Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/48

 ABBOT. bury. This the archbifhop declined, becaufe he had at time alaw-fuit with that city ; and deiired, he might rather have leave to go to his houfe at Ford, five miles bevond Can- " 1 ! 9 terbur y ^ his was granted ; and, on Oct. o, following, the ' 1 ' king gave a commiffion to the bifhops of London, Durham, Rochefter, Oxford, and Bath and Wells, to execute the archiepifcopal authority ; the caufe affigned being no more than this, that the archbifhop could not at that time in his own perfon attend fhofe fervices, which were otherwife proper Ib. vol. I. p.f or hj s cognizance and direction. The archbifliop did not re- main long in this fituation; for, a parliament being abfolutely neceffary, his grace was fent for about Chriftmas, and reftored to his authority and jurifdiction. The intereft of bifhop Laud being now very confiderable at courr, he drew up instructions ; which, having the king's name, were tranfmitted to the arch- bifhop, under the pompous title of '* His majefty's instructions to " Canterbury, containing certain orders to be obferved and put " in execution by the feve r al bifhops in his province." His grace communicated them to his fuffragan bifhops ; but in feverai refpects he endeavoured to foften their rigour, as they were contrived to enforce the particular notions of a prevailing party in the church, whrh the archbifhop thought too hard for thofe who made the fundamentals of religion their ftudy Heylin's and were not fo zealous for forms. His conduit in this and Lifeofabp. other refpects made hisprefence unwelcome at court ; fo that, P- I 95- U p On the- birth of the prince of Wales, afterwards Charles II. Laud had the honour to baptize him, as dean of the chapel. The arch.biih.op, being worn out with cares and infirmities, died at Croydon, Aug. 5, 1633, aged 71 years; and was buried in the chapel of our lady, within the church dedicated to the Holy Trinity atGuilford. A (lately monument was erected over the grave, with the effigy of the archbifhop in his robes. He {hewed himfelf, in molt circumfhnces of his life, a man of great moderation to all parties ; and was defirous that the clergy ihould attract the etfeem ol the laity by the iancbty of their manners, rather than claim it as due to their function. His notions and principles, however, not fuiting the humour'of fome writers, have drawn upon him many fe- vere reflections. Heylin afferts, " that maiks of his benefac- an afperfion which is totally groundlefs [rj. Fuller, in his [F] Se? along lift of his benefaftions hofoita] at Gullford, with his chatafter in trie Biugtaphsa Britannica, vol.], p.zi. by the laie R>"hc Hon. Aithur Onflow, Thf archbi/hop's v.il|, and the fiintes were pub)i/hea in ^778, n,ade b_> him for the regulation of rm 9 Church
 * ' the moft reverend father in God, George, lord archbiftiop of
 * tions we find none in places of his breeding and preferment;"