"verence by age, for there is in them fuch feeds of eternity, "that if the reft be like this, they shall last till the last fire shall "confume all learning."

Nor was this high, the only teftimony and commendations given to his books; for at the first coming of King James into this kingdom, he inquired of the Archbishop Whitgift for his friend Mr. Hooker, that writ the books of Church-polity; to which the answer was, that he died a year before Queen Elizabeth, who received the fad news of his death with very much forrow; to which the King replied, "And I receive it with no "lefs, that I fhall want the defired happiness of seeing and dif"courfing with that man, from whofe books I have received "fuch fatisfaction: Indeed, my Lord, I have received more "fatisfaction in reading a leaf, or paragraph, in Mr. Hooker,

though it were but about the fashion of churches, or church"mufic, or the like, but efpecially of the facraments, than I "have had in the reading particular large treatises written but of "6 one of those subjects by others, though very learned men " and, I observe, there is in Mr. Hooker no affected language; "but a grave, comprehenfive, clear manifeftation of reafon; "and that backed with the authority of the Scripture, the fa "thers, and schoolmen, and with all law both facred and civil. "And though many others write well, yet in the next age they "will be forgotten; but doubtlefs there is in every page of "Mr. Hooker's book the picture of a divine foul, fuch pictures "of truth and reason, and drawn in fo facred colours, that they "fhall never fade, but give an immortal memory to the author." And it is fo truly true, that the King thought what he fpake; that, as the most learned of the nation have and still do mention Mr. Hooker with reverence; so he also did never mention him but with the epithet of learned, or judicious, or reverend, or ve nerable Mr. Hooker.

Nor did his fon, our late King Charles If. ever mention him but with the fame reverence, enjoining his fon, our now gra cious King, to be ftudious in Mr. Hooker's books. And our learned antiquary Mr. Camden, in his "Annals of Eliz." men

e "Ecclef. Polit." B. v. Şect. 14.

d This fubject is moft excellently difcufsed in "Ecclef. Polit." B. v, Sect. 38.

"Ecclef. Polit." B. v. Sect. 50.

f Charles F. a few days before his death, recommended to his dearest children the diligent reading of the first five books of "The Laws of Ecclefiaftical Polity," even next the Bible, as an excellent means to fatisfy private fcruples, and fettle the public peace of this church and kingdom. And in his will he bequeathed to the Princefs Elizabeth, his daughter, the Sermons of Bifhop Andrews; Archbishop Laud's book againft Fisher, which, he faid, would ground her against Popery; and Mr. Hooker's "Ecclefiaftical Polity."

tioning the death, the modefty, and other virtues of Mr. Hooker, and magnifying his books, wifhed, "that, for the honour of "this and benefit of other nations, they were turned into the "univerfal languages." Which work, though undertaken by many, yet they have been weary, and forfaken it; but the reader may now expect it, having been long fince begun, and lately finifhed, by the happy pen of Dr. Earle, now Lord Bishop of Salisbury, of whom I may justly fay (and let it not offend him, because it is fuch a truth as ought not to be con

"Richardi Hooker fcripta ante annos multos vidi, et quanquam in "fermone mihi non percognito facilè cognovi exactifsimi operis utili tatem: quæ tanta eft, ut hunc quoque librum verti, fed in Latinum "fermonem, pervelim." (Grotius in Epistola ad Mer. Casaubonum.) See alfo "Kennet's Complete Hiftory of England," Vol. II. p. 619.

h Dr. JOHN EARLE, author of "The World difplayed; or, several Efsays, confifting of the various Characters and Passions of its principal Inhabitants," was firft of Christ Church, and then of Merton College in Oxford, tutor to Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I. In 1643, he was elected one of the Afsembly of Divines; but he refufed to act, and loft all he had for his loyalty. After the Restoration, he was Dean of Weftminfter, and fuccefsively Bishop of Worcester and Salisbury. He was one of the coadjutors in the revifal of our prefent Liturgy. He is defcribed as a very genteel man, yet religious and a contemner of the world in his youth an excellent orator and poet, in his advanced years an admirable preacher and difputant. By the teftimony of an enemy, he was a person of the sweetest and most obliging good-nature that lived in his age; and none fince has lived whom God hath blefsed with more innocent wisdom, more fanctified learning, or a more pious, primitive, peaceable temper. He attended the Court when they retired to Oxford from the plague, and died Nov. 17, 1665, and was buried on the 25th of that month, near the high altar in Merton College church. His body was attended to the grave from the public fchools by a herald of arms, and the principal perfons of the Court and Univerfity.-See the Preface to "the World displayed."

"

His Tranflation of the Ecclefiaftical Polity" was never printed. That of the Emo Buotλinn'was published under the title of " Imago Regis Caroli Primi, in Ærumnis et Solitudine." Hag. Com. 1649. 12mo. "Ille qui Hookeri ingentis Politiam Ecclefiafticam,'

* Ille qui Caroli Martyris Εικονα βασιλικην

"(Volumen quo poft Apocalypfin divinius nullum)
"Legavit orbi fic Latinè redditas,

"Ut uterque unius fidei defenfor

"Patriam adhuc retineat majeftatem.

Si nomen ejus necdum tibi fuboleat, lector,
"Nomen ejus, ut unguenta pretiofa,

"JOHANNES EARLE, EBORACENSIS," &C.

(Inscription on Dr. Earle's monument in the choir and chancel of Merton College.)

In "The Mufæ Anglicanæ," vol. i. p. 286, is a copy of elegant Latin verfes written by him, on the return of the Prince from Spain; and we are informed by Lord Clarendon, that he was an excellent poet, both in Latin, Greek, and English.

cealed from pofterity, or thofe that now live and yet know him not), that fince Mr. Hooker died none have lived whom God hath blefsed with more innocent wifdom, more fanctified learning, or a more pious, peaceable, primitive temper, so that this excellent perfon feems to be only like himself, and our venerable Richard Hooker; and only fit to make the learned of all nations happy in knowing what hath been too long confined to the language of our little fland.

There might be many more and just occafions taken to speak of his books, which none ever did or can commend too much; but I decline them, and haften to an account of his Chriflian behaviour and death at Borne; in which place he continued his customary rules of mortification and felf-denial; was much in fafting, frequent in meditation and prayers; enjoying those blefsed returns, which only men of ftrict lives feel and know; and of which men of loofe and godlefs lives cannot be made fenfible; for fpiritual things are spiritually difcerned.

At his entrance into this place, his friendship was much fought for by Dr. Hadrian Saravia, then one of the Prebendaries of Canterbury, a German by birth, and fometimes a paftor both in Flanders and Holland, where he had ftudied and well confidered the controverted points concerning Epifcopacy and facrilege, and in England had a juft occafion to declare his judgment concerning both, unto his brethren ministers in the

i This character of Mr. Hooker's Works is confirmed by the approbation of our beft writers.

* Dr. HADRIAN SARAVIA, the bofom friend of Whitgift, as well as of Mr. Hooker, was of Spanish extraction, and born at Hedin in Artois. He was a minifier of the reformed church in Holland. Having taken the degree of Doctor in Divinity at Leyden, he was afterward incorporated in the fame faculty at Oxford. He came into England in 1587 or 1588. He had first removed himself to Jerfey, where he taught a fchool, and preached to his countrymen who were exiles there. He was appointed mafter of the free grammar-school at Southampton, where Mr. Nicholas Fuller, the most renowned critic of his age, received his education principally under him. By him alfo was educated Sir Tho mas Lake, Secretary of State to King James I. who faid of him,

"that

he was a minifter of state fit to serve the greatest prince in Europe." He was fuccefsively promoted to a Prebend in the churches of Gloucester, Canterbury, and Weftminfier. He difplayed great learning in defence of Epifcopacy againfi Beza, when that divine, interfering with the ecclefiafiical affairs of Scotland, advifed the Chancellor of that kingdom to abrogate Epifcopacy. He lived to the age of eighty-two years, and died in 1612. In the infcription on his monument, in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, he is ftyled, "Vir in omni literarum genere eximius, pietate, probitate, gravitate, et fuavitate morum infignis, fcriptis clarus, fide plenus, et bonis operibus dives valde." He mult have acquired a very confiderable knowledge of the English language, as we find his name in the firft class of those whom King James I. employed to make a new and more correct verfion of the Bible. (See Strype's Life of Whitgift, p. 422.)

Low Countries, which was excepted against by Theodore Beza and others; against whofe exceptions he rejoined, and thereby became the happy author of many learned tracts writ in Latin, efpecially of three; one of the Degrees of Ministers1, and of the Bishops' Superiority over the Prefbytery; a fecond against Sacrilege; and a third of Chriftian Obedience to Princes; the laft being occafioned by Gretzerus", the Jefuit. And it is obfervable, that when in a time of church tumults, Beza gave his reafons to the Chancellor of Scotland for the abrogation of Epifcopacy in that nation, partly by letters, and more fully in a treatife of a threefold Epifcopacy (which he calls divine, human, and Satanical): this Dr. Saravia had, by the help of Bishop Whitgift, made fuch an early difcovery of their intentions, that he had almoft as foon anfwered that treatife as it became public; and therein difcovered how Beza's opinion did contradict that of Calvin's and his adherents; leaving them to interfere with themselves in point of Epifcopacy. But of thefe tracts it will not concern me to fay more, than that they were moft of them dedicated to his and the church of England's watchful patron, John Whitgift, the Archbishop; and printed about the year in which Mr. Hooker alfo appeared first to the world, in the publication of his four books of Ecclefiaftical Polity."

This friendship being fought for by this learned Doctor, you may believe was not denied by Mr. Hooker, who was by fortune fo like him as to be engaged against Mr. Travers, Mr. Cartwright, and others of their judgment in a controverly too like Dr. Saravia's; fo that in this year of 1595, and in this place of Bishop's-Borne, these two excellent perfons began a holy friendship, increafing daily to fo high and mutual affections, that their two wills feemed to be but one and the fame; and defigns both for the glory of God, and peace of the church; ftill afsifting and improving each other's virtues, and the defired comforts of a peaceable piety; which I have willingly mentioned, because it gives a foundation to fome things that follow.

11. "De diverfis Gradibus Miniftrorum Evangelii." 2. "De Honore Præfulibus et Prefbyteris debitó." 3. De Sacrilegis et Sacrilegorum Ponis." The firti of thefe tracts was written against thofe of the church of Geneva, who maintained the doctrine of the equality of the minifters of the gofpel and a ruling prefbytery. Thefe tracts, originally written in Latin, were tranflated into Englith, and publifhed under the titles 1. Of the diverse Degrees of the Minifters of the Gofpell." 2. "Of the Honor due unto the Prieftes and Prelates of the Church." 3." Of Sacrilege, and the Punishment thereof. Job viii. 8, 9, 10." 1591. 4to.

in A mofi learned Jefuit, and the ableft controvertift of his age. He read a courfe of theological lectures with great reputation at Ingolftadt, where he died in 1625, aged 63 years. His works were published at Ratisbon, in 1734, in thirteen volumes folio. (Dictionnaire Historique.)

This parfonage of Borne is from Canterbury three miles, and near to the common road that leads from that city to Dover ; in which parfonage Mr. Hooker had not been twelve months, but his books, and the innocency and fanctity of his life became fo remarkable, that many turned out of the road, and others (fcholars efpecially) went purposely to fee the man, whofe life and learning were fo much admired; and alas! as our Saviour faid of St. John Baptift," What went they out to fee! મંદ a man clothed in purple and fine linen?" No, indeed; but an obfcure harmless man; a man in poor clothes, his loins ufually girt in a coarse gown, or canonical coat; of a mean ftature, and ftooping, and yet more lowly in the thoughts of his foul: his body worn out, not with age, but study and holy mortifications; his face full of heat-pimples, begot by his inactivity and fedentary life. And to this true character of his perfon, let me add this of his difpofition and behaviour; God and nature blefsed him with so blefsed a bashfulness, that as in his younger days his pupils might easily look him out of countenance; fo that neither then, nor in his age,, did he ever willingly look any man in the face; and was of fo mild and humble a nature, that his poor parifh-clerk and he did never talk but with both their hats on, or both off, at the fame time; and to this may be added, that though he was not purblind; yet he was fhort or weak-fighted; and where he fixed his eyes at the beginning of his fermon, there they continued till it was ended; and the reader has a liberty to believe that his modesty and dim-fight were fome of the reasons why he trufted Mrs. Churchman to choose a wife for him.

This parifh-clerk lived till the third or fourth year of the late Long Parliament; betwixt which time and Mr. Hooker's death, there had come many to fee the place of his burial, and the monument dedicated to his memory by Sir William Cooper (who ftill lives); and the poor clerk had many rewards for thowing Mr. Hooker's grave-place, and his faid monument, and did always hear Mr. Hooker mentioned with commendations and reverence; to all which he added his own knowledge and obfervations of his humility and holiness: in all which dif courses the poor man was ftill more confirmed in his opinion

n When Juftus Lipfius had acquired great literary reputation, not by his elegant Latinity, for his ftyle is full of affectation, novelty, and conceit, but by his vaft and extenfive erudition, feveral foreigners came from difiant countries to visit him. They were much difappointed at seeing him a plain man, mean in his behaviour, dress, and converfation.

(Bayle's Dictionary.)

The firongeft adamant that draws our reverence and love to this excellent man is his humility. He banished from his bofom every appearance of that pride which is invariably inconfiftent with the virtuous character.