160 



heart," and showing all toleration to the individual, though none 

 for those principles of his which we conceive to be erroneous or 

 hurtful. And, however we may reprobate the views of the philosopher, 

 I thiak we cannot but accord a high degree of admiration to the man, 

 to the independence of his spirit, the individuality of his character, 

 the versatility of his talents, the depth and accuracy of his knowledge, 

 the variety and extent of his acquirements.* In this latter point 

 especially, he may well excite our astonishment, when we cast an eye 

 over a catalogue of his works, and observe the diversity of subjects that 

 engaged his attention. Treatises on Law and Jurisprudence, on Moral, 

 Metaphysical, Natural, and Mathematical Philosophy, were for ever 

 flowing from his pen. Nor was this all ; to him we owe one of the 

 first, and what still continues to be the best translation of the most 

 difficult and instructive of the Greek Historians.^ Undaunted by 

 previous inexperience, at the age of eighty-seven, he betook himself to 

 the composition of Poetry, writing his autobiography in latin verse, and 

 even publishing a translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey, an enter- 

 prise in which he has indeed compassed a great achievement, having 

 succeeded in effectually eliminating all traces of poetry even from 

 Hoiiier.J All this is the more remarkable, as he was self-taught, did 



• In bis early life Hobbes hail been secretary to Lonl Bacon, and Bacon is reported to 

 have said nt' him, that he was the only one of bis auiacmenses who would understand what 

 he wrote, and antioiiiatB iliu end of his sentences. 



+ This translation was uudertukeu, be assures us, wiib the purpose of pointing out lo the 

 nation the evils of a civil war, such as that in which be was apprehen.sive the country 

 would be involved, by showing in the history of the Pelopnuunsian war the fatal conse- 

 quences of intestine troubles. It was published a.u. 16'2S, and is said to have been revised 

 by the celebrated ben Jonsun. 



{ Of Hobhes's poetry, Pope truly says, " It is too mean for criticism." As a specimen of 

 his mode of rendering Homer, wt< may instance some of the ooening lines : — 

 " Whilst the two princes of the army strove, , 



King Agamemnon and Achilles stout, 

 That so it should be was the will of Jove; 



But who was it that made them first fall out ?" 

 Almost the only lines which have found any admirers are those descriptive of the infant 

 Astyanax iu the scene of the parting of Hector and Andromache : — 

 " Now Hector met her with her little buy. 

 That in the nurse's arms was carried; 

 And like a star upon her bosom lay 



His beantiful and shining gulden head ;" 

 and those describing the descent of Apollo at the prayer of Chryses : — 

 " His prayer was granted by the Deity, 



Vi'ho, with bis silver bow and arrows keen. 

 Descended from Olympus silently. 



In likeness of the sable night unseen ;" 

 though, as Professor Wilson remarks, there seems something meanly suspicious in this 



