The sun., 1904-08-21

who some years later published the we'll
known book on the history and antiquities
of Oxford University. Soon after Hobbes's
death, DR.. Blackburne brought out what
he called Vi9 HobbianT Auctdrium. con.
tanning some further information. From
these three sources and sundry incidental
references is derived such knowledge OF
Hobbies as is obtainable. The main Incl
dents in Hobbes's life deserve attention
because in his case it is peculiarly difficult
TO dissociate the philosopher from the
man.
Thomas Hobbies was the son OF Vicar OF
Westport (now part Of Malmesbury) and Of
Charlton in North Wiltshire, an illiterate
man. who could just manage to read the
prayers OF the Church and the homilies
He married the daughter Of neighboring
yeoman. choleric fellow, he quar-
relied with a fellow parson at a church
door, struck him, and had to decamp leav-
ing his three children, OF whom Thomas
was the second. to the care Of an uncle, a
Well-to-do glover in Malmesbury. The boy
Thomas had been born on Good Friday,
the 5th Of April. 1888, and it is recorded that
he was brought prematurely into the world
through his mothers fright at the rumor of
the coming Spanish Armada. He was put
to school at Westport Church at the age Of
4, passed to the Malmesbury School at 8,
and later was taught at private school
kept by young man named Latimer, fresh
from Oxford, and a good Grecian." With
him, the boy Hobbies made such progress
that he was able to translate the @Medea'
OF Euripides into Latin iambic verse before
L.. 90, nvf Nd h~
his uncle the glover, and entered at Mag
dalen Hall. Hobbies was as little indebted
to Oxford as Gibbon was to be. The spirit
OF scientific activity had not yet stirred the
University, and the decayed scholastic
curriculum was Ill adapted to train him for
his future philosophical work. According
70 his metrical Latin autobiography. he
spent most Of his time at Oxford In reading
books about geographical discoveries. and
about astronomy. Yet, although he gained
no academic distinction, he must have
ingratiated himself in one way or another
with the authorities with whom he came in
contact; for, soon after he obtained his
Bachelors degree. February 1908. he was
recommended by DIR. John Wilkinson. Prin-
cipal of the Hall. to be tutor to the son of
William Cavendish Baron of Hardwick, and
soon to become Earl OF Devonshire. Thus
began Hobbes's connection with a great and
powerful family. a connection which ended
only with his life. Twice, indeed, it was
loosened-once for short time after twenty
years. and again, for a longer period during
the civil war-but it never was broken, and
during more than half a century, was Of the
closest character Hobbies was scarcely
older than his pupil, and soon exchanged
his tutorship for the post OF companion and
secretary The two went abroad on the
sgrand tour In 1910, and spent good deal
Of time In France, Germany and Italy which
Hobbies turned to account by gaining mod
crate knowledge Of French and Italian
1t was during this journey, or immedi-
ately after his return home. that he deter
mined to make himself a scholar after the
pattern OF Scaliger and Casaubon. The
period of Hobbes's life during which he
devoted himself assiduously to classical
ssudies lasted to 1925 and had for its imme
date outcome a translation OF Thucydides.
Hobbies himself claimed to have performed
the work with much more diligence than
elegance. but his version is now noteworthy
a. piece OF English writing, rather than for
accuracy. DIR. Jowett. in the preface to
his own translation. says that his prede-
cessor's work is very rough and incorrect.
A passage quoted by Sir Leslie Stephen is
likely to convince the reader that the trans
lating of Thucydides must have powerfully
helped Hobbies to acquire his clear terse
and forcible style. He himself said long
afterward that he had learned from Thucy-
dides how much wiser one man Is than a
body OF men, and meant to warn his coun-
trymen-- as he was to do in "Leviathan"--
against trusting popular orators. 1t is |
also worth recalling that. in an introduc- |
tion to his version. Hobbies ridicules the |
ancient critic who had assumed that the |
Scope Of history should be mot profit |
by writing truth, but delight OF the hearer, i
as II It were a song" There have been. we |
need not say, some modern writers who |
have been inclined to look with sympathy |
on the ancient critics conception of his
tory.
Nothing else Is known Of Hobbes's doings
before 1928, except that through his con-
nection with young Cavendish, with whom
he resided in Derbyshire or in London, he
had relations with literary men Of note like
Ben Jonson, and also with the two most
distinguished English thinkers OF the time.
Bacon and Lord Herbert of Cherbury.
With Herbert's intuitionalist principles in
philosophy he could have had no sympa-
thy, but he was to show himself no less
eager than Herbert to rationalize in matters
Of religious doctrine. His intercourse with
Bacon is referred to the years between
the latter's loss Of the Chancellorship in
1921 and his death in 1925. 1t is related that
Hobbies used sometimes to walk with Bacon
O. 3orhambury, and would jot down with
exceptional intelligence the e1-Chancel-
ior's ideas, and also that he was EMPLOYED
to make the Latin version Of some OF the
'Essays.' There is no reason, however.
to suppose that Bacon exercised any infu.
snoe on the trend Of Hobbess Thought In
hiloSophy: indeed the latter. 6rst To-, |