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about ten miles from London. Here he compiled a great part of his "Annals of Queen Elizabeth," and here also he died.

In 1622, two years before his death, he founded, at Oxford, a history-lecture; and for the maintenance of a professor, transferred all his right in the manor of Bexley in Kent, to the chancellor, masters, and scholars of the university. His books of heraldry, he bequeathed to the Heraldry-office; the rest, both printed and manuscript, to the library of sir Robert Cotton; but by the contrivance of Dr. John Williams, lord keeper of England, bishop of Lincoln, and dean of Westminster, who took advantage of an equivocal expression in the will, the printed part was afterwards removed to the library newly established in the church of Westminster.

The taste of Camden for antiquities was conspicious from early youth. When a school boy, any thing antique inspired him with an ardent attention; and at the university, every moment of leisure was devoted to his favourite pursuit. The bent of his mind ever led him to the contemplation of stately camps, and ruinous castles, the venerable monuments of departed ages.

HOOKER.

RICHARD HOOKER, an eminent divine, was born at Heavy-tree, near Exeter, in 1553-4. His parents being in low circumstances, had intended him for a trade; but this destination was happily over-ruled by the representations of his school-master at Exeter, who spoke so warmly of his natural endowments, and of his rapid progress, that they were induced to continue him some time longer at school.

Meanwhile, his uncle, who was chamberlain of the city, was disposed to notice him; and being known to Jewel, bishop of Salisbury, intreated that prelate to look favourably upon his poor nephew, whose parents were incapacitated by their situation in life, from bestowing upon him that liberal

education which was suitable to his promising talents. The good bishop finding this representation well founded, took young Hooker under his protection, settled a pension upon him, which, with a small contribution from his uncle, enabled him to support himself respectably at Oxford, where he entered at Corpus Christi College, in 1567.

In 1571, he lost his benevolent patron; though his place was fortunately supplied by Dr. Cole, president of the college, and Dr. Edwyn Sandys, bishop of London, and afterwards archbishop of York. He had been so favourably represented by bishop Jewel to Sandys, that he sent his son to Oxford, though himself had been of Cambridge, that he might have the advantage of becoming the pupil of Hooker. He had also another pupil of note in Cranmer, the grand nephew of archbishop Cranmer the martyr, with both of whom his friendship was intimate, and lasting.

He was elected, in 1577, fellow of his college, and about two years after, was appointed deputy-professor of Hebrew, the professor having become deranged.

Soon after his taking orders, in 1581, he had the misfortune to preach at St. Paul's Cross, in London, where, by the arts of a designing woman in whose house he lodged for a few days, he was inveigled into a marriage with her daughter, which proved the source of disquietude to him throughout life.

Driven now from his fellowship and college, he supported himself with difficulty till the year 1584, when he was presented by John Cheny, Esq. to the rectory of Drayton Beauchamp, in Buckinghamshire, where he continued about a year, when by the interest of Sandys, his patron, he was made Master of the Temple. But this situation neither accorded with his temper nor his literary pursuits, and he petitioned the archbishop of Canterbury to be removed to "some quiet parsonage." He obtained his desire, and in 1591, the rectory of Boscomb, in Wiltshire, was conferred upon him. The same year, he was likewise presented to the prebend of Nether-Haven, in the church of Sarum, of which he was also made sub-dean. In 1595, he removed to Bishop's-Bourne, in Kent, to the rectory of which he was presented by queen Elizabeth;

and here he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1600, from an accidental illness, when he was only forty-seven years of age.

Hooker's great work is his "Ecclesiastical Polity." The most accurate account of the tracts, &c. which gave birth to it, is given by Mr. Beloe, and is as follows:

"Neither Walton, in his Life of Hooker, nor bishop Gauden, nor many others, that give an account of Hooker and his writings, nake mention of the particular books or tracts which gave occasion to his writing the Ecclesiastical Polity. Whitgift had written an answer to the Admonition to the Parliament, and thereby engaged in a controversy with Thomas Cartwright, the supposed author of it. Hooker, in this his excellent work, undertook the defence of our ecclesiastical establishment, against which Cartwright appears to have been the most powerful of all the opponents.

"Accordingly, we find throughout his work, references to T. C. lib. p. but citing no book by its proper title, we are at a loss at this day to know with whom he was contending. It is therefore necessary to state the controversy, the order whereof is this:"

"Admonition to the Parliament, viz. the first

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