chap. lii.

[108] Milton admirably characterises Prynne's absurd learning, as well
as his character, in his treatise on "The likeliest means to
remove hirelings out of the Church," as "a late hot querist
for tythes, whom ye may know by _his wits lying ever beside
him in the margin, to be ever beside his wits in the text_. A
fierce Reformer once; now rankled with a contrary heat."

[109] The very expression Prynne himself uses, see p. 668 of the
Histriomastix; where having gone through "three squadrons," he
commences a fresh chapter thus: "The fourth squadron of
authorities is the venerable troope of 70 several renowned
ancient fathers;" and he throws in more than he promised, all
which are quoted volume and page, as so many "play-confounding
arguments." He has quoted perhaps from three to four hundred
authors on a single point.

GENIUS AND ERUDITION THE VICTIMS OF IMMODERATE VANITY.

The name of TOLAND is more familiar than his character, yet his
literary portrait has great singularity; he must be classed among the
"Authors by Profession," an honour secured by near fifty publications;
and we shall discover that he aimed to combine with the literary
character one peculiarly his own.[110] With higher talents and more
learning than have been conceded to him, there ran in his mind an
original vein of thinking. Yet his whole life exhibits in how small a
degree great intellectual powers, when scattered through all the forms
which Vanity suggests, will contribute to an author's social comforts,
or raise him in public esteem. Toland was fruitful in his productions,
and still more so in his projects; yet it is mortifying to estimate
the result of all the intense activity of the life of an author of
genius, which terminates in being placed among these Calamities.

Toland's birth was probably illegitimate; a circumstance which
influenced the formation of his character. Baptised in ridicule, he
had nearly fallen a victim to Mr. Shandy's system of Christian names,
for he bore the strange ones of _Janus Junius_, which, when the
school-roll was called over every morning, afforded perpetual
merriment, till the master blessed him with plain _John_, which the
boy adopted, and lived in quiet. I must say something on the names
themselves, perhaps as ridiculous! May they not have influenced the
character of Toland, since they cer