Wherefore he condefcends to human frailties, both in himself and others; and intermingles fome mirth in his discourses occafionally, according to the pulfe of the hearer."*

So Ken confidered himself a meffenger of the Gospel of love; his experience of human nature taught him that men were to be allured, rather than driven from the transitory objects of this lower life to fublime and spiritual affections. He did not think it unbecoming his holy office to draw their regard to himself perfonally, if by contemplating the features of a Chriftian character they might be led to place their higher love on God.

Being in attendance on Bishop Morley, these and his other eminent qualities began to bring him to the notice of the King. Winchester, from its healthy fituation, its extenfive downs, and at that time the finest sporting country in England, often attracted Charles II. to its neighbourhood. He made frequent progreffes there with his court, on the way to Portfmouth, and for hunting excurfions in the New Forest. His brother, the Duke of York, afterwards James II. accompanied him, which probably sometimes gave Ken the fociety of his friend Francis Turner, the Duke's efpecial favourite and Chaplain.

But the presence of the Court, as we shall see, became an occafion of trial to the self-denying inmates of the Bishop's palace. Splendid pageants, luxurious feasts, the concourse of attendants, the busy carefulness and anxious waiting for the sunshine of royal favour, had no charms for Ken. His heart was engaged in

*Herbert's Country Parfon.

higher aims. The faving of all-precious fouls, and training them for the court of the King of kings was the one absorbing idea that fixed his energetic will. Moreover the Court of Charles was one of the most profligate in Europe, that of France not excepted. In his exile at Bruffels, Paris, &c. even when his father was fuffering the bitterness of persecution, and his death on the scaffold caused England to be an astonishment and a bye word to the nations, he had been given up to low fenfual pursuits. After his Reftoration alfo by a diffolute life he fet the worst of examples to his people, and bequeathed to them a fearful legacy of profaneness and license, that spread like a contagion to after times. The private hiftories and memoirs of his life, and many volumes of letters from his courtiers and foreign ministers, exhibit debauchery, drunkenness, gaming, profufe oaths, and infidel wit, as the common and fashionable vices of the age. He feemed to want all fenfe of the refponfibility of a nation's welfare intrusted to him, and forgot that kings hold a divine commiffion which is to be exercifed abfolutely and fupremely for the glory of God. He gave himself up to the pursuit of selfish and debafing pleasures, falfely fo called, that eat out as a canker the better affections of the heart. The hardihood with which he blazoned forth his profligacy to the world may be understood by the fact that of his numerous natural children, born of many mothers, he raised fix to the honour of a Dukedom.

CHAPTER VII.

Ken makes the Tour of Italy with Ifaak Walton's Son-At Rome in the year of Jubilee--Returns home-His attachment to the Church of England.

NEW and refreshing scene opens to us, as we turn from the fearful picture of Charles's Court to the perfonal history of Ken. Having given to the Winchefter scholars a Manual of prayers to fuftain their devotion, he prepared himself for a journey through Italy, at that time (towards the end of 1675) the wealthiest and most populous country in Europe. By nature fertile in the various productions of the earth, abounding in the rare works of modern and ancient art, the nurse of mufic, of poetry, painting, and sculpture, and illustrious for men of science and literature, Italy formed the natural point of attraction for those whose taste impelled them to enlarge their experience beyond the fhores of England. The Houses of English noblemen, even in this our luxurious age, cannot vie with the stately palaces of Doria, Farnese, Medici, Pitti, Colonna, Aldobrandini, Pamfili, Barberini, Borghese and others: their marble halls and galleries were decorated with unrivalled pictures and statues, and museums of precious ornaments and jewels, many of them now defpoiled and fcattered abroad.

The tour of Italy was an object of general interest and defire, not easily attained in those days, but thought to give the last finish to a gentleman of birth and fortune. Beyond all this, the policy, discipline, and doctrines of the Court and Church of Rome had long formed a theme of difcuffion in England. The hopelefs janglings to which controversy always gives rise were aggravated by the prejudices of various fects and parties. Every fhade of difference feemed to discharge men from the obligations of common juftice towards each other. Hence in great measure had arifen, during the Rebellion, that discord which feemed to banish from the earth all the meek and lowly tempers, enjoined by the bleffed Saviour on the Mount. They who adhered to the primitive doctrine and ceremonial of the Church were branded with the name of Papifts. Sectarian fanaticism holding up religion as a cloak for perfecution, gave loose to all the implacable paffions of

our nature.

With the Restoration the tide changed: but an intolerant spirit prevailed with those now replaced in power; the fectaries in their turn were oppreffed, and forbidden the exercise of their worship. The Church recovered much of her temporal poffeffions, but not her spiritual rule. The bands of difcipline were loofened; the pure fervices of religion, long in difufe, were still negligently performed by the clergy (many of whom had been feceders, and were now but outward conformists) and therefore difregarded by the people. Added to this the King fecretly defired to restore the influence of the Church of Rome; an object conftantly urged forward by the Duke of York. Charles was restrained

by motives of policy from implicitly following his advice; yet his own inclinations prompted him to all compliances within the verge of fafety. It may be doubted if he had actually conformed to Rome: the evidence is not conclufive; but it is certain he would have done fo, could he have ventured. To fave appearances, he was often compelled to proclaim fevere penalties against Romanists; but they were negligently enforced. He had long been a penfioner of Louis XIV. to whom he had bound himself by secret treaty, for the restoration of Popery in England. Whenever his perfonal neceffities were moft urgent, he applied to Louis for fresh advances, under plea that the interests of the Catholic Church required fuch aid. "After having paffed a law, fays Mr. Fox, to make it penal to affirm (what was true) that the King was a Papift, he pretended (what was not true) to be a zealous and bigoted Papist."

Coleman the Jefuit's letters to M. La Chaise may be felected from a mass of other evidence to fhow the hopes entertained of establishing the Roman ritual. “We have here a mighty work" (he fays in 1675) "on our hands; no less than the converfion of three Kingdoms; and by that, perhaps, the fubduing a peftilent herefy which has domineered over part of this northern world a long time. There was never fuch hopes of fuccefs, fince the death of our Queen Mary, as now in our days, when God has given us a Prince who is become (I may say by miracle) zealous of being the author and instrument of fo glorious a work. But the oppofition we are fure to meet with is alfo like to be great fo that it imports us to get all the aid and af

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