Defeription of a fill Summer's Evening, Tavo Odes of Horace, lately difcovered in the Palatine Library at Rome [215] [216] DOMESTIC LITERATURE for the Year 1789, [217] FOREIGN LITERATURE for the Year 1789, [285] THE THE HIST O F KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING, IN GREAT BRITAIN, During the Reign of Queen ELIZABETH. PART THE FIRST. IN N the courfe of feveral preceding articles, the profpec has been opening upon us with regard to the advances which were made in the state of fcience and literature in this kingdom. These advances, if not fo rapid and complete as might be wifhed, bore a confiderable proportion to the fituation of things in other countries, Italy excepted, which long preceded, and far excelled the reft of Europe in fome of the finest energies and exertions of the human mind, and especially with refpect to Poetry, Painting, and the Polite Arts in general. It was the progrefs of religious truth that in England was the most fubject to interruptions; and this had particularly been the cafe during the gloomy, but happily the fhort reign of queen Mary. Nevertheless, on the whole, the light of learning continued to break in upon our ifland; and though it was indeed, for a while, only the dawn of the morning, it pro mifed to lead on to a more perfect day. At length we are come to a reign of diftinguished importance in the hiftory of Great Britain, and, in fact, of diftinguished importance in the hiftory of the western part of Europe. For the honour of what is ufually called the weaker fex, this reign was that of a woman. The first inftance, and the immediately preceding inftance, of female government in our country, had not recommended that part of the English conftitution which rendered the crown defcendible to womer: but the fecond amply juftified this rule of fucceffion, and fhewed that a falique law would not univerfally be useful; for queen Elizabeth ruled with a wisdom and glory which few men have attained. We are not infenfible that much diverfity of opinion has fubfifted, and many difputes been maintained, concerning various parts of Elizabeth's character and government; and that she has been reprefented in very dif ferent lights, according as writers have been affected by their religious or political fentiments. But, notwithstanding the ebullitions of extravagant encomium on the one hand, or the cenfures of unreasonable diflike on the other, it is not difficult to form a just estimate concerning her. It ought to be allowed, by her warmeft panegyrifts, that even with respect to her public adminiftration, fome few deductions fhould be made from her praises. Still, however, it is chiefly with regard to her private and perfonal qualities, that he is liable to exception and condemnation. As a woman fhe had many faults, but as a fovereign her fplendour was truly great. Her administration of foreign. affairs, in circumftances of peculiar embarrassment and danger, was wife and vigorous; and her folicitude to promote the general profperity of her fubjects, was steady and perfevering. Commerce and navigation received a large increase under her foftering care; the people gradually advanced in wealth and profperity; and the kingdom ftood in high reputation. The genius of Englishmen awoke from the torpidity which had too much depreffed it in the preceding reigns, and displayed itself in noble exploits and manly exertions.. In a variety of views, the luftre of literature in the period of queen Elizabeth, was equal to its luftre in other refpects. It may truly be faid, that her reign was a reign of knowledge and learning, as well as of political wisdom and military glory. Some have carried their encomiums fo far as to reprefent it as the golden age of English literature; but this cannot be confidered as the real truth of the cafe. However eminent many of the persons were who adorned the era of Elizabeth; however juftly their names are still held in esteem and reputation; and though fome of their works deservedly continue to be read and admired, there are undoubtedly feveral important parts of fcience which, in later times, have been ftudied with greater accuracy, and advanced to a much higher degree of perfection. It is not neceffary, in order to do justice to the period before us, to extol it beyond its real merit, or to depreciate the improvements of fucceeding ages. The first grand point that presents itself, in the literary hiftory of the reign of queen Elizabeth, is the state of religion; for theology was at that time connected with every thing which is important and interefting in the condition of fociety. In strict philofophical truth, religion and civil policy are separate objects, and ought not to be mingled together. But in the period we are treating of, it was almoft impoffible that a principle fo rational and refined fhould enter into the conceptions of the human understanding. Confidering the fituation of public affairs, and the fentiments, temper, and manners of the age, it was neceffary that government should interfere in religious matters. The chief thing to be regretted is, that government should affume so abfolute an authority in them, and not unite toleration with establishment; but of toleration no fet of men had then any competent idea. In confequence of the restoration of popery by queen Mary, the minds of the English must have been in extreme agitation with regard to the conduct which would be pursued by Elizabeth. During the anxious fufpence of a 2 fears fears and hopes, the fears would predominate in the hearts of the Roman Catholics, and the hopes in those of the Proteftants. Indeed, difcerning men could have little reafon. to doubt concerning the part which the queen would, finally take. Both her education and her intereft, led her to favour the Reformation; nor could the long hefitate on: the fubject. In these fentiments fhe was confirmed by the wifeft members of her privy council, and particularly by, fir William Cecil, who reprefented to her that by re-eftablishing the Proteftant religion fhe, would coincide with the general inclinations of the people, and, at the fame, time, most effectually provide for her own fecurity, fince her title to the crown was incompatible with the authority of the Roman pontiff. She acted, however, with caution in the management of the bufinefs, and was folicitous not to alarm the adherents of popery by too explicit a declaration of her intentions. Nevertheless, while the preferved this circumfpection, fhe took care to afford early indications of her favourable views to the Proteftant caufe; and fome of these indications were displayed in a manner that was pleafing and ingenious When, upon her having given liberty to the prifoners who were confined on account of religion, fhe was told, by one Rainsford, that he had a petition to prefent to her, in behalf of other prifoners called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; fhe readily replied, that he must first confult, the prisoners themselves, and learn of them whether they defired that, liberty which he had afked for them. At the time of her coronation, when she was folemnly conducted through the city of London, a boy, who perfonated Truth, was let down from one of the triumphal arches, and prefented her with a copy of the Bible, which the received in the most gracious manner, placing it in her bofom, and declaring, that, amidst all the coftly teftimonies which the citizens had that day afforded of their attachment, this prefent was by far the mofl precious and the most acceptable. It was not in words only that queen Elizabeth manifested her regard to the Proteftant Reformation. Befides fetting. at |