house, met a woman alone at the corner of a treet, in a country habit, spinning by moon shine. But when they came near to know who fhe was, the vanished from their fight. His last actions in my house, and the most troublesome of all, was, he threw ftones about the house continually, the ten or twelve laft days from morning to evening, and in great quantities, fome of them of two or three pounds weight. On one of those days Mr. Tornus coming to my house, would know whether the Devil was there ftill, and whiftled in several tones; and each time the Devil whiftled to him again in the fame tone. Then the Demon threw a stone at him which being fallen at his feet without any harm to him, he took it up and marked it with a coal, and threw it into the back fide of the house, but the Demon threw it up to him again; that it was the fame ftone he knew by the mark: Tornus taking up that stone found it very hot, and faid he believed it had been in hell fince he handled it laft. All the time the Demon haunted my houfe, God permitted-him not to do us any harm, neither in our persons nor in our goods. Thofe bells which he did fo tofs and carry about, he hanged on a nail over the chimney of the room where he was moft converfant, the day that he left the house. He had not fo much power given him as to tear one of my books, or to break one glass, or put out the candle, which we kept lighted all the night long. Wherefore I bow my knees, and will as long as I live, unto my gracious God to give him thanks for that great mercy. The Bishop of Mafcon, upon the common report of these paffages, fent for Mr. Tornus to know the truth; and for more certainty fent his own fecretary Mr. Chamber, to learn the particulars from my own mouth; to whom I related all without concealing and difguifing any thing. Thefe two gentlemen, Tornus and Chamber have told me fince that the Bishop had heard that flory with great admiration, and had fome records of the fame. APPROBATION APPROBATION of the AUTHOR by the Synod of Burgundy. WEP all Paftors and Elders of the Reformed Churches of the Province of Burgundy, affembled in a Synod at Buffy, in the Balliage of Chalons upon Stone, certify to all, that Mr. Perreaud, Minifter of the holy Gofpel, hath exercifed the charge of the holy Miniftry in his Province, for the fpace of fifty years, firft in his town of Buffy, where he was born, being defcended of the most ancient family of the town, and fince in the Church of Mafcon, and afterwards in the Churches of the Balliage of Gez, where he is now, ferving the Church of Thoiry in all that time, and ina Churches doing the office of a good Paftor, and a faithful Servant of God, both in doctrine and life: of which he an especial teftimonial given him by the Church of Macon in the laft Synod of this Province held at Pifuftile, the year 1649, the faid Church expreg much fatisfaction of his godliness and fingular charity.-To which we add, that although it hath pleafed God to bring him into many, and fome very extraordinary trials, efpecially while he ferved the Church of Mafcon, yet the fame God hath firengthened him with conftant health of body and godly tranquility of mind, and hath endued him with virtue to bear and overcome all his afflictions. We therefore beseech the Lord daily to fill his fervant with more and more ftrength in his old age, and that after he hath finished his course, he may depart in peace, and obtain the crown of glory referved for those that perfevere faithful unto the end. Done at Buffy, OA. 29, 1651. FRANCIS REYNAUD, Moderator. Signed G. BRUYS, Adjunct. H. MOLRET, Secretary. THOUGHTS THOUGHTS on the Character and Writings of Mr. PRIOR. 1. A Very ingenious Writer has lately given us a parti cular account of the Character and Works of Mr. Prior. But it was not likely to be a just one, as he formed it chiefly on the teftimony of very fufpicious Witnesses. I mean Mr. Pope, and Mr. Spence: I object both to one and the other. They depretiated him, to exalt themselves. They viewed him with 'no friendly eye; looking upon him (particularly Mr. Pope) as a rival: whom therefore they rejoiced to deprefs. 2. Mr. Pope gives it as his opinion, That " he was fit only to make verses." What can be more unjust? He was fit for transactions of the most difficult and delicate nature. Accordingly we was entrusted with them at Paris, and acquitted himself to the full fatisfaction of his employers. He was really fit for every thing; for writing either in Verse or Profe; for Conversation, and for either public or private Business. 3. But Mr. Spence fays, "His life was irregular, negligent and fenfual. He defcended to the meanest company. The woman with whom he cohabited was a defpicable drab of the loweft fpecies. One of his wenches, perhaps Chloe, ftole his plate and ran away with it." I do not believe one word of this: although I was often in his neighbourhood, I never heard a word of it before. It carries no face of probability. Would Bishop Atterbury have kept up an acquaintance with a man of fuch a character? Would that accomplished Nobleman, the then Earl of Oxford, have given him a place even in his friendship? I am well affured, my eldest Brother would have had no acquaintance with him, had he been fuch a wretch as Mr. Spence describes. 4. Others 4. Others fay, "His Chloe was ideal." I know the contrary. I have heard my eldest Brother fay, "Her name was Mifs Taylor, that he knew her well: and that the once came to him (in Dean's Yard, Westminster) purpofely to afk his advice. She told him, "Sir, I know not what to do. Mr. Prior makes large profeffions of his love: but he never offers me marriage." My Brother advised her to bring the matter to a point at once. She went directly to Mr. Prior, and asked him plainly, "Do you intend to marry me, or no?" He said many foft and pretty things: on which the faid, "Sir, in refufing to anfwer, you do anfwer. I will fee you no more." And she did fee him no more to the day of His death. But afterwards the fpent many hours, standing and weeping at his Tomb in Westminster Abbey. 5. As to his Writings, I cannot but think Mr. Prior had not only more learning, but a ftronger natural understanding,' than Mr. Pope. But this is the lefs obfervable, because Mr. Prior always wrote, currente calamo, having little time to correct any thing. Whereas Mr. Pope laboured every line, and polished it with the utmost exactnefs. Prior's praife is by no means that of correctnefs." He has many unpolished, hafty, half formed lines, which he would not (or did not) take the pains to correct. I can therefore by no means fubfcribe to that sentence, "What he obtains above mediocrity, feems to be the effort of ftruggle and travail." Surely no. What he frequently obtains, as far above Pope's Messiah, as that is above Quarle's Emblems, feems to be the effort of a genius not inferior in ftrength to any befide Milton. But his words are put by conftraint into their places, where they do their duty, but do it fullenly." Nay I reply, moft of his words are fo natural and uncon@rained, as even those of Waller: though they would certainly have done their duty better, had he taken more pains with them. "He ex tends his fenfe from one couplet to another; but without fuccefs." I think with great fuccefs. I will give the firft inftance that occurs to my memory, VOL. V. 4 D Happiness Happiness, object of that waking dream, Whose dancing beams mislead our fond defire: Entire had been referved for Solomon. Were ever lines extended from couplet to couplet with more fuccess than thefe? Is there any conftraint here? What lines can flow more free? More eafy? More natural? 6. But "his numbers commonly want Eafe, Airinefs, Lightnefs and Facility." I cannot poffibly be of this opinion. Wherever this is proper, as in all his tales, and in Alma, his numbers have certainly the greatest airinefs, lightness, and facility. Nay, "but even what is fmooth is not foft." No? What think you of the Lady's Looking-Glafs (to take one inftance out of fifty.) Where will you fhew me any fofter numbers than these? Celia and I the other day Walked o'er the fand-hills to the fea: The fetting fun adorned the coaft, And on the bofom of the deep Soft fell her words, as flew the air." In truth, the general fault of Prior's poetry is this; it is not too much, but too little laboured. Pope filed and polished every line: Prior fet his words down as faft as he could. write, and scarce polished any of them, with any accuracy, at leaft |