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TO THE READER.

It was far from my thoughts that these first draughts of mine, which I only intended as minutes and directions for a more skilful penman, should ever have shewed themselves to the world, had not the backwardness of some, and the importunity of others, driven me to the orator's resolution; who saith, I had rather any man should do it than myself; yet myself, rather than none at all. The argument may peradventure sooner find some maligners, than just reprovers. Wherein yet, as far as the importance and necessity of the cause will suffer, I have so warily tempered the sharpness of my pen, that I hope none of moderate humour himself, will justly charge me of being immoderate herein. But But yet, if any where I shall seem otherwise, the discreet reader will see it is out of the instructions, records, and authors, whom I follow, and not out of mine own disposition, who desired as well herein, as in other of my courses, rather to imitate my master in his mild and moderate carriage, than willingly to be offensive or displeasing to any. Neither is it my purpose to have the ashes of the dead raked up again. But as no man can rightly commend a commander, or skilful pilot, without relating their past exploits, and dangerous storms: so neither could I, without wronging my reader, and the principal subject, commend him for so worthy and prudent a governor, unless I had withal given a taste of his adventures, and the stormy time wherein he lived. And therefore I pray thee, courteous reader, both charitably and modestly to censure my travel and pains herein.

ARCHBISHOP WHITGIFT.

A WISE and excellent historian' saith; It hath always been a matter of free liberty, and least subject to detraction to speak of those, whom death hath exempted from hatred or favour: a speech that moved me to write (whilest many other, better able, look on) the Life of the most reverend and worthy prelate John Whitgift, archbishop of Canterbury, to the end that posterity might take true notice of the worth of such, as have well guided the stern of this church, and settled the peace thereof; and render unto him, as unto other men, the due honour and commendation, which he hath deserved.

He came of the ancient family of Whitgift, of Whitgift in Yorkshire. His grandfather, John Whitgift, gentleman, had many children; some whereof he made scholars, others he placed abroad in several courses of life, disposing his father, Henry Whitgift, to be a merchant at Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire, where he married Ann Dynewell, a virtuous young woman, of good parentage in that town, of whom this our archbishop came, and was there born in the year of our Lord, 1530, being the eldest of his father's sons, who were five in number, besides himself, viz. William, George, Philip, Richard, and Jeffery.

He had an uncle called Robert Whitgift, abbot of the monastery of Wellow, in the county of Lincoln, near Grimsby, who teaching divers young gentlemen, took like pains also with him. In which time (as he was pleased often to remember) he heard his uncle, the abbot say, That they, and their religion, could not long continue; because (said he) I have read the whole Scripture over and over, and could never find therein that our religion was

1 Excellent historian.] [Tacit. Annal. lib. iv.]

founded by God. And for proof of this opinion, the abbot would allege that saying of our Saviour; Omnis plantatio quam non plantavit Pater meus cælestis eradicabitur: "Every planting which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." (Matth. 15. 13.)

His uncle, finding an extraordinary towardliness in him, sent him afterwards to London, where he became a scholar in St. Anthony's school, and boarded at his aunt's house in Paul's Church-yard; she being the wife of Michael Shaller, a verger of that church. There he escaped a great danger, lying with another scholar that had the plague, and coming in the summertime hot and thirsty from school, drank his urine out of a pot or cruse, standing at his bed's head instead of drink'; and was not sick after it, though his bedfellow died.

From St. Anthony's school he repaired to Grimsby to his parents, being thrust out of doors by his aunt because he would not (as she often required and solicited him by the Canons of Paul's) go with her to morrow mass'; imputing all her losses and domestic mis

2 Instead of drink.] "Pater ei (Justo Jonæ) fuit vir honestus, consul ejus oppidi: qui cum peste esset correptus, et cepe abscessui impositum removisset; idque in scamno deposuisset, supervenit hic Justus filiolus, admodum puer, et cepe totum avide devoravit; citra tamen ullam contagionem.”— Melchioris Adami Vitæ Germanorum Theologorum, p. 258. De Justo Jona.

3 To morrow mass.] We have here an instance of those domestic dissensions and acts of insubordination, to which the workings of the public mind in the early stages of the Reformation frequently gave birth; and of which a Roman Catholic preacher, to whom we have repeatedly been indebted in the course of these notes, gives the following description in the reign of queen Mary:

"Besides this, it would pitie anye good mans harte, to thinke what disorder and disobedience came of this liberty. Wold not the servauntes controll their maysters, and tel them, when they were chekked for leaving ther busines undone, that they had bene occupyed eyther in readynge Gods word, or in hearing some sermon; yea and so godly lessons had they learned, since they had tasted of this newe doctrine, that very few of theyr maysters could after truste them. And if the mayster were a Catholike man, and one that feared God, then wold his servaunte, if he were of a contrary judgement, handel hym like a warde, and in manner make a loute of him, and do ha busynesse as he lyste, and lette it be undone if he list. For the mayste fearing that he shuld have displeasure by him, durst neyther put hym away from hym, nor ones as much as rebuke hym for any matter.

"After the same sorte dyd children order their parentes, wyves, their busbandes, and subjectes their magystrates; so that the fete ruled the head, and the cart was set before the horse. For children, when they had bene brough

fortunes to her harbouring of such an heretic within her doors; and, for a farewell told him, "That she thought, at the first, she

up in schole a while with some lewd Lutherane, then would they write letters to their Catholike parentes, and exhorte them, in the Lordes name, to leave their papistry and blind ignorance that they were in, and fall at length to follow Goddes worde, and gladly to receave the truth. And if the parentes would not folowe this their childishe advise, streightway would they not let to talke with their companyons, and tell them that their parentes were blinde papistes: yea and make a mery mockinge stocke of them, and say, My father is an old doting foole, and wil fast upon the Fryday; and my mother goeth alwayes mumbling on her beades: but you shall see me of another sorte, I warraunt you; for I will never folowe no suche superstitiouse folye, nor walke in the papistical pathes of my parentes.-Were not men well at ease, trow you, when they had bestowed a great deale of money upon such graceless graftes, who neyther feared God, nor reverenced their parentes ?

"Thus did mens wyves too, that were become systers of the new fraternitye, order their husbandes. For whereas the husbande dyd not favoure their secte, then would the wyfe no longer go to schole with hym in silence, as S. Paule byddeth her, but would boldlye fall to teache hym, and tell hym of his duety. And many of them were offended with S. Paule, that hadde commaunded them, that they shuld holde their peace in the churches. For gladly would they have preached, if they might have bene suffred; as some of them nevertheles did in corners. At which tyme also the devil, for the better furtheraunce of heresy, picked out two sorts of people, that shuld, in tavernes and innes, at common tables, and in open streets, set forwarde his purpose, as well as false preachers dyd in the pulpet; that is to say, minstrels and players of enterludes :—the one to singe pestilente and abominable songes, and the other to set forth openly before mens eyes the wicked blasphemy that they had contrived for the defacing of all rites, ceremonies, and all the whole order, used in the administration of the blessed sacramentes."Christopherson's Exhortation against Rebellion, signat. T 1—T 3. A.D. 1554,

12mo.

:

And again: "Was there not beside such deadly dissension for our diversitie in opinions, that even amonges those that were most verye deere frendes, arose most grevouse hatred. For the sonne hated hys owne father, the sister her brother, the wyfe her husband, the servaunte hys mayster, the subject the ruler. And in every house, at every mans table, in every corner, in every strete, at everye taverne and inne, at all tymes, was there suche unreverente reasonynge of Gods highe mysteries, that those that mette together frendes, departed enemyes, and sometymes were at daggers drawing for the matter." Ibid. signat. T 7.

But Christopherson's, no doubt, are partial representations. We must remark, therefore, that even Latimer himself notices, and censures, in very intelligible terms, a serious change, which had largely diffused itself, in the character of an uncontrollable and presumptuous temper, contrary to that meekness and humility, which ought to be the ornament of the gospel, and is in the sight of God of great price.

"I never

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