between them on that point, mutual feelings of respect, and a sincere desire for the success of each other in every good word and work.

A feature of the correspondence which is particularly deserving of notice is the continual expression of wishes, on the part of himself and his friends, for each other's spiritual well-being. The letters often began with "Health in Christ"-" Health from the fountain of health, our Lord Jesus Christ."-While "Unto God's blessing I commend you and your labours"-"I leave you unto the blessed protection of our good God"-"The Lord keep you, prosper your studies, bless your endeavours, and give us grace to conduct us in those ways which lead to happiness" were the blessings which the charitable and pious in those days desired to have poured down upon their friends.

In the year 1650, archbishop Usher published the first part of his great work, The Annals of the Old Testament, the design of which was to settle, on the best authority, the dates of the several events from the creation down to the destruction of Jerusalem after the death of Christ.

Of the copies of this work which he distributed amongst his friends, one reached the humble abode of the impoverished bishop Hall. This devout man was highly gratified at receiving this token of esteem; he acknowledged the gift in a Latin letter, as was frequently done in those times, and declared that the gift was enhanced by the eminent character of the giver. “I have just received, most venerable prelate," he says,

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your precious gift, so well worthy of you, your sacred annals of the Old Testament. So welcome was it, as it had been so anxiously expected, that I at once commenced the perusal of it, and have since been reluctant to read anything else. I am astonished at the proofs of

unwearied labours, incredible industry, and deep research, which everywhere present themselves, even to an inattentive reader. But particularly I am surprised at your happy skill in contriving, now that you are continually required to prepare learned discourses, to find intervals of leisure for these severer studies, and the investigation of obscure matters of history, which you seem to rescue from the darkness of remote antiquity. Surely these endowments could only have resulted from a large measure of God's favour, both towards you and his church, for he alone could have conferred so richly these singular gifts of science and languages. Still go on, most excellent prelate, to benefit us, and to add fresh ornaments to your crown of eternal glory; still give later generations fresh cause to wonder that so great a light should have been bestowed upon so unworthy an age."

In the year 1653, when his sight was very defective, he received a letter of condolence from Dr. Morton, the ejected bishop of Durham. His friend begins by remarking, that "too long silence among friends useth to be the moth and canker of friendship,"- - for this cause he writes, rather than for any particular matter which he has to communicate-yet "in earnest," he goes on, "I grieve at heart to hear of your Grace's declination of sight, though it be my own disease, yet so (I thank God) that it is no more, considering mine age." He then laments the evils of the times, and proceeds, “let it be our comfort, my Lord, that in God's good time he will remove us from those vexatious mutabilities. If there were anything in my power which I might contribute as grateful unto your Grace, I would not be wanting. However (according to the mutual obligation between us), I shall still commend your Grace to the protection of the Almighty, to the glory of saving grace

in Christ Jesus. I am, your Grace's in all dutiful acknowledgment, Th. Duresm. Jan. 20. 53."

About the year 1654, Cromwell saw fit to show favour to some of the suffering clergy, and amongst others, he invited the archbishop to visit 'him. The primate at first determined to decline that honour; but on further reflections he considered that such a refusal would only provoke still greater hostility to the clergy, while a soft word might turn away the usurper's wrath.

Accordingly he went, and was received by Cromwell with great show of kindness and civility. They were reported to have conversed upon the best means of promoting the protestant interests at home and abroad. It was also said, that Oliver Cromwell, either then or at some other time, bestowed a pension upon him. Dr. Parr discredits this rumour, but says that he remembers to have heard from the lord primate that Cromwell had promised to give him a lease for twenty-one years of some part of the lands of the archbishopric of Armagh, "which," he says, "my lord primate thought it no harm to accept, considering it was but his own, and which he had been deprived of above half that time; especially, in consideration of his daughter and many grandchildren, for whom he had as yet been able to do nothing; and if the church did happen to be restored before that time, it could lose nothing by this grant; and if not, he thought his children might as well deserve to reap the benefit of it as others."

Dr. Parr asserts confidently that Cromwell delayed passing this grant as long as the archbishop lived, and then refused to perform the promise to Sir Timothy Tyrrell, on the ground of malignancy, that is, loyalty.

In the month of August that year, the archbishop was visited by Mr. Evelyn, as appears from the following

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compendious memorandum of their conversation, extracted from the Diary of the latter.

“1655. Aug. 21. I went to Rygate to visit Mrs. Cary at my Lady Peterboro's, in an antient monastery well in repaire, but the parke much defac'd; the house is nobly furnish'd. The chimney-piece in the greate chamber, carv'd in wood, was the property of Hen. 8, and was taken from an house of his in Blechinglee. At Rygate was now ye Archbishop of Armagh, the learned James Usher, whom I went to visite. He received me exceeding kindly. In discourse with him, he told me how greate the losse of time was to study much the Eastern languages; that excepting Hebrew, there was little fruite to be gather'd of exceeding labour; that besides some mathematical bookes, the Arabic itselfe had little considerable; that the best text was ye Hebrew Bible; that ye Septuagint was finish'd in 70 daies, but full of errors, about which he was then writing; but St. Hierom's was to be valued next the Hebrew; also that the 70 translated the Pentateuch only, the rest was finished by others; that the Italians understood but little Greeke, and Kircher was a mountebank; that Mr. Selden's best book was his Titles of Honour ;' that the church would be destroyed by sectaries, who would in all likelihood bring in poperie. In conclusion, he recommended me to the study of philologie above all human studies; and so with his blessing I tooke my leave of this excellent person, and returned to Wooton."

The archbishop's friends and contemporaries were now falling around him, and a few months were to make up the sum of his own days. His wife was no more; and early in this winter he lost a friend, whom for many

reasons he valued very highly, by the death of Mr. Selden. Being particularly requested to preach that distinguished person's funeral sermon, he performed the last sad office for his friend in the Temple Church, where he was buried, and upon that occasion declared, that "he looked upon the person deceased as so great a scholar, that himself was scarce worthy to carry his books after him."

That winter was notable for one of the most illiberal and tyrannical measures that was put in force even in those times. It was the Declaration of the Protector and his Council, issued Nov. 24, 1655, which made it penal for any persons to keep in their houses any of the sequestered or ejected ministers in the capacity of chaplains or tutors; it forbade any such ministers to keep either a public or private school; and likewise made it penal for them to preach to any others than the members of their own families, to perform any of the offices of religion, or to use the book of Common Prayer. The provisions of this declaration were to come in force on the first day of the approaching month of January.

By this act of wanton severity the cup of misery was filled to the brim for the poor persecuted clergy. Evelyn thus describes what he saw and felt on Christmas day: "Dec. 25. There was no more notice taken of Christmas-day in churches. I went to London, where Dr. Wild preached the funeral sermon of preaching, this being the last day, after which Cromwell's proclamation was to take place, that none of the church of England should dare to preach, or to administer sacraments, teach schools, &c., on paine of imprisonment or exile. So this was ye mournfullest day that in my life I had seene, or ye church of England herselfe since ye Refor