dispensatio derogatio, vel abrogatio legis; what promulgation is antecedently required to the obligation of any positive law; what ignorance takes off the obligation of a law, or does excuse, diminish, or aggravate the transgression: for every case of conscience being only this-Is this lawful for me, or is it not? and the law the only rule and measure by which I must judge of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of any action; it evidently follows that he, who, in these, knows not the nature and obligation of laws, never can be a good casuist, or rationally assure himself, or others, of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of actions in particular.' : "This was the judgment and good counsel of that learned and pious prelate and having, by long experience, found the truth and benefit of it, I conceive I could not, without ingratitude to him, and want of charity to others, conceal it.— Pray pardon this rude, and, I fear, impertinent scribble, which, if nothing else, may signify thus much, that I am willing to obey your desires, and am, indeed, 66. "Your affectionate friend, London, May 10, 1678. Among the literary characters of the sixteenth century, none appears with more transcendent lustre than that of Sir Henry Savile, a munificent patron of merit, and a complete gentleman. He seems to have traversed the whole range of science, being equally celebrated for his knowledge of ancient and modern learning. That the life of this illustrious scholar, which would be a valuable acquisition to the Republic of Letters, was actually compiled by Walton, we have every reason to conclude. Dr. King, bishop of Chichester, in his letter to him, dated Nov. 17, 1664, tells him, that he has done much for Sir Henry Savile, the contemporary and friend of Mr. Richard Hooker." It is seriously to be regretted, that the most diligent inquiry after this work has hitherto proved unsuccessful.2 2 The following particulars, relative to Sir Henry Savile, are collected from Aubrey's Lives of Mathematical Writers. He was one of the most learned gentlemen of his time. Hobbes informed Aubrey, that Sir Henry Savile was ambitious of being thought as great a scholar as Joseph Scaliger. But if in the attainments of classic literature he was inferior to Scaliger, in mathematical knowledge Dr. Wallis declared him to be exceeded by none of his contemporaries. He was a very handsome and beautiful man: no lady had a fairer complexion, Queen Elizabeth, to whom he explained Greek authors and politics, favoured him much. He was preferred by her, to be Master of Eton College, of which he was so severe a governor, that the scholars hated him for his austerity. To men of wit he gave no encouragement. When a young scholar was named to him as a good wit, he would reject him, and choose the plodding student. John Earle, afterwards Bishop of Sarum, being recommended to him, on that account, was the only one of that character, to whom he extended his Among those whom Sir Henry Savile honoured with his friendship, was John Hales, of Eton. Anthony Farringdon, an eminent preacher, and a man of extensive learning and exemplary piety, patronage. He treated the Fellows of Eton College with asperity; and his influence with the Queen rendered all opposition vain. When the celebrated Gunter came from London to be appointed his Professor in Geometry, he brought with him his sector and quadrant, with which he began to resolve triangles, and to perform several operations. This disgusted the grave knight, who considered the operations as so many tricks below the dignity of a mathematician, and he immediately conferred the professorship on another candidate, Briggs, from Cambridge. Aubrey learned from Dr. Wallis, that Sir Henry Savile had sufficiently confuted Joseph Scaliger's tract, De Quadraturà Circuli, in his notes on the very margin of the book: and that, sometimes, when Scaliger says A B C D ex Constructione,' Sir Henry adds with his pen, ' et demonstratio vestra est asinus ex constructione.' In his travels he had contracted a general acquaintance with learned men abroad; by which means he had access to several Greek MSS. in their libraries, and thus obtained correct copies by his amanuensis, who transcribed the Greek characters with admirable skill. Fronto Ducæus, a French Jesuit of Bourdeaux, clandestinely engaged a person to supply him, every week, with the sheets of Sir Henry Savile's Greek edition of the Works of Chrysostom, printed at Eton, of which he composed a Latin translation, and published them in Greek and Latin; thus superseding the sale of the English impression. Sir Henry Savile died Feb. 19, 1621, having been Provost of Eton College twenty-five years. had collected materials with a view to write the life of this incomparable person. On his demise, his papers were consigned to Walton's care by William Fulman, of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, who had proposed to finish the work, and on that occasion had applied for the assistance of our biographer. The result of this application is not known. Fulman's Collection of Manuscripts, written with his own hand, was deposited in the archives of the library of his College, and Wood laments that he was refused access to them. Angling had been long a favourite diversion in England. Alexander Nowell, Dean of St. Paul's, was a lover of, and most experienced proficient in this delightful art. It was his custom, besides his fixed hours of private and public prayer, to spend a tenth part of his time in this amusement, and also to bestow a tenth part of his revenue, and usually all his fish among the poor, saying, that "charity gave life to religion." An elegant Latin poem, written by Dr. Simon Ford, was 3 The Life of this revered divine has been. elegantly written by Dean Churton, and printed at Oxford in 1809, in 8vo. The beautiful engravings with which it is embellished, have rendered it a scarce book: the large paper copies are excessively rare. 4 Entitled "Piscatio; ad Gilb, Archiepisc. Cant." printed in the Musa Anglicana, 1692, 8vo., vol. i., p. 129. It was translated by Tipping Sylvester, M.A., and printed at Oxford, |