such
who had greate malignity against the church and State, and fomented
ther inclinations and gave them instructions how to behave themselfes
with caution and to do ther businesse with most security, and was in
truth the Pylott that steered all those vessells which were fraighted
with sedition to destroy the goverment. He founde alwayes some way to
make professions of duty to the Kinge and made severall undertakings
to do greate services, which he could not, or would not make good, and
made hast to possesse himselfe of any praeferment he could compasse,
whilst his frends were content to attende a more proper conjuncture,
so he gott the Mastershipp of the Wards shortly after the beginninge
of the Parliament, and was as sollicitous to be Treasurer, after the
death of the Earle of Bedforde, and if he could have satisfyed his
rancour in any degree against the Church, he would have bene ready to
have carryed the Praerogative as high as ever it was. When he thought
ther was mischieve enough done, he would have stopped the current and
have deverted farther fury, but he then founde he had only authority
and creditt to do hurte, none to heale the wounds he had given; and
fell into as much contempt with those whome he had ledde, as he was
with those whome he had undone.

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 m