fambulation; and most did fo: in which perambulation, he would ufually exprefs more pleafant dif course than at other times, and would then always drop fome loving and facetious obfervations to be remembered against the next year, especially by the boys and young people; ftill inclining them, and all his prefent parishioners, to meeknefs and mutual kindneffes and love; because Love thinks not evil, but covers a multitude of infirmities.

He was diligent to inquire who of his parish were fick, or any way diftreffed, and would often vifit them unfent for; fuppofing that the fittest time to discover those errors, to which health and profperity had blinded them. And having by pious reafons and prayers moulded them into holy refolutions for the time to come, he would incline them to Confeffion, and bewailing their fins, with purpose to forfake them, and then to receive the Communion, both as a ftrengthening of thofe holy refolutions; and as a feal betwixt God and them of his mercies to their fouls, in cafe that prefent fickness did put a period to their lives.

And as he was thus watchful and charitable to the sick, so he was diligent to prevent law-fuits, ftill urging his parishioners and neighbours, to bear with each other's infirmities, and live in love, because (as St. John fays) He that lives in love, lives in God, for God is love. And to maintain this holy fire of love, conftantly burning on the altar of a pure heart, his advice was to watch and pray, and always keep themselves fit to receive the Communion, and then to receive it often: for it was both a confirming, and a ftrengthning of their Graces. This was his advice, and at his entrance or departure out of any house, he would usually speak to the whole family, and bless them by name, infomuch, that as he feemed in his youth to be taught of God, fo he seemed in this place to teach his precepts, as Enoch did by walking with him in all holiness and humility; making

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each

Charged

with a scan

cleared.

each day a ftep towards a bleffed Eternity. And though in this weak and declining age of the world, fuch examples are become barren, and almost incredible; yet let his memory be bleft with this true recordation, because he that praises Richard Hooker, praises God, who hath given fuch gifts to men; and let this humble and affectionate relation of him, become fuch a pattern as may invite pofterity to imitate his virtues.

This was his conftant behaviour at Borne; thus dal: and his as Enoch, fo he walked with God; thus did he tread innocency in the footsteps of primitive piety; and yet, as that great example of meeknefs and purity, even our bleffed Jefus was not free from falfe accufations, no more was this Difciple of his, this moft humble, most innocent holy Man. His was a flander parallel to that of chafte Sufannah's by the wicked Elders; or that against St. Athanafius, as it is recorded in his life (for that holy man had heretical enemies) and which this age calls trepanning. The particulars need not a repetition, and that it was falfe, needs no other teftimony than the publick punishment of his accufers, and their open confeffion of his innocency. It was faid, that the accufation was contrived by a diffenting Brother, one that endured not Church-ceremonies, hating him for his Book's fake, which he was not able to answer; and his name hath been told me: but I have not fo much confidence in the relation, as to make my pen fix a scandal on him to posterity; I fhall rather leave it doubtful till the great day of revelation. But this is certain, that he lay under the great charge, and the anxiety of this accufation, and kept it fecret to himself for many months: and, being a helpless man, had lain longer under this heavy burthen, but that the Protector of the innocent gave fuch an accidental occafion as forced him to make it known to his two dear friends, Edwyn Sandys and George Cranmer, who were so fenfible of their Tutor's fuf

ferings,

ferings, that they gave themselves no reft, till by their difquifitions and diligence they had found out the fraud, and brought him the welcome news, that his accufers did confefs they had wronged him, and begged his pardon: to which the good Man's reply was this purpose, The Lord forgive them; and, The Lord bless you for this comfortable news. Now I have

a juft occafion to fay with Solomon, Friends are born for the days of adverfity, and fuch you have proved to me and to my God I fay, as did the Mother of St. John Baptift, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the day wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men. And, O my God, neither my life, nor my reputation, are safe in mine own keeping, but in thine, who didst take care of me, when I yet banged on my Mother's breast. Blessed are they that put their trust in thee, O Lord; for, when falje witneffes were rifen up against me; when shame was ready to cover my face; when I was bowed down with an borrible dread, and went mourning all the day long; when my nights were restless, and my fleeps broken with a fear worse than death; when my foul thirfted for a deliverance, as the bart panteth for the rivers of water; then thou, Lord, didft bear my complaints, pity my condition, and art now become my Deliverer; and as long as I live I will hold up my bands in this manner, and magnify thy mercies, who didft not give me over as a prey to mine enemies. O bleffed are they that put their trust in thee; and no profperity shall make me forget thofe days of forrows, or to perform thofe vows that I bave made to thee in the days of my fears and affliction; for with fuch facrifices, thou, O God, art well pleafed; and I will pay them.

Thus did the joy and gratitude of this good Man's heart break forth; and it is obfervable, that as the invitation to this flander was his meek behaviour and dove-like fimplicity, for which he was remarkable; fo his Christian Charity ought to be imitated. For, though

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His fickness

and death.

though the fpirit of revenge is fo pleafing to mankind, that it is never conquered but by a fupernatural Grace, being indeed fo deeply rooted in human nature, that to prevent the exceffes of it (for men would not know moderation) Almighty God allows not any degree of it to any man, but fays, Vengeance is mine: and, though this be faid by God himfelf, yet this revenge is fo pleafing, that man is hardly perfuaded to fubmit the manage of it to the time, and juftice, and wifdom of his Creator, but would haften to be own executioner of it. And yet nevertheless, if any man ever did wholly decline, and leave this pleafing paffion to the time and measure of God alone, it was this Richard Hooker, of whom I write: for when his flanderers were to fuffer, he laboured to procure their pardon; and, when that was denied him, his reply was, That however he would fast and pray, that God would give them repentance and patience to undergo their punishment. And his prayers were fo far returned into his own bofom, that the firft was granted, if we may believe a penitent behaviour, and an open confeffion. And it is obfervable, that after this time he would often fay to Dr. Saravia, O with what quietness did I enjoy my foul, after I was free from the fears of my flander! And how much more after a conflict and victory over my defires of revenge!

In the year one thousand fix hundred, and of his age forty fix, he fell into a long and sharp sickness, occafioned by a cold taken in his paffage betwixt London and Gravefend, from the malignity of which, he was never recovered; for, till his death, he was not free from thoughtful days, and reftlefs nights; but a fubmiffion to his will that makes the fick man's bed easy, by giving reft to his foul, made his very languifhment comfortable: and yet all this time he was folicitous in his study, and said often to Dr. Saravia, (who faw him daily, and was the chief comfort of his life) That he did not beg a long life of God, for any other reason, but to live to finish his three remaining

books

books of Polity; and then, Lord, let thy fervant depart in peace; which was his ufual expreffion. And God heard his prayers, though he denied the benefit of them as compleated by himself; and it is thought he haftened his own death, by haftening to give life to books. But this is certain, that the nearer he was to his death, the more he grew in humility, in holy thoughts and resolutions.

About a month before his death, this good Man, that never knew, or at leaft never confidered the pleasures of the palate, became firft to lofe his appetite, then to have an averfenefs to all food, infomuch, that he seemed to live fome intermitted weeks by the smell of meat only, and yet ftill ftudied and wrote. And now his guardian Angel feemed to foretel him, that his years were, paft away as a fhadow, bidding him prepare to follow the generation of his fathers, for the day of his diffolution drew near; for which his vigorous foul appeared to thirst.

In this time of his fickness, and not many days before his death, his house was robbed; of which, he having notice, his question was, Are my books and written papers fafe? and being anfwered, that they were, his reply was, Then it matters not, for no other lofs can trouble me.

About one day before his death, Dr. Saravia, who knew the very fecrets of his foul (for they were fupposed to be Confeffors to each other) came to him, and after a conference of the benefit, the neceffity, and fafety of the Church's Abfolution, it was refolved the Doctor should give him both that and the Sacrament the day following. To which end the Doctor came, and after a fhort retirement and privacy, they returned to the company; and then the Doctor, gave him and fome of thofe friends that were with him, the Bleffed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jefus. Which being performed, the Doctor thought he faw a reverend gaiety and joy in his face; but it lafted not long; for his