PRESTON. 357 Preston, having acquitted himself with great honour, was afterwards appointed to preach "before the king, which he performed to the admiration of his audience. He was endowed with a fluent utterance, a commanding elocution, and a strong memory, delivering what he had prepared without the use of notes. At the close of the service, his majesty expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the sermon, especially with his observation relative to the Arminian, 44 That they put God into the same extremity as Darius, when he would have saved Daniel, but could not." The Marquis of Hamilton earnestly recommended to his majesty that Preston might become one of his chaplains, declaring that he was moved to this entirely from the excellency of the sermon. He told the king, that the preacher spoke no pen and ink-horn language, but as one who.comprehended what he said, and must, therefore, have in him something substantial. The king acknowledged all, but said it was too early : he remembered the Newmarket business ; and so was reserved. About this period Preston went abroad, and visited several of the foreign universities, by which he obtained much literary. advantage. Having spent some time among learned men on the continent, he returned home, when his popularity at court became almost universal. He rose to so high a degree of reputation, that he was told he might be chaplain towhom he pleased. The Duke of Buckingham, not knowing what friends he might want, persuaded the King to appoint him chaplain in ordinary to the Prince of Wales.. In the year 1622, he was chosen preacher at Lincoln's-inn, London, and, upon the resignation of Dr. Chadderton, master of Emanuel college, Cambridge, when he took his doctor's degree. , The Duke of Buckingham highly esteemed him, and hoped byhis means to ingratiate himself with the puritans, whose power was then growing formidable in parliament. Good men rejoiced to see that honest men were not all despised. The courtiers, particu- larly the duke, signified that he would now mount from one step to another, till he became a bishop. The Earl of The king used to call the duke Stenny, on account of his fine face, alluding to Acts vi. 15.-It was a pleasant remark of his majesty ; who said, That Stenny had given him three notable servants : a gentleman of the bed-chamber, (Clarice) who could not help him to untruss a paint ; forhe had but one hand. A chaplain, (Dr. Preston) who could not say prayers; forhe scrupled the use of the liturgy. And a secretaryof state, (Sir Edward Conway) who could neither write nor read.'-.1tapin's Dist. of Eng, vol. ii. p. 199,
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