Page images
PDF
EPUB

tho that were present at any time when she was houshilde,1 which was full nigh a dozen times every year, what floods of tears there issued forth of her eyes!

THOMAS ELYOT, a gentleman of eminent learning, and a distinguished physician of the reign of Henry the Eighth, was descended from an ancient family in the county of Suffolk, and was the son of Sir Richard Elyot; but the period of his birth has not been preserved. He was educated at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, and was particularly distinguished for his attainments in philosophy and logic. After having passed some years at the university, and having also acquired a thorough knowledge of his profession, he travelled upon the continent; and upon his return to England he was introduced at court. His unusual genius and extensive learning recommending him to the favor of Henry the Eighth, who, with all his faults, was a great patron of men of letters, his majesty conferred upon him the honor of knighthood, and employed him in several important embassies, one of which was to Rome in 1532, relating to the king's divorce from queen Catherine; and another, four years after, to the emperor Charles the Fifth of Spain. He died on the 25th of March, 1546, and was buried in the church of Carlton in Cambridgeshire, where a magnificent monument was soon after erected to his memory.

Mr. Wood remarks that 'Sir Thomas Elyot was an excellent grammarian, poet, rhetorician, philosopher, physician, and historian; and distinguished as much for his candor, and the innocence and integrity of his life, as for his accomplishments. He was admired and beloved by all the men of learning who were his contemporaries; and his memory is celebrated by them in their respective works, particularly by Leland.'

Of the numerous productions of Elyot, the most popular are, The Castle of Health, and The Governor. The former is a professional work, and contains many sound precepts with regard to diet and regimen; and the latter is devoted chiefly to the subject of education. He recommends that children be taught to speak Latin from their infancy; and he deprecates 'cruel and yrous schoolmasters, by whom the wits of children be dulled, whereof we need no better author to witness than daily experience.' Mr. Hallam observes, in reference to this passage, that, all historians concur to this savage ill-treatment of boys in the schools of this period. The fierceness of the Tudor government, the religious intolerance, the polemical brutality, the rigorous justice, when justice it was, of our laws, seemed 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.'

The following brief passage from 'The Castle of Health,' gives a very fair idea of Elyot's style, and at the same time of the habits recommended by the medical men of that period.

* The muscles are best exercised with holding of the breath in a long time, so that he which doth exercise hath well digested his meat and is not troubled with much wind in his body. Finally, loud reading, counterfeit

1 Received the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

2 Irascible.

battle, tennis or throwing the ball, running, walking, adde(d) to shooting, which, in my opinion, exceeds all the other, do exercise the body commodiously. Alway remember that the end of violent exercise is difficulty in fetching of the breath; of moderate exercise, alteration of breath only, or the beginning of sweat. Moreover, in winter, running and wrestling is convenient; in summer, wrestling a little, but not running; in very cold weather, much walking; in hot weather rest is more expedient. They which seem to have moist bodies, and live in idleness, they have need of violent exercise. They which are lean and choleric must walk softly, and exercise themselves very temperately. The plummets, called of Galen, alteres, which are now much used with great men, being of equal weight and according to the strength of him that exerciseth, are very good to be used.

At the period at present under consideration bishop Latimer distinguished himself as a zealous Reformer, not less than Sir Thomas More, and bishop Fischer did as Romanists.

HUGH LATIMER was born at Thirkesson, in Leicestershire 1470. His father rented a small farm, and though he had a family of seven children, yet by industry and frugality he succeeded in bringing them all up at home, and finally establishing them respectably in life. Hugh, his only son, was early sent to the grammar-school of his native place, and the facility with. which he acquired knowledge was such, that his father at once resolved to educate him for the church. With this view, as soon as suitable preparations had been made, he sent him to the university of Cambridge, where he greatly distinguished himself in scholastic learning; and having taken the degree of master of arts, he entered into priest's orders as a devoted advocate of Popery. He remained attached to the Romish church, however, but a few years; for forming an acquaintance with Thomas Bilney, a celebrated defender of the doctrines of the Reformation, he became convinced of his error, and thenceforth boldly maintained both in private and in the pulpit, the views of the Protestant party. His preaching at Cambridge gave great offense to the Romish 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 regarded as the principal offender, caused both to be liberated. Bilney afterward disclaimed his abjuration, and was burnt. This, however, did not abate the boldness of Latimer, who not only continued to preach openly in favor of Protestantism, but even wrote to Henry the Eighth, remonstrating with that arbitrary sovereign against the prohibition of the use of the Bible in English. This boldness, although it failed to produce the desired result, gave no offense to the king, who soon after presented Latimer to a living in Wiltshire, and in 1535, appointed him bishop of Worcester. The fall of Anne Boleyn was followed by the passing of the six articles establishing the doctrines of Popery, in consequence of which Latimer resigned his bishopric.

During the latter part of Henry's reign the bishop suffered imprisonment; but being liberated after the accession of Edward the Sixth, he became

popular at court as a preacher, but could never be prevailed upon 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 although allowed an opportunity to escape, he readily obeyed the citation, exclaiming as he passed through Smithfield, 'This place has long groaned for me.' After a tedious imprisonment, he still persisted in refusing to subscribe to certain articles which were submitted to him; and he and Ridley, bishop of London, were led to the stake together at Oxford, and committed to the flames on the 16th of October, 1555. On their way to their execution Latimer exclaimed to his fellow-martyr, '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.' Thus died bishop Latimer, one of the leaders of that glorious army of martyrs who successfully introduced the reformation into England.

Latimer's sermons, his only literary preformances, are remarkable for a familiarity and drollery of style, which, though it would now be considered very singular in the pulpit, was highly popular in his own time, and produced a wonderful impression upon his hearers. He was also chiefly instrumental in effecting a great improvement in the quality of clerical discourses, by substituting topics connected with moral duties for those incredible and often ridiculous legendary tales of saints and martyrs, which was at that time the common subject-matter of sermons.

The following extracts from his discourses will afford a pretty correct idea of his style, and peculiar manner of preaching.

HASTY JUDGMENT.

Here I have occasion to tell you a story which happened at Cambridge. Master Bilney, or rather Saint Bilney, that suffered death for God's word's sake, the same Bilney was the instrument whereby God called me to knowledge, for I may thank him, next to God, for that knowledge that I have in the word of God. For I was as obstinate a papist as any was in England, insomuch that, when I should be made Bachelor of Divinity, my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon and against his opinions. Bilney heard me at that time, and perceived that I was zealous without knowledge; he came to me afterward in my study, and desired me for God's sake to hear his confession; I did so; and, to say the very truth, by his confession I learned more than before in many years; so from that time forward I began to smell the word of God, and forsook the school-doctors and such fooleries.

Now after I had been acquainted with him, I went with him to visit the prisoners in the tower at Cambridge, for he was ever visiting prisoners and sick folk. So we went together, and exhorted them as well as we were able to do; minding them to patience, and to acknowledge their faults. Among other prisoners, there was a woman which was accused that she had killed her child, which act she plainly and steadfastly denied, and could not be brought to confess the act; which denying gave us occasion to search for the matter, and so we did; and at length we found that her husband loved her not, and therefore he sought means to make her out of the way. The matter was thus:-A child of hers had been sick by the space of a year, and so decayed, as it were, in a consumption. At length it died in harvest-time; she went to her neighbours and other friends to desire their help to prepare the child for burial; but there was nobody at home, every man was in the field. The woman,

in a heaviness and trouble of spirit, went, and being herself alone, prepared the child for burial. Her husband coming home, not having great love toward her, accused her of the murder, and so she was taken and brought to Cambridge. But as far forth as I could learn, through earnest inquisition, I thought in my conscience the woman was not guilty, all the circumstances well considered.

Immediately after this I was called to preach before the king, which was my first sermon that I made before his majesty, and it was done at Windsor; where his majesty, after the sermon was done, did most familiarly talk with me in a gallery. Now, when I saw my time, I kneeled down before his majesty, opening the whole matter, and afterward most humbly desired his majesty to pardon that woman. For I thought in my conscience she was not guilty, or else I would not for all the world sue for a murderer. The king most graciously heard my humble request, insomuch that I had a pardon ready for her at my returning homeward. In the mean season, that woman was delivered of a child in the town of Cambridge, whose god-father I was, and Mistress Cheek was god-mother. But all that time I hid my pardon, and told her nothing of it, only exhorting her to confess the truth. At length the time came when she looked to suffer; I came as I was wont to do, to instruct her; she made great moan to me. So we travailed with this woman till we brought her to a good opinion; and at length showed her the king's pardon, and let her go.

This tale I told you by this occasion, that though some women be very unnatural, and forget their children, yet when we hear any body so report, we should not be too hasty in believing the tale, but rather suspend our judgments till we know the truth.

THE SHEPHERDS OF BETHLEHEM.

I pray you to whom was the nativity of Christ first opened? To the bishops or great lords which were at this time at Bethlehem? Or to those jolly damsels with their fardingales, with their round-abouts, or with their bracelets? No, no, they had too many lets to trim and dress themselves, so that they could have no time to hear of the nativity of Christ; their minds were so occupied otherwise, that they were not allowed to hear of him. But his nativity was revealed first by the Shepherds, and it was revealed unto them in the night-time, when every body was at rest; then they heard this joyful tidings of the Saviour of the world; for these shepherds were keeping their sheep in the night season from the wolf and other beasts, and from the fox; for the sheep in that country do lamb two times in a year, and therefore it was needful for the sheep to have a shepherd to keep them. And here note the diligence of these shepherds; for whether the sheep were their own, or whether they were servants, I can not tell, for it is not expressed in the book; but it is most like they were servants, and their masters had put them in trust to keep their sheep. Now, if these shepherds had been deceitful fellows, that when their masters had put them in trust to keep their sheep, they had been drinking in the ale-house all night, as some of our servants do now-a-days, surely the angel had not appeared unto them to have told them this great joy and good tidings. And here all servants may learn by these shepherds, to serve truly and diligently unto their masters; in what business soever they are set to do, let them be painful and diligent like as Jacob was unto his master Laban.

Now these shepherds, I say, they watch the whole night, they attend upon their vocation, they do according to their calling, they keep their sheep, they run not hither and thither spending the time in vain, and neglecting their office and calling No, they did not so. Here by these shepherds men may learn to attend upon their offices and callings: I would wish that clergymen, the curates, parsons, and vicars, the bishops and all other spiritual persons, would learn this lesson by these poor shepherds; which is this, to abide by their flocks, and by their sheep, to tarry among

them, to be careful over them, not to run hither and thither after their own pleasure, but to tarry by their benefices and feed their sheep with the food of God's word, and to keep hospitality, and so to feed them both soul and body. For I tell you, these poor unlearned shepherds shall condemn many a stout and great learned clerk; for these shepherds had but the care and charge over brute beasts, and yet were diligent to keep them, and to feed them, and the other have the cure over God's lambs which he bought with the death of his son, and yet they are so careless, so negligent, so slothful over them; yea, and the most part intendeth not to feed the sheep, but they long to be fed of the sheep; they seek only their own pastimes, they care for no more. But, what said Christ to Peter? What said he? Petre, amas me? (Peter, lovest thou me ?) Peter made answer, yes. Then feed my sheep. And so the third time he commanded Peter to feed his sheep. But our clergymen do declare plainly that they love not Christ, because they feed not his flock. If they had earnest love to Christ, no doubt they would show their love, they would feed his sheep. *

*

*

'And the shepherds returned lauding and praising God, for all the things that they had heard and seen,' &c. They were not made religious men, but returned again to their business and to their occupation. Here we learn every man to follow his occupation and his vocation, and not to leave the same, except God call him from it to another, for God would have every man to live in that order that he hath ordained for him. And no doubt the man that plieth his occupation truly, without any fraud or deceit, the same is acceptable to God, and he shall have everlasting life.

We shall close our present remarks with a brief sketch of Bale, the celebrated Bishop of Ossory, in Ireland.

[ocr errors]

JOHN BALE was born at Cove, in Suffolk, 1495. His parents being in narrow circumstances, he was sent, when only twelve years of age to the monastery of Camelites in Norwich, and moved, a few years after, to Jesus College, Cambridge. His whole education, both in school and at college, was strictly in accordance with the doctrines and practices of the Romish church, but before he entered into orders he became a devoted Protestant. He informs us in reference to this change, that he was involved in the utmost ignorance and darkness of mind, both at Norwich and Cambridge, till the word of God shining forth, the churches began to return to the true fountains of divinity. That the instrument of his conversion was not a priest or a monk, but the most noble Earl of Wentworth.' His conversion, however, exposed him to the severest persecutions from the Romish clergy, and he would doubtless have felt the full force of their resentment had he not been protected by Lord Cromwell, one of Henry the Eighth's principal favorites. But after the death of that nobleman, Bale was obliged to take refuge in Holland, where he remained for six years. When Edward the Sixth ascended the throne, he was recalled by that youthful monarch to England, and on the 15th of August, 1552, nominated to the See of Ossory in Ireland. Upon his arrival in that country, he immediately began to introduce such reformations in his diocess as would have a tendency to correct the extensive abuses which there prevailed, particularly the vicious and irregular lives of the priests; but all his schemes were frustrated by the premature death of Edward, and the accession of Mary to the throne. The

« PreviousContinue »