LEE, SAMUEL, only son of an eminent citizen of London, who died in much esteem, and at a good old age. He possessed a considerable estate, which this his son enjoyed some years after his aged mother's decease. He had his first education under Dr. Gale at St. Paul's school, and at Wadham College, Oxford, under Dr. Wilkins, afterwards bishop of Chester. There he increased considerably both in knowledge and grace. At length he was chosen fellow of the college, and afterwards proctor of the university, in the year when Dr. Owen was vice chancellor, i656. About this time he compiled his "Temple of Solomon," in folio, and printed it at the request and expence of the university. He afterwards removed to London, and was fixed in the living of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, where he laboured with good acceptance for three or four years, till the Bartholomew Act passed, by which he was ejected and silenced. He was often advised by his learned and pious tutor bishop Wilkins, who conformed at the Restoration, to come into the established church: but he thought it his duty to see with his own eyes, and chose to act in a narrower sphere. He was congregational in judgement, but eminent for a Catholic spirit and extensive charity. He was many years minister of an Independent congregation at Newington Green. He was a considerable scholar; understood the learned languages well; spoke Latin fluently and elegantly; was a great master in physic and chemistry, and no stranger to any part of polite and useful learning. He was also eminent for charity to the poor, and bountifully contributed to the Hungarian ministers when they took refuge in England.

The times proving dangerous, and he being of a timorous temper, left a good estate, for the sake of peace and a quiet mind, about 1686, and went to New England; where he was received with respect, and chosen pastor of a congregation at Bristol. But he continued there only about three years; for hearing of the glorious revolution in his native country, in 1688, and wishing to taste the fruits of it, he was so eager to return, that he took ship with his wife and family, in the midst of winter *. In his passage he met with such opposition from the winds, that the ship was

He sailed for England from Boston, Oct. 2, 1699, on board the Dolphin, Capt. John Foy. His book entitled, "The Joy of Faith," is dated from Abbot's Langley, Herts, where probably he then lived, Jun. 16, 1685, which was but a little time before he left England.

driven upon the coast of Ireland, where it was attacked by a French privateer, and fought for some hours, till being on fire several times, and in danger of sinking, they were forced to surrender themselves prisoners. It was remarkable that, before he went on board, he mentioned to his wife a strong impression upon his mind of being taken captive. They were continued cruising for some weeks, exposed to all the extremities of wind and weather, and about Christmas the ship was carried as a prize into St. Maloe's in France, where he, his wife, daughter, and two servants were detained for some time. But at length they, unknown to him, were shipped off for England, while he, by the king's order was kept behind. Hereupon, through grief, at having his wife and child taken from him, and being left alone in a country where he was a perfect stranger, he was soon seized with a fever, of which he died in a few days, aged sixty-four, in the possession of those very enemies whom all his days he had the most dreaded.

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He was author of, 1. "Account of Solomon's Temple," fol. -2. " Triumph of Mercy in Chariot of Praise."-3." Joy of Faith."-4. Discourses on the Ten Tribes."-5. "A Latin Tract, on the Revelation De Excidio Antichristi."-6. "Contemplations on Morality;" dedicated to his aged Father.-7. "A Sermon on Judgement."-8. "Three Sermons in Morning Exercises."-9. "Ecclesia Gemens: two Discourses on the Mournful State of the Church," &c.-10. "Israel Redux; including a Piece by Dr. Gibbon Fletcher, to shew that the Tartars are the Posterity of the ten Tribes of Israel."—11. “The Life of Mr. John Rowe, prefixed to Mr. Rowe's Immanuel.”12. He left a "MS. on Revelation xi."

LEIGHTON, ROBERT. This truly good and great man was the eldest son of Alexander Leighton, a Scotsman, D.D. who wrote two books, for which he was called in question; the first was entitled, "The Looking Glass of Holy War," for which he was made to suffer. But the book that chiefly brought upon him the wrath of bishop Laud, and the high commission court, was his " Zion's Plea, or Appeal to the Parliament," for which he was condemned in the Star-chamber to have his ears cut and his nose slit, and suffered a cruel imprisonment the space of eleven years. Robert, had remarkable dispositions of seriousness from his youth. His father sent him to have his education in VOL. III, No. 60. Scotland,

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Scotland, where he made considerable proficiency in the learned languages, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, above his fellow students: for Burnet says, "He had the greatest command of the purest Latin that ever he knew in any man.' His Prælectiones Theologica" are a full confirmation of this testimony. He had so great a quickness of parts and vivacity of apprehension, that he made very great progress in his philosophical and theological studies. "But that which excelled all the rest was, says Burnet, he was possessed with the highest and noblest sense of divine things that could be seen in any man. He had a contempt both of wealth and reputation, and seemed to have the lowest thoughts of himself possible, wishing that all others should think as meanly of him as he did himself. He bore all sorts of ill usage and reproach like a man that took pleasure in it. He had so subdued the natural heat of his temper, that there was seldom seen in him any sign of passion; and he kept himself in such a constant recollection, that he was never or seldom guilty of speaking an idle word. There was a visible tendency in all he said, to raise his own mind, and all he conversed with to serious reflections. He seemed to be in a perpetual meditation; and though the whole course of his life was strict and ascetical, yet he had nothing of the sourness of temper that generally possesses men of that sort. He was the freest perhaps from superstition, from censuring others, or of imposing his own methods on them; so that he did not so much as recommend them to others. He said, there was a diversity of tempers, and every man was to watch over his own, and to turn it in the best manner he could. His thoughts were lively, often out of the way, and surprizing, yet just and genuine. And he had laid together in his memory the greatest treasure of the best and wisest of all the ancient sayings of the Heathens, as well as Christians, that I have ever known any man master of, and he used them in the aptest manner possible. He was bred up in the greatest aversion to the whole frame of the church of England: his father was warm and violent in his opinions of church government: but grace subdued, if not rooted up, all undue bigotry to those outward circumstances in the son. When he had finished his academical studies in Scotland, his father sent him to travel in foreign parts; he spent some years in France, and spoke the French language like one born there. After his travels

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he returned to Scotland; and having acquitted himself in all the parts of his trials for the ministry, to the great ap probation of his judges, he got Presbyterian ordination. He was ordained minister at Newbattle, in the Presbytery of Dalkeith, six miles from Edinburgh. His preaching had a sublimity of thought and expression. The grace and gravity of his pronunciation was such, that few heard him without a sensible emotion."

In 1648 he declared himself for the engagement for the king, which brought him to no small trouble; but the earl of Lothian, who lived in his parish, had so high an esteem. for him, that he prevailed with the leading men not to med dle with him, though he gave occasion to great exception: for when some people of his parish were ordered to make public profession of repentance for it, he told them, they had neglected their duty to God, and had been guilty of injustice, and he charged them to repent of these very seriously, with out meddling with the quarrel, or the grounds of that war. At last, when he could not do the things imposed upon. him any longer, and being unwilling to live in strife and contention, he chose in a silent manner to withdraw from his charge and the ecclesiastical courts, rather than engage in any disputes with them. The mastership of the college of Edinburgh some time after falling vacant, and it being in the gift of the magistrates and town council, he was prevailed upon to accept it, because in it he was proposed to be entirely free from meddling with the public affairs of church judicatories. He continued ten years in that post, and was a great blessing in it; for he discoursed to all the youth of any capacity or distinction in such a manner, that it had great effect upon many of them: he prelected often to them; and if crowds broke in, which they were apt to do, he would have gone on in his harangue in Latin, with a purity and life that charmed all who understood him. "Thus he had lived above twenty years in Scotland in the highest reputation (says Burnet) that any man in my time ever did in that kingdomu." In the vacation time, while he was principal of the college, he made excursions, and came often to London, where he observed all the eminent men in Cromwell's court, and in the several parties then about the city, but never saw any thing among them that pleased

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Bishop Burnet clears up the correspondence which he had

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with Flanders, and which was the occasion of his being suspected. He says, "That Leighton sometimes went over to Flanders, to see what he could find in the several orders of the church of Rome. There he found some of Jansenius's followers, who seemed to be men of extraordi nary tempers, and studied to bring things, if possible, to the purity and simplicity of the primitive ages, on all which his thoughts were much fixed." Shortly after the restora tion of king Charles II. it was proposed to him, that an alteration of the government of the church of Scotland should be made. The earl of Clarendon and the duke of Ormond of the English peers, and the earls of Middleton and Glencairn of the Scotish peers, with archbishop Sharp, were for the introduction of prelacy. Whereupon a letter was writ ten to the privy council of Scotland, intimating the king's intentions for setting up episcopacy, and demanding their advice upon it. The council in their letter to the king, encouraged him to go on, assuring him that the change he intended would give general satisfaction. This was not true in fact. Then the next work was, to seek out proper persons to be made bishops; for all the Scotch bishops be fore the year 1638 were dead, except Sydserf who had been bishop of Galloway. The English bishops had an aversion to all that had been engaged in the covenant; however Sharp, who had taken the covenant, nay, the tender also, abjuring the race of Stuarts, and was so much confided in by the church of Scotland as to be their agent for Presbytery, he being sent by them to the king, first in Holland, and afterward at London, betrayed their cause, and prevailed so far, that the choice of fit persons should be left to him. Mess. Sharp, Fairfowl, and Hamilton were sent for, who went to England, October 10, 1661. Leighton came to London from Bath, having been there some time for his health. Sharp got the archbishopric of St. Andrew's secured for himself, Fairfowl was desired to be archbishop of Glasgow, Hamilton (brother to the lord Belhaven) for Galloway, for Sydserf was to be removed to Orkney: and Leighton made choice of Dumblane, a small diocese, as well as a little re venue, not exceedieg one hundred and twenty pounds per annum; but the deanry of the chapel royal was annexed to that see.

At the consecration of these persons there was great feasting; with this Leighton was struck, and said, " It had

not