strong man could carry, sending together with them this compliment, "That these were but small things, and by way of earnest of better which should follow them." Soon after, he had Exeter bestowed upon him, and not long after that, the bishopric of Sherburn, which, however, he seems to have quitted in the year 883, though he always retained the title, as Wilfred archbishop of York was constantly so styled, though he accepted of another bishopric. Thenceforward he constantly attended the court, in the manner before stipulated, and is named as a person, in whom he had particular confidence, by king Alfred, in his testament, which must have been written some time before the year 885; since mention is made there of Esna bishop of Hereford, who died that year. He is also mentioned by the king, in his prefatory epistle placed before his translation of Gregory's Pastoral, addressed to Wulfsig bishop of London; and there the king does not call him bishop of Sherburn, but "my bishop," acknowledging the help received from him and others in that translation. It appears to have been the near resemblance, which the genius of Asserius bore to that of the king, that gained him so great a share in his confidence; and very probably, it was on this account, that Asserius drew up those memoirs of the life of Alfred which we still have, and which he dedicated and presented to the king in the year 893. In this work we have a curious account of the manner in which that prince and our author spent their time together. Asserius tells us, that having one day, being the feast of St. Martin, cited in conversation a passage of some famous author, the king was mightily pleased with it, and would have him write it down in the margin of a book he carried in his breast; but Asserius finding no room to write it there, and yet being desirous to gratify his master, he asked king Alfred whether he should not provide a few leaves, in which to set down such remarkable things as occurred either in reading or conversation: the king was delighted with this hint, and directed Asserius to put it immediately in execution. Pursuing this method constantly, their collection began to swell, till at length it became of the size of an ordinary Psalter; and this was what the king called his "Hand-book, or Manual." Asserius, however, calls it Enchiridion. In all probability, Asserius continued at court during the whole reign of Alfred, and, probably, several years after: but where, or

when he died is doubtful, though the Saxon Chronicle positively fixes it to the year 910. The editor of his life in the Biog. Brit. takes Asser the monk, and Asser bishop of Sherburn, for one and the same person, which some however have denied, and asserts him to have been also archbishop of St. David's, upon very plausible authority. He admits, however, that if there was such a reader in the public schools at Oxford as Asser the monk, he must have been some other person of the same name, and not our author: but this point rests almost wholly on the authority of Harpsfield; nor is the account consistent with itself in several other respects, as sir John Spelman has justly observed. There is no less controversy about the works of Asserius, than about his preferments: for some alledge that he never wrote any thing but the Annals of king Alfred: whereas, Pitts gives us the titles of no less than five other books of his writing, and adds, that he wrote many more. The first of these is a "Commentary on Boëtius," which is mentioned by Leland, on the authority of the Chronicle of St. Neot's: but he probably only explained this author to king Alfred when he made his Saxon translation. The second piece mentioned by Pitts, is the Annals of Alfred's life and reign. The third he styles "Annales Britanniæ," or the Annals of Britain, in one book, mentioned also by Leland and Bale, and which has been since published by the learned Dr. Gale. The fourth piece, he calls "Aurearum Sententiarum Enchiridion, lib. 1.” which is without question the Manual or common-placebook made for king Alfred, and reckoned among his works by Pitts himself. Leland has also spoken of this Enchiridion, as an instance of the learning and diligence of Asser, which it certainly was: and though the collections he made concerning this author, are much better and larger than those of Bale and Pitts, yet he modestly, upon this subject, apologizes for speaking so little and so obscurely of so great a man. The next in Pitts's catalogue, is a "Book of Homilies," and the last, "A Book of Epistles:" but the existence of these seems unsupported by any authority; nor is it known where he was interred. He appears to have been one of the most pious and learned prelates of the age in which he lived.

His "Life of Alfred" was first published by archbishop Parker at the end of "Walsinghami Hist." London, 1574, fol. and it was reprinted by Camden in his "Anglia, Nor

manica, &c." Francfort, 1603. It was again reprinted, in a very elegant octavo volume, by Mr. Wise, at Oxford,

ASSHETON (DR. WILLIAM), son of Mr. Assheton, rector of Middleton in Lancashire, was born in 1641; and being instructed in grammar-learning at a private country-school, was removed to Brazen-Nose college at Oxford, in 1658; and elected a fellow in 1663. After taking both his degrees in arts, he went into orders, became chaplain to the duke of Ormond, chancellor of that university, and was admitted doctor of divinity in January 1673. In the fol lowing month he was nominated to the prebend of Knaresburgh, in the church of York; and whilst he attended his patron at London, obtained the living of St. Antholin. In 1670, by the duke's interest with the family of the St. Johns, he was presented to the rectory of Beckenham, in Kent; and was often unanimously chosen proctor for Rochester in convocation.

He was the projector of the scheme for providing a maintenance for clergymen's widows and others, by a jointure payable by the Mercers' company. The bringing this project to perfection took up his thoughts for many years; for, though encouraged by many judicious persons to prosecute it, he found much difficulty in providing such a fund as might be a proper security to the subscribers. He first addressed himself to the corporation of the clergy, who declared they were not in a capacity to accept the proposal. Meeting with no better success in his next application to the Bank of England, he applied himself to the Mercers' company, who agreed with him upon certain rules and orders, of which the following are the chief :

1. "That the Company will take in subscriptions at any time, till the sum of 100,000l. be subscribed, but will never exceed that sum. 2. That all married men, at the age of thirty years or under, may subscribe any sum not exceeding 1000l. That all married men, not exceeding the age of forty years, may subscribe any sum not exceeding 500l. And that all married men, not exceeding the age of sixty years, may subscribe any sum, not exceeding 300l. And that the widows of all persons, subscribing according to these limitations, shall receive the benefit of

1 Biog. Brit. in Ayserius.-Whitaker's Life of St. Neot, who enters largely into Asser's history, and proves the forgery of the celebrated passage respecting the foundation of the university of Oxford.

30 per cent. per annum, according to the former proposal, free of all taxes and charges, at the two usual feasts of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Michael the Archangel; and that the first of these payments shall be made at the first of the said feast days, which shall hap-pen four months or more after the decease of the person or persons so subscribing; excepting such as shall voluntarily make away with themselves, or by any act of theirs occasion their own death; either by duelling or committing any crime, whereby they shall be sentenced, and put to death by justice: in any, or either of these cases, the widows to receive no annuity; but, upon delivering up the company's bond, to have the subscription money paid to them. 3. That no sea-faring men may subscribe, who follow it as their business or vocation; nor others, who go farther than Holland, Ireland, or the coasts of England; and that any person may subscribe for any others, whom he shall nominate in his last will, during the natural life of his wife, if she survive, and his intention be declared in his subscription." The company had several meetings in committees with the doctor, about settling a sufficient security; in which they satisfied him that their estates, being clear rents, amounted to 28881. 8s. 10d. besides the payments of the benefactors, to be paid out of the same; which, by a moderate calculation, would yield, when the Jeases came out, above 13,500l. per annum. All things being agreed upon, the deed of settlement was executed by the company and trustees, at a general court of the said company, held on Wednesday the 4th of October, 1699. This deed is enrolled in the high court of chancery, and an authentic copy of it kept by the company; but owing to some miscalculations, the scheme did not ultimately succeed, as originally planned.

A few years before his death, he was invited to accept the headship of the college, then vacant, but modestly declined it. He died at Beckenham, Sept. 1711, in the seventieth year of his age, and was buried in the chancel of that church. The writer of his life gives him the highest character for piety, probity, and inflexible adherence to the doctrines and interests of the church of England. His general sentiments and turn of mind may be discovered in the titles of his various works: 1. "Toleration disapproved and condemned by the authority and convincing reasons of, I. That wise and learned king James, and his privy

council, Auno Reg. IIdo. II. The honourable Commons assembled in this present parliament, in their Votes, &c. Feb. 25, 1662. III. The Presbyterian ministers in the city of London, met at Sion College, December 18, 1645. IV. Twenty eminent divines, most (if not all) of them members of the late assembly; in their Sermons before the two houses of parliament on solemn occasions. Faithfully collected by a very moderate hand, and humbly presented to the serious consideration of all dissenting parties," Oxford, 1670, He published a second edition of this book, the same year, with his name, and the pro-vice-chancellor of Oxford's imprimatur, prefixed to it. 2. "The Cases of Scandal and Persecution; being a seasonable inquiry into these two things: I. Whether the Nonconformists, who otherwise. think subscription lawful, are therefore obliged to forbear it, because the weak brethren do judge it unlawful?`II. Whether the execution of penal laws upon Dissenters, for non-communion with the Church of England, be persecution? Wherein they are pathetically exhorted to return into the bosom of the church, the likeliest expedient to stop the growth of Popery," London, 1674. 3. "The Royal Apology: or, An Answer to the Rebel's Plea; wherein are the most noted anti-monarchical tenets, first published by Doleman the Jesuit, to promote a bill of exclusion against king James I.; secondly, practised by Bradshaw, and the regicides, in the actual murder of king Charles I.; thirdly, republished by Sidney, and the associates to depose and murder his present majesty," London, 1685, the second edition. 4. A seasonable Vindication of their present Majesties," London. 5. "The Country Parson's Admonition to his Parishioners against Popery; with directions how to behave themselves, when any one designs to seduce them from the Church of England,” London, 1686. 6. "A full Defence of the former Discourse against the Missionaries Answer: being a farther examination of the pretended Infallibility of the Church of Rome:" or, as it is intitled in the first impression, "A Defence of the Plain Man's Reply to the Catholic Missionaries," &c. 1688. 7. "A short Discourse against Blasphemy," 1691. 8. "A Discourse against Drunkenness," 1692. 9. "A Discourse against Swearing and Cursing," 10. "Directions in order to the suppressing of Debauchery and Prophaneness," 1693. 11. "A Conference with an Anabaptist; Part I. Concerning the subject.

1692.