THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VIII. TO THE PRESENT TIME. A New Edition, RE-ARRANGED AND ENRICHED WITH SEVERAL ADDITIONAL LIVES, BY THE REV. FRANCIS WRANGHAM, M.A. F.R.S. OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. PRINTED FOR J. MAWMAN, LUDGATE STREET; AND FOR LXI. Sir William Petty.... (1623-1687) 264 LXII. George Villiers II., Duke of Buckingham.... (1627-1688) 297 LXIII. The Hon. Robert Boyle. (1627-1691) 324 THE BRITISH PLUTARCH. SIR MATTHEW HALE.* [1609-1676.] IT has been considered as no small argument in favour of Christianity, that it has found among it's ablest defenders those, who cannot be supposed to have been influenced by any other motive than a conviction of it's truth. To the objections of the infidel, founded upon the selfishness of it's general advocates, not only the learning and the genius, but (perhaps, still more) the disinterestedness of Newton, and Boyle, and Locke have invariably supplied a powerful answer. May it not then be esteemed a considerable advantage to the cause, to be able to include the name of Sir Matthew Hale in this illustrious list? His admirable sagacity and strict impartiality in the investigation of truth, and his habitual * AUTHORITIES. General Biographical Dictionary; Biographia Britannica; Burnet's Life of Hale; and Thirlwall's Edition of his Moral and Religious Works.' |