NAPIER OF MERCHISTON.

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CHAPTER VI.

Having bestowed a chapter upon our philosopher’s theological works, andthereby, it is hoped, at least afforded the means of forming a juster estimate ofhis character in that respect ;'we would have wished to relieve the dulness ofour imperfect review, by introducing the reader moi’e particularly to Napierhimself,—by making him as well acquainted with the Baron of Merchistonas he is with the Baron of Bradwardine,—and inducing him to spend, likeHenry Briggs , * one whole month with him in his war and weather-beatentower. We are certain that a month of real life at Merchiston, enjoyedthrough the safe medium of a minute and graphic account, would satisfy thekeenest appetite for romance, without offending the lovers of truth and his-tory. From what can be discovered, it is obvious that all the ingredients es-sential to the most fascinating historical novel actually occurred in the careerof the Inventor of Logarithms. Independently of his sound and practicalviews of the Christian scheme, and of his substantial triumphs in mathema-tics, he moved amid a halo of the romance of religion, the romance of science,and the romance of history. He persuaded others no less than himself, thathe had ascertained about the period of the end of all things earthly ; and hestood among the Protestants of Europe as the being who, by the intensity ofhis faith, and the depth of his speculations, had been enabled to read theworld its destiny, and from encountering whom the boldest of the Catholicchampions shrunk back. He had gazed, too, upon the stars with more thanmortal aspirations ; and while he was silently determining, that, through hismeans, their eternal paths should be subjected to a more certain and rigorous

* “ Ubi humanissime ab eo acceptus, hcesi per integrum mensem says Briggs of his visit toMerchiston.