perfons of that country, to confider that the lord primate had not only fuffered much by the rudeness of the rabble (as hath been already related) but alfo by a long and expenfive fickness: fo they fent him, unknown to each other, divers confiderable fums; so that he had in a few weeks enough to fupply all his prefent occafions, and alfo to defray the expences of his journey into England. This the good bishop accounted a fpecial providence, and was very thankful for it.

So the lord primate arrived fafe at the. countess of Peterborough's house in London, in June following, where he was most kindly. received by her; and from this time he commonly refided with her, at fome or other of her houses, till his death: where now he met with a fresh disturbance: there was an order of parliament, that whosoever should come. from any of the king's garrifons, to London,. muft fignify their names to the committee at Goldsmiths-hall, and there give notice of their being in town, and where they lodged. Accordingly, June the eighteenth, he fent to Goldfmiths-hall to acquaint them, that he was in town, and at the countefs of Peterborough's houfe, but they refused to take notice of his being in town, without his perfonal appearance; fo upon a fummons fent from the committee of examinations at Westminster, he ap-peared before them (being advised by his friends fo to do) they strictly examined him,. where he had been ever fince his departure

from

from London, and whether he had any leave for his going from London to Oxford; he anfwered, he had a pafs from a committee of both houses; they demanded farther, whether Sir Charles Coote or any other, ever defired him to use his power with the king, for a toleration of religion in Ireland? He answered, that neither Sir Charles Coote, nor any other, ever moved any fuch thing to him, but that as foon as he heard of the Irish agent's coming to Oxford, he went to the king, and befeeched his majefty not to do any thing with the Irish, in point of religion, without his knowledge: which his majefty promised he would not; and when the point of tolera tion came to be debated at the council-board, the king, with all the lords there, abfolutely denied it; and he profeffed for his part, that he was ever against it, as a thing dangerous to the proteftant religion: having answered thefe queries, the chairman of the committee offered him the negative oath (which had been made on purpose for all thofe that had adhered to the king, or came from any of his garrisons) but he defired time to confider of that, and fo he was difmiffed, and appeared no more; for Mr. Selden, and others of his friends in the house, made ufe of their intereft to put a ftop to that trouble. Not long after this, he retired with the countess of Peterborough to her houfe at Rygate in Surry, where he often preached, either in her chapel, or in the parish church of that place, and always whilft he

continued.

continued there, frequently reforted to him many of the best of the gentry and clergy thereabouts, as well to enjoy his excellent converfation, as for his opinion and advice in matters of religion.

About the beginning of this year, 1647, he was chofen by the honourable fociety of Liacoln's-inn, to be their preacher, which, after fome follicitations, he accepted, and the treafurer, and benchers of that houfe (whereof his good friend Mr. Hales, fince lord chief justice, was one) ordered him handsome lodgings, ready furnished; as alfo divers rooms for his library, which was about this time brought up from Chefter.

Here he was most kindly received, and treated with all refpect and honour, constantly, preaching all the time for almoft eight years, till, at laft, his eye-fight and teeth began to fail him, fo that he could not be well heard in fo large a congregation, he was forced, about a year and a half before his death, to quit that place, to the great trouble of that honourable fociety.

After the lord primate had gone and taken his last leave of his majesty, at Carifbrook caftle, in the Isle of Wight, he returned to Southampton, in order to his going towards London; where he was kindly received by the chief of the town, and withal entreated to preach there the next day, being Sunday; but when he thought of complying with their defire, the governor of the garrifon hearing of

it

it, came to the lord-primate, and told him, He had been informed, he intended to preach on the morrow; to which he answered, Yes,. 'twas true. He replied, that it might be, at that time, of ill confequence to the place, and therefore wished him to forbear, for they could not permit it.

Not long after his return to London, his ma• jesty was brought up thither as a prisoner by the army, in order to that wicked piece of pageantry which they called his tryal; and now, too foon after, came that fatal thirtieth of January, (never to be mentioned, or thought on, by all good men, without grief and deteftation) on which was perpetuated the most execrable villainy, under the pretence of juftice, that ever was acted fince the world began; a king murdered by his own fubjects, before his own palace, in the face of the fun : for which the lord-primate was fo deeply fenfible and afflicted, that he kept that day as a private faft fo long as he lived.

After the fad tragedy of his majefty's death, the government (if it may be fo called, was. managed by a corrupt oligarchy, until Oliver Cromwell turned them out and fet himfelf up for protector, by the help of his army and creatures, though with equal tyranny and arbitrarinefs as the former.

We cannot now omit to take notice, that Oliver Cromwell, to make the world believe that he did not perfecute men for religion, had for fome time before this fhewed favour to fome

1

of

of the orthodox clergy; fo that it is the lefs wonder if he alfo fent for the lord-primate to come to him, who was at first unwilling to go; but confidering that his refufal would but exafperate him, he went accordingly, and was received by Cromwell with great outward kindness and civility, and promifed the archbishopric of Armagh for twenty-one years, which my lord primate thought it no harm to accept. But Cromwell relenting of his promife, delayed paffing the grant as long as the lord-primate lived; and, by an imputation of malignancy to the lord-primate's "fon-in-law and daughter, he freed himself from that pro

mife.

Cromwell being now highly enraged against. the loyal party, began now to difcharge part his rage upon the orthodox clergy, forbiding them, under great penalties, to teach fchools, or to perform any part of their minifterial function: whereupon fome of the most confiderable epifcopal clergy defired the lord-primate that he would ufe his intereft with Cromwell to allow them the freedom of ferving God in their private congregations, according to the Liturgy of the church of England': which, agreeable to their defire, he did; and was at laft promifed that they should not be molefted if they meddled not with matters relating to his government; but, when the lord-primate went to get this promife ratified, he faid, that he had since confidered it in council, and found it not fafe for him to grant liberty