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the Mathematicks, eight Hours in a Day, till the Year 1693.

However, in the Year 1685 there was fo extraordinary a Crifis of the Proteftant Religion, as well deferves to be mentioned here: Infomuch that, as Bishop Burnet partly implies, but Mr. Arthur Onflow more diftinctly informs me, it once depended on a fingle Vote in the Houfe of Commons, whether King James fhould be permitted to employ Popish Officers in his Army or not: Which Point, had he gained, there was vifibly an End of the publick Establishment of the Proteftant Religion in this Kingdom. It came, as I faid, to a fingle Vote; and a Courtier, who was to watch every Voter where the Member had any Employment under the King, obferved one that had a Regiment going to vote against the Court; and feeing him, put him warmly in mind of his Regiment. He made Answer, "my Brother died last Night, ❝ and has left me 700l. a Year;" which fingle Vote gained a Majority, and faved the Proteftant Religion at this Time. If I might use an Heathen Expreffion in a Cafe belonging to Christianity, I would fay, Non hoc fine numine Divûm.

Now during this Time, and while I was Undergraduate, an Accident happened to me, which may deserve to be here related, for the Caution and Benefit of others in the like Circumstances. I one Summer observed, that my Eyes did not fee as usual, but dazzled after an aukward Manner. Upon which I imagined this might arise only from my too much Application to my Studies; and I thought

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proper to abate of that Application for a Fortnight, in hopes of recovering my usual Sight by, walking, during that Time, much abroad in the green Grafs and green Fields; but found myself disappointed: Which occafioned fome Terror to me, especially because of my Father's Lofs of Sight before. At this Time I met with an Account, either in Converfation, or Writing, that Mr. Boyle had known of a Person who had new whited the Wall of his Study or Chamber, upon which the Sun fhone, and used to read in that glaring Light, and thereby loft his Sight for a Time, till upon hanging the Place where he studied with Green, he recovered it again; which was exactly my own Cafe, in a lefs Degree, both as to the Cause and the Remedy. For I and my ChamberFellow had newly-whitened our Room, into which almost all the Afternoon the Sun fhone, and where I used to read. I therefore retired to my Study, and hung it with Green, by which means I recovered my usual Sight, which, God be praised, is hardly worse now, that I perceive, at fourscore Years of Age, than it was in my youthful Days.

During the fame Time, while I was an under Graduate in the Reign of King James II. and, in the Year 1687 or 1688, I went with the fenior Fellow of our College, Dr. Nathaniel Vincent, into Norfolk, on account of my Health. It was near the End of May, and when we came thither the Doctor found that he was put up to preach at

the Cathedral of Norwich upon May 29, the Solemnity for the Restoration. Now the Doctor was known

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known to be a great Friend of King James's, and perhaps hoped to be made a Bishop by him: Which is fufficient for understanding his Temper and Principles; and this at a Time when the Body of the Proteftants, and the University in particular, were in very great Dread of Popery, and were thereby become much more ferious in Religion, much more fedulous in attending Divine Service, and much more charitable and friendly to Diffenters than for-. merly. [And happy, thrice happy fhould I have thought this unhappy Nation now, if, upon our late Fears of the Pretender and of Popery, we had been brought into the fame excellent Temper. But, alas! alas!] When Dr. Vincent found himself in these Circumftances, and unprovided of a compleat Sermon fuitable to the Occafion, he found, however, that he had fome Notes with him that might affift him in a new Compofition.. He made me therefore. his Amanuenfis for many Hours, where we then were, and fo compleated his Sermon. His Text was, Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft, 1 Sam. xv. 23. Which he, as is ufual, understood of the Rebellion of Subjects against their Kings; whereas it was meant, most evidently, of King Saul's RebelJion against Almighty God, who had made him King. We then dined at the Bishop's, Dr. Lloyd's Palace, who was in great Reputation at that Time, and proved to be one of the Nonjuring Bishops afterward. The next Lord's Day there was fo cxcellent a Sermon preached at the fame Cathedral, by a Clergyman, to me unknown; but, by his Hood, feemed to be a Doctor of Divinity; and

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if I remember right, came from the Parts near Lynn, and fo directly fitted the unhappy Circumftances we were then in, the imminent Danger of Popery and Perfecution, that we, the Hearers, were prodigious attentive to it, and deeply affected. by it. The Subject was, The proper Preparations of a Chriftian for Times of Perfecution. [Almost like Bishop Sherlock's most excellent Sermon at Salisbury last October, which I have fince republished, with Additions of my own] yet with fuch Caution, that, though we well knew the Preacher's Meaning, no Handle was given for any Accufation. at Court; only fo far we were advised, that, if Danger should approach, we fhould hold faft to our [Proteftant] Bishops, as the most likely Way to escape the Dangers we might be in. I hardly ever in my Life faw fuch an Impreffion made by a Sermon, as was made by this, on any Audience. We were then for certain in earneft, and had, I believe, very little Regard to Dr. Vincent's CourtSermon juft before (as fuch Sermons generally deserve no better): However, it foon happened that the Prince of Orange came to our Deliverance, and the Cambridge Mob got up, and feized Dr. Watson, the Bishop of St. David's, of much the fame Character with Dr. Vincent, and threatened Dr. Vincent himself. Who thereupon thought of faving himself by going out of the College for awhile: Accordingly he called for me, as thenhis Sizor, to affift him in preparing for his Removal. But what may be here moft worth mentioning is this, that I happened, by Inadvertency, to

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overthrow his Salt towards himself at Supper: Which put him into a great Concern; and made him fay very folemnly, that "It would be a fad Completion of this Omen if they should find him dead in his Bed the next Morning :" To which no Reply was made. Yet was this fo far from being accomplished, that the Doctor lived a great many Years after it: So vain are the pretended Signals of this fuperftitious Nature. Tho' the Affrightment they may cause in melancholy Perfons may be fometimes really mischievous to them.

In my Note-Book I find about this Time the following Memorandum.

Sept. 1, 1687. Dr. Henry Moor of Christ'sCollege died; and was buried by Torchlight the third Day, being Sunday. His laft Words, as I heard, were these, or to this Effect: Calling his Nurse he said to her, Nurfe, I am going a long Journey, where I fhall change these for better Poffeffions; and fo presently departed. Sic Obijt Divinus ille Philofophus Cantabrigienfis: Extinctus amabitur idem.

Nor can I well mention this Dr. Henry Moor, without the Mention of his prodigious Admirer and Executor, Dr. Davies of Haidon; who was one of my best Friends when I was banished the Univerfity; and whofe Brother-in-Law, Mr. Ward, was alfo my very good Friend, and Dr. Moor's great Admirer, and wrote his Life, very well. I fhould digrefs too much if I fhould go on with these two very valuable Clergymen's Characters,

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