dignity to the Puritanic character. And if the virtue was sometimes marred by self-will, and the faith distorted by fanaticism, it was but as the light of the stedfast stars may be for awhile dimmed or hidden by the 'mists and vapours of this sin-worn mould.' If we do not refuse to the memory of the Puritans the just tribute of our gratitude, we must acknowledge that to them it was owing that England did not sink to the level of the France or the Spain of that day. We have entered into the labours of their might: if we have received from them any traditions not of sound doctrine, the fault is ours if we allow the authority of their opinion—which was but 'knowledge in the making'—to prejudice us against the teaching and the warning of their example. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. A.D. ENGLISH AND FOREIGN HISTORY. 1608 Bancroft persecutes the Puritans; they emigrate to Virginia; May 4, German Protestant Union. ENGLISH LITERATURE. Edward Hyde (afterwards Earl of Clarendon) b., 1609 Holy League of German powers (Roman Ca- Sir Matthew Hale b., d. 1678; Sir J. Suckling 1610 Henry IV of France assassinated, May 4. b., d. 1641; Publication of Shakespeare's Authorised Version of the Bible, May 22; 1612 Earl of Salisbury, the younger Cecil d., May Samuel Butler b., d. 1680. 1613 Princess Elizabeth married to Frederic, Elector 1614 The Addle Parliament'; the Undertakers.' 1615 Trial of the Earl and Countess of Somerset ; Jeremy Taylor b., d. 1667; Drayton's Poly- Henry More (the Platonist) b., d. 1687; Raleigh's 1616 Cautionary towns surrendered to Holland; Con demnation and reprieve of Somerset.Miguel Cervantes d. (69). Shakespeare d. (52), April 23; Francis Beaumont d. (30); Publication of Jonson's Underwoods, and Browne's Britannia's Pastorals. 1617 Book of Sports; Episcopacy in Scotland; Ra- Ralph Cudworth b., d. 1688; Algernon Sidney b. leigh's Guiana expedition. 1618 Bacon, Lord Chancellor, Jan. 4; Execution of Raleigh (66), Oct. 29.-Thirty Years' War begins, May. 1619 (?), beheaded, Dec. 7, 1683. Joshua Sylvester, translator of Du Bartas, d. (55); Abraham Cowley b., d. 1667. Samuel Daniel d. (57); William Harvey (15781658) discovers circulation of blood. 1620 The May-flower' sails, Sept.-Palatinate lost; Andrew Marvell b., d. 1678; Evelyn b., d. 1706; To St. Paul's School before Molière b., d. 1673. 1621 Bacon condemned, May 3, and pardoned, Oct.; The protest of the Commons, Dec. 18.-La Fontaine b., d. 1695. 1622 Bacon's Novum Organon published. Publication of Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy. George Withers' Juvenilia (Abuses, Shepherd's Hunting, etc.). 1623 Spanish journey, Feb.; the match broken, William Camden d. (72); Giles Fletcher d. (35 Nov.-Pascal b., d. 1662. or 37.); Bacon's De Augmentis; First Folio of Shakespeare's Plays. Fox b., d. 1690. this year. 1624 Disgrace and impeachment of Cranfield, Earl of John Fletcher (dramatist) d. (48 or 49); George Psalms cxiv. and cxxxvi.; Middlesex, May. 1625 James I. d. (59), March 27; Charles I. married, June; First Parliament, June to August; Plague in London. 1626 Second Parliament, Feb. June. Hard study. Publication of Purchas' Pilgrims, and enlarged Feb. 12. Pensioner at Christ edition of Bacon's Essays. College, Cambridge Bacon d. (65), April 9; Sir John Davies d. On a Fair Infant. (b. 1570 ?). 1627 Buckingham before Rochelle, July 7.-Arundel Thomas Middleton d., b. 1514 (?); Hakewill's marbles brought to England. 1628 Third Parliament, March 17; Petition of Right 1629 Oliver Cromwell's first speech in Parliament, 1631 Battle of Leipsic, Aug. 28; Kepler d. (61). 1632 Laud and Wentworth; Till 1638 lasts the period 1633 Charles crowned in Edinburgh, June 18; Laud, Abp. of Canterbury, Sept. 19.-Condemnation, recantation, and release of Galileo. 1634 First writ of ship-money, Oct. 20; Sir E. Coke d. (85). Apology or Declaration of the Power and MILTON'S LIFE. Lord Brooke d. (74); John Bunyan b., d. Vacation Exercise. John Speed d., b. 1555 (?) Isaac Barrow b., d. 1677; John Tillotson b., Michael Drayton d. (68); Dr. John Donne d. John Locke b., d. 1704; Earl of Roscommon Geo. Herbert d. (40); Fletcher's Purple Island George Chapman d. (77); Thos. Randolph d. Comus acted at Ludlow, Mi(29); Inns Masque and Coelum Britannicum, Feb.; Habington's Poems. chaelmas. 1635 French Academy; Lope de Vega d. (67). 1636 Richard Corbet, Bp. of Norwich, d. (53); Pub- M.A., Oxford. lication of Quarles' Emblems. 1637 Prynne, Burton, and Bastwick pilloried, June Ben Jonson d. (63), Aug. 6. 30; Janet Geddes' outbreak, July 23.— Descartes' Discours sur la Méthode; Cid, by Death of Sara Milton, April 3, 1638 Hampden cast, April; League and Covenant; Chillingworth's Religion of Protestants pub- Continental journey; Italian 1639 Pacification of Berwick, June 13.-Racine b., d. 1699. 1640 Short Parliament, April 13 to May 5; Long Parliament meets, Nov. 3.-Rubens d. (63), May 30. 1641 Judgment against Hampden cancelled, Feb.; Strafford's trial, March, and execution, May 12 (48); Grand Remonstrance, Nov. to Dec. Van Dyck d. (42) in London, Dec. 9. 1642 Five Members,' Jan. 4; Hull gates shut on Charles, April 23; his standard at Nottingham, Aug. 22; Resolution of Houses against Episcopacy, Sept.; Battle of Edgehill, Oct. 23. -Galileo d. (78); Richelieu d. (57); Guido d. (67). lished. John Ford d. (?), b. 1586; Thos. Carew d. (50); Philip Massinger d. (56); Robert Burton d. Sir J. Suckling d. (32); Sir H. Spelman d. (79); Isaac Newton b. Dec. 25, d. 1727; Publication of Religio Medici by Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682); De Cive by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). sonnets. |