volence might be as diffusive as possible, a School was kept, in the house, for Grammar, Arithmetic, and Music; to which all the neighbouring parents had permission to send their children.

It is true, that this society excited a notion in some, that it was little better than a Popish seminary; and there are extant, in the Preface to Peter Langtoft's Chronicle, edit. Hearne, two tracts, in which it is termed a reputed nunnery: but upon a visit made to it by some inquisitive persons, nothing to warrant this suspicion appeared. Whoever would know more of this singular institution, is referred to the authorities mentioned at the bottom of this page;1 in some of which it will be found, that King Charles I. once honoured the house with a visit and that, Little Gidding being in the diocese of Lincoln, Williams, at that time, being bishop thereof, and their neighbour at Bugden; induced by motives of charity, at first perhaps mingled with curiosity; frequently did the same: when-finding, there, nothing to blame, and much to commend-he more than once preached, and exercised his episcopal function of confirmation on the young people there assembled. Two nieces of Mr. Farrar offered to make a vow of perpetual chastity, with the solemnity of episcopal blessing and ratification; but the bishop, doubtless considering that vows which oblige us to a perpetual conflict with our natural affections, do oftener prove snares to the conscience of the votary than acceptable services in the sight of God, dissuaded them from such an engagement; and, being thus left at liberty, one of them was afterwards well bestowed on a husband.

Mr. Nicholas Farrar, though the younger of two brothers, had, it seems, the government of this fraternity: he is, by all that have written of him, celebrated as well for his learning as his piety: yet has he left nothing of his writing, save a short Preface to his friend Herbert's Poems, and a Translation of a book much applauded in his day, The hundred and ten Considerations of Signior John Valdesso. 2

It is needless to add what was the subsequent fate of this harmless society. Mr. Farrar died: the Rebellion broke out; and when " Popery and superstition" was the cry, alas! how could Little Gidding

for four guineas, another book of the like kind, compiled by the same persons, entitled "Actions, Doctrines, and other Passages touching our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." The title at length, of this also, is given by Hearne in loc. cit.

(1) Preface to Peter Langtoft's Chron. edit. Hearne. Papers at the end of Caii Vindicia. Hacket's Life of Archbishop Williams, Part II page 50, Biogr. Brit. Supplement, art. MAPLETOFT. Life of Mr. Nicholas Farrar, written by Dr. Turner, bishop of Ely, in the Christian's Magazine for the months of July, August, September, and October, 1761.

(2) John Valdesso was of noble extraction, by birth a Spaniard, a soldier by profession, and a follower of the emperor Charles the Fifth. Grown old, he obtained leave of the emperor to quit his service, assigning as a reason for his request, this most sage and pious aphorism," Oportet inter vitæ negotia et diem mortis spatium aliquod intercedere," or, to give it in English, "It is fit that between the business of life and the day of death, some space should intervene." The reflection on which is supposed to have moved the emperor to resign his dignities, and betake himself to an ascetic life. In his retirement, which was fo the city of Naples, Valdesso wrote the book above mentioned in the Castilian language; and the same being translated into Italian by Cælius Secundus Curio of Basil, was out of that language translated into English by Mr. Farrar. It was printed in 4to. at Oxford, 1638, and is often enough to be met with.

hope to escape the calamities of the times? in short, it was plundered and desolated!

All that the Farrars had restored to the [parochial] church, all that they had bestowed in sacred comeliness, was seized upon as lawful prey taken from superstitious persons: and finally, the owners themselves were compelled to flee away and disperse: in all which persecutions we are told that, applying to their wretched circumstances the words of the apostle," they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods."1

SANDERSON was a man of very acute parts, and famous for his deep skill in casuistry: that sort of learning was formerly much cultivated among the Romish divines, with a view to qualify the younger clergy for the office of confession; and it continued in fashion here, longer after the Reformation than it was useful. In the year 1647 he drew up the famous Oxford Reasons against the Covenant; which discover amasing penetration and sagacity, and so distinguished him, that at the restoration he was promoted to the bishopric of Lincoln. In 1671 he, by virtue of a Commission from King Charles the Second, assisted at a conference at the Savoy, between the episcopal clergy and non-conforming divines, for settling a Liturgy; and, upon a reyiew of the book of Common Prayer that followed it, composed sundry of the new collects and additional offices,-it is said that the form of general thanksgiving is in the number of the former; and drew up the Preface, "It hath been the wisdom of the church," &c. Thisgreat man died in 1662. There are extant, of his works-besides a volume of Sermons, in folio-a treatise, De Juramenti Promissorii Obligatione, which was translated into English by King Charles the First, while a prisoner in the Isle of Wight; and several other pieces, the titles whereof may be seen in the Catalogue of the Bodleian Library. Walton's acquaintance with him had a very early commencement and what degree of intimacy subsisted between them, will appear by the following account, which sufficiently characterizes the humility of the good doctor, and the simplicity of honest Isaac. "About the time of his printing this excellent Preface, [to his Sermons, first printed in 1655,] I met him accidentally in London, in sad-coloured clothes, and, God knows, far from being costly. The place of our meeting was near to Little Britain, where he had been to buy a book, which he then had in his hand. We had no inclination to part presently; and therefore turned to stand in a corner, under a penthouse; (for it began to rain;) and immediately the wind rose, and the rain increased so much, that both became so inconvenient, as to force us into a cleanly house; where we had bread, cheese, ale, and a fire, for our money. This rain and wind were so obliging to me, as to force our stay there, for at least an hour, to my great content and advantage; for in that time, he made to me many useful observations, with much clearness and conscientious freedom."2

It was not till long after that period when the faculties of men begin to decline, that Walton undertook to write the Life of Sanderson :

nevertheless, far from being deficient in any of those excellencies that distinguish the former Lives, this abounds with the evidences of a vigorous imagination, a sound judgment, and a memory unimpaired; and for the nervous sentiments and pious simplicity therein displayed, let the concluding paragraph thereof, pointed out to me by an eminent writer, and here given, serve as a specimen.

"Thus, this pattern of meekness and primitive innocence changed this for a better life: 'tis now too late to wish that mine may be like his; (for I am in the eighty-fifth year of my age; and God knows it hath not ;) but I most humbly beseech Almighty God that my death may: and I do as earnestly beg, that if any reader shall receive any satisfaction from this very plain, and as true relation, he will be so charitable as to say Amen."

Such were the persons, whose virtues Walton was so laudably employed in celebrating: and surely he has done but justice in saying that

"These were honourable men in their generations."

Ecclus. xliv. 7.2

And yet so far was he from arrogating to himself any merit in this his labour, that, in the instance of Dr. Donne's Life, he compares himself to Pompey's bondman-who being found on the sea-shore, gathering up the scattered fragments of an old broken boat, in order to burn the body of his dead master, was asked, "Who art thou that preparest the funerals of Pompey the Great?"-hoping, as he says, that if a like question should be put to him, it would be thought to have in it more of wonder than disdain.

The above passage in scripture, assumed by Walton as a motto to the collection of Lives, may, with equal propriety, be applied to most of his friends and intimates; who were men of such distinguished characters for learning and piety, and so many in number, 3 that it is matter of wonder by what means a man in his station could obtain admittance among so illustrious a society; unless we will suppose, doubtless was the case, that his integrity and amiable disposition attracted the notice and conciliated the affections of all with whom he had any concern.

as

It is observable, that not only these, but the rest of Walton's friends, were eminent royalists; and that he himself was in great repute for his attachment to the royal cause, will appear by the following relation taken from Ashmole's History of the Order of the Garter, page 228; where the Author, speaking of the ensigns of the order, says: "Nor will it be unfitly here remembered, by what good fortune the present sovereign's Lesser George, set with fair diamonds, was pre

(1) Dr. Samuel Johnson.

(2) Motto to the Collection of Lives.

(3) In the number of his intimate friends, we find Archbishop Usher, Archbishop Sheldon, Bishop Morton, Bishop King, Bishop Barlow, Dr. Fuller, Dr. Price, Dr. Woodford, Dr. Featly, Dr. Holdsworth, Dr. Hammond, Sir Edward Sandys, Sir Edward Bysh, Mr. Cranmer, Mr. Chillingworth, Michael Drayton, and that celebrated scholar and critic Mr. John Hales, of Eton.

served, after the defeat given to the Scotch forces at Worcester, ann. 4 Car. II. Among the rest of his attendants then dispersed, Colonel Blague was one; who, taking shelter at Blore-pipe-house in Staffordshire, where one Mr. George Barlow then dwelt, delivered his wife this George, to secure. Within a week after, Mr. Barlow himself carried it to Robert Milward, Esq.; he being then a prisoner to the parliament, in the garrison of Stafford; and by his means was it happily preserved and restored; for, not long after, he delivered it to Mr. Isaac Walton, (a man well known, and as well beloved of all good men; and will be better known to posterity, by his ingenious pen, in the Lives of Dr. Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, and Mr. George Herbert,) to be given to Colonel Blague, then a prisoner in the Tower; who, considering it had already passed so many dangers, was persuaded it could yet secure one hazardous attempt of his own; and thereupon, leaving the Tower without leave-taking, hasted the presentation of it to the present sovereign's hand."

The religious opinions of good men are of little importance to others, any farther than they necessarily conduce to virtuous practice; since we see, that as well the different persuasions of Papist and Protestant, as the several no less differing parties into which the Reformed Religion is unhappily sub-divided, have produced men equally remarkable for their endowments, sincere in their professions, and exemplary in their lives; 2—but were it necessary, after what has been above remarked of him, to be particular on this head, with respect to our Author we should say, that he was a very dutiful son of the Church of England; nay further, that he was a friend to an hierarchy, or, as we should now call such a one, a high-churchman; for which propensity of his, if it needs an apology, it may be said, That he had lived to see hypochrisy and fanaticism triumph in the subversion of both our ecclesiastical and civil constitution, the important question of toleration had not been discussed, the extent of regal prerogative, and the bounds of civil and religious liberty, had never been ascertained, and he, like many other good men, might look on the interests of the Church, and those of Religion, as inseparable.

66

Besides the Works of Walton above-mentioned, there are extant, of his writing, Verses on the death of Dr. Donne, beginning, “ Our Donne is dead;" Verses to his reverend friend the Author of the Synagogue, printed together with Herbert's Temple ;3 Verses before Alexander Brome's Poems, octavo, 1646,-and before Shirley's Poems, octavo, 1646,-and before Cartwright's Plays and Poems, octavo, 1651. He wrote also the following Lines under an engraving of Dr. Donne, before his Poems, published in 1635.

This was-for youth, strength, mirth, and wit-that time
Most count their golden age, 4 but was not thine:

(1) See also Dr. Plott's Staffordshire, 311.

(2) If the intelligent reader doubts the truth of this position, let him reflect on, and compare with each other, the characters of HOOKER, Father PAUL, and Mr. RICHARD BAXTER.

(3) Vide infra, the SIGNATURE to the second Copy of Commendatory Verses, and Chap. V. note.

(4) Alluding to his age, viz. eighteen, when the picture was painted from which the print was taken.

Thine was thy later years; so much refined

From youth's dross, mirth and wit,-as thy pure mind
Thought (like the angels) nothing but the praise
Of thy Creator, in those last, best days.

Witness this book, (thy emblem,) which begins
With love; but ends with sighs and tears for sins.

Dr. Henry King, bishop of Chichester-in a Letter to Walton, dated in November, 1664, and in which is contained the judgment (herein-before inserted) of Hales of Eton, on the Life of Dr. Donnesays, that Walton had, in the Life of Hooker, given a more short and significant account of the character of this time, and also of archbishop Whitgift, than he had received from any other pen,-and that he had also done much for Sir Henry Savile, his contemporary and familiar friend; which fact does very well connect with what the late Mr. Des Maizeaux, some years since related to a gentleman now deceased, from whom myself had it, viz. that there were then several Letters of Walton extant, in the Ashmolean Museum, relating to a Life of Sir Henry Savile, which Walton had entertained thoughts of writing.

I also find, that he undertook to collect materials for a Life of Hales: it seems, that Mr. Anthony Farringdon, minister of St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street, London, had begun to write the Life of this memorable person; but dying before he had completed it, his papers were sent to Walton, with a request from Mr. Fulman, 2 who had proposed to himself to continue and finish it, that Walton would furnish him with such information as was to his purpose: Mr. Fulman did not live to complete his design. But a Life of Mr. Hales, from other materials, was compiled by the late Mr. Des Maizeaux, and published by him in 1719, as a specimen of a new Biographical Dictionary.

A Letter of Walton, to Marriot his bookseller, upon this occasion, was sent me by the late Rev. Dr. Birch, soon after the publication of my first edition of the Complete Angler, containing the above facts; to which the Doctor added, that after the year 1719, Mr. Fulman's papers came to the hands of Mr. Des Maizeaux, who intended in some way or other, to avail himself of them: but he never published a second edition of his Life of Hales; nor, for aught that I can hear, have they ever yet found their way into the world.

In 1683, when he was ninety years old, Walton published Thealma and Clearchus; a Pastoral history, in smooth and easy verse, written long since by John Chalkhill, Esq.; an acquaintance and friend of Edmund Spenser: to this poem he wrote a Preface, containing a very amiable character of the author.

"To

(1) William Oldys, esq Norroy king at arms, author of the Life of Mr. Cotton, prefixed to the Second Part, in the former editions of this work. (2) Mr. William Fulman, amanuensis to Dr. Henry Hammond. See him in Athen. Oxon. Vol. II. 823. Some specious arguments have been urged to prove that this person was the author of the Whole Duty of Man, and I once thought they had finally settled that long agitated question, whom is the world obliged for that excellent work?" but I find a full and ample refutation of them, in a book entitled Memoirs of several Ladies of Great Britain, by George Ballard, 4to. 1752, p. 318, and that the weight of evidence is greatly in favour of a lady deservedly celebrated by him, viz. Dorothy, the wife of Sir John Packington, Bart. and daughter of Thomas Lord Coventry, lord-keeper of the great seal, temp. Car. I.