7. Other political pieces have been also attributed to him, particularly the celebrated libel, intitled, "Leicester's Commonwealth." But there is no proof that the reference of this last piece to him is correct.

8. A great number of lord Burleigh's Letters are still extant in various places. Thirtythree are printed in Peck's Desiderata Curiosa; three in Howard's Collections; and many others in Forbes's, Haynes's, and Murdin's State Papers. Haynes's Collection, published in 1740, extends from the year 1542 to 1570; Murdin's, which appeared in 1759, from 1571 to 1596; both of which collections throw great light on the transactions of the period to which they relate. Particularly, the whole course of the proceedings relative to Mary queen of Scots are fully laid open. Dr. Birch, in his Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, has also given extracts from several letters of lord Burleigh, which are among the original papers of Mr. Anthony Bacon. In the Nuga Antique is likewise a Letter of Advice, written by his lordship, in 1578, to Mr. Harrington (afterwards sir John Harrington) then a student at the university of Cambridge. In the earl of Hardwicke's Miscella

neous State-Papers, besides a number of letters addressed to Cecil, there are seven of his own writing. Moreover, his unpublished papers are still numerous; and are to be found in the British Museum, in the libraries of the carls of Salisbury, Hardwicke, and of the marquis of Landsdown.

The character given of this eminent statesman by Hume seems to be unexceptionable, and is warranted by the preceding extract, "Lord Burleigh, (says he,) died in an advanced age; and by a rare fortune, was equally regretted by his sovereign and the people. He had risen gradually from small beginnings, by the mere force of merit; and though his authority was never entirely absolute, or uncontroled with the queen, he was still, during the course of nearly forty years, regarded as her minister. None of her other inclinations or affections could ever overcome her confidence in so useful a counsellor; and as he had had the generosity or good sense to pay assiduous court to her, during her sister's reign, when it was dangerous to appear her friend, she thought herself bound in gratitude; when she mounted the throne, to persevere in her attachments to him. He seems not to have

possessed any shining talents of "address, eloquence, or imagination; and was chiefly distinguished by solidity of understanding, probity of manners, and indefatigable application to business: virtues, which if they do not always enable a man to rise to high stations, do certainly qualify him best for filling them. Of all the queen's ministers he was the only one who left a considerable fortune to his posterity; a fortune not acquired by rapine or oppression, but gained by the regular profits of his offices, and preserved by frugality."

STOW.

JOHN STOW, historian and antiquarian, son of Thomas Stow, of St. Michael's, Cornhill, London, was born about the year 1525. At the out-set in life, he was a taylor, the profession of his father. He early manifested great curiosity relative to history, and particularly the history of England, the study of which he prosecuted to the almost total neglect of his business.

About the year 1560, he conceived the design of composing his "Annals;" and that he might proceed with the less interruption, he abandoned his trade, and employed himself entirely in the collection of materials. For this purpose, he perused all the writers, whether printed or MS. from whom any thing could be gleaned; and searched into records,

charters, and other original instruments; travelling on foot to the cathedral churches, and other antiquarian repositaries, and not only read, but eagerly bought up whatever was to be had of histories, chronicles, &c. some of which he found written on paper, and others on parchment. In this manner, by the year 1568, he had amassed a great stock of books and manuscripts; and the value of his library was enhanced, by its possessing, not merely ancient authors, but original charters, registers, and chronicles of particular places. The books he was unable to purchase, or otherwise procure, he took the trouble to transcribe. Six volumes of collections which he had thus copied, he transferred to Camden, who in consideration of the favour, allowed him eight pounds a year for life.

Living at the period of the dispersion of libraries, consequent upon the abolition of the monasteries, Stow had doubtless great facilities for making his collection, and it appears, that he availed himself of them to the utmost. The purchase of MSS. however, was so expensive, and the emolument he derived from it comparitively so inconsiderable, that he was once on the point of abandoning his favorite