TO THE READER. THOUGH HOUGH the feveral introductions to these feveral lives have partly declared the reafons how, and why I undertook them, yet fince they are come to be reviewed, and augmented, and reprinted, and the four are now become one book", I defire leave to inform you that fhall become my reader, that when I fometimes look back upon my education and mean abilities, it is not without fome little wonder at myself, that I am come to be publicly in print. And though I have in those introductions declared fome of the accidental reasons that occafioned me to be fo, yet let me add this to what is there faid, that by my undertaking to collect fome notes for Sir Henry Wotton's writing the Life of Dr. Donne, and by Sir Henry Wotton's dying before he performed it, I became like those men that enter easily into a law-fuit or a quarrel, and having begun, cannot make a fair retreat and be quiet, when they defire it.-And really, after fuch a manner, I became engaged into a neceffity of writing the Life of Dr. Donne, contrary to my firft intentions; and b He had not then written the Life of Bishop Sanderfon. In the preceding Epiftle Dedicatory, our Author modefily refigns all claim to acquired learning or study.' " d Sir Henry Wotton addreffed the following letter to Mr. Ifaac Walton, who had requested him to perform his promise of writing the Life of Dr. Donne: "MY WORTHY FRIEND, "I am not able to yield any reason, no not fo much as may fatisfie "myself, why a moft ingenuous letter of yours hath lain fo long by me "(as it were in lavender) withour an anfwer, fave this only, the pleasure "I have taken in your ftyle and conceptions, together with a meditation "of the fubject you propound, may feem to have caft me into a gentle "flumber. But, being now awaked, I do herein return you most hearty thanks for the kind prosecution of your first motion, touching a juft office due to the memory of our ever-memorable friend; to whofe good fame, though it be needlefs to add any thing (and, my age con"fidered, almoft hopeless from my pen), yet I will endeavour to perform my promife, if it were but even for this caufe, that in saying fomewhat "of the life of fo deferving a man, I may perchance over-live mine own. "That which you add of Dr. King (now made Dean of Rochefter, and by that tranflated into my native foil) is a great fpur unto me; with "whom I hope shortly to confer about it in my paffage towards Boughton "Malherb A 3 that begot a like neceffity of writing the Life of his and my ever-honoured friend, Sir Henry Wotton. And having writ thefe two lives, I lay quiet twenty years, without a thought of either troubling myfelf or others, by any new engagement in this kind; for I thought I knew my unfitnefs. But, about that time, Dr. Gauden (then Lord Bishop of Exeter) published the Life of Mr. Richard Hooker (fo he called it), with fo many dangerous miftakes, both of him and his books, that difcourfing of them with his Grace Gilbert, that now is Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, he enjoined me to examine fome circumftances, and then rectify the Bishop's miftakes, by giving the world a fuller and truer account of Mr. Hooker and his books than that bishop had done; and I know I have done fo. And let me tell the reader, that till his Grace had laid this injunction upon me, I could not admit a thought of any fitness in me to undertake it; but when he twice had "Malherb (which was my genial air), and invite him to a friendship "with that family, where his predeceffor was familiarly acquainted. I "fhall write to you at large by the next meffenger (being at prefent a little in bufinefs), and then I fhall fet down certain general heads, "wherein I defire information by your loving diligence; hoping fhortly "to have your own ever-welcome company in this approaching time of the fly and the cork. And fo I reft your very hearty poor friend to "ferve you." H. WOTTON." (Reliquie Wottonianæ, p. 360. edit. 3.) e Dr. JOHN GAUDEN, born at Mayland in Effex, educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, was Dean of Bocking, and Master of the Temple, in the beginning of the reign of Charles I. In 1660 he was made Bishop of Exeter, and from thence promoted to Worcester in 1662, in which year he died, aged 57 years. "When Archbishop Sheldon acquainted "the King that Bifhop Gauden was dead," his Majefty replied, "that "he made no doubt, but it would be eafy to find a more worthy perfon "to fill his place." (Life of Dr. John Barwick, p. 360.) Whatever credit may be due to the animadverfions of feveral writers on the conduct of Dr. Gauden, which in fome inftances was certainly indefenfible, it will be only an act of juftice to intimate, that the editor of the works of Mr. Richard Hooker, and the author of the Memoirs of the Life of Bishop Brownrigg, and of many other valuable writings, deferves much of pofterity. His way of preaching is faid to have been most admirable and edifying. Charles II. when he nominated him to the See of Exeter, bore this teftimony to his merit, by obferving, "That he, upon all occafions, had taken worthy pains in the pulpit and at the prefs to rescue his Majefty and the church of England from all the "mistakes and heterodox opinions of feveral and different factions; as "alfo from the facrilegious hands of thofe falfe brethren, whofe fcandalous "converfation was confummate in devouring church-lands, and then "with impudence to make facrilege lawful." (Wood's Ath. Ox. vol. ii. col. 208.)-It must be owned, that he was one of the Affembly of Divines in 1643, and that he took the covenant; to which, however, he made fome fcruples and objections, fo that his name was foon firuck out of the lift. He abandoned the caufe of the Parliament as foon as they relinquifhed their firft avowed principles of reforming only, inftead of extirpating Monarchy and Epifcopacy. enjoined me to it, I then declined my own, and trufted his, judgment, and fubmitted to his commands; concluding, that if I did not, I could not forbear accufing myself of disobedience, and indeed of ingratitude, for his many favours. Thus I became engaged into the third life. For the life of that great example of holinefs, Mr. George Herbert, I profefs it to be fo far a free-will offering, that it was writ chiefly to please myself, but yet not without some respect to pofterity: For though he was not a man that the next age can forget, yet many of his particular acts and virtues might have been neglected, or loft, if I had not collected and presented them to the imitation of thofe that fhall fucceed us: For I humbly conceive writing to be both a safer and truer preferver of men's virtuous actions than tradition; especially as it is managed in this age. And I am also to tell the reader, that though this life of Mr. Herbert was not by me writ in hafte, yet I intended it a review before it fhould be made public; but that was not allowed me, by reason of my abfence from London when it was printing: fo that the reader may find in it fome miftakes, fome double expreffions, and fome not very proper, and some that might have been contracted, and fome faults that are not justly chargeable upon me, but the printer; and yet I hope none fo great, as may not, by this confefsion, purchase pardon from a good-natured reader. And now I wish, that as that learned Jew, Jofephus, and others, so these men had also writ their own lives; but fince it is not the fashion of these times, I wish their relations or friends would do it for them, before delays make it too difficult. And I defire this the more, because it is an honour due to the dead, and a generous debt due to those that shall live and fucceed us, and would to them prove both a content and fatisfaction. For when the next age fhall (as this does) admire the learning and clear reafon which that excellent cafuift Dr. Sanderson (the late Bishop of Lincoln) hath demonstrated in his fermons and other writings; who, if they love virtue, would not rejoice to know, that this good man was as remarkable for the meeknefs and innocence of his life, as for his great and useful learning; and indeed as remarkable for his fortitude in his long and patient fuffering (under them that then called themselves the godly party) for that doctrine which he had preached and printed in the happy days of the nation's and the church's peace? And who would not be content to have the like account of Dr. Field, that great schoolman, and others of noted learning? f Dr. RICHARD FIELD, Chaplain to James I. and Dean of Gloucester, died Nov. 21, 1616,-the friend of Mr. Richard Hooker, and one of the most learned men of his age. He was the author of a work entitled, "Of the Church, fol. 1610."-James I. when he first heard him preach, said, "This is a Field for God to dwell in,"-With the fame allufion A 4 Fuller And though I cannot hope that my example or reason can persuade to this undertaking, yet I please myself, that I shall conclude my preface with wishing that it were fo. I. W. Fuller calls him that learned divine, "whofe memory fmelleth like a "Field that the Lord hath blefsed."-Anthony Wood mentions a manufcript, written by Nathaniel Field, Rector of Stourton, in Wiltshire, containing "fome fhort Memorials concerning the Life of that Rev. Divine, Dr. Richard Field, Prebendary of Windfor," &c. The feature which peculiarly marked his difpofition, was an averfion to thofe difputes on the Arminian points, which then began to disturb the peace of the church, and from which he dreaded the most unhappy confequences. It was his ambition to conciliate, not to irritate. TO MY OLD AND MOST WORTHY FRIEND, MR. IZAAK WALTON, ON HIS LIFE OF DOCTOR DONNE, &c. WHEN, to a Nation's lofs, the virtuous die, Which though it be the pooreft, cheapest way,' And these are monuments of fo fhort date, That with their birth they oft receive their fate; And though to verfe great reverence is due, Something more facred then, and more entire This history can give; to which alone Is granted, when deny'd to brafs and fione. Wherein, my friend, you have a hand fo fure, Your pen, difdaining to be brib'd or preft, A virtue with which few good peas are bleft. How happy was my father then ! to fee Refcu'd from frailties and mortality. Wotton and Donne, to whom his foul was knit, Thofe twins of virtue, eloquence and wit, He faw in Fame's eternal annals writ: The character of Mr. Charles Cotton, the father of Charles Cotton the poet, is most beautifully delineated by the noble historian. (Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, fol. 1759, p. 16.) |