32 alas! here, as is but too often the cafe among medical writers, is a plain contradiction.

For if Mufa ufed them, who lived before Galen, who fays it happened in his own time, Galen must be mistaken, and the more fo, as Areteus, a predeceffor to Galen, with but little variation, mentions the fame ftory, and moreover fays of it," that it was a tale not very certain, although not altogether incredible." Celfus feems likewife to allude to the fame story, as the learned Dr. Heberden, in his note on his brother's account of the cure of the leprofy in Madeira, informs us, in article II. of the New Medical Tranfactions.

But after all, it seems a mere fable, as there are but too many fuch attached to our art, unless they were far fuperior to thofe of our own days in wifdom and virtue; befides, it is much more likely a ferpent would fhun, than be allured to fuch ftrong liquor as wine, to which most animals have a natural averfion.

In short, whether we confider the hiftory, or mystery, of the ferpent, as the inftrumental introducer of fin, ficknefs, and death, in these fublunary regions, it feems most unnatural, and repugnant to all fenfe and reason, to fly to him for health and long life, who was the original caufe of death, and it looks as if the devil himself herein impofed upon our forefathers, and had a great hand in the invention.

The volatile falt of vipers, which I have paid two guineas an ounce for, is reckoned, because fo coftly, very choice, when, in my humble opinion, there is no material difference between falt of vipers, and any other volatile fal: extracted by chemistry; for that, as it is a mere creature of the fire in that form, it retains no more virtue than what is common to all falts of that fort. And as to viper broth, fo much recommended, plain veal and cock broth are cheaper, pleafanter, more nourishing, and natural, by far. Wherefore, as whim introduced vipers, among the Latins, first into practice, credulity continued their ufe, and craft made a trade of them, no deference at all is due to the authority of ancient writers thereon.

To conclude. The frequent difappointment of cure therefrom, their

Jan

great dearness, the disagreable idea attending the preparation and use of them, with the strong averfion of fwal lowing ferpents, I think are reafons fufficient for us honeftly to undervalue fuch unnatural drugs, and to prevail for the ancient and ugly ufe of vipers, to be wholly laid aside. Your's,

J. Cook. From Lewis's Cafes and Characters. Patriot King displayed; in the Life of Henry VIII. King of England = A performance of great Merit.

BUT

UT the throne, though filled by a woman, is declared the fole fountain of jurifdiction, in whatever concerns religion.”

And why not? Is not an English woman, of fenfe and fpirit, as likely to rule with difcretion, as an old woman at Rome, past her fenfes, and twice a child? A matter of mighty triumph this to fenfelefs bigots, who make not truth their fearch. The cafe is this: Whether difputes about tithes, offerings, marriages, wills, &c. may not as well be determined in England, by English judges, and established laws, in courts held by the king's authority, as at Rome, by Italians, in courts held by authority of the pope? Is an Englishman lefs juft, knowing, or equitable, than an Italian? Is not juftice as likely to be had upon the fpot, as at nine hundred miles diftance? To carry witnesses, attend courts, and fee council at Rome, is this a privilege worth dying for? A legate, even in popith times, was thought ftill more oppreffive. Cardinal Wolfey, the laft pope's legate but Pole this nation was plagued with, took five per cent. for probate of wills; had he taken fifty, no poffible redress was there, but by an appeal to Rome, from whence the remaining fifty would not have brought them back again.

Should we not juftly laugh at Italians, were they, for confcience fake, to put themselves under the jurifdiction of Canterbury? Have they lefs reafon to laugh at the English, who cannot die in peace, if not fubject to their affuming ufurper Against fuperior force there is no remedy, but to be voluntary flaves to a foreign power, indicates a foul unnaturally debafed, by an artful, but moft flagi

1769.

tious education. But God had given Henry a wife, intrepid, and underftanding heart; he faw the cheat, hurled the pope from his ufurped fupremacy, and resumed it to himself, whofe right it was, and where the duty of his station, his people's welfare, and his own honour, obliged him to fix it.

The fupremacy thus fettled by parliament, all the members fwore to obferve it; the fubjects were required to take the same oath: Fisher and More refufed it, and were therefore sent to the Tower, and in the following feffion were condemned, by parliament, to perpetual imprisonment. Faction running high, the king was advifed to put the laws in execution. To reprefs the spirit of rebellion by fuch an example, it was judged expedient to bring them both to the block; and as they were really men of fome figure, and the block and halter feldom fail to raife compaffion, they are looked upon as a fort of Catholic faints, and afford ample matter for declamation.

By the laws of his country was Fisher condemned. He lived fome time afterward by the king's grace and favour. In these circumftances did the pope create him a cardinal: Thus impudently afferting that fupremacy to himfelf, which the laws had juftly transferred to the king. So that to let Fisher live, thus circumftanced, would have been an evidence of weaknefs, or fear, or confcious guilt, in the English government; would have been, in effect, to repeal its own law; to deprive the king of his title and authority; and the kingdom of its inde pendence; in a word, to own the pope fupreme. In fuch a cafe, a prince lefs refolute than Henry would have fuffered the law to take its course. It did fo. And Cardinal Fisher loft his head. He died for the pope, and at the pope's door lies the blood of that martyr; a martyr for the very quin teffence of flavery, ftupidity, and folly.

Fither was Henry's preceptor. He had learning, was devout, a perfecutor, fuperftitious alfo, or knave enough to favour, if not to be an accomplice with the holy maid of Kent, a pretended prophetefs, in her impious and treafonable machinations; and was too obftinate to acknowledge his er Jan. 1769.

33

ror, even after the maid herself, and other accomplices, had confeffed their guilt, and were hanged for it." The views of this holy maid's vitions and prophecies were to have Henry affaffinated. Now if this precept or would gladly have murdered his royal pupil, by other hands; and this royal pupil fuffered his iH defigning preceptor to die, as the law required; fay, thou candid world, on which fide lies ingratitude and guilt? Fifher's not confeffing his fault, after the villainy was detected, though he knew the king juttly expected fuch a confeffion, exhibits no fmall appearance of malice prepenfe, and that he continued filent and fullen, in hopes his reputation might keep up the credit of that lewd nun, till fome inflamed enthufiaft could perpetrate the horrid deed. I judge of a tree by its fruit; of men by their deeds. God only knows the heart. I therefore propofe this not as a certainty, but as a probable fufpicion. Which fufpicion lies equally heavy upon Sir Thomas More, who, after the clearest conviction, would not blaft the credit of their prophetic proftitute any further, than to believe her under the influence of an evil spirit, Now, an evil spirit was as likely to know as good one, if there was really a project in hand to take off the king. But let the impartial judge, whether any fuch project had the coun tenance and benediction of these two holy, perfecuting, popish martyrs.

Going to execution, Fiber opened the New Teftament, and prayed fuch a place might turn up, as might comfort him in his last moments. The words that occurred were, "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent." He shut the book, and continued meditating upon these words to the laft. And do they not exhibit a ftrong reproof? As much as to fay, "What is the pope to thee, or thou to the pope? Why doft thou murder thyfelf for what thou haft no concern in? Wouldst thou obtain eternal life, know the only true God, and that Jefus is his meffenger."

For the fame filly caufe died Sir Tho mas More. "A man (faith that faithful and laborious martyr Tindal, who lived at that time) nothing inferior to Wolfey, for lying, feigning,

1769.

Of the Old thing but downright ribaldry, without a grain of reason to fupport it. Yet fo highly pleased were the clergy, to have their mumpfimus defended in any manner, that in their convocation they made a collection for him, of four or five thousand pounds; which at this day would be worth forty thoufand. But More was too juft, or too proud, to accept of a farthing.

In a vifit to More, did Erafmus, in feven days, write his celebrated Moriz Encomium, or, Praise of Folly. Which he also infcribed to More. In which performance, Folly juftifies herfelf with much wit and learning, by fhewing, in how great repute the is with all ranks and orders of men. But triumphs indeed, and indicates uncommon pleasure, at her conformity with the catholic church, and in the number and variety of fooleries to be met with in popery. Now Erafmus was too good natured, and too well bred a man, to have made fo free with thofe holy fooleries, in a book dedicated to More, and wrote under his roof, had he not known, that More had the fame contempt for them, that be himself had. Which yields farther grounds for fufpicion, that he really bore two faces in one hood: and that he wrote, and perfecuted, and died, to gain the praise of men, rather than from any motive of religion. And if fuch was really the cafe, let others determine which was most predominant in him, the knave or the fool."

"TH

35

was accordingly fo ordered by statute 4 Geo. II. c. 26. This was done, in order that the common people might have knowledge and understanding of what was alledged or done for and against them in the process and pleadings, the judgment and entries in a caufe. Which purpose I know not how well it was answered; but am apt to fufpect that the people are now, after many years experience, altogether as ignorant in matters of law as before. On the other hand, these inconveniencies have already arisen from the alteration; that now many clerks and attorneys are hardly able to read, much lefs to understand, a record even of fo modern a date as the reign of George the Firft. And it has much enhanced the expence of all legal proceedings: For fince practifers are confined (for the fake of the ftamp duties, which are thereby confiderably increased) to write only a stated number of words in a fheet; and as the English language, through the multitude of its particles, is much more verbose than the Latin, it follows that the number of fheets must be very much augmented by the change. The tranflation alfo of technical phrases, and the names of writs and other procefs, were found to be fo very ridiculous (a writ of nifi prius, quare impedit, fieri facias, habeas corpus, and the reft, not being capable of an English dress with any degree of ferioufnefs) that in two years time a new act was obliged to be made, 6 Geo. II. c. 14. which allows all technical words to continue in the ufual language, and has thereby almost defeated every beneficial purpofe of the former ftatute.

What is faid of the alteration, of language by the ftatute 4 Geo. II. c. 26. will hold equally ftrong with refpect to the prohibition of ufing the antient immutable court hand in writ ing the records or other legal proceedings; whereby the reading of any record that is forty years old is now become the object of fcience, and calls for the help of an antiquarian: But that branch of it, which forbids the use of abbreviations, feems to be of more folid advantage, in delivering fuch proceeding from obfcurity: According to the precept of Justinian; “ne per fcripturam aliqua fiat in pofterum dubitatio, jubemus non per figilorum captiones

et