<Personal characteristics.>
He is (without all manner of flattery) so prudent, learned, and good a man, that he honours his preferment as much as the preferment does him; and is such a one that cannot be advanced too high. My lord (Lucius) Falkland was wont to say that he never knew any one that a paire of lawne sleeves had not altered from himselfe, but only bishop Juxon; had he knowne this excellent prelate, he would have sayd he had knowne one more. As he is the pattern of humility and courtesie, so he knowes when to be severe and austere; and he is not one to be trampled or worked upon. He is a batchelour, and of a most magnificent and munificent mind.
He hath been a benefactor to the Royall Societie, (of which he was one of the first members and institutors[XCIX.]), gave them, Anno Domini ... li. He also gave a noble pendulum clock to the Royall Societie (which goes a weeke), to perpetuate[1198] the memory of his deare and learned friend, Mr. Laurence Rooke.
[XCIX.] The beginning of Philosophicall Experiments was at Oxon, 1649, by Dr. Wilkins, Seth Ward, Ralph Bathurst, &c.
Quaere, was the bishop ever professor at Gresham College?
He gave anno 167-, ... li. towards the making of the river at Salisbury navigable to Christ Church. Anno 1679 he gave to Sydney Colledge a thousand pounds.
He haz perused all the records of the Church of Sarum, which, with long lyeing, had been conglutinated together; read them all over, and taken abridgements of them, which haz not been donne by any of his predecessors I beleeve for some hundreds of yeares.
He had an admirable habit of body (athletique, which was a fault), a handsome man, pleasant and sanguine; he did not desire to have his wisdome be judged by the gravity of his beard, but his prudence and ratiotination. This, methinkes, is strange to consider in him, that being a great student (and that of mathematiques and difficult knotty points, which does use to make men unfit for businesse), he is so cleare and ready, as no sollicitor is more adroit for looking after affaires.