49.

JOHN SELDEN.

Born 1584.  Died 1654.

By CLARENDON.

M’r Selden, was a person whome no character can flatter, or transmitt in any exspressions aequall to his meritt and virtue.  He was of so stupendious learninge in all kindes, and in all languages, (as may appeare in his excellent and transcendent writings) that a man would have thought, he had bene intirely conversant amongst bookes, and had never spent an howre, but in readinge and writinge, yett his humanity, courtesy and affability was such, that he would have bene thought to have bene bredd in the best courtes, but that his good nature, charity, and delight in doinge good, and in communicatinge all he knew, exceeded that breedinge.  His style in all his writings seemes harsh and sometymes obscure, which is not wholy to be imputed to the abstruse subjects, of which he commonly treated, out of the pathes trodd by other men, but to a little undervalewinge the beauty of a style, and to much propensity to the language of antiquity, but in his conversation the most cleere discourcer, and had the best faculty, in makinge hard things, easy, and praesentinge them to the understandinge, of any man, that hath bene knowne.  M’r Hyde was wonte to say, that he valewed himselfe upon nothinge more, then upon havinge had M’r Seldence acquaintance, from the tyme he was very young, and held it with greate delight, as longe as they were suffred to continue togither in London, and he was very much troubled alwayes, when he hearde him blamed, censured and reproched, for stayinge in London, and in the Parliament after they were in rebellion, and in the worst tymes, which his age oblieged him to doe; and how wicked soever the actions were which were every day done, he was confident he had not given his consent to them, but would have hindred them if he could, with his owne safety, to which he was alwayes enough indulgent:  if he had some infirmityes with other men, they were waighed downe with wounderfull and prodigious abilityes and excellencyes in the other skale.

50.

JOHN EARLE.

Author of ‘Micro-cosmographie’ 1628.  Bishop of Worcester 1662, and of Salisbury 1663.

Born 1601.  Died 1665.

By CLARENDON.

D’r Earles was at that tyme Chaplyne in the house to the Earle of Pembroke, L’d Chamberlyne of his Majestys household, and had a lodginge in the courte under that relation.  He was a person very notable for his elegance in the Greeke and Latine tounges, and beinge fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxforde, and havinge bene Proctour of the University, and some very witty and sharpe discourses beinge published in print without his consent, though knowne to be his, he grew suddaynely into a very generall esteem with all men, being a man of greate piety and devotion, a most eloquent and powerfull preacher, and of a conversation so pleasant and delightfull, so very innocent, and so very facetious, that no mans company was more desyred,