II.

BOOK "seizin, and a dying seized of the duchess, shall be called ❝ in question, I must needs think myself an abortive, and Anno 1580.❝ born in a most unfortunate hour; that her majesty had "rather spoil her crown of a barony, than I should be "the person should do that service. But in case your ho"nour shall, of your friendly disposition towards me, and "justice, safely pilot me over this tempestuous sea, you "shall confidently account, that thereby you have erected "a pillar in your own building, which shall never shrink or "fail you for any stone whatsoever. And thus reposing my"self wholly on your honourable goodness, with hearty prayer for your so good estate, I humbly take my leave. "From Willoughby House.

His early

in learning,

Cecil's care.

66

"Your lordship's humbly and assuredly at commandment, "Peregrine Bertie."

To add a remark or two of this gentleman; who made proficiency a considerable figure in queen Elizabeth's reign. When by secretary young, he was chiefly under the eye of secretary Cecil, by the earnest desire of his pious mother the duchess: and by his means and care he profited in good learning, as well as other courtly accomplishments. So that in the year 1568, being not above fifteen or sixteen years of age, he wrote a handsome Latin epistle to the secretary. Wherein he expressed his thankfulness to him for his fatherly love, which he had always shewn towards him: mentioning, how desirous he had been of his proficiency in good learning; and promising him to use diligence to attain it.

The duchess sends for

her son

So that he was bred at court, and had learned there to be somewhat wild; insomuch that his gracious, good mother from court. desired his tarrying no longer there: and in the year 1577, writ to the said Cecil, (now lord Burghley,)" entreating

Goes to the

wars.

him, for God's sake, to give the young man, her son, good "counsel; to bridle his youth, and to help him to despatch "him the court: that he might go down to his father; "while, she trusted, all was well."

He was warlike and militarily disposed; and went into the Low Countries with the earl of Leicester. And at Zut

XXIV.

His cha

phen he unhorsed a great captain, and took him prisoner, CHAP. as Camden writes. He assisted the protestants in France. And in the year 1585 he was in Crounenburgh in Ger- Anno 1580. many: sent thither to raise succours for the king of Navar, racter of the either by men or money. But he received a marvellous cold Germans. answer. Thus expressing his success in a letter to the lord Burghley: "That they understood better, proximus sum "egomet mihi, than they had learned humanum nihil a me "alienum puto. And that the state of the German princes " continued still in their deep security and lethargy; care"less of the state of others; dreaming of their ubiquity. "And some of them, as it was thought, inclining to be Spa"nish and popish, more than heretofore." These are some historical passages among a great many more that I could relate of this right noble gentleman.

CHAP. XXV.

Books published this year. A Discourse of God's Judgments against great Sins. A Description of the Earthquake. Dr. Fulke's Retentive. His Challenge. Forty popish books in English set forth by this time. What they were. All answered. The Genealogy of Queen Mary, queen of Scots: set forth by bishop Rosse. Glover, Somerset herald, writes against the bishop of Rosse's book. Dr. Dee's Instructions for the North-east Passage. Everard Digby's dialogue against a book of P. Ramus. Answered. The holy Exercise of a true Fast. The occasion of the writing thereof.

THESE books following I find came out this year among

others.

672

of God's in

A discourse, containing many wonderful examples of A discourse God's indignation, poured forth upon divers people for dignation. their intolerable sins, &c. Printed by the queen's printer, Christopher Barker. In the title-page was added, that a part of it might be read instead of some part of the homily. D d

VOL. II. PART II.

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

earthquake.

"On Easter Wednesday, being the 6th of April, 1580, tion of the 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 "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."

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 66 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 dan"ger; and to the best and surest trial of the truth.”

pish books

reign to this

Unto this year, and in it, that is, from the beginning of Forty poqueen 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.

of Mary

printed at

In the year 1580, the bishop of Rosse, the Scottish queen Genealogy 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

II.

BOOK nem hac de re dubitationem, hoc schemate provisum est: 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 Margarete ex Jacobo V. Scotorum rege eorum 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: Lectori Benevolo.

Glover, a herald, writes a book

against the Scottish

queen's title.

A book of

Dr. Dee for

voyage.

Habes hic (lector benevole) continuam florentissimi Anglicani regni abhinc quingentis annis successionem. Quam non tam serenissima Scotorum reginæ Mariæ, ejusque filio, optimæ 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 the Cathay 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 Arthur Pett, in two barks, the George and William: given and delivered to them at the court-day, holden at the Mus