readieft to communicate to any one that confulted him.

Indeed he was not forward to talk, nor ever, would be the leading man in the Difcourfe; tho' it were on a fubject that he understood better than any of the compa ny; and would often content himself to fit ftill and hear others debate, in matters which he himfelf was more a master of. He had often the filence of a Learner, where he had the knowledge of a Master and that, not with a defign, as is often, that the Ignorance any one betray'd, might give him the opportunity to display his own Knowledge, with the more luftre and advantage to their fhame; or censure them, when they were gone. For thefe arts of triumph and oftentation, frequently prac tisd by men of skill and ability, were ut terly unknown to him. 'Twas very feldom that he contradicted any one: or if it were neceffary at any time to inform any one better, who was in a mistake, it was in fo foft and gentle a manner, that it had nothing of the air of Difpute or Correc tion, and feem'd to have little of oppofi tion in it. I never heard him fay any

thing, that put any one that was prefent, the leaft out of countenance; nor ever cenfure, or so much as fpeak diminishingly of any one, that was abfent.

He was a man of no irregular Appetites. If he indulg'd any one too much, it was that of Study, which his Wife would often complain of, (and, I think, not without reason), that a due confideration of his age and health, could not make him abate.

Tho' he was a man of the greatest Temperance in himself, and the farthest from Oftentation and Vanity in his way of living yet he was of a liberal mind, and given to Hofpitality; which, confidering the smallness of his Preferments, and the numerous Family of Children he had to provide for, might be thought to have out done thofe, who made more noise and fhew.

His Name, which was in great esteem beyond fea, and that defervedly; drew on him Vifits from all Foreigners of learning, who came to Oxford, to fee that Univerfity. They never fail'd to be highly fatis

fy'd

fy'd with his great Knowledge and Civility, which was not always without expence.

Tho' at the Reftoration of King CHARLES, when Preferment rain'd down upon fome mens heads, his merits were fo over-look'd, or forgotten, that he was barely reftor'd to' what was his before, without receiving a-ny new preferment then, or at any time after; yet I never heard him take any the leaft notice of it, or make the leaft complaint in a case, that would have grated forely on fome mens patience, and have fill'd their mouths with murmuring, and their lives with discontent. But he was always unaffectedly chearful: no marks of any thing that lay heavy at his heart, for his being neglected, ever broke from him. He was fo far from having any displeasure lie conceal'd there, that whenever any expreffions of Diffatisfaction, for what they thought hard ufage, broke from others in his prefence, he always diverted the dif courfe and if it were any body, with whom he thought he might take that liberty, he filenc'd it with vifible marks of diflike.

Tho

Tho' he was not, as I faid, a forward, much less an affuming Talker; yet he was the fartheft in the world from being fullen or morofe. He would talk very freely, and very well of all parts of Learning, befides that wherein he was known to excel. But this was not all ; he could difcourfe very well of other things. He was not unacquainted with the world, tho' he made, no fhew of it.

His backwardness to meddle in other people's matters, or to enter into debates, where names and perfons were brought upon the stage, and judgments and cenfures were hardly avoided; conceal'd his Abilities, in matters of Bufinefs and Conduct, from moft people. But yet I can truly fay, that I knew not any one in that University, whom I would more willingly confult, in any affair that requir'd confideration, nor whofe opinion I thought better worth the hearing than his, if he could be drawn to enter into it, and give his Advice.

Tho' in company he never us'd himfelf, nor willingly heard from others, any perfonal reflections on other men, tho' fet

off with a sharpnefs that ufually tickles, and by moft men is mistaken for the beft, if not the only feafoning of pleasant converfation; yet he would often bear his part in innocent Mirth, and by fome appofite and diverting Story, continue and heighten the Good-Humour.

I fhall give you an inftance of it in a Story of his, which on this occafion comes to my mind; and I tell it you not as belonging to his Life, but that it may give you fome part of his Character: which, poffibly, the very ferious temper of this good man may be apt to make men overfee. The Story was this. There was at Corpus-Chrifti College, when he was a young man there, a proper Fellow, with a long grey Beard, that was Porter of the College. A waggifh Fellow-Commoner of the Houfe, would be often handling and stroaking this grey Beard, and jeftingly tell the Porter, he would, one of these days, fetch it off. The Porter, who took his Beard for the great ornament that added grace and authority to his perfon, could fearce hear the mention, in jest, of his Beard being cut off, with any patience.

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