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either of Christian forbearance or worldly prudence could tame. detractor affects to say of Burton, that punishment made him an object of pity who never was an object of esteem. In reply to the last of these calumnies, it is sufficient to instance the enthusiastic public welcome which he received on his return from Guernsey. As to the former charge, it is too much to expect that a man whose profession was that of polemics, should have, in such times as he lived in, and with such provocations as he received, uniformly observed the language of courtesy and forbearance towards his antagonists. But we are bold to affirm, that many of his writings exhibit a truly Christian spirit; and that his whole life gave evidence that he not only knew the truth, but felt and acted under its power, and that with much more uniform consistency than many of his bitterest traducers.

Archbishop Williams.

BORN A. D. 1582.-died A. d. 1650.

THIS distinguished prelate, the youngest son of a Welsh gentleman of Carnarvonshire, was born at Conway in 1582. After acquiring the rudiments of learning at an endowed school at Ruthin, he was sent to St John's college, Cambridge, where he took the degree of A.B. 1602. His family being wealthy, he was enabled to live in a very comfortable manner while pursuing his studies, and thus to form that ostentatious taste which distinguished him in after life; he was a hard student, however, and is said never to have spent above three or four hours in sleep out of the twenty-four. By close application, and a methodical distribution of his time, he soon acquired a high reputation for scholarship, and obtained the notice of Archbishop Bancroft, Lord Lumley, and the chancellor Ellesmere. The prelate presented to him an archdeaconry, and the chancellor placed him on his own establishment in the quality of domestic chaplain,-a situation described in the quaint but expressive phrase of Williams's biographer, Hacket, as a nest for an eagle.' Williams had discernment and ambition enough to avail himself of all the advantages which his 'nest' afforded him, and so successfully did he cultivate the good graces of the chancellor, that his lordship, upon the day of his death, called Williams to him and told him, "that if he wanted money, he would leave him such a legacy in his will as should enable him to begin the world like a gentleman.” "Sir," replied Williams, "I kiss your hands, but you have filled my cup so fuil, that I am far from want; unless it be of your lordships directions how to live in the world if I survive you." "Well," said the chancellor, "I know you are an expert workman, take these tools to work with, they are the best I have." And with these words he placed in his hands a number of books, papers, and memoranda, relating to the high courts of the nation, which the chancellor had drawn up for his own guidance, and from which Williams's biographer does not doubt but the archbishop drew his own system of politics.

The new lord-keeper, Bacon, wished Williams to act as his chaplain, but he declined the proposal, and was preparing to remove to one

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of his livings in Northamptonshire, when he received orders to attend his majesty in his northern progress as one of his chaplains in ordinary Soon after this he took his doctor's degree, and held a disputation be fore the archbishop of Spalatro, who was then visiting Cambridge. He acquitted himself greatly to James' satisfaction on this occasion, by his defence of the themes Supremus magistratus non est excommunicabilis,' and 'Subductio calicis est mutilatio sacramenti et sacerdotii.' From this time he constantly grew in favour with his majesty. "The king's table," says Hacket, 66 was a trial of wits. The reading of some books before him was very frequent while he was at his repast. Otherwise he collected knowledge by variety of questions, which he carried out to the capacity of his understanding visitors. Methought his hunting humour was not off so long as his courtiers, I mean, the learned stood about him at his board. He was ever in chase after some disputable doubts, which he would wind and turn about with the most stabbing objections that ever I heard, and was as pleasant and fellowlike in all these discourses with his huntsmen in the field. They that in many such genial and convivial conferences were ripe and weighty in their answers, were indubiously designed to some place of credit and profit. But among them all with whom King James communed, was found none like Daniel (Williams). His majesty gave ear more gra ciously to this chaplain, and directed his speech to him, when he was at hand, oftener than to any that crowded near to hearken to the wisdom of that Solomon." Williams, if not the ablest of James' auditors, was at least one of the most prudent, and studied the royal pedant's humour to the best advantage. At first, however, he mistook the relation in which it was necessary for him to stand to the favourite Buckingham, whom for some time he neglected to court. James, however, soon gave him to understand, that to stand well in his favour, it was necessary to be in the good graces also of the marquess. He lost no time in improving upon the hint thus given him, and soon rendered himself eminently serviceable to Buckingham by prevailing on the earl of Rutland to bestow his daughter and heiress upon him. The favourite rewarded the chaplain with the valuable deanery of Westmin

ster.

Williams' next promotion was to the office of keeper of the seals, on the removal of the lord-chancellor Bacon from office in 1621. He had not held the seals a month before the bishopric of Lincoln was added to his preferments, with leave to retain his deanery and other benefices. As lord-keeper, Bishop Williams discharged his arduous services with singular assiduity and considerable ability. When he first entered upon office he had such a load of business that he was forced to sit by candle-light in the court of chancery, from two hours before daybreak till between eight and nine. He then repaired to the house of peers, where he sat as speaker till twelve or one o'clock. This duty discharged, he snatched a brief repast, and then returned to hear causes in chancery till eight or nine in the evening. After this, on his return home, he perused his papers, despatched his correspondence, and pre pared for the business of the house of lords next day. In the star chamber, he, upon the whole, conducted himself with greater lenity and moderation than the other judges. He used his influence also with

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the king and the favourite, in some instances, with very beneficial results to the public, as well as to individuals. He obtained the bishop. ric of Salisbury for the excellent Davenant, that of Exeter for Carew, and that of St David's for Laud; he also procured the liberation of the earl of Northumberland, who had been fifteen years a prisoner in the On the death of King James, Williams preached his funeral sermon. Taking for his text the following words:-" And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his stead." He opened his discourse in the following style: "It is not I, but this woeful accident that chooseth this text,—no book will serve this turn but the book of Kings, -no king but one of the best kings, but one that reigned over all Israel, which must be either Saul, as yet good, or David, or Solomon; no king of all Israel, but one of the wisest kings; neither unless he be a king of peace, which cannot be David, a man of war, but only Solomon; no king of peace neither, the more is our grief, alive and in his throne; and, therefore, it must of necessity be the funeral and obits of King Solomon." After this exordium, follows an elaborate commentary on the life, actions, and writings of Solomon, respecting whose choice of the gifts of wisdom, it is gravely observed, that "although kings be anointed on the arms, the instruments of action, yet are they crowned only on the head, the seat of wisdom. Whether," proceeds the erudite divine, "this wisdom of Solomon's was universal and embraced all sciences, as Pineda, or a prudence reaching to the practique only; also, whether Solomon did surmount as Tostatus, or fall short of Adam in the pitch of his wisdom, as Gregory de Valentia thinks, are such doughty frays, as I have no leisure to part at this time."

"Solo

A parallel is drawn between the two kings in these terms: mon is said to be the only son of his mother-so was King James. Solomon was of complexion white and ruddy-so was King James. Solomon was an infant king-so was King James a king at the age of thirteen months. Solomon began his reign in the life of his predecessor; so, by the force and compulsion of that state, did our late sovereign King James. Solomon was twice crowned and anointed a king; so was King James. Solomon's minority was rough through the quarrels of the former sovereign; so was that of King James. Solomon was learned above all the princes in the East; so was King James above all princes in the universal world. Solomon was a writer in prose and verse; so, in very pure and exquisite fashion, was our sweet sovereign King James. Solomon was the greatest patron we ever read of to church and churchand yet no greater, let the house of Aaron now confess, than King James. Solomon was a main improver of his home and commodities, as you may see in his trading with Hiram; and God knows, it was the daily study of King James. Solomon was a great improver of shipping and navigation; a most proper attribute to King James. And yet, towards the end king Solomon had secret enemies. . . . and prepared for a war upon his going to the grave; so had, and so did King James. Lastly, before any hostile act we read of in the history, king Solomon died in peace, when he had lived about sixty years, as Lyra and Tostatus were of opinion. And so you know did King James."

men;

The bishop was removed from his office of lord-keeper by Charles 1. in October, 1626, having fallen under the displeasure of Buckingham. Soon after this misfortune he penned the following sycophantic epistle to the duke: " Most gracious lord, beinge com hither, accordinge unto the dutye of my place, to doe my best service for the preparation to the coronation, and to wayte upon his majestye for his royall pleasure and direction therein, I doe most humblye beseech your grace to crowne soe many of your grace's former favoures, and to revive a creature of your owne, struck dead onlye with your displeasure, (but noe other discontentment in the universall worlde,) by bringinge of me to kisse his majestye's hand, with whome I took leave in noe disfavoure at all. I was never hitherto brought into the presence of a kinge by any saint beside yourselfe; turne me not over (most noble lord,) to offer my prayers at newe aulters. If I were guiltye of any unworthye, unfaithfulnes for the time past, or not guiltye of a resolution to doe your grace all service for the time to com, all considerations under heaven could not force me to begge it so earnestlye, or to professe myselfe as I do before God and you. Your grace his most humble, affectionate, and devoted servaunt, Jo. Lincoln." He was ordered at the same time not to appear in parliament, but he refused to comply with the injunction, and, taking his seat in the house of peers, promoted the petition of right. The influence of Laud also was now directed against him, notwithstanding the debt of gratitude that prelate owed him for his first promotion to the mitre. In the 4th year of Charles, a prosecution was commenced against the bishop in the star-chamber on some frivolous informations preferred against him by some of Laud's creatures. He defended himself ably, but was condemned to pay a fine of £10,000 to the king, and to be imprisoned during the royal pleasure. He was detained in the Tower till December, 1640, when the house of lords demanded, and obtained his liberation. Next year, he was advanced to the archbishopric of York. The same year he strenuously, though ineffectually, opposed the bill for depriving the bishops of their seats in the house of lords. On this occasion his usual prudence and foresight seem to have forsaken him, for he was mainly instrumental in preparing the protest of the twelve bishops which procured them instant imprisonment in the Tower.

In the year 1642, the archbishop retired from York to his estate at Aber-Conway, and was at no small expense in fortifying Conway castle for the king. After the excution of Charles, the archbishop spent his few remaining days in retirement and devotion. He died on the 25th of March, 1650. Besides several sermons, Archbishop Williams published a book against Laud's innovations, with this title, 'The Holy Tabie, Name, and Thing, more antiently, properly, and literally used under the New Testament, than that of Aitar,' which Lord Clarendon characterises as a book 66 full of good learning, and that learning so closely and solidly applied—though it abounded with two many light expressions that it gained him reputation enough to be able to do hurt.” He likewise made some collections for a Latin commentary on the Bible, and a life of Bishop Grossteste.

Ellis's Original Letters, vol. iii. p. 255.

Bishop Hall.

BORN A. D. 1574.-died a. D. 1656.

JOSEPH HALL was born of very respectable parentage at Bristowpark, in the parish of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire, on the 1st of July, 1574. His father was an officer under Henry, earl of Huntingdon; his mother, "of the house of the Bainbridges." To the instruction and counsel of his maternal parent-who is described as a woman of "rare sanctity," Hall was doubtless greatly indebted for the bent of his subsequent character; and he has acknowledged his obligations to her in very affectionate and pleasing terms: "how often," says he, "have I blessed the memory of those divine passages of experimental divinity which I have heard from her mouth! What day did she pass without a large task of private devotion: whence she would still come forth with a countenance of undissembled mortification! Never any lips have read to me such feeling lectures of piety; neither have I known any soul that more accurately practised them than her own. Temptations, desertions, and spiritual comforts, were her usual theme. Shortly-for I can hardly take off my pen from so exemplary a subject-her life and death were saint-like." It is not to be wondered at that the highest ambition of such a "saintly" mother was to see her son engaged in the ministry of the gospel; and accordingly his parents appear to have devoted him from very early years to the sacred calling. The bishop has left behind him two interesting pieces of auto-biography,one entitled Hard measure,'-and the other Observations on some specialties of Divine Providence in the life of Joseph Hall, written with his own hand;' in the latter of these works, the first "specialty" which he acknowledges is his having escaped from a system of private tutorage, which threatened ultimately to divert his attention from the work of the ministry, and having been permitted to pursue his studies at Cambridge. The expenses of a university-education would soon have proved too great for the father's means, whose "not very large cistern," the son quaintly remarks, had to "feed many pipes" besides his; but an unexpected benefactor happily stept forward at the critical moment when the young student was about to be removed from Cambridge, and supplied him with the means of prosecuting his studies at that ancient seat of learning, where, in due season, he was elected fellow of his college, Emanuel, and lectured on rhetoric for two years successively. Hall was an enthusiastic student; and used to declare that the years which he passed within the walls of his college were the happiest of his life. In early youth he had drank deeply from classic fountains; and, before the completion of his 23d year, the publication of his satires had powerfully contributed to one department at least of his country's literature, or, rather had given existence to it; for, in the judgment of Campbell '-no mean authority it will be allowed, on such a point" of our satirical poetry, taking satire in its moral and dignified sense, he claims, and may be allowed, to be the founder."

1 Specimens, vol. ii. p. 256.

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