abiding now with Sir William Cook my Kinsman at London the Preachers place at Lincolns Inn became vacant Whereupon a Gentleman of that House to me a meer stranger but of my reverend and inward Friend Mr. Stocks acqaintance at whose Church he had sometime heard me Preach together with him repairing to me acqainted me with the business encited me to put in for it assuring me that by the Lord Chief Justice Pophams mediation whom he knew to favor me it might easilie be obtained I was verie avers to the motion albeit that Mr. Stock also instigated and encouraged me thereunto But my counter-counter-plea to them both was That I durst not adventure so young and raw to look so high While we were to and fro debating the business in that verie conjuncture of time Dr. Mountague Master of the Colledge being come up to the Citie about some Colledge affairs was pleased to vouchsafe me a visit desirous to draw me back to the Colledge and telling me That he had prevailed with the Lord Harrington to allow a Salarie for an Hebrew Lecture which he would have me to read But being enformed by Mr. Stock upon what account they were with me he earnestlie pressed it that I should in no wise refuse it it would be a grace to the Colledge to have the first that went out of it to settle in a place of that note nor should I need to seek or su for it or to be seen at all in it He being the next day to attend the Lord Popham about a Colledge business would break the matter to him which being accordinglie performed by him his Lordship immediatelie sent his Secretarie to the cheif of the House by whom being invited to Preach the next Lords day with them I was within few days after chosen their Lecturer And indeed had it been of mine own seeking I could hardlie have satisfied or justified my self in a spontaneous undertaking of such a charge For the truth is I was but young and seemed younger then indeed I was In regard whereof it might not altogether undeservedlie have been deemed of me that I had flown out of the nest before I was wel fledged and that it had been better for me as David willed his Embassadors returning from the Ammonites to have stayed at Jericho among the sons of the Prophets until my Beard had been better grown Nor may it be amiss here to recreat my Reader with a plain Corydons censure about that time past on me Mr. Leigh afterward Sir James Leigh and Lord Treasurer was that yeer Reader at Lincolns Inn and having his familie in Town both he and his wife heard me Preach one Lords day at Martins in the Fields Whence after return from the Sermon Mistress Leigh was pleased to ask an old Servant with whom by reason of long continuance in the familie they were wont to talk more familiarlie How he liked the Preacher who returned her this blunt answer That he was a prettie pert Boy but he made a reasonable good Sermon Not manie weeks after Mr. Leigh returning from Lincolns Inn told his wife he would tel her some news That Yong man said he whom you heard at St. Martins is chosen our Lecturer at Lincolns Inn which the old felow standing by when he heard askt Whether the old Benchers would be taught by such a Boy as he Howbeit it pleased God so to dispose of it that I was courteouslie entertained by them nor was my youth in contempt with them but I received as much respect from them as I could desire yea much more then I could expect Which kind and courteous usage tied me so fast to them as to such bands may that of him in the Comick be wel-applied Qam magis extendas tanto adstringunt arctiùs The more they are let out the straiter they bind the stronger and faster they hold That they kept me a longer time with them then anie one yea then divers put together that had been before me had made stay among them For as I have been enformed Mr. Chaâ—k who is said to have been the first setled constant Preacher at Lincoln Inn as Dr. Crook at Greys Inn and Father Lever for so by my Father and others I always heard him styled at the Temple continued not above eight year with them being removed as was suspected through the secret undermining of one of prime note then in the House who upon a private grudge wrought underhand with the Archbishop for his removal After him successively folowed Mr. Field Mr. Eglionbie Mr. Crakenthorp Mr. Pulley whose times all put together ar said scarce to have made up so manie yeers as amounted to my Ten. But it may be surm sed that either the largeness of the allowance or the want of means to mend my self kept me so long with them Surelie neither of both For my Salarie for the first five yeers or thereabout was but Fourtie pounds per annum yet as much as anie of my Predecessors had formerlie received Howbeit after when I married and had a Familie in the Citie they raised it to Threescore of their own accord without anie motion of mine but withal they reqested me to Preach once a day in the Vacation time when anie store of companie was in the House as in the two shorter ones constantlie and in the two longer until the solemn Readings were over usuallie there was That which I also was right-willing to do making mine abode in the Citie whereas formerlie I was wont to spend the Vacations with a Knight my Kinsman in the Countrey Nor wanted I opportunitie more then once or twice while I staid there to have mended my means had I been eagerlie bent or had but a minde thereunto For I had places more then two or three offered me both from Gentlemen in the House and from others abroad First The Lectureship at the Rolls being vacant offer was made to me of it from Sir Edward Philips then Master of the Rolls by Sir Robert his Son and Mr. Whitakers his Secretarie who both used to hear me supposing that I might wel enough discharge both being no farther asunder and but for once a day with either and that at the Inn at seven in the morning which I waived willing to reserv my self whollie to the place where I was But this was no motion for removal some addition to my means onelie That which foloweth was After that my Morning Lecture was reduced or deduced rather to the ordinarie hour in most places Mr. Masters Master of the Temple for that Title his place there bare his own Lecture continuing at the wonted hour used after that dispatched to repair to mine as I did to Dr. Leyfields at Clements until that cours was in the Inn altred as before hath been related Mean while the Lecturers place falling void at the Temple he by a wile drew me to Preach one Afternoon on the Week Lecture day there And shortlie after I little dreaming ought
Familie nor was either my self or anie of mine ever noted for excess either in daintiness of fare or in costliness of attire in affording a competencie to an able Assistant for me in the Work of my Ministerie whereof three of eminent parts have within these few yeers not long one after another deceased and some other yet survive and â—o a yong Scholar to write out divers things for me whereof some lie stil by me and some are abroad in enlarging of my House which was somewhat scantie but is now verie neer as large again as I found it as may be guessed by the number of Chimneys in it which were no more than four when I came to it the Doctor making onelie a Summer-House of it and ar now no less then twelv for the more convenient lodging of mine Assistant and Scribe and a Student one or two such of our own Countrey as had left the Universitie and were fitting themselvs for the Ministerie or Strangers that from forain parts came over to learn our Language and observ our Method of Teaching whereof I was seldom without some and might have had more had my House been more capacious and gaining a room of more capacitie for the bestowing of my Librarie in reparations of my dwelling House and the Wharf before it which was no smal charge in furnishing of my self with Books which to a Scholar and Minister at as the tools of his trade in releif of the poor wherein I shall spare to speak what I added voluntarilie in a constant cours besides what upon emergent occasions unto that I was assessed in these and the like put together with what went to the higher Powers Civil and Ecclesiastical as before I spent Communibus annis one yeer with another all that ever I received in right of my Rectorie as by proof sufficient I could make to appear Yet neither did I want opportunitie to have enlarged and advanced my Means while I abode here no more then I did before I came hither I had not sat manie yeers here when Dr. Featlie coming to abide in the Archbishops House at Lambeth offered me in way of exchange for this a place of far greater value then it tho more remote because mine nearer at hand To whom I made answer That here I was fixed and desired not removal and that the vicinitie of it to the place of my Nativitie made me the rather to affect it That which I shal add is a matter of no great moment yet men covetouslie-minded ar readie to catch at and lay hold on ought that may seem anie way advantagious that may bring in gain tho never so smal and add ought to the heap they ar wont to have that of the old Epik oft in their mouths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That light gains makes heavie purses From Dr. Winnith Dean of Pauls by Mr. Cooper of Thomas Apostles his Allie was the Lecture at Pauls offered me upon Dr. Days leaving it it being but on the week day and for the Term time onelie and I could if need were name the man who having two Pastoral charges in the Citie yet had not refused it but undertook it and held it to his dying day but my Answer was That I found work enough at home for my weakness to wield wel And he found me verie weak indeed at his access to me but it was in the long Summer Vacation and he doubted not but I might recover strength enough ere the Lecture was to begin but I to waived it Nor did I want means of attaining further preferment by the favor of Bishop Mountagu Master formerlie of the Colledge whereof I had been Fellow who also when I visited him now and then being become our Diocesan would ask me why I came not about some place of preferment supposing as he said my means here not to be great and that I lived in an obscure corner And I remember that being called over by the Lord Cheif Justice of the Common Pleas to whom as before was said I had some relation lying then very sick and reqested to stay a Sabbath day with him I heard at the publike Assemblie in the forepart of the day Dr. Donne one of my Successors at Lincolns-Inn then lately preferred to the Deanrie of Pauls When after my return from the Sermon his Lordship having demanded of me whom I had heard you see said he how some of your Successors rise and why do not you seek for some Prebend at least which he supposed might be with no great difficultie attained withal intimating a forwardnes stil to be imployed on anie occasion in that kind whensoever opportunitie were offered as wel as while I was at Lincolns-Inn with them Unto whom I sincerelie and seriouslie then professed that might I but qietly hold and enjoy what in the place of my present abode I had I could and as I supposed did live as comfortablie and contentedlie if not more then most not of the Prebends or Deans onlie but of the Bishops also even the Archbishop himself not excepted And trulie what the Heathen man sometime speaking in his Heathenish stile and tone said Dii bene fecerunt inopem me qodque pusilli Finxerunt animi the same with some smal alteration may I say of my selfe that I acknowledge it oft as a favour of God animi angusti atque pusilli qod fecerit that he was pleased to frame me not of an haughtie bold cut-stretching and selfe-confiding spirit but of a low bashful streitned self-diffiding and in some sort pusillanimous disposition For I suppose that this my native frame hath been a means God so disposing it to keep me from such undertakings as might bring with them grievous inconveniences and expose to sore temptations which otherwise I might have been subject unto and peradventure foiled with and which the lower I kept and the les I looked after great matters the les was I endangered to be assalted with and to fal by as I observed in my time not a few to have done to their scandal some to their utter overthrow others while their very raising proved their ruine Upon which consideration neither did I ever make or desire to make anie further use either of the Bishop my constant friend's favor save to keep my self and mine Assistants free from such undu molestations as Ministers in those times were subject unto or of that my deservedlie much honored Patrons power either while he was Atturney General or Lord Cheif Justice save for the procuring of the qiet enjoyment of a few Tenements in Rederith purchased with some moneys which I had in marriage with my wife being therein disturbed by a busie fellow as also divers others of my neighbors were who groundleslie sought to find flaws in our estates and drew monie from other of them and for the restoring of me to my libertie and free use of my Ministerie when for a short time I had been
received and their kindness accepted as it is with an Archer desirous to shew his skil in shooting when he hath hit the white or cloven the peg because they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Noble Emperor speaks that is as Seneca expresseth it dare ut dent or ut ne non dederint their main aim in giving is that they may have given in doing a courtesie that they may have done one a good turn so because that cannot be unless the gift be received and their kindness accepted it is no less matter of grief unto them and they ar wont to take it ill when it so falleth out that their gift is rejected their kindness refused as it is in such case to the archer when he misseth the mark he shot at that which made the Indian reported to Alexander to be so expert in that facultie that he could at a great distance shoot thorow a narrow Ring refuse before the King to shew his skil tho his life lay upon it fearing lest through disuse he might fail in the design because they miss of that which was their main aim and end in that their assay not taking effect according to their desire to do the partie a pleasure And thus indeed it fared with that Noble and Noble-minded Knight Sir W. S. before mentioned who acquainting some of the Bench with what had passed between him and me he seemed to them to relate it not without some shew and semblance of reg 〈…〉 and offence as not so wel resenting my refusal of his so free and kind offer that which I was informed of by Mr. Tho. Hitchcock one of the Bench and of those to whom he had broken his mind concerning that business and who merrily afterward in familiar discourse was pleased to put the fool upon me for it For being a man of a pleasant wit at the Table sometime disposed to be merry as his manner oft but without offence was upon occasion of such discours as came in the way he told those his fellow-Benchers that were in the same Messe with him that he had in his Study a Book called the Ship of Fools and that they should all three of them go into it one for refusing a large fee offered him in a great mans cause which he liked not another for returning his Clients Fee having waited at the Bar when the Cause could not be heard a third for some other such like matter which I now remember not and being demanded by one of them concerning me being in the same Mess whether I were therein to bear them company too Yes quoth he he must in upon a double account First He sits here among us and takes a great deal of pains with us for a smal confideration and being by Sir W. S. offered a far better Place elswhere he refuseth to accept it when it may be he may sit long enough here ere he have the like offer made him again and again what he here receivs he laies out in Books and cannot read over the one half of them when he hath done To the latter whereof I replied merilie waving the former that a Workman that makes use of many Tools must buy some to ly by him tho scarce in seven yeer he have use of them that he may have them at hand when he shal need them and may otherwise hardlie get them elswhere And if Mr. Lilie shal think good to put me into the ship for taking so much pains to wash my self from his groundles espersions I shal not be angrie with him for it nor troubled at all with it Divers of these both offers and refusals were not unknown to the Bodie of the Bench who therefore at one of their meetings some speech falling in concerning me by joynt consent agreed to take a cours for the procuring of a Prebendship for me either at Pauls or Westminster for the effecting whereof Mr. Atturney General Sir Henry Hobart undertook to make use of his utmost power when opportunity should be as also for the providing of one in room of their old Reader entertained to be Dr. Whites Curate at Dunstans that might ease me of my pains with them in the Vacations which to incourage my stay with them they caused Mr. Rondolf Crew afterward Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench to give notice of to me and withal to testifie their affection to me admitted and entered me in their Leagier Book as a Member of the Societie which to some of my Predecessors in the place had not been done The latter indeed of their resolutions took not its desired effect through the humorous disposition of one that was recommended unto them but was afterward effected for those that succeeded me The former could not so sudainly be compassed and my removal prevented the accomplishment of it that which I am not sorrie for Much about the same time my time came in the University for taking the Degree of Doctor in Divinitie which being known in the House divers of the Ancients with whom I was most familiar incited me to the undertaking of it alleging that it might be a step for me to further preferment or as other some phrased it a stirrup to help up into the Saddle which mention of the Saddle might well have minded me of what one in the Greek Comik speaking to an old man that would needs be a Cavalier saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he did not wisely nor advisedlie in listing himself in a Regiment of hors and getting up into the Saddle before he had got skil to manage his Hors wel that he might sit sure in the Saddle But to encourage me hereunto they assured me that the House would no doubt contribute liberallie toward the charge of my Commencement withal relating what they had sent as a gratuitie to Dr. King when he took that Degree because the House stood part of it in his Parish and divers of them used to hear him and he was wont before he was Dean of Christs-Church in Oxford to bestow a Sermon once or twice a yeer upon them as he did also twice at two solemn Festivals in my time when he was Bishop But I told them merilie They must first make me a Doctor-like maintenance ere I would take the degree of Doctor that threescore pounds a yeer would not maintain that state that the Degree of a Doctor reqired And being afterwards by some of my frends blamed for letting slip that opportunitie and some others wherein the Degree might have been had with more ease and less charge then ordinarie as at the time of His Majesties visiting the Universitie what time were divers created Doctors without attendance to keep Acts and not manie yeers after when the plague was hot in the Town there not a few that would adventure thither obtained the Degree without wonted performance of Acts or usual charge of entertainment Unto them I made answer That if
of Land held from him in the Parish and had covenanted with that partie to have it tithe free if he were once possessed of it The difficultie was much improved by a Caveat they found entred in the Bishops Office by a Gentleman one of the Petti-Bag who pretended a Title as also for that Mr. Attorney solicited by his Tenants and not wel understanding what manner of fellow he was whom they delt for did in their behalf somewhat countenance their proceedings and was indeed desirous himself to deal for the Patronage having much Land in the Parish with intent in some future vacancie thereby to have opportunitie of preferring a yong Scholar who was then School-master in his Familie Those wel-minded persons therefore fearing that either that scandalous partie would be obtruded upon them or some other might chop in while they were bickering with him as it had faln out in a former vacancie wherein one by a wrong title got in and held the place ful two yeers ere he could be ejected and supposing withal that if I would accept of it Mr. Attorney would not onelie surcease to countenance the other partie in that business but would also help to cleer the way for my entrance repaired to Mr. Stock whom they knew to be inward with me reqesting him to deal with me and perswade me to embrace the motion by them formerlie made to me Who thereupon tendring the condition of the place accompanied them to me and was verie earnest with me in it pressing hard what a miserable estate that people were likelie to be in upon my refusal whereas they where I then was were able enough to furnish themselvs again to their own contentment upon my removal At his importunitie upon such grounds seconding and backing their suit I condescended so far forth as to make an assay to try how Mr. Attorney would resent the business and how far forth he would interpose in it To this purpose I made use of Mr. Crew afterward Lord Cheif Justice a man of tried and known integritie to break the matter to him Unto whom his answer was That he would do anie thing in his power that should be to my content and willed that I should come to him So I did and told him that I had upon a motion made to me from some Inhabitants of Rederith engaged my self to come to them and settle with them if the passage were free the cleering whereof they supposed might depend much upon him Who after some Speech had how glad he should have been of my continuance with them and in part blaming himself that nothing had yet been done for the enlargement of my means If they mean said he reallie as they pretend and you deem it may be behoveful for you let them procure you a presentation and upon sight of it you shal see what I wil do This being signified to them they having by some counsel been enformed that albeit the Father had by wil beqeathed the perpetual Advocation to his yonger Sons yet the right thereof by cours of Law rested in the Eldest which for some causes was as yet deemed fit to conceal drew him to join with his Brethren and brought me a Presentation under the Hands and Seals of them all three which being represented to Mr. Attorney he forthwith wrote a Letter to the Bishop whereby all obstructions were removed and I admitted without further ado to the place After it was noised in the House that I was upon removal divers of them repaired to me of whom some out of their private offered to engage themselvs for such a further supplement to what I there then received as should eqal the Revenue of the place motioned to me others endeavored to perswade me to retain the place stil being for the Term time onelie to which purpose also some of my Reverend Brethren in the Ministerie were instant with me But to the former I answered That I had passed my word to come to them and that upon other grounds then means of maintainance onelie to the other That the burden would be too weightie for me And trulie soon I so found and felt being compelled to continu but a Term or two with them until they were fitted to their mind Howsoever divers of those that succeeded me held other places together with it some in the Universitie and some in the Citie and indeed my Reverend Father-in-Law Mr. Charls Pinner whose Daughter I was to marrie by all means disswaded me from hearkning unto those that would have perswaded me thereunto affirming That either place reqired a whole man Who was also right glad that by my removal I had escaped the promised preferment to a Prebendarie nor was he sorrie when he understood that Mr. Attorney had profered me the Title of being his Chaplain which I willinglie accepted being but a titular matter reqiring no constant attendance onelie a visit now and than and a Sermon sometime upon some special occasions the rather that by his power and countenance I might sit the more qietlie and exercise my Ministerie more freelie in such a place especiallie where he had Lands of much value and Tenants deemed to be of the greatest abilitie but my Reverend Father in Law because it might he said Keep me from being Chaplain to anie Bishop for he used to say That as the times then were a Prebends place and a Bishops Chaplainship were two shrewd snares Both which I bless God for it I hereby escaped Nor indeed were my means so much as manie imagined improved by removal to the place where as yet I abide and have now for ful fortie and two yeers resided For besides that I came to a dwelling house wilfultie much mangled and defaced by the late Incumbents Widow out of meer spight and spleen not so much against him that was to succeed being then uncertain as against some of the Parish with whom her Husband had had much contention and the Wharf before it a chargable piece readie to drop down toward the charge whereof albeit some two or three contributed somewhat yet the main matter came out of mine own purs and the first fruits that were to be paid as also that the main Fabrick of the Church supported with Chalkie Pillars of such a bulk as filled up no smal part of the room and were found verie faultie threatning a fail if not a fall unless speedilie prevented to the ruine of the whole which to remov and place strong Timber Columns in the room of them would prov a verie great charge albeit the repair of the Bodie of the Church were no way chargable upon the Rector yet to encourage others to a freer and larger contribution thereunto I lanched out of mine own accord so far having as yet received little benefit of my place that none out-went me few to speak of came neer me Add hereunto that not long after this a ship firing on the River just against my house much endangered it being covered as