. Cotton had modeftly Replyed unto one that would much Talk and Crack of his Infight into the Revelations; Brother, I must confefs my felf to want Light in thofe Myfteries; the man went home, and fent him A Pound of Candles: upon which Action, this Good Man bestowed only a Silent Smile; he would not set the Becon of his Great Soul on Fire at the Landing of fuch a Little Cock-boat. "He alfo Read constantly a Portion of the Scripture alone, and he Prayed over what he Read, Pray'd I fay, for he was very much in Prayer, a very Man of Prayer: he would rarely fit down to Study; without a Prayer over it. It was the Advice of the Ancient, Si vis effe Semper cum Deo, Semper Ora, Semper Lege; and agreeably hereunto, Mr. Cotton might fay with David, Lord, I am ftill with Thee! The Sabbath he began the Evening before; for which keeping of the Sabbath from Evening to Evening, he wrote Arguments before his coming to New-England; and I Suppofe, 'twas from his Reafon and Practice, that the Chriftians of New-England have Generally done fo, too. "The Reader, that is Inquifitive after the Profopography of this Great Man, may be Informed, That he was of a Clear, Fair, Sanguine Complexion, and like David of a Ruddy Countenance. He was rather Low than Tall, and rather Fat than Lean, but of a Becoming Mediocrity. In his Younger years, his Hair was Brown, but in his Latter years, as White, as the Driven Snow. In his Countenance there was an Inexpreffible fort of Majefty, which Commanded Reverence from all that approached him. This Cotton was indeed, the Cato of his Age, for his Gravity, but had a Glory with it which Cato had not. But the Exacter Picture of him, is to be taken from his Printed Works, whereof there are many, that Praise him in the Gates; though few of them were Printed with his own Knowledge or Confent. The Children of New-England are to this Day moft ufually Fed with his Excellent Catechifm, which is Intituled, Milk for Babes. Majesty, Meekness; Chriftian Apathy And Civils Canonized in a Gown; " His Brethrens Honour on his own Decays; (Thus doth the Sun Retire into his Bed, That being Gone the Stars may fhew their Head) Could Wound at Argument without Divifion, Cut to the Quick, and yet make no Incifion; Ready to Sacrifice Domestick Notions To Churches Peace, and Minifters Devotions; Himself, indeed (and Singular in That) Whom All Admired He Admired not: Liv'd Like an Angel of a Mortal Birth, Converf'd in Heaven while he was on Earth: Though not, as Mofes, Radiant with Light Whole Glory Dazelld the Beholders Sight, Yet so Divinely Beautifi'd, you'ld Count He had been Born, and Bred upon the Mount: A Living Breathing Bible; Tables where Both Covenants, at Large, engraven were; His Life a Commentary on the Text. Or he had Learned of a Seraphim; Infernal Furies, Burft with Rage to fee Who, in a Thousand Sepulchres, doth lay Though Mofes be, yet Joshua is not Dead; rather alteration, for the poem was in no Afenfe fuppreffed. In this poem," fays Mr. Peacock, he had carried the expreffion of his opinions, moral, political, and theologi cal, beyond the bounds of discretion. The terror which, in thofe days of perfecution of the prefs, the perufal of the book infpired in Mr. Ollier, the publisher, induced him to folicit the alteration of many paffages. which he had marked. Shelley was for fome time inflexible; but Mr. Ollier's refufal to publifh the poem as it was, backed by the advice of all his friends, induced him to fubmit to the required changes. Many leaves were cancelled, and it was finally published as The Revolt of flam. Of Laon and Cythna only three copies had gone forth. One of these found its way to the Quarterly Review, and the opportunity was readily feized of pouring out in it one of the moft malignant effufions of the odium theologicum that ever appeared even in thofe days, and in that periodical." O Happy Ifrael in AMERICA, Shelley's "Laon and Cythna," In the laft volume of Notes and Queries (Third Series, vol. i. p. 283), there is an Mr. Mac Carthy comments upon this article on SHELLEY's Revolt of Ilam, write paragraph, efpecially in reference to the ten by D. F. Mac Carthy, whom I take to "three copies" mentioned in it, tracing the be Dennis Florence Mac Carthy, a young two not accounted for one to the poffeffIrish poet, of confiderable local reputation, ion of Thomas Moore, the poet, and one, who has recently tranflated fome of the dra- to Shelley's father-in-law, William Godmas of Calderon. I faid Mr. Mac Carthy's win. He proves that more than three coparticle was about The Revolt of Ilam, but ies were made up, from the fact that copies I ought in ftrict truth to have faid it was which can not be thefe, occafionally steal about Laon and Cythna, which, the read- into the market, he himself having two. ers of Shelley may remember, was the name The impreffion conveyed by what he and firft bestowed by him upon the poem, and Mr. Peacock write is, that the poem was under which he intended to have published not published, i. e. as Laon and Cythna: it. Laon and Cythna, his biographers tell Shelley, however, had a different opinion, us, was fuppreffed, and The Revolt of Islam as may be feen by a long letter from him to brought out in its ftead. This is all they Ollier, in the "Shelley Memorials” (Amerifeem to know about the matter. can edition, pp. 91-94). “You do your In the courfe of his article Mr. Mac Car- beft," he wrote, 66 to condemn my book bethy quotes a paragraph from one of Mr. fore it is given forth, because you publish T. L. Peacock's Shelley Papers in Frafer's it, and then withdraw; fo that no other Magazine (January, 1860), in which the bookfeller will publish it, because one has latter fpeaks of the poem, and the circum- already rejected it."-" But now it is firft stances which attended its fuppreffion, or published," he adds a little farther on, "and then the publisher, as if the author had deceived him as to the contents of the workand as if the inevitable confequence of its publication would be ignominy as if none Thould dare to touch it or look at it retracts, at a period when nothing but the most extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances can juftify his retraction." The question The queftion naturally occurs here, "When did Mr. Ol- A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. lier firft object to Laon and Cythna?" That he had read it in MS., before it was printed, or in proof, when it was being " set up," is extremely probable, from what Shelley wrote in the letter just alluded to: "The inftances of abuse and menace, which you cite, were fuch as you expected, and were, as I conceived, prepared for. If not, it would have been just to me to have given them their due weight and confideration before, You farefaw, you foreknew, all that these people would fay." 61 IN THE STANZA OF SPENSER. PRINTED FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, 1818.. But it is not of this part of the fubject, which is involved in confiderable mystery, that I intended to write; but rather of the paffages which were confidered objection- By B, M'Millan, Bow-Street, Covent-Garden. able in Laon and Cythna, and which were changed before the poem was brought out as The Revolt of flam. They are many The most important of the changes, to and curious fo curious, indeed, in a mor- which I have referred, relate to the hero al point of view, that I cannot understand and heroine, who were not merely lovers, how they could have been paffed over in as in The Revolt of Islam, but brother and filence, as they are by Mr. Mac Carthy (Ififter! The remainder are chiefly fubfti doubt whether Mr. Peacock ever Taw the volume), who merely indicates the ftanzas in which they occur. Having in my poffeffion a copy of Laon and d Cythna, I have collated it with The Revolt of Islam, with what refult you will fee. For the volume itself: it is an octavo, of 302 pages, 270 of which are taken up with the poem, and 32 with the Preface and the Proem, "To Mary" (Mrs. Shelley). It is printed on rather dingy paper, and is bound in boards; the the price was ios. 6d. The title page is as follows: tutions for the name of the Deity, fuch as are generally obferved on the ftage, where "Heaven" is the fynonym for "God." The first lines in the extracts are from The Revolt of Ilam; the italicized lines are from Laon and Cythna: |