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inconvenient to carry him to Cambridge, then wit and eloquence had paid their tribute for the honour he has done them.

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 fymbols toward the history of his life: there are many which long before me had the advantage of his converfation, and could offer more judicious obfervations, and in a style fit to speak of Dr. Barrow.

In the Epitaph, Dr. Mapletoft, his much efteemed friend, doth truly defcribe him; his picture was never made from the life, and the effigies on his tomb doth little refemble him. He was in perfon of the leffer fize, and lean; of extraordinary strength, of a fair and calm complexion, a thin fkin, very fenfible of the cold; his eyes grey, clear, and somewhat short-fighted; 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 faid of that great man.

Virtue was thy life's centre, and from thence

Did filently and conftantly difpenfe

The gentle vigorous influence

To all the wide and fair circumference.

COWLEY.

The estate he left was books; thofe he bought, fo well chofen as to be fold for more than they coft; and those he made, whereof a catalogue is annexed; and it were not improper to give a farther account of his Works than to name them: befide 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 fay, that for his little piece of The Unity

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of the Church, he has better deserved of the Church and religion, than many who make a greater figure in ecclefiastic history and politics. But fuch 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 obfervables at the taking his several degrees, and discharging the office of Vice-Chancellor.

There are befide other particulars, which are grateful to talk over among friends, not so proper perhaps to appear in a public writing. For inftance, one morning going out of a friend's houfe 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 prefent 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 ftraining 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 phyfic, 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 thinking.

I did at first mention the uniformity and conftant tenor of his life, and proceeding on have noted several particulars of very different nature. I therefore explain myself thus; that he was always one by his exact conformity to the rule in a virtuous and prudent conversation; he steered by the fame compass to the fame port, when the storms forced him to fhift his fails. His fortune did in fome occafions partake of the unfettledness of the times wherein he lived; and to fit himself for the feveral works he was to do, he entered upon ftudies of several kinds, whereby he could not totally devote himself to one; which would have been more for the public benefit, according to his own opinion, which was, that general scholars did more

please themselves, but they who profecuted particular fubjects did more fervice to others.

Being thus engaged with variety of men and ftudies, his mind became stored with a wonderful plenty of words wherewith to exprefs himself; and it happened that fometime he let slip a word not commonly used, which upon reflection he would doubtlefs have altered, for it was not out of affectation.

But his life were a subject requiring other kind of difcourses; and as he that acts another man, doth also act himself; so he that would give an account of the excellent qualities in Dr. Barrow, would have a fair field wherein to display his own. Another Camerarius or Gaffendus would make another Life of Melancthon, or Piereskius. What I am doing will not prevent them; I fhall be well fatisfied with my unskilfulness, if I provoke them to take the argument into better hands.

All I have faid, or can fay, is far fhort of the idea which Dr. Barrow's friends have formed of him, and that character under which he ought to appear to them who knew him not. Befide all the defects on my part, he had in himself this disadvantage of wanting foils to augment his luftre, and low places to give eminence to his heights; fuch virtues as his, contentment in all conditions, candour in doubtful cafes, moderation among differing parties, knowledge without oftentation, are fubjects fitter for praise than narrative.

If I could hear of an accufation, that I might vindicate our friend's fame, it would take off from the flatness of my expreffion; or a well-managed faction, under the name of zeal, for or against the Church, would fhew well in ftory; but I have no fhadows to fet off my piece. I have laid together a few fticks for the funeral-fire, dry bones which can make but a fkeleton, till some other hand lay on the flesh and finews, and cause them to live and move. You will encourage others by pardoning me,

which I promise myself from that goodness wherewith Dr. Barrow and you have used to accept the small service with the great devotion of,

Sir,

Your obedient

And humble Servant,

London, April 10, 1683.

A. H.

ISAACUS BARROW,

S. T. P. REGI CAROLO II. A SACRIS.

Vir prope divinus, et vere magnus, fi quid magni habent Pietas, probitas, fides, fumma eruditio, par modeftia, Mores fan&tiffimi undequaque, et suavissimi.

Geometria Profeffor Londini Greshamenfis,

Græcæ Linguæ, et Mathefeos apud Cantabrigienfes fuos. Cathedras omnes, ecclefiam, gentem ornavit.

Collegium S. S. Trinitatis Præfes illuftravit,

Jactis bibliothecæ vere Regiæ fundamentis auxit.

Opes, honores, et univerfum vitæ ambitum,

Ad majora natus, non contempfit, fed reliquit feculo.
Deum, quem a teneris coluit, cum primis imitatus eft

Pauciffimis egendo, benefaciendo quam plurimis,

Etiam pofteris, quibus vel mortuus concionari non definit. Cætera, et pene majora ex fcriptis peti poffunt.

Abi, Lector, et æmulare.

Obiit iv. die Maii, ann. Dom. MDCLXXVII.

Etat. fuæ XLVII.

Monumentum hoc Amici pofuere.

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