John Lesley

was born of the antient family of his name of Balquhaine in the north parts of Scotland, and nearly related to both the Count Lesleys, who successively have rendred themselves conspicuous by their Arms in Germany, received some Academical education in his own Country (at Aberdene as I have heard) and afterwards for some time in Oxon; but whether he took a degree there in Arts it appears not. Afterwards he travelled into Spain, Italy and Germany, but most in France, where he perfected his Studies, and became remarkable for the most polite and abstruse points of Learning. He spoke French, Spanish and Italian equal to the Natives, and had such an extraordinary command of the Lat. Tongue, that it was said of him when he was in Spain, solus Lesleius Latine loquitur. He was from his tender years conversant in Courts, where he learned that address and freedom which was peculiar to his Education, and gave a particular air even to his Preaching. Whence it was said of him, and another Bishop of his name, that no man preached more gracefully than the one, nor with more authority than the other. These accomplishments introduced him to be treated, even with familiarity, by several Princes and great men abroad: And he was particularly happy in the good esteem of his Master K. Ch. 1, who admitted him to sit at his Council-Table both in Scotland and Ireland, (as his father K. James had done for the first) in both which he was continued by K. Ch. 2. His chiefest advancement in the Ch. of Scotland was the Episcopal See of the Isles, where sitting several years, not without trouble from the Faction, he was translated to the See of Raphoe in Ireland, an. 1633, and the same year was made one of his Maj. Privy Council in that Kingdom. When he first came to the said diocess, he found the Revenew of the Bishoprick much embezel’d, several Gentlemen in that Country having ingrossed great part of it to themselves, and combin’d together to maintain what they had got: But so it was, that he by his activity, did, tho a stranger, retrieve from them by an expensive sute at Law what they had gotten, and by that means increased the revenew of the said See of Raphoe near a third part. He built a noble and stately Pallace for his Successors the Bishops of Raphoe, there being none in that diocess before his access to it. He contriv’d it for strength as well as beauty, which proved of good use in that broken Country, for it held out against the Irish, during the whole Rebellion of 1641, and preserved great part of that Country. When the said Rebellion broke out, and the Irish Rebels spread over the Country, and all men forced to fight for their lives, and particularly those under his Protection and in his diocess, yet he would not take upon him any military command, as not becoming his character, tho in effect he performed the Office of a General among them, even to the exposing his person, whenever there was occasion; of which a remarkable instance is told us in the Epist. to the Reader to the Hist. of the execrable Irish Rebellion, written by Dr. Edw. Borlase, viz. That when Sir Ralph Gore at Matchribeg, with many other Brittish Inhabitants, were reduced to great extremity by a long Siege, and a necessity of a sudden Surrender of themselves without hope of quarter, to the enraged cruelty of the Irish; the Bishop sallied forth amidst the flames of the whole Country, and relieved him, at that time reduced to such streights, as he and they were forced to cast their dishes into Ball. I say that after the Laggan Forces consisting of three Regiments had refused the hazard of a Relief, the said Bishop with his Company, Tenants and Friends did attempt and perfect it, evidencing at that instant, as much personal valour as regular conduct, which is at this day remembred in Ireland with much astonishment. After the Rebellion, when his Majesties Cause (K. Ch. 1.) was there maintained by the Royallists and such that had fled into Ireland after the declension of his Cause in England, he raised a Foot-Company, and maintained them at his own charges, while his affairs had any prospect, for he was loyal, if it was possible, to excess. He endured a Siege in his Castle of Raphoe before he would surrender it to Oliver, and held out the last in that Country. He declared then against the Presbyterian, as well as Popish, pretences for Rebellion, and would neither joyn in the Treason nor Schism of those times, but held unalterably to the practice, as well as principles of the Ch. of England; whose Liturgy he continued always in his family after he was thrust out of the Church. And even in Dublin, he had frequent Confirmations and Ordinations; for which, tho he was persecuted by the faction, yet he persisted, and several of present Irish) Clergy (of whom the Archb. of Tuam is one) were then as Confessors admitted into holy Orders by him. After his Majesties restauration, he went into England to present himself to him, and flew with that zeal that he rode from Chester to London, which is 150 miles, in 24 hours. In 1661 he was translated to the See of Clogher, upon the translation thence of Dr. Hen. Jones to Meath, (who had succeeded in Clogher Dr. James Spotswood a Scot, buried in S. Benedicts Chappel in the Abbey Church at Westminster 31. March 1645.) and afterwards his Maj. would have promoted him to a See more profitable in requital of his great sufferings, but he excused himself, and was resolved to end his labours among those with whom he had suffer’d, and where his influence was most beneficial. He was a person very temperate, which was the reason that he attained to a great age, and was so great a stranger to Covetousness that he hardly understood money, which yet he took care to employ to the best uses. His memory was prodigious in his younger years, not only natural but acquired, for he had studied and wrot of the Art of memory and improv’d it to great advantage. He wrot several Treatises curious and learned, which were designed to see the light, but were all lost together with his great Library of many years collection, and several Mss. which he had brought from forreign Countries, partly by the Irish, and partly by the Protestant Army in the time of K. Will. 3. an. 1689.90. He died in sixteen hundred seventy and one,1671. aged an hundred years and more, being then, as ’twas computed, the antientest Bishop in the world, having been above 50 years a Bishop. His death hapned at his Seat called Castle Lesley alias Glaslogh, and was there buried in a Church of his own building, which he had made the Parish Church by vertue of an Act of Parliament for that purpose in Ireland: Which Church was consecrated to S. Salvator. Sir James Ware in his Commentary of the Irish Bishops ((*))((*)) Edit. Dubl. 1665. p. 77. tells us, that this Bishop Lesley was Doct. of Div. of Oxon, and his Son named Charles Lesley a Minister in Ireland hath informed me that he was not only Doct. of Div. but of both the Laws of Oxford: How true these things are I cannot tell; sure I am that I cannot find his name in any of the registers of Congreg. or Convocation, or that he took any degree there.