was visitor as archbishop; and soon after he was employed by the lord treasurer in a controversy between the university and town of Cambridge.

This year a convocation met at St Paul's, at which, though he could not appear, yet he had a principal share in the transaction of it. He drew up an expedient for preserving the authority of the spiritual courts in the point of excommunications; he laid before them also a new form of penance to be observed for the future, better calculated than the former to bring the sinner to amendment. It was moved in this convocation, that no business should be entered upon, nor any subsidy granted till he was restored. And though that motion was carried in the negative, yet they unanimously presented a petition, which was thought more respectful to her majesty in his favour. It set forth, How exceedingly grieved they were, that the most reverend father, after so many years should fall into so great and so durable an offence of her majesty. That he was a man that did not often offend; and but once in his life seemed to have displeased her; and that not so much with a wilful mind, as by a tender conscience. Of which so great was the force, that eminent authors and the best men • had writ, that whatsoever was done, the conscience reclaiming, or erring, or doubting, was done amiss and to be condemned as no little sin. That the archbishop ⚫ had led a life free not only of all crime, but even from the suspicion of a crime; preserved his religion from all, not only corruption of popery, but from schism, and had suffered persecution for righteousness' sake, having wandered abroad in other countries for the cause of the gospel. Therefore they most humbly and unanimously beseeched her not only to lift up the archb hop, • broken and feeble with grief, but to restore the church to him, and him to the church, to her subjects, to his • own brethren, to foreign nations, and, in a word, to all pious people. And for their own parts they promised her, if she would grant this their supplication, they would never be wanting in their care of settling the church, in propagating religion, in taking away schisms, and in being mindful of, and thankful for this • favour.'

However, the address proved ineffectual, nor was he restored till he made his submission; wherein, among

other

other things, to clear himself of the charge of a refractory disobedience in respect of suppressing the exercises, he proved that in his own bishopric, and other peculiar jurisdictions, he never suffered the exercises to be used after the time of her majesty's command.

The precise time of his restitution does not clearly appear, yet several of his proceedings shew, that he was in the full possession of the metropolitical power in 1582, in which year, it is certain also, that he had totally lost his eye-sight through hard study and infirmities, especially the stranguary and cholic, with which he had been long afflicted; and losing all hopes of recovering his sight, towards the latter end of this year, he resigned his see, and obtained a pension for his life from the queen, though in no degree of her majesty's favour. With this provision he retired to Croydon, where he died two months after, on July 6, 1583, and was interred in that church, where a stone monument was erected to his memory.

Mr Strype, who wrote an account of our Archbishop's life, in order to vindicate his memory from the late misrepresentations, as he calls them, of Fuller and Heylin, who set him forth as an ill governor of the church, as too much inclined to puritanism, observes, that in the times wherein he lived, when he was better known, his episcopal abilities and admirable endowments for spiritual government, as well as his singular learning, were much celebrated. He was a man, continues this writer, of great firmness and resolution, though of a mild and affable temper and friendly disposition. In his deportment courteous and engaging, not easily provoked, well spoken, and easy of access; and in his elevation not at all affecting grandeur or state, always obliging in his carriage as well as kind and grateful to his servants, and of a free and generous spirit: That he was confessedly a prelate of great moderation towards the puritans, to whose interest in the cabinet, joined to his own merits, his preferment was perhaps owing.

He had doubtless a great respect for Calvin, Luther, Melancthon, Bucer, Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Zanchy, and the rest of the Reformers abroad, with whom he had contracted a friendship, during his exile, and still corresponded with them; and he was very instrumental in obtaining a settlement for the French Protestants in their

own

own way of worship, which was the beginning of the Walloon church, situated in Threadneedle-street, London, and hath continued ever since for the use of the French nation.

Besides the things already mentioned, our Author assisted Fox in his Martyrology, wherein is printed of his own writing," A Dialogue," between custom and truth, which is written in a clear manner, and with much rational evidence against the real, that is, the gross, and corporal presence in the sacrament,

The archbishop lived and died unmarried, yet does not seem to have amassed much wealth, notwithstanding his great and rich preferments. However, he left several charitable legacies by his last will, as thirty pounds ter annum for the maintenance of a free grammar school, at St Begh's in Cumberland, where he was born. To Pembroke-hall, in Cambridge, twenty-two pounds per annum. He left also to the college several books of Henry Stephen's edition, and a curious Hebrew bible to the Master's study. He likewise gave the college a standing cup of above forty ounces, double gilt, which in honour of him they called Poculum Cautauriense, the Canterbury Cup. It was a present to him from the queen the year after his promotion to the see of Canterbury. He gave to Queen's-college, Oxford, twenty-six pounds and fourpence per annum. To Magdalen-college, in Cambridge, for the maintenance of one scholar, one hundred pounds. To Christ's-college, in Cambridge, a standing cup, value thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence. For the building and furnishing St Begh's school, three hundred and sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence. For the purchase of lands and other profits for the relief of the poor almshouses in Croydon, fifty pounds. For repairing the church five pounds. To the city of Canterbury, to set the poor to work, one hundred pounds. To the poor of Lambeth and Croydon, twenty pounds. To the poor of St Begh's thirteen pounds six shillings and eight pence. To the parish-church of St Begh's, his communion cup and cover double gilt, and his best great bible. To the queen, a curious Greek Testament of St Stephen's impression. To his successors, several pictures and implements. To his patron, lord Burleigh, a standing cup of forty ounces, given by the queen the last New-year's day before he died.

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To Sir Francis Walsingham, a standing cup of the like value.

There are many other legacies to servants, friends, and relations, among which last we are told that he had a brother whose name was Robert, who, with his wife, and Edmund, his only son, died in 1567, leaving four daughters orphans, the second of whom married William Darres, gent. against the consent of the archbishop, who had like wise several nieces by his sister Elizabeth Woodfall.

JOHN FOX.

HIS meek and laborious minister was born at Boston,

THIS

in Lincolnshire, A. D. 1517; the very year, when Luther began the Reformation, in Germany.

His father died, when he was very young; and, his mother marrying again, he came under the tutelage of a father-in-law: With whom he dwelt, till the age of sixteen, at which time he was entered of Brazen-nose-college, Oxford; and was chamber fellow with the celebrated Dr Alexander Nowel, afterwards dean of St Paul's. Mr Fox plied his academical studies with equal assiduity, improvement, and applause. In 1538, he took the degree of bachelor in arts; and that of master, 1543. The same year, he was elected fellow of Magdalen-college.

When he was first removed to the university, and for some time after, he was strongly attached to the heresies and superstitions of popery. To his zeal for these, he added a life strictly regular and moral: And, laughing at the idea of justification by faith in the imputed righteousness of Christ, thought himself sufficiently safe in the ima

ginary merit of his own self-denial, penances, almsdeeds, and compliances with the rites of the church.

But he was a chosen vessel; and, therefore, divine grace would not let him remain a pharisee. Through the effectual breathings of GOD's Holy Spirit, his studies were over-ruled, not only to the advantage of posterity at large; but, also to the benefit of his own soul in particular. His indefatigable and profound researches, into ecclesiastical history, and the writings of the primitive fathers; and, above all, his thorough acquaintance with the holy scripture, in its original languages; became the means of convincing him, to what an immense distance the Romish church has departed, from the faith, practice, and spirit, of Christianity.

In order to make himself a yet more competent judge of the controversies, then in debate between Protestants and Papists; he searched with indefatigable assiduity, into the ancient and modern history' of the church. Here he learnt, at what periods, and by what means, the religion. of Christ flourished; and by what errors it began to decline. He considered the causes, and weighed the importance, of those various dissentions, which had, from time to time, obtained in the professing world: and quickly perceived, that, in every age, the mistakes, follies, and vices of mankind, are more similar, in their nature, operations, and effects, than is generally imagined. What is the far greater part of civil and ecclesiastical history, but a register of the weakness and wickedness which divide. almost the whole human race between them?

With such zeal and industry did Mr Fox apply himself to these enquiries, that, before he was thirty years of age, he had read over all the Greek and all the Latin fathers; all the scholastic writers; together with the acts of all the councils: And, moreover, made himself master of the Hebrew language. But, from this strict and severe application, by night, as well as by day; from forsaking his old popish friends, and courting the most sequestered retirement; from the dubious and hesitating manner, in which, when he could not avoid being in company, he spoke of religious subjects; and, above all, from his ing attendance on the public worship of the church, which he had, before, been remarkable for strictly and constantly frequenting; arose the first surmises of his being alienated. from the reigning superstitions, and infected with (what the bigotted Romanists had the ignorance to term) the new heresies.

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Thus