Civile,' allude to Vico; and Cesarotti comments upon his theory with respect to Homer; but still, up to the period just mentioned, he was comparatively little known. M. E. Weber, of Leipzig, has since translated his La Scienza Nuova' into German, and the Marquis of Villa Rosa has collected his minor works into one publication, printed at Naples in 1818. It would be difficult, in the short limits of a literary notice like the present, to give any adequate idea of the laborious investigation of Vico. His mind was philosophical and capacious, and it is impossible not to be struck by the novelty of his ideas upon many subjects of literature, jurisprudence, and history. The ability with which he advocates views, such as, in his day, must have been judged paradoxical and unsound, but which the increasing knowledge of a century has tended to confirm rather than invalidate, entitle him to the highest degree of commendation, and justify us in comparing his writings with those of the best informed historians, critics, and philologists of the present day. We think that many of them are indebted, in a greater or less degree, to Vico; and we are anxious to assert his claim to that merit which he so eminently possesses. Had his style been as clear and forcible as his information is profound, we are convinced few writers would have attracted more attention, and none communicated more knowledge. ART. V.-Thomas Morus.-Aus den Quellen bearbeitet. Von Dr. Georg Thomas Rudhart, Professor at the Royal Lycée at Bamberg. 1829. 8vo. pp. 458. IT is certainly a somewhat singular circumstance, that foreign ers often lead the way in inquiries concerning our own history. Rapin was the first who wrote what may be called a systematic history of England; and now we find a German giving us a biography of our countryman, such as we are not able to exhibit. The mere enumeration of the works which Mr. Rudhart has consulted fill thirty pages, and we see among them the Rotuli Parliamentorum, &c., the Journals of the House of Lords, the Statutes at large, all the works of Sir Thomas More himself, Latin as well as English; the Chronicles of Hall, Stowe, and Holinshed; L'Art de Vérifier les Dates, &c. Every work relative to the subject, to be found in the excellent public library of the University of Göttingen, which contains nearly every important book on the history of England, has been consulted by Mr. Rudhart. His whole volume, therefore, is full of of matter to be relied on; and if there is little of reasoning, it is certainly because Mr. Rudhart was of opinion, that the best argument is, that which we awaken in the reader's own breast by the intelligence which we convey. The style, indeed, could have been somewhat more elevated without prejudice to simplicity; but we are too thankful to the author to find much fault with his labours: we shall therefore proceed, without further preface, to lay the contents of the volume before our readers. Sir Thomas More was descended from an honourable English family. His father Sir John, one of the Justices of the King's Bench, was a man of an unblemished character, and of courteous and engaging manners; and, though his first marriage might have had sufficient drawbacks, yet he thrice contracted that engagement. His first wife, of the Handcombs of Holywell, Bedfordshire, brought him a son, Thomas, and two daughters. Thomas was born in Milk-street, Cheapside; the date of his birth, however, is variously stated between 1479 and 1483; neither Roper nor Stapleton have mentioned the circumstance: Cresacre More fixes it in 1480. He learned the first rudiments of the Latin language at St. Anthony's school, in Threadneedle-street - one of the four grammar-schools established by the pious Henry VI. He next entered, according to the fashion of the time, into the house of Cardinal Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, where he remained some time. Thence, but under the auspices of the Archbishop, he went to Canterbury College, now called Christ Church, Oxford. We cannot, indeed, compare the then state of that University, with that which now distinguishes it as the seat of so much talent and erudition; however, it had already began to emerge from the sloth and ignorance which till lately had prevailed there; for when the famous Dean of St. Paul's, John Colet, the friend and teacher of Sir Thomas More, first went to pursue his studies at Oxford, the learning of the Greek language was still considered there as at least superfluous, and those who cultivated it could not avoid a suspicion of heresy. The description given by Erasmus of the state of learning at Cambridge will also apply to Oxford; where Alexandri Parva Logicalia,' the old Axioms of Aristotle,' and Joannis Scoti Quæstiones,' comprised the whole course of studies. But visible improvements began to be introduced, when the fame of the Italian Universities having attracted scholars from the remotest parts of Europe, such men as William Grocyn, Thomas Linacre, and William Lilly brought home their treasures of classical learning. It was under their tuition that More stu 6 died at Oxford, and from his teachers they soon became his best and intimate friends. With Linacre, the friend and tutor of Erasmus himself, he read the works of Plato and Aristotle ; and with William Lilly, charissimus rerum mearum socius,' as More himself calls him, he practised literary exercises, (Progymnasmata,) which consisted in translating a number of Greek epigrams into Latin, in their original metre. Here is a specimen : Οίνος, και τα λοετρα, και ἡ περὶ Κυπριν έρων, οξυτέρην πέμπει την όδον εἰς ἀηδιν. De Luxu et Libidini. Si quis ad infernos properet descendere manes, Præcipiti cursu balnea, vina, Venus.'-G. Lillii. More's acquaintance with Erasmus began at the table of the Lord Mayor, where without their knowing each other, they fell into a dispute, when Erasmus told him, Aut tu es Morus, aut nullus;' upon which More replied, Aut tu es Erasmus, aut Diabolus.' We cannot say much for the courtesy of the reply; but such is the anecdote, though it wants sufficient authority. But the acquaintance with that distinguished man certainly gave a new impulse to More in his ardent pursuit of truth, of science, and learning; and probably also inspired him with such a taste for Lucian, the favourite author of Erasmus, that he translated three of his Dialogues into Latin (the Cynicus, Necromantia, and Philopseudes). He afterwards challenged Erasmus himself, who should not only best translate the Tyrannicida' of the same author, but also frame the best reply to it. The palm may justly be adjudged to Sir Thomas More. But More was destined by his father to a life of activity, and returning to London, he was called to the Bar of New Inn. In the nineteenth year of King Henry VII. he was chosen member of parliament. The king asked a subsidy of 40,000l. for the marriage of his daughter Margaret to the king of Scots; More opposed the demand with such energy and success, that it was rejected. It being reported to the king that a beardless boy had defeated his intentions, he was so much incensed, that he threw the father into prison, and fined him 1007., and More was obliged to seek refuge in a monastery. He had, however, by his resistance, effected thus much, that Henry, instead of 40,000., declared himself satisfied with 30,0007., which now were voted without further objection. More, in his retirement, had leisure again to indulge in his favourite pursuits of philosophy and theology, and of various languages. languages. A little earlier in life he had had a strong tendency towards a monastic life. He had early imbibed the spirit of monkish discipline, and practised on himself ascetic severity. When he was about eighteen or twenty years old,' says Cresacre More, he began to wear a sharp shirt of hair next the skin, which he never left off wholly, no, not when he was Lord Chancellor of England. Which my grandmother on a time in the heat of summer espying, laughed at, not being much sensible of spiritual exercises, being carried away in her youth with the bravery of the world, and not knowing quæ sunt spiritus," what is the true wisdom of a Christian man. He added also to his austerity a whip every Friday and high fasting days, thinking that such cheer was the best alms that he could bestow upon himself. . . . He used also much fasting and watching, lying often upon the bare ground, or upon some bench, laying some log under his head; allotting himself but four or five hours in a night at the most, for his sleep, imagining, with the holy saints of Christ's church, that his body was to be used as an ass, with strokes and hard fare, lest provender might prick it, and so bring his soul, like a head-strong jade, to the bottomless pit of hell He had enured himself with straitness, that he might the better enter in at the narrow gate of heaven, which is not got with ease, "sed violenti rapiunt illud," that is, they that are boisterous against themselves snatch it away by force.' He dwelt near the Carthusians by the Charter House, and attended daily their spiritual exercises, and would have taken the yows of the Franciscans. Dean Colet, however, seems to have advised him to marry. He espoused Jane, eldest daughter of John Colt, Esq., of Newhall, Essex. This gentleman had three daughters, and More was attached to the second: he, notwithstanding, proposed to the eldest, fearful lest she would be pained on her younger sister being married before herself. This marriage, and the birth of a family, forced him to labour in his due profession. To follow the order of our author, the following is the account of More's person. According to the picture which Erasmus draws in that letter to his friend, V. Hutten, Sir Thomas was of a middling stature; all the members of his body were well-proportioned, only his hands were rather clumsy (manus tantum subrustica sunt); in his walk, the right shoulder appeared higher than the left, not from any natural defect, but from habit; his complexion was rather white than pale, a slight red shining through his skin; the colour of his hair was neither fair nor dark, but between both; that of his eye grey and dappled-their glance calni and penetrating; the nose strong; the mouth middling, with slender lips; the chin round and strong; his voice neither loud nor feeble, but easy to be understood. He loved 6 music, and was a proficient on the viol. His face showed serenity and sweetness of temper, and seemed more inclined to hilarity than to the serious and severe mien of office; but this serenity seems to have disappeared from his brow in later years. More,' thus Erasmus continues, enjoys a good and strong health, which makes him fit for labour. The green old age of his father promises a long life to him also. His food is simple, his favourite dishes being salt meat, eggs, milk, and home-baked bread. In his clothes, too, he loves simplicity, disdaining silk, purple, and gold chains, which he only wears when necessary. Mere civilities he holds in very slight estimation, whence his neglect of them; as he does not ask them from anybody, so he is not over anxious to show them to others, either at meetings or feasts: he knows, however, how to use them when required, only judging it unmanly to waste time in such fooleries; therefore, nothing is more dious to him than the life at court, whereas he extols liberty and isure above all things. In friendship he is a perfect pattern; and in the intercourse with approved friends consists his greatest pleasure-his chief diversion; for he detests cards and games of all kinds, which serve to kill the time of the multitude in high life. But there is no species of birds, or of other rare animals, as monkeys, foxes, ferrets, weasels, and the like, which he is not keeping at his house; and if any such are publicly shown, he is certain to go and see them, and even to buy some of them. The pleasure he finds in them rekindles as often as he perceives others to be pleased in looking at them. Objects of plastic art are no less sure of engaging his attention. Never has the favour of the great made him overbearing; but amidst all his business he faithfully remembers his friends: to them and to the common weal all his influence is directed. Every one he endeavours to assistthere is nobody he dismisses without some consolation; so that More may be called the protector of all needy and suffering men, for he esteems it the greatest gain to relieve the oppressed, and to remove difficulties from those labouring under them.' With regard to his domestic discipline, the great principle of Sir Thomas was gentleness of behaviour towards his wife, his children, and his domestics. His first wife, Joan, had, during the six years they were married, brought him a child almost every year, of whom four survived him, namely, three daughters and a son. Margaret, his first-born, was his favourite, and in high esteem with Erasmus and other scholars, on account of her extensive knowledge, and the uncommon faculties of her mind. The second was Elizabeth; the third, Cecilia. His son, John, was the youngest, and grandfather to the Mr. T. More, who has written an account of the life of his great-grandfather. His wife dying soon after the birth of the son, Sir Thomas was not long in making another choice; and though, as |