the same, the habitués may not always have remembered at which any particular talk took place. Before 1634 Lucius, who was constant in his attendance at Parliament, was a good deal at his mother's house, but that year or the next he retired to his country home at Great Tew, although only too much interested in politics, for he felt too deeply the pain and disappointment which attended his vain effort to make his own moderate and conciliatory views avail before it should be too late.

Here he spent five peaceful and happy years, far from the strife which had vexed his soul, absorbed in his books and in intercourse with his chosen friends. Of this time and of the delightful circle he had gathered about him a charming picture has been drawn by the hand of his most intimate friend, Lord Clarendon, who had a singular gift for delineating character.1

'His House was like the University itself for the 'Company that resorted there. No troublesome Ceremony 'or Constraint, his Library supplying all the Books his 'Guests could desire. He himself during this Time 'studied all the Classical Authors and the Greek and 'Latin Fathers, and his great Delight was in Discussions ' of debateable Points of Theology or Poetry. He was very indulgent to Differences of Opinion; very rigid in 'all Points of personal Honour, Truth, or Chastity. In 'his Conversation, which was the most chearful and 'pleasant that can be imagined, though he was young (for all that I have yet spoken of him doth not exceed 'his Age of twenty-five or twenty-six years) and of great 'Gaiety in his Humour, with a flowing Delightfulness of 'Language, He had so chaste a Tongue and Ear, that 'there was never known a profane or loose Word to fall 'from him, nor in Truth in his Company; the Integrity ' and Cleanliness of the Wit of that Time not exercising ' itself in that Licence before Persons for whom they had any Esteem.'

1 Clarendon's Life.

We may remember that, according to gossiping Aubrey, in his college days Lucius Cary was a wild lad, but 'twas not long before he took up to be serious and ' than grew to be an extraordinary hard student.' When he came to England at the age of eighteen, to quote again from Clarendon, 'He was not only Master of the 'Latin Tongue, and had read all the Poets, and other of 'the best Authors with notable Judgment for that Age, 'but He understood and spake and writ French as if He 'had spent many Years in France.' He resolved he would not go to London until he had mastered Greek, and in a very few years he had read not only all the Greek historians but 'Homer likewise and such of the Poets as were worthy to be perused.'

Anthony Wood refers to his reputation in an article on his father, who was an Oxford man, which the son was not.1 "Tis said that during his stay at Oxford (he was at Exeter College), his chamber was the rendezvous of 'all the eminent wits, divines, philosophers, lawyers, historians, and politicans of that time, but how true it is, 'seeing that Henry was then a young man not graduated, I cannot in the least perceive. Had those things been spoken of Lucius Cary his son, who retired to, and 'several times took commons in Exeter College while his 'brother Lorenzo studied there in 1628 and after, I 'should have rather believed it But let the matter

' rest as 'tis.'

'With these advantages,' pursues Clarendon, 'he had one great Disadvantage (which at the first Entrance ' into the World is attended with too much Prejudice) in 'his Person and Presence, which was in no Degree 'attractive or promising: his Stature was low, and ' smaller than most Men; his Motion not graceful; and 'his Aspect so far from inviting that it had in it some'thing of Simplicity; and his Voice the worst of the 'three, so untuned, that instead of reconciling it offended 1 Athena Oxonienses.