1639.] OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 27 



During his father s lifetime, the resident housekeeper 

 was James Redman, Esquire, as we learn from the list 

 of his household. 



The private studies and pursuits in which Lord Her 

 bert was indefatigably engaged, must have occupied his 

 attention from an innate love of physical science. The 

 society in which he moved had no tendency that 

 way, while the times in which he lived were far from 

 affording any encouragement for such investigations as 

 those in which he was principally engaged. The metro 

 polis in his day was without coaches until 1625, when 

 they were first used by the gentry, and ten years 

 later hackney coaches were considered to have arrived 

 at such a dangerous increase that their plying was 

 restrained by law ; and London streets were either so 

 bad, or the treasury so low, that penalties were levied 

 on all heavy vehicles passing over the highways. It is 

 characteristic of the state of our laws at that period, 

 that Dr. Leighton was for his writings sentenced to 

 barbarous mutilations, as also happened in 1633 to the 

 unfortunate learned Mr. Prynne, and four years later to 

 John Lilburn. The pillory, whipping culprits through 

 the streets, cropping ears and other mutilations and 

 barbarities were ordinary punishments, and in 1636 

 the plague was raging throughout the metropolis and 

 its suburbs, with all its accustomed terrors. 



But not in this view alone do we see little to inspirit 

 him in the ardent pursuit of mechanical employments, 

 another and more serious obstacle arose from his belong 

 ing, like his father and ancestors, to the Roman Catholic 

 faith. The laws against Papists were inconsistently 

 stringent in England on religious grounds ; and strange 

 to say, in imperial Rome, the very seat of the papacy, 

 absurdly severe denunciations were pronounced against 

 even the free discussion of scientific subjects. On the 



