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bishopric of Chichester, which his Majesty offered him provided he would entirely come into his interest. His unprejudiced conduct at this period, the efforts which he made to save the lives of Stanley and Lord Stafford (both zealous Papists), his moderate language relative to the exclusion of the Duke of York, and his proposal of a Prince Regent in his stead, are sufficiently related in the History of his Own Times.'

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In 1682, on the change of administration in favour of the Duke, being much resorted to by persons of all parties, in order to avoid returning visits he built a laboratory, and went through a course of chemical experiments. Not long afterward, he refused a living of three hundred pounds per ann., offered him by the Earl of Essex on condition of his continuing to reside in London.

His behaviour on the trial of Lord Russell, his attendance upon him in prison and at his execution, and a suspicion of his being concerned in drawing up that nobleman's speech, having excited against him the indignation of the court, he took a short tour to Paris; where, by the express direction of the French monarch, he was treated with unusual civility, and became acquainted with several eminent persons. Not thinking it right, however, to be longer absent from his professional duties, he returned to London; and was soon afterward, in pursuance of the royal mandate, discharged from his lectureship at St. Clement's. Having also in a sermon at the Roll's Chapel, on the fifth of November 1684, severely inveighed against the doctrines of Popery, he was forbidden to preach there any more. His text, Ps. xxii. 21, Save me from the Lion's mouth; thou hast

heard me from the horns of the Unicorns, was thought to contain a bold reference to the supporters of the royal arms, though the preacher asserts that he intended no such allusion. The discourse itself was deemed equally bold, especially in quoting the imprecation of James I. against any of his posterity, who should endeavour to introduce Popery. He published, about this period, several works favourable to liberty and Protestantism, among which stand most deservedly high his Lives of Sir Matthew Hale and Bishop Bedell.

"Upon the accession of the new Monarch, he obtained leave to quit the kingdom. After visiting Paris, he proceeded to Rome, where he met with a most hospitable reception; the Pope himself (Innocent II.) sending him word that to supersede the ceremony of kissing his Holiness' slipper, he would give him a private audience in bed;' but from this Dr. Burnet excused himself.

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One evening, on visiting Cardinal Howard, he found him distributing relics to two French gentlemen; upon which, he whispered to him in English his surprise, that an English priest should be at Rome, helping them off with the ware of Babylon.' The Cardinal smiled at the remark, and repeating it in French to his visitors, bade them tell their countrymen, how bold the heretics and how mild the cardinals were in that city.'

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Some disputes however, which Burnet held during his stay concerning religion, beginning to be taken notice of, upon an intimation received from Prince Borghese he pursued his travels through Switzerland and Germany. Of these he has given an account in his Travels,' published in 1687. When

at Geneva, he warmly recommended to it's clergy some relaxation in the subscription required for orders, the rigour of which had caused the expatriation of many worthy men and the insincere compliance of others.

In 1686, arriving at Utrecht, with the intention of settling in some of the Seven Provinces, he received an invitation from the Prince and Princess of Orange to the Hague; and being admitted to their secret councils, he advised the fitting out of a fleet in Holland for the purpose of encouraging their friends. This, and the account of his Travels, in

"It is not to be understood," says Mr. Fox (speaking of some exiled conspirators) "that there were no other names upon the list of those who fled from the tyranny of the British government, or thought themselves unsafe in their native country on account of it's violence, beside those of the persons abovementioned, and of such as joined in their bold and hazardous enterprise. Another class of emigrants, not less sensible probably to the wrongs of their country, but less sanguine in their hopes of immediate redress, is ennobled by the names of Burnet the historian and Mr. Locke. It is difficult to accede to the opinion, which the first of these seems to entertain, that though particular injustices had been committed, the misgovernment had not been of such a nature as to justify resistance by arms.' But the prudential reasons against resistance, at that time, were exceedingly strong; and there is no point in human concerns, wherein the dictates of virtue and worldly prudence are so identified, as in this great question of resistance by force to established government. Success,' it has been invidiously remarked, 'constitutes in most instances the sole difference between the traitor and the deliverer of his country. A rational probability of success, it may be truly said, distinguishes the wellconsidered enterprise of the patriot from the rash schemes of the disturber of the public peace. To command success, is not in the power of man: but to deserve success, by choosing a proper time as well as a proper object, by the prudence of his means no less than by the purity of his views, by a cause not

which he represents Popery and tyranny as inseparable, with some of his papers reflecting on the proceedings of England, induced James II. to insist by his Embassador that he should be forbidden the Dutch Court. He continued, however, to be trusted and employed as before. And a report being circulated, that he was on the point of being married to a lady of considerable fortune* at the Hague, in order to prevent this and to put an end to his fre· quent conferences with the ministers, a prosecution for high treason was set on foot against him both in England and Scotland: but, by obtaining a bill of naturalisation with a view to his intended marriage, he avoided the storm.

Being now legally placed under the protection of Holland, he undertook, in a letter to the Earl of Middleton, to answer all the matters laid to his charge; adding that he regarded his allegiance, during his stay in these parts, as transferred from his

only intrinsically just but likely to insure general support, is the indispensable duty of him who engages in an insurrection against an existing government. Upon this subject the opinion of Ludlow, who though often misled appears to have been an honest and enlightened man, is striking and forcibly expressed: We ought (says he) to be very careful and circumspect in that particular, and at least be assured of very probable grounds, to believe the power under which we engage to be sufficiently able to protect us in our undertaking: otherwise, I should account myself guilty not only of my own blood, but also in some measure of the ruin and destruction of all those that I should induce to engage with me, though the cause were never so just.'"

* Mrs. Mary Scot, who to the advantage of birth and wealth united those of a fine person and cultivated understanding. She was originally descended from the Scots of Buccleugh, in Scotland.

Majesty to the States General.' In another letter, likewise, he stated that, if upon non-appearance a sentence should be passed against him, he should for his own justification be compelled to give an account of the share he had taken in public affairs, in which he might be led to mention what he was afraid would not be very satisfactory to his Majesty.'

These expressions gave such offence to the English Court, that dropping the former prosecution, they proceeded against him as guilty of high treason: a sentence of outlawry was passed upon him; and the King having in vain demanded his person, insisted subsequently that he should be banished from the Seven Provinces.' This the States refused, alleging, that he was become their subject; and, if his Majesty had any thing to lay to his charge, justice should be done in their courts.'

Being thus secured from all danger, he proceeded to forward the important affair of the Revolution. He gave early notice of it to the Court of Hanover; intimating, that 'it's effectuation might probably end in the succession of that illustrious House to the British crown.' He wrote, also, several pamphlets in support of the designs of the Prince of Orange, assisted in drawing up his Declaration and other papers, and when he set off upon his expedition, accompanied him as Chaplain. Upon his landing likewise at Exeter, he suggested the Association, and was of no small service, by his pulpit-eloquence, in confirming or converting proselytes to the great cause in which they were embarked.

During these transactions Dr. Crewe, Bishop of Durham, who had rendered himself obnoxious by his