escaping by having been within a day of danger, with other matters above-mentioned, mixed with good sense, left me at a loss whether I was more delighted with my friend's wisdom or simplicity.

S. RICHARDSON

HIS OWN PORTRAIT

SHORT; rather plump than emaciated, notwithstanding

his complaints; about five foot five inches; fair wig; lightest cloth coat, all black besides; one hand generally in his bosom, the other a cane in it, which he leans upon under the skirts of his coat usually, that it may imperceptibly serve him as a support when attacked by sudden tremors or startings, and dizziness which too frequently attack him, but, thank God, not so often as formerly; looking directly foreright, as passers-by would imagine, but observing all that stirs on either hand of him without moving his short neck; hardly ever turning back; of a light brown complexion; teeth not yet failing him; smoothish faced and ruddy cheeked ; at some times looking to be about sixty five, at other times much younger; a regular even pace, stealing away ground, rather than seeming to rid it; a gray eye, too often overclouded by mistinesses from the head: by chance lively, very lively it will be, if he have hope of seeing a lady whom he loves and honours; his eye always on the ladies; if they have very large hoops he looks down and supercilious, and as if he would be thought wise, but perhaps the sillier for that; as he approaches a lady his eye is never fixed first upon her face, but upon her feet, and thence he raises it up, pretty quickly for a dull eye; and one would think (if we thought him at all worthy of observation) that from her air and (the last beheld) her face, he sets her down in his mind as so or so, and then passes on to the next object he meets.

DAVID HUME

QUEEN ELIZABETH

THERE HERE are few great personages in history who have been more exposed to the calumny of enemies and the adulation of friends than Queen Elizabeth; and yet there is scarcely any whose reputation has been more certainly determined by the unanimous consent of posterity. The unusual length of her administration, and the strong features of her character, were able to overcome all prejudices; and, obliging her detractors to abate much of their invectives, and her admirers somewhat of their panegyrics, have at last, in spite of political factions, and, what is more, of religious animosities, produced a uniform judgment with regard to her conduct. Her vigour, her constancy, her magnanimity, her penetration, vigilance and address, are allowed to merit the highest praises, and appear not to have been surpassed by any person that ever filled a throne. A conduct less rigorous, less imperious, more sincere, more indulgent to her people, would have been requisite to form a perfect character. the force of her mind she controlled all her more active and stronger qualities, and prevented them from running into excess; her heroism was exempt from temerity, her frugality from avarice, her friendship from partiality, her active temper from turbulency and a vain ambition; she guarded not herself with equal care or equal success from lesser infirmities, the rivalship of beauty, the desire of admiration, the jealousy of love, and the sallies of anger.

By

TRANSLATIONS

WILLIAM DE MACHLINIA

THE REVELATION TO THE MONK OF EVESHAM

Of the entryng of the gate of paradyse and of the ioy that apperyd withinforth.

FORTHERMORE nowe whenne we were paste all these

placys and fightys aforefeyde and had gonne a good space more inward and euer grew to vs more and more ioye and feyernes of placys. alfo at the laste we sawe aferre a ful glorious walle of crystal hoys heythe no man might fee. and lenthe no man might confider. and when we came thedyr y fawe within forthe a ful feyre brighte fchynyng gate and ftode opyn faue hit was figned and leide ouer with a croffe Treuly theder came flockemele the multytude of tho bleffyd fowlys that were next to hyt. and wolde cum in at that feyre gate The croffe was fette in the myddys of that gate. and nowe sche was lyfte vppe an hye and fo gaue to hem that came thedyr an opyn and a fre entryng. and afterward sche was lettyn done ageyne. and so sparyd other oute that wuld haue commyn in But howe ioyful they were that wente in and how reuerently they taryde that ftode withoute abydyng the lyftyng vppe of the croffe ageyne y can not telle by no wordys Sothely here fent Nycholas and y ftode stille to geder. and the lyftyngys vppe of the croffe and the lettyngys done ageyne. wherby fomme wente in and fome taryde withoute. y behilde long tyme with grete wonder And at the laste sent Nycholas and y came thedyr to the fame gate hande in hande. And when we came thedyr the croffe was lyfte vp. And so they

to me.

that were there wente in. Sothely than my felowe sent Nycholas frely wente in and y foloude but fodenly and onauyfyd the crosse of the gate came done apon owre handys and departyd me fro my felawe fente Nycholas and when y fawe thys. ful fore aferde y was Then feyde fent Nycholas Be not aferde but haue only ful certen feythe in our lorde ihefu crifte and doutheles thou fchalt come yn And aftyr thys my hope and truste came ageyne and the crosse was lyfte vppe and fo y cam in. but what brightnes and clerenes of light was there with in forthe al aboutys no man aske ne feche of me for y can not only telle hit by worde but also y can not remembre hit in mynde That gloryous fchyning light was brighte and fmothe and fo rauefhte a man that behylde hit that hit bare a man aboue hym selfe by the grete brightnes of lyghte yn fo mekyl that what fumeuer y fawe before hit was as no thing me thought in comparyson of hit That bryghtneffe thawghe hyt were ineftymable. Neuertheleffe hyt dullyd not a mannys fyghte. hyt rathyr scharpyd hyt. Sothly hyt fchynyd ful meruelusly. but more ynestymably hyt delytyd a man that behylde hyt. and wondirfully cowpulde a mannys fyghte to fe hit. And wyth ynforthe no thyng y myght fee. but lighte and the walle of cryftalle throw the whyche we came yn And also fro the gronde yppe to toppe of that walle were grycis ordende and dyspofyd feyre and meruelusly. by the whyche the ioyful company that was cum yn at the forfeyde gate gladly ascendyd vppe Ther was no labur. ther was no difficulte ther was no taryng yn her afcendyng. and the hier they wente the gladder they were. Sothely y ftode benethe on the grunde. and longe tyme y saw and behylde how they that came yn at the gate ascendyd vppe by the fame grycis And at the laste as y lokyd vppe hier y faw yn a trone of ioy fittyng owre bleffyd lord and fauyur ihefus crifte yn lykenes of man. and abowte hym as hyt femyd to me were a fyue hondred fowlys. the whyche late had ftyed vppe to that glorius trone. and fo they came to owre lorde and worschpte hym and thankyde hym. for hys grete mercy and grace fchewyd and done to hem And fome

were feyne on the vppur partys of the walle as they had walkyd hethyr and dedyr Trewly y knew for certen that thys place. were y faw owre lorde fyttyng yn a trone. was not the hye heuyn of heuyns where the bleffid fpiritis of angels and the holy fowlys of ryghtwys men ioyin yn the feyghte of god feyng hym yn hys magefte as he ys. where alfo innumerable thowsondis of holy fpiritys and angels ferue hym and affifte hym But than fro thens wythowten any hardnes or taryng. they afcende vppe to the hey heuin the whyche ys bleffyd of the fyghte of the euerlaftyng godhed where al only the holy angels and the fowlys of ryghtwes men that 'byn of angels perfeccion seyn the ynuifibly and inmortalle kynge of al worldys face to face. the whyche hathe only immortalite. and dwellyth yn lyghte. that ys inacceffyble. for no man may cumme to hyt. the whyche no mortalle man feithe nethyr may fee Sothely he ys feyne only of holy spiritys that byn pure and clene. the whyche be not greuyd by no corrupcion of body nethir of fowle And yn thys vifion that y faw. fo mekylle y conceuyd yn my fowle of ioy and gladnes that wat fum euer may be feyde of hyt by mannys mowthe. ful lytyl hyt ys. and onfufficient to expreffe the ioy of myne herte. that y had there.

How the monke came owte ageyne throw the same gate of paradyse.

Therfore when y had seyn al these syghtys aboue feyde and many othyr innumerable my lorde fent Nycholas that hylde me by the hande feyde fchortly thys to me Loo fonne he feyde now a party aftyr they peticion and grete defir thow hafte feyne and beholde. the state of the worlde yat ys to cumme as hyt myghte be to poffible Alfo the perels of hem that offendyn and erryn the peynys of fynners. the reste also of hem yat haue done her purgacion. the defyrys of hem that be goyng to heuynward. and the ioys of hem. that now byn cumme to the courte of heuyn and also the ioy of cryftis reynynge And now thow mufte go ageyne to they felfe and to thyne. and to the worldys feyghtyng Treuly thow schalt