ogether he was never without trouble. Sometimes he was pursued with
indictments at sessions, at assizes, and then with citations of the
ecclesiastical courts; and at other times feigned letters, rhymes or
libels were dropped in the streets or church and fathered upon him, so
that he was forced to make his house his prison. At length that was
broken open, and he absconded into the houses of his friends, till he
contracted his old disease' a second time. It is said that he was
invited on one occasion to dine with Bishop Reynolds, when several young
clergy were present. When Mr. Cromwell retired, the Bishop rose and
attended him, and then a general laugh ensued. On his return his
lordship rebuked his guests for their unmannerly conduct, and told them
that Mr. Cromwell had more solid divinity in his little finger than all
of them had in their bodies. It must be remembered that, like most of
the early Independent ministers, Mr. Cromwell had a University training;
and even in my young days the respect shown to a learned ministry kept up
not a little of the high standard which had been laid down by the fathers
and founders of Dissent. In these more degenerate days it is to be
questioned whether as much can be said. The Old Meeting House at Norwich
was finished as far back as 1643. The only pastor of the church who was
not an author was the Rev. Dr. Scott, who died in 1767. In the Octagon
Chapel the preachers had been still more distinguished. One of them was
the Rev. Dr. Taylor, author of the famous Hebrew Concordance, which was
published in two volumes folio, and was the labour of fourteen years. He
left Norwich to become tutor at the newly-erected Academy at Warrington;
but his son, Mr. Edward Taylor, the Gresham Professor of Music, was often
a visitor at Wrentham, where he had a little property, which he valued,
as it gave him a vote. Another of the preachers at the Octagon was the
Rev. R. Alderson, who afterwards became Recorder of Norwich. The Mr.
Edward Taylor of whom I have just written was baptized by him. One day,
being under examination as a witness in court, Alderson questioned him as
to his age. 'Why,' said Taylor, a little nettled, 'you ought to know,
for you baptized me.' 'I baptized you!' exclaimed Alderson. 'What do
you mean?' The Recorder never liked to be reminded of his having been a
preacher. The Marchioness of Salisbury is of this family. Perhaps, of
these Unitarian preachers, one of the