and judicious, he lost no opportunities of turning his talent to account. Resigned to all the dispensations of Providence, his misfortunes never seem to have depressed the energies of his mind, but he was, as one of his friends said of him, 66 adversis rerum immersabilis undis." In the quaint language of Walker, in his book on the Sufferings of the Clergy, he was "sequestered, pursevanted, plundered, and forced to fly; having been thrice shut up in the sieges of Carlisle and Oxford, and in a confinement in Stockton Castle." The circumstances here alluded to, might be expected to form the materials of an interesting memoir; but I lament to say, that many details are lost which would gladly have been recorded: and the reader must have the goodness to collect the story of such particulars as have been preserved from the correspondence now submitted to him, without much assistance from the editor. Still, the letters cannot fail to give a lively picture of the manners and feelings of the times in which they were written; and I think the reader will not regret that an attempt has been made to rescue from oblivion the character of one of his countrymen, his adopted countryman at least, who, by his virtues. and his talents, commanded respect whereever his good or evil fortune placed him. It is a striking feature in his life, that in the most remote parts of Europe, whither he had retired as an exile and a fugitive, his friendship was sought, and his advice followed, by learned and good men; and, in some instances, by persons of the most exalted rank. The Life of Dr. Basire may be divided into three portions: the first, from his birth to his expatriation, upon the surrender of the City of Oxford to the Parliament; the second, includes fifteen years of exile; the remaining part consists of about the same period of time, from the Restoration, and his own return to England, to his decease. and judicious, he lost no opportunities of turning his talent to account. Resigned to all the dispensations of Providence, his misfortunes never seem to have depressed the energies of his mind, but he was, as one of his friends said of him, 66 adversis rerum immersabilis undis." In the quaint language of Walker, in his book on the Sufferings of the Clergy, he was 66 sequestered, pursevanted, plundered, and forced to fly; having been thrice shut up in the sieges of Carlisle and Oxford, and in a confinement in Stockton Castle." The circumstances here alluded to, might be expected to form the materials of an interesting memoir; but I lament to say, that many details are lost which would gladly have been recorded: and the reader must have the goodness to collect the story of such particulars as have been preserved from the correspondence now submitted to him, without much assistance from the editor. Still, the letters cannot fail to give a lively picture of the manners and feelings of the times in which they were written; and I think the reader will not regret that an attempt has been made to rescue from oblivion the character of one of his countrymen, his adopted countryman at least, who, by his virtues and his talents, commanded respect whereever his good or evil fortune placed him. It is a striking feature in his life, that in the most remote parts of Europe, whither he had retired as an exile and a fugitive, his friendship was sought, and his advice. followed, by learned and good men; and, in some instances, by persons of the most exalted rank. The Life of Dr. Basire may be divided into three portions: the first, from his birth to his expatriation, upon the surrender of the City of Oxford to the Parliament; the second, includes fifteen years of exile; the remaining part consists of about the same period of time, from the Restoration, and his own return to England, to his decease. |