20 LIFE OF RICHARD BAXTER. respect. In that school he was fitted for the university. But when his studies were advanced to that point, he was diverted from his original design of obtaining a.regular education at one of the established seats of learning. His teacher proposed that, in- stead ofgoing to the university, he should be put under the tuition of a Mr. Wickstead, chaplain to the council at Ludlow, who was allowed to have a single pupil. This situation, he, was made to believe, was much more favorable to study than the university; and his parents regarded the new proposal with much partiality, as by such an arrangement their only son would still be kept near them. Accordingly he went to Ludlow Castle. But his new instructor taught him nothing. The chaplain to the council was too much engaged with his efforts " to please the great ones, and to seek preferment ;" he had no time or attention to bestow,on his single pupil. Yet he did nothing to hinder theprogress of the active and powerful young mind which he had undertaken to in- struct; and, with time enough and books, such a.mind could not fail to make progress. In his new circumstances he was exposed to many temptations, the castle and town being full of idleness and dissipation. But while there, he formed an intimate acquaintance with a man who, though he afterwards apostatized, was then distinguished by strong and fervid religious feelings. His intercourse with his friend not only kept him on his guard, but kindled his own feelings to a higher pitch of excitement than they had ever attained before. After a year anda half spent at Ludlow Castle, he returned to his father's house. His former teacher Owen being sick with consumption, he, at the request ofLord' Newport, the patron, took charge of the school for a fewmonths. The death of Owen, and the appointment of a successor; soon left him at liberty ; and, having resolved to enter the ministry, he put himself under the instruction of Mr. Francis Garbet, then minister at Wroxeter, of whom he speaks with affection and reverence. Under this teacher he commenced, with much zeal, those metaphysical pur- suits to which he was ever afterwards so much devoted. His studies, however, were much interrupted by disease, and sometimes by mental distress approaching to religious melancholy. Not far from this time, when he was about eighteen years of age, he was persuaded for a little while to abandon his plans and expectations in regard to preaching the gospel. Mr. Wickstead, his tutor at Ludlow, whoseems tohave regarded him with a friend- ly interest, proposed that he shouldgo to London, in the hope of obtaining some office about the court. Baxter himself disliked the proposal; but his parents not having any great inclination to see their son a clergyman, (which cannot be thought strange, consider-
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