irt in a coarse gown, or canonical coat; of a mean stature, and
stooping, and yet more lowly in the thoughts of his soul; his body
worn out, not with age, but study and holy mortifications; his face
full of heat-pimples, begot by his unactivity and sedentary life.
And to this true character of his person, let me add this of his
disposition and behaviour: God and Nature blessed him with so blessed
a bashfulness, that as in his younger days his pupils might easily
look him out of countenance; so neither then, nor in his age, did he
ever willingly look any man in the face: and was of so mild and humble
a nature, that his poor Parish-Clerk and he did never talk but with
both their hats on, or both off, at the same time: and to this may
be added, that though he was not purblind, yet he was short or
weaksighted; and where he fixed his eyes at the beginning of his
sermon, there they continued till it was ended: and the Reader has a
liberty to believe, that his modesty and dim sight were some of the
reasons why he trusted Mrs. Churchman to choose his wife.

[Sidenote: His Parish Clerk]

This Parish-Clerk lived till the third or fourth year of the late Long
Parliament; betwixt which time and Mr. Hooker's death there had come
many to see the place of his burial, and the Monument dedicated to his
memory by Sir William Cowper, who still lives; and the poor Clerk
had many rewards for shewing Mr. Hooker's grave place, and his said
Monument, and did always hear Mr. Hooker mentioned with commendations
and reverence; to all which he added his own knowledge and
observations of his humility and holiness; and in all which discourses
the poor man was still more confirmed in his opinion of Mr. Hooker's
virtues and learning. But it so fell out, that about the said third or
fourth year of the Long Parliament, the then present Parson of Bourne
was sequestered,--you may guess why,--and a Genevan Minister put into
his good living. This, and other like sequestrations, made the Clerk
express himself in a wonder, and say, "They had sequestered so many
good men, that he doubted, if his good master Mr. Hooker had lived
till now, they would have sequestered him too!"

It was not long before this intruding Minister had made a party in and
about the said Parish, that were desirous to receive the Sacrament as
in Geneva; to which end, the day was appointed for a select company,
and forms and stools set about the altar, or communion-table, for them
to si