Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-01-18
Jeremy Taylor.

Probably no English divine, even in
those days when 80 many were cast out OF
their stalls or their parsonages, led moro
checkered life than Jeremy Taylor. CAM
bridge, London. Oxford, Uppingham, the
royal army, the retreat in Wales, the lee
turrship and the Bishopric in Ireland, all
pass before Us in a life not prolonged much
beyond middle age Nodoubt these many
changes, with their attendant miseries, and
the feeling of being constantly under sus-
picion, must have been very grevious to
the soul of one who loved study and evl-
IDENTIFY enjoyed the refnements Of court'y
society. In fact . tone of querulousness
does appear here and there in his letters;
yet on the whole we believe that Taylor,
in the midyt Of his distrcsses and wander
ings, was happy man he had the dispo-
sition which instinctively withdraws itself
from the contact of the petty roughnesses
O. life and sezes such enioyments as are
artainsble. He would walk in the sunshine
while sunshine was to be found. and not
voluntarily seek the bleak hill SIDE. The
works of 30 very imag nat We writer
give but an imperfect reflection of the
character Of the man when man can so
readily throw himself into the mood which
beseams the occasion. we hardly know
what mood is natural to him; Carr ck's
Hnmlet gives no indication Of Garricks
own personality. Nevertheless, with all
Taylor's changes OF style and even OF
thought, the undercurrent OF sweetness,
centieness, and tolerance is 30 constant
that we can hardly doubt that these did
indeed form an essential part Of his charic-
ter And to this sweetness we have bet
ter testimony tAan that of his works-his
power of attracting friends. If the rich
ness of his conversation at all correspond
ed to that of his writings, he must have
been a most charming companion; and
he had that instructive sympathy which
adapts itself without effort to the dispo-
sition of the person addressed. Probably
his episcopate was the least happy portion
of his life; but such q man, with such
friends, was not likely to be altogether
III serable,
It is even pathetic to see how, in the
m DIST of the distractions Of his changefnl
life, he continues with indomitable perse-
veranoe his study and his writing. Bes des
Greek and Lain, he understood French
and Italian and not only was he extreme
ly well read in patristic and scholastic the
ology, but he was constantly in communi-
cation with Mr.. Royston, the bookseller,
and coutrved 10 keep hAhsclf acquainted
with the current literature of the day,
ho h English and foreign. He "wou.d
ra her furn sh his study with Plutarch
and Cicero, with Livy AID Polyb us. than
with Caasandra and lbrahim Bassa yet
he did not dcspise her Nine. de Scuderi,
or Nhe 8 one, or Tom Nash; he read
Dante, la he was not averse to pass an
hour with Pogg!o Braccioljn! he would
r,creae hin self after his medtatons on
Holy Dying, with a story of Pretonius.
His cry is still, "How is any art or science
lkey 10 improve? Nhat good books are
Ia ely public Wha: learned men at
home or abroad begin anew to fill the
mouth Of fame in the places Of the dead
Salmasius. Eossius, Mocel;n, srmond, Ri.
ga.tus, res Cares, Calico Peiresc, Pe:av-
ius, and the excellent persons of yester-
day2" When he hears that Lord Conway
is likely to reside on his Irish estates, his
hope is that his Lordshp will bring his
library with him. Never was there
more eager devourer OF books; II he kept
a commonplace book it must have been at
least as remarkable as Sou they's; but we
are inclined to think. from the way that
his Illustrations are introduced, that he
drew most OF them from The stores Of his
memory.-QeGrter3g Rcrt"o.