his error till it hinders his progrefs towards wealth or honour, will not be thought to love Truth only for herself. Yet it may eafily happen that information may come at a commodious time; and, as truth and intereft are not by any fatal neceffity at variance, that one may by accident introduce the other. When opinions are ftruggling into popularity, the arguments by which they are oppofed or defended become more known; and he that changes his pro feffion would perhaps have changed it before, with the like opportunities of inftruction. This was the then state of Popery; every artifice was used to fhew it in its faireft form; and it must be owned to be a religion of external appearance fufficiently attractive.

It is natural to hope that a comprehenfive is likewife an elevated foul, and that whoever is wife is alfo honeft. I am willing to believe that Dryden, having employed his mind, active as it was, upon different studies, and filled it, capacious as it was, with other materials, came unprovided to the controverfy, and wanted rather skill to difcover the right, than virtue to maintain it. But enquiries into the heart are not for man; we muft now leave him to his Judge.

The priests, having ftrengthened their caufe by fo powerful an adherent, were not long before they brought him into action. They engaged him to defend the controverfial papers found in the ftrong box of Charles the Second; and, what yet was harder, to defend them against Stillingfleet.

With hopes of promoting Popery, he was em ployed to tranflate Maimbourg's Hiftory of the League; which he published with a large introduction. His name is likewife prefixed to the English Life of Francis Xavier; but I know not that he ever owned himself the tranflator. Perhaps the use of his name was a pious fraud, which however seems not to have had much effect; for neither of the books, I believe, was ever popular.

The verfion of Xavier's Life is commended by Brown, in a pamphlet not written to flatter; and the occafion of it is faid to have been, that the Queen, when the folicited a fon, made vows to him as her tutelary faint.

He was fuppofed to have undertaken to tranflate Varillas's Hiftory of Herefies; and, when Burnet pub. lifhed remarks upon it, to have written an Anfwer; upon which Burnet makes the following obfer

vation :

"I have been informed from England, that a "gentleman, who is famous both for poetry and "feveral other things, had fpent three months in "tranflating M. Varillas's History; but that, as foon "as my Reflections appeared, he difcontinued his la"bour, finding the credit of his author was gone. "Now, if he thinks it is recovered by his Answer, " he will perhaps go on with his tranflation; and "this may be, for aught I know, as good an enter"tainment for him as the converfation that he had

fet on between the Hinds and Panthers, and all "the rest of animals, for whom M. Varillas may "ferve well enough as an author: and this hiftory.

and that poem are fuch extraordinary things of

"their kind, that it will be but fuitable to see "the author of the worst poem become likewise "the tranflator of the worst history that the age has 66 produced. If his grace and his wit improve "both proportionably, he will hardly find that he "has gained much by the change he has made, "from having no religion, to chufe one of the "worst. It is true, he had fomewhat to fink from "in matter of wit; but, as for his morals, it is "fcarcely poffible for him to grow a worfe man "than he was. He has lately wreaked his malice 66 on me for spoiling his three months labour; but "in it he has done me all the honour that any man " can receive from him, which is to be railed at by "him. If I had ill-nature enough to prompt me "to with a very bad wifh for him, it should be, "that he would go on and finish his tranflation. "By that it will appear, whether the English na❝tion, which is the most competent judge in this

matter, has, upon the feeing our debate, pro"nounced in M. Varillas's favour, or in mine. It is "true, Mr. D. will fuffer a little by it; but at "leaft it will ferve to keep him in from other extravagancies; and if he gains little honour by this work, yet he cannot lofe fo much by it "as he has done by his laft employment."

66

Having probably felt his own inferiority in theological controversy, he was defirous of trying whether, by bringing poetry to aid his arguments, he might become a more efficacious defender of his new profeffion. To reason in verse was, indeed, one of his powers; but fubtilty and harmony united are ftill feeble, when oppofed to truth,

With hopes of promoting Popery, b ployed to tranflate Maimbourg's Hi League; which he published with a lar His name is likewife prefixed to th Francis Xavier; but I know not himself the tranflator. Perhap was a pious fraud, which hor had much effect; for neir' lieve, was ever popular.

The verfion of Xav Brown, in a pamphler occafion of it is faid, when the folicited tutelary faint.

He was fup

f

cm

nilkch of

beau

King Theoy; and it was Louse and Country ontague, afterwards who then gave the firft

uch a man, at such a time, uncenfured. Three dialogues the facetious Thomas Brown, of Varillas's Hirft were called Reasons of Mr. Bayes's lished remaigion: and the third, the Reasons of Mr. upon wher's Converfion and Re-converfion. The inted in 1688, the fecond not till 1690,

vation.

in 1691. The clamour feems to have been

inued, and the fubject to have ftrongly fixed Slick attention.

tae two firft dialogues Bayes is brought into Company of Crites and Eugenius, with whom had formerly debated on dramatick poetry. e two talkers in the third are Mr. Bayes and Mr. Hains.

A

Brown was a man not deficient in literature, nor deftitute of fancy; but he seems to have thought it the pinnacle of excellence to be a merry fellow; and therefore laid out his powers upon finall jefts or grofs buffoonery; fo that his performances have little intrinfick value, and were read only while they were recommended

d by the novelty of the event that occa

es are like his other works: what hey contain is difgraced by the ibited. One great fource of

n little Bayes. Ajax, who ed, is "he that wore as many is fhield as would have furnished

s army with fhoe-leather."

ed whether he had seen the Hind and Crites answers: "Seen it! Mr. Bayes, I can ftir no where but it pursues me; it .aunts me worse than a pewter-buttoned ferjeant 'does a decayed cit. Sometimes I meet it in a "band-box, when my laundrefs brings home my "linen; fometimes, whether I will or no, it lights my pipe at a coffee house; fometimes it furprises

66

me in a trunk-maker's fhop; and fometimes it re"freshes my memory for me on the back fide of a "Chancery-lane parcel. For your comfort too, "Mr. Bayes, I have not only feen it, as you may "perceive, but have read it too, and can quote it as "freely upon occafion as a frugal tradefman can quote that noble treatise the Worth of a Penny to "his extravagant 'prentice, that revels in ftewed apples and penny custards."

66

The whole animation of these compofitions arifes from a profufion of ludicrous and affected comparifons. "To fecure one's chastity," fays Bayes,

little more is neceffary than to leave off a corre"spondence with the other fex, which, to a wife "man, is no greater a punishment than it would "be to a frantick perfon to forbid feeing The Cheats

"and