was written.

From the evidence it bears upon its face, we may infer some time after the act of indemnity, so called, was passed by the Parliament, and before the trial of Vane and others. His views upon taking employment under the government, it will be observed, are entirely changed. In June, 1660, as we have seen, he wrote to his father, hinting that he would be willing to serve in Ireland ;—this was before Charles II. had so cruelly deceived the hopes of the nation. Now, however, he says, he should "have renounced any place or favor," into which he might have been advanced, after such "a manifestation of the ways by which it is intended the king shall govern." The letter is further interesting as containing his own reasons for remaining out of England. He formerly had "some jealousies" (suspicions) of the good faith of the king, in his declaration at Breda, proclaiming a general amnesty. These suspicions were increased by "the fraudulent proclamation for indemnity," by imprisoning "those three men," (Vane, Lambert, and Hazelrigge,) and "turning out all the officers of the army, contrary to promise." From these indications of bad faith, on the part of the king and Parliament, towards others, Sidney judged rightly, that though he himself was not excepted out of the act of pardon, by name, yet there was no safety in England for him or protection from the wrath of his bitter and revengeful enemies.

CHAPTER V.

Sidney at Hamburgh-Interview with Queen Christina-Travels through Europe-Arrives at Rome-His residence there and his description of it-Various letters from Rome-Cardinal PellaviciniSidney's pecuniary embarrasments in Italy-His despondency of mind-Letters to his father-He removes to Frascati.-His residence at the villa of Belvidere-His letters from that place-Seclusion of Sidney from the world-His employments and studies at this period, and his account of them-Attempts of some English emissaries to assassinate him-He leaves Italy-His further travels in Europe-Goes to Flanders-His visit to Ludlow-Attempts to enter into some foreign service, but is thwarted by government-War between England and Holland in 1665-Sidney at the Hague-Counsels an invasion of England-Repairs to France-Views of that government-Its final abandonment of the exiles-Retires to an obscure residence in the south of France-Anecdote-Causes of, and circumstances attending his return-Erroneous views of Hume respecting it -Sidney returns to England-Death of his father.

In July, 1660, Sidney having finished his mission, took his leave of the Capital of Denmark, for Hamburgh, where he awaited further orders from his father. Here he had several interviews with the celebrated and eccentric Christina, Queen of Sweden, who had some years before resigned her crown. From

Hamburgh, he travelled through a portion of Holland and Germany, and the following month we find him, by the date of a long letter, written to his father, in Frankfort on the Main. The Earl of Leicester had advised him not to go to Italy for the present, but to remain at Hamburgh. Yet Sidney, with his characteristic independence of disposition, had resolved otherwise, and accordingly we find him, in November of the same year, at Rome.

An extract from his first letter from Rome has already been given, in which he informs his father of his arrival there, and apologizes for neglecting the paternal advice. He found himself at Hamburgh "too apt to fall too deep into melancholy," &c. In short, he was uncomfortable at Hamburgh, or at any place in Germany, and he resolved to visit the imperial city, now that all present hopes of his return to England were abandoned. He remained at Rome during the winter, and for some time after travelled in other parts of Italy. Various letters have been preserved in the collection to which reference has been made, written during this period, some of them dated at Rome, others at Frascati.

His manner of life in Italy was simple, retired, and unobtrusive. He neither courted nor shunned obser vation. He did not seek notoriety, but yet as a noble. and distinguished stranger, every access to the society of all in Rome, who were remarkable for learning, or talents, were open to him. He became acquainted with many of the distinguished cardinals of that city;

"some of them," he says, "the most extraordinary persons I ever met with, others equal with the rest of the world. With some, I pretend only the performance of a civility and desire only a little knowledge of them; with others, I seek a straighter conversation, and by frequent visits endeavor to gain it." In a long letter to the earl, dated from Rome, he sketches the characters of the twelve principal cardinals, in a manner, as he says, that may be relied on for truth," without any bias." The reader may be curious to know how close an observer of character Sidney was, and with what degree of fidelity he traced. it; we therefore subjoin one of these sketches of a very distinguished and learned man of that day in Romethe Cardinal Pellavicini :—

"Italy hath not a finer wit than Pellavicini, nor hath any convent a monk of a stricter life. It is said that sixpence a day serves him in meat; his bread and wine are furnished from the palace. Women never trouble his thoughts; they are unknown to him. He hath constantly refused great church livings; and being lately pressed by the pope, who favors him very much, to receive one of great value, he answered-' Your Holiness can add nothing to the favor of giving me this hat, but by employing me in such things as may be for your service, and bear testimony of my gratitude, I want nothing else.' He makes good his words, receiving not above three or four thousand crowns a year to keep up the state of a cardinal, having had nothing before he came to it. He labors incessantly in those knotty businesses that require much pains and yield no profit. This humor defends him from having rivals in his pretences. He hath showed it to be possible for the same man to be excellent in the Belle Lettres and the most aeep and abstruse sciences. I do not think he hath so well joined the theo.y and practice of business. The extreme acuteness of his wit, renders

him admirable in the one, and fills his head with notions too nice

Besides this he hath lived more among

as the

and high for the other. books and papers than men. He ever aims at perfection, and frames ideas in his fancy not always proportionable to worldly business, sometimes forgetting that the counsels as well sermons of men are ever defective, and that in human affairs, governors and ministers are not so much to seek what is exactly good as what is least evil, or least evil of those things which he hath power to accomplish. He is most meek and humble in his behaviour, easy and gentle in treating of his own concernments; but in spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs, his zeal renders him sharp and violent. These qualities show him to be an excellent cardinal, but would render him an ill pope, at least in the opinion of the courtiers, who will not endure to be overlooked by so sharp a sight master, nor reformed by such a bitter enemy to corruption and looseness. His severity beginning with himself, it is not hoped he will spare others."

The residence of Sidney in Italy, as in other places during his long exile, and his wanderings through Europe, were humiliated, if not embittered, by straightened resources and pecuniary difficulties. The Earl of Leicester does not appear to have dealt him out from his ample means with a very lavish hand. His own fortune was almost entirely wasted by the unhappy issue of the revolution, and, with the exception of what he might realize from his own industry, he looked solely to the pittance he received from his father, to support those decent external circumstances which became his rank and name. Fortunately, he says, living was cheap in Rome. "The prices of all things necessary to life are much increased since I was here the first time, but temperance is in fashion;