lately finished, by the happy pen of Dr. Earl, now Lord Bishop of Salisbury, of whom I may juftly say, (and let it not offend him, because it is such a truth as ought not to be concealed from posterity, or those that now live, and yet know him not), that, fince Mr. Hooker died, none have lived whom God hath bleffed with more innocent wisdom, more fanctified learning, or a more pious, peaceable, primitive temper: fo 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 island.

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 Chriftian behaviour and death at Borne: in which place he continued his customary rules of mortification and felf-denial; was much in fasting, frequent in meditation and prayers, enjoying those bleffed returns, which only men of ftrict

Y 4

ftrict lives feel and know, and of which men of loose and godless 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 or about that time made one of the Prebends of Canterbury; a German by birth, and fometimes a pastor both in Flanders and Holland, where he had ftudied and well confidered the controverted points concerning Epifcopacy and Sacrilege; and in England had a juft occafion to declare his judgment concerning both, unto his brethren minifters of the 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, especially of three; one, of the Degrees of Minifters, and of the Bishops' fuperiority above the Presbytery; a fecond, against Sacrilege; and a third, of Chriftian Obedience to Princes; the last being occafioned by Gretzerus the

Jefuit.

Jefuit. And it is obfervable, that when, in a time of church-tumults, Beza gave his reasons to the Chancellor of Scotland for the abrogation of Episcopacy in that nation, partly by letters, and more fully in a treatife of a threefold Epifcopacy, (which he calls divine, human, and fatanical,) this Dr. Saravia had, by the help of Bishop Whitgift, made fuch an early discovery of their intentions, that he had almost as soon answered that treatise as it became public; and he therein discovered 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 these tracts it will not concern me to fay more, than that they were most of them dedicated to his and the Church of England's watchful patron, John Whitgift, the Archbishop; and printed about the time in which Mr. Hooker alfo appeared first to the world, in the publication of his firft 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 controversy too like Dr. Saravia's; fo that in this year of 1595, and in this place of Borne, these two excellent persons 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 their defigns both for the glory of God, and peace of the Church, ftill affifting 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.

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 especially) went purposely to see the

man,

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? 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 ftudy and holy mortifications; his face full of heat-pimples, begot by his unactivity and fedentary life. And to this true character of his perfon, let me add this of his difpofition and behaviour: God and nature bleffed him with fo bleffed a bashfulness, that as in his younger days his pupils might easily look him out of countenance; fo 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 parish-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

pur