At the same time, in the duties of religion he was so exemplary, that "for six and thirty years," as Burnet informs us, "he never once failed going to church on the Lord's Day."* This observation he made, when an ague first interrupted that constant course; and he reflected upon it, as an acknowledgement of God's great goodness to him in so long a continuance of his health.

Of his strict account of time the reader will best judge by his scheme of a diary, set down in the same simple way, in which he drew it up for his own pri

vate use.

"MORNING. I. To lift up the heart to God in thankfulness for renewing my life.

II. To renew my covenant with God in Christ, 1. By renewed acts of faith, receiving Christ, and rejoicing in the height of that relation; 2. Resolu tion of being one of his people doing him allegiance. III. Adoration and prayer.

On this day, says Burnet elsewhere, beside his constancy in the public worship of God, he used to call all his family together, and repeat to them the heads of the sermons with some additions of his own, which he fitted for their capacities and circumstances; and that being done, he had a custom of shutting himself up for two or three hours, which he either spent in his secret devotions, or on such profitable meditations as did then occur to his thoughts. He writ them with the same simplicity that he formed them in his mind, without any art, or so much as a thought to let them be published: he never corrected them, but laid them by when he had finished them, having intended only to fix and preserve his own reflexions in them; so that he used no sort of care to polish them, or make the first draught perfecter than when they fell from his pen. These were subsequently published, under the title of Contemplations,' in 2 vols.

octavo.

IV. Setting a watch over my own infirmities and passions, over the snares laid in our way. Perimus licitis.

DAY EMPLOYMENT. There must be an employment, two kinds :

I. Our ordinary calling; to serve God in it. It is a service to Christ, though never so mean. Colos. iii. Here faithfulness, diligence, cheerfulness. Not to over-lay myself with more business than I can bear.

II. Our spiritual employments; mingle somewhat of God's immediate service in this day.

REFRESHMENTS. I. Meat and drink; moderation seasoned with somewhat of God.

II. Recreations; 1. Not our business: 2. Suitable. No games, if given to covetousness or passion.

IF ALONE. I. Beware of wandering, vain, lustful thoughts; fly from thyself, rather than entertain these.

II. Let thy solitary thoughts be profitable: view the evidences of thy salvation, the state of thy soul, the coming of Christ, thy own mortality; it will make thee humble and watchful.

COMPANY. Do good to them: Use God's name reverently: Beware of leaving an ill impression of ill example: Receive good from them, if more knowing.

EVENING. Cast up the accounts of the day: If aught amiss, beg pardon; gather resolution of more vigilance: If well, bless the mercy and grace of God, that hath supported thee."

Not satisfied with the law-publications then extant, he was extremely diligent in investigating ancient records; and from these, and collections out of other volumes, he composed a valuable common-place book. His researches into antiquity were aided by

the learned Selden, who had early in life formed an acquaintance with him, assisted if not suggested his inquiries in mathematics, physics, history, chronology, anatomy, surgery, philosophy, and above all, divinity; and, finally, appointed him one of his executors.* Noy, the Attorney General, likewise directed his studies; and such an intimacy subsisted between the tutor and his pupil, that the latter was usually denominated Young Noy.'

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He set himself much, says his biographer, to the study of the Roman law: and, though he liked the way of judicature in England by juries much better than that of the civil law, where so much was trusted

to the judge; yet he often said, that the true ground and reasons of law were so well delivered in the Digests, that a man could never understand law as a science so well as by seeking it there,' and therefore he lamented much that it was so little studied in England. He looked on readiness in arithmetic, as a thing which might be useful to him in his own employment; and acquired it to such a degree, that he would often on the sudden, and afterward on the bench, resolve very hard questions which had puzzled the best accomptants about town.

With a soul elevated above that mean appetite of loving money, which is generally the root of all evil,' he did not take the profits that he might have had by his practice; for in common cases, when those who came to ask his counsel gave him a price, he used to return half, and so made ten shillings his fee, in ordinary matters that did not

* One of the others was Mr. Vaughan, whom he had highly valued in early life, and who became afterward Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

require much time or study. If he saw that a cause was unjust, he for a great while would not meddle any farther in it, except to give his advice that it was so. If the parties after that would go on, they were to seek another counsellor, for he would assist none in acts of injustice: if he found the cause doubtful, or weak in point of law, he always advised his clients to compromise the business. Yet afterward he abated much of the scrupulosity, which he had about causes that appeared at first view unjust, upon this occasion: two causes were brought to him, which by the ignorance of the party or their attorney were so ill represented to him, that they seemed extremely bad; but, inquiring more narrowly into them, he found them to be really very good and just. In consequence of this, he slackened much of his former strictness, in refusing to undertake causes upon the ill circumstances that appeared in them at first.

In his pleading, he abhorred those too common faults of mis-reciting evidences, quoting precedents or books falsely, or asserting things confidently; by which ignorant juries, or weak judges, are too often imposed upon. Adopting professionally the same sincerity which distinguished the other parts of his life, he used to say, It was as great a dishonour as a man could be capable of, that for a little money he was to be hired to say or do otherwise than as he thought.' All this he ascribed to the immeasurable desire of heaping up wealth, which corrupted the souls of some that seemed otherwise born and made for great things.

When he was a practitioner, differences were often referred to him, which he settled without accepting any reward for his pains, though offered

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jointly by both parties after the agreement was made; for he said, In those cases he was made a judge, and a judge ought to take no money.' If they told him, He lost much of his time in considering their business, and therefore ought to be acknowledged for it,' his answer was, Can I spend my time better, than to make people friends? Must I have no time allowed me to do good in?'

He had been called to the bar a short time before the open rupture between Charles I. and his parliament; a juncture, when it was extremely difficult for the gentlemen of the robe to consult at once their independence and their safety. Hale, however, had read (for he translated) the Life of Atticus, who during the wars of Cæsar and Pompey, and those of Antony and Brutus, conducted himself with such address, that he was esteemed and caressed by all parties; and to his two favourite maxims he closely adhered, "To engage in no faction," but "Constantly to favour and relieve the oppressed." * Thus he ingratiated himself with the Royalists, by extending his assistance to distressed cavaliers; while by his integrity and abilities in his profession he procured the esteem of the Parliamentarians, so that he was employed by both. He was one of the counsel for

* In a subsequent Life, some suggestions are made less to the advantage of this celebrated character. But those, who (unlike the Athenian lawgiver) are disposed to view neutrality in turbulent times with indulgence, may read with pleasure the Marquis of Halifax's Character of a Trimmer.'

In fulfilment of the second maxim, Hale often deposited considerable sums in the hands of a worthy Royalist, who knew the necessities of his party, that he might distribute them at his discretion without either disclosing the names or the donations to his generous principal.