“From a letter written by King James to the Prince of Orange, June 15, 1685, it appears, that though the Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme, in Dorsetshire, on Thursday evening, June 11th, an account of his landing did not reach the King at Whitehall till Saturday morning the 13th.  The House of Commons, having met on that day at the usual hour, between nine and ten o’clock, the news was soon afterwards communicated to them by a Message from the King, delivered by the Earl of Middleton (to whom Etheredge afterwards wrote two poetical Epistles from Ratisbon).  Having voted and drawn up an Address to his Majesty, desiring him to take care of his royal person, they adjourned to four o’clock; in which interval they went to Whitehall, presented their Address, and then met again. Com.  Jour. vol. ix. p. 735.  About this time, therefore, it may be presumed, the news transpired, and in an hour afterwards probably reached the Theatre, where an audience was assembled at the representation of the opera of ‘Albion and Albanius;’ for pays at that time began at four o’clock.  It seems from Mr. Luttrell’s MS. note, that the first representation of this opera was on Saturday the 6th of June; and Downes (Roscius Ang. p. 40) says, that in consequence of Monmouth’s invasion, it was only performed six times; so that the sixth representation was, without doubt, on Saturday, the 13th of June.  An examination of dates is generally fatal to tales of this kind:  here, however, they certainly support the tradition mentioned in the text.”—­ Life of Dryden, page 188.

[3] The expressions in the dedication are such as to preclude all idea but of profound respect:  “Sir, The value I have ever had for your writings, makes me impatient to peruse all treatises that are crowned with your name; whereof, the last that fell into my hands was your ‘Religio Laici;’ which expresses as well your great judgment in, as value for, religion:  a thing too rarely found in this age among gentlemen of your parts; and, I am confident (with the blessing of God upon your endeavours), not unlikely to prove of great advantage to the public; since, as Mr. Herbert well observes,

  “A verse may find him who a sermon flies,
  And turn delight into a sacrifice.”

[4] Blount preserves indeed that affectation of respect for the doctrines of the established church which decency imposes; but the tendency of his work is to decry all revelation.  It is founded on the noted work of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, “De Veritate.”

[5] “I was unable to resist the weight of historical evidence, that within the same period most of the loading doctrines of Popery were already introduced in theory and practice; nor was my conclusion absurd, that miracles are the test of truth, and that the Church must be orthodox and pure, which was so often approved by the visible interposition of the Deity.  The marvellous tales which are so boldly attested by the