satisfied in the Truth and Purity thereof All which did so endear her to the King that he took great delight in her Conversation 5. Thus lived she in these sweet Contentments till she came unto the years of Marriage when she that never found in her self the leâ—st spark of Ambition was made the most unhappy Instrument of another Mans. The proud and aspiring Duke of Northumberland treats with the Duke of Suffolk about a Marriage between the Lord Guilford Dudly his fourth Son and the Lady Jane The Marriage is concluded and by Northumberland's policy the Crown is transferred from K. Edward to his Cosin the Lady Jane his two Sisters the Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth being passed by Memorable is the Speech she made to the two Dukes when they owned her for Queen to this effect That the Laws of the Kingdom and natural Right standing for the Kings Sisters she would beware of burthening her weak Conscience with a yoke which did beloâ—g to them That she understood the Infamy of those who had permitted the violation of Right to gain a Scepter That it were to mock God and deride Justice to scruple at the stealing of a shilling and not at the usurpation of a Crown Besides said she I am not so yong nor so little read in the guiles of fortune to suffer my self to be taken by them If she enrich any it is but to make them the subject of her spoil If she raise others it is but to pleasure her self with their Ruins What she adored but yesterday is to day her pastime And if I now permit her to adorn and Crown Me I must to morrow suffer her to crush and tear me in pieces c. But the Ambition of the two Dukes was too strong and violent to be kept down by any such prudent Considerations So that being wearied at last with their Importunities and overcome by the intreaties of her husband whom she dearly loved She submitted unto that necessity which she could not vanquish yielding her head with more unwillingnesse to the ravishing Glories of a Crown then afterward she did to the stroke of the Ax. 6. The Acclamations at the proclaiming of Queen Mary were heard by the Lady Jane now no longer Queen with such Tranquillity of mind and composednesse of countenance as if she had not been concerned in the Alteration She had before received the offer of a Crown with â—s even a Temper as if it had been nothing but a Garland of flowers and now she layes aside the thought thereof with as much contentedness as she could have thrown away that Garland when the sent was gone The time of her Glory was so short but a nine Daies wonder that it seemed nothing but a Dream out of which she was not sorry to be awakened The Towr had been to her a prison rather than a Court and interrupted the Delights of her former life by so many Terrours that no Day passed without some new Alarm to disturb her Quiet She doth now know the worst that fortune can do unto her and having alwaies feared that there stood a Scaffold secretly behind the Throne She was as readily prepared to act her part upon the one as upon the other 7. Her Death is resolved upon but first She must be practiced with to change her Religion To which end Fecknam is employed a Man whose great parts ptomised him an easie victory over a poor Lady of a broken and dejected Spirit But it proved the contrary For so well had She studyed the Concernments of her own Religion and managed the Conference with him with such a readinesse of wit such Constancie of Resolution and a Judgement so well grounded in all helps of Learning that she was able to make Answer to the strongest Arguments as well to her great Honour as his Admiration So that not able to prevail with her in the change of Religion he made offer of his service to prepare her for death Which though she thankfully accepted of as finding it to proceed from a good affection yet soon he found that she was also aforehand with him in those preparations which are fit and necessary for a Dying-Christian 8. Friday 9. Febr. was first designed for the day of the Execution but the Desire of gaining her to the Church of Rome procured her the short respite of three dayes more On Sunday night being the Eve unto the day of her Translation she wrote a Letter in the Greek tongue at the end of a Testament which she bequeathed as a Legacy to her Sister the Lady Katharine which being such a lively Picture of the excellent Lady some lines thereof are worthy to be presented here I have sent you a Book dear Sister which although it be not outwardly trimmed with Gold yet inwardly it is more worth then pretious stones If you with a good mind read it and with an earnest desire to follow it it shall bring you to an immortal and everlasting life it shall teach you to live and learn you to dy it shall win you more then you should have gained by your wofull Fathers Lands You shall be an Inheritor of such Riches as neither the Covetous shall withdraw from you neither Thief shall steal neither yet the Moths corrupt Desire with David good Sister to understand the Law of the Lord God Live still to dy that you by death may purchase eternal life Defie the world Deny the Devil Despise the Flesh and delight your self only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sins and yet despair not Be strong in Faith and yet presume not And desire with Saint Paul to be dissolved and to be with Christ with whom even in death there is life And as touching my death rejoyce as I do Good Sister that I shall be deliver'd of this Corruption and put on Incorruption For I am assured that I shall for losing a mortal life win an immortal one The which I pray God to grant you and send you of his Grace to live in his fear and to dy in the true Christian Faith from the which in Gods name I exhort you that you never swerve neither for hope of life nor for fear of death 9. The fatal Morning being come the Lord Guilford earnestly desired the officers that he might take his Farewell of her Which though they willingly permitted yet upon notice of it she advised the contrary assuring him That such a Meeting would rather add to his Afflictions and her presence rather weaken then strengthen him That he ought to take courage from his Reason and derive constancy from his own heart That he should do well to remit this Interview to the other World that there indeed Friendships were happy and unions indissoluble and that theirs would be eternal if their souls carried nothing with them of Terrestrial which might hinder them from rejoycing All she could do was to give him a Farewell out of a window as he passed toward the place of his
up desired to be spared and besought her Highnesse to make choice of Sir Christopher Hatton who shortly after was made Lord Chancellour in the Archbishops house at Croydon thereby the rather to grace the Arch-bishop His advancement did much strengthen the Arch-bishop and his friends and withall the Earl of Leicester and his designments came soon after to an end 21. An. 1588. Upon the death of the Farl of Leicester the Chancellorship of Oxford being void divers of the Heads and others of the University made known unto the Arch-bishop their desire to chufe him their Chancellour although he was a Cambridge man To whom he returned this Answer That he was already their friend whereof they might rest assured and therefore advised them to make choice of some other in near place about the Queen that might assist him on their behalf and both at the Council-board and other places of Justice right them many waies both for the benefit of their Vniversity and of their Colledges And therewithall recommended unto them Sir Christopher Hatton being sometime of that University Whom accordingly they did chuse for their Chancellour and whom the Arch-bishop ever found a great Assistant in bridling and reforming the imtemperate humour of those Novelists who by the Countenance of some great personages were now grown to a strong head 22. It was in their Assemblies Classical and Synodical concluded that the Discipline should within a time limited be put in practice and erected all in one day by the Ministers together with the people whom those Disciplinarians bragged â—o be already enflamed with zeal to lend so many thousand hands for the advancement of their Cause In their publick Sermons and Exhorcations as in their private Conventicles they did alienate the hearts of their Auditors from all obedience of the Ecclesiastical Magistrates As namely Mr. Cartwright who also in his prayer before his Sermons used thus to say Because they meaning the Bishops which ought to be pillars in the Church do band themselves against Christ and his truth therefore O Lord give us grace and power all as one man to set our selves against them Which words by way of Emphasts he would often repeat And doth not â—dall threaren that the Presbytery shall prevail and come in by that way and means as shall make all their hearts to ake that shall withstand or hinder the same 23. Great was the temper and moderation of the good Arch-bishop in handling these bâ—sinesâ—es In his time Brown was changed from his fansies and afterwards obtained a Benefice called Achurch in North-Hamptonshire where he became a painfull Preacher He did not though he might have blemished with her Majesty the reputations of some in great place for favouring the Libellers and Libels which had stowage and vent in their Chambers He procured at her Majesties hands both pardon and dismission for Mr. Cartwright and the rest out of their troubles For which Mr. Cartwright held himself much obliged and in his letters acknowledgeth his bond of most humble duty so much the straiter because his Graces favour proceeded from a frank disposition without any desert of his own 24. The Arch-bishop hath been heard to say That if Mr. Cartwright had not so far engaged himself as he did in the beginning he thought verily he would in his later time have been drawn to Comformity For when he was freed from his troubles he often repaired to the Arch-bishop who used him kindly and was contented to tolerate his preaching in Warwick divers years upon his promise that he would not impugn the laws orders and government in this Church of England but perswade and procure so much as he could both publickly and privately the estimation and peace of the same Which albeit he accordingly performed yet when her Majesty understood by others that Mr. Cartwright did preach again though temperately according to his promise made to the Arch-bishop She would by no means endure his preaching any longer without subscription and grew not a little offended with the Arch-bishop for such conniving at him Not long after Mr. Cartwright dyed rich as it was said by the benevolence and bounty of his followers 25. An. 1592. After the death of Sir Christopher Hâ—tton Sir John Puckering was made Lord Keeper who shewed himself a friend to the Church to the Arch-bishop and his proceedings and acknowledged him a furtherer of his Advancement Sir Thomas Egerton Master of the Rolles succeeded him 6. May. 1596. a lover of learning and a most constant favourer of the Clergy and Church-government established as also a faithfull loving friend to the Arch-bishop in all his affairs In so much as after his advancement to that honour and that the Earl of Essex and the Arch-bishop concurred together being also further strengthned by the friendship and love of Sir Robert Cecil Principal Secretary he began to be fully revived again And her Majesty finding in him a zealous care and faithfull performance of his duty laid the burthen of the Church upon his shoulders telling him That if any thing went amiss be it upon his soul and conscience to answer it for she had rid her hands and looked that he should yeeld an account on her behalf to Almighty God 26. And now though the Arch-bishop was in this singular favour and grace with his Majesty so that he did all in all for the managing of Clergy-affairs and disposing of Bishopricks and other Ecclesiastical promotions yet was he never puffed up with pride nor did any thing violently against any man For he ever observed this rule That he would not wound where he could not salve So that it was truly noted by the Earl of Salisbury a great Counsellour in the Star-chamber when Pickering was there censured for libelling against him after his death That there was nothing more to be feared in his Government especially toward his later time then his mildnesse and clemency And some younger spirits were of opinion that he was much to blame in that kind and sometimes would be bold to tell him That he knew not his own strength with her Majesty 27. As you may perceive his clemency towards the irregular sort so towards the conformable he was carried with an exceeding tender respect and kindnesse He loved a learned Minister vertuous and honest with all his heart framing himself unto that rule of Aristotle which directeth a good Magistrate to be as carefull in encouraging good men according to their merits as in punishing the bad according to the quality of their offenses If he found a Scholar of extraordinary gifts or hopes that out of wants grew discontented and enclined to Popery or Puritanism as most of their discontentments and way-wardnesse proceedeth thence him would he gain both with supplies of mony out of his purse and preferments of his own gift or otherwise as opportunity served 28. Neither was his Bounty wanting to men of learning and quality of forrein Countries Sundry times sent he mony to Mr. Beza
abode 10. And as he thus laboured in the spiritual building up of Souls he was not negligent of the material Fabrick committed to his trust but repair'd with a very great expence the annual charge of 100 l. his Parsonage house til from an incommodious ruin he had renderd it a fair and pleasant dwelling with the adherent conveniences of Gardens and Orchards 11. While he was thus busie on his Charge c. But I earnestly desire the Reader to peruse the whole story of this excellent Divine excellently written by the Venerable Dean Only I will take leave to adde here some of his Rules and Sayings 12. He scarcely recommended any thing in his advices with that concern and vigor as To be furnished alwaies with somewhat to do This he propos'd as the best expedient both for innocence and pleasure assuring That no burthen is more heavy or temptation more dangerous then to have Time ly on ones hand adding The idle mans brain is the Divels shop 13. He profest He had no such way of enjoying any thing as by reflection from the person whom he loved so that his friends being happy was the readiest way to make him so 14. The principal thing he contracted for in Friendship was a free use of mutual Admonition which he extended even to undecencies saying It was a poor design of Friendship to keep the Person he admitted to his breast only from being scandalous as if the Physician should endeavour only to secure his patient from the plague And this he gave as a general rule and enforc'd by his Example Never to reprove in Anger or the least appearance of it 15. He would say He delighted to be loved not reverenced thinking that where there was much of the later there could not be enough of the former somewhat of restraint and distance attending on the one which was not well consistent with the perfect freedom requisite to the other 16. To the performances of friendship he haâ—ed all mercenary returns whereof he was so jealous as hardly to leave place for gratitude Love he said was built upon the union and similitude of minds and not the bribery of gifts and benefits So generous was he herein that he has oft profest He admitted retributions of good turns yet not so much on any score as that his friend might have the pleasure of being kind 17. When any one had sent him a slight present of Apples or the like his Reward would usually much exceed the value and he would be so well pleas'd to have such an occasion of giving to a servant saying Alas poor Soul I warrant he is glad of this little matter that this seem'd a part of the senders courtesy 18. He was us'd to say That 't was a most unreasonable and unchristian thing to despise any one for his poverty And That 't was one of the greatest sensualities in the world to Give Upon which consideration he often took occasion to magnify the exceeding Indulgence of God that had annext future rewards to that which was so amply its own Recompence 19. He gave this for a Rule to those of his friends that were of estate and quality To treat their poor Neighbours with such a chearfulnesse that they may be glad to have met with them 20. To shew how high a value he put on the Souls of men he often broke out into words of this effect which had with them still in the delivery an extraordinary vehemence O what a glorious thing how rich a prize for the expence of a mans whole life were it to be the instrument of rescuing any one Soul 20. His Motto of instruction to young persons was Principiis obsta and Hoc age to withstand the overtures of ill and be intent and serious in good to which he joyn'd a third advice To be furnisht with a Friend 21. For serenity and calm of Mind he layd this Rule before him which prov'd of great use Never to trouble himself with the foresight of future events being resolv'd of our Saviours Maxime Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof 21. If he saw any perplext about the manage of their difficult affairs he was wont to ask them When they would begin to trust God or permit him to govern the World And to himself and friends he was wont solemnly to give this mandate Quod sis esse velis nihilque malis in his English to rather nothing Not only to be content or acquiesce but be resolv'd the present estate to be the very best that could be wisht or phansied 22. He lookt upon the Kings return with pity and compassion as bringing him to that uneasy if not insuperable Task of ruling and reforming a licentious people It will be a blessing to his people but unto him can not be so but only on this score by having opportunities through glorious self-denyals to do good 23. When the Change approached discoursing of occurrents he broke forth into these words I must confesse I never saw that time in all my life wherein I could so cheerfully say my Nunc dimittis as now Indeed I do dread prosperity I do really dread it For the little good I am now able to do I can do it with deliberation and advice but if it please God I should live and be call'd to any higher office in the Church I must then do many things in a hurry and shall not have time to consult with others and I sufficiently apprehend the danger of relying on my own judgment 24. In his last sicknesse he comforted his sad friends saying He should leave them in God's hands who could supply abundantly all the assistance they could either expect or desire from him and who would so provide that they should not find his removal any losse 25. When in his sharp agonies his friends betook themselves to their extemporary ejaculations he compos'd those irregularities by saying Let us call on God in the Voice of his Church 26. At the Communion hearing those words of the Apostle Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners he pathetically rejoyn'd Of whom I am chief 23. To the good Lady of the house who asked him what he would chiefly commend to her he briefly answer'd Vniform Obedience 28. A few minutes before his death he breathed out those words which best became his Christian life Lord make hast Ob. Apr. 25. 1660. X. Dr MILES SMITH Bishop of Gloc. Out of the Preface before his Sermons published by Mr Jo. Stephens 1. FOr the manner of his life and the constant tenour of it this I can affirm that therein he shewed forth the fruits of the Spirit such as the Apostle speaks of Love Joy Peace c. Adde hereunto that sincerity and godly purenesse that appeared in all his actions striving not so much to seem as verily and indeed to be a pattern of gracious deportment and it may be said of him as our Saviour testifieth of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite in whom was
depart away with admiration of his skill Additions out of Mr. Priors Sermon at his Funeral 12. His merit in the new Translation of the Bible preferred him to this place of Government in the Church For with Basilius Magnus Non ex majoribus sed ex propria virtute nobilitatem duxit He ennobled himself with his own worth and virtue 13. Two singular ornaments crowned him which seldom meet in one man Learning and Humility On a time and many such I could tell you a poor Minister sending in to speak with him abruptly he brake off a most serious discourse saying But the Minister must not stay lest we should seem to take state upon us Therein imitating the great Athanasius being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. 14. When in his sickness one hoped for his recovery he gave the answer that St. Ambrose gave to the Nobles of Milain that desired him to pray for life Non ita inter vos vixi ut pudeat ms vivere nec timeo mori quoniam dominum bonuns habemus 15. Not many hours before his departure for non obiit sed abiit I found him as me seemed victorious upon some conflict Quis sarctorum sine certamine coronatur I drew near his bed he reached for my hand and greezed it saying I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day This occasioned something about relyance on God by Faith Yea said he I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living And again The mercies of the Lord are from generation to generation on them that fear him Mercy brought in thoughts of Christ Oh saith he in the words of that holy Martyr none but Christ none but Christ Being told how pretiously the Lord esteemeth the death of such He replyed Right dear right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Some prayers made for him upon his desire at conclusion he said Amen I thank God Amen enough Amen I thank God 16. When he was leaving this life he looked on his daughter and on the rest of his children in the chamber present and said Christ bless you all And like that old Patriarch he moved himself upon the bed and cried Christ Jesus help and so Christ took him and conclamatum est â—is soul is now at rest his Name is among the Worthies of our Church His Motto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ob. A. S. 1624. aet supra 70. FINIS A Letter To fill up this void leaf or rather to promote conformity which is partly the designe of these Memorials I take leave to translate hither out of the Oxford-book very worthy to be Reprinted A Letter of the Vice-Chancellour and others the Heads of the Vniversity of Cambridge to the Vice-Chancellour and others of the Vniversity of Oxford Octob. 7. 1603. E Latino WHen neâ—ly and indeed very late there came unto us a report of the Petition for Reformation forsooth of the Church of England offered to his Majestie as is pretended by a thousand Ministers though we found in it nothing new and what hath been answered heretofore a thousand times Yet because they boast of their number that these Millenaries may know if Saul hath his thousand David in this cause will never want his ten thousand we were desirous notwithstanding the work was altogether unworthy of it to provide an answer Whilst we were meditating thereof there is brought unto our hands that most Elegant answer of the Vniuersity of Oxford being a most rational and brief confutation of all that had by those men so laboriously been framed and feigned upon sight whereof nothing seemed to remain for us whom in this best of causes the zeal and industry of our Brethren easily able to refute such Adversaries had prevented but this to add unto the weight of their Arguments because those men glory most in their multitudes the number of our Suffrages This we did formerly as it were divining both foresee and provide for For when after the death of our Excellent Queen Elizabeth alwaies the same and most constant a singular and incomparable example in a woman in this best of causes those men did not so much deplore the loss of a most Religious Princess and the case of Religion it self if not dying with her yet at least in very great hazard as meditate and every day attempt Innovations against the new Kings approach Our Vniversity very opportunely judged her aid to be needful and a decree to be made in a full and solemn Convocation That whosoever shall in the Vniversity of Cambridge publickly oppose in word or writing or any other way the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England or any part thereof by Law established He shall be excluded from taking any degree and be suspended ipso facto from the degree he hath taken Which decree even by Unanimous consent of the whole House voted and recorded publickly Jun. 9. 1603. we do now desire to publish to the whole World that all may be assured what is the judgment not of some Opiniasters in their corners and Conventicles but of allmost all the Cantabrigians in open senate concerning that Discipline which we have not forced on us but freely received and entertained Whose consent so fraternally and sweetly concurring with the Oxford-answer with Scripture Fathers and Councils with the decrees of our Princes our Laws and Parliaments Away with those thousand Ministers let them go and answer at thousand Books of ours already written and set forth for their satisfaction before they do so impudently obtrude their Crambe so often boiled upon so wise a King and so excellently learned Or if they would have Suffrages rather to be numbred then weighed let the poor Fellows forsaken of the Universities and Muses bethink themselves of how little account what nothings they are Thus we take our leave of our most dear Brehren in Christ and as we and our Vniversity beng united to you both by similitude of studies and manners are most fitmly Yours So we intreat you alwaies to continue your love to Us. Camb. Oct. 7. 1603.