Ibid. Burnet. The kirk ... asserted all along that the doctrine delivered in their sermons did not fall under the cognisance of the temporal courts, till it was first judged by the church.—­Swift. Popery.

P. 127. Burnet. The proceedings against Wariston were soon dispatched.—­Swift. Wariston was an abominable dog.

P. 135. Burnet, of Bishop Leightoun’s character:—­The grace and gravity of his pronunciation was such, that few heard him without a very sensible emotion. ...  His style was rather too fine.—­Swift. Burnet is not guilty of that.

P. 140. Burnet. Leightoun did not stand much upon it.  He did not think orders given without bishops were null and void.  He thought, the forms of government were not settled by such positive laws as were unalterable; but only by apostolical practices, which, as he thought, authorized Episcopacy as the best form.  Yet he did not think it necessary to the being of a church.  But he thought that every church might make such rules of ordination as they pleased.—­Swift.  Think, thought, thought, think, thought.

P. 154. Burnet, speaking of a proclamation for shutting up two hundred churches in one day:—­Sharp said to myself, that he knew nothing of it. ...  He was glad that this was done without his having any share in it:  For by it he was furnished with somewhat, in which he was no way concerned, upon which he might cast all the blame of all that followed.  Yet this was suitable enough to a maxim that he and all that sort of people set up, that the execution of laws was that by which all governments maintained their strength, as well as their honour.—­Swift. Dunce, can there be a better maxim?

P. 157. Burnet, speaking of those who enforced church discipline, says:—­They had a very scanty measure of learning, and a narrow compass in it.  They were little men, of a very indifferent size of capacity, and apt to fly out into great excess of passion and indiscretion.—­Swift. Strange inconsistent stuff.

P. 160. Burnet. One Venner ... thought it was not enough to believe that Christ was to reign on earth, and to put the saints in the possession of the kingdom ... but added to this, that the saints were to take the kingdom themselves.—­Swift. This wants grammar.

P. 163. Burnet. John Goodwin and Milton did also escape all censure, to the surprise of all people.—­Swift. He censures even mercy.

Ibid. Burnet. Milton ... was ... much admired by all at home for the poems he writ, though he was then blind; chiefly that of “Paradise Lost,” in which there is a nobleness both of contrivance and execution, that, though he affected to write in blank verse without rhyme, and made many new and rough words, yet it was esteemed the beautifullest and perfectest poem that ever was writ, at least in our language.—­Swift. A mistake, for it is in English.