While an under-graduate, he maintained a high character for learning and conduct: the simple and honourable nature of his feelings; his few wants; his intense application, and contented, cheerful, and affectionate disposition, in this his first outset in life; are well described in some of the passages which we shall select: as, for instance,

"He had in his nature a principle of justice and duty inexpugnable; and was fortified with a resolution not to run in debt, nor to help himself by any wicked compliances, whatever otherwise became of him. And while he was at the college, he just shifted, with a small exhibition from his family; and if it had been less, (according to his strict economy,) he had still shifted; and more he did not expect, knowing that the hereditary honour must devour the fat of the land. And as to future preferments, nothing more uncertain. All his hopes hung upon mutable interests, and he found in himself little inclination to courtship and flatteries for favours. His sheet-anchor was the life of his life, a dear brother and friend who might drop from him. He had an ambition to be master of a good library, but scarce hoped ever to obtain it; and when he became able to make a small purchase of books, he was so far happy, and, in himself, pleased that his management succeeded so well, which created in him a sort of joy in a perseverance, even after the just cause, by his being better provided for, ceased."

In 1666 he was admitted a fellow of his college, and began to indulge himself in the warmest passion which animated him, the purchasing of books.

"He courted, as a fond lover, all best editions, fairest characters, best bound and preserved. If the subject was in his favour, (as the classics,) he cared not how many of them he had, even of the same edition, if he thought it amongst the best, either better bound, squarer eut, neater covers, or some such qualification caught him. He delighted in the small editions of the classics by Seb. Gryphius; and divers of his acquaintance, meeting with any of them, bought and brought them to him, which he accepted as choice presents, although perhaps he had one or two of them before. He said, that the black Italic character agreed with his eye-sight (which he accounted but weak) better than any other print, the old Elzevir not excepted, whereof the characters seemed more blind and confused than those of the other."

"His soul was never so staked down as in an old bookseller's shop; for having (as the statutes of the college required) taken orders, he was restless till he had compassed some of that sort of furniture, as he thought necessary for his profession. He was, for the most part, his own factor, and seldom or ever bought by commission; which made him lose time in turning over vast numbers of books; and he was very hardly pleased at last. I have borne him company at shops for hours together, and, minding him of the time, he hath made me a dozen proffers before he would quit. By this care and industry,

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at length, he made himself master of a very considerable library, wherein the choicest collection was Greek."

The mention of his brother's love of book-collecting, leads the biographer to lament over the changes in the booksellers' trade, which contains some curious information relative to that important and all-necessary craft.

"It may not be amiss to step a little aside to reflect on the vast change in the trade of books between that time and ours. Then, Little Britain was a plentiful and perpetual emporium of learned authors; and men went thither as a market. This drew to the place a mighty trade; the rather because the shops were spacious, and the learned gladly resorted to them, where they seldom failed to meet with agreeable conversation. And the booksellers themselves were knowing and conversible men, with whom, for the sake of bookish knowledge, the greatest wits were pleased to converse. And we may judge the time as well spent there, as (in latter days) either in tavern or coffee-house; though the latter hath carried off the spare hours of most people. But now this emporium is vanished, and the trade contracted into the hands of two or three persons, who, to make good their monopoly, ransack, not only their neighbours of the trade that are scattered about town, but all over England, aye, and beyond the sea too, and send abroad their circulators, and in that manner get into their hands all that is valuable. The rest of the trade are content to take their refuse, with which, and the fresh scum of the press, they furnish one side of a shop, which serves the sign of a bookseller, rather than a real one; but, instead of selling, deal as factors, and procure what the country divines and gentry send for, of whom each hath his book-factor; and, when wanting any thing, writes to his bookseller, and pays his bill. And it is wretched to consider what pick-pocket work, with help of the press, these demi-booksellers make. They crack their brains to find out selling subjects, and keep hirelings in garrets, at hard meat, to write and correct by the groat; and so puff up an octavo to a sufficient thickness, and there's six shillings current for an hour and an half's reading, and perhaps never to be read or looked upon after. One that would go higher, must take his fortune at blank walls, and -corners of streets, or repair to the sign of Bateman, Innys, and one or two more, where are best choice and better pennyworths. I might touch other abuses, as bad paper, incorrect printing, and false advertising, all which, and worse, is to be expected, if a careful author is not at the heels of them. But I fear I am led by these too far out of my way."

It was not the Doctor's practice, like too many collectors, to purchase books for the purpose of adorning his shelves; for he appears to have mastered and commented on their contents, with no ordinary ability and industry. For every author whom he made the subject of his book, he kept a book which he filled

with annotations, until he had a considerable body of them. To the study of Greek he appears to have paid his chief attention, and so qualified himself to fill the chair of the Greek professor, to which he was afterwards elected. He seems, however, scarcely to have neglected any department of literature, and was enabled to attend to all by the admirable economy of

his time.

"Greek became almost vernacular to him, and he took no small pains to make himself master of the Hebrew language, and seldom failed carrying an Hebrew bible (but pointed) to chapel with him. He was a notable husband of his time, and contrived to make his very scraps and intercalary minutes profitable; and, accordingly, during those short intervals between dressing and dinner, and such like attendances, when he could not engage in the texture of his study, he used to get the best penned English books, and read them aloud; which he said he did to form and improve his English style and nunciation. And on such occasions he used to say it was pity to lose any of his time. And for the advantage of his Latin he used to keep his accounts in that language, and as near the classic as he could."

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His relaxations from study were few and simple. Society, late in the evening, after a hard day's work, he loved. Music, too, was also a favourite resource, and he began to indulge himself on the organ, till "his under neighbour, a morose and importune Master of Arts," took to playing at bowls in his room, in order to show his sense of the disturbance, and retaliate on the musician. His morbid sensibilities appear to have found an innocent and amiable amusement in cultivating spiders, and observing their habits and modes of life. Roger North had either a similar taste himself, or had got his information from his brother, for he enlarges upon the subject.

"The Doctor had found out one petit entertainment in his study, besides books; and that was keeping of great house-spiders, in widemouthed glasses, such as men keep tobacco in. When he had them safe in hold, he supplied them with crumbs of bread, which they ate, rather than starve. But their regale was flies, which he sometimes caught and put to them. When their imprisonment appeared inevitable, they fell to their trade of making webs, and made large expansions and more private recesses. It pleased him to observe the animals manage their interests in the great work of taking their prey. If it was a small fly given to them, no more ceremony, but take and eat him; but if a great master-flesh fly, then to work, twenty courses round, and perhaps not come near him, for he had claws sharp as cats, and, after divers starts to and fro, a web was with an hind leg dexterously clapt over two or three of his legs: after all his claws were in that manner secured, then, at a running pull, a broad web was brought over him, which bound him hand and foot, and, by being fixed to the spider's tail, the fly was carried off into one of his inmost recesses, there to be feasted upon at leisure."

His love of society, and his manner in it, are thus men

tioned.

"When the Doctor was abroad, and absent from his studies, either by visits, friendly meetings, or attendances, his chief delight was in discourse. And he would apply himself to all sorts of company in a brisk and smart manner; for he was very just and ready in his speech, facetious, and fluent, and his wit was never at a nonplus. I have known him at act, keep suppers as merry as the best, and, though he drank little or nothing, he sparkled and reparteed, not only saving himself harmless, (for the sober man is commonly the mark), but returning bite. His sobriety was so extraordinary, that, with entire assurance, I can affirm, that never in all his life did he know what a cup too much (as they term it) was. And this continence was more singular in him, who was really a wit in conversation, and his company desired by all people that knew him; and it is well known how much such qualifications induce men to come under the jurisdiction of the bottle. But this abstemiousness in extremity proved of ill consequence to his health, as will be showed in fit place."

It appears, however, that he did not relish the society of his college." He did not love morosity and sour looks," which caused him to look out for another residence in the university, more agreeable to his taste. He accordingly resigned his fellowship, and took up his abode in Trinity, where, it seems, he perceived more of the humane and the polite, than in the lesser colleges; and, above all, his inducement was his value for the more than thrice excellent master, Dr. Barrow.

"He had long ago contracted a familiar acquaintance, I may say friendship, with him, and they used each other in a most delightful communication of thoughts. The good Dr. Barrow ended his days in London, in a Prebend's house that had a little stair to it, out of the cloisters, that made him call it a man's nest, and I presume it is so called to this day. The master's disease was an high fever. It had been his custom, contracted when (upon the fund of a travelling fellowship) he was at Constantinople, in all his maladies to cure himself with opium; and, being very ill, probably he augmented his dose, and so inflamed his fever, and at the same time obstructed the crisis; for he was a man knocked down, and had the eyes as of one distracted. Our Doctor seeing him so, was struck with horror; for he, that knew him so well in his best health, could best distinguish; and when he left him, he concluded he should see him no more alive, and so it proved."

The Biographer, in describing the college habits of his brother, introduces some observations on the manners of the university in his time, which are interesting to those who have an opportunity of comparing them with their own very different experience.

"The Doctor conformed to all the orders of the college, seldom ate out of the hall, and then upon a fish-day only, being told it was for his health. He was constantly at the chapel-prayers, so much, as one may say, that, being in town, he never failed. This, in the morning, secured his time, for he went from thence directly to his study, without any sizing or breakfast at all. Whilst he was at Jesus College, coffee was not in such common use as afterwards, and coffeehouses but young. At that time, and long after, there was but one, and that kept by one Kirk. The trade of news also was scarce set up; for they had only the Public Gazette, till Kirk got a written news letter circulated by one Muddiman. But now the case is much altered; for it is become a custom, after chapel, to repair to one or the other of the coffee-houses, for there are divers, where hours are spent in talking; and less profitable reading of newspapers, of which swarms are continually supplied from London. And the scholars are so greedy after news, (which is none of their business), that they neglect all for it, and it is become very rare for any of them to go directly to his chamber after prayers, without doing his suit at the coffee-house; which is a vast loss of time, grown out of a pure novelty; for who can apply close to a subject, with his head full of the din of a coffee-house. I cannot but think, that since coffee, with the most, is become a morning refreshment, the order, which I knew once established at Lambethhouse, or somewhat like it, might be introduced into the colleges, which was for the chaplains and gentlemen officers to meet every morning in a sort of still house, where a good woman provided them with liquors, as they liked best; and this they called their coffeehouse.'

But, to return to the Doctor himself. Soon after he took orders, it fell to his lot to preach before the king, (Charles II.) at Newmarket. "This was a great trial of his spirits, and he went with great reluctance of mind; but reason and resolution prevailed. He said, that he made it a law to himself to confine his view, above the people, to a certain space, which he was not to exceed; and in speaking to a multitude, it is a good rule to mind none of them." Mr. North managed to succeed both with the king and the ladies.

"The king was pleased to signify his approval of it by saying, as he came out of the church, that the preacher would soon be a bishop; and if his Majesty had lived a little longer, he might have proved himself a prophet; but his, as well as the Doctor's untimely death, fell in the way of that event. The ladies also were pleased to accept the Doctor's discourse. One of them, being asked how she liked Mr. North's sermon, said, that he was a handsome man, and had pretty doctrine."

Of the Doctor's person, which the lady admired, there is a very minute description, drawn in a manner not much unlike the style of Defoe, which indeed that of the Biographer frequently resembles.