LIFE OF HALL. JOSEPH HALL was born at Bristow Park, in the parish of Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, on the 1st of July, 1574. He was put to school, in his native place, until he was fifteen years of age; when he was sent to Emanuel College, in Cambridge; where, in due time, he received his degrees, and became a fellow. He spent his time, chiefly, in disputing and preaching before the University; and in delivering a course of lectures upon rhetoric to, what he calls, 'a sufficient frequency of auditors.' In his twenty-third year, he established his poetical reputation by giving to the world his Vergidemiarum; and, after a residence of eight years at college, was presented, by Sir Robert Drury, to the rectory of Halstead, in Suffolk. He married the daughter of a Mr. George Wenuff. In 1605, he published his Second Century of Meditations; which were so well received at court, and so greatly pleased Prince Henry, that the author was made his chaplain, and received, from Lord Denny, the donative of Waltham Holy-cross. In 1612, he was made doctor of divinity: became dean of Worcester, in 1616; and, in the following year, was taken with his majesty into Scotland, to fight the battles of episcopacy. He was one of the English polemics deputed to the synod of Dort; and, when ill health occasioned his premature return, the whole assembly took solemn leave of him, and the representatives from the states presented him with a golden medal. He refused the bishopric of Gloucester, from King James, in 1624; but accepted that of Exeter, from King Charles, in 1627. His life now passed without eclat, until the year 1641; when he was translated to the see of Norwich. But he was soon destined to a translation of a different kind. Having joined with the archbishop of York, and eleven other prelates, in protesting against the validity of laws, made while they were compelled to be absent, he was sent to the Tower, with the rest, on the 30th of January, 1642; and, being shortly after brought before the house of commons, on an impeachment for high treason, he was treated with the greatest rudeness and contempt. The prosecution for high treason was, at length, discontinued; but another pretext was found to recommit the prisoners; nor was it till the following June, that they obtained their final discharge. In April, 1643, the commons passed the ordinance for sequestering the property of notorious delinquents; and, Hall being expressly mentioned by name, all his rents were first stopped, and soon afterwards the sequestrators entered his palace, and commenced the work of devastation. "The sequestrators,' says he, 'sent certain men, appointed by them, (whereof one had been burned in the hand,) to appraise all the goods that were in my house; which they accordingly executed with all diligent severity, not leaving so much as a dozen of trenchers, or my children's pictures, out of their curious inventory. Yea, they would have appraised our very wearing apparel, had not some of them declared their opinion to the contrary. These goods, both library and household stuff of all kinds, were appointed to be sold at public sale; but, in the mean time, Mrs. Goodwin, a religious, good gentlewoman, whom yet we had never known or seen, being moved with compassion, very kindly offered to lay down to the sequestrators the whole sum at which the goods were valued; and was pleased to leave them in our hands, for our use, till we might be able to re-purchase them. As for the books, several stationers looked on them; but were not forward to buy. At last, Mr. Cook, a worthy divine of this diocese, gave bond to the sequestrators, to pay them the whole sum whereat they were set.' This quieted the hounds; but it did not satisfy the hunters. They made assessments for estates, which they had already seized; levied distresses, after they had deprived him of all his goods; and, though he had no longer any power in his diocese, demanded the arms, which had been usually furnished by his predecessors. But misfortune seems never to have damped his courage. Driven from his palace to a small estate in Higham, he continued to preach in every pulpit, to which he could gain access; and, in the face of all his persecutors, published, in 1644, a bold treatise in favour of episcopacy, under the title of A Modest Offer of some Meet Considerations. Being now without power, he was no longer molested; and, on the 8th of September, 1656, was placed beyond the reach of human tribulation. Hall is distinguished as the first writer of satires in the English language. Endowed by nature with an acute perception of right and wrong, and accustomed, by his calling, to combat and analyze, he was quick in the detection of weakness; had little toleration for delinquency; and, looking generally on the dark side of the picture, saw nothing but vice in man, and nothing but absurdity in books. His poetry gives us an idea of weight and smooth ness: but his conceptions are frequently gross, and his allusions too often vulgar. There is a constant effort to be sententious: by labouring to compress much into a small space, he has sometimes excluded all meaning; and the reader, left in the dark, would be tempted to abandon the pursuit, were it not for the vivid lines, which frequently break forth. The ancient masters were constantly in the eye of our author; nor did he always study them as a mere imitator; for it too often happens, that while he pretends to be delineating the manners of the age, he is only translating Juvenal. |