certain, that Numa Pompilius was long before Alexander. The Romans had feveral Sorts of this Paper; one of them was called Hieratica, as Pliny writes, and only dedicated to religious Books, which afterwards, through Flattery, took Auguftus's Name, and was called Augustana, as the fecond Sort, from his Wife Livia; was called Liviana, as among us there is now Imperial and Royal Paper. There was another Sort called Amphitheatrica, from the Place where it was made, being about the Amphitheatre; and the first that began to make this Paper in Rome was one Fannius, who brought it to fuch Finenefs, that, whereas before it was for common Ufe, it became equal with the. heft, and took his Name, being called Fanniana, whereas that, which was not fo curiously prepared, kept its own Name of Amphitheatrica; and these were the best Sorts of Paper in thofe Days. Afterwards came the Saitica, fo named from a City where it was made, where there was great Abundance of the Papyrus, and this was made of the worft Part of it. There was ftill another Sort made of the outward Part next the Rhind, and called Teniotica, from the Place where it was made, which was fold rather by Weight than by Choice. Lastly, there was the Emporetica, anfwerable to our Brown or Wrapping-Paper, unfit for writing, and only used to make Covers for the other Paper, and to wrap up Goods, therefore called Shop-Paper. All thefe Sorts of Paper were very different from one another; for the beft was thirteen Inches broad, the Hieratica two Inches lefs, the Fanniana of ten, and the Amphitheatrica two narrower; the Saitica ftill lefs, and the coarse Emporetica not above fix. Befides, Auguftus's Paper was in great Efteem for its Whitenefs, as well as its Smoothness, but was fo thin, it would fcarce bear the Pen ;. befides that, it funk, and the Letters appeared through it; and therefore, in the Reign of Claudius Cæfar, it loft the first Place, and another Sort was made, from him called Claudia, which was preferred before all the others, and the Augufta was referved for writing of Imperial Letters. The Livian Paper kept its Rank, having nothing of the firft, but, in all Refpects, like the fecond. This Sort of Paper, made of Papyrus, the Romans ufed a long Time, on which many Books were writ; and, as Pliny informs us, there were, in his Times, abundance of Volumes of Caius, and Tiberius Gracchus, of Cicero, of Auguftus, and of Virgil.

That this Paper was good and lafting, appears by what was faid above. of Numa's Books, found in the Confulthip of P. Cornelius, L. F. Cethegus,. M. Balbius, and 2. F. Pamphilius; and, from the Reign of Numa till their Time, we find there paffed five hundred and thirty five Years, it being wonderful they should laft fo long without rotting, especially having been all: that While buried under Ground. Authors differ. very much about the Number of thefe Books; for fome, as Livy, fay they were two, and found by Lucius Petilius; of which Opinion are Lactantius and Plutarch, in the Life of Numa. Others fay, they were fourteen, feven of the Pontifical Laws, and the other feven of the Precepts of Pythagorean Philofophy; others fay, they were twelve, as Varro in his Book of Antiquities. Tuditanus, Lib. ii. writes, they were thirteen of Numa's Decretals, yet Antia affirms, there were:

two:

two Latin, one of the Pontifical Rites, and as many Greek of Pythagorean Philofophy, and were therefore burnt by 2. Petulius the Pretor. Certain it is, that the Invention of Paper, made of the Rufh Papyrus, continued long among the Romans, and very many Books were writ on it by feveral Authors, as has been faid above.

In the laft Place was found out the Paper of our Days, a moft noble Invention, which has afforded the Opportunity of writing and publishing a vaft Quantity of Books. It is made of Linnen Rags beaten to Atoms; and it is wonderful that fo mean a Thing fhould perpetuate and immortalise the memorable Actions of Men. It is made in all Parts of the World, and of feveral Sorts great and fmall, and fo white and curious, that nothing can exceed it. On this, as the moft perfect, are printed fo many Volumes as are daily feen, laying afide the Papyrus, the Parchment, and all others, which gave Occafion to the finding out of this in our Forefathers Days.

Political Remarks on the Life and Reign of King William III. First, From his Birth to the Abdication of King James II. Secondly, From his Acceffion to the Crown of England to his Death.

Firft.HOUGH Fortune might feem a Step-mother to this Prince, by T depriving him of a Father, before fcarce a human Soul had been breathed into the Infant, yet fhe abundantly made Amends for that Unkindness, by the Prudence and Indulgency of his Mother, eldeft Daughter of King Charles I. who, by means of the Blood from whence the sprung, not only conveyed to him a Profpect of attaining to three Kingdoms, but alfo, by the Care fhe took of his Education, she formed his Soul worthy of the Crowns he was deftined by Providence to wear.

We read a Story of Sempronius, that he caught two Snakes ingendering, and that, being furprized at the Novelty, he confulted the Oracle what the unlucky Omen meant: The Priests returned an Answer, that either himself or his Wife muft die; and that it was at his Election, whether he would fubmit to Death himfelf, or doom the Partner of his Bed to that Misfortune: That, upon his killing the Male Snake, it was his Turn to die; and that, upon the Death of the Female, his Wife muft undergo the fame Destiny. This generous Roman, unterrified with the Apprehenfions of another World, caufed the Snake to die, whofe Fate was twifted with his, confiding in the known Piety and Prudence of his Lady, and believing her Life more neceffary to the common Good of his Family than his own. The Oracle and his uxorious Confidence were juft; he died according to the Prediction of

the

the first, and his Family, by the Conduct of his Widow, found themselves little prejudiced in the Lofs of fo eminent an Example of Tenderness.

I fhall not infift upon the Truth of this Story, we have fome good Authors to vouch it; but certainly, if the Prince of Orange, Father to the late King William, had been permitted fuch an unhappy Choice, he might, without a Blemish to his Character, have followed the Steps of that illuftrious Roman, and fpared his Lady, whofe Wisdom, Courage, and Civility laid the first Foundation of that Grandeur, which her warlike Son, in fucceeding Ages, attained to.

The States of the Seven Provinces ftood his Godfathers; nor did his Mother, though fo nearly allied to the Crown of England, think it beneath her Quality to implore the Protection of Perfons meanly bo n, in Comparison of her illuftrious Offspring, nor were the Methods the undertook unagreeable to found Policy. The princely Widow understood her Interest very well, and the Godfon of thofe High and Mighty Potentates received, both in his own Perfon, and in the Refpect was paid his Mother, the greatest Arguments of their fincere Friendship and Esteem.

No blazing Star preceded his Birth, and, with its prophetick Beams, prefaged his future Grandeur. The Dutch Aftrologers could not fee fo clearly as the English, who affirmed, that a Star of fuch a Nature was feen just before the Nativity of King Charles II. In this his Country-men acted unhandfomely, in depriving his Birth of fo glorious and remarkable an Ac

cident.

And it must be acknowledged, as more reasonable in itself, if those Celeftial Luminaries attend our Actions here below, that the brightest of them fhould rather have waited on the Nativity of King William, who restored the Glory of the English, than upon King Charles II. who, by the Supinenefs of his Conduct, had near loft the Reputation of his Country, and the Balance of Europe.

This Humility of the Princess of Orange was as much commended by fome as cenfured by others; but whoever weighs it, must acknowledge it a Piece of refined Policy, and that her Confideration was both juft and rational: By this Step, and others of the like Nature, fhe entirely rooted out those Ideas, and that Umbrage the States had conceived at the Greatness of the House of Orange, and fhewed herself rather a Grand-daughter of King James I. than a Sifter of King James II.

His Education was confiftent with the Manners of the Country where he was educated; the Methods prefcribed him by those that had the Honour of his Tuition, were folid and fevere; nothing gay or glittering was seen in his Court, or the Converfation of those Perfons who were intrusted with the Management of his tender Years: His Mind adjusted itself to the Admonitions of his Tutors, and produced a Temper ferious and thoughtful, quite averse from the ufual Gallantries practised in the more refined and polite Courts, as they ftiled themselves, of Europe.

He

He was never a mighty Scholar himself, nor did he much affect Learning, or the Charms of a witty Converfation; fuch as were Mafters of thofe happy Qualities were feldom employed by him, unless fome of the first in the Affairs of the Church; and if ever he made Ufe of Perfons fo distinguished in his fecular Concerns, it was rather to please others than himself, and to acquire a Reputation to his Councils, more than for any Pleasure he took in their Harangues or Conversation; and this may be truly faid of him, without Injustice to his Memory, That he was a much greater King, but nothing fo fine a Gentleman as his Uncle.

Though he was no great Friend to polite Learning, yet he took Care to acquire the French and English Languages, which, afterwards, were of the highest Importance to his Management of feveral Treaties of the last Confe quence to himself and his Allies.

He never had many Favourites, and it was well for England that he had no more than two: The firft of thefe was Monfieur Bentinck, now Earl of Portland, who obtained his Efteem and Friendship by one of the most generous Actions imaginable.

This young Gentleman was Page to the Prince of Orange, and much of the fame Age with his Mafter. It happened, that the Prince was taken ill of the Small-pox, which not rifing kindly upon him, his Phyficians judged it neceffary that fome young Perfon fhould lie in the fame Bed with the Prince, imagining, that the natural Heat of another would drive out the Dif eafe, and expel it from the nobler Parts: No-body of Quality could be found in all the Court to make this Experiment; at laft, Monfieur Bentinck, though he had never had the Small-pox, refolved to run the Rifque; he did fo, the Prince recovered, his Page fell ill, and, in a little Time, had the Happiness to find himself in a healthy Condition, and as well as his Master. Ever after this Action of Monfieur Bentinck's, which was truly great and noble, the Prince had an entire Affection for fo faithful a Servant, and particularly trufted him in Affairs of the highest Confequence. It was my Lord. Portland that tranfacted the Peace of Refwick, and the fame Nobleman managed the Negotiations that were fet on Foot betwixt the then Prince of Orange and the English Nobility, who had Recourfe to his Highness before his Acceffion to thefe Realms. If the Favours of the King had stopped here, and his faithful Minifter had received no other Arguments of his Mafter's Efteem, than reasonable Gifts and Honours, perchance the Character of the deceased Monarch might have been fomething greater; but Things were pushed too far, and, when the Parliament put a Stop to fome Conceffions intended for my Lord, it was a plain Difcovery of a Weakness which had been better omitted.

Though his Highnefs commanded the Army of the States very young, when he was fcarcely Seventeen, an Age when fome Noblemen are hardly exempt from the Tuition of a Pedant, yet he behaved himself with greater Vigilance, Prudence, and Conduct, than could be reasonably expected of him at that Time of Day.

But

But though his Conduct was furprizing when he entered upon thofe high Employments of Stadt-holder and General, yet he feems rather indebted to Chance and the Miseries of his Country for thofe Pofts, than to any perfonal Merits of his own, or the Atchievements of his Ancestors.

The French had near over-run all Holland, their Armies had poffeffed themselves of Utrecht, and moft of the reft of the Frontier-Towns belonging to the States had fubmitted themselves to that invincible Deluge, which their Troops could not refift, nor their Prudence or Negotiations avoid, The Faction of Barnevelt, well known by that Name in the Low-Countries, were then at the Helm, and the two Brothers, the De Wits, were looked upon as Chiefs of a Party who oppofed the Grandeur of the House of Orange. One of these was Penfionary, which is Principal Secretary of State, and was either, in Reality, a Traytor to his Country, or esteemed as fuch by the Boors and common People, whofe Misfortunes fowred their Humours, and made them ripe for Tumults and Rebellions. Upon the conftant Series of their ill Succefs, the Populace arofe, tore in Pieces the two unhappy Brothers, and wrested the Government from the Hands of thofe who were averfe to the Houfe of Orange. They continued their Refentments, and obliged the States to restore his Highness to all the ancient Honours of his Family. Yet, though this young Gentleman was made General by a Tumult, yet, once poffeffed of that high Command, he behaved himself not like a tumultuary General; he foon repulfed the French out of their new Conquefts, with a greater Chain of Succefs than ever afterwards attended his military Actions.

Though fevere and referved in the Cabinet, yet, in the Camp, he was fiery to a Fault, and often expofed himself, and the Cause he defended, with a Rafhnefs, blameable in an Officer of his Dignity.

Yet one Thing is very obfervable in his Conduct, though he had the Spirit and Gallantry of a Hero, yet he wanted the Paffion of Love to make that Character compleat; neither before, at the Time of his Marriage, or afterwards, was he ever noted for any extraordinary Tendernefs; nor could the Beauty of his Queen, nor the Addrefs of any other Lady, raife in him extraordinary Tranfports; his Soul was free from thefe Weakneffes, or he had the Art to conceal them.

But notwithstanding his whole Life was an Inftance of his Prudence in Affairs of this Nature (one Cafe only excepted) yet he never fhewed fo great a Refervednefs, nor, indeed, a greater Piece of Wisdom, than upon his Marriage with the Lady Mary, eldest Daughter of the late King James: She was a Princefs, who, for her Beauty, good Humour, Senfe and Piety, had no Equal in Europe: Her Zeal for the Proteftant Religion was furprifing in a Lady of her Youth, and what did not a little add to her fhining Qualities, was her being prefumptive Heiress to three Kingdoms. The People of England were infinitely defirous this Match fhould take Effect; and King Charles perfuaded the World he had the fame Inclinations, but privately infinuated to the Prince,that his making a Peace with France, and his inducing the Spaniards to do the fame, upon fuch Terms as his Britannick Majefty propofed (which Terms,