SELDEN, John, called by Grotius “the glory of England,” was born at Salvington, in Sussex, in the year 1584. He was educated at the free school at Chichester, whence he was sent to Hart Hall, in the university of Oxford, where he staid four years. In 1612, he entered himself at Clifford’s Inn, in order to study the law; and about two years afterwards removed to the Inner Temple, where he soon acquired great reputation by his learning. He had already published several of his works; and this year he wrote verses in Latin, in Greek, and in English. In 1614, he published his Titles of Honour; and in 1616 his Notes on Sir John Fortescue’s book, De Laudibus Legum Anglia. In 1618, he published his History of Tythes, which gave great offence to the clergy, and was animadverted upon by several writers; and for this book he was called before the High Commission Court, and obliged to make a public acknowledgment of his sorrow for having published it. In 1621, being sent for by the parliament, though he was not then a member of that house, and giving his opinion very strongly in favour of their privileges, in opposition to the court, he was committed to the custody of the sheriff of London, but was set at liberty after five weeks’ confinement. In 1623, he was chosen burgess for Lancaster; but amidst all the divisions of the nation, he kept himself neutral, prosecuting his studies with such application, that though he was the next year chosen reader of Lyon’s Inn, he refused to perform that office. In 1625, he was chosen burgess for Great Bedwin, in Wiltshire, to serve in the first parliament of Charles I., in which he declared himself warmly against the Duke of Buckingham; and on his Grace’s being impeached by the House of Commons, he was appointed one of the managers of the articles against him. In 1627 and 1628, he opposed the court party with great vigour. The parliament being prorogued to the 20th of January 1629, Mr Selden retired to the Earl of Kent’s house at Wrest, in Bedfordshire, where he finished his Marmora Arundeliana. The parliament being met, he, among others, again distinguished himself by his zeal against the court; when the king dissolving the parliament, ordered several of the members to be brought before the King’s Bench bar, and committed to the Tower. Among these was Mr Selden, who insisting on the benefit of the laws, and refusing to make his submission, was removed to the King’s Bench prison. Being here in danger of his life on account of the plague then raging in Southwark, he petitioned the lord high treasurer, at the end of Trinity term, to intercede with his majesty that he might be removed to the Gate-house, Westminster, which was granted. But in Michaelmas term following, the judges objecting to the lord treasurer’s warrant, by which he had been removed to the Gate-house, an order was made for conveying him back to the King’s Bench, whence he was released in the latter end of the same year; but fifteen years afterwards the parliament ordered him five thousand pounds for the losses he had sustained on this occasion. He was afterwards committed, with several other gentlemen, for dispersing a libel; but the author, who was abroad, being discovered, they were at length set at liberty. In 1634, a dispute having arisen between the English and Dutch concerning the herring-fishery on the British coast, he was prevailed upon by Archbishop Laud to draw up his Mare clausum, in answer to Grotius’s Mare Liberum; which greatly recommended him to the favour of the court. In 1640, he was chosen member for the university of Oxford; when he again opposed the court, though he might, by compliance, have raised himself to very considerable posts. In 1643, he was appointed one of the lay members to sit in the assembly of divines at Westminster, and was the same year appointed keeper of the records in the Tower. Whilst he attended his duty in the assembly, a warm debate arose respecting the distance of Jericho from Jerusalem. The party which contended for the shortest distance urged, as a proof of their opinion being well founded, that fishes were carried from the one city to the other, and sold in the market. Their adversaries were ready to yield to the force of this conclusive argument, when Selden, who despised both parties, as well as the frivolousness of their dispute, exclaimed, “Perhaps the fishes were salted.” This unexpected remark left the victory doubtful, and renewed the debate; and our author, who was sick of such trifling, soon found employment more suited to his genius; for, in the year 1645, he was made one of the commissioners of the admiralty. The same year he was unanimously elected master of Trinity College, Cambridge, but declined accepting. He died in 1654, and was interred in the Temple-church, where a monument is erected to his memory. Dr Wilkes observes, that he was a man of uncommon gravity and greatness of soul, averse to flattery, liberal to scholars, charitable to the poor; and though he had great latitude in his principles with regard to eccle[7:20:81]siastical power, yet he had a sincere regard for the Church of England. He wrote many learned works besides those already mentioned, the principal of which are, 1. De Jure Naturali et Gentium, juxta Disciplinam Hebraeorum; 2. De Nuptiis et Divorciis; S. De Anno Civili veterum Hebraeorum; 4. De Nummis; 5. De Diis Syris; 6. Uxor Hebraica; 7. Jani Anglorum Facies altera. All his works were printed together in 1726, in three vols. folio.