attainments of the moft learned men that ever came in my way. But thefe ladys con

vinced

fect in the interior life and abftraction. He first made a convert of her to popery, and then to raise her to the tip-top faints, confolidated her foul to an impenetrable center, and taught her to pray in filence in the inward fanctuary, without any regard to what was outward; the more infenfible the more perfect. This continued for fometime, and the confeffor told her she was in a fair way to the highest degree of perfection; a little more abfence from the body, and fhe was quite glorious. In fhort, from touching the tip of her ear, as fhe fat like one inanimate, he proceeded to the most illicit liberties. She thought him an angel of a man, and was undone by the uncommon fanctity he wore, and the ftrong defire fhe had to be a perfect myftic.

But as to Labadie, if he was the man Mifs Calonges reported him, is it to be thought Mrs. Schurman would have made him her neareft friend, and firft minifter in the management of her houfe and religionists, and have travelled with him where-ever he went. Befide, Mrs. Bourignon did not make this an objection againft

Joining

only remaining light within the vaft black realms of papacy: Je prendrai la liberté de demandez a fa majefté deux graces, qui ne regardent, ni ma perfonne ni aucun de miens. La premiére eft que le roi ait la bonté de me donner un fucceffeur pieux, et régulier, bon et ferme contre le Janfenifme, lequel eft prodigieufement accredité fur cette frontiére.

As to the Bafuages, take this further notice, Jewks, that the valuable work, three volumes in folio, called Bafnages Annales Ecclefiaftiques, being a fupplement to, or an improvement of the Centuriator's of Magdebourg, were not written by Jacques or Henri Bafnage, aforementioned; but by Samuel Bafnage, their uncle; fo that in talking of, or quoting these learned men, you must take care to diftinguish them by their chriftian

names.

vinced me it was poffible; and that, if women of genius apply, they can out-do the

men

joining him and Mrs. Schurman: And among the many books written by Labadie, and by him published, there are fome of them moral, and extremely pious: And more than this, the reverend Mr. Yoon was his principal difciple, and all I think allow he was one of the moft pious of mortals, tho a thorow visionary. He founded a fociety at Wiewert, which was another la Trope Efpéce d'Abbaye de la Trap dans le parti proteftant, tres éloignée de l'efprit de mondanité, reformez dans leurs moeurs et dans leurs dogmes, fays Bayle in his Nouvelles for November 1685. And the Marriage Chrétien of Yvon, published immediately after the death of Labadie, is a piece of fanctification too fevere I think for mortals. I imagine then, that in contempt of those myftics and vifionarys, there may be fomethings overtold, and fome ftorys received, that would bear mitigation, if all the circumftances relating to them were known. It is bad enough that there are myftics and visionarys in the world: And therefore, if I could, I had rather difcover virtue amidst their intellectual immoralitys, than have an opportunity of dif playing imperfections in any of their hearts. And as to Labadie, fuppofing the worft, and that as Henri Bafnage fays, he began to feel the breafts of Mifs CaLonges, might not the attitude of the charming image, and the privacy of the place, be too much for the poor man, (as they fay fhe was a prodigious fine girl) and tempt him to commit an indifcretion he might be very forry for after? He was at that time a huge, ftrong, healthy be-myftic, and perhaps had a bottle of generous in his ftomach.

As to Bernard, whom I mentioned with Bayle and Bafnage, he was a proteftant minister of Holland. When Le Clerc was obliged to abandon his Bibliotheque Univerfelle, in the year 1691, after he had gone but a

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little

men of genius in arts and letters. Were I to give you a history of fome MSS. written

by

little way in the 20th tome. Bernard went on with the continuation, and most of the 20th volume, and volumes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, are his, tho they all go under the name of Le Clerc's Bibliotheque Univerfelle. Tome 25, came out in 1693; and then the excellent work dropt: But about ten years after, Bernard began the Republic of Letters, and carryed it on, with interruptions, till the year 1718, when he dyed, in the month of April, aged fixty.

Bayle dyed the 28th of December, 1706, aged fiftynine. His Dictionnaire Hiftorique et Critique, needs no recommendation; and next to that noble work in value are La Critique Générale, and Nouvelles Lettres in defence of it. Commentaire Philofophique. Penfees fur les Cométes. Lettres Choifies Entretiens de maxime et de Themifte; which is a defence of his religious principles, and did not appear till after his death, in the year 1707; and Les Nouvelles de la Republique de Lettres, from March 1684, to March 1687. These feveral pieces you ought to have in your clofet. They are most useful and beautiful things. His whole Oeuvres Diverfes were printed at the Hague in four volumes in folio, in 1727.

The great Le Clerc dyed the 8th of January 1736, in his feventy-ninth year; having loft his fpeech, and almoft his memory, in the year 1728, by a palfy and fever; and the malady encreafing, he was for fix years before his death without any understanding; a deplo

rable ruin.

,

He writ and publifhed fixty-two works, fome of which were folio's, and fome quarto's. I recommend to you in particular, his Hiftoria Ecclefiaftica, 2 fec. Amfterdam 1716, in 4to. Novum Teftamentum ad not. Ham. Lipfic. 1714, 2 volumes in folio. This edition is preferable to the Amfterdam edition, 1698.

Har

by these ladys, which I have read, you would be very greatly furprized: but the fociety will

Harmonia Evangelica Altorf. i. e. Lyon 1700, in 4to. This is preferable to the folio edition of Amfterdam, 1699, and has an excellent preface by Langius. Le Nouveau Teftament traduit avec des Remarques, Amfterdam, 2 vols. in 4to. This tranflation is fine, and the remarks admirable. Traité de l'Incredulité à Rotterdam 1714, in 8vo. It is remarkable that the Jefuits of Trevoux allow this book to be a moft valuable, folid, and well written piece, tres eftimable, folide et bien fait.Ars Critica, 2 volumes in 8vo, 1700. Corrigé et augmenté: And with it the Epiftola Critica, which makes a third volume, printed the fame year.Lettre à Jurieu, in anfwer to his account of the Socinians, Amfterdam 1697, in 8vo. This is a defence of the great Epifcopius, Profeffeur de l'Eglife des Remonftrans and is a fine thing. Ejchinis Dialogi tres; et ad calcem Sylva Philologica, Amftel. 1711, in 8vo. Parrbafiana, Amftel. 1702, 2 volumes in 8vo. Sentimens de quelques Theologiens fur l'Hiftoire Critique de pere Simon, Amfterdam, 1711, in 8vo. This edition has an excellent preface, which all the former editions want. Defenfe des fentimens againft Bellville, that is, per e Simon, Amfterdam, 1686, in 8vo. These two pieces are curious things. Simon had the laft word; but it was only words: and inftead of taking any farther notice of Simon, Le Clerc made a fhort answer to Herman Witfius, who in his Mifcellanea Sacra, defended Simon, and abufed Le Clerc. Bibliotheque Univerfelle et Hiftorique, 25 volumes in

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duo

* Epifcopius, an Arminian divine, dyed at Amfterdam the 4th of April, 1643, in the fixtieth year of his age. His works in the pureft Latin are two volumes in folio, Amftel. 1650. They are invaluable in their merit.

will not fuffer any thing belonging to them to appear; and all I can let you see is one Latin letter de vera religione, which Mrs. Harcourt did me the honor to write me, in answer to fome queftions I asked her. It is a great curiofity, and a useful piece; but too long to have a place here. You will find it It is the fixteenth. Comamong the notes. pare it with Mrs. Schurman's letter aforementioned, and will be able to form a judg

you

ment of both.

As to the Green Ifland, I muft say a little more of it, on account of the illuftrious reclufes, to give you an idea of their summer refidence in the late Mrs. Harcourt's time: I fay in her time, because they never went duodecimo, from 1696 to 1693, in which year he finifhed this excellent and ufeful work. Bibliotheque Choifie, fuite a la Bibliotheque Univerfelle 27 vols from 1703 to 1713. Bibliotheque Ancienne et Moderne, 29 volumes in 12mo, from 1714 to 1727. Pour fervir de fuite aux autres Bibliotheques. In thefe admirable books there are among the fine accounts of every thing that came out in all these years, a great number of excellent criticisms, difquifitions, effays, and letters, written by Le Clerc.- -And, Clerici Vita et Opera ad annum 1711, Amftel. 1711, in 8vo. being Le Clerc's apology for himself and his writings to that time.Thefe fixteen things are truly excellent, and ought to be in every gentleman's clofet. Le Clerc was a clergyman; but never belonged to any particular church.— This fhort account of those writers, and their writings, I have thrown together, as you will find them mentioned feveral times, in one or other of the following

letters.

I

there