, descended of a good family in the county of Salop, from which he inherited
, descended of a good family in the
county of Salop, from which he inherited a considerable
estate, was born in 1601, educated in grammatical learning in his own country, and in 1618 became a commoner
of St. Edmund’s hall, in Oxford, where he remained till
he had taken his degrees in arts, and had also received
holy orders. He then went down again into Shropshire,
where, in process of time, he obtained the rectories of
Hodnet and Ightfield, which he enjoyed to the breaking
out of the civil war. He was a man of much learning and
very extensive chanty, so that though his income was considerable, yet he laid up very little. It was his custom to
clothe annually twelve poor people according to their station, and every Sunday he entertained as many at bistable,
not only plentifully, tyut with delicate respect. His loyalty
to his prince being as warm as his charity towards his
neighbours, he raised and clothed eight troopers for his
service, and always preached warmly against rebellion.
The parliament having a garrison in the tuwn of Wem, a
detachment was sent from thence who plundered him of
every thing, besides terrifying him with the cruellest insults. In 1640 he repaired to Oxford, to serve the king
in person, and there was created doctor in divinity, and had
also the archdeaconry of Coventry given him, on the promotion of Dr. Brownrig to the bishopric of Exeter. His
former misfortunes did not hinder Dr. Arnway from being
as active afterwards in the king’s service, which subjected
him to a new train of hardships, his estate being sequestered, and himself imprisoned. At length, after the king’s
murder, he obtained his liberty, and, like many other loyalists, was compelled by the laws then in being to retire
to Holland. While at the Hague, in 1650, he published
two little pieces; the first entitled “The Tablet; or, the
Moderation of Charles I. the Martyr.
” In this he endeavours to wipe off all the aspersions that were thrown on that
prince’s memory by Milton and his associates. The second is called “An Alarm to the Subjects of England,
” in
which he certainly did his utmost to picture the oppressions
of the new government in the strongest colours and in this
work he gives some very remarkable anecdotes of himself.
His supplies from England failing, and his hopes in that
country being also frustrated, he was compelled to accept
an offer that was made him of going to Virginia, where,
oppressed with grief and cares, he died, in 1653, leaving
behind him the character of a pious, upright, and consistent loyalist. Tbe tracts above mentioned were reprinted
in England, 1661, by the care of Mr. William Rider, of
Merton College, who married a relation of the author, but
this volume is very scarce.