£26 O H N S O N. 
eight hundred plants and (even hundred figures, befides 
making innumerable corrections, which his fuperior know • 
ledge of the Latin language enabled him to do. So ufefu! 
was his labour, that his book is characterised by Haller, 
Dignum opus & totius rei herbariae eo eevo notae com¬ 
pendium.” A new botanical tour in 1634 was defcribed 
by him in a work entitled Mercurius Botanicus,fve Planta- 
rum gratia fufcepti Itineris, anno 1634, defcriptio, 8vo. It 
gives an account, in not inelegant Latin, of a journey of 
twelve days, made by himfelf and fome aflociates of the 
apothecaries’ company, through Oxford, Bath, Briftol, 
Southampton, and the Ifle of Wight, for the purpofe of 
inveftigating rare plants 5 and his annexed catalogue, in 
Latin and Englifn, enumerates more than fix hundred 
fpecies. A finall trait is added, De Thermis Bathonicis, 
which is a curious memorial of the ftate of the baths and 
city of Bath at that period. This work was followed in 
3641 by Pars Altera, Jive Plantarum gratia fufcepti Itineris in 
Cambriam feu Walliam defcriptio , 8vo. In this he deferibes 
a rich botanical harvelt which he colleited in the then 
unfrequented regions of Snowdon and other mountainous 
traits in Wales. His profeflional indultry was teftified 
by a tranflation of the works of the famous furgeon Am- 
brofe Parey, printed in 1643. That a man fo engaged 
fhould at the commencement of the civil wars be induced 
by zeal for the royal caufe to enter the army, teftifies a 
lingular ardour and energy of charaiter. He diftin- 
guiftied himfelf fo much in a military capacity, that the 
univer.fity of Oxford, in May, 1643, as a reward both of 
his loyalty and learning, conferred upon him the degree 
of doitor of phyfic. He aited as lieutenant-colonel un¬ 
der fir Marmaduke Rawdon, governor of Bafing-houfe, 
and obtained a fignal fuccefs agajnft a party of fir Wil¬ 
liam Waller’s men who were befieging that fortrefs. In 
a fubfequent attempt, September, 1644, to fultain a party 
of foragers belonging to the garrifon, he received a 
wound in the Ihottlder, of which he died, greatly la¬ 
mented, within a fortnight. His age at that time is not 
mentioned, but he muft probably have ftill been in the 
vigour of life. Pultenry's Sketches of Botany in England. 
JOHN'SON (Samuel), a clergyman diftinguifhed for 
his zeal in the caufe of civil liberty, was born in 1649, in 
the county of Stafford. He received his claflical edu¬ 
cation in St. Paul’s fchool in London, whence he removed 
to Trinity college, Cambridge. After taking orders, he. 
was prefented to the reftory of Corringham in Elfex; 
but, the place not agreeing with his health, he removed 
to London, which his attachment to political difeufiions 
made him regard as the proper theatre of bis exertions. 
As a proof of the early intereft he took in thefe fubjects, 
and a curious inltance of the lafting imprefiion made,by 
a trifling circumftance, the following paflage in his re¬ 
marks upon Dr. Burnet’s famous paftoral letter, printed 
in 1689, may be quoted: “Eighteen years fince, I ufed 
to walk by the New-Exchange gate, where ftoou an over¬ 
grown pbrter with his gown and ftaff, which gave him a 
fiemblance of authority ; whole bufinefs it was to regu¬ 
late the coachmen before the entrance, and would make 
nothing of lifting a coachman off his box, and beating 
him, and throwing him into his box again. I have fe- 
veral times looked up at this tall mattering fellow, and 
put the cafe: Suppoie this conqueror fhould take me up 
under his arm like a gizzard, and run away with me : am 
1 his fubjeft ? No, thought I; I am ray own man, and 
not his: and, having thus invaded me, if I could not 
otherwife reficue myfelf from him, I would fmite him 
under the fifth rib. From that time I have had a clear 
idea of conquelt.” 
A conformity of opinions introduced Mr. Johnfon to 
the acquaintance of the heads of the oppoiition againft- 
*he arbitrary meafures of Charles II. particularly the 
earl of Effex and lord Ruffel, the latter of whom took 
him into his houfe as his domeftic chaplain. During the 
time that his patriotic lord, with his coadjutors, was pro¬ 
moting in parliament the bill for excluding the duke of 
York from the fueceflion, he appeared from the prefs as 
a champion for the principles of liberty, in a book en¬ 
titled Julian the Apoftate, 1682, meant as a refutation of 
Dr. Hickes, the leading advocate for the doftrine of paf- 
five obedience. Anfwers were made to his work, to 
which he replied by another piece, entitled Julian’s Arts 
to undermine and extirpate Chriftiani f jr > &c. This was 
printed in 1683, and entered at Stationers’ hall; but, be¬ 
fore its publication, the author’s patron, lord Ruffe!, 
being apprehended, he was advifed to fupprefs and con¬ 
ceal it; and, although he was committed to prifon upon 
ftifpicion, the court was. unable to fubftantiate a criminal 
charge, and he was admitted to bail. As it was, how¬ 
ever, refolved that he fhoCld not efcape, he was profe- 
cuted in the King’s Bench for writing his former book, 
and fentenced to fine and imprifonment. Inability to 
pay the fine caufed him to remain within the rules of the 
prifon, whence he difperfed feveral pieces againft popery. 
Although he was very low in circumftances at this pe¬ 
riod, and had a wife and children to fupport, he did not 
hefitate at one time to fend his mother the greateft part 
of the money he poffeffed for her fubfiftence, trufting to 
Providence for further fupplies. Nor was his confidence 
fru ft rated; for he next morning received a fum from a 
private benefaCtor, who proved to be Dr. Fowler, after¬ 
wards bifnop of Gloucefter. Dr. TiOotfon alfo fent him 
a more confiderable benefaction. 
His fufferings in the caufe of liberty and proteftantifin 
were brought to the height by a paper which he drew up 
in 1686 when the army was encamped upon Hounflow- 
heath, entitled An humble and hearty Addrefs to all the 
Englifh Proteftants in the prefent Army. For this he was 
committed to clofe cuftody, tried before the King’s 
Bench, and condemned to ltand in the pillory at three 
places, to pay a fine of five hundred marks, and to be 
publicly whipped from Newgate to Tyburn. Before the 
execution of the difgraceful part of the fentence, he was 
degraded and deprived of his orders by an ecclefiaftical 
commiflion, at the head of which were bifhops Crew, 
Sprat, and White. One part of this ceremony was put¬ 
ting into his hands a Bible, and taking it from him again. 
He parted with it reluctantly, kiffed it with fervour, and 
faid, with tears, “ that they could not, however, deprive 
him of the ufe and benefit of that facred depofit.” He 
bore {he whipping (which was feverely infli&ed) with 
the firmnefs and alacrity of a martyr, glorying in the 
caufe for which he fuffered. Some informality in the 
procefs of degradation prevented him from lofing his 
living: indeed his parifhioners, by whom he was much 
beloved for many kind and generous aCtions, oppofed 
his appointed fucceffor, fo that lie could not get induction. 
With lpirits unbroken he continued to employ his pen 
in the fame caufe, till the Revolution changed his litu- 
ation from that of a criminal to that of a meritorious 
confeffor. He wrote two pieces in vindication of that 
great national meafure; and in 1689 the proceedings 
againft him were reverfed, and declared to have been il¬ 
legal, by parliament. The houfe of lords addreffed king 
William to confer lbme preferment upon him ; and, in 
confequence, the deanery of Durham was offered him. 
Unhappily, the high rate at which he eftimated his fer- 
vices, and the ambitious views which the Change in his 
fituation opened to him, fixed his expectations upon an 
Englifh biftropric. His beft friends difeouraged this 
hope, probably confcious that he had too little guard 
upon himfelf, and was too deficient in moderation and 
worldly prudence, to be trufted with fuch a ftation. In 
the end, he accepted a penfion of 300I. per annum for his 
own and his fon’s life; a gift of ioool. and a place of 
iool. per annum for his fon. 
Gratitude and principle induced Mr. Johnfon to enlift 
among the defenders of king William’s title to the crown j 
and in 1692 he publifhed a noted traCl, entitled “ An 
Argument proving that the Abrogation of King James 
by the People of England from the royal Throne, and 
the 
