[ v ] ciate as Minister and to keep School,in Order to maintain himself and his Children. In this Retirement he wrote feveral of his Works, and having spent several Years there, his Family was vifited with Sicknefs, and he loft three Sons of great Hopes within the Space of two or three Months. This Affliction touched him fo fenfibly, that it made him defirous to leave the Country, and going to London he there for a Time officiated in a private Congregation of Loyalifts to his great Hazard. At Length meeting with Edward Lord Conway, that Nobleman carried him with him. into Ireland, and fettled him at Portmore, where he wrote his Ductor Dubitantium. Upon the Restoration he returned to England, and foon after, being advanced to the Bishopric of Downe and Conner in Ireland, was confecrated to that fee at Dublin, Jan. 27. 1660-61, and on the 21st of June following, had the Administration of the See of Dromore granted to him by his Majesty. He was likewife made a Privy-Counfellor, and Vice-Chancellor of the Univerfity of Dublin, which Place he held to his Death. He died of a Fever at Lifnigarvy, Auguft 13, 1667, and was interred in a Chapel of his own erecting on the Ruins of the old Cathedral of Dromore, his funeral Sermon being preached by his excellent Friend Dr. George Ruft, who has drawn his Character to great Advantage. He tells us that our "Author was none of God's ordinary works, but that his Endowments were fo many and fo great, as really made him a Miracle. Nature had befriended him much in his Conftitution, for he was a Person of a moft sweet and obliging Humour, of great Candour and Ingenuity: and there was fo much Salt, Fineness of Wit, and Prettiness of Addrefs in his familiar Difcourfes, as made his Converfation have all the Pleasantness of a Comedy, and all the Usefulness of a Sermon. He was one of thofe Philofophers Laertius fpeaks of, that did not addict themselves to any particular Sect, but ingenuously fought for Truth among all the wrangling Schools. To these Advantages of Nature, he added an indefatigable Industry, and God gave a plentiful Benediction, for there were very few Kinds of Learning, but he was a Myftes and a great Mafter in them. His fkill was great both in the civil and canon Law, and cafuistical Divinity; he was a rare Conductor of Souls, and knew how to counfel and to advife, to folve Difficulties, determine Cafes, and quiet Confciences. In his younger Years. he met with fome Affaults from Popery, and the high Pretenfions of their religious Orders were very accommodate to his devotional, Temper. But he was always fo much Master of himself, that he would never be governed by any thing but Reason and the Evidence of Truth, which engaged him in the Studies of these Controverfies; and to how good Purpofe, the World is by this Time a fufficient Witnefs. But the longer and more he con fidered fidered, the worse he liked the Roman Caufe. Then he expatiates on his Meeknefs and Humility, &c. and fums up his Character in the following Terms. This great Prelate had the good Humour of a Gentleman, the Eloquence of an Orator, the fancy of a Poet, the Acuteness of a School-Man, the Profoundness of a Philofopher, the Wisdom of a Chancellor, the Sagacityof a Prophet, the Reason of an Angel, and the Piety of a Saint. He had Devotion enough for a Cloyster, Learning enough for an University, and Wit enough for a College of Virtuofi.-And had his Parts and Endowments been parcelled out among the Clergy that he left behind him, it perhaps would have made one of the beft Dioceses in the world." green And would it not be wafteful and ridiculous Excess to write a Panegyric on the divine Herbert? It would be gilding refined Gold, and throwing a Perfume on the Violet. His Memory like the Phænix, furvives his Ashes, immortal as his Poems, and as his Laurels let it be faid of him as of Dr. South, "That he made all his Faculties bear to the great End of his hallowed Profeffion: His charming Compofitions have all that Wit and Wisdom can put together: Happy Genius! He was the better Man for being a Wit, and the best Way to praise him, is to quote him.' " A 4 Take Take his Poem called DOTAGE as a Specimen Falfe glozing pleafures, cafks of happiness, Foolish night-fires, womens and childrens wishes, Chafes in Arras, gilded emptiness, Shadows well mounted, dreams in a career, True earnest forrows, rooted miferies, But ob! the folly of distracted men, The Flashes of Genius in many Writers, whether polemical or poetical resemble a painted Flame, which amuses the Eye without warming the Heart- But whoever reads Bishop Taylor or Herbert, however diffimilar in their Talents, muft have a very depraved or difingenuous Mind, that is not much the better for their Acquaintance. This This was my Motive, and was it not a pleafing one? for giving these fine pieces in Miniature to the World: not having dared to alter or retouch one original Feature, but purely to revive and perpetuate their faded Graces by the Polish of a new Edition. It were extravagant and almost impoffible in a general Encomium to give the common reader an adequate Idea of Taylor's amazing Capacity. They who would fathom his mighty Mind muft read all his Works which many cannot, which many will not, and which most are unable either to purchase or understand. These little Pearls indeed which I have drawn from his boundless Store for common Ufage, will fhine and glifter, and be admired in a diftinct Pofition: but fet in the full Blaze of his other Beauties, would be totally extinguished and abforbed ingeneral Excellence. The following Sheets contain Nothing of Jove or Helicon, nothing of Machiavel or Cervantes:- Nec faftidientes ftomachos ad hac invito pulpamenta -for to ufe an admirable Maxim of Profeffor Duport, Quid Scientia fine Confcientia?- quid valet effe peritum et periturum? If Religion is worth any Thing, it is worth every Thing. A few folid practical Principles, the Pillars of rational Piety, like Bread and Manna, are adapted to general Taste, and a Perfon must have a vitiated Appetite, or a bad Digeftion |