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, be66 cause I believe him to be a good man; and that belief "hath occasioned me to examine mine own conscience con"cerning his opinions; and, to satisfy that, I have consulted "the scripture, and other laws, both human and divine, "whether the conscience of him, and others of his judg

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ment, ought to be so far complied with, as to alter our "frame of church-government, our manner of God's wor

ship, our praising and praying to him, and our esta"blished ceremonies, as often as his and others-tender con"sciences 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 eccle"siastical 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

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"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

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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."

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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 the 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 beforementioned 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 finished and published but only the first four, being then in the 39th 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 Ben

jamin Russel, who was instituted into it the 23d of June in the same year.

The parsonage of Bishop's Borne 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 seventh 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

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question as are here handled, it will be perhaps 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, 66 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

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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 "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 searched into, nothing too hard "for his understanding: 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."

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 church-polity; 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 happiness of seeing and discoursing with that

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man, from whose books I have received such satisfaction : "indeed, my lord, I have received more satisfaction in

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reading a leaf, or paragraph, in Mr. Hooker, though it 66 were but about the fashion of churches, or church-music, "or the like, but especially of the sacraments, than I have "had in the reading particular large treatises written but "of one of those subjects by others, though very learned 66 men and I observe there is in Mr. Hooker no affected "language; but a grave, comprehensive, clear manifesta❝tion 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. Camdena, mentioning the death, the modesty, and other virtues of Mr. Hooker, and magnifying his books, wished, "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 now expect it, having been long since begun, and lately finished, by the happy pen of Dr. Earl, now lord bishop of Salisbury, of whom I may justly 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, since Mr. Hooker died, none have lived whom God hath blessed with more innocent wisdom, a In his Annals, 1599.