LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SAXCROFT. 75 



complaint against the Archbishop; has infused 

 into the character he has drawn of him an un- 

 usual quantity of gall, taking every opportu- 

 nity of throwing out insinuations to his disad- 

 vantage, animadverting with great severity on 

 his failings, and either wdiolly passing over or 

 touching with a light hand his many excellen- 

 cies and virtues.* And, as the writings of 

 Bishop Burnet, especially his History of his 

 Own Times, have been deservedly popular and 

 generally read, his partial representations have 

 had more weight than they ought, in guiding 

 public opinion as to the character of this vene- 

 rable archbishop. It is true that full justice 

 w^as done to his memory by some of his friends 



* The manner in which Burnet has treated the memory of 

 this distinguished prelate has not passed altogether without 

 just animadversion. Granger, (see Supplement to his Biogra- 

 phical Memoirs^) after quoting Bishop Burnet's delineation of 

 his character, says — " Such is the character of this prelate, as 

 drawn by a contemporary A\Titer (Bumet) who would have 

 considerably softened the harshness of his features, if he had 

 been more like Sancroft, who had a generous and enlarged 

 heart to objects of benevolence. He was highly respected, and 

 great deference was paid to his judgment by the prelates his 

 fellow sufferers, in that difficult and dangerous conjuncture for 

 the church which preceded the revolution : his conduct was in- 

 deed judicious and exemplary on that trying occasion," — Bevil- 

 Higgons too, in his remarks on Burnet, (p. 201.) has some 

 proper obseiTations on tlie same subject. 



