Almost immediately after Charles's restoration in 1660, a pension of 100/. a year was settled upon Hobbes out of the privy purse; but this mark of favour from the king bad by no means the effect of removing the obloquy under which Hobbes and his opinions laboured, and in 1606 his ' Leviathan' and 'Da Cive ' were censured by parliament. Shortly after Hobbes was still further alarmed by the introduction of a bill into the House of Commons for the punishing of atheism and profaueness; but this storm blew over, and, as is usually the case, the notoriety attending the obloquy under which Hobbes laboured had its sweets as well as its bitters. In the year 1609 he received a visit from Coamo de' Medici, then prince and afterwards duke of Tuscany, who honoured him with many presents, and asked in return for his picture and a complete collection of his writings, the former of which he afterwards deposited among his curiosities, and the latter iu his library at Florence. He received many similar visits from foreigners of distinction, all of whom were curious to see one whose name and opinions were known throughout Europe.
In 1672 Hobbes wrote his own life in Latin verse, being then in his eighty-fifth year ; and in 1675 be published his translation iu verse of the Iliad and Odyssey. He had previously, by way of feeler, published four books of the Odyssey ; and the reception which they had met with had encouraged him to undertake the whole. But how ever favourable might have been the reception at the time, the popu larity of this translation has certainly long since ceased ; it is wholly wanting in Homeric fire, bald and vulgar in style and diction ; and it must be allowed that the fame of the philosopher is anything but heightened by his efforts as a poet. Hobbes had now retired to the Earl of Devonshire's seats, Chatsworth and Hardwicke, in Derbyshire ; but notwithstanding his advanced age, be still continued to write and publish. His Dispute with Laney, bishop of Ely, concerning Liberty and Necessity,' appeared in 1676; and in 1678 his `Decameren or Ten Dialogues of Natural Philosophy ; ' to which was added, a book entitled 'A between a Philosopher and a Student of the Common Law of England.' In 1679 he sent his Behemoth, or a History of the Civil Ware from 1640 to 1660' to a bookseller, with a letter in which be requested him not to publish it until a fitting occasion offered. It appears from this letter that Ilobbea, being anxious to publish the book some time before, had with that view shown it to the king, who refused his permission; and for this reason Hobbes would not now allow the bookseller to publish it. It appeared however almost immediately after Hobbee's death, which took place on the 4th of December 1679, when he was in his ninety second year. The immediate cause of his death was a paralytic
stroke.
The quality which chiefly strikes us, in contemplating the personal character of Hobbes, is its independence. Placed during the greater part of his life in circumstances which would have made any other man, despite himself, a courtier—the inmate of a noble house and tutor to a king,—amid the temptations of society he steadily pursued philosophy, and at the risk of losing great friends, and indeed with the actual sacrifice of royal favour, constantly put forth and clung to opinions which were then most startling and obnoxious. Ills inde pendence in smaller things may be gathered from the following account of his daily mode of life in the Earl of Devonshire's house, which is given by Dr. Kennet in his 'Memoirs of the Cavendish Family; and which is interesting if only because it relates to so remark able a man as Hobbes. "His professed rule of health was to dedicate the morning to his exercise, and the afternoon to his studies. At his first rising therefore ho walked out and climbed any hill within his reach; or, if the weather was not dry, ho fatigued himself within doors by some exercise or other, to be a sweat. . . . After this he took a comfortable breakfast ; and then went round the lodgings to wait upon the earl, the countess, and the children, and any consider able strangers, paying some short addresses to all of them. He kept these rounds till about twelve o'clock, when he had a little dinner provided for him, which be ate always by himself without ceremony. Soon after dinner he retired to his study, and had his candle with ten or twelve pipes of tobacco laid by him; then shutting his door, he fell to smoking, thinking, and writing for several hours." We are told that he was testy and peevish in conversation, more particularly in his latter years, and that be did not easily brook contradiction. And there can be no doubt that his independence was often displayed in that excess in which it takes the name of arrogance. It was one of his boasts, for instance, "that though physics were a new science, yet civil philosophy was still newer, since it could not be styled older than his book De Cive.'" Such indeed was his usual tone in speaking of his own performances. Another proof of his arrogance is supplied by his mathematical controversies. But after all there is something that we =not resist admiring in independence of others' opinions, when carried even to the excess in which Hobbes's character displays it. If we leave out of account his arrogance, Hobbes seems to have been a man of much amiability, as well as strength of character.