great meekness, of this humble man: for though the chief benchers gave him much reverence and encouragement, yet he there met with many neglects and oppositions by those of Master Travers' judgment; insomuch that it turned to his extreme grief and that he might unbeguile and win them, he designed to write a deliberate sober Treatise of the Church's power to make canons for the use of ceremonies, and by law to impose an obedience to them, as upon her children; and this he proposed to do in eight books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity; intending therein to shew such arguments as should force an assent from all men, if reason delivered in sweet language, and void of any provocation, were able to do it: and that he might prevent all prejudice, he wrote before it a large Preface or Epistle to the Dissenting Brethren, wherein there were such bowels of love, and such a commixture of that love with reason, as was never exceeded but in Holy Writ; and particularly by that of St. Paul to his dear brother and fellow-labourer Philemon: than which, none was ever more like this Epistle of Mr. Hooker's : so that his dear friend and companion in his studies, Dr. Spenser, might after his death justly say, "What admirable "height of learning and depth of judgment dwelt in the lowly mind of this truly humble man, great in all wise "men's eyes except his own; with what gravity and majesty "of speech his tongue and pen uttered heavenly mysteries; "whose eyes, in the humility of his heart, were always cast "down to the ground: how all things that proceeded from "him were breathed as from the spirit of love; as if he, like "the bird of the Holy Ghost, the Dove, had wanted gall: let "those that knew him not in his person, judge by these living "images of his soul, his writings."

The foundation of these books was laid in the Temple; but he found it no fit place to finish what he had there designed; and he therefore earnestly solicited the archbishop for a remove from that place, to whom he spake to this purpose: My Lord, when I lost the freedom of my cell, which was my college; yet, I found some degree of it in my quiet country parsonage: but I am weary of the noise and "oppositions of this place, and indeed God and nature did "not intend me for contentions, but for study and quietness.

"My Lord, my particular contests with Mr. Travers here "have proved the more unpleasant to me, because I believe "him to be a good man; and that belief hath occasioned me to examine mine own conscience concerning his opin"ions; and, to satisfy that, I have consulted the scripture, " and other laws both human and divine, whether the con"science of him and others of his judgment ought to be so "far complied with as to alter our frame of Church-govern"ment, our manner of God's worship, our praising and pray"ing to him, and our established ceremonies, as often as his "and others' tender consciences shall require us and, in "this examination, I have not only satisfied myself, but have begun a Treatise, in which I intend a justification of the "Laws of our Ecclesiastical Polity; in which design God "and his holy Angels shall at the last great day bear me "that witness which my conscience now does; that my meaning is not to provoke any, but rather to satisfy all "tender consciences, and I shall never be able to do this, "but where I may study, and pray for God's blessing upon "my endeavours, and keep myself in peace and privacy, and "behold God's blessing spring out of my mother earth, and "eat my own bread without oppositions; and therefore, if "your Grace can judge me worthy of such a favour, let me "beg it, that I may perfect what I have begun."

About this time the parsonage or rectory of Boscum, in the diocese of Sarum, and six miles from that city, became void. The Bishop of Sarum is patron of it: but in the vacancy of that see (which was three years betwixt the translation of Bishop Pierce to the see of York, and Bishop Caldwell's admission into it) the disposal of that and all benefices belonging to that see during this said vacancy, came to be disposed of by the Archbishop of Canterbury; and he presented Richard Hooker to it, in the year 1591. And Richard Hooker was also in this said year instituted, July 17, to be a minor prebend of Salisbury, the corps to it being Nether-Havin, about ten miles from that city; which prebend was of no great value, but intended chiefly to make him capable of a better preferment in that church. In this Boscum he continued till he had finished four of his eight

proposed books of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, and these were entered into the Register-book in Stationers'-hall, the 9th of March, 1592, but not published till the year 1594, and then were with the before-mentioned large and affectionate preface, which he directs" to them that seek (as they term "it) the Reformation of the Laws and Orders Ecclesiastical "in the Church of England;" of which books I shall yet say nothing more, but that he continued his laborious diligence to finish the remaining four during his life (of all which more properly hereafter) but at Boscum he finisht and publisht but only the first four, being then in the thirty-ninth year of his age.

He left Boscum in the year 1595, by a surrender of it into the hands of Bishop Caldwell, and he presented Benjamin Russel, who was instituted into it the 23d of June in the same year.

The parsonage of Bishopsborne in Kent, three miles from Canterbury, is in that archbishop's gift; but, in the latter end of the year 1594, Dr. William Redman the rector of it was made bishop of Norwich; by which means the power of presenting to it was pro ea vice in the Queen; and she presented Richard Hooker, whom she loved well, to this good living of Borne the 7th of July, 1595, in which living he continued till his death, without any addition of dignity or profit.

And now having brought our Richard Hooker, from his birthplace to this where he found a grave, I shall only give some account of his books, and of his behaviour in this parsonage of Borne, and then give a rest both to myself and my reader.

His first four Books and large Epistle have been declared to be printed at his being at Boscum, anno 1594. Next, I am to tell, that at the end of these four Books, there was when he first printed them this Advertisement to the Reader: "I have for some causes thought it at this time "more fit to let go these first four Books by themselves, "than to stay both them and the rest, till the whole might together be published. Such generalities of the cause in question as are here handled, it will be per

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haps not amiss to consider apart, by way of introduction "unto the books that are to follow concerning particulars; "in the mean time the reader is requested to mend the "printer's errors, as noted underneath."

And I am next to declare, that his fifth Book (which is larger than his first four) was first also printed by itself anno 1597, and dedicated to his patron (for till then he chose none) the archbishop. These Books were read with an admiration of their excellency in this, and their just fame spread itself also into foreign nations. And I have been told more than forty years past, that either Cardinal Allen, or learned Dr. Stapleton (both Englishmen, and in Italy about the time when Hooker's four Books were first printed) meeting with this general fame of them, were desirous to read an author that both the reformed and the learned of their own Romish Church did so much magnify, and therefore caused them to be sent for to Rome; and after reading them, boasted to the Pope, (which then was Clement the Eighth,) "That though he had lately said he never met with an English book whose writer deserved the name of an "author; yet there now appeared a wonder to them, and it "would be so to his Holiness, if it were in Latin; for a poor obscure English priest had writ four such Books of "Laws and Church-Polity, and in a style that expressed "such a grave and so humble a majesty, with such clear "demonstration of reason, that in all their readings they had "not met with any that exceeded him ;" and this begot in the Pope an earnest desire that Dr. Stapleton should bring the said four books, and looking on the English read a part of them to him in Latin; which Dr. Stapleton did, to the end of the first book; at the conclusion of which, the Pope spake to this purpose: "There is no learning that this man "hath not searcht into; nothing too hard for his under"standing: this man indeed deserves the name of an author; "his books will get reverence by age, for there is in them "such seeds of eternity, that if the rest be like this, they "shall last till the last fire shall consume all learning."

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Nor was this high, the only testimony 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 ChurchPolity; to which the answer was, that he died a year before Queen Elizabeth, who received the sad news of his death with very much sorrow: to which the King replied, “And I "receive it with no less, that I shall want the desired happi"ness of seeing and discoursing with that man, from whose "Books I have received such satisfaction: indeed, my Lord, "I have received more satisfaction in reading a leaf, or paragraph, in Mr. Hooker, though it were but about the "fashion of Churches, or Church-musick, or the like, but "especially of the Sacraments, than I have had in the read"ing particular large treatises written but of one of those

subjects by others, though very learned men; and, I observe "there is in Mr. Hooker no affected language; but a grave, "comprehensive, clear manifestation of reason; and that "backed with the authority of the Scripture, the fathers and "schoolmen, and with all law both sacred and civil. And

though many others write well, yet in the next age they "will be forgotten; but doubtless there is in every page of "Mr. Hooker's book the picture of a divine soul, such "pictures of Truth and Reason, and drawn in so sacred "colours, that they shall never fade, but give an immortal memory to the author." And it is so truly true, that the king thought what he spake, 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 venerable Mr. Hooker.

Nor did his son, our late King Charles the First, ever mention him but with the same reverence, enjoining his son, our now gracious King, to be studious in Mr. Hooker's books. And our learned antiquary Mr. Camden* mentioning the death, the modesty, and other virtues of Mr. Hooker, and magnifying his books, wisht," that for the honour of this, and "benefit of other nations, they were turned into the universal "language." Which work, though undertaken by many, yet they have been weary, and forsaken it; but the reader may

* In his Annals of Eliz. 1599.