CLARKE

CLARKE (Dr Samuel), a very celebrated English divine, was the son of Edward Clarke, Esq; alderman of Norwich, and one of its representatives in parliament for several years; and born there October 11. 1675. He was instructed in classical learning at the free-school of that town; and in 1691 removed thence to Caius college in Cambridge, where his uncommon abilities soon began to display themselves. Though the philosophy of Des Cartes was at that time the established philosophy of the university, yet Clarke easily mastered the new system of Newton; and in order to his first degree of arts, performed a public exercise in the schools upon a question taken from it. He greatly contributed to the establishment of the Newtonian philosophy by an excellent translation of, and notes upon, Rohault's "Physics," which he finished before he was 22 years of age. The system of natural philosophy then generally taught in the university was that written by Rohault, founded altogether upon Cartesian principles, and very ill translated into Latin. Clarke gave a new translation, and added to it such notes as might lead students infensibly and by degrees to other and truer notions than could be found there. "And this certainly (says Bishop Hoadly) was a more prudent method of introducing truth unknown before, than to attempt to throw aside this treatise entirely, and write a new one instead of it. The success answered exceedingly well to his hopes; and he may justly be styled a great benefactor to the university in this attempt. For by this means the true philosophy has, without any noise, prevailed; and to this day his translation of Rohault is, generally speak-

ing, the standing text for lectures, and his notes the first direction to those who are willing to receive the reality and truth of things in the place of invention and romance." Whilton relates, that in 1697, while he was chaplain to Moore bishop of Norwich, he met young Clarke, then wholly unknown to him, at a coffee-house in that city; where they entered into a conversation about the Cartesian philosophy, particularly Rohault's "Physics," which Clarke's tutor, as he tells us, had put him upon translating. "The result of this conversation was (says Whilton), that I was greatly surprised that so young a man as Clarke then was, should know so much of those sublime discoveries, which were then almost a secret to all, but to a few particular mathematicians. Nor did I remember (continues he) above one or two at the most, whom I had then met with, that seemed to know so much of that philosophy as Clarke." This translation of Rohault was first printed in 1697, 8vo. There have been four editions of it, in every one of which improvements have been made; especially in the last in 1718, which has the following title: Jacobi Rohaulti Physica. Latine veris, recensuit, et uberioribus jam Annotationibus, ex illustrissimi Isaac Newtoni Philosophia maximam partem hactenus amplificavit et ornavit S. Clarke, S. T. P. Accedunt etiam in hac quarta editione nova aliqua tabula arithmetica, et Annotationes multum sunt auctae. Dr John Clarke, late dean of Sarum, and our author's brother, translated this work into English, and published it in 2 vols. 8vo.

Afterwards he turned his thoughts to divinity; and in order to fit himself for the sacred function, he studied the Old Testament in the original Hebrew, the New in the original Greek, and the primitive Christian writers. Having taken holy orders, he became chaplain to Moore bishop of Norwich, who was ever after his constant friend and patron. In 1699 he published two treatises: one intitled "Three practical Essays on Baptism, Confirmation, and Repentance;" the other, "Some Reflections on that part of a book called Amyntor, or a Defence of Milton's Life, which relates to the Writings of the Primitive Fathers, and the Canon of the New Testament." In 1701 he published "A Paraphrase upon the Gospel of St Matthew;" which was followed in 1702 by the "Paraphrases upon the Gospels of St Mark and St Luke," and soon after by a third volume "upon St John." They were afterwards printed together in 2 vols. 8vo; and have since undergone several editions. He intended to have gone through the remaining books of the New Testament, but something accidentally interrupted the execution.

Mean while Bishop Moore gave him the rectory of Drayton near Norwich, and procured for him a parish in that city; and these he served himself in that season when the bishop resided at Norwich. In 1704 he was appointed to preach Boyle's lecture; and the subject he chose was, "The being and attributes of God." He succeeded so well in this, and gave such high satisfaction, that he was appointed to preach the same lecture the next year; when he chose for his subject "The evidences of natural and revealed religion." These sermons were first printed in two distinct volumes; the former in 1705, the latter in 1706. They have since been printed in one volume, under the ge-

neral title of "A Discourse concerning the Being and Attributes of God, the Obligations of natural Religion, and the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Revelation, in answer to Hobbes, Spinoza, the Author of the Oracles of Reason, and other Deniers of natural and revealed Religion." Clarke having endeavoured in the first part of this work to show, that the being of a God may be demonstrated by arguments a priori, is unluckily involved in the centre which Pope has passed upon this method of reasoning in the following lines. They are put into the mouth of one of his dunces, addressing himself to the goddess Dulnes:

"Let others creep by timid steps and slow,
On plain experience by foundations low,
By common sense to common knowledge bred,
And lost to nature's cause through nature led.
All-seeing in thy mists, we want no guide,
Mother of arrogance, and source of pride!
We nobly take the high priori road,
And reason downward, till we doubt of God."

Dunciad, b. 4. l. 455.

Upon which we have the following note: "Those who, from the effects in this visible world, deduce the eternal power and Godhead of the first cause, though they cannot attain to an adequate idea of the Deity, yet discover so much of him as enables them to see the end of their creation and the means of their happiness: whereas they who take this high priori road, as Hobbes, Spinoza, Des Cartes, and some better reasoners, for one that goes right, ten lose themselves in mists, or ramble after visions, which deprive them of all sight of their end, and mislead them in the choice of wrong means." Clarke, it is probable, would not have denied this; and the poet perhaps would have spared his better reasoners, and not have joined them with such company, had he recollected our author's apology for using the argument a priori. "The argument a posteriori (says he) is indeed by far the most generally useful argument, most easy to be understood, and in some degree suited to all capacities; and therefore it ought always to be insisted upon: But for as much as atheistical writers have sometimes opposed the being and attributes of God by such metaphysical reasonings, as can no otherwise be obviated than by arguing a priori; therefore this manner of arguing also is useful and necessary in its proper place." To this may be added the answer he made to Mr Whilton upon this occasion, as narrated by the latter in his Historical Memoirs. "When Clarke brought me his book, I was in my garden against St Peter's college in Cambridge, where I then lived. Now I perceived, that in these sermons he had dealt a great deal in abstract and metaphysical reasoning. I therefore asked him how he ventured into such subtleties which I never durst meddle with? and showing him a nettle, or some contemptible weed in my garden, I told him that weed contained better arguments for the being and attributes of a God than all his metaphysics. Clarke confessed it to be so; but alleged for himself, that since such philosophers as Hobbes and Spinoza had made use of those kind of subtleties against him, he thought proper to show that the like way of reasoning might be made better use of on the side of religion: which reason or excuse I allowed to be not inconsiderable." Undoubtedly, as the present editor of Biographia Britannica observes,

Clarke. serves the grand, the proper, the decisive proof of the existence, perfections, and providence of the Deity, must be drawn from his works. On this proof, as being equally satisfactory to the profoundest philosopher and the meanest peasant, the cause of religion will ever stand secure. Nevertheless, if there be such a thing as an argument a priori, why may not speculative men be employed in its examination? Several able divines and philosophers have thought, and still think, that this argument for the being and attributes of God, will stand the test of the severest scrutiny; and therefore they cannot be blamed for endeavouring to set it in a convincing light to others. As to the merit, indeed, of the whole work under consideration, including the evidences of natural and revealed religion, it is undoubtedly of the first order. Difficulties may be raised on particular points, and the ablest and most candid inquirers may sometimes see cause to hesitate with regard to the validity of the reasoning: but still, in general, the book reflects honour on the age as well as the author that produced it, and will descend, with distinguished reputation, to a late posterity. The defence, in particular, of the sacred original and authority of Christianity, is admirably conducted.

In 1706 he published "A Letter to Mr Dodwell;" wherein all the arguments in his epistolary discourse against the immortality of the soul are particularly answered, and the judgment of the fathers, to whom Mr Dodwell had appealed concerning that matter, truly represented. Bishop Hoadly observes, that in this letter he answered Mr Dodwell in so excellent a manner, both with regard to the philosophical part, and to the opinions of some of the primitive writers, upon whom these doctrines were fixed, that it gave universal satisfaction. But this controversy did not stop here; for the celebrated Collins, coming in as a second to Dodwell, went much farther into the philosophy of the dispute, and indeed seemed to produce all that could possibly be said against the immateriality of the soul, as well as the liberty of human actions. This enlarged the scene of the dispute; into which our author entered, and wrote with such a spirit of clearness and demonstration, as at once showed him greatly superior to his adversaries in metaphysical and physical knowledge; and made every intelligent reader rejoice, that such an incident had happened to provoke and extort from him that plenty of strong reasoning and perspicuity of expression, which were indeed very much wanted upon this intricate and obscure subject. "And I am persuaded (continues the bishop), that as what he has writ in this controversy comprehends the little that the ancients had said well, and adds still more evidence than ever clearly appeared before, and all in words that have a meaning to them, it will remain the standard of good sense on that side of the question, on which he spent so many of his thoughts, as upon one of his favourite points." Clarke's letter to Dodwell was soon followed by four defences of it, in four several letters to the author of "A Letter to the learned Mr Henry Dodwell; containing some Remarks on a pretended Demonstration of the Immateriality and natural Immortality of the Soul, in Mr Clarke's Answer to his late Epistolary Discourse, &c." They were afterwards all printed together; and the "Answer to Toland's Amyntor" added to them.

Clarke. In the midst of all these labours, he found time to show his regard to mathematical and physical studies, and exact knowledge and skill in them. And his natural affection and capacity for these studies were not a little improved by the friendship of Sir Isaac Newton; at whose request he translated his "Optics" into Latin in 1706. With this version Sir Isaac was so highly pleased, that he presented him with the sum of L. 500, or L. 100 for each child, Clarke having then five children.

This year also, bishop Moore, who had long formed a design of fixing him more conspicuously, procured for him the rectory of St Benner's, Paul's Wharf, in London; and soon after carried him to court, and recommended him to the favour of queen Anne. She appointed him one of her chaplains in ordinary; and, in consideration of his great merit, and at the request of the bishop, presented him to the rectory of St James's, Westminster, when it became vacant in 1709. Upon his advancement to this station, he took the degree of D.D. when the public exercise which he performed for it at Cambridge was prodigiously admired. The questions which he maintained were these: 1. "Nullum fidei Christianae dogma, in sacris scripturis traditum, est recte rationi dissentaneum;" that is, "No article of the Christian faith, delivered in the holy Scriptures, is disagreeable to right reason." 2. "Sine actionum humanarum libertate nulla potest esse religio;" that is, "Without the liberty of human actions there can be no religion." His thesis was upon the first of these questions; which being thoroughly sifted by that most acute disputant professor James, he made an extempore reply, in a continued discourse for near half an hour, with so little hesitation, that many of the auditors declared themselves astonished; and owned, that if they had not been within sight of him, they should have supposed him to have read every word of it from a paper. After this, through the course of the syllogistical disputation, he guarded so well against the arts which the professor was a complete master of; replied so readily to the greatest difficulties such an objector could propose; and pressed him so close and hard with clear and intelligible answers, that perhaps there never was such a conflict heard in those schools. The professor, who was a man of humour as well as learning, said to him at the end of the disputation, "Profecto, me probe exercuiti;" that is, "On my word, you have worked me sufficiently;" and the members of the university went away, admiring, as indeed they well might, that a man even of Clarke's abilities, after an absence of so many years, and a long discourse of business of quite another nature, should acquit himself in such a manner, as if this sort of academical exercise had been his constant employment; and with such fluency and purity of expression, as if he had been accustomed to no other language in conversation but Latin. The same year, 1709, he revised and corrected Whiston's translation of the "Apollolical Constitutions" into English. Whiston tells us, that his own studies having been chiefly upon other things, and having rendered him incapable of being also a critic in words and languages, he desired his great friend and great critic Dr Clarke to revise that translation; which he was so kind as to agree to.

In 1712, he published a most beautiful and pompous edition of Cæsar's commentaries, adorned with elegant sculptures. It is intitled, "C. Julii Cæsaris quæ extant, accuratissime cum libris editis & inſt. optimis collata, recognita, & correcta; acceſſerunt annotationes Samuelis Clarke, S. T. P. item indices locorum, rerumque & verborum, utiliffima." It was printed in 1712, folio; and afterwards in 1720, 8vo. It was dedicated to the great duke of Marlborough, "at a time," says Bishop Hoadly, "when his unequalled victories and ſucceſſes had raised his glory to the highest pitch abroad, and leſſened his intereſt and favour at home." In the publication of this book, the doctor took particular care of the punctuation. In the annotations, he ſelected what appeared the beſt and moſt judicious in former editors, with ſome corrections and emendations of his own interſperſed. Mr Addison has ſpoken of this folio edition of Cæsar's commentaries in the following words: "The new edition, which is given us of Cæsar's commentaries, has already been taken notice of in foreign gazettes, and is a work that does honour to the Engliſh preſs. It is no wonder that an edition ſhould be very correct, which has paſſed thro' the hands of one of the moſt accurate, learned, and judicious writers this age has produced. The beauty of the paper, of the character, and of the ſeveral cuts with which this noble work is illuſtrated, makes it the ſineſt book that I have ever ſeen; and is a true inſtance of the Engliſh genius, which, though it does not come the firſt into any art, generally carries it to greater heights than any other country in the world." This noble work has riſen in value from that time to the preſent. A copy of this edition in large paper, moſt ſplendidly bound in morocco, was fold at the Hon. Mr Beauclerk's ſale for forty-four pounds; and it was ſaid to be purchaſed by the Duke of Grafton. "To a prince or a nobleman (ſays Dr Harwood), it was a cheap purchaſe; for it was the moſt magnificent book I ever beheld. The binding coſt Mr Beauclerk five guineas.

The ſame year, 1712, he publiſhed his celebrated book intitled, "The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity, &c." which is divided into three parts. The firſt is, a collection and explication of all the texts in the "New Teſtament," relating to the doctrine of the Trinity: in the ſecond, the foregoing doctrine is ſet forth at large, and explained in particular and diſtinct propoſitions; and in the third, the principal paſſages in the liturgy of the church of England, relating to the doctrine of the Trinity, are conſidered. Biſhop Hoadly applauds our author's method of proceeding, in forming his ſentiments upon ſo important a point: "He knew (ſays he), and all men agreed, that it was a matter of mere revelation. He did not therefore retire into his cloſet, and ſet himſelf to invent and forge a plausible hypotheſis, which might fit eaſily upon his mind. He had not recourſe to abſtract and metaphyſical reaſonings to cover or patronize any ſyſtem he might have embraced before. But, as a Christian, he laid open the New Teſtament before him. He ſearched out every text in which mention was made of the three perſons, or any one of them. He accurately examined the meaning of the words uſed about every one of them; and by the beſt rules of grammar and critique, and by his ſkill in language, he endeavoured to fix plainly what was declared about every perſon, and what was not. And what he thought to be the truth, he pub-

liſhed under the title of 'The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity.' "I am far (ſays the Biſhop) from taking upon me to determine, in ſo difficult a question between him and thoſe who made replies to him; but this I hope I may be allowed to ſay, that every Christian divine and layman ought to pay his thanks to Dr Clarke for the method into which he brought this diſpute; and for that collection of texts of the New Teſtament, by which at laſt it muſt be decided, on which ſide ſoever the truth may be ſuppoſed to lie." Whiton informs us, that ſome time before the publication of this book, there was a meſſage ſent to him from lord Godolphin, and others of queen Anne's miſters, importing, "That the affairs of the public were with difficulty then kept in the hands of thoſe that were for liberty; that it was therefore an unſeaſonable time for the publication of a book that would make a great noiſe and diſturbance; and that therefore they deſired him to forbear till a ſitter opportunity ſhould offer itſelf;" which meſſage (ſays he) the doctor had no regard to, but went on according to the diſtates of his own conſcience with the publication of his book. The miſters, however, were very right in their conjectures; for the work made noiſe and diſturbance enough, and occaſioned a great number of books and pamphlets, written by himſelf and others.

Books and pamphlets, however, were not all which the "Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity" occaſioned: it made its author obnoxious to the power eccleſiaſtical, and his book to be complained of by the Lower Houſe of convention. The Doctor drew up a preface, and afterwards gave in ſeveral explanations, which ſeemed to ſatisfy the Upper Houſe; at leaſt the affair was not brought to any iſſue, the members appearing deſirous to prevent diſſenſions and diviſions.

In 1715 and 1716, he had a diſpute with the celebrated Leibnitz, relating to the principles of natural philoſophy and religion; and a collection of the papers which paſſed between them was publiſhed in 1717. This performance of the doctor's is inſcribed to her late majeſty queen Caroline, then princeſs of Wales, who was pleaſed to have the controversy paſs through her hands. It related chiefly to the important and difficult ſubjects of liberty and neceſſity.

In 1718, Dr Clarke made an alteration in the forms of doxology in the ſinging pſalms, which produced no ſmall noiſe and diſturbance, and occaſioned ſome pamphlets to be written. The alteration was this:

To God, through Chriſt, his only Son,
Immortal glory be, &c.

And,
To God, through Chriſt, his Son, our Lord,
All glory be therefore, &c.

A conſiderable number of theſe ſelected pſalms and hymns having been diſperſed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, before the alteration of the doxologies was taken notice of, he was charged with a deſign of impoſing upon the ſociety: whereas, in truth, the edition of them had been prepared by him for the uſe of his own pariſh only, before the ſociety had thoughts of purchaſing any of the copies: and as the uſual forms of doxology are not eſtabliſhed by any legal authority, eccleſiaſtical or civil, in this he had not offended.

About this time he was preſented by the lord Lechmere,

Clarke. mere, the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, to the
mastership of Wigton's hospital in Leicester. In 1724,
he published 17 sermons preached on several occasions,
11 of which were never before printed; and the year
following, a sermon, preached at the parish-church of
St James's, upon the erecting a charity-school for the
education of women servants. In 1727, upon the
death of Sir Isaac Newton, he was offered by the court
the place of master of the Mint, worth concomitibus an-
nis 1200 or 1500. a year. But to this secular preferment
he could not reconcile himself; and therefore abso-
lutely refused it. Whiston seems to wonder, that
Clarke's eulogists should lay so little stress upon this re-
fusal, as to mention it not at all, or at least very negli-
gently; while "he takes it," he says, "to be one of
the most glorious actions of his life, and to afford un-
deniable conviction, that he was in earnest in his re-
ligion." In 1728, was published, "A Letter from
Dr Clarke to Mr Benjamin Hoadly, F. R. S. occa-
sioned by the Controversy, relating to the Proportion
of Velocity and Force in Bodies in Motion;" and
printed in the "Philosophical Transactions, n^o 401.

In 1729, he published the 12 first books of "Ho-
mer's Iliad." This edition was printed in 4to, and
dedicated to the duke of Cumberland. The Latin
version is almost entirely new; and annotations are
added to the bottom of the pages. Homer, Bishop
Hoadly tells, was Clarke's admired author, even to a
degree of something like enthusiasm, hardly natural to
his temper; and that in this he went a little beyond
the bounds of Horace's judgments, and was so unwil-
ling to allow the favourite poet ever to nod, that he
has taken remarkable pains to find out, and give a
reason for every passage, word, and title, that could
create any suspicion. "The translation," adds the
Bishop, "with his corrections, may now be styled accu-
rate; and his notes, as far as they go, are indeed a
treasury of grammatical and critical knowledge. He
was called to his task by royal command; and he has pre-
formed it in such a manner, as to be worthy of the
young prince, for whom it was laboured." The year
of its publication was the last of this great man's life.
Though not robust, he had always enjoyed a firm state
of health, without any indisposition bad enough to
confine him, except the small-pox in his youth; till,
on Sunday May 11. 1729, going out in the morning
to preach before the judges at Serjeant's-inn, he was
there seized with a pain in his side, which made it
impossible for him to perform the office he was called
to; and quickly became so violent, that he was obliged
to be carried home. He went to bed, and thought
himself so much better in the afternoon, that he would
not suffer himself to be bled; against which remedy,
it is remarkable that he had entertained strong
prejudices. But the pain returning violently about
two the next morning, made bleeding absolutely ne-
cessary; he appeared to be out of danger, and con-
tinued to think himself so, till the Saturday morning
following; when, to the inexpressible surprise of all
about him, the pain removed from his side to his
head; and, after a very short complaint, took away
his senses so, as they never returned any more. He
continued breathing till between seven and eight of the
evening of that day, which was May 17. 1729; and
then died, in his 54th year.

VOL. V. Part I.

Soon after his death were published, from his ori-
ginal manuscripts, by his brother Dr John Clarke, dean
of Sarum, "An Exposition of the Church Catechism,"
and ten volumes of sermons, in 8vo. His "Exposition"
is made up of those lectures he read every
Thursday morning for some months in the year, at St
James's church. In the latter part of his time he re-
vised them with great care, and left them completely
prepared for the press. As to the sermons, few dis-
courses in the English language are more judicious,
and fewer still are equally instructive. The reasoning
and the practical parts are excellent, and the explana-
tions of scripture are uncommonly valuable. Though
Dr Clarke had not the turn of mind which qualified
him for moving the passions, and indeed did not make
it his object, his sentiments, nevertheless, are frequently
expressed with such a clearness of conception and
such a force of language, as to produce in well dispo-
sited readers all the effect of the pathetic. Several
volumes of sermons have been published since his time,
which are far superior in point of elegance and beauty,
and we have the highest sense of their merit. But still,
if we were called upon to recommend discourses, which
abound with the most solid instruction, and promise
the most lasting improvement, we should never forget
a Clarke and a Jortin. Three years after the Doctor's
death, appeared also the Twelve Last Books of the
Iliad, published in 4to by his son, Mr Samuel Clarke,
who informs us, in the preface, that his father had
finished the annotations to the three first of those books,
and as far as the 359th verse of the fourth; and had
revised the text and version as far as verse 510 of
the same book. Dr Clarke married Catharine, the daugh-
ter of the Rev. Mr Lockwood, rector of Little Mis-
singham in Norfolk; in whose good sense and un-
blameable behaviour he was happy to his death. By
her he had seven children, two of whom died before him,
and one a few weeks after him.

Of the character of this great divine, the following
short delineation appeared some years since in the Gen-
tleman's Magazine: "Samuel Clarke, D.D. rector
of St James's, Westminster: in each several part of
useful knowledge and critical learning, perhaps with-
out a superior; in all united, certainly without an
equal: in his works, the best defender of religion; in
his practice, the greatest ornament to it: in his con-
versation communicative, and in an uncommon man-
ner instructive; in his preaching and writings, strong,
clear, and calm; in his life, high in the esteem of the
wife, the good, and the great; in his death, lamented
by every friend to learning, truth, and virtue." In
the same publication some not incurious anecdotes
concerning him are printed, collected by the Rev. Mr
Jones of Welwyn. We learn from them, that Dr
Clarke was of a very humane and tender disposition.
When his young children amused themselves with tor-
menting and killing flies upon the windows, he not on-
ly forbade such practices, but calmly reasoned with
them, in such a familiar manner, as was calculated to
make a powerful impression upon their minds. He
was very ready and condescending in answering appli-
cations to him with respect to scruples; numberless
instances of which occurred in the course of his life.
One thing of which Dr Clarke was peculiarly cautious,
was not to lose the least minute of his time. He al-

ways carried some book about with him, which he would read whilst riding in a coach, or walking in the fields, or if he had any leisure moments free from company or his other studies. Nay, he would read even in company itself, where he might take such a liberty without offence to good manners. His memory was remarkably strong. He told Mr Pyle of Lyn, that he never forgot any thing which he had once thoroughly apprehended and understood. The Doctor, with his intimate friends, was perfectly free and easy; but if strangers were introduced, he behaved with much circumspection, conversing only upon common topics. When he visited Dr Sykes, his usual way was to sit with him upon a couch, and, reclining upon his bosom, to discourse with him, in the most familiar manner, upon such subjects as were agreeable to the taste and judgment of both. When Sir John Germaine lay upon his death-bed, and was in great confusion and trouble of mind, he sent for Dr Clarke, and requested to know of him whether he should receive the sacrament, and what he should do in his sad condition. The Doctor, who was well acquainted with Sir John's pursuits and course of life, sedately replied, that he could not advise him to receive the sacrament, and that he did not think it likely to be of any avail to him with respect to his final welfare. Having said this, he departed without administering the communion, having first recommended the dying man to the mercy of God.

Dr Clarke was of a cheerful, and even playful disposition. An intimate friend of his, the late Rev. Mr Bott, used to relate, that once when he called upon him, he found him swimming upon a table. At another time, when the two Dr Clarkes, Mr Bott, and several men of ability and learning were together, and amusing themselves with diverting tricks, Dr Samuel Clarke, looking out of the window, saw a grave blockhead approaching to the house; upon which he cried out, "Boys, boys, be wise, here comes a fool." This turn of his mind hath since been confirmed by Dr Warton, who, in his observations on the following line of Mr Pope,

"Unthought of frailties cheat us in the wife,"

says, "Who could imagine that Locke was fond of romances; that Newton once studied astrology; that Dr Clarke valued himself for his agility, and frequently amused himself, in a private room of his house, in leaping over the tables and chairs; and that our author himself was a great epicure?" With respect to what is here recorded of Dr Clarke, we can scarcely persuade ourselves to consider it as a frailty. To be possessed of such a temper as his was, must have been no small degree of happiness; as it probably enabled him to pursue his important and serious studies with greater vivacity and vigour. To be capable of deriving amusement from trivial circumstances, indicates a heart at ease, and may generally be regarded as the concomitant of virtue.