CHAP. VI.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. A. D. 1603-1688.

SIR

IR Walter Raleigh, an illuftrious navigator and hiftorian, born in 1552, did eminent fervices to queen Elizabeth, particularly in the discovery of Virginia, and in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. He lived in full happiness and honour during her reign; but on the acceffion of king James, he loft his interest at court, and being unaccountably accufed of high treafon, was condemned to die. By the intereft of his friends, however, he was reprieved, and committed prifoner to the tower of London, where he wrote his

Hiftory of the World," a work of fuch uncommon merit, that it procured his releasement. He then received a commiffion from the king, to go and explore the golden mines at Guiana, where his eldeft fon Walter was killed by the Spaniards, and the Town of St. Thomas burnt by captain Keymis. Upon this, count Gondamar, the Spanifh ambaffador, making heavy complaints to the king, in order to appeafe him, fir Walter was apprehended in Devonfhire, his native county, and condemned on his former attainder, an inftance of injuftice and cruelty unparalleled in our annals. It gave the higheft offence then, and has ever fince been mentioned with general inA. D. 1618. dignation. He fuffered decapitation with great fortitude, in Old Palace yard, Westminster. About the fame time died lord Napier, a Scottish nobleman, who diftinguifhed himself by the invention of logarithms. He also discovered the arithmetical rods which go by his name. His lordship was not only an able mathematician, but a learned theologian, and wrote a curious book on the Revelations.

William Camden, who died in 1623, has rendered his name immortal by a work, entitled Britannia, being a hiftory of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, their original,

original, manners, and laws. In 1593, he was appointed head mafter of Westminster fchool, while he enjoyed a prebend in Salisbury cathedral, without being in orders. Mr. Hume fays, that his Life of Queen Elizabeth, "is the best hiftorical production of any Englishman."

66

Lord chancellor Bacon, viscount of St. Alban's, the father of experimental philofophy, was one of the greatest and moft univerfal geniufes that any age or country ever produced. He was noticed when a child by queen Elizabeth, and gave fuch early indications of his future eminence, that the used to call him her young lord-keeper." Being accufed of bribery and corruption in his high office, in the reign of James I. he was fined 40,000l. and fentenced to be confined in the Tower during the king's pleafure. He was foon reftored to liberty, had his fine remitted, and was fummoned to the firft parliament of Charles I. It must not be omitted that the greateft part of the blame at taches to his fervants. Of this he was fo fenfible, that during his trial, as he paffed through the room where his domeftics were fitting, when they all rofe up on his entrance, he faid, "Sit down, my mafters, your rife hath been my fall." After his dilgrace he went into retirement, where he devoted himfelf to his beloved ftudies. He died in 1626. His writings, which are an inestimable treafure of found wifdom, were pub lifhed in an elegant form, in 1778.

Sir Edward Coke, lord chief juftice of England, who died in 1684, was a very eminent lawyer. His Inftitutes, in four parts, are invaluable. The first part is a comment on fir Thomas Littleton's Tenures. He met with many changes of fortune; was fometimes in power, and fometimes in difgrace. He was, however, fo excellent at making the beft of a difgrace, that king James used to compare him to a cat, who always fell upon her legs.

Benjamin Jonfon, after being a bricklayer, and a foldier, acquired great celebrity as a dramatic writer, with the affiflance of his friend Shakespeare. At the

acceflion

acceffion of James 1. he had the honour of preparing the device for the entertainment of the king, in his paffage from the Tower to Weftminfter abbey. In 1621 he was appointed poet-laureat, when the annual falary of 100 marks was raifed to 100l. He died in 1637, and on his grave ftone, in Westminster abbey, is the following infcription:

O! Rare Ben Jonfon N

John Hampden, a celebrated patriot, in the reign of Charles I. diftinguished himself by his oppofition to the payment of thip money, by which he acquired great popularity. Having obtained a feat in the house of commons, he foon became a leading man, and at the commencement of the civil war, took up arms against the royalifts, but was cut off early by a mortal wound, which he received by a pistol bursting in his hand, in a fkirmifh with prince Rupert. A. D. 1643. When paffive obedience and non-refillance were disgraced by law, he was efteemed by both parties as a great and a good man. Mr. Gray, in his incomparable elegy, has painted him in the glorious colours of a warm and active patriot,

"who with dauntless breast,

"The little tyrant of his fields withftood." Inigo Jones, a famous architect, who died in 1651, was furveyor general of the royal works, and had the management of the mafques and interludes for the en tertainment of the court. This brought him into a fquabble with Ben Jonfon, his coadjutor, who ridiculed him in his comedy of Bartholomew-fair, under the name of Lantern Leatherhead. He defigned the palace of Whitehall, the Banqueting-house, and feveral other buildings...

William Harvey, phyfician to Charles I. difcovered the circulation of the blood, and the motion of the heart in animals. This difcovery made a great re volution in the fcience of phyfic, and many foreign practitioners endeavoured to rob the author of his due honour, by afcribing it to other perfons, and among the reft to father Paul of Venice. But the right of our

learned

learned countryman has long fince been fully established. He died in 1657.

Abraham Cowley, who died in 1667, was a poet of great ingenuity and vigour of thought. Of all authors," fays Mr. Addifon, none ever abounded fo much in wit, according to Locke's true definition of it,; as Cowley." His profe writings pleafe, by the honefty. and goodnefs which they exprefs, and even by their fpleen and melancholy.

hẹ

he

Sir John Denham, whole Cooper's Hill has been commended by all men of tafte, died in 1663. With reference to this poem, Dr. Johnfon fays, that feems to have been the author of a fpecies of compofition that may be denominated local poetry, of which the fundamental fubject is fome particular landfcape, to be poetically defcribed, with the addition of fuch embellishments as may be fupplied by hiftorical. retrofpect, or incidental meditation."

John Milton, who died in 1674, during a ftate of poverty, blindness, difgrace, danger, and old age, compofed that wonderful poem, Paradife Loft, which not only furpaffed all the performances of his contemporaries, but all the compofitions, which had flowed from his pen, during the vigour of his age, and the height of his profperity. This circumftance is not the leaf remarkable of all thofe which attend that great genius. It is well known, that this great man never enjoyed in his life-time the reputation which he des ferved. Whitlocke talks of one Milton, as he calls him, a blind man, who was employed in tranflating a treaty with Sweden into Latin. Thefe forms of expreffion are amufing to pofterity, who confider, how obfcure Whitlocke himself, though lord-keeper, and an ambassador, has become in comparison of Milton. He had three daughters, two of whom ufed to read to him in eight languages, though they understood noné but their mother tongue. Milton was fo handsome, that at Cambridge he was called, "The Lady of Chrift College."

Edward

Edward Hyde, earl of Clarendon, and lord chancellor of England, has immortalized his name by a hiftory of the rebellion in the time of Charles I. An air of probity and goodness runs through this work; as thefe qualities did in reality embellifh the life of the author. He was afterwards, however, impeached of high treafon, and fled to France, where he died in 1674. James Gregory, an eminent Scottifh mathematician, who invented the reflecting telescope, the burning concave mirror, and the quadrature of the circle by an infinite converging feries, died in 1675. He was educated at the univerfity of Aberdeen.

The Rev. Dr. Ifaac Barrow, who died in 1677, was an excellent divine, and mathematician. When the king advanced him to the dignity of mafter of Trinity college, Cambridge, his majefty was pleafed to fay, "he had given it to the beft fcholar in England." He "He was fucceeded in the mathematical chair, which het refigned upon this appointment, by his illuftrious pupil fir Ifaac Newton. As a proof of his wit, we are told the following ftory. Meeting lord Rochefter one day at court, his lordship, by way of banter, thus accosted him: "Doctor, I am your's to my fhoe-tie." Barrew, feeing his aim, returned his falute as obfequionfly, with My lord, I am your's to the ground." Rochefter, improving his blow, quickly returned" it, with "Doctor, I am your's to the centre" which was as fmartly followed by Barrow, with "My lord, I am your's to the antipodes." Upon which, Rochefter, fcorning to be foiled, exclaimed, Doctor, F and your's to the infernal regions." On which Barrow turning on his heel, anfwered, "There my lord, I leave you."

The inimitable Samuel Butler lived for fome time, in the capacity of fteward, with fir Samuel Luke, a famous commander under Oliver Cromwell. It is thought that he intended to ridicule this knight under the character of Hudibras. It is furprifing how much erudition Butler has introduced, with fo good a grace," into a work of pleasantry and humour. Hudibras is