when they write concerning them: I confefs I knew him as much as the looking often upon him could amount to. The last year of his being in London, he came always on Sundays (when he could go abroad) to the Chapel of the Rolls, where I then preached. In my life I never faw fo much gravity tempered with that fweetness, and fet off with fo much vivacity, as appeared in his looks and behaviour, which difpofed me to a veneration for him which I never had for any with whom I was not acquainted: I was feeking an opportunity of being admitted to his converfation; but I understood, that between a great want of health, and a multiplicity of bufinefs, which his employment brought upon him, he was mafter of fo little of his time, that I ftood in doubt whether I might prefume to rob him of any of it; and fo he left the town before I could refolve on defiring to be known to him.

My ignorance of the law of England made me alfo unfit to write of a man, a great part of whofe character, as to his learning, is to be taken from his skill in the Common Law, and his performance in that. But I fhall leave that to thofe of the fame robe fince, if I engaged much in it, I must needs commit many errors, writing of a fubject that is foreign to

me.

The occafion of my undertaking this, was given me first by the earneft defires of fome that have great power over me; who having been much obliged by him, and holding his memory in high eftination, thought it might do it fome right by writing his Life: I was then engaged in the Hiftory of the Reformation, fo I promised that as foon as that was over, I fhould make the beft ufe I could of fuch informations and memorials as fhould be brought me.

This I have now performed in the beft manner I could, and have brought into method all the parcels of his Life, ar the branches of his character, which I could either gather from the informations that were brought me, or from thofe that were familiarly ac quainted

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quainted with him, or from his writings: I have not applied any of the falfe colours, with which art, or fome forced eloquence might furnish me, in writing concerning him; but have endeavoured to fet him out in the fame fimplicity in which he lived: I have faid little of his domeftic concerns; fince though in these he was a great example, yet it fignifies nothing to the world, to know any particular exercifes that might be given to his patience; and therefore I fhall draw a veil over all thefe, and fhall avoid faying any thing of him, but what may afford the reader fome profitable inftruction. I am under no temptations of faying any thing but what I am perfuaded is exactly true; for where there is fo much excellent truth to be told, it were an inexcufable fault to corrupt that, or prejudice the reader against it by the mixture of falfhoods with it.

In short, as he was a great example while he lived, fo I wish the setting him thus out to pofterity, in his own true and native colours, may have its due influ ence on all perfons; but more particularly on those of that profeffion whom it more immediately con cerns, whether on the Bench, or at the Bar.

THE

OF

SIR MATTHEW HALE, KNIGHT,

LATE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF ENGLAND,

MATTHEW HALE was born at Alderly in Glouceftershire, the first of November, 1609. His grandfather was Robert Hale, an eminent clothier in Wotton-under-Edge, in that county, where he and his anceftors had lived for many defcents; and they had given feveral parcels of land for the ufe of the poor, which are enjoyed by them to this day. This Robert acquired an eftate of ten thousand pounds, which he divided almost equally amongst his five fons; befides the portions he gave his daughters, from whom a numerous pofterity has fprung. His fecond fon was Robert Hale, a barrifter of Lincoln's Inn; he married Joan the daughter of Matthew Poyntz, of Alderly, Efquire, who was defcended from that noble family of the Poyntz's of Acton: of this marriage there was no other iffue but this one fon. His grandfather by his mother was his godfather, and gave him his own name at his baptifm. His father was a man of that ftrictness of confcience, that he gave over the practice of the law, because he could not understand the reason of giving colour in pleadings, which as he thought was to tell a lie, and that, with fome other things commonly practifed, feemed to him contrary to that exact, nefs of truth and juftice which became a Chriftian, fo that he withdrew himself from the Inns of Court to live on his estate in the country. Of this I was informed by an ancient gentleman, that lived in a friendship with his fon for fifty years, and heheardJudge Jones, that was Mr. Hale's contemporary, declare this in the King's Bench. But as the care he had to fave his foul, made him abandon a profeffion in which he might have raised his family much higher, so his charity to his

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poor neighbours, made him not only deal his alms largely among them while he lived, but at his death he left (out of his fmall eftate, which was a 1001. a year). 201. a year to the poor of Wotton, which his fon confirmed to them with fome addition, and with this regulation, that it should be diftributed among fuch poor housekeepers, as did not receive the alms of the parish; for to give it to thofe, was only, as he used to fay, to fave fo much money to the rich, who by law were bound to relieve the poor of the parish.

Thus he was descended rather from a good than a noble family, and yet what was wanting in the infignificant titles of high birth, and noble blood, was more than. made up in the true worth of his ancestors. But he was foon deprived of the happiness of his father's care and inftruction, for as he loft his mother before he was three years old, fo his father died before he was five; fo early was he caft on the Providence of God. But that unhappiness was in a great measure made up to him: for after some oppofition made by Mr. Thomas Poyntz, his uncle by his mother, he was committed to the care of Anthony Kingscot, of Kingfcot, Efq. who was his next kinfman, after his uncles, by his mother.

Great care was taken of his education, and his guardian intended to breed him to be a Divine, and being inclined to the way of those then called Puritans, put him to fome schools that were taught by thofe of that party, and in the 17th year of his age, fent him to Magdalen-hall in Oxford, where Obadiah Sedgwick * was his tutor., He was an extraordinary profi

cient

* This violent puritan was born at Marlborough, in Wilts, and there received the rudiments of his education. In 1616 he was entered at Queen's College, Oxford, at the age of sixteen, from which he shortly removed to Magdalen-hall, where he took his degrees in arts, entered into holy orders, and became chaplain to Sir Horatio Vere Brown, of Tilbury, whom he accompanied into the Low Countries. On his return he retired to Oxford, and was admitted to the reading of the sentences in the latter end of 1629. He was afterwards preacher of St. Mildred, Bread-street, London, which he quitted before the Rebellion, for a reason which did not redound to his credit, and became the scandalous and seditious minister of Coggeshall, Essex. At the breaking out of the civil war, he soon returned to London, and being a voluble preacher, be distinguished himself not only in his former parish, but also before both houses or parliament, and was appointed one of the assembly, of divines. In the paroxysm of his zeal and acrimony against royalty and episcopacy,

cient at school, and for fome time at Oxford. But the stage-players coming thither, he was fo much corrupted by seeing many plays, that he almoft wholly forfook his ftudies. By this, he not only loft much time, but. found that his head came to be thereby filled with fuch vain images of things, that they were at beft unprofitable, if not hurtful to him; and being afterwards fenfible of the mischief of this, he refolved, upon his coming to London (where he knew the opportunities of fuch fights would be more frequent and inviting), never to fee a play again, to which he conftantly adhered.

The corruption of a young man's mind in one particular, generally draws on a great many more after it, fo he being now taken off from following his ftudies, and from the gravity of his deportment, that was formerly eminent in him, far beyond his years, fet himself to many of the vanities incident to youth, but ftill preserved his purity, and a great probity of mind. He loved fine clothes, and delighted much in company; and being of a strong robust body, he was a great mafter at all those exercises that required much ftrength. He also learned to fence, and handle his weapons, in which he became fo expert, that he worsted many of. the masters of thofe arts: but as he was exercising of himself in them, an inftance appeared, that fhewed a good judgment, and gave fome hopes of better things. One of his mafters told him he could teach him no more, for he was now better at his own trade than himfelf was. This Mr. Hale looked on as flattery; fo to make the master discover himself, he promised him the house he lived in, for he was his tenant, if he could hit him a blow on the head; and bad him do his

eriopacy, it was usual with him, especially in hot weather, to unbutton lus doublet in the pulpit, that his breath might be longer, and his voice mo.e audible. He was afterwards, about 1646, minister of St. Paul's, Coventgarden, supporting the cause of the presbyterians. In 1663, he was appointed one of the triers or examiners of ministers, appointed by parliament; and the year after an assistant to the commissioners of London for the ejection of such, whom they then called scandalous and ignorant ministers and schoolmasters. About two years before his death, he resigned his charge in Coventgarden and retired to Marlborough, where he died in great affluence, being lord of the manor of Ashmansworth in Hampshire,Wood's athen. Oxon. Fol. ii. p. 138,

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