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when I was but fixteen Years of age, may be compared with others taken by thofe at riper Years.]

Now before my going to Tamworth school, 1684, I had learned of my father at home fo far as he could well teach me without his eye-fight; fo that after a bare year and three quarters ftay there, I was about the middle of the year 1686, admitted of Clare-Hall in Cambridge, where I earnestly purfued my ftudies, and particularly the mathematicks, eight hours in a day, till the year 1693.

However, in the year 1685 there was fo extraordinary a crifis of the proteftant religion, as well deferves to be mentioned here: Infomuch that, as bifhop Burnet partly implies, but Mr. Arthur Onflow more diftinctly informs me, it once depended on a fingle vote in the house of commons, whether king James fhould be permitted to employ popish officers in his army or not: which point, had he gained, there was vifibly an end of the publick eftablishment of the proteftant religion in this kingdom. It came, as I faid, to a fingle vote; and a courtier, who was to watch every voter where the member had any employment under the king, obferved one that had a regiment going to vote against the court; and feeing him, put him warmly in mind of his regiment. He made anfwer, "my "brother died last night, and has left me 7007. a ແ year; " which fingle vote gained a majority, and faved the proteftant religion at this time. If I might ufe an heathen expreffion in a cafe belonging to chriftianity, I would fay, Non hoc fine numine divům.

Now during this time, and while I was under graduate, an accident happened to me, which may deferve to be here related, for the caution and benefit of others in the like circumftances. I one fummer observed, that my eyes did not fee as ufual, but dazzled after an aukward manner, Upon

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which, I imagined this might arife only from my too much application to my ftudies; and I thought proper to abate of that application for a fort-night, in hopes of recovering my ufual fight by walking, during that time, much abroad in the green grafs and green fields; but found myself disappointed: which occafioned fome terror to me, especially because of my father's lofs of fight before. At this time I met with an account, either in converfation, or writing, that Mr. Boyle had known of a perfon who had new whited the wall of his ftudy or chamber, upon which the fun fhone, and used to read in that glaring light, and thereby loft his fight for a time, till upon hanging the place where he studied with green, he recovered it again; which was exactly my own cafe, in a lefs degree, both as to the cause and the remedy. For I and my chamber-fellow had newly-whitened our room, into which almost all the afternoon the fun fhone, and where I ufed to read. I therefore retired to my ftudy, and hung it with green, by which means I recovered my ufual fight, which, God be praised, is hardly worfe now, that I perceive, at fourscore years of age, than it was in my youthful days.

During the fame time, while I was an under graduate in the reign of king James II. and, in the year 1688, I went with the fenior fellow of our college, Dr. Nathaniel Vincent, into Norfolk, on account of my health. It was near the end of May, and when we came thither the doctor found that he was put up to preach at the cathedral of Norwich upon May 29, the folemnity for the reftoration. Now the doctor was known to be a great friend of king James's, and perhaps hoped to be made a bishop by him; which is fufficient for underftanding his temper and principles; and this at a time when the body of the proteftants, and the university in particular, were in very great dread of popery,

and

and were thereby become much more ferious in religion, much more fedulous in attending divine. fervice, and much more charitable and friendly to diffenters than formerly. [And happy, thrice happy fhould I have thought this unhappy nation now, if, upon our late fears of the pretender and of popery, we had been brought into the fame excellent temper. But, alas! alas!] When Dr. Vincent found himself in thefe circumftances, and unprovided of a compleat fermon fuitable to the occafion, he found, however, that he had fome notes with him that might affift him in a new compofition. He made me therefore his amanuenfis for many hours, where we then were, and fo compleated his fermon. His text was, Rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft, 1 Sam. xv. 23. Which he, as is ufual, understood of the rebellion of fubjects against their kings; whereas it was meant, moft evidently, of king Saul's rebellion against Almighty God, who had made him king. We then dined at the bishop's, Dr. Lloyd's palace, who was in great reputation at that time, and proved to be one of the nonjuring bishops afterward. The next Lord's Day, there was so excellent a fermon preached at the fame cathedral, by a clergyman, to me unknown; but, by his hood, feemed to be a doctor of divinity; I now fuppofe it was Dr. Prideaux, and fo directly fitted the unhappy circumstances we were then in, the imminent danger of popery and perfecution, that we, the hearers, were prodigioufly attentive to it, and deeply affected by it. The fubject was, The proper Preparations of a Chriftian for Times of Perfecution. [Almoft like bishop Sherlock's most excellent fermon at Salisbury last October, which I have fince republished, with additions of my own] yet with fuch caution, that, though we well knew the preacher's meaning, no handle was given for any accufation at court; only

fo far we were advised, that, if danger fhould approach, we should hold faft to our [proteftant] bishops, as the most likely way to escape the dangers we might be in. I hardly ever in my life faw fuch an impreffion made by a fermon, as was made by this, on any audience. We were then for certain in earnest, and had, I believe, very little regard to Dr. Vincent's court-fermon juft before (as fuch fermons generally deferve no better): However, it foon happened, that the prince of Orange came to our deliverance, and the Cambridge mob got up, and feized Dr. Watson, the bishop of St. David's, of much the fame character with Dr. Vincent, and threatened Dr. Vincent himself; who thereupon thought of faving himself by going out of the college for awhile: Accordingly, he called for me, as then his fizor, to affift him in preparing for his removal. But what may be here moft worth mentioning is this, that I happened, by inadvertency, to overthrow his falt towards himself at fupper: Which put him into a great concern; and made him fay very folemnly, that " It would be a fad "completion of this omen, if they fhould find him "dead in his bed the next morning" To which no reply was made. Yet was this so far from being accomplished, that the doctor lived a great many years after it: So vain are the pretended fignals of this fuperftitious nature. Tho' the affrightment they may cause in melancholy perfons may be fometimes really mischievous to them.

In my note-book I find about this time the following memorandum.

Sept. 1, 1687. Dr. Henry More of Christ'sCollege died; and was buried by torch-light the third day, being funday. His last words, as I heard, were thefe, or to this effect: calling his nurfe, he faid to her, nurfe, I am going a long journey, where I fhall change these for better pof

feffions;

feffions; and fo prefently departed. Sic Obijt Divinus ille Philofophus Cantabrigienfis: Extinctus amabitur idem.

Nor can I well mention this Dr. Henry More, without the mention of his prodigious admirer and executor, Dr. Davies of Haidon; who was one of my best friends when I was banished the univerfity; and whofe brother-in-law, Mr. Ward, was alfo my very good friend, and Dr. More's great admirer, and wrote his life very well. I fhould digrefs too much, if I fhould go on with thefe two very valuable clergymen's characters, and charitable endeavours; one thing only I fhall mention of Dr. Davies; that when fo early I and another christian friend found great fault with his reading the Athanafian creed, of which he was no admirer, he said in excufe, that he read it only as he would read Greek to his English congregation. However, we fo fatisfied him of the impropriety of reading it, that he promised us to read it no more. But to return to my own history.

I was admitted of Clare-Hall, Cambridge, as I have already faid, about the middle of 1686, while a very small part of the old college was ftanding: tho' I question whether any of it was ftanding when I came to refide, which was the September following. My father being now dead, we were all of us under the care of our mother the widow, whofe comparative fmall means for feven children, made it difficult for her to fupport me there. And had the expences of a collegiate. life been as extravagant then, as they are now come to be, or had I not lived as frugally as poffible, fhe would not have been able to have given me my degrees; efpecially that of mafter of arts. In which the prefent of 5. from bishop More, was then a kind and seasonable addition; and partly an occafion of my acceptance of the place of his

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