_Born 1584. Died 1654._
By CLARENDON.
M'r Selden, was a person whome no character can flatter, or transmitt
in any exspressions æquall to his meritt and virtue. He was of so
stupendious learninge in all kindes, and in all languages, (as may
appeare in his excellent and transcendent writings) that a man would
have thought, he had bene intirely conversant amongst bookes, and had
never spent an howre, but in readinge and writinge, yett his humanity,
courtesy and affability was such, that he would have bene thought
to have bene bredd in the best courtes, but that his good nature,
charity, and delight in doinge good, and in communicatinge all he
knew, exceeded that breedinge. His style in all his writings seemes
harsh and sometymes obscure, which is not wholy to be imputed to the
abstruse subjects, of which he commonly treated, out of the pathes
trodd by other men, but to a little undervalewinge the beauty of a
style, and to much propensity to the language of antiquity, but in his
conversation the most cleere discourcer, and had the best faculty, in
makinge hard things, easy, and præsentinge them to the understandinge,
of any man, that hath bene knowne. M'r Hyde was wonte to say, that he
valewed himselfe upon nothinge more, then upon havinge had M'r Seldence
acquaintance, from the tyme he was very young, and held it with greate
delight, as longe as they were suffred to continue togither in London,
and he was very much troubled alwayes, when he hearde him blamed,
censured and reproched, for stayinge in London, and in the Parliament
after they were in rebellion, and in the worst tymes, which his age
oblieged him to doe; and how wicked soever the actions were which were
every day done, he was confident he had not given his consent to them,
but would have hindred them if he could, with his owne safety, to
which he was alwayes enough indulgent: if he had some infirmityes with
other men, they were waighed downe with wounderfull and prodigious
abilityes and excellencyes in the other skale.
50.