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either the

they hated each other more than
bishops, or even papists themselves. Such is the
ordinary curse of God upon men permitted to
prosper in wickedness: and this woman was so
zealous in her way, that thinking it a sin, she
would scarce let her carnal husband have conjugal
intimacy with her. She used to instruct her babes
in the gift of praying by the spirit; and all the
scholars were made to kneel by a bed-side and
pray but this petit spark was too small for that
posture, and was set upon the bed to kneel with
his face to a pillow; and in this exercise of spiri-
tual prayer, they had their directory from her. I
have heard his lordship say, that all he could re-
member of his performances, was praying for his
distressed brethren in Ireland. Very often men
in their lives cross the humour of the age in which
they had their first education; and in fact it hap-
pened so here, for this youth went from one of
these fanatic schools to another for divers years,
and afterwards, being grown up, was very averse
to fanaticism; as if he had in his education con-
tracted rather a prejudice than a favour for it.

valier school.

But much may be attributed to the finishing Bury, a ca of him at Bury school, under Dr. Stevens, a cavalier master. He was so forward and exact a scholar there, that the bulky doctor, in his pedantic strain, used to say he was the crown of all his endeavours. Before he went to Cambridge, the master

At St. John's College, in

employed him to make an alphabetical index of all the verbs neuter; and he did it so completely, that the doctor had it printed with Lilly's gram

for the proper use of his own school. This, however easy to be done, (being only transcribing out of the dictionary) was commendable; because boys ordinarily have not a steady application, and, being required, seldom perform, industriously and neatly, such a task as that is.

From this school he was translated to St. John's college, in Cambridge, where he was admitted felCambridge, low-commoner under one Mr. Frost, the 8th day of and face- June, 1653. And there he improved at the same

forward

tious.

rate, and being a fellow-commoner, was acceptable to the very best of the society, as well for his company, which was more than ordinary agreeable and facetious, as for his forwardness in all ingenious studies, and the sciences called liberal. Here he learnt what was to be had of University philosophy, old and new: applied to mathematics, and made great advances in them, capable of the utmost course therein, if other affairs of his life, inconsistent with such applications, had not forbad that. But he was ever a judge of new propositions after the synthetic way (for the analytic was not then much professed) and if they failed could show where; and here he began his use of music, learning to play on the bass-viol, and had the opportunity of practice so much in his

grandfather's and father's families, where the entertainment of music in full concert was solemn and frequent, that he outdid all his teachers, and became one of the neatest violists of his time. He was much encouraged and assisted in all ingenious studies by the conversation of one Mr. Matthews, of Sidney college, who was his elder brother's tutor, and very eminent for a master (literally) of all arts and sciences, and was entrusted with the education of divers noblemen as their tutor; and a famous man he had been indeed if his heart could have been showed without a microscope.

Admitted

dle Temple,

Chute.

His lordship was originally designed for the profession of the law; and accordingly, after two of the Midor three years spent at the University, removed by Mr. to the Middle Temple, into a moiety of a petit chamber, which his father bought for him. He was admitted in the year loner Chute was treasurer.

when old Cha

It was he that some

time officiated as speaker to the pseudo-House of Commons, and had married the Lady Dacres,† his Lordship's aunt, and so was in the place of an uncle. This Mr. Chute was a man of great wit, and stately carriage of himself: I shall mention

On a reference to the books of the society, it appears that the Lord Keeper was admitted a student on the 27th November, 1655.

+ Dorothy, the daughter of Dudley the third Lord North.

But

here what I have been credibly told as one instance of his loftiness, even while he practised in Chancery. It was in short but this: if he had a fancy not to have the fatigue of business, but to pass his time in pleasure after his own humour, he would say to his clerk, "Tell the people I will not practice this term;" and was as good as his word: and then no one durst come near him with business. when his clerks signified he would take business, he was in the same advanced post at the bar, fully redintegrated as before, and his practice nothing shrunk by the discontinuance. I guess that no eminent chancery practiser ever did, or will do the like; and it shows a transcendent genius, superior to the slavery of a gainful profession. But to proceed when Sir Dudley North, his lordship's father, carried him to his brother-in-law, then treasurer of the Middle Temple, to be admitted, he treated hard with him about the fine of admission, which is in the treasurer's power to tax, and he may use any one well if he pleaseth. Mr. Treasurer asked Sir Dudley what he was willing to give, and (the common fine being five pounds) he answered, Three pounds ten shillings, "Well," said the treasurer, "lay down the money." Which being done, he called for the young man's hat, and swept it all in and gave it him; and marking the admission nill, or nothing, "let this," said he, "be a beginning of your getting money here;" where his lordship made good the omen.

law studied

How sedulously he applied himself to the study With the of the law, I need not allege; his performances arts and in the course of his profession, to say nothing of his preferments (though sometimes perhaps owing to good fortune) demonstrate he was not wanting in that application: but it was singular and remarkable in him that, together with the study of the law, which is thought ordinarily to devour the whole studious time of a young gentleman, and at best is but an unpolite study, he continued to pursue his inquiries into all ingenious arts, history, humanity, and languages; whereby he became not only a good lawyer, but a good historian, politician, mathematician, natural philosopher, and I must add, musician in perfection. I have heard him say, that if he had not enabled himself by these studies, and particularly his practice of music upon his base, or lyra viol (which he used to touch lute fashion upon his knees) to divert himself alone, he had never been a lawyer. His mind was so airy and volatile, he could not have kept his chamber, if he must needs be there, staked down purely to the drudgery of the law, whether in study or practice: and yet upon such a leaden proposition, so painful to brisk spirits, all the success of the profession, regularly pursued, depends. And without acquiring a capacity of making a solitary life agreeable, let no man pretend to success in the law. I have heard his lordship often remember a lesson the citizens used to their apprentices - Keep your

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