Both these great men felt a mutual respect for each other.  They only knew the rivalry of genius.

As a matter of curious discussion and legal investigation, the philosopher must incline to the arguments of Selden, who has proved by records the first occupancy of the English; and the English dominion over the four seas, to the utter exclusion of the French and Dutch from fishing, without our licence.  He proves that our kings have always levied great sums, without even the concurrence of their parliaments, for the express purpose of defending this sovereignty at sea.  A copy of Selden’s work was placed in the council-chest of the Exchequer, and in the court of admiralty, as one of our most precious records.

The historical anecdote is finally closed by the Dutch themselves, who now agreed to acknowledge the English sovereignty in the seas, and pay a tribute of thirty thousand pounds to the King of England, for liberty to fish in the seas, and consented to annual tributes.

That the Dutch yielded to Selden’s arguments is a triumph we cannot venture to boast.  The ultima ratio regum prevailed; and when we had destroyed their whole fishing fleet, the affair appeared much clearer than in the ingenious volumes of Grotius or Selden.  Another Dutchman presented the States-General with a ponderous reply to Selden’s Mare Clausum, but the wise Sommelsdyke advised the States to suppress the idle discussion; observing that this affair must be decided by the sword, and not by the pen.

It may be curious to add, that as no prevailing or fashionable subject can be agitated, but some idler must interfere to make it extravagant and very new, so this grave subject did not want for something of this nature.  A learned Italian, I believe, agreed with our author Selden in general, that the sea, as well as the earth, is subject to some States; but he maintained, that the dominion of the sea belonged to the Genoese!

ON THE CUSTOM OF KISSING HANDS.

M. Morin, a French academician, has amused himself with collecting several historical notices of this custom.  I give a summary, for the benefit of those who have had the honour of kissing his majesty’s hand.  It is not those who kiss the royal hand who could write best on the custom.

This custom is not only very ancient, and nearly universal, but has been alike participated by religion and society.

To begin with religion.  From the remotest times men saluted the sun, moon, and stars, by kissing the hand.  Job assures us that he was never given to this superstition, xxxi. 26.  The same honour was rendered to Baal, 1 Kings xix. 18.  Other instances might be adduced.

We now pass to Greece.  There all foreign superstitions were received.  Lucian, after having mentioned various sorts of sacrifices which the rich offered the gods, adds, that the poor adored them by the simpler compliment of kissing their hands.  That author gives an anecdote of Demosthenes, which shows this custom.  When a prisoner to the soldiers of Antipater, he asked to enter a temple.—­When he entered, he touched his mouth with his hands, which the guards took for an act of religion.  He did it, however, more securely to swallow the poison he had prepared for such an occasion.  He mentions other instances.