more subtle artifices of deceiving, under pretence of perfection, like stage-players who only act a part, they conceal a more dangerous poison; who while they require every thing to be formed according to their own strict discipline' and conscience, will not desist until they have brought all things into Jewish bondage." Conformably to these sentiments, he expresses himself on many other occasions, in which he had no private interest, and the two succeeding reigns proved that he had not judged rashly of the violent tempers and designs of some of the puritans. Those, however, who detest their proceedings against the son of a man who had done so much for the reformation, will be pleased to hear that he was restored to his fellowship a second time, by the queen's mandate.

In 1564 he sent a Latin panegyric to the queen, upon her indulgence to some divines, who had scruples respecting a strict conformity, and yet were suffered to hold dignities in the church. In July 1575 he wrote a Latin letter to the queen, to dissuade her majesty from putting to death two anabaptists, who had been condemned to be burnt. Fuller, who transcribed this letter from the original, has published it in his "Church History," and Collier, who has too frequently joined the popish cry against Fox, yet allows that it is written in a very handsome Christian strain. In this letter, Fox declares, "that with regard to those fanatical sects, he does not think they ought to be countenanced in a state, but chastised in a proper manner; but that to punish with flames the bodies of those, who err rather from blindness than obstinacy of will, is cruel, and more suitable to the example of the Romish church, than the mildness of the gospel; and in short such a dreadful custom, as could never have been introduced into the meek and gentle church of Christ, except by the popes, and particularly by Innocent III. who first took that method of restraining heresy. He observes that he does not write thus out of an indulgence to error, but, as he is a man, out of regard to the lives of men, that they may have an opportunity of repenting of their errors. He declares a tenderness for the lives, not only of men, but even of brute animals themselves; and affirms, that he could never pass by a slaughter-house, without the strongest sense of pain and regret. He entreats her majesty, therefore, to spare the lives of these wretches," &c. But Fuller tells us, that though the queen constantly called Mr. Fox "her Father,"

yet she gave him a flat denial as to the saving of their lives, unless they recanted their errors, which they refused, and were executed.

Fox was a man of great humanity and uncommon liberality. He was a most laborious student, and remarkably abstemious; a most learned, pious, and judicious divine, and ever opposed to all methods of severity in matters of religion. That he was not promoted was entirely owing to his retaining some opinions adverse to the habits and ceremonies of the church, which he had imbibed abroad. "Although," says Fuller, "the richest mitre in England would have counted itself preferred by being placed upon his head, he contented himself with a prebend of Salisbury. How learnedly he wrote, how constantly he preached, how piously he lived, and how cheerfully he died, may be seen at large in the life prefixed to his book." Wood and Strype are united in their praises of his talents and personal character; the former only, like his successor Collier, cannot forgive him for being "a severe Calvinist, and a bitter enemy to popery." Of his liberality many anecdotes may be found in our authorities.

This excellent man died in 1587, in the 70th year of his age, and was buried in the chancel of St. Giles, Cripplegate, of which, it is said, he was sometime vicar; but, as Wood thinks, if he had it at all, he kept it but a little while, in the beginning of Elizabeth's reign. He left two sons, Samuel and Thomas. Samuel became demy, and afterwards fellow of Magdalen-college, in Oxford. In 1610, he wrote his father's life, prefixed to his "Acts and Monuments of the Church." Thomas was fellow of King's college, in Cambridge, and became afterwards an eminent physician at London.

Besides what has been mentioned, Fox wrote, 1. "De Censura, seu Excommunicatione Ecclesiastica, Interpellatio ad Archiepiscopum Cantuariensem, 1551," 8vo. 2. "Tables of Grammar, 1552." Wood tells us, that these "Tables were subscribed in print by eight lords of the privy council; but were quickly laid aside, as being far more too short, than king Henry the VIIIth's Grammar was too long." 3. "Articuli sive Aphorismi aliquot Joannis Wiclevi sparsim aut ex variis illius opusculis excerpti per adversarios Papicolas, ac Concilio Constantiensi exhibiti." 4. "Collectanea quædam ex Reginaldi Pecocki Episcopi Cicestriensis opusculis exustis conservata, et ex VOL. XV.

D

antiquo psegmate transcripta." 5. "Opistographia ad Oxonienses." The three last are printed with his "Commentarii rerum in Ecclesia gestarum," at Strasburg, 1,554, in 8vo, mentioned above. 6. "Concerning Man's Elec-tion to Salvation, 1581," 8vo. 7. Certain Notes of Election, added to Beza's Treatise of Predestination, 1581," 8vo. 8. "The Four Evangelists in the old Saxon Tongue, with the English thereunto adjoined, 1571, 4to, and many other pieces, which were levelled against the Papists.

None of these, however, are likely to add much to his fame, which is now exclusively founded on his "Acts and Monuments," more. familiarly known as "Fox's Book of Martyrs." Of this vast undertaking, some brief account cannot be uninteresting. We have before noticed that he conceived the plan, and executed some part of it when he was at Basil, but reserved the greatest part of it until his return home, when he might avail himself of living authorities. It appears by his notes that the completion of it occupied him for eleven years, during which his labour must have been incessant. His assistants, however, were numerous. Among those who pointed out sources of information, or contributed materials, was Grindal, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, who, when an exile for his religion, established a correspondence in England for this purpose, and received accounts of most of the acts and sufferings of the martyrs in queen Mary's reign. It is said also to have been owing to Grindal's strict regard to truth, that the publication of the work was so long delayed, as he rejected all common reports that were brought over, unless confirmed by the most satisfactory evidence. It was this scrupulous fidelity which induced him to advise Fox at first only to print separately, such memoirs of certain individuals as could be authenticated, which accordingly was done, although these separate publications are now seldom to be met with. At length after a residence of some years in England, employed in collecting written and oral information, the first edition was published at London in 1563, in one thick vol. folio, with the title "Acts, and Monuments of these latter and perillous days touching matters of the Churche, wherein are comprehended and described the great persecutions and horrible troubles, that have been wrought and practised by the Romish prelates, speciallye in this realme of England and

Scotland, from the year of our Lorde a thousand unto the time now present, &c. Gathered and collected according to the true copies and wrytinges certificatorie, as well of the parties themselves that suffered, as out of the bishops registers, which were the doers thereof." Mr. Fox presented a copy of this edition to Magdalen-college, Oxford, and at the same time wrote a Latin letter to Dr. Lawrence. Humphreys, printed by Hearne in his Appendix, No. V to his preface to " Adami de Domersham Hist. de rebus gestis Glastonensibus," Oxon. 1727. This volume, which relates principally to the history of martyrdom in England, was afterwards enlarged, first to two, and at length to three volumes, folio, embracing a history of the Christian church from the earliest times, and in every part of the world, The ninth edition appeared in 1684, with copper-plates, those in the former editions being in wood, which last, however, are preferred by collectors, some of them containing real portraits. The publishers of the last edition. had almost obtained a promise from Charles II. to revive the order made in queen Elizabeth's time for placing the work in the common halls of archbishops, bishops, deans, colleges, churches. But, if we look at the date, 1684, and recollect the hopes then entertained, of re-establishing popery, we shall not be much surprized that this order was not renewed, nor perhaps, from the improved state of the press, and of education, was it necessary. Since that time, however, there has been no republication of the complete work, although the English part continues to this day a standard hook among the publishers of works in the periodical way, who have also furnished their readers with innumerable abridgments in every form, Yet as the original has long been rising in price, we may hope that the liberal spirit of enterprize which has lately produced new editions of the English Chronicles, will soon add to that useful collection a reprint of Fox, with notes, corrections, and a collation of the state papers and records.

The effect of Fox's work, in promoting, or rather confirming the principles of the reformation, to which we owe all that distinguishes us as a nation, is acknowledged with universal conviction. It is proved even by the antipathy of his enemies, who would not have taken such pains to expose his errors, and inveigh against the work at large, if they had not felt that it created in the public mind an abhorrence of the persecuting spirit of popery, which has

suffered little diminution, even to the present day. All the endeavours of the popish writers, however, from Harpsfield to Milner, "have not proved, and it never will be proved, that John Fox is not one of the most faithful and authentic of all historians." And in the words of the writer from whom we borrow this assertion, we add, although with some reluctance from respect to the gentleman's name, "We know too much of the strength of Fox's book, and of the weakness of those of his adversaries, to be farther moved by Dr. John Milner's censures, than to charge them with falsehood. All the many researches and discoveries of later times, in regard to historical documents, have only contributed to place the general fidelity and truth of Fox's melancholy narrative on a rock which cannot be shaken."

· ·FOX (RICHARD), an eminent prelate, and the munificent founder of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, was the son of Thomas Fox, and born* at Ropesley, near Grantham, in Lincolnshire, about the latter end of the reign of Henry VI. His parents are said to have been in mean circumstances, but they must at least have been able to afford him school education, since the only dispute on this subject between his biographers, is, whether he was educated in grammar learning at Boston, or at Winchester. They all agree that at a proper age he was sent to Magdalen-college, Oxford, where he was acquiring distinction for his extraordinary proficiency, when the plague, which happened to break out about that time, obliged him to go to Cambridge, and continue his studies at Pembrokehall. After remaining some time at Cambridge, he repaired to the university at Paris, and studied divinity and

* According to Wood, who availed himself of some MS accounts of Fox preserved in this college, written by President Greenway, "the Founder was boru in an ancient house known to some by the name of Pullock's Manor." "This house," he adds, "was well known for many years to the fellows of Corpus, who reverently visited it when they went to keep courts at their manors." To what was before recorded

of Fox, Mr. William Fulman, a schoJar of Corpus, and an able antiquary, made many additions, with a view to publication, which he did not live to complete. His MSS. are partly in the library of this college, and partly in the Ashmolean Museum. Mr. Gough drew up a very accurate sketch of Fox's Life, for the Vetusta Monumenta.

* 1 Life prefixed to his Acts and Monuments, written by his Son→→Strype's Annals, and Lives of the Archbishops, passim.--Fuller's Worthies.-Ath. Ox vol. I,—Fox's MS Collections, among the Harleian MSS. in Brit. Mus.--Biog Brit.-Fuller's Abel Redivivus.(burton's Life of Nowell.Wordsworth's Eccl Biography, preface, &c.