“The spirit of incredulity gains ground in the world every day:  you have often heard me make this remark.  It is now worse than ever, as the Gospel itself is used for the corruption of religion.  I thank God that at my age he blesses me with sufficient strength to resist the torrent.”

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  X. 1621—­1634.]

Dom.  Calmet[040] calls Grotius,

“one of the most able and moderate Protestant writers:  one who spreads throughout his notes a pleasing profusion of profane literature, which causes his works to be sought for and read by those, who have taste for that kind of literature.  His high reputation, great erudition, and rare modesty,” says Dom.  Calmet, “render it easy for him to insinuate his particular sentiments respecting the divinity of Christ, against which, his readers should be guarded.”

X.6.

Some other Works of Grotius.

1.  The first which we shall mention is his history of the Goths, Vandals, and Lombards, written in the Latin language, and accompanied by learned dissertations.  He composed it, as a testimony of his gratitude to the Swedes, by doing honour to their gothic ancestors.  The preface has always been admired, for its erudition and sound criticism.  But the Belgic friends of Grotius accused him of elevating the Swedes at their expense.

[Sidenote:  X. 6.  Other Works of Grotius.]

2.  A more important work consists of his Annals, and History of the United Provinces.  The Annals begin with the year 1588, when Prince Maurice had the greatest influence in the affairs of the United Provinces; and concludes with the truce of twelve years, signed between them and Spain.  The impartiality, with which these works are written, has been praised by every writer.

It is to be lamented that Grotius professed to imitate, both in his Annals and History, the style of Tacitus.  Expressed by his own pen, the style of Tacitus is energetic, picturesque, and pleasing; but it is impossible to deny its frequent abruptness and obscurity.  Generally speaking, an imitation of what is defective, contains a larger share, than the original, of its distinctive defect.  It should however be added, that Grotius’s own style is short, sententious and broken; and possesses nothing of the meliflous ease of the ultramontane Latinists; or of our Milton or Buchanan.  None of the works of Grotius, which we have mentioned in this Article, were published till after his decease.

3.  It remains to notice the Letters of Grotius, published at Amsterdam in one volume folio, in 1687.—­A multitude of his unpublished letters is said to exist in different public and private libraries.

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  X. 1621-1634.]