in case it were neither too long, nor without hope of reformation."*

Another fault, wherewith he was charged, was that woful and unhappy discord betwixt him and reverend bishop Hooper, about the wearing of some episcopal garments at his consecration, then in use; which Ridley pressed, and Hooper refused, with equal violence, as being too many, rather loading than gracing him; and so affectedly grave, that they were light again. All we will say is this: that when worthy men fall out, only one of them may be faulty at the first; but, if such strifes continue long, commonly both become guilty. But thus God's diamonds often cut one another, and good men cause afflictions to good men.

It was the policy of the Lacedemonians, always to send two ambassadors together, who disagreed amongst themselves, that so mutually they might have an eye on the actions each of other. Sure I am, that in those ambassadors, the ministers whom God sendeth to men, God suffereth great discords betwixt them, (Paul with Barnabas, Jerome with Ruffin and Augustine, and the like,) perchance because each may be more cautious and wary of his behaviour in the view of the other. We may well behold men's weakness in such dissensions, but better admire God's strength and wisdom in ordering them to his glory, and his children's good. Sure it is, Ridley and Hooper were afterwards cordially reconciled; and let not their discords pierce farther than their reconciliation. The worst is, men's eyes are never made sound with the clearness-but often are made sore with the blearness-of other men's eyes in their company. The virtues of saints are not so attractive of our imitation, as their vices and infirmities are prone to infect.

Ridley was very gracious with king Edward VI.; and, by a sermon he preached before him, so wrought upon his pious disposition, whose princely charity rather wanted a director than a persuader, that the king at his motion gave to the city of London,

1. Grey-Friars, now called Christ-Church, for impotent, fatherless, decrepid people by age or nature, to be educated or maintained.

2. St. Bartholomew's, near Smithfield, for poor by faculty, as

HAYWARD's "Edward VI.," p. 291.

lib. ii. cap. 7.

+ ARISTOTELIS Polit., HAYWARD'S "Edward VI.," p. 407, et sequentibus.

wounded soldiers, diseased and sick persons to be cured and relieved.

3. Bridewell, the ancient mansion of the English kings, for the poor by idleness or unthriftiness, as riotous spenders, vagabonds, loiterers, strumpets, to be corrected and reduced to good order.

I like that emblem of charity, which one hath expressed in "a naked child, giving honey to a bee without wings; "* only I would have one thing added, namely, "holding a whip in the other hand to drive away the drones: " so that king Edward's bounty was herein perfect and complete.

To return to Ridley: His whole life was a letter written full of learning and religion, whereof his death was the seal. Brought he was with Cranmer and Latimer to Oxford, to dispute in the days of queen Mary, though, before a syllogism was formed, their deaths were concluded on, and as afterwards came to pass; being burnt the sixteenth of October, anno 1555, in the ditch over against Balliol College.

He came to the stake in a fair black gown furred and faced with foins; a tippet of velvet, furred likewise about his neck; a velvet night-cap upon his head, and a cornered cap upon the same.‡

Dr. Smith preached a sermon at their burning; a sermon which had nothing good in it but the text, (though misapplied,) and the shortness, being not above a quarter of an hour long. Old Hugh Latimer was Ridley's partner at the stake, some time bishop of Worcester, who crawled thither after him; one who had lost more learning than many ever had, who flout at his plain sermons; though his down-right style was as necessary in that ignorant age, as it would be ridiculous in ours. Indeed, he condescended to people's capacity; and many men unjustly count those low in learning, who indeed do but stoop to their auditors. Let me see any of our sharp wits do that with the edge-which his bluntness did with the back-of the knife, and persuade so many to restitution of ill-gotten goods. Though he came after Ridley to the stake, he got before him to heaven : his body, made tinder by age, was no sooner touched by the fire, but instantly this old Simeon had his Nunc dimittis,§ and

FRANCIS QUARLES'S "Enchiridion," p. 1.

+ According to PHILLIPS

and KERSEY: "Foins, a kind of fur, black at the top on a whitish ground, and taken from a little ferret or weasel of the same name."-EDIT.

"Acts and Monuments," anno 1555, Octob.

thy servant depart in peace." (Luke ii. 29.)—EDIT.

+ Fox's § "Lord, now lettest thou

brought the news to heaven that his brother was following after. But Ridley suffered with far more pain, the fire about him being not well-made: and yet one would think that age should be skilful in making such bone-fires, as being much practised in them. The gunpowder that was given him, did him little service; and his brother-in-law, out of desire to rid him out of pain, increased it, (great grief will not give men leave to be wise with it!) heaping fuel upon him to no purpose; so that neither the faggots which his enemies' anger, nor his brother's good-will, cast upon him, made the fire to burn kindly.

In like manner, not much before, his dear friend Master Hooper suffered with great torment; the wind (which too often is the bellows of great fires) blowing it away from him once or twice. Of all the Martyrs in those days, these two endured most pain; it being true that each of them,

Quærebat in ignibus ignes :

"And still he did desire

For fire in midst of fire: "

both desiring to burn, and yet both their upper parts were but Confessors, when their lower parts were Martyrs, and burnt to ashes. Thus God, where he hath given the stronger faith, he layeth on the stronger pain. And so we leave them going up to heaven, like Elijah, in a chariot of fire.

• See MR. Fox's "Acts and Monuments," on Hooper's death.

CHAPTER XII.

THE TRUE NOBLEMAN.

He is a gentleman in a text-letter, because bred and living in a higher and larger way. Conceive him, when young, brought up at school, in ludo literario, where he did not take ludus to himself, and leave literarius † to others, but seriously applied himself to learning; and, afterwards coming to his estate, thus behaves himself:

MAXIM I.

Goodness sanctifies his greatness, and greatness supports his goodness. He improves the upper ground whereon he stands, thereby to do God the more glory.

II.

He counts not care for his country's good to be beneath his state. Because he is a great pillar, shall he therefore bear the less weight, never meddling with matters of justice? Can this be counted too low for a lord, which is high enough for a king? Our nobleman freely serves his country, counting his very work a sufficient reward; as by our laws no duke, earl, baron, or baronet, though Justices of Peace, may take any wages at the sessions. Yea, he detesteth all gainful ways, which have the least blush of dishonour. For the merchant-nobility of Florence and Venice, how highly soever valued by themselves, pass in other countries with loss and abatement of repute; as if the scarlet robes of their honour had a stain of the stammel § dye in them.

• What is now usually called "a capital letter," the large letter with which a sentence or paragraph commences.-EDIT. The literal translation of ludus literarius is "a literary play-place." According to Festus, the old Latin grammarian, the rather ominous word schola was purposely changed into ludus literarius, in order that young boys might not be deterred, through the lugubrious sound of the name, from engaging heartily in scholastic duties. According to other authorities, a place for general education obtained this name, because the common duties of a school appear only as a kind of by-play to a youth of real genius. The English reader will, after this explanation, at once appreciate the wit of Fuller's subsequent allusion to the youthful nobleman, who "did not take the sportive part to himself, and leave the literary part to others."-EDIT. + Statute 14 of Richard II., cap. xi. § Stammel, a dingy red colour. The antithesis

III.

He is careful in the thrifty managing of his estate.-Gold, though the most solid and heavy of metals, yet may be beaten out so thin as to be the lightest and slightest of all things. Thus nobility, though in itself most honourable, may be so attenuated through the smallness of means, as thereby to grow neglected which makes our nobleman to practise Solomon's precept: "Be diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thine herds; for the crown doth not endure to every generation." (Prov. xxvii. 23.) If not the crown, much less the coronet; and good husbandry may as well stand with great honour, as breadth may consist with height.

:

IV.

If a weak estate be left him by his ancestors, he seeks to repair it. By thrifty ways, yet noble: as by travelling, sparing abroad, till his state at home may outgrow debts and pensions. Hereby he gains experience, and saves expense; sometimes living private, sometimes showing himself at a half-light, and sometimes appearing like himself, as occasion requires :—or else by betaking himself to the wars; war cannot but in thankfulness grace him with an office, who graceth her with his person : -or else by warlike sea-adventures, wisely undertaken, and providently managed; otherwise, this course hath emptied more full, than filled empty, purses, and many thereby have brought a galleon to a galley :—or, lastly, by match with wealthy heirs, wherein he is never so attentive to his profit, but he listens also to his honour.

V.

In proportion to his means, he keeps a liberal house. This much takes the affections of country people, whose love is much warmed in a good kitchen, and turneth much on the hinges of a buttery-door often open. Francis Russel, second earl of Bedford of that sirname, was so bountiful to the poor, that queen Elizabeth would merrily complain of him, that he made all the beggars. Sure, it is more honourable for noblemen to

here instituted by Fuller between splendid scarlet robes, and those which had only a stain of the stammel dye, has been well preserved by Ben Jonson in the subjoined couplet :

"Redhood, the first that doth appear

In stammel: scarlet is too dear."