按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
THE
MISCELLANEOUS
WRITINGS AND
SPEECHES OF LORD
MACAULAY。
VOLUME III。
LORD MACAULAY。
1
… Page 2…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
CONTENTS。
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA。
Francis Atterbury。 （December 1853）
John Bunyan。 （May 1854）
Oliver Goldsmith。 （February 1856）
Samuel Johnson。 （December 1856）
William Pitt。 （January 1859）
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS； INSCRIPTIONS； ETC。
Epitaph on Henry Martyn。 （1812）
Lines to the Memory of Pitt。 （1813）
A Radical War Song。 （1820）
The Battle of Moncontour。 （1824）
The Battle of Naseby； by Obadiah Bind…their…kings…in…chains…and…
their…nobles…with…links…of…iron； Serjeant in Ireton's Regiment。 （1824）
Sermon in a Churchyard。 （1825）
Translation of a Poem by Arnault。 （1826）
Dies Irae。 （1826）
The Marriage of Tirzah and Ahirad。 （1827）
The Country Clergyman's Trip to Cambridge。 An Election Ballad。
（1827）
Song。 （1827）
Political Georgics。 （March 1828）
The Deliverance of Vienna。 （1828）
The Last Buccaneer。 （1839）
Epitaph on a Jacobite。 （1845）
Lines Written in August； 1847。
Translation from Plautus。 （1850）
Paraphrase of a Passage in the Chronicle of the Monk of St Gall。
（1856）
Inscription on the Statue of Lord Wm。 Bentinck； at Calcutta。 （1835）
Epitaph on Sir Benjamin Heath Malkin； at Calcutta。 （1837）
Epitaph on Lord Metcalfe。 （1847）
2
… Page 3…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
FRANCIS ATTERBURY。
（December 1853。）
Francis Atterbury； a man who holds a conspicuous place in the
political； ecclesiastical； and literary history of England； was born in the
year 1662； at Middleton in Buckinghamshire； a parish of which his father
was rector。 Francis was educated at Westminster School； and carried
thence to Christchurch a stock of learning which； though really scanty； he
through life exhibited with such judicious ostentation that superficial
observers believed his attainments to be immense。 At Oxford； his parts； his
taste； and his bold； contemptuous； and imperious spirit； soon made him
conspicuous。 Here he published at twenty； his first work； a translation of
the noble poem of Absalom and Achitophel into Latin verse。 Neither the
style nor the versification of the young scholar was that of the Augustan
age。 In English composition he succeeded much better。 In 1687 he
distinguished himself among many able men who wrote in defence of the
Church of England； then persecuted by James II。； and calumniated by
apostates who had for lucre quitted her communion。 Among these
apostates none was more active or malignant than Obadiah Walker； who
was master of University College； and who had set up there； under the
royal patronage； a press for printing tracts against the established religion。
In one of these tracts； written apparently by Walker himself； many
aspersions were thrown on Martin Luther。 Atterbury undertook to defend
the great Saxon Reformer； and performed that task in a manner singularly
characteristic。 Whoever examines his reply to Walker will be struck by the
contrast between the feebleness of those parts which are argumentative
and defensive； and the vigour of those parts which are rhetorical and
aggressive。 The Papists were so much galled by the sarcasms and
invectives of the young polemic that they raised a cry of treason； and
accused him of having； by implication； called King James a Judas。
After the Revolution； Atterbury； though bred in the doctrines of non…
resistance and passive obedience； readily swore fealty to the new
government。 In no long time he took holy orders。 He occasionally
preached in London with an eloquence which raised his reputation； and
3
… Page 4…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
soon had the honour of being appointed one of the royal chaplains。 But he
ordinarily resided at Oxford； where he took an active part in academical
business； directed the classical studies of the undergraduates of his college；
and was the chief adviser and assistant of Dean Aldrich； a divine now
chiefly remembered by his catches； but renowned among his
contemporaries as a scholar； a Tory； and a high…churchman。 It was the
practice； not a very judicious practice； of Aldrich to employ the most
promising youths of his college in editing Greek and Latin books。 Among
the studious and well…disposed lads who were； unfortunately for
themselves； induced to become teachers of philology when they should
have been content to be learners； was Charles Boyle； son of the Earl of
Orrery； and nephew of Robert Boyle； the great experimental philosopher。
The task assigned to Charles Boyle was to prepare a new edition of one of
the most worthless books in existence。 It was a fashion； among those
Greeks and Romans who cultivated rhetoric as an art； to compose epistles
and harangues in the names of eminent men。 Some of these counterfeits
are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill that it is the highest
achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals。 Others are so
feebly and rudely executed that they can hardly impose on an intelligent
schoolboy。 The best specimen which has come down to us is perhaps the
oration for Marcellus； such an imitation of Tully's eloquence as Tully
would himself have read with wonder and delight。 The worst specimen is
perhaps a collection of letters purporting to have been written by that
Phalaris who governed Agrigentum more than 500 years before the
Christian era。 The evidence； both internal and external； against the
genuineness of these letters is overwhelming。 When； in the fifteenth
century； they emerged； in company with much that was far more valuable；
from their obscurity； they were pronounced spurious by Politian； the
greatest scholar of Italy； and by Erasmus； the greatest scholar on our side
of the Alps。 In truth； it would be as easy to persuade an educated
Englishman that one of Johnson's Ramblers was the work of William
Wallace as to persuade a man like Erasmus that a pedantic exercise；
composed in the trim and artificial Attic of the time of Julian； was a
despatch written by a crafty and ferocious Dorian； who roasted people
4
… Page 5…
THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
alive many years before there existed a volume of prose in the Greek
language。 But； though Christchurch could boast of many good Latinists； of
many good English writers； and of a greater number of clever and
fashionable men of the world than belonged to any other academic body；
there was not then in the college a single man capable of distinguishing
between the infancy and the dotage of Greek literature。 So superficial
indeed was the learning of the rulers of this celebrated society that they
were charmed by an essay which Sir William Temple published in praise
of the ancient writers。 It now seems strange that even the eminent public
services； the deserved popularity； and the graceful style of Temple should
have saved so silly a performance from universal contempt。 Of the books
which he most vehemently eulogised his eulogies proved that he knew
nothing。 In fact； he could not read a line of the language in which they
were written。 Among many ot