Page:Terræ-filius- or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford.djvu/54

 without doing any real michief to mankind in general: but when large legacies, given for ome publick ue, are perverted to private luxury and grandeur, the whole world become the ufferers, and loe the advantage which their benefactor deign'd them, through the combination or connivance of corrupt executors.

Fulfilling the will of the dead is commonly eteemed a very acred duty, even when it relates only to trifles and indifferent matters; but when the will of the dead is ineperable from the publick good, the fulfilling of it then ought urely to be eteemed much more acred; for the violation of it, in uch a cae, is the mot impious of all acrilege, and the highet treaon againt mankind.

There are frequent complaints of this infamous practice in, and I will venture to affirm, eldom without reaon, though generally without redres; which mut necearily put a top to the generous purpoes of many perons, who might perhaps become great benefactors to the univerity, were they aured that their munificence would be honetly applied, and not divided between cormorant of a college and his perjur'd abettors.

We find a remarkable intance of this evil in Dr. 's hitory of the antient and preent tate of the univerity of, which is very well worth our conideration.

The doctor having quoted a paage out of 's Hitory, concerning the Parliamentary Viitation of the univerity of, in the year 1647 adds thee words: And thus far from the hitory of that noble peer, the Earl of , a copy of which he bequeathed as a legacy to the univerity of , to make ome reparation for the damages it utain'd, during the rage of this unnatural civil war: which gift, if it had been rightly improv'd and honetly managed by thoe who had the care of