HIS Fill EX US. CCCCXXV 



Selden, the chief of learned men reputed in this land,(0) Selden. 

 expressed his respect, with the assurance that &quot; never was 

 any man more willing or ready to do your lordship s service 

 than myself.&quot; (b) 



Ben Jonson, not in general too profuse of praise, says, Ben 

 &quot; My conceit of his person was never increased toward him OI 

 by his place or honours ; but I have and do reverence him 

 for the greatness that was only proper to himself, in that he 

 seemed to me ever by his works one of the greatest men, 

 and most worthy of admiration that had been in many 

 ages : in his adversity, I ever prayed that God would give 

 him strength, for greatness he could not want; neither 

 could I condole in a word or syllable for him, as knowing 

 no accident could do harm to virtue, but rather help to 

 make it manifest.&quot; (c) 



Sir Thomas Meautys stood by him to his death with a Meautys. 

 firmness and love which does honour to him and to human 

 nature. 



His exclusion from the verge of the court had long 1524. 

 been remitted; and, in the beginning of the year 1624, the ^ t - 64 - 

 whole of the parliamentary sentence (d} was pardoned, 



(a) So described by Milton in his speech for the liberty of unlicensed 

 printing. 



(/;) See vol. xii. p. 421. (c) Under woods. 



(77) To the Earl of Oxford. 



My very good Lord, Let me be an humble suitor to your lordship, for 

 your noble favour. I would be glad to receive my writ this parliament, 

 that I may not die in dishonour; but by no means, except it should be 

 with the love and consent of my lords to re-admit me, if their lordships 

 vouchsafe to think me worthy of their company; or, if they think that 

 which T have suffered now these three years, in loss of place, in loss of 

 means, and in loss of liberty for a great time, to be a sufficient expiation 

 for my faults, whereby I may now seem in their eyes to be a fit subject of 

 their grace, as I have been before of their justice. My good lord, the good 

 which the commonwealth might reap of my suffering is already inned. 

 Justice is done; an example is made for reformation ; the authority of the 



