THE INTRODUCTION.

I

HAVE been perfuaded by a friend, that I ought to obey, to write The Life of Richard Hooker', the happy author of five (if not more) of the eight learned books of "The Laws of Ecclefiaftical Polity." And though I ́have undertaken it, yet it hath been with some unwillingness, foreseeing that it must prove to me, and especially at this time of my age, a work of much labour to inquire, confider, research, and determine what is needful to be known concerning him. For I knew him not in his life, and must therefore not only look back to his death (now fixty-four years past) but almoft fifty years beyond that, even to his childhood and youth, and gather thence fuch observations and prognosticks, as may at least adorn, if not prove neceffary for the completing of what I have undertaken.

This trouble I foresee, and foresee also that it is impoffible to escape cen'fures; against which I will not hope my well-meaning and diligence can protect me (for I confider the age in which I live); and shall therefore but intreat of my reader a suspension of them, till I have made known unto him some reasons, which I myself would now fain believe, do make me in fome measure fit for this undertaking: And if these reasons shall not acquit me from all cenfures, they may at least abate of their severity; and this is all I can probably hope for.-My reafons follow:

About forty years paft (for I am now in the feventieth of my age) I began a happy affinity with William Cranmer (now with God) grandHh nephew

f Ifaac Walton's edition of 1675 has been followed in the preceding lives of Dr. Donne and Sir Henry Wotton. It is thought expedient to deviate from that edition in the Life of Mr. Hooker, by adopting that which was last revised by Walton, and is prefixed to his works printed at London in 1723, and at Oxford in 1793, yet without admitting those paffages which Mr. Strype has introduced into the text.

nephew unto the great Archbishop of that name; a family of noted prudence and refolution; with him and two of his fifters I had an entire and freefriendship: One of them, was the wife of Dr, Spencer, a bofom-friend, and. fometime com-pupil with Mr. Hooker in Corpus Chrifti College in Oxford, . and after Prefident of the fame. I name them here, for that I fhall have occafion to mention them in this following difcourfe; as alfo their brother, of whose useful abilities my reader may have a more authentic testimony than my pen can purchase for him, by that of our learned Camden and others..

This William Cranmer, and his two fore-named fifters, had some affinity, and a most familiar friendship with Mr. Hooker, and had had fome part of their education with him in his houfe, when he was parfon of Bishop'sBorn near Canterbury; in which city their good father then lived.. They had, I say, a great part of their education with him, as myself, fince that time, a happy cohabition with them; and having fome years before read part of Mr. Hooker's works with great liking and fatisfaction, my affection to them made me a diligent inquifitor into many things that concerned him; as namely, of his perfon, his nature, the management of his time, his wife, his family, and the fortune of him and his. Which inquiry hath given me much advantage in the knowledge of what is now under my confideration, and intended for the fatisfaction of my reader..

I had also a friendship with the Reverend Doctor Usher, the late learned Archbishop of Armagh; and with Doctor Morton, the late learned and charitable" Bishop of Durham; as alfo with the learned John Hales, of

The character of this eminent Prelate is happily expreffed in the eulogium of the Univerfity of Oxford, infcribed on his portrait, which was ordered to be prefixed to his edition of The Epiftles of Ignatius. "Jacobus Ufferius, Archiepifcopus Armachanus, totius Hyberniæ "Primas, Antiquitatis primævæ peritiffimus, orthodoxæ Religionis Vindex avartippntos, "Errorum malleus, in concionando frequens, facundus, præpotens, vitæ inculpatæ exemplar "spectabile."

How properly this epithet is applied to this excellent perfon appears, from his behaviour in 1602, in the earlier period of his life, while the plague raged at York.. The poorer fort of the infected, being turned out of their habitations, had booths erected for them at a moor near the city; for whofe comfort and relief in that fatal extremity, Mr. Morton often repaired to them from Marston,,

of Eaton College, and with them alfo (who loved the very name of Mr. Hooker) I have had many difcourfes concerning him; and from them, and many others that have now put off mortality, I might have had more informations, if I could then have admitted a thought of any fitness for what by perfuafion I have now undertaken. But though that full harvest be irrecoverably loft, yet my memory hath preserved fome gleanings, and my diligence made fuch additions to them, as I hope will prove useful to the completing of what I intend. In the discovery of which I fhall be faithful, and with this affurance put a period to my Introduction .

Hh 2

Marston, to preach unto them, and to minister confolation to their languishing fouls, having withal provifions of meat carried with him in facks, to relieve the pooreft fort with. But as often as he went thither, he suffered not any servant to attend him, but himself saddled and unfaddled his horse, and he had a private door made through the wall of his study (being the utmoft part of the house) for prevention, left he might bring the contagion with him and endanger his whole family. (Richard Baddiley's Life of Bishop Morton.)-Having thus laid the foundation of virtue when in a more private and humble station, he built upon it a most noble superstructure. His various actions of fplendid liberality and extenfive beneficence, through the whole courfe of a long life, are only to be equalled by the magnanimity which he displayed in his great fufferings. By his will, dated Feb. 20, 1658, and proved Oct. 1, 1660, when he had little or nothing left, he bequeathed his chalice to All-Saints Church in York, and ten pounds to the poor of the parish where he died, which was at Eafton-Maudit, in Northamptonshire. In his epitaph he is declared-" Bonis exutus omnibus, bonâ præterquam Famâ et. Confcientiâ."

THE LIFE OF RICHARD HOOKER.

IT

T is not to be doubted, but that Richard Hooker was born within the precincts', or in the city of Exeter. A city which may justly boaft, that it was the birth-place of him and Sir Thomas Bodley*; as indeed the county may, in which it ftands, that it hath furnished this nation with Bishop Jewell',

' On the east of Exeter is a parish church, called Heavy-Tree, memorable for the birth of Mr. Hooker, the judicious author of "The Ecclefiaftical Polity," and of that great civilian, Dr. Arthur Duck. (Camden's Britannia.)

*Sir T. Bodley was the founder, or rather the restorer of the public library at Oxford, which was originally begun by Humphry, Duke of Gloucester, who lived in the reign of Henry VI. and collected together, and confiderably enlarged two libraries, one founded by Richard of Bury, from his great love of books, usually called Philo-biblos, Bishop of Durham in the reign of Ed. III. and another by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester." Illa Bodlei Induftria pluf"quam humana; illa tot Linguarum Artiumque infinita Comprehenfio doctos tantum egit in Stuporem; at illa incredibilis Morum Suavitas, ille in Congreffibus Geftuque toto Lepos "et veluti Atticifmus quidam doctos indoctofque juxta cepit." (Orat. Funebr. I. Hales.)"King James, in 1605, when he came to see our University of Oxford, and amongst other edifices now went to view that famous library renewed by Sir Thomas Bodley, in imitation of Alexander, at his departure broke out into that noble speech. If I were not a king, I would be an univerfity man. And if it were fo, that I must be a prisoner, if I might have my wish, I would defire to have no other prison than that library, and to be chained together with so many good authors and mortuis magiftris." (Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, Part I. Sect. II. p. 177.)

'Dr. John Jewell, Bishop of Salisbury, one of the brighteft ornaments of the reformed religion, the celebrated author of "The Apology of the Church of England;" a work ever to be commended for the claffic elegance of its language, and the nervous strength of its argumentation. It attracted the notice of the Council of Trent, who paffed a very fevere cenfure upon it, and though a refutation of it was undertaken by a Spanish and Italian

Bishop,