LETTER V.

ST. EVREMOND to WALLER.

I

NOW write to you from the earl of Devonshire's, where I have been for this fortnight paft, paying my devotions to the genius of nature. Nothing can be more romantic than this country, except the region of Valois; and nothing can equal this place in beauty, but the borders of the lake.

*

It was not, however, fo much the defire of feeing natural curiofities that drew me down hither. There is a certain moral curiofity under this roof which I had long wished to fee, and my lord Devonshire had the goodnefs to indulge me by a very kind invitation.

I need not tell you that I mean the great philofopher, Mr. Hobbs, fo diftinguished for the fingularity of his fentiments and his dif pofition.

* Chatsworth.

I arrived a little before dinner, notwithftanding which the earl told me he believed I was too late to fee Mr. Hobbs that day. "As " he does not think like other men, faid he, "it is his opinion, that he should not live like "other men. I fuppofe he dined about two "hours ago, and he is now shut up for the "reft of the day; your only time to fee him " is in the morning; but then he walks fo "faft up thofe hills, that, unless you are "mounted on one of my ableft hunters, you will not keep pace with him."

It was not long, however, before I obtained an audience extraordinary of this literary potentate; whom I found, like Jupiter, involved in clouds of his own raifing. He was entrenched behind a regular battery of ten or twelve guns, charged with a stinking combuftible called tobacco. Two or three of these he had fired off, and replaced them in the fame order. A fourth he levelled fo mathematically against me, that I was hardly able to maintain my poft, though I affumed the character and dignity of embassador from the republic of letters. I am forry for your

• republic, faid Hobbs; for if they send you

to me in that capacity, they either want me, or are afraid of me. Men have but two ⚫ motives for their applications, and those are ⚫ intereft and fear. But the latter is, in my 'opinion, most predominant.' I told him, that my commiffion extended no farther than to make him their compliments, and to enquire after his health.' • If that ⚫ be all, replied the philofopher,' your repu blic does nothing more than negociate by the • maxim of other states, that is, by hypocrify.

All men are neceffarily in a state of war; ⚫ but all authors hate each other upon principle. For my part, I am at enmity with the corps, from the bishop of Salisbury down to the bell-man. Nay, I hate their writ ings as much as I do themselves. There is nothing fo pernicious as reading. It destroys originality of fentiment. My lord Devon. 'fhire has more than ten thousand volumes in his houfe. I intreated his lordship to lodge me as far as poffible from that peftilential I have but one book, and that is • Euclid; but I begin to be tired of him. I

corner.

believe he has done more harm than good• He has fet fools a reasoning.”— “ There is ⚫ one thing in Mr. Hobbs's conduct, said lord Dthat I am unable to account for He is always railing at books, yet always adding to their number." “ I write, my

lord, answered Hobbs, to fhew the folly of writing-Were all the books in the world on board one veffel, I fhould feel a greater pleafure than that Lucretius speaks of, in fee

ing the wreck."—" But should you feel no • tendernefs for your own productions?' • I care for nothing, added he, but the Levi• athan, and that might poffibly escape by fwimming.'

As he had poffibly changed his political principles, I did not think it of confequence to enquire into his ideas of government. But, in the course of converfation, I found that he looked upon the principal engine of administration to be fear. All government, said he, ⚫ is in itself an evil. It is nothing but the • continual impofition of terror, and inflicti•on of punishment. It must be owned, that

it is an evil which the natural depravity of

• men has rendered neceffary to the existence • of fociety; but still it cannot in itself be • looked upon with any other fenfations. than fuch as are excited by the view of its several inftruments, the fcourge, the gibbet, and the goal. The fight of majefty infpires me with no other ideas, than 'fuch as arife when I fee the loweft executi< oner of the civil power.' - That is, faid • lord Devonshire, you have the same respect < for the king as for the hangman.' • Par<don me, my lord, (returned Hobbs, recollecting himself,) the king is a very worthy gentleman-You know I had the honour to teach him philofophy at Paris.' O • Mr. Hobbs! in that respect, replied his lordship, your royal pupil does you much 'honour.'

You have known this fingular man for some time. He faid little concerning you, but that my lord Devonshire fometimes made him angry by telling him that you made better verses than himself. Poetry is a foolish thing, faid Hobbs, ⚫ but I hate to do any thing that is better done by others.'

• Charles II.