The buck in brake his winter coat he flings; 49. John Foxe, the Martyrologist, 1517-1537. (Handbook, pars. 310, 375.) The Story of Bishop Ridley. Among many other worthy and sundry histories and notable acts of such as of late days have been turmoiled, murdered, and martyred for the gospel of Christ in Queen Mary's reign, the tragical story and life of Dr. Ridley I thought good to commend to chronicle, and leave to perpetual memory; beseeching thee, gentle reader, with care and study well to peruse, diligently to consider, and deeply to print the same in thy breast, seeing him to be a man beautified with such excellent qualities, so ghostly inspired and godly learned, and now written doubtless in the book of life with the blessed saints of the Almighty, crowned and throned amongst the glorious company of martyrs. He was passingly well learned, his memory was great, and he of such reading withal, that of right he deserved to be comparable to the best of this our age, as can testify as well divers his notable works, pithy sermons, and sundry his disputations in both the universities, as also his very adversaries, all which will say no less themselves. Besides all this, wise he was of counsel, deep of wit, and very polite in all his doings. How merciful and careful he was to reduce the obstinate Papists from their erroneous opinions, and by gentleness to win them to the truth, his gentle ordering and courteous handling of Doctor Heath, late Archbishop of York, being prisoner with him in King Edward's time in his house one year, sufficiently declareth. In ne, he was such a prelate, and in all points so good, godly, and ghostly a man, that England may justly rue the loss of so worthy a treasure. Mingles. bi. e., spiritually. He was a man right comely and well proportioned in all points, both in complexion and lineaments of the body. He took all things in good part, bearing no malice nor rancour from his heart, but straightways forgetting all injuries and offences done against him. He was very kind and natural to his kinsfolk, and yet not bearing with them anything otherwise than right would require, giving them always for a general rule, yea even to his own brother and sister, that they doing evil should seek or look for nothing at his hand, but should be as strangers and aliens unto him, and they to be his brother or sister which used honesty and a godly trade of life. He, using all kinds of ways to mortify himself, was given to much prayer and contemplation; for duly every morning, as soon as his apparel was done upon him, he went forthwith to his bed-chamber, and there upon his knees prayed the space of half an hour, which being done, immediately he went to his study (if there came no other business to interrupt him), where he continued till ten of the clock, and then came to common prayer daily used in his house. The prayers being done he went to dinner, where he used little talk, except otherwise cccasion by some had been ministered, and then was it sober, discreet, and wise, and sometimes merry, as cause required. The dinner done, which was not very long, he used to sit an hour or thereabouts playing at the chess: that done, he returned to his study, and there would continue, except suitors or business abroad were occasion of the contrary, until five of the clock at night, and then would come to common prayer, as in the forenoon, which being finished he went to supper, behaving himself there as at his dinner before; after supper, recreating himself in playing at chess the space of an hour, he would then return again to his study, continuing there till eleven of the clock at night, which was his common hour to go to bed, then saying his prayers upon his knees, as in the morning when he rose. Being at his manor of Fulham, as divers times he used to be, he read daily a lecture to his family at the common prayer, beginning at the Acts of the Apostles, and so going throughout all the Epistles of St. Paul, giving to every man that could read a New Testament, hiring them besides with money to learn by heart certain i. ., put; the verb do on contracted into don b The residence of the Bishop of London. G principal chapters, but especially the thirteenth chapter of the Acts; reading also unto his household oftentimes the one hundred and first Psalm, being marvellous careful over his family, that they might be a spectacle of all virtue and honesty to other. To be short, as he was godly and virtuous himself, so nothing but virtue and godliness reigned in his house, feeding them with the food of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 50. William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, 1520-1598. For upwards of fifty years prime minister, and a specimen of the shrewd, acute, and somewhat worldly men, whom Elizabeth delighted to honour. The following advice to his son was addressed to Robert Cecil, afterwards Earl of Salisbury. Beloved Sonne-The many religious and moral vertues inherent in your matchles mother, vnder the wings of whose prudent and godly gouernment your infancy hath bin trayned and guided up; together with your education vnder so zealous and learned a tutor, put mee rather in assurance than hope . . . that you are not ignorat of that summary bond, whereby you stand obliged to your Creator and Redeemer which is onely able to make you happie, both here and hereafter, in life and death: In mentioning whereof, I meane not onely a bare and hystorical knowledg, but with a reall and practical vse adioyned, without which, though with a seemely assumption you could expresse to the worlde in a former habite and living portrayture, all Aristotle's morall vertues and walke, that whole booke in life and action, yet are you but a vaine and wretched creature, the fayrest outside of the miserablest inside, that ever was concealed by tombe or shadowing: And although I nothing doubt your youth being guided and your green vessell seasoned by such wholesome documents and instructions derived from so all-sufficient teachers, that you are vnfurnished of such needful helps as may be furtherers to your life and conversatiō, yet that I may the better retaine and expresse the zealous affection, beseeming a father to his sonne, or that you shuld be forced to derive your study and advice, rather from the rule of strangers than from him from whom you are produced. . . I have essayed from the affection of a father to give you such good aduertisements and rules for the fitting and squaring of your life as are gayned rather by my long experience and observation than by much reading or studie . . . to the ende that you entring into this exorbitant and intangling world, may be better furnished to auoide these harmefull courses; whereinto these dangerous times and your inexperienee may easilie insnare you. . . . And thus they follow. 1. When it shall please God to bring you into man's estate; use great prouidence and circuspection in choyce of your wives, as the roote from whence may spring most of your future good or euill. For it is in the choyce of a wife, as in a project of warre, wherein to erre but once, is to be undone for ever. And therefore be well advised before you conclude ought herein; for though your errour may teach you witte, it is vncertaine whether you shall ever finde time to practise it. . . Well consider your estate, which if you finde firme and setteled, match neere home and with deliberation: but if otherwise, crazie and rented, then farre off and with quicke expedition... Let her not be poore, how generous soever... Because a man can buy nothing in the market without money... Make not choice of a dwarfe or a foole, for from the one you may beget a race of pigmeyes, as the other will be your daily grief and vexation: for it will irke thee so oft as you shall heare her talke, and you shal continually find to your sorrow, that feele that crosse, There is nothing so fulsome as a shee-foole. Touching the gouernment of your house, let your hospitalitie be moderate, equal'd to the measure of your estate, rather boūtiful than niggardly. . . for though some who hauing otherwise consumed themselves with secret vices, have endeuored to colour their riots vpō their vertue, yet in my observation, I have not heard nor known any man grow poore by keeping an ordinary, decent and thriftie table. .. 2. Bring your childrē vp in obediēce and learning yet without much austeritie. Prayse them openly, reprehend them secretly: giue them good countenance and convenient maintenance, according to your abilitie: for otherwise your life will seeme their bondage, and then as those are censured that deferre al good to their ende; so that portion you shall leave them, they may thanke death for and not you. Marry your daughters betimes, least they marrie themselues. Suffer not your sones to passe the Alpes, for they shall exchange for theyr forraine travell (vnless they goe better fortified) but others' vices for theyr owne vertues. . . and if by chance, out of a more wary industry they attain to any broken languages, they wil profite them no more then to have one meate serued in diuers dishes. Neyther by my aduise shall you traine them vp to warres for hee that sets vp his rest to liue by that professione in mine opinion can hardly be an honest man or a good christian; for Every warre of itselfe is uniust, the good cause may make it lawfull. Besides it is a science no lōger in request then vse : for souldyers in peace are like chimneyes in summer, like dogges past hunting, or women when their beautie is done. 3. Liue not in the country without corn and cattell about you: for hee that must present his hand to his purse for every expence of household, shal as hardly keepe money therein, as it is for one to hold water in a sive. And for your prouision, buy it at the best had, for there may be sometimes a penny saued between buying at your neede or when the season most fitly may furnish you. Be not willingly serued by kinsmen or friends, for such will expect much and sted little, neither by such as are amorous, for their heads are commonly intoxicated: keep rather too few than too manie; feed them well and pay them with the most; so may you lawfullie demaunde seruice at theyr hands and boldly exact it. 4. Let your kindred and allyes bee welcome to your table. Grace them with your countenance, and euer further them in ali their honest actions. But shake off the glowormes-I mean parasites and sycophants, who will feede and fawne on you in the summer of your prosperitie, but in any adverse storme will shelter you no more then a cloake of Taffaty or an arbour in winter. 5. Be sure you keepe some great man alwayes to your friend; yet trouble him not for trifles: complement him often, present him with many yet small gifts and of little charge. 6. Vndertake no suite against a poore man without receiuing of great wrong, for therein you make him your competitor : besides that, it is held a base conquest to triumph vpon a weak aduersary; neither vndertake law against any man, before you be fully resolued you have the right on your side, which being once so ascertained, then spare neither cost nor pains to accomplish it. 7. Beware of suretishippe for your best friend, for hee that paieth another man's debts, goeth the way to leave other men to |