He was a little man, blackish haire, of a saturnine complexion.
The lord Falkland (vide <life of> lord Falkland) and he had such extraordinary clear reasons, that they were wont to say at Oxon that if the great Turke were to be converted by naturall reason, these two were the persons to convert him.
He lies buried in the south side of the cloysters at Chichester, where he dyed of the morbus castrensis after the taking of Arundel castle by the parliament: wherin he was very much blamed by the king's soldiers for his advice in military affaires there, and they curst that little priest and imputed the losse of the castle to his advice. In his sicknesse he was inhumanely treated by Dr. Cheynell[CD], who, when he was to be buryed, threw his booke into the grave with him, saying, 'Rott with the rotten; let the dead bury the dead.' Vide a pamphlet of about 6 sheets writt by Dr. Cheynell (maliciously enough) where he gives an account of his life.
This following inscription was made and set-up by Mr. Oliver Whitby[CE], his fellowe-collegiate at Trinity College and now one of the prebendarys of this church:
Virtuti sacrum.
Spe certissimae resurrectionis
Hic reducem expectat animam
Gulielmvs Chillingworth,
S. T. P.
Oxonii natus et educatus,
Collegii Stae Trinitatis olim
Socius, Decus et Gloria.
Omni Literarum genere celeberrimus,
Ecclesiae Anglicanae adversus Romano-Catholicam
Propugnator invictissimus,
Ecclesiae Sarisburiensis Praecentor[XLIV.] dignissimus;
Sine Exequiis,
Furentis cujusdam Theologastri,
Doctoris Cheynell[XLV.],
Diris et maledictione sepultus:
Honoris et Amicitiae ergo,
Ab Olivero Whitby,
Brevi hoc monimento,
Posterorum memoriae consecratus,
Anno Salutis,
1672.[646]
[XLIV.] This is a mistake; he was not Chantor of the Church, but Chancellor of the Church of Sarum, whose office was antiently to read a lecture in Latin, quarterly, in the pulpit in the library, either in Theologie or the Canon Lawe. Since the Reformation 'twas commuted into preaching on the Holy-dayes. He never swore to all the points of the Church of England.
[XLV.] Minister of Petworth.
My tutor, W. Browne[CF], haz told me, that Dr. Chillingworth studied not much, but when he did, he did much in a little time. He much delighted in Sextus Empeiricus. He did walke much in the College grove, and there contemplate, and meet with some cod's-head or other, and dispute with him and baffle him. He thus prepared himselfe before-hand. He would alwayes be disputing; so would my tutor. I thinke it was an epidemick evill of that time, which I think now is growne out of fashion, as unmannerly and boyish. He was the readiest and nimblest disputant of his time in the university, perhaps none haz equalled him since.
I have heard Mr. Thomas Hobbes, Malmesb. (who knew him), say, that he was like a lusty fighting fellow that did drive his enimies before him, but would often give his owne party smart[647] back-blowes.