Parsons laid upon it. It was in Q. Elizabeth's reign from the time it came forth in such esteem, that it was appointed (as you know) to be fixed in all Parish Churches with the "Great Bible," and Bishop Jewel's "Apology" and "Defence," to be read by the people. And Archbishop Whitgift in his contest with T. Cartwright, saith, that he had read it twice over. As for Fox himself, I have all his MSS. at least all that are now, I think, extant, and I find him a most diligent, exact, and elaborate searcher of Records, Registers, &c. I have said something in the vindication of his truth in the "Annals of the Reformation," Ch. 21. I am very well pleased with your transcript from Camd. Elizab. MS. concerning him. That Latin Letter of his to Magdalen College when he sent his book thither, is a curiosity; and if Oxford were but 5 or 10 miles distant, I should be tempted to travel so far to see and read it. "Tis worth transcribing.* * Fox's Latin Letter to the President and Fellows of Magdalen College, accompanied with a Copy of his Acts and Monuments of the Church. Multis magnisque dotibus Ornatissimo Viro, D. Laurentio Collegii Magdalensis Præsidi: pariter cum universo Choro reliquorum Juvenum, lectissimisque ejusdem Collegii Sociis Joannes Foxus, salutem et pacem in Christo sine fine. Etsi nihil erat in rebus meis dignum atque idoneum quod B. Mariæ Magdalenæ, veteris hospitæ ac nutricis meæ, pixi、 di mitterem ; at Viduæ tamen Evangelicæ opulentam illam LETTER CXXVIII. Dr. R. MEAD to T. HEARNE. Hearne's Preface to Camden's Elizabeth. WORTHY SIR, My Lord Arran came to town on Tuesday; yesterday I gave to Dr. King your imitatus penuriam, has qualescunque Lucubrationum nostrarum minutias; pro veteri meo erga vos studio, vel officio potius, eximie idemque Doctissime Laurenti, præsidum decus, Vosque pariter universi ejusdem Sodalitatis Collegæ conjunctissimi, in publicum ærarium vestrum conjiciendas censui.Vos in admittendo libro statuetis, pro libero arbitratu vestro, quod videbitur. Mihi, ut ingenuè fatear, indignius quiddam, ac jejunius esse videtur, quam ut in Chartophylacium vestrum recipi debeat, præsertim quum eo sermonis genere conscripta Historia nullum magnopere usum studiis vestris præstare queat. Et tamen huc me, nescio quo pacto, pertraxit, vincens pudorem et judicium meum, Garbrandi Bibliopola* pellex oratio, sic ad persuadendum instructa, ut non frustra in tali tam diu Academiâ videri possit enutritus. Auxit porro nonnihil hanc mittendi fiduciam tacita quædam, et jam olim insita mihi erga Collegium istud propensio, Vestræ deinde erga me humanitatis, simulque mei vicissim erga Vos officii recordatio. Intelligo enim quid veteri Scholæ, quid charis Consodalibus, quid demum universo Magdalensium Ordini ac Cœtui, sed præcipuè quid ipsi imprimis charissimo Collegiarchæ, viro ornatissimo, D. Laurentio debeam, cui quot, quantisque sim no Garbrand Herks was a native of Holland, and a bookseller living in St. Mary's parish in Oxford. See Wood's Athenæ Oxon. i. 241, edit. 1721. letter to his Lordship, and the copy of that wrote to the late Vice-Chancellor. you He gave minibus devinctus, nullo modo oblivisci aut præterire potero. Præter hos stimulos accedit denique quòd quum Historia hujus bona magnaque pars Oxoniensem hanc vestram attingat Academiam, unde ceu ex fonte, prima non solum initia, sed et incrementa sumpsit, ac sumit quotidie fœlix hæc et auspicata Reformatæ per Orbem Christianum Religionis propagatio; idcirco rem facturus, nec vobis ingratam, nec meo indignam officio videbar, si de rebus maxime Oxoniensibus conscriptam Historiam, ad Magdalenæum Gymnasium vestrum, hoc est, ad primarium ac nobilissimum Oxoniensis Academia Collegium, velut in arce quadam studiorum ac literarum, penes vos asservandam commendarem. Hoc unum dolet, Latinè non esse scriptum opus, quo vel ad plures emanare fructus historiæ, vel vobis jucundior ejus esse posset lectio. Atque equidem multo id maluissem: sed huc me adegit communis Patriæ, ac multitudinis ædificandæ respectus, cui et vos ipsos idem hoc redonare æquum est.— Habetis rationes et causas, quibus ad mittendam Historiam sum provocatus. Nunc Historiam habeto ipsam, quam, ve: luti pro tessera Foxianæ erga vos voluntatis, mittimus. Eam, pro candore vestro, rogo etiam atque etiam, benigne suscep tam velitis. Atque ne nihil aliud quam Historiam nudam et incomitatam mittere videamur, en simul cum historia, inter cæteros, quos in hoc multiplici et numeroso Christianorum militum satellitio Oxonia vestra, tanquam fœlix mater, tum imprimis Magdalenæ fœlicissima foecunditas, produxit, Jocelinum vestrum Palmerum* e Choro vestro proximis his annis ereptum, denuo ad vos tanquam redeuntem et restitutum Palmer was a fellow of Magdalen College, and burnt at News bury, in the reign of Queen Mary. them to my lord this morning, who was pleased immediately to write a letter with his own hand to the V. Chancellor to this purpose. "That his Lordship had received a letter from you, " in which you signified your sorrow for having given offence to the University by what you "had printed in your preface* to Camden's Eli 66 recipietis: simulque cum eo cæteros, nec paucos, nec vulgares Oxoniæ vestræ quondam alumnos, nunc illustres Christianæ militiæ Agonistas, tanquain veterem Martyrii Scholam gratis animis suscipite, et Christum in Martyribus suis glorificate. Quod superest; quoniam Chartæ arctamur angustiâ rogo, præstantissimi Juvenes, ut Dominus Jesus istum nobis Præsidem, Vos orbi et Ecclesiæ Christianæ diu servet incolumes, vestraque studia indies in majus ac melius provehat ad nominis sui gloriam. Vester in Christo, JOANNES FOxus. Londini, Maii 24 [1562.] *The following are the objectionable passages alluded to in the above letter. "Heroina igitur nostra [Elizabetha Regina] annum ætatis vicessimum octavum nondum egressa, in primis sibi cavendum esse prospicicbat, ne Collegiorum Præfecti uxores, liberos, feminas puellasque, quibus, vino ac voluptatibus deliri, se subinde delectarent, intra Collegiorum parietes vel nutrirent vel foverent." "Id pro certo habeo, Elizabetham feminam castam, admirabili judicio prudentiaque, Græcisque doctam litteris et Latinis, omnibusque politioris litteraturæ deliciis expolitissimam, ad vitia connivere noluisse, sed maluisse Præfectos, bonos auctores legere, quam venari, potare largius, (ad instar Belgarum, a quibus immo "zabeth; that several gentlemen for whom he "could not but have regard, had applied to him 66 on your behalf, and that therefore he made it "his request that all prosecution against you "should be stopped, and that you may go on to "print as formerly." This letter I read, and do send it with this to the post-house; so that you may wait on the Vice-Chancellor as soon as you think convenient, and I hope in the next to give you joy of your troubles being at an end. Dr. King gives his most humble service to you, he keeps a copy of the letters. I am, your most faithful Servant, Blomesbury, Oct. 23, 1718. R. MEAD. dico potu se proluere primum didicerunt Angli) ludere aleam, aliaque facere quæ indecora essent, et ad fundatorum sensum e Collegiorum Statutis eliciendum, minus congruerent.Atque ut quid voluit clarius esset, Injunctionem transmisit ad quælibet Collegia, Statutis eorundem inserendam, et postea pro statuto habendam. An vero etiamnum exstet in Statutis, vel potius perierit illorum studio qui ab re uxoria ac venerea neutiquam abhorruerunt, videant quorum interest scire."Editoris Præfatio, p. XLVI. |