The unfavourable character drawn of him by Burnet is certainly unjust and not supported by any evidence. Pepys, a far more trustworthy judge, speaks of him invariably in terms of respect and approval as a "grave, serious man," and commends his appointment as treasurer of the navy as that of "a very notable man and understanding and will do things regular and understand them himself." That being so, his appearance was also said to be strange, even alarming: "his face long and emaciated, his complexion between purple and green." On a more intellectual point, he was a learned and cultivated man and collected a celebrated library, which was dispersed at his death. Many of his books have now been identified, however, including a heavily annotated copy of the Latin translation of Margaret Cavendish's "Life of William Cavendish."