BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. HENRY ST. JOHN, VISCOUNT BOLINGBROKE, was the only son of Sir Henry St. John, of Lydiard Tregoze, Wiltshire, by Mary Rich, third daughter of the Earl of Warwick. Henry was born at Battersea, the Surrey suburb of London, Oct. 1, 1678, and was brought up by his grandmother, under care of Daniel Burgess, a celebrated Puritan preacher. At Eton, he became acquainted with Sir Robert Walpole, and the rivalry, began at school, continued through life. From Eton he removed to Christ Church, Oxford, where he soon became known for his personal beauty, fascination of manners, brilliancy of conversation and literary talent. He was a fast youth, and to reclaim him his friends brought about a match between him and the daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Winchescomb. The rake was not reformed-an early separation and a final one soon ensued. On the death of this lady, and during his exile in France, Bolingbroke married the widowed Marchioness de Villette, a niece of Madame Maintenon. He sur vived her about one year. In 1700, Henry St. John became M.P. for Wootton Basset; in 1704, secretary for war, resigning his office in 1707, on the dismissal of Harley; and in 1710, when Harley regained power, St. John became secretary of state. In 1712 he became Viscount Bolingbroke, but was chagrined at being refused an earldom. On the accession of George I., Bolingbroke lost his chances of promotion. Addison was made foreign secretary, and St. John was threatened by the whigs with impeachment for high treason. He fled in disgrace to Calais, March 25, 1715; visited the Pretender at Lorraine, and became secretary of state to the Stuart family, which caused his impeachment and attainder. vi BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. In 1723 he was permitted to return to England, his estates were re stored; but the House of Lords was still closed against him. In cor junction with Wyndham and Pulteney he waged for ten years a fierc party war against Sir Robert Walpole-the Craftsman, a periodical the day, being the vehicle of their bitter attacks. In 1726 he revisited France, and remained there until the death his father, in 1742, when he retired to his seat at Battersea, and live there until 1751, when he died of cancer in the face. Bolingbroke wa the esteemed friend of, and watched over the death-bed of Alexande Pope, the poet. The sceptical opinions of Bolingbroke failed to support him at th last, as we read from Spence's Anecdotes, that he was overcome with terrors and excessive passion in his last illness. Sir Henry Mildma overhearing him saying to himself, 'What will my poor soul underg 'for all these things!' (These sceptical opinions have no place in thi Reprint.-A. M.) 'When the passions of Bolingbroke subsided by years and dis ' appointments, he improved his rational faculties by more grave studie ' and reflection; he shone out in his retirement with a lustre peculia 'to himself. The wisdom of Socrates, the dignity and ease a Pliny, and the wit of Horace appeared in all his writings.'-Memoir of Dean Swift. CONTENTS. III.-I. An objection against the utility of history re- moved.-2. The false and true aim of those 4-16 16-22 22-23 23-26 LETTER IV.—1. That there is in history sufficient authenticity to render it useful, notwithstanding all objec- tions to the contrary.-2. Method and due restrictions to be observed in the study of it. V.-I. The great use of history, properly so called, as distinguished from the writings of mere an- nalists and antiquaries.—2. Greek and Roman historians.-3. Some idea of a complete history.-4. Further cautions to be observed in this study, and the regulation of it accord- ing to the different professions and situations LETTER VI. From what period modern history is peculiarly useful to the service of our country, viz., from the end of the fifteenth century to the present. The division of this into three par- A view of the ecclesiastical government of Europe from the beginning of the sixteenth century . A view of the civil government of Europe in the beginning LETTER VII.—On the state and history of Europe from the |