Brooks - BX9338 .B7 1813 v2

LIVES OF THE PURITANS: shone with the greatest splendour. Hewas a prudent Master of this College more than eight years, being a firm defender of all that was right, and an avenger of whatever was wrong. Dr. Whitaker, through the whole of his life, both in public and private, discovered great piety and holiness. He was most patient under insults, and easily reconciled to those who injured him. He was very bountiful to the poor ; especially to pious and industrious students. He was, always modest in giving his judgment upon mens' opinions and actions. Among his friends, he was 'courteous and pleasant; faithful in keeping secrets ; prudent and grave; and always ready to assist them with counsel or money. He was of a grave aspect, a' ruddy complexion, a strong constitution, a solid judgment, a liberal mind, and an affable disposition ; but that which added the greatest lustre to his character, was his great meekness and humility.. " He was one of the greatest men his college ever produced ; and," says Wood, " the desire and love of the present times, and the envy of posterity, that cannot bring forth a parallel."+ " The learnedWhitaker," says Leigh, " was the honour of our schools, and the angel of our church ; than whom our age saw nothing more memorable. What clear- ness of judgment, what sweetness of style, what gravity of person, what gracefulness of carriage, was in the man !" " Who ever saw him without reverence!" said Bishop Hall, 44 or heard him without wonder ?"t He was styled " the oracle of Cambridge, and the miracle of the world." It was a maxim with this celebrated divine, " that refreshing the memory was a matter of great importancein every kind of learning, but especially in the most useful parts of it. He therefore read over his grammar and logic once every year.4 He was the greatest champion in the cause of the protestants, even by the confession of Cardinal Bellarmine, who, though he had been so often baffled by him, procuredhis picture from England, and preserved it in his-study. When his friends were introduced to him, he used to point to the picture and say, that though Whitaker Clark's Eccl. Hist. p. 819, 820.-Fuller's Abel. Red. p. 406. Baker's MS. Collec. vol. i. p. 213.-Wood's Athena, vol. i. p. 744. t Leigh on Religion and Learning, p. 863, 364. Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 218.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=