was willinge to seale and execute them, that they might be valid:  But his fathers passyon and indignation so farr transported him (though he was a gentleman of excellent parts) that he refused any reconciliation and rejected all the offers which were made of the estate, so that his Sunn remayned still in the possession of his estate against his will, of which he founde greate reason afterwards to rejoyce, but he was for the present so much afflicted with his fathers displeasure, that he transported himselfe and his wife into Hollande, resolvinge to buy some military commaunde, and to spende the remainder of his life in that profession, but beinge disappointed in the treaty he exspected, and findinge no opportunity to accommodate himselfe with such a commaunde, he returned agayne into Englande, resolvinge to retyre to a country life, and to his bookes, that since he was not like to improove himselfe in armes, he might advance in letters.

In this resolution he was so seveare (as he was alwayes naturally very intent upon what he was inclined to) that he declared he would not see London in many yeeres (which was the place he loved of all the world) and that in his studyes, he would first apply himselfe to the Greeke, and pursue it without intermission, till he should attayne to the full understandinge of that tounge, and it is hardly to be credited, what industry he used, and what successe attended that industry, for though his fathers death, by an unhappy accident, made his repayre to London absolutely necessary, in fewer yeeres then he had proposed for his absence, yett he had first made himselfe master of the Greeke tounge (in the Latine he was very well versed before) and had reade not only all the Greeke Historians, but Homer likewise and such of the Poetts, as were worthy to be perused:  Though his fathers death brought no other convenience to him, but a title to redeeme an estate, morgaged for as much as it was worth, and for which he was compelled to sell a fyner seate of his owne, yett it imposed a burthen upon him of the title of a Viscount, and an increase of exspence, in which he was not in his nature to provident or restrayn’d, havinge naturally such a generosity and bounty in him, that he seemed to have his estate in trust, for all worthy persons who stoode in wante of supplyes and encouragement, as Ben.  Johnson and[1] many others of that tyme, whose fortunes requyred, and whose spiritts made them superiour to ordinary obligations; which yett they were contented to receave from him, because his bountyes were so generously distributed, and so much without vanity and ostentation, that except from those few persons from whome he sometimes receaved the characters of fitt objectes for his benefitts, or whome he intrusted for the more secrett derivinge it to them, he did all he could that the persons themselves who receaved them, should not know from what fountayne they flow’d; and when that could not be concealed, he sustayned any acknowledgement from the persons oblieged, with so much trouble and bashfulnesse, that they might well perceave that he was even ashamed of the little he had given, and to receave so large a recompence for it.