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AN
Appendix
To the LIFE of
Mr. Richard Hooker.

By Izaak Walton
1675 edition

AND now having by a long and laborious search satisfied my self, and I hope my Reader, by imparting to him the true Relation of Mr. Hookers Life: I am desirous also, to acquaint him with some Observations that relate to it, and which could not properly fall to be spoken till after his death, of which my Reader may expect a brief and true account in the following Appendix.

And first it is not to be doubted, but that he died in the Forty-seventh, if not in the Forty-sixth year of his Age; which I mention, because many have believed him to be more aged; but I have so examined it, as to be confident I mistake not; and for the year of his death, Mr. Cambden, who in his Annals of Queen Elizabeth 1599. mentions him with a high commendation of his Life and Learning, declares him to dye in the year 1599. and yet in that Inscription of his Monument set up at the charge of Sir William Cooper in Borne Church, where Mr. Hooker was buried: his death is there said to be in Anno 1603. but doubtless both mistaken; for I have it attested under the hand of William Somner the Archbishops Register for the Province of Canterbury, that Richard Hookers Will bears date Octob. 26. in Anno 1600. and that it was prov'd the third of December following.

And that at his death he left four Daughters, Alice, Cicily, Jane and Margaret; that he gave to each of them an hundred pound; that he left Jone his Wife his sole Executrix, and that by his Inventory, his Estate (a great part of it being in Books) came to 1092 l. 9 s. 2 d. which was much more than he thought himself worth; and which was not got by his care, much less by the good huswifery of his Wife, but saved by his trusty servant Thomas Lane, that was wiser than his Master in getting money for him, and more frugal than his Mistress in keeping of it; of which Will of Mr. Hookers I shall say no more, but that his dear friend Thomas, the father of George Cranmer (of whom I have spoken, and shall have occasion to say more) was one of the witnesses to it.

One of his elder Daughters was married to one Chalinor, sometime a School-master in Chichester, and are both dead long since: Margaret his youngest Daughter was married unto Ezekiel Chark, Batchelor in Divinity, and Rector of St. Nicholas in Harble-down near Canterbury, who died about 16 years past, and had a son Ezekiel, now living, and in Sacred Orders; being at this time Rector of Waldron in Sussex; she left also a Daughter, with both whom I have spoken not many months past, and find her to be a Widow in a condition that wants not, but very far from abounding; and these two attested unto me, that Richard Hooker their Grandfather had a Sister, by name Elizabeth Harvey, that liv'd to the Age of 121 Years, and dyed in the month of September, 1663.

For his other two Daughters I can learn little certainty, but have heard they both died before they were marriageable; and for his Wife, she was so unlike Jeptha’s Daughter, that she staid not a comely time to bewail her Widdow-hood; nor liv’d long enough to repent her second marriage, for which doubtless she would have found cause, if there had been but four months betwixt Mr. Hookers and her death: But she is dead, and let her other infirmities be buried with her.

Thus much briefly for his Age, the Year of his Death, his Estate, his Wife, and his Children. I am next to speak of his Books: concerning which, I shall have a necessity of being longer, or shall neither do right to my self, or my Reader, which is chiefly intended in this Appendix.

I have declared in his Life, that he proposed eight Books, and that his first four were printed Anno 1594. and his fifth Book first printed, and alone, Anno 1597. and that he liv’d to finish the remaining three of the proposed eight, but whether we have the last three as finish’t by himself, is a just and material Question; concerning which I do declare, that I have been told almost 40 Years past, by one that very well knew Mr. Hooker, and the affairs of his Family, that about a month after the death of Mr. Hooker, Bishop Whitgift, then Archbishop of Canterbury, sent one of his Chaplains to enquire of Mrs. Hooker, for the three remaining Books of Polity, writ by her Husband: of which she would not, or could not give any account; and that about three months after that time the Bishop procured her to be sent for to London, and then by his procurement she was to be examined, by some of her Majesties Council, concerning the disposal of those Books; but by way of preparation for the next dayes examination, the Bishop invited her to Lambeth, and, after some friendly questions, she confessed to him, That one Mr. Charke, and another Minister that dwelt near Canterbury, came to her, and desired that they might go into her Husbands Study, and look upon some of his Writings: and that there they two burnt and tore many of them, assuring her, that they were Writings not fit to be seen, & that she knew nothing more concerning them. Her lodging was then in King-street in Westminster, where she was found next morning dead in her Bed, and her new husband suspected and questioned for it; but he was declared innocent of her death.

And I declare also, that Dr. John Spencer (mentioned in the Life of Mr. Hooker) who was of Mr. Hookers Colledge, and of his time there, and betwixt whom there was so friendly a friendship, that they continually advised together in all their Studies, and particularly, in what concern’d these Books of Polity: This Dr. Spencer, the 3 perfect Books being lost, had delivered into his hands (I think by Bishop Whitgift) the imperfect Books, or first rough draughts of them, to be made as perfect as they might be, by him, who both knew Mr. Hookers handwriting, and was best acquainted with his intentions. And a fair Testimony of this may appear by an Epistle first and usually printed before Mr. Hookers five Books (but omitted, I know not why, in the last impression of the eight printed together in Anno 1662, in which the Publishers seem to impose the three doubtful Books to be the undoubted Books of Mr. Hooker) with these two Letters J. S. at the end of the said Epistle, which was meant for this John Spencer: in which Epistle, the Reader may find these words, which may give some Authority to what I have here written of his last three Books.

And though Mr

. Hooker hastened his own death by hastening to give life to his Books, yet he held out with his eyes to behold these Benjamins, these sons of his right hand, though to him they prov'd Benonies, sons of pain and sorrow. But some evil disposed minds, whether of malice, or covetousness, or wicked blind zeal, it is uncertain, as soon as they were born, and their father dead, smothered them, and, by conveying the perfect Copies, left unto us nothing but the old imperfect mangled draughts dismembred into pieces; no favour, no grace, not the shadow of them selves remaining in them; had the father lived to behold them thus defaced, he might rightly have named them Benonies, the sons of sorrow; but being the learned will not suffer them to dye and be buried, it is intended the world shall see them as they are; the learned will find in them some shadows and resemblances of their fathers face. God grant, that as they were with their Brethren dedicated to the Church for messengers of peace; so, in the strength of that little breath of life that remaineth in them, they may prosper in their work, and by satisfying the doubts of such as are willing to learn, they may help to give an end to the calamities of these our Civill Wars. J.S.

And next the Reader may note, that this Epistle of Dr. Spencers, was writ and first printed within four years after the death of Mr. Hooker, in which time all diligent search had been made for the perfect Copies; and then granted not recoverable, and therefore, endeavored to be com-pleated out of M. Hookers rough draughts, as is exprest by the said D. Spencer, in the said Epistle, since whose death it is now 50 Years.

And I do profess by the faith of a Christian, that Dr. Spencers Wife (who was my Aunt and Sister to George Cranmer, of whom I have spoken) told me forty Years since, in these, or in words to this purpose, That her Husband had made up, or finish’t Mr. Hookers last three Books; and that upon her Husbands Deathbed, or in his last Sickness, he gave them into her hand, with a charge they should not be seen by any man, but be by her delivered into the hands of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, which was Dr. Abbot, or unto Dr. King then Bishop of London, and that she did as he injoin’d her.

I do conceive, that from D. Spencers, and no other Copy, there have been divers Transcripts, and I know that these were to be found in several places, as namely, Sir Thomas Bodlies Library, in that of D. Andrews, late Bishop of Winton, in the late Lord Conwayes, in the Archbishop of Canterburies, and in the Bishop of Armaghs, and in many others: and most of these pretended to be the Authors own hand, but much disagreeing, being indeed altered and diminisht, as men have thought fittest to make Mr. Hookers judgment suit with their fancies, or give authority to their corrupt designs; and for proof of a part of this, take these following Testimonies.

Dr. Barnard, sometime Chaplin to Dr. Usher, late Lord Archbishop of Armagh, hath declar’d in a late Book called Clavi Trebales, printed by Richard Hogdkinson, Anno 1661. that in his search and examination of the said Bishops Manuscripts, he found the three written Books which were supposed the 6, 7, and 8, of Mr. Hookers Books of Ecclesiastical Polity; and that in the said three Books (nor printed as Mr. Hookers) there are so many omissions, that they amount to many Paragraphs, and which cause many incoherencies; the omissions are by him set down at large in the said printed Book, to which I refer the Reader for the whole; but think fit in this place to insert this following short part of some of the said omissions.

And I have these, words also attested under the hand of Mr. Fabian Philips, a man of Note for his useful Books. I will make Oath, if I shall be required, that Dr. Sanderson, the late Bishop of Lincoln, did a little before his death, affirm to me, he had seen a Manuscript affirmed to him to be the handwriting of Mr. Richard Hooker, in which there was no mention made of the King or Supream Governours being accomptable to the People; this I will make Oath, that that good man attested to me.
Fabian Philips.

So that there appears to be both Omissions and Additions in the said last three printed Books; and this may probably be one reason why Dr. Sanderson, the said learned Bishop (whose Writings are so highly and justly valued) gave a strict charge near the time of his Death, or in his last Will, That nothing of his that was not already printed, should be printed after his Death.

It is well known how high a value our learned King James put upon the Books writ by Mr. Hooker, and known also that our late King Charles (the Martyr for the Church) valued them the second of all Books, testified by his commending them to the reading of his Son Charles, that now is our gracious King; and you may suppose that this Charles the First, was not a stranger to the pretended three Books, because in a Discourse with the Lord Say, in the time of the Long Parliament, when the said Lord required the King to grant the truth of his Argument, because it was the judgment of Mr. Hooker (quoting him in one of the three written Books) the King replied, They were not allowed to be Mr. Hookers Books; but however he would allow them to be Mr. Hookers, and consent to what his Lordship proposed to prove out of those doubtful Books, if he would but consent to the Judgment of Mr. Hooker in the other Jive that were the undoubted Books of Mr. Hooker.

In this relation concerning these three doubtful Books of Mr. Hookers, my purpose was to enquire, then set down, what I observ'd and know, which I have done, not as an engaged person, but indifferently; and now, leave my Reader to give sentence, for their legitimation, as to himself; but so, as to leave others the same liberty of believing, or disbelieving them to be Mr. Hookers; and 'tis observable, that as Mr. Hooker advis'd with Dr. Spencer, in the design and manage of these Books, so also, and chiefly with his dear Pupil George Cranmer (whose Sister was the Wife of Dr. Spencer) of which this following Letter may be a Testimony, and doth also give Authority to some things mentioned both in this Appendix, and in the life of Mr. Hooker, and is therefore added. J. W.

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