happy in its confequences, remains to be mentioned. The enlarged conceptions acquired by the ftudy of the Greek and Roman writers feem to have reftored to the human mind a free exertion of its native operations, and to have communicated a certain fpirit of enterprise in examining every subject: and at length to have releafed the intellectual capacity of mankind from that habitual fubjection, and that fervility to fyftem, which had hitherto prevented it from advancing any new principle, or adopting any new opinion. Hence, under the concurrent affiftance of a preparation of circumstances, all centering in the fame period, arose the reformation of religion. But this defection from the catholic communion, alienated the thoughts of the learned from thofe pursuits by which it was produced; and diverted the ftudies of the most accomplished scholars, to inquiries into the practices and maxims of the primitive ages, the nature of civil and ecclesiastical jurifdiction, the authority of scripture and tradition, of popes, councils, and schoolmen: topics, which men were not yet qualified to treat with any degree of penetration, and on which the ideas of the times unenlightened by philosophy, or warped by prejudice and` paffion, were not calculated to throw just and rational illustrations. When the bonds of spiritual unity were once broken, this separation from an established faith ended in a variety of subordinate fects, each of which called forth its refpective champions into the field of religious contention. The feveral princes of christendom were politically concerned in these disputes; and the courts in which poets and orators had been recently careffed and rewarded, were now filled with that moft deplorable species of philofophers, polemical metaphysicians. The public entry of Luther into Worms, when he had been fummoned before the diet of that city, was equally fplendid with that of the emperor Charles the fifth. Rome in re * Luther, Op. ii. 412. 414. turn, turn, roused from her deep repofe of ten centuries, was compelled to vindicate her infulted doctrines with reasoning and argument. The profound investigations of Aquinas once more triumphed over the graces of the Ciceronian urbanity; and endless volumes were written on the expediency of auricular confeffion, and the existence of purgatory. Thus the caufe of polite literature was for awhile abandoned; while the nobleft abilities of Europe were wasted in theological fpeculation, and absorbed in the abyss of controversy. Yet it must not be forgotten, that wit and raillery, drawn from the fources of elegant erudition, were fometimes applied, and with the greatest fuccefs, in this important difpute. The lively colloquies of Erafmus, which expofed the fuperstitious practices of the papists, with much humour, and in pure Latinity, made more protestants than the ten tomes of John Calvin. A work of ridicule was now a new attempt: and it should be here observed, to the honour of Erafmus, that he was the firft of the literary reformers who tried that species of compofition, at least with any degree of popularity. The polite scholars of Italy had no notion that the German theologifts were capable of making their readers laugh: they were now convinced of their mistake, and foon found that the German pleafantry prepared the way for a revolution, which proved of the most serious confequence to Italy. Another great temporary check given to the general state of letters in England at this period, was the diffolution of the monafteries. Many of the abuses in civil fociety are attended with fome advantages. In the beginnings of reformation, the lofs of thefe advantages is always felt very fenfibly while the benefit arifing from the change is the flow effect of time, and not immediately perceived or enjoyed. Scarce any inftitution can be imagined less favorable to the interests of mankind than the monaftic. Yet these feminaries, although they were in a general view the nur f reries of illiterate indolence, and undoubtedly deferved to be uppreffed under proper reftrictions, contained invitations and opportunities to ftudious leisure and literary pursuits. On this event therefore, a visible revolution and decline in the national state of learning fucceeded. Most of the youth of the kingdom betook themselves to mechanical or other illiberal employments, the profeffion of letters being now fuppofed to be without fupport and reward. By the abolition of the religious houses, many towns and their adjacent villages were utterly deprived of their only means of inftruction. At the beginning of the reign of queen Elizabeth, Williams, fpeaker of the house of commons, complained to her majefty, that more than an hundred flourishing fchools were deftroyed in the demolition of the monafteries, and that ignorance had prevailed ever fince'. Provincial ignorance, at least, became univerfal, in confequence of this hafty measure of a rapacious and arbitrary prince. What was taught in the monafteries, was not always perhaps of the greatest importance, but ftill it ferved to keep up a certain degree of neceffary knowledge", Nor fhould it be forgot, that many of the abbots were learned, 1 Strype, ANN, REP. p. 292. fub ann. 1562. The greater abbies appear to have had the direction of other schools in their neighbourhood. In an abbatial Register of Bury abbey there is this entry. "Me"morand. quqd. (A. D. 1418. 28 Jul. Gulielmus abbas contulit regimen et magifterium fcholarum grammaticalium in villa de Bury S. Edmundi magiftro "Johanni Somerfet, artium et grammatica "profeffori, et baccalaureo in medicina; 66 cum annua penfione xl. folidorum." MS. Cotton. TIBER. B. ix. 2. *་ This John Somerset was tutor and phyfician to king Henry the fixth, and a man of eminent learning. He was inftrumental in procuring duke Humphrey's books to be conveyed to Oxford. Regiftr. Acad. Oxon. EPIST. F. 179. 202. 218. 220. And in the foundation of King's college at Cam bridge. MSS. COTT. JULIUS, F. vii. 43. m I do not, however, lay great ftrefs on the following paffage, which yet deferves attention, in Roffe of Warwickshire, who wrote about the year 1480: "To this "day, in the cathedrals and fome of the "greater collegiate churches, or monafte"ries, [quibufdam nobilibus collegiis,] and "in the houses of the four mendicant or"ders, ufeful lectures and difputations are "kept up; and fuch of their members as "are thought capable of degrees, are fent "to the univerfities. And in towns where "there are two or more fraternities of "mendicants, in each of these are held, and patrons of literature; men of public fpirit, and liberal views. By their connections with parliament, and the frequent embaffies to foreign courts in which they were employed, they became acquainted with the world, and the improvements of life: and, knowing where to chuse proper objects, and having no other use for the fuperfluities of their vast revenues, encouraged in their respective circles many learned young men. It appears to have been customary for the governors of the most confiderable convents, especially those that were honoured with the mitre, to receive into their own private lodgings the fons of the principal families of the neighbourhood for education. About the year 1450, Thomas Bromele, abbot of the mitred monastery of Hyde near Winchester, entertained in his own abbatial house within that monaftery, eight young gentlemen, or gentiles pueri, who were placed there for the purpose of literary inftruction, and conftantly dined at the abbot's table. I will not fcruple to give the original words, which are more particular and expreffive, of the obfcure record which preferves this curious anecdote of monaftic life. "Pro octo gentilibus pueris apud dominum abbatem ftudii caufa perhendinan"tibus, et ad menfam domini victitantibus, cum garcioni"bus fuis ipfos comitantibus, hoc anno, xviil. ixs. Capi"endo pro This, by the way, was more extraordinary, as William of Wykeham's celebrated seminary was fo near. And this feems to have been an established practice of the abbot of Glastonbury; "whofe apartment in the "abbey was a kind of well-difciplined court, where the "fons of noblemen and young gentlemen were wont to be "fent for virtuous education, who returned thence home "excellently accomplished." Richard Whiting, the last "From a fragment of the COMPUTUS CAMERARII Abbat. Hidenf. in Archiv. Wolvef. apud Winton, ut fupr. HIST. and ANTIQ of GLASTONBURY, Oxon. 1722. 8vo. p. 98. abbot abbot of Glastonbury, who was cruelly executed by the king, during the courfe of his government, educated near three hundred ingenuous youths, who conftituted a part of his family: befide many others whom he liberally supported at the universities. Whitgift, the most excellent and learned archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of queen Elizabeth, was educated under Robert Whitgift his uncle, abbot of the Augustine monastery of black canons at Wellhow in Lincolnshire: who," fays Strype, had several other young "gentlemen under his care for education." That, at the restoration of literature, many of these dignitaries were eminently learned, and even zealous promoters of the new improvements, I could bring various inftances. Hugh Farringdon, the last abbot of Reading, was a polite scholar, as his Latin epistles addressed to the university of Oxford abundantly testify'. Nor was he lefs a patron of critical studies. Leonard Coxe, a popular philological writer in the reign of Henry the eighth, both in Latin and English, and a great traveller, highly celebrated by the judicious Leland for his elegant accomplishments in letters, and honoured with the affectionate correfpondence of Erafmus, dedicates to this abbot, his ARTE OR CRAFTE OF RHETORICKE, printed in the year 1524, at that time a work of an unusual nature'. Wakefield abovementioned, a very capital Greek and oriental fcholar, in his DISCOURSE ON THE EXCELLENCY AND UTILITY of the three LANGUAGES, written in the year 1524, celebrates William Fryffell, prior of the cathedral Benedictine convent at Rochester, as a diftinguished judge and encourager of critical literature'. Robert Shirwoode, an Englishman, but a profeffor of Greek and Hebrew at Louvaine, |