ANTIQUITIES. 
genius of Michael Angelo was un- 
equal to the imitation of these 
figures; and should we conceive 
them to be the produétion of a 
later age, as that of Augustus, or 
even later, as that of the Anto- 
nines, it will only raise our ideas of 
the age of Alexander, to find that 
the hest artist of modern times was 
inferior to those sculptors who by 
the general consent of antiquity, 
were themselves below the merits 
of a Phidias or Praxiteles. 
Letter from King Charles IT. to the 
Duke of Ormid, upon his taking 
the Seals from Chancellor Claren- 
don. Copied from the Original in 
the King’s own Hand, and indorsed 
in the Luke of Ormond’s. 
The King’s 
a5 
Rec. 24 
at Kilkenny. 
Answered, 2 O&. 67. 
Whitehall, 15 Sept. 
I SHOULD have thanked you 
sooner for your melancholly letter 
of the 26th August, and the good 
counsel you gave me in it, as my 
/ purpose was also to say something 
Sept. 
[A71 
to you concerning my taking ‘the , 
seals from the chancellor, of which 
you must needs have heard all the 
passages, 2s he would not suffer it 
to be done so privately as I intended 
ir. The trath is, his behaviour 
and humour was growne so insup- 
portable to myself, and to all the 
world else, that I could not longer 
endure it; and it was impossible 
for me to live with it, and doe 
those things with the parliament 
which must be done, or the go- 
vernment wjll be lost. .When I 
have a better opportunity for it, 
you shall know many particulars 
that have inclined me to this re- 
solution, which already seems to 
be well liked in the world, and to 
have given a real and _ visible 
amendment to my affairs. This 
isan argument too big for aletter 5 
so 1 add buc this word to it, to as. 
sure you, that your former friend- 
ship to the chancellor shall not doe 
you any prejudice with me, and 
that I have not -in the least degree 
diminished that value and kind- 
ness I ever had for you; which I 
thought fit to say to you upon this 
occasion, because it is very possible 
malicious. people may suggest the 
contrary td¥you. 
lih 4 ‘ MISCEL. 
