ABBOT

ABBOT, George, archbishop of Canterbury, was born October 29. 1562, at Guildford in Surrey. He was the son of Maurice Abbot a cloth-worker. He studied at Oxford, and in 1597 was chosen principal of University college. In 1599, he was installed dean of Winchester: the year following, he was chosen vice-chancellor of the university of Oxford, and a second time in 1603. In 1604, the translation of the Bible now in use was begun by the direction of King James; and

Abbot. and Dr Abbot was the second of eight divines of Oxford, to whom the care of translating the whole New Testament (excepting the Epistles) was committed. The year following, he was a third time vice-chancellor. In 1608, he went to Scotland with George Hume earl of Dunbar, to assist in establishing an union between the churches of Scotland and England; and in this business he conducted himself with so much address and prudence, that it laid the foundation of all his future preferment. King James ever after paid great deference to his advice and counsel; and upon the death of Dr Overton bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, he named Dr Abbot for his successor, who was accordingly constituted bishop of those two united sees in December 1609. About a month afterwards he was translated to the see of London, and on the second of November following was raised to the archiepiscopal see.

It is not however improbable, that his extravagant adulation of his royal master, in which he went as far as any other court-chaplain could do, contributed not a little to his rapid preferment. In the preface to a pamphlet which he published, the following specimen of ridiculous flattery occurs: Speaking of the king, he says, "whose life hath been so immaculate and unspotted, &c. that even malice itself, which leaves nothing unsearched, could never find true blemish in it, nor cast probable aspersion on it.—Zealous as a David; learned and wise, the Solomon of our age; religious as Josias; careful of spreading Christ's faith as Constantine the Great; just as Moses; undefiled in all his ways as a Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah; full of clemency as another Theodosius."—If Mr Walpole had seen this passage, he certainly would not have said, that "honest Abbot could not flatter."

His great zeal for the Protestant religion made him a strenuous promoter of the match between the Elector Palatine and the Princess Elizabeth; which was accordingly concluded and solemnized the 14th of February 1612, the archbishop performing the ceremony on a stage erected in the royal chapel. In the following year happened the famous case of divorce between the lady Frances Howard, daughter of the earl of Suffolk, and Robert earl of Essex; which has been considered as one of the greatest blemishes of King James's reign. The part which the archbishop took in the business, added much to the reputation he had already acquired for incorruptible integrity. It was referred by the king to a court of delegates, whose opinion the king and court wished and expected to be favourable to the divorce. But the archbishop, unawed by royal authority, with inflexible firmness resisted it, and published his reasons for persisting in his opinion, to which the king, disappointed in his views, thought fit to reply: Sentence was given in the lady's favour. In 1618, the king published a declaration, which he ordered to be read in all churches, permitting sports and pastimes on the Lord's day: this gave great uneasiness to the archbishop; who, happening to be at Croydon on the day it was ordered to be read, had the courage to forbid it.

Being now in a declining state of health, the archbishop used in the summer to go to Hampshire for the sake of recreation; and being invited by Lord Zouch to hunt in his park at Bramzill, he met there with the

greatest misfortune that ever befell him; for he accidentally killed the game-keeper by an arrow from a cross-bow which he shot at one of the deer. This fatal accident threw him into a deep melancholy; and he ever afterwards kept a monthly fast on Tuesday, the day on which it happened; and he settled an annuity of 201. on the widow. Advantage was taken of this misfortune, to lessen him in the king's favour; but his majesty said, "An angel might have miscarried in this sort." His enemies alledging that he had incurred an irregularity, and was thereby incapacitated for performing the offices of a primate; the king directed a commission to ten persons to inquire into this matter.

The result, however, was not satisfactory to his Grace's enemies; it being declared, that, as the murder was involuntary, he had not forfeited his archiepiscopal character. The archbishop after this seldom assisted at the council, being chiefly hindered by his infirmities; but in the king's last illness he was sent for, and constantly attended till his Majesty expired on the 27th of March 1625. He performed the ceremony of the coronation of King Charles I. though very infirm and distressed with the gout. He was never greatly in this king's favour; and the duke of Buckingham being his declared enemy, watched an opportunity of making him feel the weight of his displeasure. This he at last accomplished, upon the archbishop's refusing to license a sermon, preached by Dr Sibthorpe to justify a loan which the king had demanded, and pregnant with principles which tended to overthrow the constitution. The archbishop was immediately after suspended from all his functions as primate; and they were exercised by certain bishops commissioned by the king, of whom Laud, the archbishop's enemy, and afterwards his successor, was one: while the only cause assigned for this procedure was, that the archbishop could not at that time personally attend those services which were otherwise proper for his cognizance and direction. He did not, however, remain long in this situation; for a parliament being absolutely necessary, his Grace was sent for, and restored to his authority and jurisdiction. But not proving friendly to certain rigorous measures adopted by the prevailing church party, headed by Laud, whose power and interest at court were now very considerable, his presence became unwelcome there; so that, upon the birth of the prince of Wales, afterwards Charles II. Laud had the honour to baptize him, as dean of the chapel. The archbishop being worn out with cares and infirmities, died at Croydon, the 5th of August 1633, aged 71 years; and was buried at Guildford, the place of his nativity, where he had endowed an hospital with lands to the amount of 3001. per annum. A stately monument was erected over the grave, with his effigy in his robes.

He proved himself, in most circumstances of his life, to be a man of great moderation to all parties; and was desirous that the clergy should gain the respect of the laity by the sanctity and purity of their manners, rather than claim it as due to their function. His opinions and principles, however, have drawn upon him many severe reflections; particularly, from the earl of Clarendon. But Dr Welwood has done more justice to his merit and abilities. He wrote several tracts upon 38.

Abbot
II
Abbotsbury

upon various subjects; and, as already mentioned, translated part of the New Testament, with the rest of the Oxford divines, in 1611.

There was another writer of the same name, who flourished somewhat later. This George Abbot wrote A Paraphrase on Job, A Vindication of the Sabbath, and A Paraphrase on the Psalms.