very church
might make such rules of ordination as they pleased.--_Swift. Think,
thought, thought, think, thought._

P. 154. _Burnet,_ speaking of a proclamation for shutting up two hundred
churches in one day:--Sharp said to myself, that he knew nothing of it.
... He was glad that this was done without his having any share in it:
For by it he was furnished with somewhat, in which he was no way
concerned, upon which he might cast all the blame of all that followed.
Yet this was suitable enough to a maxim that he and all that sort of
people set up, that the execution of laws was that by which all
governments maintained their strength, as well as their
honour.--_Swift._ Dunce, can there be a better maxim?

P. 157. _Burnet,_ speaking of those who enforced church discipline,
says:--They had a very scanty measure of learning, and a narrow compass
in it. They were little men, of a very indifferent size of capacity, and
apt to fly out into great excess of passion and indiscretion.--_Swift._
Strange inconsistent stuff.

P. 160. _Burnet._ One Venner ... thought it was not enough to believe
that Christ was to reign on earth, and to put the saints in the
possession of the kingdom ... but added to this, that the saints were to
take the kingdom themselves.--_Swift._ This wants grammar.

P. 163. _Burnet._ John Goodwin and Milton did also escape all censure,
to the surprise of all people.--_Swift._ He censures even mercy.

Ibid. _Burnet._ Milton ... was ... much admired by all at home for the
poems he writ, though he was then blind; chiefly that of "Paradise
Lost," in which there is a nobleness both of contrivance and execution,
that, though he affected to write in blank verse without rhyme, and made
many new and rough words, yet it was esteemed the beautifullest
and perfectest poem that ever was writ, at least in _our_
language.--_Swift._ A mistake, for it is _in English._

P. 164. _Burnet._ The great share he [Sir Henry Vane] had in the
attainder of the Earl Strafford, and in the whole turn of affairs to the
total change of government, but above all the great opinion that was had
of his parts and capacity to embroil matters again, made the court think
it was necessary to put him out of the way.--_Swift._ A malicious turn.
Vane was a dangerous enthusiastic beast.

Ibid. _Burnet._ When he [Sir Henry Vane] saw his death was designed, he
composed himself to it, with a resolution that surprised all who knew
how little of that was