where his parts, application, and behaviour, were so well employed and observed, that at the age of twenty' he was elected to New College, Oxon; where he took his Bachelor of Arts degree, May 3, 1661; and his degree of Master of Arts, Jan. 21, 1664; Bachelor of Divinity, 1678; and Doctor of Divinity, June 30, 1679. But by reason he outlived all, or most, of his contemporaries, and that therefore little account of his behaviour in that place can be had, I shall not render this whole account suspicious, by inserting surmise, where I intend to advance nothing but what may evidently be made appear. I shall only add this, that as soon as his circumstances would permit, he gave them upwards of one hundred pounds, as a small acknowledgment for his education, and towards the erecting of their new building.

2

He was from hence, on Dec. 8., in the year 1666, chosen into the society of Winchester, where his most exemplary goodness and piety did eminently exert itself; for that college being chiefly designed by its founder for a retired and studious life, what could a great and generous spirit propose, but the good of souls, and the glory of that God to whom he constantly ascribed it, even in his most familiar letters? And for this purpose he kept a constant course of preaching at St. John's Church in the Soak, near Winton, (where there was no preaching minister, and which he therefore called his cure,) and brought many anabaptists to the Church of England,

He went to Hart Hall in Oxford, and was entered student there Anno 1656. The next year he was admitted Probationer Fellow of New College.-Lives of English Bishops.

Glory be to God, was his constant prescript to all his letters and papers.

and baptized them himself. And that neither his study might be the aggressor on his hours of instruction; or what he judged his duty, prevent his improvement; or both, his closet addresses to his God, he strictly accustomed himself to but one sleep, which often obliged him to rise at one or two of the clock in the morning, and sometimes sooner, and grew so habitual, that it continued with him almost till his last illness. And so lively and cheerful was his temper, that he would be very facetious and entertaining to his friends in the evening, even when it was perceived that with difficulty he kept his eyes open; and then seemed to go to rest with no other purpose than the refreshing and enabling him with more vigor and cheerfulness to sing his morning hymn, as he then used to do to his lute before he put on his clothes.

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Some time after he was fellow of Winchester College, Dr. George Morley, then Bishop of that diocese, made him his domestic chaplain, and presented him to the parsonage of Woodhay, in Hampshire, vacant by the removal of his tutor, Dr. Sharrock. And it was about this time he composed and published his " Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Winchester Scholars." That prelate soon after, without any application made in his behalf, preferred him to the dignity of a prebendary in the cathedral church of Winton; and he was installed accordingly, April 12, 1669. In which post he was taken notice of by King Charles the Second. In the year 1675, the year of jubilee, he travelled through Italy, and to Rome; and upon his return within that same year, he was often heard to say, that he had great reason to give God thanks for his travels; since (if it were

possible,) he returned rather more confirmed of the purity of the Protestant religion than he was before. And now that prince made choice of him to go with the Lord Dartmouth, to the demolishing of Tangier; and at his return from thence, himself gave order he should be his chaplain'.

He was some time after this made chaplain to the Princess of Orange, who was at that time residing in Holland; in which post, his most prudent behaviour and strict piety, gained him entire credit, and high esteem with that Princess; but a consequential act of his singular zeal for the honour of his country, in behalf of a young lady, so far exasperated the Prince, that he very warmly threatened to turn him from the service; which the doctor resenting, and begging leave of the Princess, (whom to his death he distinguished by the title of his mistress,) warned himself from the service, and would not return to that court, till by the intreaty of the Prince himself, he was courted to his former post and respect; consenting to continue there for one year longer, (during which time he was taken at least into a show of great familiarity,) and when that year expired

'This is incorrect, as Ken was already chaplain to the King when he preached the funeral sermon of Lady M. Maynard, June 30, 1682, and the expedition to Tangier did not take place till the month of October, 1683, and did not return till the following year; consequently the following extract in all probability contains a correct account of this part of Ken's life. "In 1679 he proceeded doctor of divinity, was made chaplain in ordinary to the King, and went into Holland chaplain to Mary, Princess of Orange. In 1684, he attended the Lord Dartmouth to Tangier, as his chaplain, who had a commission to demolish that important fortress."-Extract from Life of Ken, from the lives of the English Bishops, London, 1733.

he returned for England. This was not unknown to the King, nor did he show the least dislike to his behaviour; for when the see of Bath and Wells became vacant by the removal of Dr. Peter Mews to Winton, the King himself stopped all attempts of Dr. Ken's friends (who would of their own inclinations have applied in his behalf,) with this remarkable saying, That Dr. Ken should succeed, but that he designed it should be from his own peculiar appointment. And accordingly the King himself gave order for a congedeslire to pass the seals for that purpose; and he was consecrated Bishop of Bath and Wells on St. Paul's day, in the year 1684. And this even just after his opinion, that a woman of ill repute ought not to be endured in the house of a clergyman, especially the King's chaplain, was publicly known. For at that time the King coming to Winton, and his harbinger having marked the Doctor's house, which he held in right of his prebend, for the use of Mrs. Gwin, he absolutely refused her admittance, and she was forced to seek other lodgings.

And now at this juncture it was, when that King's period of life drew near, his distemper seizing his head, and our Bishop well knowing how much had been put off to that last point, and fearing the strength of his distemper would give him but little time, (as indeed it proved,) his duty urging him, he gave a close attendance by the royal bed without any intermission, at least for three whole days and nights; watching at proper intervals to suggest pious and proper thoughts and ejaculations on so serious an occasion; in which time the Duchess of Portsmouth coming into the room, the Bishop prevailed

with his Majesty to have her removed, and took that occasion of representing the injury and injustice done to his Queen so effectually, that his Majesty was induced to send for the Queen, and asking pardon, had the satisfaction of her forgiveness before he died. The Bishop having homely urged the necessity of a full, and prevailed, as is hoped, for a sincere repentance, several times proposed the administration of the Holy Sacrament; but although it was not absolutely rejected, it was yet delayed, from time to time, till (I know not by what authority,) the Bishop, and all others present, were put out from the presence for about the space of half an hour, during which time it has been suggested, that father Huddleston was admitted to give extreme unction; and the interval between this and death was so short, that nothing concerning the Bishop's behaviour happened worthy of notice in this account. This close attendance the Bishop thought so absolutely necessary, as thereupon to delay his admission to the temporalities of the see of Wells; so that, when King James came to the crown, new instruments were passed for that purpose, and he was accordingly in full possession.

At this time, it was frequently said by many of eminence, who knew him well, that they never knew any person so able and earnest to do good in such a station, as he was. He had a very happy way of mixing his spiritual with his corporal alms. When any poor person begged of him, he would examine whether he could say the Lord's Prayer, or the Creed; and he found so much deplorable ignorance among the grown poor people, that he feared little good was to be done upon them: but said he would try, whether