_The Life and
Times of Stein_, the Prussian statesman (1879), _Natural Religion_
(1882), _The Expansion of England_ (1883), _Life of Napoleon_ (1885), and
a work on Goethe. _The Growth of British Policy_ (1895) was left finished
but unrevised at his death. In recognition of his services to the empire
in his political writings he was, in 1894, made K.C.M.G.

SELDEN, JOHN (1584-1654).--Jurist and scholar, _b._ near Worthing,
Sussex, the _s._ of a farmer who was also a musician, _ed._ at Chichester
and Oxf., and studied law at Clifford's Inn and the Inner Temple. His
learning soon attracted attention and, though practising little, he was
consulted on points involving legal erudition. His first work, _Analecton
Anglo-Britannicon_, a chronological collection of English records down to
the Norman invasion, was written in 1606, though not _pub._ till 1615. In
1610 appeared a treatise on the _Duello, or Single Combat_; and in 1614
his largest English work on _Titles of Honour_, full of profound
learning, and still a high authority. Three years later, 1617, he wrote
in Latin his treatise, _De Deis Syris_ (on the Gods of Syria), an inquiry
into polytheism, specially with reference to the false deities mentioned
in Scripture. His reputation as a scholar had now become European. In
1618 he incurred the indignation of the King and the clergy by his
_History of Tithes_, in which he denied their claim to be a divine
institution. Called before the High Commission he made a statement
regretting the publication of the book though not withdrawing any of its
statements. In 1621 he suffered a brief imprisonment for withstanding
some of James's doctrines as to the privileges of Parliament. Two years
later he was elected member for Lancaster. As a politician his views were
moderate, and all along he endeavoured to repress the zeal of the
extremists on both sides. He was imprisoned in the Tower for four years,
1630-34. During the final struggle of King and Parliament he was much
employed; but like most men of moderate views, was frequently under
suspicion, and after the execution of the King, to which he was strongly
opposed, he took little to do with public matters. He was a lay member of
the Westminster Assembly, 1643, where his profound knowledge of the
original tongues made him somewhat of a terror to certain extremists
among the divines. He had at an early age been appointed steward to the
Earl of Kent, and at the house of his widow, wi