to be done fore, that live justlye in the realme; wherein, as I know your lordshipp can do moche, so I trust your Lordshipp will do what you can, having no cause to favour me but of your own gentlenesse, and yet a league of frendshipp to favour Master M. familie. I beseeche your Lordshipp therfore, althoughe no mans frendshipp can do me anye great good in this state of things, as it plainlye appeareth, yet that examples be not shewed on my wife and children, being ordred in a common faulte as no man is besydes me. And althoughe I am a refuse now and an outcast of all men, yet I trust not to fynde all worldes and places so hard unto me, that I shall not once be able to be myndfull of my friends benefitt. And as I have learned to doubt of prosperitie, because it will not alwaies stand; so have I hope of adversytie, that it is not infinite. And of all treasoure that honour bringeth, and adversitye teacheth not, the greattest and surest is (my Lord I have felt it well) to know how manye of right be bownde to do for one, if throwse of adversytie overturne his state; which thing, if youe labour in as your honour servith, thinck you geat therbye the frewte of honour, and shall in adversytie, if anye do betyde you, bynde men without sute to be suters for you, or ells, not without shame, to be indifferent. Of this vertew I praye you lett me be partaker, whoe, in your trouble, bare you suche good will as I may of dutie crave some againe nowe; and desyre this moche, that your Lordshipp will of gentlenes, at mye poore request, helpp my wyf in her sutes, as far as reason and convenientcie shall favour her cause, beinge lefte in debte 1200l. and more, being voide of all living to helpe her and hers, having the lack of her husband for the extremitie of fortune and in worsse case in lack of me then in losse of me. Theise great myseries I beseeche your Lordshipp with your frendshipp relieve, and thoughe you cannot utterlye ease all, yet helppe to [di] minishe the greatnesse of severitie, untollerable to the troubled, when all lyving is taken, and nothinge is lefte but lyfe. Your Lordship shall bynde me herebye to beare you suche good mynde as your contynewall frendshipp dothe justlye deserve. And thus, with mine humble commendations to your Lordshipp and my Ladye, I committ you to the governement of the everlyving Lorde. From C. the 14th of Aprill, 1554. PROGRESS OF KNOWLEDGE. KNOWLEDGE. INTRODUCTORY SKETCH. 1558 to 1602. WE are now come to a period the most glorious and im portant in our annals, the reign of Queen Elisabeth. In some of the former periods, it has been seen, that general light had then begun to dawn in this island, but the period was not then come. When, more refined, the wide extended globe This was the time when the light of learning broke into a perfect day, when Commerce and Navigation were widely extended, the whole of the polite arts, and particularly poetry, cultivated with prodigious success, and England in every respect raised to the highest degree of importance and splendour, The immediately preceding reign was by no means a recommendation of female government; but this instance was a very powerful one, for the reign of Elisabeth might vie, in wisdom and glory, with some of the most distinguished in history. Her character has been variously represented, according as writers were actuated by political or religious views; but without giving too much credit to the extravagance of panegyric, or the misrepresentations of unreasonable dislike, it must be allowed, that in her private, and personal character, she had many faults; but in the character of a sovereign, she was truly illustrious. Her administration of foreign affairs at a time when the kingdom was in the greatest danger, was steady and vigorous. Under her, the people gradually advanced in wealth and consequence, commerce and navigation underwent great encrease, and through the efforts of Drake, Raleigh, Effingham and others, England was made "Mistress of the Deep." The genius of Englishmen which for a time in hopeless sloth Had slumbered awoke from its torpidity, and displayed itself in a glorious and conspicuous manner. It has been seen in the last period, that Queen Mary, during her short and bloody reign, had completely restored the Roman Catholic Religion; but her death had interrupted the course of things, and the two parties (Protestants and Romanists) were each agitated by hopes and fears for their respective faiths. As it was well known that Queen Elisabeth had been educated in the reformed doctrines, it seemed most probable that she would determine in favour of the former. 1 4 In the mean time the Queen had consulted with her wisest counsellors, who represented to her, that by re-establishing the Protestant Religion, she would coincide with the wishes of her subjects, and at the same time effectually provide for her own security, since her title to the crown was incompatible with the Pope's authority. However, the Queen determined not to be too hasty in declaring her sentiments, and in consequence draw upon herself and kingdom, the vengeance of the pontiff, and his adherents; but at the same time she did not neglect giving early indications to the Protestants, of her favourable intentions. On the day of her coronation, when she was passing through Cheapside, a boy, who personated Truth, was let down from one of the pageants, and presented her with a copy of the Bible, on which was written" Verbum Veritatis.' "As soon as she had received the book," says Holinshead, "she kissed it, and with both her hands held up the same, " and so laid it upon her breast;" at the same time she told the citizens that among all the costly testimonies, which they had that day afforded of their attachment, none was so precious or so acceptable as that book. She then liberated all the prisoners who had been confined in the reign of Queen Mary, on account of their religion, and invited the learned exiles who had fled from England in the same reign to return home. Soon afterwards she published "Injunctions," in which it was ordered that all the churches should conform to the practice of her own chapel, and she then forbade the elevation of the host in her presence. At the same time it was ordered, by proclamation, that no doctrine or preaching should be heard, but the epistle and gospel for the day, the Litany, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments in English, without any exposition or paraphrase whatever. No public prayers were to be read in the churches, but such as were appointed by law. The meeting of Parliament immediately followed. In this parliament, the first fruits and tenths, which Queen Mary had returned to the church, were restored to the crown. This bill met with great opposition, but the majority were in favour |