em, with some addition; and, with this regulation, at it should be distributed among such poor use-keepers, as did not receive the alms of the rish; for, to give it to those, was only, as he used say, to save so much money to the rich, who, by v, were bound to relieve the poor of the parish. Thus, he was descended rather from a good, in a noble family; and yet, what was wanting in

insignificant titles of high birth, and noble od, was more than made up, in the true worth his ancestors.* But he was soon deprived of happiness, of his father's care and instruction; , as he lost his mother before he was three years i, so, his father died before he was five; so early s he cast on the providence of God.+ But that happiness was, in a great measure, made up to n: for, after some opposition made by Mr. Thomas yntz, his uncle by his mother, he was committed the care of Anthony Kingscot, of Kingscot,

memory would have come down as untarnished, as it must remain imshable: .. Seek not proud riches: but such, as thou mayest get justly, soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly.'

Essay 34. Works, i. 120. Ed. Pickering.

'Non patre præclaro, sed vitâ et pectore puro.' HOR. And that providence soon found the means of giving him, what has finely called, the unspeakable blessedness of a GODLY HOME.', e,' says an eloquent writer of the present day, but worthy of our best here is the cradle of the christian: hence, he sallies forth, armed points, disciplined in all the means of resistance, and full of hope of ÿ, under his heavenly leader. Hither, he ever afterwards turns a dund affectionate look, regarding it as the type and pledge of another and hither, when sore wounded in that conflict, he resorts to repair >ping vigour; and here, when abandoned by the selfish sons of the he finds, as in a sanctuary, the children of God, ready with open receive him and here, the returning prodigal, enfolded in the of those, who know not, dream not, of the impurities of the world h he has been mixing, feels, all at once, his heart burst with shame ntance. Merciful God, what a city of refuge hast thou ordained,

familiarly acquainted with him; or, from his writings. I have not applied any of the false colours, with which art, or some forced eloquence, might furnish me, in writing concerning him; but have endeavoured to set him out, in the same simplicity in which he lived. I have said little of his domestic concerns, since, though in these he was a great example, yet, it signifies nothing to the world, to know any particular exercises that might be given to his patience : and, therefore, I shall draw a veil over all these ; and shall avoid saying any thing of him, but what may afford the reader some profitable instruction. I am under no temptations of saying any thing, but what I am persuaded is exactly true; for, where there is so much excellent truth to be told, it were an inexcusable fault, to corrupt that, or prejudice the reader against it, by the mixture of falsehoods with it.

In short, as he was a great example while he lived, so, I wish the setting him thus out to posterity, in his own true and native colours, may have its due influence on all persons; but, more particularly, on those of that profession, whom it more immediately concerns, whether on the bench, or at the bar.

THE

LIFE AND DEATH

OF

SIR MATTHEW HALE, KNIGHT,

LATE

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF ENGLAND.

MATTHEW HALE was born at Alderley in Gloucestershire, the first of November, 1609. His grandfather was Robert Hale, an eminent clothier in Wotton-under-edge, in that county where he and his ancestors had lived for many descents: and they had given several parcels of land for the use of the poor, which are enjoyed by them to this day. This Robert acquired an estate of ten thousand pounds; which he divided, almost equally, amongst his five sons; besides the portions he gave his daughters, from whom a numerous posterity has sprung. His second son was Robert Hale, a barrister of Lincoln's-inn: he married Joan, the daughter of Matthew Poyntz, of Alderley, esquire, who was descended from that noble family of the Poyntzes of Acton. Of this marriage, there was no other issue, but this one son. His grandfather, by his mother, was his godfather; and gave him his owr

that strictness of conscience, that he gave over the practice of the law, because he could not understand the reason of giving colour in pleadings, which, as he thought, was to tell a lie; and that, with some other things commonly practised, seemed to him contrary to that exactness of truth and justice, which became a christian; so that, he withdrew himself from the inns of court, to live on his estate in the country.* Of this I was informed, by an ancient gentleman, that lived in a friendship with his son, for fifty years; and he heard judge Jones, that was Mr. Hale's contemporary, declare this, in the king's bench. But, as the care he had to save his soul, made him abandon a profession, in which he might have raised his family much higher; so, his charity to his poor neighbours, made him, not only, deal his alms largely among them while he lived†, but at his death, in 1614, he left (out of his small estate, which was but 1007. a-year,) 201. a-year to the poor of Wotton; which his son confirmed to

*In this characteristic trait of his father, we may trace the germ of that strict, not to say scrupulous conscientiousness, which afterwards characterized sir Matthew Hale. The force of impressions received (as he must have received them) in the first dawn of reason, is happily illustrated, in an anecdote told by the late Mr. Dugald Stewart. The celebrated Anthony Arnauld lived, it is well known, to the age of eighty-three, intent, to his latest hour, upon theological disputes. Now, listen to a story of his childhood: one day, he was amusing himself with some boyish sport, in the library of cardinal du Perron; when, suddenly, he intreated that a pen might be given him: . . And for what purpose?' said the cardinal: 'To write books, like you, against the huguenots,' was the spirited reply. The cardinal, then old and infirm, could not conceal his joy, at the prospect of having so fearless a polemical successor: and, as he was putting the pen into young Arnauld's hand, emphatically said,.. 'I give it to you, as the dying shepherd Damotas bequeathed his pipe to the little Corydon.' See Prelim. Dissert. to Encycl. Brit. Vol. I. part 2.

† Mr. Robert Hale would seem to have eminently realized a maxim of brd chancellor Bacon; to which if that great man had constantly adhered,

them, with some addition; and, with this regulation, that it should be distributed among such poor house-keepers, as did not receive the alms of the parish; for, to give it to those, was only, as he used to say, to save so much money to the rich, who, by law, were bound to relieve the poor of the parish.

Thus, he was descended rather from a good, than a noble family; and yet, what was wanting in the insignificant titles of high birth, and noble blood, was more than made up, in the true worth of his ancestors.* But he was soon deprived of the happiness, of his father's care and instruction; for, as he lost his mother before he was three years old, so, his father died before he was five; so early was he cast on the providence of God. But that unhappiness was, in a great measure, made up to him: for, after some opposition made by Mr. Thomas Poyntz, his uncle by his mother, he was committed to the care of Anthony Kingscot, of Kingscot,

his memory would have come down as untarnished, as it must remain imperishable: ..' Seek not proud riches: but such, as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly.'

*

Essay 34. Works, i. 120. Ed. Pickering.

'Non patre præclaro, sed vitâ et pectore puro.' HOR.

+ And that providence soon found the means of giving him, what has been finely called, the unspeakable blessedness of a GODLY HOME.'.. 'Here,' says an eloquent writer of the present day, but worthy of our best days, here is the cradle of the christian: hence, he sallies forth, armed at all points, disciplined in all the means of resistance, and full of hope of victory, under his heavenly leader. Hither, he ever afterwards turns a dutiful and affectionate look, regarding it as the type and pledge of another home; and hither, when sore wounded in that conflict, he resorts to repair his drooping vigour; and here, when abandoned by the selfish sons of the world, he finds, as in a sanctuary, the children of God, ready with open arms to receive him: and here, the returning prodigal, enfolded in the embrace of those, who know not, dream not, of the impurities of the world with which he has been mixing, feels, all at once, his heart burst with shame and repentance. Merciful God, what a city of refuge hast thou ordained,