of that purpose, was to speak with my Patron Sir Robert Drury, if by occafion of the publick Preach-erfhip of St. Edmunds Bury, then offered me upon good conditions, I might draw him to a willing yieldance of that parcell of my due maintenance, which was kept back from my not over-deferving predeceffor; who hearing my errand diffwaded me from fo ungainfull a change, which had it been to my fenfible advantage, he should have readily given way unto; but not offering me the expected encouragement of my continuance; wich him I ftayed, and preacht on the Sunday following; That day Sir Robert Drury, meeting with the Lord Denny, fell belike into the commendation of my Sermon; That religious and Noble Lord had long harboured good thoughts concerning me upon the reading of those poor pamphlets which I had formerly published; and long wished the oportunity to know me: to please him in this defire, Sir Rob. will'd me to go, and tender my service to his Lordship, which I modeftly and seriously deprecated; yet upon his earnest charge went to his Lordships gate, where I was not forry to hear of his Abfence. Being now full of Cold and Diftem. per in Drury-lane, I was found out by a friend, in whom I had formerly no great intereft, one Mr. Gurrey Tutor to the Earl of Effex; he told me how well my Meditations were accepted at the Princes P.HenrjCourt and earnestly advised me to step over to

Richmond, and preach to his Highness: I strongly pleaded my indifpofition of body, and my inpreparation for any fuch work, together with my bashfull fears, and utter unfitness for fuch a presence; my averfness doubled his importunity; in fine, he left me not till he had my ingagement to preach the Sunday following at Richmond: he made way for me to that awfull Pulpit, and encouraged me by the favour of his Noble Lord the Earl of Effex: I pracht; through the favour of my God, that Sermon was not fo well given as taken; In fo much as that Sweet Prince, fignified his Defire to hear me again the Tuesday following, which done, that labour gave more contentment then the former, So as that gra, cious Prince, both gave me his hand and commanded me to his Service, My Patron feeing me (upon my return to London) lookt after by fome great Perfons, began to wifh me at home, and told me that fome or other would be fnatching me up, I answered that it was in his power to prevent, would he be pleased to make my maintenance, but fo competent as in right it fhould be, I would never ftir from him infteed of condefcending, it pleased him to fall into an expoftulation of the rate of competencies, affirming the variableness thereof, accor ding to our own eftimation, and our either raifing or moderating the causes of our expences; I show'd him the infufficiency of my means, that I was forced to write books to buy books: Shortly, fome harsh

harth and unpleafing anfwer, fo disheartned me that I refolv'd to embrace the firft oportunity of my remove; Now whiles I was taken up with these anxious thoughts, a meflinger (it was Sir Robert Wingfield of Northhamptons fonne) came to me from the Lord Denny, (now Earl of Norwich) my after-moft-honourable Patron, entreating me from his Lordship to speak with him; No fooner came I thither, then after a glad, and Noble welcome, I was entertained, with the earneft offer of Waltham. The condicions were like the mover of them, free and bountifull; I receiv ed them, as from the munificent hand of my God; and returned full of the cheerfull acknowledgments of a gracious providence over me; Too late now did my former Noble Patron relent, and offer me thofe termes which had before faftened.

me for ever; I returned home happy in a new

Mafter, and in a new Patron; betwixt whom, I Divided my felt and my labours, with much comfort and no less acceptation; In the second year, of mine attendance on his Highness, when I came for my Difmission, from that monethly fervice, it pleased the Prince to command me a longer stay, and at last upon mine allowed departure, by the mouth of Sir Thomas Challoner, his Go. vernour, to tender unto me a motion of more honour and favour then I was worthy of; which was, that it was his Highness pleasure, and pur

pose, to have me continually refident at the Court as a conftant attendant, whiles the rest held on their wonted viciffitudes for which purpose his Highness would obtain for me fuch preferments as should yield me full contentment: I return'd my humbleft thanks, and my readiness to facrifice my felf to the fervice of fo gracious a Master, but being confcious to my self of my unanswerableness to fo great expectation, and loath to forfake fo Dear and Noble a Patron, who had placed much of his Heart upon me, I did mo. deftly put it off, and held close to my Waltham; where in a conftant courfe, I preach'd a long time, (as I had done alfo at Halfted before) thrice in the week, yet never durft I climbe into the Pulpit, to preach any Sermon, whereof I had not before in my poor, and plain fashion, penned every word in the fame Order, wherein I hoped to deliver it, although in the expreffion I lifted not to be a flave to Syllables.

In this while my worthy kinfman, Mr. Samuel Barton Archdeacon of Glocester, knowing in how good terms I ftood at Court, and pittying the miferable condicion of his Native Church of Wolverhampton, was very defirous to engage me in fo difficult, and Noble a fervice, as the redemption of that captivated Church; For which cause he importun'd, me to move fome of my friends, to folicit the Dean of Windfor, (who

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by an antient annexation is Patron thereof, for the gaunt of a particular Prebend, when it fhould fall vacant in that Church, anfwer was return'd. me, that it was fore-promised to one of my fellow Chaplains; I fate down without further expectation; fome year or two after, hearing that it was become void, and meeting with that fellow Chaplain of mine; I wifht him much joy of the Prebend; He askt me if it were void; I affured him fo; and telling him of the former anfwer delivered to me in my Ignorance, of his ingagement, wifht him to haften his Poffeffion of it. He delayed not; when he came to the Dean of Windfor, for his promised dispatch, the Dean brought him forth a Letter from the Prince, wherein he was defired, and charged to reverfe his former ingagement (fince that other Chaplain was otherwise pro. vided for) and to caft that favour upon me; I was fent for, (who leaft thought of it) and received the free Collation of that poor dignitie, It was not the value of the place, (which was but ninetene Nobles per annum) that we aimed at, but the freedome of a goodly Church, (confifting of a Dean and eight Prebendaries compe.. tently endowed) and many thousand fouls, lamentably fwallowed up by wilfull Recufants, in a pretended Fee-farme for ever; O God, what an hand hadft thou in the carriage of this work! when

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