4 and genteel; but he fhould have attended more to the minutiae of names and dates. As to the Religion of our ancestors, fomething of the Druids may be learned from Schedius de Di, Germanis, and an Effay in Tholand's Po'thumous Works. Christianity feems to have been introduced, perhaps by fome of the Romans, in the first century. Some indeed pretend that St Paul himself came over. The Saxons brought their own gods with them, viz. the Sun, Moon, Tuifco, Woden, Thor, Friga, and Seater, and, in imitation of the Romans dedicated to them refpectively the days of the week; and hence the names, which continue to our times. For this fubject I would recommend Verftegan's Reflitution of decayed Intelligence." From the Conqueft our annals are more clear than those of any other nation in the world. This happens from the custom or obligation that every mitred Abbey was under to employ a Registracy for all extraordinary events; and their notes were ufually compared together at the end of every reign. Hence the great number of Monkifh Hiftorians. It luckily happens that no party fpirit has biaffed the Hiftorians in their accounts of our old Kings; and it therefore does not much fignify what author is read. You would file at my love of black letter were I to refer you to Hollinfhed or Stowe; men, I affure you by no means def. picable, and much fuperior to Caxton Fabian, Graften, &c.; nor will you chufe to read chronicles in rhyme, as Robert of Gloucester and Harding. The most elegant old hiftory we have is that by Samuel Daniel, a Poet of no mean rank. Though he wrote more than half a century before Milton, his ftyle appears much more modern. His continuator Truffel is not fo well fpoken of. Daniel is very concife in his accounts before the Conqueft, but much fuller afterwards He ends with Edward III. and Truffe with Richard III. This book is printed in Bishop Kennet's Collec tions; but the old editions are the beft. The Bishop employed Oldmixon, a hero of the Dunciad, in the re-publication who, we are told, falfified it in many places. If we are not content with general accounts of the fubfequent reigns, it may not be amifs to look at their particular writers. Buck's Hiftory of Richard III. is remarkable from the pains he takes to clear his character against the scandal (as he calls it) of other Hiftorians. Lord Bacon's florid Hiftory of Henry VII.comes next. You muft know this King was a favourite with James the I. and as it was written to recover his favour, the author, you may fuppofe, has not been impartial. Lord Herbert's Henty the VIII. well deferves reading; he was a free-thinker and a free-writer; his information was good, and the æra particularly interelting. The next word of importance (not quite forgetting Dr. (afterwards Sir John) Hayward's Edward the VI) is Camden's Elizabeth, a performance worthy ofits au hor. The toy of Mary Queen of Scots may be more particularly learned from her countrymen Melville, Buchannan, &c. The Stuarts have brought in a flood of histories, many high flying panyegytics, and many fcandalous invectives. On James the I. Wilfon, Sanderfor, Weldon, &c. and a late writer, one Harris, an Anabaptiit Parfoa. For Charles the I. appears our greatcft Hiltonan Lord Clarendon: on the other fide Ludlow; who, however, is particularly fovere on Cromwell. I omit Whitlock, Rushworth, Warwick, and a thousand others. After the Restoration, Bishop Burnet's History of his Own Times will come in, and carry us to the end of Queen Queen Anne's reign; a curious work, but to be read with great caution, as the Bishop had ftrong prejudices. Salmon wrote an answer to it. Rapin feems the next writer of much confequence. Voltaire, certain ly a good judge of hiftory, calls him our beft Hiftorian; but perhaps he was partial to his countryman. It is, however, a work of much accuracy, but barren of reflection, and confequently heavy in the reading. Carte, who emphatically ftiles himself an Englishman, wrote purpotely against him on the Tory fide of the queftion. The later Hiftorians, Hume, Smollet, &c. you know perhaps, as well as I do. Hume is certainly an admirable writer; his file bold, and his reflections fhrewd and uncom mon; but his religious and political notions have too often warped his judgment. (Mrs Macaulay has juft now published against his account of the Stuarts, but I have not yet had an opportunity of reading her book). Smollet wants the dignity of hiftory, and takes every thing upon truft; but his books, at least the former volumes, are fufficiently pleafing. I have purposely omitted a multitude of writers; as Speed, Baker, Brady, Tyrrel, Echard, Guthrie, &c. Collections of Letters and State Papers are of the utmost importance, if we pretend to exactnefs; such as a collection called the Cabala, Burleigh's, Sydney's, Thurloe's, &c. The laft obfervation I fhall trouble you with is, that fometimes a fingle pamphlet will give us better the clue of a tranfaction than a volume in folio. Thus we learn from the Dutchefs of Marlborough's Apology, that the peace of Utrecht was made by a quarrel among the women of the bedchamber! Hence Memoirs, Secret Hiftories, Political Papers, c. are not to be defpifed, always allowing fufficiently for the prejudice of party, and believing them no further than they are fupported by collateral evidence. Copy of a Letter from John Dunning, Efq. to a Gentleman of the Inner Temple, containing Directions to the Student. ΤΗ Lincoln's Inn, March 3, 1779. DEAR SIR, rosini. I THE habits of intercourfe in which I have lived with your family, joined to the regard which I entertain for yourself, makes me felicitous, in compliance with your requeft, to give fome hints concerning the Study you ftudy itself fo intricate as has been imagined; more especially fince the labours of fome modern writers have given it a more regular and scientific form. Without induftry, however, it is impoffible to arrive at any eminence in practice: and the man who fhall be bold enough to attempt excellence bybilities alone, will foon find Our profeffion is generally ridicu- himfelf foiled by many who have inJed as being dry and uninterefting; ferior underftandings, but better atbut a mind anxious for the difcovery tainments. On the other hand, the of truth and information will be amp- molt painful plodder can never by gratified for the toil, in inveftigat-rive at celebrity by mere reading; a ing the origin and progrefs of a jurif man calculated for fuccefs, muft add prudence, which has the good of the to native genius an inftinctive faculty people for its balis, and the accumu- in the difcovery and retention of that lated wifdom and experience of ages knowledge only, which can be at once for its improvement. Nor is the ufeful and productive. ar I I imagine that a confiderable degree of learning is abfolutely neceffary. The elder authors frequently wrote in Latin, and the foreign jurifts continue the practice to this day. Befides this,' claffical attainments contribute much to the refinement of the understanding, and the embellishment of the ftile. The utility of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, are known and felt by every one. Geometry will afford the moft appofite examples of clofe and pointed reafoning; and geography is fo very neceffary in common life, that there is lefs credit in knowing, than difhonour in being unacquainted with it. But it is hiftory, and more particularly that of his own country, which will occupy the attention and attract the regard of the great lawyer. A minute knowledge of the political revolutions and judicial decifions of our predeceffors, whether in the more ancient or modern æras of our government, is equally ufeful and interefting. This will include a narrative of all the material alterations in the Common Law, and the reafons and exigencies on which they were founded. I would always recommend a diligent attendance on the Courts of Juftice, as by that means the practice of them (a circumftance of great moment) will be easily and naturally ac... · ́ quired. Befides this, a much ftrong er impreffion will be made on the mind by the statement of the cafe, and the pleadings of the counfel, than from a cold uninterefting detail of it mon-place books are convenient and ufeful; and as they are generally let-' tered, a reference may be had to them in a moment. It is ufual to ac quire fome infight into real business, under an eminent fpecial pleader, previous to actual practice at the bar. This idea I beg leave ftrongly to fe cond; and indeed I have known but a few great men who have not poffeffed this advantage. I here fubjoin a lift of books neceffary for your perufal and inftruction, to which I have added fome remarks; and wishing that you may add to a fuccessful practice that integrity which can alone make you worthy of it, 1 remain, &c. &c. JOHN DUNNING, Read Hume's Hiftory of Eng land, particularly obferving the rife progrefs, and declenfion of the feudal fyftem. Minutely attend to the Saxon government that preceded it, and dwell on the reigns of Edward I-Henry VI.-Henry VII.-Henry VIII.James I. -Charles I. Charles II. and James II. Blackstone. On the fecond reading turn to the references. Mr Juftice Wright's learned Treatife on Tenures. Coke Littleton, especially every word of Fee Simple, Fee-Tail, and Tenant in Tail. Coke's Inftitutes; more particularly the Ift and IId; and Serjeant Hawkin's Compendium. in a report. But above all, a trial at Coke's Reports-Plowden's Com bar, or a fpecial argument, fhould never be neglected. As it is usual on thefe occafions to take notes, a know ledge of thort-hand will give fuch facility to your labours, as to enable you to follow the most rapid fpeaker with certainty and precision. Com mentary.Bacon's Abridgement; and Firft. Principles of Equity.——Pi gott on Fines.Reports of Croke, Burrow Raymond, Saunders, Strange, and Peere Williams.-Paley's Max ims.-Lord Bacon's Elements of the Common Law. Courfe 424 Courfe of Study in Law recommended by Lord Mansfield to Mr Drummond, 1774. FOR general Ethics, which are the foundation of all Law, read Xenophon's Memorabilia, Tully's Offices, and Woolafton's Religion of Nature. You may likewife look into Ariftotle's Ethics, which you will not like; but it is one of thofe books, qui á limine falutandi funt ne verba nobis dentur. For the law of nations, which is partly founded on the law of nature, and partly pofitive, read Grotius, and Püffendorf in Barbeyrac's tranflation, and Burlamaqui's Droit Naturel; as these authors treat the fame fubject in the hands, they may be read together and compared. When you have laid this founda tion, it will be time to look into thofe fyftems of pofitive law that have prevailed in their turn. You will begin of course with the Roman Law; for the hiftory of which read Gravina's elegant work De Ortu et Progreffu Juris Croils; then read and study Juftinian's Institutes, without any * other comment than the fhort one by Vinnius. Long comments would only confound you, and make your head fpin round. Dip occasionally into the pandects. After this, it will be proper to acquire a general idea of feudal law and the feudal fyftem, which is fo interwoven with almoft every conflitution in Europe, that without fome knowledge of it, it is impof fible to understand Modern Hiftory. Read Craig de Feudes, an admirable book for matter and method; and dip occafionally into the Corpus Juris Feudalis, whilft you are reading Gianonone's Hiftory of Naples, one of the ablest and most instructive books that ever was written. Thefe writers are not fufficient to give you a thorough knowledge of the fubjectsthey treatof, but they will give you general notions, general leading principles, and lay the beft foundation that can be laid for the ftudy of any municipal law, fuch as the Law of England, Scotland France, &c. &c. SIR, IT is ICJ Copy of a Letter from Mr Burke to the Archbishop of Aix. is a great fatisfaction to me that the generous victims of injuftice and tyranny accept, in good part, the homage which I have offered to their virtues. It is a diftinction which I would not have had occafion to me rit from the clergy of France in the time of their credit and fplendor. Your Church, the intelligence of which was the ornament of the Chrif tian World in its profperity, is now more brilliant, in the moment of its misfortunes, to the eyes who are ca pable of judging of it. Never did fo great a number of men difplay a confancy fo inflexible, a difinterefted. pefs fo manifeft, an humility fo magpanimous fo much dignity in their patience, and fo much elevation in the fenument of honour. Ages have not furnished fo many noble examples as France has produced in the fpace of two years. It is odious to fearch in antiquity for the merit we admire, and to be infenfible to that which paffes under our eyes. France is in a deplorable fituation, both in its political and moral ftate; but it seems 10 to be in the order of the general ecohomy of the World, that when the greatest and most deteftable vices domineer, the most eminent and diftinguished virtues raise their heads more proudly. Such is not the time for mediocrity. We may have fome diversity in our opinions, but we have no difference in principles. There is but one kind of honour and virtue in the world. It confits in facrificing every other confider ation to the fentiments of our duty, of right, and of piety. It is this which the Clergy of France have done. I will not examine fcrupulously, by what motives men like you have thought it your duty to fupport all that you have done. All that I fee I am forced to admire. The reft is out of my reach-out, perhaps, of the reach of those who are better inftructed than me. One thing I fee diftinct ly, because the Bishops of France have proved it by their example; and that is, that they had made known to all the orders, and all the claffes of citizens, the advantages which even religion can derive from the alliance of its own proper dignity, with the character which illustrious birth and the fentiment of honour gives to man. It is with good reafon that in France the Nobleffe fhould be proud of the Clergy, and the Clergy of the Nobleffe, although thefe two claffes be for the prefent condemned to palive courage, which gives fo much glory to the one and the other. I thall prefent to the Bishop of St Paul de Leon your fine and affecting Addrefs perhaps he has already received it. I am fure that he will remain fixed. If I may judge from the little I have feen of him, he is a most estimable and a moit amiable man. He has been received here by our high Clergy, and by many others, not certainly in the manner due to his rank and merit, but with a refpect or the one and those with which, Ff VOL. XIV. No. $1. from his natural goodness, he feems to be faisfied. I do not know if it is to the complaifance of your Lordship that I owe the Chefs-d'œuvres of ingenuity, intelligence, and superior eloquerce, varied as the occafions require, in the dif ferent difcourfes and letters which I from time to time receive. They are the works of a great statefman-of a great Prelate and of a man versed in the fcience of Administration. We cannot be aftonished that the State, the Clergy, the Finances, and the trade of the kingdoni, fhould be ruined, when the author of these works, instead of having an important share in the Councils of his country, is per fecuted and undone. The profcription of fuch men is enough to cover e a whole people with eternal reproach. Thofe who perfecute them have, by this one act, done more injury to their country in depriving it of their fervices, than a million of men of their own ftandard can ever repair, even when they fhall be disposed to build upon the ruins they have made. Maintain, Sir, the courage which you have hitherto fhewn and be perfunded, that though the World is not worthy of you and your colleagues, we are not all infenfible of the honcur which you do to our common na、 ture. I have the honour to be, very truly, &c. EDMUND BURKE |