forced to perjure themselves with fucceffive oaths, engagements, and covenants, and covenants, under pretext of exalting the Gospel and promoting liberty. liberty. Presbyterians, Anabaptifts, Independents, Quakers,. Antinomians, Socinians, Levellers, and Fifth-monarchy men, who agreed only in hatred to the Church, and in contempt of each other, became at length themselves weary of the burden of their own manifold confufions. In the midst of this defolation, when all defired some change, a release was providentially prepared by Him, who "weighs the nations in a balance." The coming deliverance was ushered in by the gorgeous pageantry of Cromwell's funeral. After his death, the difcordant factions of the "Council of the Army," the "Council of State," and the "Committee of Safety," foretold the downfall of the Republic. The first symptoms of returning order were faint and uncertain. Hopes and fears agitated all minds, as the Parliament, or Lambert, or Monk, seemed to prevail : till at length the fecret counfels of the latter took a definite course. General Monk* declared himself openly for the King, and the whole nation concurred in his joyful Restoration to the throne. A grand No fooner was the news brought to Oxford than the bells rang, and bonfires were made. mufical meeting was held in the public school. gallery was full of the female fex; and after all was "The * It is recorded in an epitaph, printed shortly after his death, that he triumphed non armorum ftrepitu, sed confiliorum alto filentio." In his patent of nobility he is called "fine fanguine victor.” Appendix to Skinner's Life of General Monk, 1724; and his Life by Guizot, Bohn's edition, 1851, p. 104. concluded, the performers, and others, retired to the Crowne Tavern, where they dranke a health to the King, the two Dukes, Monk, &c. Oxford did exceed any place of its bignefs" on the day of Restoration, where "the jollity continued till next morning. The world of England was perfectly mad. They were freed from the chains of darkness and confufion, which the Prefbyterians and phanaticks had brought upon them; yet some of these, seeing then what mischief they had done, tack'd about to participate of the universal joy, and at length clos'd with the Royal parties." * When Charles II. took poffeffion of his palace at Whitehall, the memory of past fufferings was for a moment loft in the general triumph. What then must have been the gladness of the University, when an order came down from the Lords in Parliament, that all who had been unjustly put out of their Headships, Fellowships, and other offices in the Colleges, should be restored! Morley, Fell, Dolben, Sanderson, and the reft, who had been expelled as "malignant and fcandalous recufants," were reinftated. "The scene of all things is now changed, and alterations made in the countenances, actions, manners, and words of all men. Those that had laid under a cloud for several years behind, appeared with cheerful looks, while others that had then flourished dropped away, and withdrew themselves privately; they knowing very well that they had eaten other men's bread, and if they should stay, would undergo a vifitation and cenfure by those men they themselves had formerly visited. The common people hugged themselves up with the thoughts of a King, and of renewing their good old caufe; they enjoyed their sports, especially May-games, more this year than hath been fince, chiefly in oppofition to Prefbyterians and Fanatics, who had shown great anger before towards them. Further, alfo, they left nothing undone whereby they might express their joy. The Common Prayer Book, and Surplice, were restored in every Church and Chapel: and the service that had been lately practised, viz., a Pfalm or two, two Chapters, and a prayer of the Priest's own making, with a little more, was laid afide. All tokens of monarchy, that were lately defaced or obfcured in the University, were alfo reftored, and new furbished over, and whatever was as yet fit to be introduced many did not spare to effect, and fome outrun and overdo the Law, before the King and Parliament had commanded. But justice must now be done, ftatutes be put in force, and men have their rights, and enjoy their places, which they had been deprived of for these twelve years paft."* "But they who were restored did not amount to one-fixth part of those ejected, they being either dead, or married, or had changed their religion."+ * Annals of Oxford, vol. ii. p. 697. CHAPTER III. Ken remains at Oxford after taking his Degree-Tutor of New College-Religious Difcuffions after the RestorationKen admitted to Holy Orders-Appointed to the living of Little Eafton-Refigns the Cure-Made Chaplain to Bishop Morley-Fellow of Winchester College-Rector of Brighftone in the Isle of Wight-Prebendary of Winchester— Refigns Brightone-Appointed to Eaft Woodhay. T required fome time for the University to fober down from the tumult of rejoicings which followed the Restoration of the King. "When Oliver was dead, and Richard difmounted, the scholars talked aloud, drank healths, and curfed Meroz in the very streets. Infomuch, that when the King came in, nay, when he was but voted in, they were not only like them that dream, but like them who are out of their wits, mad, ftarkstaring mad. To ftudy was Fanaticifm, to be moderate was down-right Rebellion: and thus it continued for a twelvemonth; and thus it would have continued till this time, if it had not pleased God to raise up fome Vice-Chancellors, who ftemmed the torrent which carried fo much filth with it."* It was, however, a great happiness to Oxford, that the men who were reftored to the offices of authority were defervedly esteemed for their public * Stephen Penton's "Guardian's Inftruction," 1688, 12mo. p. 44. and private worth. They fet themselves with an effectual energy to re-establish the ancient difcipline. "In defiance of the loyal zeal of the Learned, the drunken zeal of Dunces, and the great amazement of young Gentlemen, who really knew not what they would have, but yet made the greatest noise, they reduced the University to that temperament, that a man might study and not be thought a Dullard, might be fober and yet a Conformist, a fcholar and yet a Church of England-man; and from that time the University became fober, modest, and studious as perhaps any in Europe.' Richard Allestry undertook one of the Lectureships of the city of Oxford folely with a view to instil principles of loyalty into the minds of the citizens; for he never received any part of the profits, but conftantly diftributed them among the poor. + This improved condition of Oxford accorded well with Ken's quiet difpofition: he continued his ftudies, and took his degree of Bachelor of Arts on the 3rd of May, 1661. Mr. Bowles's fuggestion, that he may have been Tutor in his College, is correct. It appears, from the Liber Burfariorum of 1661, that he received twenty-five fhillings for each of three terms, as Lecturer in Logic, and an equal fum for one term, as Mathematical Tutor; and ten fhillings for each of two terms, as Junior Moderator in Logic. Thus he could at the fame time train his brother Wykehamists, and follow out his own plan of preparation for Holy * Stephen Penton's "Guardian's Inftruction," p. 45. |