When the king advanced him to this dignity, he was pleased to say, he had given it to the best scholar in England: his majesty had several times done him the honour to discourse him, and this preferment was not at all obtained by faction or flattery; it was the king's own act, though his desert made those of the greatest power forward to contribute to it, particularly Gilbert, lord archbishop of Canterbury, and the duke of Buckingham, then chancellor of Cambridge, and formerly a member of Trinity college.

It were a disrespect to his college to doubt that where he had spent so much time, and obliged so many persons, he should not be most welcome: they knew, as his power increased, the effects of his goodness would do so too; and the senior fellows so well understood and esteemed him, that with good-will and joy they received a master much younger than any of themselves.

Besides the particular assistance he gave to many in their study, he concerned himself in every thing that was for the interest of his college1. Upon the single affair of building their library, he writ out quires of paper, chiefly to those who had been of the college, first to engage them, and then to give them thanks, which he never omitted. These letters he esteemed not enough to keep copies of; but by the generous returns they brought in, they appeared to be of no small value: and those gentlemen that please to send back their letters will deserve to be accounted further benefactors to the library. He had always been a constant and early man at the chapel, and now continued to do the same; and was therein encouraged, not only by his own devotion, but by the efficacy his example had upon many others of his college.

In this place, seated to his ease and satisfaction, a station

1 Dr. Pope states, that "to shew "his humility and care of the college

revenue, he remitted to them the "charge of keeping a coach for his

"time, which they had done a long "while before for other masters." In 1675 he was chosen vice-chancellor of the university.

wherein of all others in the world he could have been most useful, and which he meant not to make use of as a step to ascend higher, he abated nothing of his studies; he yielded the day to his public business, and took from his morning sleep many hours, to increase his stock of Sermonsm, and write his Treatise of the Pope's Supremacy". He understood popery both at home and abroad; he had narrowly observed it militant in England, triumphant in Italy, disguised in France; and had earlier apprehensions than most others of the approaching danger, and would have appeared with the forwardest in a needful time: for his engagement

m With respect to his Sermons, Dr. Pope freely allows that they were too long. "He thought he had not "said enough, if he omitted any "thing that belonged to the subject "of his discourse; so that his Ser። mons seemed rather complete trea66 tises, than orations designed to be 66 spoke in an hour. He was once 66 requested by the bishop of Roches66 ter [Dr. Sprat], then and now dean "of Westminster, to preach at the (6 Abbey, and withal desired not to be "long, for that auditory loved short 66 sermons, and were used to them. "He replied, My lord, I will shew

you my sermon: and, pulling it out "of his pocket, puts it into the bi

shop's hands. The text was in the "tenth chapter of the Proverbs, the "latter end of the 18th verse: the "words these, He that uttereth slan"der is a fool. The sermon was “accordingly divided into two parts; "one treated of slander, the other of "lies. The dean desired him to con66 tent himself with preaching only "the first part; to which he con"sented, not without some reluctan

cy; and in speaking that only, it "took up an hour and an half. This "discourse is since published in two "Sermons, as it was preached. [See

“vol. I. p. 480.] Another time,

upon the same person's invitation, "he preached at the Abbey on a ho"liday. Here I must inform the 66 reader, that it is a custom for the 66 servants of the church upon all ho"lidays, Sundays excepted, betwixt "the Sermon and Evening Prayers, to "show the tombs and effigies of the "kings and queens in wax to the "meaner sort of people, who then "flock thither from all the corners of "the town. These perceiving Dr. "Barrow in the pulpit after the hour "was past, and fearing to lose that ❝ time in hearing, which they thought "they could more profitably employ "in receiving; these, I say, became "impatient, and caused the organ to "be struck up against him, and would "not give over playing till they had "blowed him down. But the ser

in that case, and his place in your friendship, I would (with the leave of the most worthy dean of St. Paul's, his highly respected friend) call him another Dr. Stillingfleet.

But so it pleased God, that being invited to preach the Passion-Sermon, April 13, 1677, at Guildhall chapel, (and it was the second sermon for which he received a pecuniary recompense,) he never preached but once more, falling sick of a fever: such a distemper he had once or twice before, otherwise of a constant health°: this fatally prevailed against the skill and diligence of many physicians his good friends.

I think not myself competent to give an account of his life, much less of his sickness and death: if great grief had not forced silence, you, sir, his dearest and most worthy friend, had perpetuated the remarkables of that sad scene, in a funeral sermon.

Our passions, which have hitherto been kept within the banks, should now be permitted to overflow, and they even expect to be moved by a breath of eloquence; but that is not my talent. In short, his death was suitable to his life; not this imperfect, slight life, as I relate it, but that admirable, heroic, divine life which he lived.

He died the 4th of May, 1677; and had it not been too inconvenient to carry him to Cambridge P, then wit and eloquence had paid their tribute for the honour he has done them 9.

Now he is laid in Westminster-abbey, with a monument erected by the contribution of his friends, a piece of gratitude not usual in this age, and a respect peculiar to him among all the glories of that church. I wish they would (as I have adventured) bring in their symbols toward the history of his life: there are many which long before me had the advantage of his conversation, and could offer more judicious observations, and in a style fit to speak of Dr. Barrow.

In the Epitaph, Dr. Mapletoft, his much esteemed friend, doth truly describe him. His picture was never made from the life', and the effigies on his tomb doth little resemble him. He was in person of the lesser size, and lean; of extraordinary strength, of a fair and calm complexion, a thin skin, very sensible of the cold; his eyes grey, clear, and somewhat short-sighted; his hair of a light auburn, very fine and curling. He is well represented by the figure of Marcus Brutus on his denarii; and I will transfer hither what is said of that great man.

Virtue was thy life's centre, and from thence

Did silently and constantly dispense

The gentle vigorous influence

To all the wide and fair circumference.

COWLEY.

The estate he left was books; those he bought, so well chosen as to be sold for more than they cost; and those he

"under him, importing that he had "but too great reason to grieve; for never father lost so good a son." See the Dedication of the father, Thomas Barrow, to the earl of Nottingham.

r It is stated in the Biographia Britannica, that some of his friends contrived to have it taken without his knowledge, while they diverted him with such discourse as engaged his attention. The picture was painted by Mrs. Beale, and in 1747 was in the possession of James West, esq. The

made, whereof a catalogue is annexed: and it were not improper to give a further account of his works than to name them beside their number, variety, method, style, fulness, and usefulness, I might thence draw many proofs to confirm what I have before endeavoured to say to his advantage, and many more important reflections will be obvious to you, than to such a reader as I am. I will only take leave to say, that for his little piece of The Unity of the Church, he has better deserved of the church and religion, than many who make a greater figure in ecclesiastic history and politics. But such remarks will be more fitly placed in what we expect from his learned friends of the university. And to them I must also refer for the observables at the taking his several degrees, and discharging the office of vicechancellor.

There are beside other particulars, which are grateful to talk over among friends, not so proper perhaps to appear in a public writing. For instance, one morning going out of a friend's house before a huge and fierce mastiff was chained up, (as he used to be all day,) the dog flew at him; and he had that present courage to take the dog by the throat, and after much struggling bore him to the ground, and held him there, till the people could rise and part them, without any other hurt than the straining of his hands, which he felt some days after.

Some would excuse me for noting that he seemed intemperate in the love of fruit; but it was to him physic, as well as food; and he thought, that if fruit kill hundreds in autumn, it preserves thousands: and he was very free too in the use of tobacco, believing it did help to regulate his thinkingt.