creed or the Lord's Prayer: wheresoever he preached, he was exceedingly followed, both by the chief citizens and courtiers; which appears by this following letter sent him by Sir Thomas More (afterwards lord chancellor of England), which you may see in Stapleton ".

6. SIR,—I lately met your boy in Cheapside, whom I was very glad to see, chiefly because I thought he had not returned without you. But when he told me that you were not only not come, but not coming; you cannot imagine into what a dump of sadness I fell from an height of joy. For what can be more troublesom to me, than to be deprived of your most sweet company ? having been so long used to enjoy your most prudent counsel, to be refresht with your most pleasant society, to be roused with your most grave sermons, and bettered by your excellent example and life in a word, in whose very countenance and gesture I was wont to be unspeakably delighted. As methought I was strengthened by these things while I had them, so for want of them I seem to languish. And because of late by following you I had almost got out of the jaws of hell, now again like another Euridice (yet by a contrary law, for she fell because Orpheus lookt upon her, but I fall because you do not look upon me) I am carried back by a kind of force and necessity into sad darkness. For what is there in this city that should move any body to live well; and not rather (while he is of his own disposition climbing up the steep hill of vertue) pull him back by a thousand allurements and devices? Which way soever I walk, what do I hear but dissembling and the sugared poisons of flatterers? What do men talk of but quarrels and lawsuits? Which way soever I look, what do I see but alehouses, taverns, cooks, butchers,

land had been overthrown.] "the names of the receivers were to be given in, so some account was constantly taken of their fitness for it: an exemplary injunction for this age having been too much neglected. His order throughout his diocese to the ministers was, to go through the body of divinity once a year, which he had drawn out accordingly into fifty heads." Bernard's Life and Death of Archbishop Usher, in a Sermon preached April 17th, 1656, p. 83-85.

• Stapleton.] In his work intitled, "Tres Thoma: seu de S. Thomæ Apostoli rebus gestis.-De S. Thoma Archiepiscopo Cantuar. Martyre.—D. Thomæ Mori vita," printed at Douay in 1588, and at Cologne in 1612, in 8vo. It will also be found in H. Holland's edition of Stapleton's works printed at Paris in 1620, folio, vol. iv. p. 992.

fishers, fowlers, and such cattel: who prog for belly-timber, and serve the world, and the devil the prince thereof? I know not how it comes to pass, but methinks the very tops of the houses almost meet sometimes, and take away a good part of the pleasant light; and will not suffer us to look upon heaven freely: so it is not the circumference of the horizon, but the house-top that bounds the air. For which cause I may excuse you the more, if you are not yet weary of the country, where you see people dealing plainly, and not acquainted with the knavery of the city; where which way soever you turn your eyes, the smiling face of the earth pleases, the sweet temper of the air refresheth, and the goodly aspect of the heaven delighteth you. You see nothing there but the bountiful gifts of nature, and some holy footsteps of innocence.

7. But, Sir, I would be loth you should be so far taken with these delights, as to be detained long from us for if the inconveniences of the city displease you, yet Stepney (of which you should have some care) will be as convenient for you as the place that you are now in; whence you may step into the city (where you have an huge opportunity of doing good) as into an inn. For whereas men in the country are of themselves either almost innocent, or not so abominably bad as they be here; any physician may do good among them. But to this city, both by reason of the multitude of the inhabitants, and the inveterate hold which the diseases of sin have got; a doctor comes to no purpose, unless he be excellently skilled. I confess, some come into your pulpit at St. Paul's sometimes, who promise fair; but when they seem to have made an excellent discourse, their lives differ so much from their words, that they do increase rather than assuage the malady. For they who themselves are sickest of all, will never persuade people, that they are fit to be charged with the care and cure of other folks distempers: which when men feel touched by those whom they see full of ulcers, they cannot but winch, kick, and be angry. But if (as the philosophers say) he be the fittest physician, in whom the sick person hath greatest confidence, doubtless none is more likely than you to cure this whole city. By whom, how willing they are to have their wounds handled; in whom what confidence they put, and how ready they are to obey you, appears sufficiently by the experience you have of them, and the incredible expectation they have of you. Therefore make haste away, my good Colet, either for your town

Stepney's sake, which laments your long absence as much as a child doth his mother's; or for your native country's sake (London) whereof you ought to have as much care as of your parents. In the last, though least place, be moved by your respect to me, who have dedicated my self wholly to you, and do hugely long for your return. Farewell, and still love,

London, Oct. 23.

Your very affectionate,

THOMAS MORE.

8. The dean's table, which in former times had under pretence of good housekeeping been too much prostitute to excess, he reduced to frugality. For he kept himself to one meal a day many years together, both before and after his preferment; which at once cut off all his supper guests (late dinners not a few) and the more, because his entertainment (though neat) was neither costly nor excessive, his sitting short, and his whole discourse such as pleased none but those that were either learned or pious. For soon after he had said grace, his boy read a chapter (distinctly and aloud) out of St. Paul's Epistles, or Solomon's Proverbs; from which he himself for the most part pickt the subject of that meal's discourse; asking not only scholars, but even ordinary people (if they were ingenious) what was the meaning of this or that passage. And he so ordered his words, that though he were holy and grave, yet he seemed no whit tedious or supercilious. And at the end of the meal, when their hunger (not pleasure) was satisfyed, he fell upon another subject: thus dismissing his guests, with as much satisfaction to their minds as refreshment to their bodies, desiring they should depart better men than they came, not with bigger bellies. He was hugely delighted with the conference of his friends, who oft kept him till late at night; but all his conference was either of literature or Jesus Christ. If he had no acceptable friend to chat with (for every one did not please him), his boy did read somewhat to him out of godly books. Sometimes he called me to ride abroad with him, and then he was as merry as any man alive; but a good book was always his comrade in his journy, and his talk was continually of Christ.

9. He was so much averse from all filthiness, that he could not endure solecisms or barbarous language. He affected neatness in his houshold stuff, clothes, books, meat; but not magnificence. He wore no garments but black, whereas in England

doctors in divinity, and other eminent clergymen, commonly wear scarlet. His upper garment was always of cloth, plain and without trimming, which in hard frosts he fortified with furd. And he being an eminent advancer of divine philosophy, lent me two very old Latin copies of the New Testament, when I wrote notes upon it, writ in characters that were like Saxon, and indeed so old, that I was forced to turn child again, and begin anew to learn my alphabet, before I could read them.

10. Whatsoever revenues accrued unto him by the church, he intirely committed to his steward, to be distributed, and spent in house-keeping. His own hereditary rents and profits (which were vast) he himself distributed to pious uses. For his father being dead, mony flowed in apace from what was left him by inheritance; and lest that being kept should breed some disease in him, he therewith erected a stately new school' in St. Paul's Churchyard, dedicated to the holy child Jesus: whereunto he joined fair dwellings for two school-masters, to whom he assigned liberal stipends, that they might teach gratis, but so as that they should not be enjoined to admit above a certain number, viz. 1538.

11. The whole fabrick he divided into four parts: whereof one (at the entrance) is as it were for the Catechumeni (and yet none is admitted till he can read and write), the second for such as are under the usher. The third part is for those whom the upper master teacheth. These two ends are divided by a curtain, which is drawn to and fro when they please. Above the master's chair stands the holy child Jesus, curiously engraven, in the posture of one reading a lecture, with this motto, Hear him; which words I advised him to set up. And all the young fry, when they come in and go out of school (besides their appointed prayers) salute Christ with an hymn. At the upper end is a chappel, in which divine service may be said. The whole building hath no corners nor lurking-holes for dunces, having neither chamber nor diningroom in it. Every boy has his proper seat distinguished by spaces of wood, and the forms have three ascents. Every class

d Præfat. ad notas in N. T.

7 Stately new school.] Amongst the collections of Bishop Kennett in the British Museum (Bibl. Lansdown, 949), is "A copie of the auncient Statute Book which John Colett delivered to Will. Lillye with his owne hand.”

8 Viz. 153.] "Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken." John xxi. 11.

containeth sixteen boys (the two lowest much more) and the best scholar of each sits in a seat somewhat more eminent than the rest, with the word CAPITANEUS engraven in golden letters over his head.

12. The masters of this school do not rashly admit of all that are brought, but choice is made of the most towardly wits and best dispositions; lest in that laborious employment they should toil in vain. For some men in this age are so base (as I told Dr. Colete) as to set those to be scholars, who profess divinity (the chief of all sciences), whom for their dull capacity and bad natures they think scarce fit for any other study. He entreated me to seek out a man whom I thought a fit under-master for this his school (Will Lilly being the first upper master). I enquired in many places, but could hear of none. At length being at Cambridg among some Masters of Arts, I propounded it to them. One of them (and he of no mean esteem) smiling, said, "Who would endure to live in that school among boys, that could make a shift to scrape up a livelihood any where else?" I answered modestly, that it seemed to me a very honest employment to instruct young people in learning and good manners; that Christ did not despise that age; that a man could bestow his pains upon no age better; and in no place expect a better effect or reward of his pains than at St. Paul's school, because it is in the midst of London, and London the chief city of the kingdom; where from all other parts the lines (or gentry and ingenious people) meet as in a center. And I added, that if men were truly pious, they would think that they could no way serve God better than by bringing children to Christ. But he drawing up his nose and scoffing, replied, "If any have a mind to serve Christ, let him go into a monastery or religious house." I answered, that St. Paul placed true religion in the duties of charity; and that charity consisted in doing as much good to our neighbours as we could. He rejected that as sillily spoken: "Behold," quoth he, "we have left all, therein is perfection." I finally told him, that that man hath not left all, who when it is in his power to do good to very many people, shuns the imployment because he thinks it too mean for him.—And so (lest we should have wrangled) I left the But you here see the wisdom of the Scotists.

man.

e Lib. xxxi. epist. 45. p. 2046, g.

f Lib. x. epist. 17 and 18. p. 518, f. and 520, e.