124 Concluding Observations. 



climate, which I heard the King say, and I thought 

 new and right, and truly like a King of England 

 that loved and esteemed his own country : it was in 

 reply to some of the company that were reviling our 

 climate, and extolling those of Italy and Spain, or at 

 least of France. He said he thought it was the best 

 climate where he could be abroad in the air with plea- 

 sure, or at least without trouble or inconvenience, the 

 most days of the year and the most hours of the day ; 

 and this he thought he could be in England more 

 than in any country he knew of in Europe." And 

 here I venture to quote another observation of that 

 eminent statesman and devoted lover of his garden, 

 when he speaks of the temperate habits of Epicurus, 

 and the aspersions falsely cast upon his character by 

 rival sects, and even by some early Christian writers. 

 He says : " I have often wondered how such sharp 

 and violent invectives came to be made so generally 

 against Epicurus by the ages that followed him, 

 whose admirable wit, felicity of expression, excellence 

 of nature, sweetness of conversation, temperance of 

 life, and constancy of death, made him so beloved by 

 his friends, admired by his scholars, and honoured 

 by the Athenians. But this injustice may be 

 fastened chiefly upon the envy and malignity of the 

 Stoics at first, then upon the mistakes of some gross 

 pretenders to his sect (who took pleasure only to be 

 sensual), and afterwards upon the piety of the primi- 

 tive Christians, who esteemed his principles of natural 



