ainst the censures of Pope. His eulogy will be
presently submitted to the reader. Gibbon, in his
_Posthumous Works_, vol. ii., 711, has aimed a deadly blow
at the literary reputation of Hearne; and an admirer of this
critic and historian, as well as an excellent judge of
antiquarian pursuits, has followed up Gibbon's mode of
attack in a yet more merciless manner. He calls him "Thomas
Hearne, of black-letter memory, _carbone notandus_"--"a
weaker man (says he) never existed, as his prefaces, so
called, lamentably show." He continues in this hard-hearted
strain: but I have too much humanity to make further
extracts. He admits, however, the utility of most of
Hearne's publications--"of which he was forced to publish a
few copies, at an extravagant subscription." The remarks of
this (anonymous) writer, upon the neglect of the cultivation
of ENGLISH HISTORY, and upon the want of valuable editions
of OUR OLD HISTORIANS, are but too just, and cannot be too
attentively perused. See _Gentleman's Magazine_, vol. 58,
pt. 1, 196-8 (A.D. 1788). Thus far in deterioration of poor
Hearne's literary fame. Let us now listen to writers of a
more courteous strain of observation. Prefixed to Tanner's
_Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica_, there is a preface, of
which Dr. Wilkins is the reputed author. The whole of
Hearne's publications are herein somewhat minutely
criticised, and their merits and demerits slightly
discussed. It is difficult to collect the critic's summary
opinion upon Hearne's editorial labours; but he concludes
thus: "Quia autem leporis est mortuis insultare leonibus,
cineres celeberrimi hujus et olim mihi amicissimi viri
turbare, neutiquam in animum inducere possum," p. xlvii. Mr.
Gough, in his _British Topography_, vol. ii., p. 579, calls
Hearne an "acute observer;" but, unluckily, the subject to
which the reader's attention is here directed discovers our
antiquary to have been in error. J. Warton, in the passage
before alluded to, observes: "In consideration of the many
very accurate and very elegant editions which Hearne
published of our valuable old chronicles, which shed such a
light on English history, he (Hearne) ought not to have been
so severely lashed as in these bitter lines," (quoted in the
text, p. 327, ante) _Pope's W