vanity himself, and hated it in others. His youthful habits were never gay, or topping the mode, like other inns of court gentlemen,* but always plain and clean, and showed somewhat of firmness or solidity beyond his age. His desire was rather not to be seen at all, than to be marked by his dress. In those things, to the extreme was his aim; that is, not to be censured for a careless sloven, rather than to be commended for being well dressed. But, as to his appearing in public, the composition of his temper was extraordinary; for he had wit, learning, and elocution, and knew it, and was not sensible of any notable failings, whereof to accuse himself; and yet was modest even to a weakness. I believe a more shamefaced creature than he was, never came into the world: he could scarce bear the being seen in any public places. I have heard him say, that, when he was a student, and ate in the Temple hall, if he saw any company there, he could not walk in till other company came; behind whom, as he entered, he might be shaded from the view of the

The orders of the benchers respecting the apparel of the students were formerly very numerous.-See Dugdale's Orig. Jurid. passim. Thus, in 26 Eliz. it was ordered, “that no great ruff should be worn; nor any white colour in doublets or hosen; that no gentlemen should walk in the streets in their cloaks, but in gowns; that no hat, or long or curled hair be worn; nor any gowns but such as were of a sad colour."Ibid. p. 191.

ment in the other.

rest. And he used to stand dodging at the screen, till such opportunity arrived; for it was death to him to walk up alone in open view. This native modesty was a good guard against vice, which is not desperately pursued by young men, without a sort of boldness and effrontery in their natures. Therefore ladies, and other fond people, are greatly mistaken, when they desire that boys should have the garb of men, and usurp assurance in the province of shamefacedness. Bashfulness in the one, hath the effect of judgAnd where judgment, as in youth, is commonly wanted, if there be not modesty, what guard has poor nature against the incentives of vice? Therefore it is an happy disposition; for when bashfulness wears off, judgment comes on: and, by judgment, I mean a real experience of things, that enables a man to choose for himself, and in so doing, to determine wisely. His loose entertainments, in this stage, were, His diveras usual with gentlemen cadets of noble families in the country, sporting on horseback; for which there was opportunity enough at his grandfather's house, where was a very large and well-stocked deer park; and, at least twice a week in the season, there was killing of deer. The method then was for the keeper, with a large cross bow and arrow, to wound the deer, and two or three disciplined park hounds pursued till he dropped.

sions.

There was most of the country sports used there for diverting a large family, as setting, coursing, bowling; and he was in it all; and, within doors, back-gammon and cards with his fraternity and others: wherein his parts did not fail him, for he was an expert gamester. He used to please himself with raillery, as he found any that, by minority of age, or majority of folly and self-conceit, were exposed to be so practised upon. I could give instances enough of this sort, and not unpleasant, if such trifles were to be indulged in a design such as mine is. His most solemn entertainment was music, in which he was not only master, but doctor. This for the country; where, to make good his exhibition, he was contented (though, in truth, forced) to pass the greater part of his time. But, in town, he had his select of friends and acquaintance; and with them he passed his time merrily and profitably, for he was as brisk at every diversion as the best. Even after his purse flowed sufficiently, a petit supper and a bottle always pleased him. But he fell into no course of excess or vice; and whenever he was a little overtaken, it was a warning to him to take better care afterwards: and, against women, his modesty was an effectual guard; though he was as much inclined as any man, which made him desirous to marry. And that made his continence a positive virtue ; for who may not be good, that is not inclined to

evil? The virtue of goodness is where a contrary inclination is strove with, and conquered. He was in town, a noted hunter of music meetings; and very often, the fancy prevailed to go about town and see trades work; which is a very diverting and instructive entertainment. There was not any thing extraordinary which he did not, if he might, visit, for his information as well as diversion; as engines, shows, lectures, and even so low as to hear Hugh Peters preach. I have heard him say, that when Hugh had made his close, he told his congregation that a gifted brother had a desire to hold forth; and then up rose Sir Peter Pet : and he, though a mere layman, prayed and preached his turn out. That gentleman lived to be an old man in town; and most people knew him, that little thought he had been once a preacher. The old Lord and Lady Anglesey (while she lived) supported him; and, at the revolution, Sir Peter and his lordship published books, wherein one of the chief performances lay in the commending each other which notable band of friendship had its root in the time of the Irish rebellion.

the bar

Now, being to leave his lordship in this stage, Called to invested with a title, and beginning to practise without the law,* I must observe his preparatives. He

* It appears from the books of the Middle Temple, that the Lord Keeper was called to the bar, on the 28th June, 1661. VOL. I.

E

favour.

was not called to the bar ex gratiá, or for favour, as when the person is not of standing, or hath not performed his exercises: but being early admitted, his time was fully run out, and he performed all his moots* both in the inns of chancery (for it is the custom for the inns of court to send down readers, to moot, in the inns dependent on them) and also in the hall; and not perfunctorily, as of latter times the use is, by way of opus operatum, as for tale and not for weight, but in well-studied arguments, wherein he followed the example, it may be the instruction, of his friend and patron Sir Jeoffry Palmer, whose moots are excellent readings, as the original manuscripts, resting in my custody, may show and I have also some like testimonies of his lordship's endeavours that same way. I have heard him say that it is prudent not over soon to launch into practice;† for it is ob

* The mode of performing the moots is thus described by Dugdale. "The pleadings are first recited by the students, then the case heard and argued by the barristers; and lastly by the reader elect and benchers, who all three argue in English; but the pleadings are recited, and the case argued by the utter barristers, in law French. The moot being ended, all parties return to the cupboard, where the mootmen present the benchers with a cup of beer and a slice of bread." (Orig. Jurid. p. 209.) The custom of mooting has been discontinued for upwards of a century.

+ By an order of the lord chancellor and the twelve judges, dated 18th June, 1664, no one was to be admitted to the bar, unless he had kept exercises in some inn of court