was gradually decaying, the Latin fathers contributed fomething to its restoration; and wrote, as well as their coeval writers among the Pagans, not indeed with Auguftan excellence, but ftill well enough to preferve a fkill in the conftruction and vocabulary of the language.

A confiderable knowledge of history, and fomething of chronology and philofophy, was neceffary in ftudying and defending the fcriptures, even in the earlieft ages; and many Chriftians appeared well skilled in these parts of learning, at a time when they were generally neglected. Religion and confcience operated as a ftimulus, when all other motives were infufficient to retard the mind in its fwift progrefs down he declivity.

With a view, and folely with a view, to enable ecclefiaftics to read and understand the fcriptures, even in the most difmal night of ignorance, there were fome places of inftruction in cathedrals and monafteries, in which the embers of literature, if we may venture to ufe that expreffion, were preferved from total extinction; in which a fpark lay latent, which was one day to relume a light to lighten the universe.

The little learning of thofe unfortunate ages, though it did not enable the perfons who poffeffed it to taste and understand the beauties of the antient poets and philofophers, yet gave them fome idea of the value of books in general, and enabled them to transcribe with tolerable accuracy, even what they did not accurately understand. Thus were thofe ineftimable treasures of all elegance and pleafing knowledge, the old Greek and Latin authors handed down to ages more bleffed; to those who were able to unlock them, and pour out their riches for the general utility. Nor are we indebted to Chriftians for the claffics only; but also for the Roman law, and the codes of Juftinian and Theodofius. Books, which were deftroyed by ignorant and angry kings and conquerors, found a fafe afylum in religious houses; and even Monkery, which has been justly reprobated as one of the follies of human nature, became, under the direction of Providence, the inftrument of many of those bleflings which now contribute greatly to the happiness and dignity of an enlightened empire.

The

The revival of learning, as it is termed, or its emancipation from churches and monafteries, and general diffufion over the world, is greatly owing to the efforts of ecclefiaftics. There arofe, in that aufpicious morning, a conftellation of polite and profound Chriftian fcholars, whofe effulgence has fcarcely been outfhone by any fucceeding luminaries in the literary

horizon.

The best scholars of modern times, not only in theology, but in every part of human learning, have been Chriftian divines. They were led by their purfuit of religious knowledge, into the collateral paths of philofophy, philology, and all elegant and ufeful litera

ture.

It is to the piety of Chriftians that we owe the venerable foundations of schools and colleges; thofe institutions, which, though they have often been perverted, have ftill kept the light burning like the vestal fire, and handed the torch from one generation to another like the runners in the torch-race. It was the love of Chrift which taught thofe towers to rife on the banks of the Cani and the Ifis, and planted feminaries of learning in every confiderable town throughout the kingdom.

"To the gospel then," fays the learned divine who fuggefted this fubject, "and to those who embraced "it, are due our grateful acknowledgments for the learning that is at prefent in the world. The infi"dels, educated in Chriftian countries, owe what learning they have to Chriftianity, and act the part of thofe "brutes, which, when they have fucked the dam, turn "about and ftrike her."

46

No. CXV.

CURSORY REMARKS ON THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS OF DR. JORTIN.

AHE mind feels a fecret complacency in contem

Tplating characters eminent for virtue, learning,

and religion; and there are few who are not delighted,

S

as well as inftructed, by the praises beftowed on departed merit. Notwithstanding the depravity of human nature, virtue ftill appears amiable to the vicious, and knowledge to the ignorant. Experience, indeed, seems to confirm the opinion of Plato, that goodness, exclusive of its collateral advantages, is poffeffed of charms irrefiftibly captivating.

A review of the life of the late Dr. Jortin cannot but fuggeft the most pleafing reflections. As a poet, a divine, a philofopher, and a man, he ferved the caufe of religion, learning, and morality. There are, indeed, many writers whofe reputation is more diffufed among the vulgar and illiterate, but few will be found whole names ftand higher than Dr. Jortin's in the efteem of the judicious. His Latin poetry is claffically elegant. His difcourfes and differtations fenfible, ingenious, and argumentative. His remarks on ecclefiaftical history interefting and impartial. His fermons replete with found fenfe and rational morality, expreffed in a ftyle fimple, pure, and perfpicuous.

Simplicity of ftyle is a grace, which, though it may not captivate at firft fight, is fure in the end to give permanent fatisfaction. It does not excite admiration, but it raises efteem. It does not warm to rapture, but it foothes to complacency. Unfkilful writers feldom aim at this excellence. They imagine, that what is natural and common cannot be beautiful. Every thing in their compofitions must be ftrained, every thing affected but Dr. Jortin had ftudied the antients, and perhaps formed himself on the model of Xenophon. He wrote on fubjects of morality, and morality is founded on reason, and reafon is always cool and difpaffionate. A florid declamation, embellished with rhetorical figures, and animated with pathetic defcription, may indeed amufe the fancy, and raise a tranfient emotion in the heart; but rational difcourfe alone can convince the understanding, and reform the conduct.

The firft efforts of genius have commonly been in poetry. Unreftrained by the frigidity of argument, and the confinement of rules, the young mind gladly indulges the flights of imagination. Cicero, as well as many other antient philofophers, orators, and hiftorians,

is known to have facrificed to the Mufes in his earlier productions. Dr. Jortin adds to the number of those who confirm the obfervation. In his Lufus Poetici, one of the first of his works, are united claffical language, tender fentiment, and harmonious verfe. Among the modern Latin poets, there are few who do not yield to Dr. Jortin. His fapphics, on the ftory of Bacchus and Ariadne, are easy, elegant, and poetical. The little ode, in which the calm life of the philofopher is compared to the gentle ftream gliding through a filent grove, is highly pleafing to the mind, and is perfectly elegant in the compofition. The Lyrics are indeed all excellent. The poem on the Immortality of the Soul is ingenious, poetical, and an exact imitation of the ftyle of Lucretius. In fhort, the whole collection is fuch as would fcarcely have difgraced a Roman in the age of an Auguftus.

Time, if it does not cool the fire of imagination, certainly ftrengthens the powers of the judgment. As our author advanced in life, he cultivated his reafon rather than his fancy, and defifted from his efforts in poetry, to exert his abilities in the difquifitions of criticiim. His obfervations on one of the fathers of English poetry, need but to be more generally known, in order to be more generally approved.

Claffical productions are rather amufing than inftructive. His works of this kind are all juvenile, and naturally flowed from a claffical education. These, however, were but preparatory to his higher designs, and foon gave way to the more important enquiries which were peculiar to his profeffion. His difcourfes on the Chriftian Religion, one of the first fruits of his theological purfuits, abound with that found fenfe and folid argument, which entitle their author to a rank very near the celebrated Grotius.

His differtations are equally remarkable for taste, learning, originality, and ingenuity.

His remarks on Ecclefiaftical history are full of manly fenfe, ingenious ftrictures, and profound erudition. The work is highly beneficial to mankind, as it represents that fuperftition which difgraced hunian nature, in its proper light, and gives a right fenfe of the advantages derived

from

from religious reformation. He every where expreffes himself with peculiar vehemence against the infatuation of bigotry and fanaticifm. Convinced that true happinefs is founded on a right ufe of the reafoning powers, he makes it the scope of all his religious works, to lead mankind from the errors of imagination, to embrace the dictates of difpaffionate reafon.

Pofthumous publications, it has been remarked, are ufually inferior in merit to those which are published in an author's life-time. And, indeed, the opinion feems plaufible; as it may be prefumed, that an author's reafon for not publishing his works, is a consciousness of their inferiority. The Sermons of Dr. Jortin are, however, an exception. Good fenfe and found morality appear in them, not, indeed, dreffed out in the meretricious ornaments of a florid ftyle, but in all the manly force, and fimple graces, of natural eloquence. The fame caprice, which raises to reputation those trifling difcourfes which have nothing to recommend them but a prettinefs of fancy, and a flowery language, will again confign them to oblivion: but the fermons of Dr. Jortin will always be read with pleasure and edification.

The tranfition from an author's writings to his life, is frequently difadvantageous to his character. Dr. Jortin, however, when no longer confidered as an author, but as a man, is fo far from being leffened in our opinion, that he excites ftill greater efteem and applaufe. A fimplicity of manners, an inoffenfive behaviour, an univerfal benevolence, candour, modefty, and good fenfe, were his characteristics. Though his genius, and love of letters, led him to choofe the still vale of fequeftered life, yet was his merit confpicuous enough to attract the notice of a certain primate who did honour to epifcopacy. Unknown by perfonal acquaintance, and unrecommended by the folicitation of friends, or the interpofition of power, he was prefented, by Archbishop Herring, to a valuable benefice in London, as a reward for his exertions as a fcholar and a divine. Some time after he became chaplain to a late bishop of London, who gave him the vicarage of Kenfington, and appointed him archdeacon of his

diocefe.