never been served on me till I had twice attended here, this being the third time, and my health being infirm, I beg this favour of your Lordships, that I may return to my sister's house, where I have hitherto lodged, which is a place the messenger knows well; and that I may be no otherwise confined until I have received your Lordships' final resolution. "This favour your Lordships were pleased very readily to grant me; for which I return my most humble acknowledgments, beseeching God to be gracious to your Lordships." 66 April 28, 1696." "THOMAS BATH AND WELLS, Deprived." This is the last of Ken's appearance on a public political stage; he retired to his lonely harp and the Songs of Sion, with the increasing infirmities of age, in the shades of Long-Leat. CHAPTER II. KEN AT LONG-LEAT-DEATH OF JAMES-OATHS OF ABJUFIRMNESS AND RESOLUTION RATION OF PRETENDER OF KEN-VISIT TO WINCHESTER AND THE SCENES OF KEN, though deprived, never admitted in the secular power the RIGHT of deprivation, and it is well known that he studiously retained his title, Bath and Wells, till he himself resigned his episcopacy in favour of his friend Hooper, of which we shall speak in its place. As the character of the "Good Parson" was written soon after his examination before the Privy Council, to this circumstance Dryden must have alluded, when he says, in this beautiful poem, "And undeprived, his benefice forsook." I take the opportunity of showing the exact coincidence of other parts of his character: "Rich was his soul, though his attire was poor." "Of sixty years he seem'd, and well might last Burnet has recorded the "ascetic" character of Ken. He was sixty, the year after his examination before the Privy Council, of which we have spoken in the last chapter, and the following lines relate to the circumstance of his soliciting subscriptions for his poorer non-juring brethren, as they also prove the date of the poem: "With what he begg'd his brethren he reliev'd,* And gave the charities himself receiv'd. What has been thrown out will more evidently appear from the date of Dryden's agreement with old Tonson for his last and best work, the "Fables," March 1698. (See Johnson's Life of Dryden.) Ken being sixty, 1697, fixes the year of Dryden's writing this most interesting paraphrase of Chaucer's "Poor Parsonne." There is nothing said in the ancient Bard's "Poor Parsonne of the Town," of his being sixty years; so this and all the other particulars in the description, are Dryden's additions. This character, then, I have no doubt, was drawn from the life by Dryden, and written in the year which I have assigned to it. Dryden seems to have dwelt on this portrait of the "Good Parson" con amore, as it were to make his honourable and last amends for having so often and so long made the clergy the objects of his satire. Dr. Johnson has taken no notice of the striking * See last Chapter. circumstance which I have pointed out, though he says, says, "Dryden discovered, in many of his writings, an affected and absurd malignity to priests and priesthood."-(Life of Dryden.) I would recommend the reader to compare Dryden's character of the Good Parson with Chaucer, and he will have no doubt that he who sat for the interesting picture was Thomas Ken, deprived Bishop of Bath and Wells. Thus, in honoured retirement, passed the more obscure portion of Ken's later period of life, from his examination before the Privy Council to the death of James II., 1701. His retirement was soothed by religious consolation, the songs of Sion, and the voice of friendship. In the year 1701, that king of bigots, James, kate King of England, finished his inglorious career at the Court of St. Germains. Erasmus or Voltaire could not have written a more bitter satire than that which is contained in the account of his "holy life" by his father confessor. This father confessor, if we may believe the reporter, after he had served him nine years, thought he might safely affirm, that "in the most reformed state of Christianity, and in the most virtuous and pious souls, it would be rare to find more unspotted intentions, for," &c. "6 Audite, cœlum et terra!" "He kept seven fasts! and would, upon certain days, bind his body with a very sharp-pointed iron 66 chain! His self-discipline" (whipping himself!) was very rigorous! and withal he took such pains to conceal these exercises of penance" (whipping), "that having once by chance left his instrument of discipline where the Queen found it, he so BLUSHED on that occasion, that her Majesty never saw him in such confusion in her life!! and yet," continues the naif ecclesiastic, "notwithstanding all this, he did not yet mortify himself to his mind !”—Rapin. On the death of this supreme dotard and besotted bigot, the King of France publicly acknowledged his son as KING OF ENGLAND, and the oath of AbJURING THE PRETENDER, now only thirteen years of age, was enjoined to be taken by all faithful subjects of King William, "the lawful and rightful King" of these realms. Here was another grievance to poor Ken. An original letter written from Winchester* to his friend Harbin, shows his deep distress on this occasion: "GOOD SIR, "I staid at Sarum longer than I intended, by which means I received your letter, which gave me much satisfaction for the present; but, since that, I hear that the abjuration goes on, only they have changed voluntary into compulsory. I am troubled to see the nation likely to be involved in new UNIVERSAL OATHS, but hope they will be imposed on † See Rapin, 1701. * Mallet Papers. |