t ready
ingrossed to his father, and was willinge to seale and execute them,
that they might be valid: But his fathers passyon and indignation so
farr transported him (though he was a gentleman of excellent parts)
that he refused any reconciliation and rejected all the offers which
were made of the estate, so that his Sunn remayned still in the
possession of his estate against his will, of which he founde greate
reason afterwards to rejoyce, but he was for the present so much
afflicted with his fathers displeasure, that he transported himselfe
and his wife into Hollande, resolvinge to buy some military commaunde,
and to spende the remainder of his life in that profession, but beinge
disappointed in the treaty he exspected, and findinge no opportunity
to accommodate himselfe with such a commaunde, he returned agayne into
Englande, resolvinge to retyre to a country life, and to his bookes,
that since he was not like to improove himselfe in armes, he might
advance in letters.

In this resolution he was so seveare (as he was alwayes naturally very
intent upon what he was inclined to) that he declared he would not see
London in many yeeres (which was the place he loved of all the world)
and that in his studyes, he would first apply himselfe to the Greeke,
and pursue it without intermission, till he should attayne to the full
understandinge of that tounge, and it is hardly to be credited, what
industry he used, and what successe attended that industry, for though
his fathers death, by an unhappy accident, made his repayre to London
absolutely necessary, in fewer yeeres then he had proposed for his
absence, yett he had first made himselfe master of the Greeke tounge
(in the Latine he was very well versed before) and had reade not only
all the Greeke Historians, but Homer likewise and such of the Poetts,
as were worthy to be perused: Though his fathers death brought no
other convenience to him, but a title to redeeme an estate, morgaged
for as much as it was worth, and for which he was compelled to sell
a fyner seate of his owne, yett it imposed a burthen upon him of the
title of a Viscount, and an increase of exspence, in which he was not
in his nature to provident or restrayn'd, havinge naturally such a
generosity and bounty in him, that he seemed to have his estate in
trust, for all worthy persons who stoode in wante of supplyes and
encouragement, as Ben. Johnson and[1] many others of that tyme, whose
fortunes requyred, and