al. This he had probably
picked up in Lord Oxford's service, after whose death he was obliged to
write for the booksellers for a subsistence. Amongst many other
publications, chiefly in the biographical line, he wrote the 'Life of
Sir Walter Raleigh,' which got him much reputation. The Duke of Norfolk,
in particular, was so pleased with it that he resolved to provide for
him, and accordingly gave him the patent of Norroy King at Arms, then
vacant. The patronage of that duke occasioned a suspicion of his being a
Papist, though I really think without reason; this for a while retarded
his appointment. It was underhand propagated by the heralds, who were
vexed at having a stranger put in upon them. He was a man of great
good-nature, honour, and integrity, particularly in his character as an
historian. Nothing, I firmly believe, would ever have biassed him to
insert any fact in his writings he did not believe, or to suppress any
he did. Of this delicacy he gave an instance at a time when he was in
great distress. After the publication of his 'Life of Sir Walter
Raleigh,' some booksellers, thinking his name would sell a piece they
were publishing, offered him a considerable sum to father it, which he
refused with the greatest indignation. He was much addicted to low
company; most of his evenings he spent at the 'Bell' in the Old Bailey,
a house within the liberties of the Fleet, frequented by persons whom he
jocularly called _rulers_, from their being confined to the rules or
limits of that prison. From this house a watchman, whom he kept
regularly in pay, used to lead him home before twelve o'clock, in order
to save sixpence paid to the porter of the Heralds' office, by all those
who came home after that time; sometimes, and not unfrequently, two were
necessary. He could not resist the temptation of liquor, even when he
was to officiate on solemn occasions; for at the burial of the Princess
Caroline he was so intoxicated that he could scarcely walk, but reeled
about with a crown 'coronet' on a cushion, to the great scandal of his
brethren. His method of composing was somewhat singular. He had a
number of small parchment bags inscribed with the names of the persons
whose lives he intended to write; into these bags he put every
circumstance and anecdote he could collect, and from thence drew up his
history. By his excesses he was kept poor, so that he was frequently in
distress; and at his death, which happened about five on Wed