A Short Character of

in the Agreeablenefs of the Subject; which is sometimesenough to recommend a Picture, tho’ ill drawn ; and tomake a Face one likes, oftner looked on, than the bestPiece of Raphael.

To begin then, according to Custom, with his Reli-gion, which (since his Death) hath made so much Noisein the World : I yet dare confidently affirm it to havebeen only that which is vulgarly, tho’ unjustly, countednone at all, I mean Deism. And this uncommon Opi-nion he owed more to the Liveliness of his Parts, and.Carelestress of his Temper, than either to Reading, ormuch Consideration ; for his Quickness of Apprehen-sion, at first View, could discern thro' the several Cheatsttf pious Pretences; and his natural Laziness confirmedhim in an equal Mistrust of all, for fear he should betroubled with examining which was best.

If in his early Travels, and late Designs, he seemed'a little biassed to one Sort of Religion, the firjl is to beimputed to a certain Easiness of Temper, and a Com-plaisance for that Company he was then forced to keep -and the last was no more than his being tired (which hesoon was in any Difficulty) with those bold Oppositionsin Parliament; which made him almost throw himselfinto the Arms of a Roman Catholick Party, so remark-able of late for their Loyalty ; who embrae’d him glad-ly, and lull’d him to Sleep with those enchanting Songsof Sovereignty and Prerogative, which the best andwisest Princes are often unable to resist.

And tho’ he engaged himself on that Side more ful-ly, at a Season when it was in vain, and too late, to dis-semble ; we ought less to wonder at it, than to considerthat our very Jucgments are apt to grow, in Time, aspartial as our Affections: And thus, by Accident only,be became of their Opinion in his Weaknesses, who

had