II. BOOK It was composed therefore, as it seems, upon occasion of the earthquake: for then followed in the book a report of Anno 1580. the earthquake; which is thus described: A descrip tion of the earthquake. 66 "On Easter Wednesday, being the 6th of April, 1580, somewhat before six o'clock in the afternoon, happened "this earthquake. It was not great in respect of continu"ance of time, continuing little above a minute of an "hour; and no great harm done. It shook all houses, "castles, churches, and buildings wherever it went, and 66 put them in danger of utter ruin. Yet within this realm "it overthrew few or none, saving certain stones, chimneys, "walls, and pinnacles of high buildings, both in this city [London] and divers other places. None received bodily "hurt by it, save two children in London, a boy and girl; being at a sermon in Christ's church by Newgate-market. "The boy was slain outright by the fall of a stone, shaken "down from the roof of the church; and the girl was sore "hurt at the same instant, and died within few days after. "It was universally almost at one instant. It was not only "within this realm, but also without; where it was also "much more violent, and did much more hurt. It struck "exceeding horror into men's hearts." 66 66 In this book the author labours to prove, "that this earthquake was not natural, but of God's own determi"nate purpose; to make the very foundation and pillars of "the earth to shake, the mountains to melt like wax, the seas to dry up...... to shew the greatness of his glorious "power, in uttering his heavy displeasure against sinners. 673 "For in earthquakes that proceed of natural causes, there were these signs, which were not in this: as, a tempestuous working and raging of the sea, the weather being fair, "temperate, and unwindy; calmness of the air, matched "with great cold; dimness of the sun for certain days be"fore; long and thin strakes of clouds appearing after the "setting of the sun; and the weather being otherwise clear: "the troubledness of water ever in the deepest wells; yielding moreover an infected and stinking savour: and 66 66 XXV. "lastly, great and terrible sounds in the earth, like the CHAP. "noise of groanings, or thunderings, as well afore as after "the quaking. But none of these happened before the Anno 1580. "coming of this earthquake." tive. This year Dr. Fulke, professor of divinity in Cambridge, The Retenset forth a book which he called his Retentive, in answer to Bristow's Motives, intended to bring protestants over to the Romish church. In this Retentive he made a challenge openly in print to all learned papists, to dispute with them the points in difference: and three years after, in his Confutation of sundry cavils, he repeated it in these words: "If you be so sharp upon disputation, as you pretend, why "doth never a papist of you all answer my challenge, made openly in print almost three years ago, set before my Re"tentive? Wherein you may express what you have in "maintenance of your opinion, without suit, without dan66 ger; and to the best and surest trial of the truth." reign to this Unto this year, and in it, that is, from the beginning of Forty popish books queen Elizabeth's reign to this time, came forth in print set forth in near forty popish books, written by English fugitives, this queen's against the reformed religion professed in this land: and time. all answered by divines of our own. The names of all which books, and those that gave answers to them, are set down in a tract of Dr. Fulke, a great champion of our church in these times; who himself answered many of them. The list whereof may be found in the Appendix. They are set Number down by the said Fulke in the page next after the title of XXXVI. his book, printed anno 1580, entitled, Stapleton and Marshal confuted. printed at In the year 1580, the bishop of Rosse, the Scottish queen Genealogy of Mary Mary's great agent, and sometime her ambassador to queen queen of Elizabeth, procured to be printed at Paris a genealogy of Scots: the kings of England; to shew the right title to this king- Paris. dom, coming to the said queen Mary. The pedigree is displayed in a fair large table containing three sheets of paper. In one corner of this table it is thus written : Cum nonnulli, regnandi cupidine, nescio quibus titulis, ad Anglicani regni diadema aspirent; ad tollendam om BOOK nem hac de re dubitationem, hoc schemate provisum est: II. quo constat, Henricum VII. Angliæ regem, cujus fœlix Anno 1580. faustaque sit memoria, ex Elizabetha conjuge tres tantum liberos superstites reliquisse; Henricum ejus nominis octavum, Margaretam majorem natu filiam, Jacobo IV. Scotorum regi nuptam; et Mariam Lodovico XII. Francorum regi primum, deinde Carolo Brandono, Suffolciæ duci, collocatam. Henrici VIII. itaque sobole deficiente, successionis regnorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ jus ad serenissimam Mariam Scotorum reginam, Jacobi IV. et Margaretæ ex Jacobo V. Scotorum rege corum filio, neptem, ejusque deinceps liberos, rectissime, aliis omnibus exclusis, devolvi debere, hoc schema intuentibus apparebit. 674 And at the bottom of another corner was this writing: Glover, a herald, writes a book against the Scottish queen's title. A book of the Cathay Lectori Benevolo. Habes hic (lector benevole) continuam florentissimi Anglicani regni abhinc quingentis annis successionem. Quam non tam serenissimæ Scotorum reginæ Mariæ, ejusque filio, optima spei principi, gratificandi studio, proponere volui, quam ut sublato omni de legitima successione scrupulo, totius Britanniæ dignitati, paci ac saluti consulatur; et omnis seditionis materia, quæ inde suboriri posset, penitus extinguatur. Vale; et huic nostro labori fave. J. Lesleus, episc. Ross. Parisiis, anno MDLXXX. Glover, a learned man, Somerset herald, this year writ a book against the said bishop of Ross; who, beside this pedigree, had writ a tract in defence of the queen of Scots' title to the crown of England. Which book of Glover's, I think, was never printed;, but remains in the Heralds' Office in London. Of this book I have made mention before. Dr. Dee, the famous astronomer, set forth a book for the Cathay voyage, which was intended this year for discovery of the north-east parts of the world. It was entitled, Instructions for the two masters, Charles Jackman and Ar thur Pett, in two barks, the George and William: given and delivered to them at the court-day, holden at the Mus XXV. covy-house, the 17th day of May, 1580. With which instruc- CHAP. tions a new chart, made by hand, was given also to each of the said two masters, expressing their Cathay voyage Anno 1580. more exactly than any other yet published. It began, "In "the name of Jesus. If we reckon from Wardhouse to Col"goyeve island, 400 miles," &c. It was found among the MSS. of the lord treasurer Burghley; and was afterwards printed by Mr. Hackluit, in his book of voyages. I only mention an addition in the conclusion of the MS. left out in print. The last period is this: "You have opportunity "also to sail over to Japan island; where you shall find "Christen men, Jesuits, of many countries of Christen"dom, and perhaps some Englishmen. At whose hands you may have great instructions and advice for our "affairs in hand." Thus far the print. Then follows in that MS. "God be favourable to these attempts, greatly "tending to his glory, and the great honour of this king"dom. Amen." 66 writes mus. Let me add here the mention of a book writ against Eve- Everard rard Digby; the same with him, I suppose, that was fel-Digby low of St. John's college in Cambridge: against whom Dr. against RaWhitaker, the master, took occasion by some branches of statute, to expel him the college: especially suspecting him to be a papist. Of which matter see the Life of Archbishop Life of Whitgift. This Digby had writ somewhat dialoguewise Whitgift, Archbishop against Ramus's Unica Methodus: which in those times b.iii. c. 19. prevailed much; and perhaps brought into that college to be read; the rather, Ramus being a protestant, as well as a learned man. Whereupon one Francis Mildapet, a Navarrois, writ against Digby, in vindication of Ramus, a small book, entitled, Admonitio ad Everardum Digby, Anglum, de Unica P. Rami Methodo, rejectis cæteris, retinenda. It was printed at London, and dedicated to Philip earl of Arundel beginning thus; Prodiit non ita pridem Everardi Digbei adversus Unicam P. Rami Methodum dialogus; equidem, ut multi opinantur, magis audacter emis-675 sus, quam erudite contextus, ut ego existimo, non ita magno judicio institutus. Attulit enim ad eandem pervellendam, 11. BOOK non vim acutissimæ rationis, sed commentum ingenii sui: illudque per omnes dialogi partes ita fusum sine artificio, Anno 1580. ut quidvis potius agere, quam de methodo disserere videatur. That is, that this dialogue was thought by some to be more boldly sent abroad than learnedly composed : and this writer esteemed it framed with no great judgment; and more wit than reason appeared throughout in it. So that Digby seemed to oppose Ramus's philosophy chiefly out of a prejudice against him upon the account of religion. But that which Digby's adversary did, was, as he said, that he thought it not amiss to unravel the artifice of that book; and to admonish Digby freely, and yet modestly, of retaining that only method. A book about fasting. Another small book was this year printed with allowance concerning fasting; with directions for a right and practical observation of it: entitled, The holy exercise of a true fast, described out of God's word. That religious exercise of fasting, it seems, in those times, was very much neglected by those that professed the gospel, upon the prejudices that had been taken up against it, by reason of the superstitious practice of it among the papists; the book having this expression towards the beginning of it: "Let the papists go, "who, through a shameful superstition in it, rather pine 66 away their souls, than take down their bodies. It is a " shame to speak how few there are that bear the name of "gospellers, that have so much as the knowledge of this " exercise; so far are they from any lawful and right prac"tise of it: for a great number, as a needless thing, reject "it altogether, (as shaking off the pope's yoke from their " own necks,) by using, or rather abusing their liberty. " Likewise another sort of men there were then among " them, who thinking it fitting to the Christian profession " to keep the flesh in some bridle, allowed indeed of the " exercise of fasting; but for want of a better, they stuck " still in the mire of a popish fast. For remedy whereof this " treatise was set forth, that the true fast might be under" stood by both parties." And as an argument to this duty, the threatening sword |