laws, seem to have engendered a hardness of character, which displayed itself in severity of discipline, when it did not even reach the point of arbitrary or malignant cruelty.' Sir Thomas Elyot died in 1546.

HUGH LATIMER (circa 1485-1555) distinguished himself as a zealous reformer, not less than Sir Thomas More did on the opposite side. He was a native of Thurcaston, county of Leicester, was educated at Cambridge, entered the Church, but becoming acquainted with Thomas Bilney, a celebrated defender of the doctrines of Luther, he boldly maintained in the pulpit the truth of the Protestant doctrines. His preaching at Cambridge gave great offence to the Catholic clergy, at whose instigation Cardinal Wolsey instituted a court of bishops and deacons to execute the laws against heretics. Before this court, Bilney and Latimer were summoned, when the recantation of the former, who was considered the principal man, caused both to be set at liberty. Bilney afterwards disclaimed his abjuration, and suffered martyrdom. This did not abate the boldness of Latimer, who continued to preach openly, and even wrote a letter to Henry VIII. remonstrating against the prohibition of the Bible in English. His letter, although it failed to produce the desired result, seems to have given no offence to Henry, who soon afterwards presented Latimer to a living in Wiltshire, and in 1535 appointed him bishop of Worcester. After the fall of Anne Boleyn, the passing in parliament of the six articles establishing the doctrines of popery, induced him to resign his bishopric (July, 1539) During the latter part of Henry's reign, he suffered imprisonment; but being liberated after the accession of Edward VI. he became popular at court as a preacher, yet never could be prevailed on to resume his episcopal functions. In Mary's reign, when measures were taken for the restoration of popery, Latimer was summoned before the council, and, though allowed an opportunity of escape, readily obeyed the citation, exclaiming, as he passed through Smithfield: This place has long groaned for me.' After a close imprisonment of sixteen months at Oxford, Latimer was tried a second time. He was then old-above eighty---but he unhesitatingly refused to sign articles of subscription which were submitted to him, and suffered at the stake in 1555, exclaiming to his fellow-martyr, Bishop Ridley. Be of good comfort, Doctor Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.' His sermons, a collection of which was published in 1570, are remarkable for a familiarity and drollery of style, which, though it would now be reckoned unsuitable for the pulpit, was higly popular in his own time, and produced a wonderful impression on his hearers. Cranmer and Latimer were instrumental in effecting a great improvement in the quality of clerical d scourses, by substituting topics connected with moral duties for what was then the common subject-matter of sermons-namely, incredible and often ridiculous

legendary tales of saints and martyrs, and accounts of miracles wrought for the confirmation of doctrines of the Catholic Church.

Latimer's Account of his Parentage.-From Seven Sermons Preached before Edward VI, 1549.

My father was a Yoman, and had no landes of his owne, onlye he had a farme of ii. or 1. pound by yere at the vttermost, and here vpon he tilled so much as kepte halfe a dosen men. He had walke for a hundred shepe, and my mother mylked xxx. kyne. He was able and did find the king a harnesse, wyth hym selfe, and hys horsse, whyle he came to ye place that he should receyue the kynges wages. I can remembre, yat I buckled hys harnes,, when he went vnto Blacke heeathfelde. He kept me to schole, or elles I had not bene able to haue preached before the kinges maiestie nowe. He maryed my systers, with v. pounde or xx. nobles a pece, so that he brought them vp in godlines, and feare of God.

He kept hospitalitie for his pore neighbours. And sum almess he gaue to the poore, and all thys did he of the sayd farme. Wher he that now hath it, paieth xvi. pound by yere or more, and is not able to do any thing for his prynce, for himselfe, nor for his children, or geue a cup of drincke to the pore. Thus al the enhansinge and rearing goth to your priuate commoditie and wealth.... In my tyme, my poore father was as diligent to teach me to shote, as to learnye anye other thynge, and so I thinke other menne dyd theyr children. He taughte me how to drawe, how to laye my bodye in my bowe, and not to drawe wyth strenth of armes as other uacions do, but with strength of the bodye. I had my bowes boughte me accordyng to my age and strength as I encreased in them, so my bowes were made bigger, and bigger, for men shal neuer shot well, excepte they be broughte vp in it. It is a goodly art, a holsome kyude of exercise, and much commended in phisike.

Germany made a Mingle-mangle of their Religion.

Germany was visited xx. yeares wyth Goddes word, but they dyd not earnestlye embrace it, and in lyfe folowe it, but made a myngle mangle and a hotchpotch of it. I can not tell what, partely poperye, partelye true religion mingeled together. They say in my contrye, when they cal theyr hogges to the swyne troughe, Come to thy myngle mangle, come pyr, come pyr, euen so they made mingle mangle of it.

They coulde clatter and prate of the Gospell, but when all commeth to al, they ioyned poperye so wyth it, that they marde all together, they scratched and scraped all the lyuynges of the churche, and vnder a couloure of relygion turned it to theyr owne proper gayne and lucre. God, seynge that they woulde not come vuto hys worde, now he visiteth them in the seconde tyme of hys visitacion with his wrathe. For the takynge awaye of Goddes word is a manyfest token of hys wrath. We haue now a fyrst visitacyon in Englande, let vs beware of the seconde. We haue the mynystracyon of hys worde, we are yet well, but the house is not cleane swepte yet. In the following extracts we have modernised the spelling:

Bishop Latimer gives place to Robin Hood's Men.

I came once myself to a place, riding on a journey homeward from London, and I sent word overnight into the town that I would preach there in the morning, because it was holyday, and methought it was holyday's work. The church stood in my way, and I took my horse, and my company, and went thither. I thought I should have found a great company in the church, and when I came there the church-door was fast locked.

I tarried there half an hour and more; at last the key was found, and one of the parish comes to me and says: Sir, this is a busy day with us, we cannot hear you, it is Robin Hood's day. The parish are gone abroad to gather for Robin Hood; I pray you let [hinder] them not.' I was fain then to give place to Robin Hood. I thought my rochet should have been regarded, though I were not, but it would not serve; it was fain to give place to Robin Hood's men! It is no laughing matter, my friends, it is weeping matter, a heavy matter, a heavy matter, under the pretence for

gathering for Robin Hood, a traitor and a thief, to put out a preacher, to have his office less esteemed, to prefer Robin Hood before the ministration of God's word; and all this hath come of unpreaching prelates.

Cause and Effect-Story of Goodwin Sands and Tenderden Steeple.

Here now I remember an argument of Master More's, which he bringeth in a book that he made against Bilney, and here, by the way, I will tell you a merry toy. Master More was once sent in commission into Kent, to help to try out, if it might be, what was the cause of Goodwin sands and the shelf that stopped up Sandwich haven. Thither cometh Master More, and calleth the country before him, such as were thought to be men of experience, and men that could of likelihood best certify him of that matter concerning the stopping of Sandwich haven. Among others came in before him an old man with a white head, and one that was thought to be little less than a hundred years old. When Master More saw this aged man, he thought it expedient to hear him say his mind in this matter; for, being so old a man, it was likely that he knew most of any man in that presence and company. So Master More called this old aged man unto him, and said: Father, tell me, if you can, what is the cause of this great rising of the sands and shelves here about this haven, the which stop it up, so that no ships can arrive here? Ye are the eldest man that I can espy in all this company, so that if any man can tell any cause of it, ye of likelihood can say most of it, or, at leastwise, more than any man here assembled.' 'Yea, forsooth, good master,' quoth this old man, for I am well-nigh a hundred years old, and no man here in this company anything near unto my age.' 'Well, then,' quoth Master More, 'how say you in this matter? What think ye to be the cause of these shelves and flats that stop up Sandwich haven ?' Forsooth, sir,' quoth he, I am an old man; I think that Tenderden steeple is the cause of Goodwin sands: for I am an old man, sir.' quoth he, and I may remember the building of Tenderden steeple, and I may remember when there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenderden steeple was in building, there was no manner of speaking of any flats or sands that stopped the haven, and therefore I think that Tenderden steeple is the cause of the destroying and decay of Sandwich haven.' And so to my purpose, preaching of God's word is the cause of rebellion, as Tenderden steeple was the cause that Sandwich haven is decayed.

The Devil the most Diligent Preacher -From Sermon on the Ploughers, Jan. 1548-9.

I would ask a strange question: Who is the most diligentest bishop and prelate In all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him, who it is; I know him well. But now I think I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England. And will you know who it is? I will tell you; it is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other, he is never out of his diocese; he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied ; he is ever in his parish; he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall never find him out of the way; call for him when you will, he is ever at home; the diligentest preacher in all the realm; he is ever at his plough; no lording or loitering can hinder him; he is ever applying his business; ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. And his office is to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach all kind of popery. He is ready as he can be wished for to set forth his plough; to devise as many ways as can be to deface and obscure God's glory. Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books, and up with candles; away with Bibles, and up with beads; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the light of candles, yea, at noon-days. Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry; censing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new service of men's inventing; as though man could invent a better way to honour God with than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory pick-purse, up with him, the popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor, and impotent; up with decking of images, and gay garnishings of stocks and stones; up with

'man's traditions and his laws, down with God's traditions and his most Holy Word. Down with the old honour due to God, and up with the new god's honour. Let all things be done in Latin: there must be nothing but Latin, not so much as 'Remember, man, that thou art ashes, and into ashes thou shalt return:' which be the words that the minister speaketh unto the ignorant people, when he giveth them ashes upon Ash-Wednesday; but it must be spoken in Latin: God's word may in no wise be translated into English.

O that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and daruel! But here some man will say to me: What, sir, are ye so privy of the devil's counsel that ye know all this to be true? Truly I know him too well, and have obeyed him a little too much in condescending to some follies; and I know him as other men do, yea, that he is ever occupied, and ever busy in following his plough. I know by St. Peter, which saith of him: He goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.' There never was such a preacher in England as he is. Who is able to tell his diligent preaching, which every day and every hour laboureth to sow cockel and darnel?

JOHN LELAND-GEORGE CAVENDISH.

The first English antiquarian writer was JOHN LELAND, who was born in London about 1506, and received his education at St. Paul's school in his native city, at Cambridge and Oxford, completing it by a residence of considerable duration at Paris. Leland was one of the earliest Greek scholars in England, was acquainted with French, Italian, and Spanish, and studied, what few then gave any attention to, the Welsh and Saxon. Henry VIII. made him one of his chaplains, and bestowed sundry benefices upon him. Having a strong natural bent to antiquities, he obtained from the king a commission to inspect records, wherever placed, and, armed with this, he proceeded upon a tour of the whole kingdom. In six years he collected an immense mass of valuable papers, some of which he deposited in the king's library. Some are in Latin; but the most important work is in English, namely, his 'Itinerary'-a -an account of his travels, and of the ancient remains which he visited, together with a catalogue of English writers. Leland died in London in 1552.

GEORGE CAVENDISH was gentleman-usher to Cardinal Wolsey, and afterwards employed in the same capacity by Henry VIII. To the former he was strongly attached, and after the prelate's fall, he continued to serve him faithfully till his death. Cavendish died about 1562, leaving in manuscript a Life of Cardinal Wolsey,' in which, while he admits the arrogant disposition of his old master, he highly extols his general character. * Mr. S. W Singer has printed, for the first time, Metrical Visions,' by Cavendish, concerning the fortunes and fall of some of the most eminent persons of his time. Respecting the 'Life of Wolsey,' he observes: 'There is a sincere and impartial * This work did not appear in print till 1641, when it was published under the title of The Negotiations of Thomas Wolsey; but as the chief object of sending it forth was to reconcile the nation to the death of Archbishop Laud, by drawing a parallel between the two prelates. the manuscript. before it went to the press, was greatly mutilated by abridgment and interpolation. A correct copy was, however, published in 1810 by Dr. Wordsworth, in the first volume of his Ecclesiastical Biography; and it has since been reprinted separately in 1825, by Mr. Samuel Weller Singer, along with a dissertation by the Rev. Joseph Hunter, proving the author to have been George Cavendish, and not his brother Sir William, as stated in the Biographia Britannicu, and later publications.

adherence to truth, a reality, in Cavendish's narrative, which bespeaks the confidence of his reader, and very much increases his pleasure. It is a work without pretension, but full of natural eloquence, devoid of the formality of a set rhetorical composition, unspoiled by the affectation of that classical manner in which all biography and history of old time was prescribed to be written, and which often divests such records of the attraction to be found in the conversational style of Cavendish. ... Our great poet has literally followed him in several passages of his 'King Henry VIII.,' merely putting his language into verse. Add to this the historical importance of the work, as the only sure and authentic source of information upon many of the most interesting events of that reign; and from which all historians have largely drawn (through the secondary medium of Holinshed and Stowe, who adopted Cavendish's narrative), and its intrinsic value need not be more fully expressed.'

King Henry's Visit to Wolsey's House.

And when it pleased the king's majesty, for his recreation, to repair unto the car-' dinal's house, as he did divers times in the year, at which time there wanted no preparations, or goodly furniture, with viands of the finest sort that might be provided for money or friendship; such pleasures were then devised for the king's comfort and consolation, as might be invented, or by man's wit imagined. The banquets were set forth with masks and mummeries, in so gorgeous a sort and costly manner, that it was a heaven to behold. There wanted no dames or damsels, meet or apt to dance with the maskers, or to garnish the place for the time with other goodly disports. Then was there all kind of music and harmony set forth, with excellent voices both of men and children. I have seen the king suddenly come in thither in a mask, with a dozen of other maskers, all in garments like shepherds, made of fine cloth of gold, and fine crimson satin paned, and caps of the same, with visors of good proportion of visnomy; their hairs and beards either of fine gold wire, or else of silver, and some being of black silk; having sixteen torch-bearers, besides their drums, and other persons attending upon them, with visors, and clothed all in satin, of the same colours. And at his coming, and before he came into the hall, ye shalĺ understand that he came by water to the watergate, without any noise, where, against his coming, were laid charged many chambers, (1) and at his landing they were all shot off, which made such a rumble in the air, that it was like thunder. It made all the noblemen, ladies, and gentlewomen to muse what it should mean coming so suddenly, they sitting quietly at a solemn banquet.. Then, immediately after this great shot of guus, the cardinal desired the lord chamberlain and comptroller to look what this sudden shot should mean, as though he knew nothing of the matter. They thereupon looking out of the windows into Thames, returned again, and shewed him, that it seemed to them there should be some noblemen and strangers arrived at his bridge, as ambassadors from some foreign prince. Then quoth the cardinal to my lord chamberlain : I pray you,' quoth he, shew them that it seemeth me that there should be among them some nobleman, whom I suppose to be much more worthy of honour to sit and occupy this room and place than I; to whom I would most gladly, if I knew him, surrender my place according to my duty.' Then spake my lord chamberlam unto them in French, declaring my lord cardinal's mind; and they rounding (2) him again in the ear, my lord chamberlain said to my lord cardinal: 'Sir, they confess,' quoth he, that among them there is such a noble personage, whom, if your grace can appoint him from the other, he is contented to disclose himself, and to accept your place most worthily.' With that the cardinal, taking a good advisement among them, at the last, quoth he: Me seemeth the gentleman with the black beard should be even he.' And with that he arose out of his chair, and offered 1 Short guns or cannon, without carriages, chiefly used for festive occasions. 2 Whispering.