as matrimony is, still more solemn, he pitched upon 1658. Ascension-day for the solemnizing of it, which, in 1658, was the twentieth of May.

The success of such an important action answered Her chathe care and caution that was used in bringing it to pass; for Mrs. Bull proved in all respects a fit consort for a clergyman, as being in her own nature sufficiently provident, and yet well disposed to all manner of good works, out of a true principle of love to God and goodness. Her attire was very plain and grave: her chief diversion was the care of her family, and her main ambition was to please her husband, to whom she was always a complying and obedient wife. Yet her piety was not confined to her own home, but extended itself to the whole parish wherever she lived: for by the help of her closet, and skill in surgery, she made herself extremely useful and necessary upon all occasions, and was very much beloved, especially by those of the meaner sort. These advantages she improved to the best purposes; for by these means she was highly instrumental with the people of Avening, a living which Mr. Bull was afterwards preferred to, especially those of her own sex, to lay aside their prejudices against the Common Prayer, to bring their children to church to receive public baptism, which they had not been used to do for many years before, and to return thanks to God after childbirth, which had been discontinued for some time in that parish. Such was her charity, that she not only distributed her own alms with great liberality and discretion, but would frequently put the overseers of the poor in mind of their duty; that the sick and aged might not want such supplies as they were obliged to fur

1658. nish, and the necessity of the indigent required. And such was her concern for the souls of her neighbours, that when her husband's infirmities made him, upon occasions, unable to visit the sick, and that the curate was accidentally from home, she would procure this assistance, when to be had, from others; and her worthy son-in-law Mr. Archdeacon Stephens well knows, that he seldom went to pay his duty at her house, but she would engage him to go along with her to visit the sick, and to pray and discourse with them. They were man and wife above fifty years P; and she is yet living at Brecknock; the people of which place were so kind as to send a message to her on purpose, after the bishop's death, to signify their earnest desire and request, that she would come and spend the remainder of her days among them; and though solicited by some of her relations to live with them, yet she complied with this obliging proposal, not so much from an inclination to live at Brecknock, as to die there, being determined to be buried near her deceased husband, who was there interred; and to this purpose the ground remains still unpaved by her order, who daily waiteth for her dissolution. She brought Mr. Bull five sons and six daughters, and so proved a fruitful as well as a provident and obedient wife, which exactly answered the prayer of her wedding-ring, which was, Bene parere, parere, parare det mihi Deus.

P [Fifty-two years.]

9 [That is, when this Life was begun: before it was ended she had died, as is mentioned by Nelson when speaking of the interment of bishop Bull. She died Nov. 16, 1712, aged 75.]

r

[Jones, the historian of Brecknockshire, says two daugh

Suddington

XI. About this year, 1658, he was presented to 1658. the rectory of Suddington & St. Mary, near Cirences- He was preter in Gloucestershire, which being a living under sented to value, was in the gift of the keeper of the seals for St. Mary's. the time being, and consequently at the disposal of those who at that time were no friends to the church of England; and yet Mr.Bull got the presentation, not only without any mean application to the unlawful powers then in possession, but very honestly and honourably; the manner whereof was thus: the lady Pool, who at that time lived at Cirencester, as lady of the manor of Suddington, claimed a right of presenting to that living; and having a respect for Mr. Gregory, whose daughter Mr. Bull had married, and a much greater for Mr. Bull himself afterwards, as appeared by making him her executor, she offered Mr. Bull the presentation, which he accepted purely upon her right; but he had certainly lost it if Mr. Stone of Cirencester, a particular friend of Mr. Gregory's, had not taken out the broad seal without Mr. Bull's knowledge or privity; which he did upon this occasion. A clergyman, who knew that Mr. Bull had not a good title, endeavoured to get the broad seal for his living; which he had certainly succeeded in, if Mr. Stone had not been concerned in the presentations; for when that person addressed to Mr. Stone for that purpose, he told him that there was a minister lately settled at Suddington whose name was Bull; to which the party replied, that though he was in possession, yet he wanted the legal title. Upon this Mr. Stone acquainted him, that though he did not personally know Mr. Bull,

1658. yet he was not a stranger to his character; and having heard that he had married a daughter of a good friend of his, if he had not a good title, he would help him to one; and so took out the broad seal for Mr. Bull, and sent it to Mr. Gregory, and at the same time gave him an account, how much danger his son-in-law had been in; and all this Mr. Stone did gratis, out of a great regard and esteem for Mr. Gregory, which the providence of God made use of for Mr. Bull's security.

1659.

He was

made privy

In the year 1659, the nation began to be very sensible of the misery they had long groaned under, to the de- and were very earnest to relieve themselves from sign of a general in- that oppression, which had so long prevailed among

surrection in 1659.

them; and there was at that time a general disposition all over the kingdom to concert measures for the king's restoration. There were very few counties in England, where there was not a formed undertaking by the most powerful men of the county, to possess themselves of some considerable place that might be serviceable to so good a purpose. Several gentlemen in Mr. Bull's neighbourhood had frequent meetings to consult how they might contribute their share of advice and strength towards settling the nation upon a right foundation, by restoring the heir of the kingdom to the throne of his ancestors: and Mr. Bull was at that time so well esteemed for his loyalty and prudence, that the gentlemen admitted him into their secret, and had that confidence in his wise management, as well as in his good dispositions to the church of England, and the royal family, that they fixed upon his house at Suddington for one of the places of their meeting. And accordingly we find from the history of those times, that in July

that year a general rendezvous was designed through- 1659. out England, of all who would declare for the king, there having been commissions in every county, directed to six or seven known men, with authority to them to choose one to command in chief in that county, till they should make a conjunction with other forces who had a superior commission from the king. But through the permission of divine Providence, this undertaking was disappointed, and sir George Booth, who was the only person among many that were engaged that made a successful attempt in seizing upon Chester, was in a few days defeated, and himself made a prisoner.

Upon the restoration, Mr. Bull frequently preached 1660. at Cirencester, where there was a populous and large ing at Cicongregation; and he was the better able to give and the octhis assistance to his father-in-law Mr. Gregory, who casion of it. by his great age and infirmities was disabled from performing the duties of his function, because his parish lay in that neighbourhood. Here his sermons gave that general satisfaction, that upon a vacancy in that cure, the people were very solicitous to procure for him the presentation; but they could not prevail upon him to consent to the endeavours they were making to that purpose; the business of it was so great, by reason of the largeness of the parish, that he was discouraged from accepting this testimony of their kindness and respect towards him. The choice of the subjects which he discoursed upon at that place, and in that conjuncture of public affairs, were so very seasonable, that they had a visible good effect upon the congregation, and made such a deep impression, that they are remembered by some persons even to this day. His design was