tue and exemplary dife, yet he confeffed his fault with the most fincere and dutiful applications to his father that could be made for his pardon; and the prejudice he had brought upon his fortune, by bringing no portion to him, he offered to repair, by refigning his whole estate to his disposal, and to rely wholly upon his kindness for his own maintenance and support. And to that purpose, he had caused conveyances to be drawn by counsel, which he brought ready engro:fed to his father, and was willing to feal and execute them, that they might be valid. But his father's paffion and indignation fo far tranfported him (though he was a gentleman of excellent parts) that he refufed any reconciliation, and rejected all the offers that were made him of the estate; fo that his fon remained Atill in the poffeffion of his estate against his will, for which he afterwards found great reason to rejoice. But he was, for the prefent, fo much afflicted with his father's difpleasure, that he transported himfelf and his wife into Holland, resolving to buy fome military command, and to spend the remainder of his life in that profeffion; but the campaign of that fummer proving quite inactive, and find ing no opportunity to accommodate himSelf, he dropped his design and returned to England, refolving to retire to his books, that fince he was not like to improve himfelf in arms, he might advance in letters.

Being a man of a fine genius, he foon entered upon a strict courfe of Rudy, applying himself at first to polite literature and to poetry, in which he made fuch fucsefsful attempts, that he gained the cfteem and admiration of the most eminent poets of his time: But afterwards giving himfelf up to more folid parts of learning, he frequently retired, for the fake of books and converfation, to Oxford, and to his feat at Great Tew, near that university. There be contracted a familiarity and friendship with the most polite and accurate men; who found fuch immenfentity of wit, and fuch a folidity of judgment in him, fo infiaite a fancy restrained by moft exact reafon. ing, fuch a vaft fund of knowledge, that le was not ignorant in any thing, yet fuch an exceffive humility, as if he had known nothing; that they frequently resorted, and dwelt with him, as in a college fituated in a purer air.

There were Dr. Sheldon, Dr. Morley, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Earles, Mr. Chilingworth, and indeed all men

of eminent parts and faculties in Oxford, befide those who resorted thither from London; who all found their lodgings there a's ready as in the colleges; nor did the lord of the houfe know of their coming or going, nor who were in his houfe till he came to dinner or fupper, where all still met; there was no troublesome ceremony or constraint to forbid men to come to the house, or to make them weary of staying there; fo that many came thither to ftudy, finding all the books they could defire in his library, and all the persons together, whofe company they could with, and not find in any other fociety.

In this happy and delightful converfation and restraint he remained in the country fome years; and until he had made a prodigious progress in learning. Among other things, he made himself in a very short time a perfect master of the Greek tongue. When he undertook to learn it, he refolved not to fee London, which he loved above all places, till he had perfectly learned it; and accordingly he pursued the study of that language with fuch industry, that he foon obtained a thorough knowledge of it, and accurately read all the Greek hiftorians. Before he was 23 years of age he perused all the Greek and Latin fathers, and was indefatigable in looking over all books, which with great expence he caufed to be transmitted to him from all parts. He likewife read all the moft allowed and authentic ecclefiaftical writers, and all the councils with wonderful care and obfervation. With this great industry he had a memory retentive of all he had ever read, and an understanding and judgment to apply it feafonably and appofitely, with the most dexterity and address, and the leaft pedantry and affectation, that ever man, who knew fo much was poffeffed with, of what quality foever.

In 1633, about which time his father died, he was made one of the gentlemen of his majefty's privy chamber. Notwithstanding which, he continued frequently to retire to Great Tew and Oxford, as before, for the fake of the company of learned and ingenious men. He was likewife a member of the most polite focieties, In 1639 he was in the expedition against the Scots, and though he received fome repulfe in the command of a troop of horfe of which he had the promife, he went a volunteer with the earl of Effex.

Upon

Upon his going to this expedition he was complimented with fine copies of verfes, both by Mr. Waller and Mr. Cowley,

About a year after he was chofen a member of the houfe of commons for Newport in the Isle of Wight, in the parliament which began at Westminster the 13th of April, 1640; and from the debates, which were managed with the greateft gravity and fobriety, he contracted an extreme reverence to parliaments. From the unhappy and most untimely diffolu. tion of this parliament be harboured fome jealousy and prejudice to the court, towards which he was not immoderately inclined before. He was re-elected for the fame place in the enfuing parliament, which commenced the 3d of November following; and in the beginning of it declared himfelf very fharply and feverely against thofe exorbitances of the court, which had been thought most grievous to the state. For he was fo rigid an obferver of established laws and rules, that he could not endure the leaft breach or devi

ation from them: and thought no mifhief fo intolerable as the prefumption of minifters of state, to break pofitive rules for reafons of ftate; or judges, to tranfgrefs known laws upon the title of conveniency or neceffity. This made him, Contrary to his natural gentleness and temper, fo fevere upon the lord-keeper Finch, whom he impeached on the 14th of January, 1640-1, in the name of the Commons of England, of having traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to fubvert the fundamental laws, and established government of the realm; for being an adviser and promoter of hip-money, &c. He made a long fpeech, in which he enlarged upon this affair with great feverity of argument. After having inftanced in the particulars of the impeachment, he added, that "the crimes of the lord Finch were in- the highest degree of parliamentary treason...a treafon as well against the king as against the kingdom; for whatfoever was against the whole, was undoubtedly against the head; which took from his majefty the ground of his rule, the laws: (for if foundations were destroyed, the pinnacles were most endangered;) which took from his majesty the principal honour of his rule, the ruling over freemen ....a noble power; which endeavoured to take from his majesty the principal support of his rule, the hearts and affections of thofe

over whom he ruled, a better and furer ftrength and wall to the king, than the fea was to the kingdom; and by begetting a mutual distrust, and by that a mutual difaffection between them, to hazard the danger even of the deftruction of both." He had, on the 5th of December before, made another fpeech against the lord Finch and the judges, wherein he obferved, "that the caufe of all the miferies the nation had fuffered, and the caufe of all the jealoufies they had that they fhould yet fuffer, was, that a moft excellent prince had been moft infinitely abused, by his judges telling him, that by policy he might do what he pleafed." Against the earl of Strafford he alfo fpoke, tho' but little. He only faid, that they had 2ccufed a great perfon of high-treafon, for intending to fubvert our fundamental laws, and to introduce arbitrary government, "which (adds he) we suppose he meant to do." Lord Clarendon obferves, that those who did not know his compofition to be as free from revenge as it was from pride, thought that his sharpness against the earl of Strafford, might proceed from the memory of fome unkindness not without a mixture of injuftice from him towards his father; in which they were certainly miftaken, for in the whole of his conduct he had no other view than the good of his country. Though he was fevere he was far from being violent against either of the two peers, and, in particular, when it was moved in the Houfe of Commons, that the earl of Strafford, might forthwith (at the time he was fir accufed) be impeached of high treason, the lord Falkland modeftly defired the houfe to confider, whether it would not fuit better with the gravity of their proceedings, first to digeft · many of thofe particulars which had been mentioned, by a committee, be 'fore they fent up to the house of lords · to accufe him?' though he declared himfelf well fatisfied that there was enough to charge him.

to give his confent to this first bill were thefe: he did not then understand the original of their right and fuffrage there; and there was at that time fuch a furious combination against the government of the church by bishops, that he thought a lefs compofition than the difpenfing with their intermeddling in fecular affairs, would not preferve the order. However, certain it is he made, on the 9th of February, 1640-1, a very violent fpeech against them; in the first part of which he laid heavy complaints to their charge, and fets forth the evils and mifchiefs they had occafioned; but in the latter part he greatly foftens what he had before faid against then, and speaks as much in favour of that order; enlarging upon the great benefits which had accrued to the world and to Christianity from it; and that there were many among them truly deferving of the office, and whofe lives were without blemish or reproach, equally untouched by guilt, envy, or malice. 'If we confi4 der this (adds he), this confideration will arife, that bishops may be good 'men.'

From his proceedings in this business fome concluded that he was no friend to the church, or the established government of it: and many in the Houfe of Commons began to imagine and hope, that he might be brought to a further compliance with their defigns. Indeed the great opinion he had of the uprightness and integrity of thofe perfons who appeared moft active against the court, kept him for fome time from fufpe&ing any defign against the peace of the kingdom; and though he differed from them commonly in conclufion, he believed long their purposes were honeft. But when he grew better informed what was law, the study of which he had very little, if at all, attended to, and d.fcerned in them a defire to controul that law by a vote of the house; when he perceived that the commons, under the fpecious name of reforming the abuses of the government, were endeavouring to extir pate the monarchy, and overthrow the conftitution both in church and state; no man oppofed more thofe attempts, and gave the adverfe party more trouble by reafon and argument. Accordingly, about fix months after paffing the above-mentioned bill, for taking away the bishop's votes, when the fame argument came again into debate, he changed his opinion,

and gave the house all the oppofition he could; nor was he reserved in acknowledging, that Mr. Hambden had assured him if that bill might pass, there would be nothing more attempted against the church. For tho'' he thus voted against the bishops, yet we are affured that he had the order itself in perfect reverence, and thought too great encouragement could not poffibly be given to learning, nor too great rewards to learned men.

He ftill continued averfe to the court, from a jealousy left it should be imagined that his views in thus altering his fentiments were the hopes of preferment, than which nothing was more oppofite to his inclinations. He was fatisfied that the king had fully compenfated for the errors of his adminiftration, and therefore confidered that espousing the caufe of his fovereign was in effect nothing more than being an advocate in the cause of justice, of virtue, of honesty, and of his country, without entertaining the leaft private views of his own. Nay, fo far did he carry his fears left he should be suspected of any selfinterested motives, that he even affected a morofenefs to the court and courtiers; and left nothing undone which might prevent, or divert the king or queen's favour towards him. Therefore, when he heard that he was to be made a privy-counsellor and fecretary of ftate, he refolved to decline the one, and refuse the other. But on the earnest intreaty of the king, feconded by the vigorous remonftrances of Mr. Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, who reprefented to him in the strongest lights the great fervice he might be of to his majesty's affairs; and when he confidered that his refufal might bring fome blemish on them, and that men would think he had refused fo great an honour and trust, because with it he must have been obliged to do fomewhat else not justifiable, he determined to accept of the feals. Befides which reafons he had another, which was, left he might be thought to avoid it out of fear to do an ungracious thing to the Houfe of Commons, (who were very much troubled at the difplacing of Sir Henry Vane) being determined to let them fee that as he was not afraid of the court when he thought an opposition to its measures was praife-worthy, and had accordingly oppofed it; fo he as little feared to oppofe the parliament when his obfervation and experience had caufed him to discern