'Little Hales all the time did nothing but smile,
To see them, about nothing, keepe such a coile.'
He had a noble librarie of bookes, and those judicially chosen, which cost him ... li. (quaere Mr. Sloper); and which he sold to Cornelius Bee, bookeseller, in Little Britaine, (as I take it, for 1000 li.) which was his maintenance after he was ejected out of his fellowship at Eaton College. He had then only reserved some few for his private use, to wind-up his last dayes withall.
The ladie Salter (neer Eaton) was very kind to him after the sequestration; he was very welcome to her ladyship, and spent much of his time there. At Eaton he lodged (after his sequestration) at the next house <to> the Christopher (inne), where I sawe him, a prettie little man, sanguine, of a cheerfull countenance, very gentile, and courteous; I was recieved by him with much humanity: he was in a kind of violet-colourd cloath gowne, with buttons and loopes (he wore not a black gowne), and was reading Thomas à Kempis; it was within a yeare before he deceased. He loved Canarie; but moderately, to refresh his spirits.
He had a bountifull mind. I remember in 1647, a little after the Visitation[1038], when Thomas Mariett, esq., Mr. William Radford, and Mr. Edward Wood (all of Trinity College) had a frolique from Oxon to London, on foot, having never been there before, they happened to take Windsore in their way, made their addresse to this good gentleman, being then fellow. Mr. Edward Wood was the spookes-man, remonstrated that they were Oxon scholars: he treated them well, and putt into Mr. Wood's hands ten shillings.
He lies buried in the church yard at Eaton, under an altar monument of black marble, erected at the sole chardge of Mr. ... Curwyn, with a too long epitaph. He was no kiff or kin to him.
[1039]Mr. John Hales dyed at Mris Powney's house, a widow-woman, in Eaton, opposite to the churchyard, adjoyning to the Christopher Inne southwards. 'Tis the howse where I sawe him.
She is a very good woman and of a gratefull spirit. She told me that when she was maried, Mr. Hales was very bountifull to them in helping them[1040] to live in the world. She was very gratefull to him and respectfull to him.
She told me that Mr. Hales was the common godfather there, and 'twas pretty to see, as he walked to Windsor, how his godchildren asked him blessing[1041]. When he was bursar, he still gave away all his groates for the acquittances to his godchildren; and by that time he came to Windsor bridge, he would have never a groate left.
This Mris Powney assures me that the poor were more relieveable, that is to say, that he recieved more kindnesse from them than from the rich. That that I putt downe of my lady Salter (sister to Brian Duppa, bishop of Sarum), from his nephew <John> Sloper, vicar of Chalke, is false[1042]. She had him to her house indeed, but 'twas to teach her sonne, who was such a blockhead he could not read well.
Cornelius Bee bought his library for 700 li., which cost him not lesse then 2,500 li. Mris Powney told me that she was much against the sale of 'em, because she knew it was his life and joy.