any public bufinefs, and conftantly to favour and relieve those that were loweft." He was employed in his practice by the party who adhered to King Charles I. and was one of the council to the earl of Strafford, archbishop Laud, and the king himself. He also generously relieved the loyalists in their pecuniary diftreffes. Being univerfally esteemed for the honefty and uprightnefs of his character, and regarded as an eminent lawyer, he was entertained by both parties, the prefbyterians, as well as the loyalifts. In 1643, he took the covenant, and appeared feveral times with other laymen among the affembly of divines. He was then in great esteem with the parliament, and employed by them on feveral important affairs. In every station in which he was placed, he exhibited the most inflexible integrity and firmness.

After the death of Charles I. he was earnestly importuned by Cromwell, to take the place of one of the juftices of the bench; he had at first confiderable fcruples concerning the authority under which he was to act; but, at length, was prevailed upon to accept the office, from the confideration," that it being abfolutely neceffary to have juftice and property kept up at all times, it was lawful to take a commiffion from ufurpers, if he made no declaration of acknowledging their authority," which he never did. Some time after, he was made a judge, in which station he showed his juftice and courage on several occafions. Soon after the restoration, he was knighted by King Charles II. who conftituted him chief baron of the exchequer. When the lord chancellor Clarenden delivered him his commiffion, he told him, that " if the king could have found out an honefter and fitter man for that employ

ment, he would not have advanced him to it, and that he had preferred him, because he knew none that deferved it fo well." He continued eleven years in that office; and very much raised the reputation of the court by his im partial administration of juftice, and alfo by his generofity, vaft diligence, and great exactness in trial. He would never receive private addreffes or recommendations from the greatest perfons, in any cause where juftice was concerned. One of the first peers of England went once to his chamber, and informed him " that having a fuit in law to be tried before him, he came to acquaint him with it, that he might the better understand it, when it should be heard in court." The lord chief baron interrupted him, and declared " that he never received any information of causes but in open court, where both parties were to be heard alike." The duke departed greatly diffatiffied, and complained to the king. But his majesty ordered him "to content himself, that he was no worse used, and faid, he would have treated himself no better, if he had gone to folicit him in any of his own causes."

Judge Hale had learnt from Solomon, that "a gift perverteth the ways of judgment." Hence he conftantly refused to receive the smalleft presents from those who had any caufes to be tried before him.

In the year 1671, this eminent man was promoted to the place of lord chief juftice of England. This choice

* Judge Hale laid aside a tenth part of all he obtained for the poor; and was affiduously careful to find proper objects for his charities; literally following our Saviour's direction, he gave no entertainments but to the poor. He never went to any public entertain

ments.

was univerfally applauded; for he was valued and admir ed by men of all fides and perfuafions. He behaved in that high station with his ufual ftri&tnefs, regularity, and diligence. About five years after his advancement, his health began to decline, and he made a formal furrender of his office. During a lingering and painful fickness, he exhibited the most exemplary patience and perfect refignation to the will of God. He continued to enjoy the free use of his reafon and understanding to the laft moment, which he had often and earnestly prayed for during his illness. He died on the 25th of December, 1676, aged fixty seven years.

Bishop Burnet, the writer of Judge Hale's life, concludes his character in thefe words. "He was one of the greatest patterns this age has produced, whether in his private deportment, as a chriftian, or in his public employments at the bar, or on the bench."

He was twice married, and had ten children, all of whom he furvived except one fon and a daughter.

This great and good man beheld with deep concern the impiety and atheism of the age in which he lived, and he opposed it in his writings, as well as by the shining example of his life. Notwithstanding the variety of his public avocations, he was the author of fourteen different works, among which were the following, viz. "Contemplations, moral and divine." "The primitive origination of mankind, confidered and explained according to the light of nature.” "His judgment of the nature of true religion, the caufes of its corruption, and the church's calamity by men's additions and violences, with the defired cure." "A treatife concerning provifion for the poor."

"A discourse of the knowledge of God and of ourselves, firft by the light of nature, fecondly, by the facred Scriptures." Burnet's Life of Hale.-Biographia Britanica, Vol. IV.

DR. THOMAS SYDENHAM.

THOMAS SYDENHAM, an excellent English phyfician, was born in Dorsetshire, in the year 1624. At the age of eighteen, in 1642, he commenced a commoner of Magdalen Hall in Oxford, where it is not probable, that he continued long, as he informs us himself, that he was withheld from the univerfity by the commencement of the war; nor is it known in what state of life he engaged, or where he refided, during the long feries of public commotion.

His application to the ftudy of phyfic was, as himself relates, produced by the perfuafive arguments of Dr. Cox, a phyfician then eminent in London. After he had determined upon the medical profeffion, he retired to the university at Oxford, where he spent several years in intense application to ftudy.

Nor was he fatisfied with the opportunities of knowledge which Oxford afforded, but travelled to Montpelier, which was then the celebrated school of medicine, in search of farther information. In 1648, he was admitted to the degree of bachelor of phyfic.

When he thought himself qualified for practice, he fixed his refidence at Weftminster, became doctor of physic at Cambridge, received a license from the college of phyfi. cians; and lived in the firft degree of reputation and af

fluence of practice for many years; without any other enemies than those he raised by the fuperiour merit of his conduct, the brighter luftre of his abilities, or his improvements in medical science.

It is a melancholy reflection, that they who have attained the highest reputation, by preserving or reftoring the health of others, have often been hurried away before the natural decline of life, or have paffed many of their years under the torments of those diftempers, which they profefs to relieve. In this number was Sydenham, whose health began to fail in the fifty second year of his age, by the frequent attacks of the gout, to which he was fubject for a great part of his life.

He never discovered any indecent impatience, or unmanly dejection under his torments, but fupported himfelf by the reflections of philofophy, and the confolations of religion; and in every interval of eafe, applied himself to the affistance of others, with his ufual affiduity.

After a life thus ufefully employed, he died at his house in Pall Mall, on the 29th of December, 1689, and was buried in the aisle, near the fouth door of the church of St. James, at Westminster. What was his character, as a physician, appears from the treatises which he left ; and from them it may likewife be collected, that his skill in phyfic was not his highest excellence; that his whole character was amiable; that he was a firm believer in the truth of chriftianity; that his chief view was the benefit of mankind, and the chief motive of his actions the will of God, whom he mentions with reverence, well becom❤ ing the moft enlightened and moft penetrating mind.

Johnson's Works, Vol. IV.