Counfel of fome unwife friends, who perfwaded him to fasten me upon that School as Master, whereof I was lately a Scholler; Now was I fetcht home. with an heavy heart, and now this fecond time had. mine hopes been nipt in the bloffome, had not God raised me up an unhoped Benefactor, Mr. Edmund Sleigh of Darby (whofe pious memory I have cause ever to love and reverence) out of no other relation to me, fave that he married my Aunt, pittying my too apparent dejectedness, he voluntarily urged, and folicited my Father for my return to the University, and offered freely to contribute the one half of my maintenance there, till I should attain to the degree of Master of Arts, which he no less really and lovingly performed; The condition was gladly accepted, thither was I fent back with joy enough, and ere long, chofen Scholler of that ftrickt and well ordered Colledge: By that time I had spent fix years there, now the third year of my Bachelar ship, should at once both make an end of my maintenance, and in refpect of ftanding, give me a capacity of further preferment in that house, were it not that my Country excluded me, for our Statute allowed but one of a fhire to be fellow there, and my Tutor being of the fame Town with me, muft therefore neceffarily hold me out; But O my God, how strangely did thy gracious Providence fetch this bufinefs about! I was now entertaining motions of remove; A place was offered me in the Island of

Garnfey

Garnfey, which I had in Speech and Chafe; It fell out that the Father of my loving Chamberfellow, Mr. Cholmley, a Gentleman that had like wife, dependance upon the moft Noble Henry Earl of Huntingdon, having occafion to go to York; unto that his Honourable Lord, fell into fome mention of me; That good Farl (who well efteemed my Fathers Service) having belikely heard fome better words of me then I could deferve, made earnest enquiry after me, what were my Courses; what my Hopes; and hearing of the likelyhood of my removal profeffed much diflike of it; not without fome vehemence, demanding why I was not chofen Fellow of that Colledge, wherein by report I received fuch approbation; anfwer was returned, that my Coun. trey debarred me; which being filled with my Tutor, whom his Lordship well knew, could not by the Statute admit a fecond, the Earl prefently replyed, that if that were the hinderance he would foon take order to remove it; whereupon his Lordship presently fends for my Tutor Mr. Gilby unto York, and with proffer of large conditions of the Chaplainship in his house, and affured promises of better provifions, drew him to relinquish his place in the Colledge to a free Election: No fooner was his affent fignified, then the day es were fet for the publick (and indeed exquifite) examination of the Competitors; By that time two dayes of the three allotted to this Tryal were paft, certain Newes came

to us of the inexpected Death of that incomparably Religious and Noble Earl of Huntingdon, by whofe lofs my then disappointed Tutor must neceffarily be left to the wide world unprovided for, upon notice thereof I prefently repaired to the Mafter of the Colledge, Mr. Dr. Chaderton, and befought him to tender that hard condition to which my good Tutor must needs be driven if the Election proceed. ed; to stay any farther progress in that business, and to leave me to my own good hopes wherefoever, whose Youth expofed me both to less needs, and more opportunities of Provifion; Answer was made me, that the place was pronounced void however, and therefore that my Tutor was devefted of all poflibility of remedy; and muft wait upon the Providence of God for his difpofing elsewhere, and the Election must neceffarily proceed the day following; then was I with a cheerful unanimity chosen into that Society, which if it had any equals, I dare fay had none beyond it, for good order, ftudious carri age, ftrickt government, auftere Piety, in which I spent fix or seven years more with fuch contentment, as the rest of my life hath in vain striven to yield; Now was I called to publick Difputations often, with no ill Success; for never durft I appear in any of thofe Exercises of Scholarship, till I had from my Knees lookt up to Heaven for a bleffing, and renewed my actual dependance upon that Divine Hand; In this while two years together was I chosen to the

Rhe

Rhetorick Lecture in the publick Schools, where I was encouraged with a fufficient frequence of Auditors; but finding tha: well applauded work fomewhat out of my way, not without a fecret blame of my felf for fo much excurfion, I fairly gave up that task in the midft of those poor Acclamations to a worthy Succeffor Mr. Dr. Dod, and betook my self to those serious studies, which might fit me for that High Calling whereunto I was deftined; wherein after I had carefully bestowed my felf for a time, I took the boldness to enter into Sacred Orders; the Honour whereof having once attained, I was no Niggard of that Talent which my God had entrusted to me, preaching often as occafion was offered, both in Country Villages abroad, and at home in the most awful Auditory of the University. And now I did but wait where and how it would please my God to employ me: There was at that time a famous School erected at Tiverton in Devon, and endowed with a very large Penfion, whofe goodly Fabrick was anfwerable to the reported Maintenance; the care whereof, was by the rich and bountiful Founder Mr. Blundel, caft principally upon the then Lord chief Juftice Popham: That faithful Observer having great intereft in the Mafter of our House, Dr. Chaderton, moved him earnestly to commend fome Able, Learned and difcreet Governour to that weighty charge, whofe Action should not need to be fo much as his Overfight: It pleased our Mafter out of B 2

his

his good Opinion to tender this condition unto me, affuring me of no fmall advantages, and no great toyl, fince it was intended the main load of the work fhould lye upon other fhoulders; I apprehended the motion worth the entertaining: In that fevere Society our times were stinted, neither was it wife or fafe to refufe good Offers: Mr. Dr. Chaderton carried me to London, and there presented me to the Lord chief. Juftice with much teftimony of Approbation; the Judge feemed well apay'd with the choice, I promised Acceptance, He the Strength of his Favour: No fooner had I parted from the Judge, then in the Street a Meflinger prefented me with a Letter, from the right Vertuous and VVorthy Lady (of dear and happy Memory) the Lady Drury of Suffolk, tendring the Rectory of her Halfted then newly void, and very earnestly defiring me to accept of it; Dr. Chaderton obferving in me fome change of Countenance, askt me what the matter might be; I told him the Errand, and delivered him the Letter befeeching his advice; which when he had read, Sir (quoth 1) me thinks God pulls me by the Sleeve, and tells me it is his will I should rather go to the Eaft then to the VVeft; Nay (he answered) I fhould rather think that God would have you go Weftward, for that he hath contrived your engagement before the tender of this Letter, which therefore coming too late may receive a fair and easy Anfwer: to this I befought him to pardon my diffent,