INTRODUCTION. In presenting to the British public, for the first time, a complete collection of bishop Burnet's smaller biographical pieces, it seems proper to mention what has been attempted, in it. The life of sir Matthew Hale, with the additions of Richard Baxter; and that of lord Rochester, with an extract from his funeral sermon, . . have, after collating several editions, been carefully reprinted. Some interesting 'characters,' have been given; originally extracted from Burnet's history of his own times: the Oxford edition, by Dr. Routh, has been consulted; and a few suppressed passages have been thence supplied. The peculiar merits of Robert Boyle, have, in later times, been more praised, than known: canonized, rather, by the discerning few, than justly estimated, by the unreflecting many. His works, indeed, still occupy a space, though seldom frequented, in the collections of the learned; but, even the truly philosophic delineation of his character,.. the ablest, probably, and most finished, of a Burnet's many writings, because, in this instance, peculiarly, the pen that he wrote with, was dipt in his heart,'.. has, in this country, been suffered to remain many years out of print. This, also, is included in the present volume. 6 Bishop Burnet's short, but exquisite, address to posterity,' can never be antiquated. So long as the English language lasts, it will be read, and re-read, with fresh improvement, and delight; and, perhaps, it will be found most instructive and efficacious, when detached from the main body of his history. This closes the volume. And it ends, as such a document should end, with the words of holy writ that port and sabbath of all human contemplations.'* Throughout this reprint, the intrusion of a single phrase not sanctioned by the author, has been religiously avoided: omission, too, has been extremely rare. Not more, probably, than six lines in the entire, have been silently passed by. And these are precisely of that kind, (a tendency quite unsuspected by the excellent author,) which must have offended just moral taste, without conveying a particle of solid information. In pointing the text, and ordering the commencement and close of paragraphs, so much *Lord Bacon. scrupulosity has not been observed. In these technical, but surely not unimportant, though, hitherto, much neglected matters, considerable freedom has been used. The fact is, at the time when Burnet wrote, the principles of punctuation were ill understood, and seldom reduced to practice. And, from that day, to the present, successive publishers have, so far as in them lay, not only perpetuated old errors, but added a fresh, and plentiful growth of their own: while not so much as an effort has, commonly, been made, to attain general correctness. Carelessness in this respect, will not, it is hoped, be imputed to the present edition. And, among other things, the attentive reader is intreated to observe, how distinctly the interlocutors are marked out, in the argumentative portions of lord Rochester's life. This may conduce, in no slight degree, to their being intelligently, and, therefore, profitably read. It is a considerable advantage, to get notice, by frequent breaks, and by transitions visible to the eye, that here we ought to pause, and here to reflect. Some illustrative, and occasional notes have been added: and these, it is hoped, will not be altogether unacceptable. In selecting them, it certainly has been the object, not so much to swell their number, as to weigh their value. And young persons, especially, will pardon the suggestion, that, in no way, perhaps, can their store of applicable knowledge be more certainly, though at first almost imperceptibly increased, than by habitually reading with a pen in the hand. There is much good sense in the doggrel verses, for which we are indebted to no ordinary thinker: .. In reading authors, when you find Be not contented with the sight, But take them down in black and white: Such a respect is wisely shown, As makes another's sense one's own.' One caution, however, is here indispensable, that, by deep and diligent meditation, we acquire something which may truly be called OUR OWN:.. for, as Milton says, • Who reads Incessantly, and to his reading brings not Deep versed in books, and shallow in himself.' And here, this introduction would naturally close; if a duty did not remain to be performed, which, in the editor's opinion, he owes to the dead; and the performance of which, will, he trusts, be grateful to many of the living; while, he is persuaded, it will, in several respects, be useful to the rising generation. This impression, then, of Burnet's lives, has been formed on the basis of an edition, published in Ireland, in the year 1803., and since frequently reprinted there, under the direction of the Association for discountenancing vice, &c. To the first and second Dublin editions, and to all subsequent ones, two prefaces were given, by the late Alexander Knox, Esq. *: and, several years ago, the present writer, asked, and obtained permission, from Mr. Knox, to republish in London, the lives, &c., accompanied by those prefaces. Circumstances inevitably postponed the fulfilment of this purpose; but they only postponed it. And the editor has, now, the melancholy gratification, of presenting that, as a tribute to the memory of his friend, in which, he once fondly hoped, that friend might have afforded counsel by his judgment, and, perhaps, encouragement by his approbation. The wish, rather than design, which Mr. Knox entertained, of publishing Burnet's lives, was first expressed, and as the editor believes, conceived, in an early letter, addressed to him, at Swanlinbar, in the county of Cavan. That letter, besides containing several remarks illustrative of Burnet's plan, is, so far as the editor may presume to judge, within a short compass, the best provision extant, towards * He died, June 18.1831. |