"And yet Johnson has objected to Shakspeare, that his pathos is not always natural and free from affectation. There are, it is true, passages, though, comparatively speaking, very few, where his poetry exceeds the bounds of true dialogue, where a too soaring imagination, a too luxuriant wit, rendered the complete dramatic forgetfulness of himself impossible. With this exception, the censure originates only in a fanciless way of thinking, to which every thing appears unnatural that does not suit its own tame insipidity. Hence, an idea has been formed of simple and natural pathos, which consists in exclamations destitute of imagery, and nowise elevated above every-day life. But energetical passions electrify the whole of the mental powers, and will, consequently, in highly favoured natures, express themselves in an ingenious and figurative manner. It has been often remarked, that indignation gives wit; and, as despair occasionally breaks out into laughter, it may sometimes also give vent to itself in antithetical comparisons.

"Besides, the rights of the poetical form have not been duly weighed. Shakspeare, who was always sure of his object, to move in a sufficiently powerful manner when he wished to do so, has occasionally, by indulging in a freer play, purposely moderated the impressions when too painful, and immediately introduced a musical alleviation of our sympathy. He had not those rude ideas of his art which many moderns seem to have, as if the poet, like the clown in the proverb, must strike twice on the same place. An ancient rhetorician delivered a caution against dwelling too long on the excitation of pity; for nothing, he said, dries so soon as tears; and Shakspeare acted conformably to this ingenious maxim, without knowing it.

"The objection, that Shakspeare wounds our feelings by the open display of the most disgusting moral odiousness, harrows up the mind unmercifully, and tortures even our minds by the exhibition of the most insupportable and hateful spectacles, is one of much greater importance He has never, in fact, varnished over wild and blood-thirsty passions with a pleasing exterior,-never clothed crime and want of principle with a false show of greatness of soul; and in that respect he is every way deserving of praise. Twice he has portrayed downright villains; and the masterly way in which he has contrived to elude impressions of too painful a nature, may be seen in Iago and Richard the Third. The constant reference to a petty and puny race must cripple the boldness of the poet. Fortunately for his art, Shakspeare lived in an age extremely susceptible of noble and tender impressions, but which had still enough of the firmness inherited from a vigorous olden time, not to shrink back with dismay from every strong and violent picture. We have lived to see tragedies of which the catastrophe consists in the swoon of an enamoured princess. If Shakspeare falls occasionally into the opposite extreme, it is a noble error, originating in the fulness of a gigantic strength: and yet this tragical Titan, who storms the heavens, and threatens to tear the world from off its hinges; who, more fruitful than Eschylus, makes our hair stand on end, and congeals our blood with horror, possessed, at the same time, the insinuating loveliness of the sweetest poetry. He plays with love like a child; and his songs are breathed out like melting sighs. He unites in his genius the utmost elevation and the utmost depth; and the most foreign, and even appa rently irreconcileable properties, subsist in him peaceably together. The world of spirits and nature have laid all their treasures at his feet.

In strength a demi-god, in profundity of view a prophet, in all-seeing wisdom a protecting spirit of a higher order, he lowers himself to mortals, as if unconscious of his superiority; and is as open and unassuming as a child."

John Bull.

BORN CIRC. A. D. 1563.-DIED A. D. 1622.

THIS celebrated composer of music was born in Somersetshire, about the year 1563. Hawkins affirms that he was allied to the noble family of Somerset. He was educated under Blytheman, an organist highly celebrated in his day, but of whose compositions none are known to be now extant. In 1591, on the death of Blytheman, Bull was appointed organist and composer to the Queen's chapel; and, in 1592, he was created Doctor of Music by the university of Cambridge. On the foundation of the Gresham professorship of music, Dr Bull was first appointed to that chair, at the request of his royal mistress; but it appears that his scholarship, at least, was inadequate to the duties of this office, and that he required a special dispensation in his favour from the fundamental law of the institution, which directed the lectures to be read in Latin as well as in English. In the year 1601, Dr Bull went abroad for the benefit of his health, and travelled for some time incognito through France and Germany. On this occasion he is said to have astonished certain foreign musicians by his skill and facility in musical composition; and to have received various flattering invitations from foreign princes to fix himself at their courts. On Queen Elizabeth's death, he was appointed first organist to James I.; and, on the 16th of July, 1607, he had the honour to entertain his majesty and Prince Henry, who that day dined with the company at Merchant Tailors' Hall, "with excellent melodie upon a small payre of organs placed there for that purpose onlie." It would appear, from the investigations of Mr Clarke, that it was on this occasion that our national anthem of God save the King'-now ascertained to be the undoubted composition of Bull-was first performed in public, in celebration of the king's happy escape from the machinations of Guy Fawkes and his band of conspirators. In 1613, Dr Bull threw up all his situations in his native country, and went to reside in the Netherlands, where he was admitted into the service of the Archduke. He is supposed to have died abroad, about the year 1622; Wood says that he died at Hamburg, but some of his contemporaries have mentioned Lubeck as the place of his death.—Of Dr Bull's compositions, a long list is given by Ward in his lives of the Gresham professors. The only works of his in print, are lessons for the organ and virginals, in the collection called Parthenia,'-the anthem above-mentioned,--and one entitled 'Deliver me, O God!' in Barnard's collection of church-music. Pepusch placed his lessons in a very high rank, not only for the harmony and contrivance, but for the air and modulation; from some of them we are led to form a high idea of the composer's powers of exe

cution.

'Lectures on the Drama, vol. II.

Dr

.

wua con of Cina ehurch; but although be ecctised to mas byteros frends within the solverity, he fled as a ratate fue a fellowtip in All Bola sulize, and in 1570 was refused the time of A.B. for 22 wild Late Dot been as med It was akit tis period that be formed an acquaintanceship with Richard an : Goonze Carew, two gentlemen of family in Devonshire, whose example inst incited him to antiquarian parents. In 1571, he appears to have removed to London, where be remaised for some time; bat, in 1573, we fod him again at Oxford and final y successful in his applicative for the degree of A.B. In 1575 be was appointed secoci master of Westminster school, through the interest of his friend Dr Goodsas. dean of Westminster. In this situation he gave much satisfaction as a teacher of youth, and enlarged and strengthened his connections in life. His leisure hours he devoted to his favourite study of native antiquities, and to ama ng materials for his great work the Britannia' the scheme of which he had already sketched out in his mind. His dally increasing reputation as an antiquary procured him the friendship and correspondence of many eminent men of letters both at home and abroad. Among the latter were Justus Lipsius of Brussels, Jacobus Dousa of the Hague, and Grater of Antwerp, and Orteilas the geographer, and Brisson of Paris. Among the most accomplished and munincent of his English friends was Sir Philip Sydney, who furnished him with some valuable materials for his projected work, besides making him many considerable presents. In 15×2, he undertook a tour throughout a considerable portion of England for the purpose of collecting materials for the illustrations of its antiquities upon the spot; he likewise purchased several valuable MSS., and made most laborious researches in the various offices of record, At length, after ten years of indefatizable industry, the first edition of the Britannia' was published in 1586, in one volume 8vo. This elaborate work was written in Latin, and dedicated to Lord-treasurer Burleigh. Its title in English was, “Britain, or a chorographical description of the flourishing kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the adjacent islands, from the most remote antiquity." In 1594, a fourth edition of the Britannia, with numerous enlargements, the fruit of fresh researches and personal inquiries, was published in one volume 4to. In 1589, he was presented to a prebend in the cathedral of Salisbury, which he enjoyed during his life

without residence, or entrance into orders, and in 1592, on the death of Dr Grant, succeeded to the head-mastership of Westminster school.

Camden's next performance was a Greek grammar for the use of his scholars, which was very favourably received, and maintained its reputation as a school-book for upwards of a century after his death. The interest of Sir Fulke Greville obtained for him the office of Clarencieux, second king-at-arms, in 1597, and thus enabled him more fully to devote himself to his favourite studies than was compatible with the arduous and fatiguing duties of the mastership of Westminster. In 1600, Camden accomplished a personal tour in the north of England, in company with Sir Robert Cotton, the founder of the Cottonian library. The same year he published a description of the monuments in Westminster abbey. It had long been Camden's intention to write a civil history of England, but he appears to have relinquished this design soon after the death of Queen Elizabeth. The collection, however, of ancient British historians which he had made with a view to this work were printed in a uniform edition at Frankfort, under his superintendance. In 1605, he published "Remains of a greater work concerning Britain," &c. being a collection of fragments illustrative of the habits, manners, and customs of the ancient Britons and Saxons. In 1606, Camden drew up in Latin, by the desire of James I., an account of the Gunpowder plot; and in the same year the 6th and last edition of his "Britannia," in folio, passed through the press. It was from this edition that Philemen Holland prepared his English translation.

In 1612, Camden, having gone to Oxford to attend the funeral of his friend Sir Thomas Bodley, was offered the degree of A.M. which he declined, as he also did the honour of knighthood proffered him by the king. In 1615, he published "Annals of the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the year 1589." It was written in Latin, and had been begun in 1597 at the desire of Lord Burleigh, who contributed some materials for it. His continuation of the Annals in which he brought them down to the death of Elizabeth, was first published at Leyden, in 1625, in 8vo. ; and the first edition of the Annals, complete, at London, in 1627, in folio. Another edition of the Annals was published by Hearne at Oxford, in 1717, in 3 vols. 8vo. Both Moulin and Maitland assert that King James made Camden alter various passages, and insert others, relating to the queen, his mother, in the Annals; but this is stoutly denied by Dr Smith. In 1622, Camden founded a professorship of history at Oxford, with a salary of £140 per annum. He died at his house at Chislehurst in Kent, on the 9th of November 1623, and was buried with great pomp in Westminster abbey. Besides the works already mentioned, a collection of his Latin letters with some small tracts was published by Dr Smith, in 1691. Another translation of the Britannia was published in folio, in 1695, by Edmund Gibson, afterwards bishop of London, which was reprinted with additions, in 2 vols. folio, in 1722 and 1773. But the best edition is that edited by Gough, and published in 1789, in 3 vols. folio.-Several portraits of Camden exist. The best is that by Basire in Gough's edition of the Britannia. There is an original portrait of him in

Painters' Hall.'

'Blog. Brit.-Life by Gibson.-Vita Camdeni aut. T. Smetho. - Bayle.

2 F

Francis Bacon.

BORN A. D. 1561.—died a. d. 1626.

THIS illustrious person, the chief ornament of the age in which he flourished, and one of the most eminent examples of intellectual greatness which his nation or his species has ever produced, was the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord-keeper of the great seal in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and of Anne, one of the learned daughters of Sir Anthony Cook, tutor to King Edward VI. another of whom was married to the celebrated Burleigh. He was born at York-house, in the Strand, London, on the 22d of January, 1561. Important as were the external advantages under which he came into the world, it soon became manifest that nature had endowed him still more bountifully with the nobler gift of genius. While yet a child, the vivacity and force of his remarks made him be regarded as a little wonder; and Queen Elizabeth, who delighted to converse with him, is said to have been wont playfully to distinguish him by the title of her young lord-keeper. In 1573, being only in the thirteenth year of his age, he was entered of Trinity college, Cambridge-and here he remained till he was sixteen, having, by the ardour and success with which he prosecuted his studies, fulfilled the fondest hopes which had been formed of him, and given new promise of a brilliant manhood. It is even asserted that he had already at this early age laid the foundation of that fabric of philosophy which has immortalized his name. On leaving college, he was sent by his father to visit France in the train of Sir Amias Powlet, the English ambassador at that court; and this gentleman was soon led to entertain so high an opinion of his ability and discretion, that having a message of importance to transmit to his sovereign, he selected Bacon, young as he was, to be its bearer. Having satisfactorily acquitted himself of this commission, he immediately returned to Paris. During the remainder of his stay in France, he did not confine himself to the capital, but visited various parts of the country. He was yet abroad, when in the spring of 1579, he was recalled home by the news of the sudden death of his father. On his arrival in England, he found himself deprived of the greater part of the provision which he had expected, in consequence of his father not having had time before he expired to complete his intended disposition in his favour. The sequel of Bacon's history warrants us in considering this accident as an unfortunate event for his happiness and his fame. His father's purpose probably had been to bequeath him such a competency as would have raised him above the necessity of giving himself up to a profession, and left him at liberty to dedicate his time and his powers to literature and philosophy. In many, perhaps it may be said in most cases, the exchange of such a destination for the duties of what is called active life, would deserve to be regarded rather as an escape than as a calamity. But there was no danger that Bacon would in any circumstances have spent his days in idleness and insignificance. His full and producing mind, the overflow of which in all highest speculation could not be repressed by all the burthens of business and of ambition, would have given forth of its