admired for the noble and pious Strains, for which this excellent Divine was So particularly celebrated. And in the

Year 1669. his Lordship, of his own Motion, made him a Prebendary of the Church of Winton; in which Poft, his great Parts and Piety recommended him to King Charles II. who made Choice of him to attend the Lord Dartmouth to the Demolition of Tangier; and on his Return, he was conftituted his Majesty's Chaplain by the particular Direction of the King himself.

Some time after, he was made Chaplain to the Princess of Orange, then refiding in Holland; in whofe Favour be ftood very high, on account of his prudent Conduct, and ftrict Piety: And on his Return to England, his Majesty King Charles II. of his own Accord, without the Interpofition of any one, nominated him to the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells, vacant by the Tranflation of Dr. Mew to the See of Winton; his Majesty being pleafed to fay on this Occafion, That Dr. Ken fhould fucceed to the See of Bath and Wells by virtue of his own peculiar Appointment. And accordingly the King himself gave Direction for a A 4 Congé

Congé d' Elire to pass the Seals; and he was confecrated Bishop of that Diocese on St. Paul's Day, Anno 1684. And this was the more remarkable, as he had paffed fome Slights on Mrs. Gwin, one of the King's Miftreffes, but just before; having refufed her Admittance into his Houfe at Winton, where he was appointed to lodge during the King's Abode in thofe Parts, the Doctor frankly declaring, That a Woman of ill Repute ought not to be endured in the House of a Clergyman, and efpecially one who had the Honour to be the King's Chaplain.

In the baft Hours of the King's Life, be was a clofe and conftant Attendant on his Majefiy, to infpire him with Sentiments of Piety and Penitence; and prevailed with the King to order a certain Dutchefs, who had been his Mifirefs, to be removed from his Royal Prefence; and fo effectually reprefented the Injury his Majesty bed done to his Queen, that the King fent for her, and oked her Pardon, a little before be expired.

He was one of the first Projectors of Charity-Schools, which he fet on Foot,

in order to cure the miferable Ignorance of the Common People; and wrote an Expofition of the Church Catechism, calculated for this very End; and he used to fay on this Occafion, That he would try if he could not lay a Foundation to make the next Generation better.

He went frequently to fome great Parish, where he would preach twice, and confirm and catechize: And on Sundays, when be dined at Home, he used to have twelve poor Men or Women dine with bim in bis Hall, to whom he gave comfortable Inftruction for their Souls, at the fame time that he was feeding their Bodies; and what was left at Dinner, be divided among them, that their Families at Home might partake of the Benefits they received. And as a farther Inftance of the Extenfiveness of his Charity, having 4000 l. fallen to him as Bishop of Bath and Wells, arifing from a Fine, he gave the greatest Part of it towards the Support of the diftreffed French Proteftants, at that time expelled their Country for their Religion.

Altho' he was firmly attached to the Intereft of the Prince on the Throne, which be thought his Duty, as he had fworn

Allegiance to him; yet compaffionating the miferable State of the Prisoners for the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion, in bis Diocese of Wells, he daily relieved Some Hundreds of them, and likewife prayed with them, in Prifon: And fo great was the Fame of his Integrity and Piety, that the King never fufpected him for thofe Acts of Charity to his Enemies : And being once accufed by the Papifts, who bad at that time a prevailing Intereft in Court, of fome free Expreffions in a Sermon, by him preached in the Royal Chapel, when the King was abfent, and clofetted by his Majefty upon it; he with the Freedom and Plainness of a truly primitive Bishop, told the King, That if his Majefty had not neglected his own Duty of being prefent, his Enemies had not had that Opportunity of accufing him.

Though, as has been faid, his Loyalty to his Prince was never questioned; yet be thought he owed fo much to his Country, as to make one of the feven Bishops, who made fo noble a Stand for the Liberty of the People, against the difpenfing Power which the King had just af fumed, and was fent to the Tower on

that

that Occafion; which is a Piece of HiStory too well known to need mentioning bere. After he had thus facrificed the Favour in which he stood with the King, to the Duty he owed to his Religion and his Country, he suffered himself to be deprived of all his Preferments, and his Bishoprick, which were his whole Fortune and Eftate, rather than offend his Confcience, having fome unhappy Scruples about taking the Oaths to King William, which he thought incompatible with thofe he had taken to King James : And by this means he was in a manner reduced to receive thofe charitable Assistances, which he had fo liberally dif penfed to others, that when his Goods and Effects were fold on his Deprivation, the Whole, excepting his Books, produced but 7001. for which Sum the Lord Viscount Weymouth allowed him 201. per Quarter, and charged it on his own Eftate.

But notwithstanding he was fo unhapPy as not to be able to comply with the Oaths preferibed by the Government, after the Revolution; yet, during the whole Time of his Retirement, to the End of his Life, he was never suspected of A 6

any