deeply and shed many tears, saying, But if you should live to see the divine service and worship of God by supreme authority brought to nought and suppressed, then look and fear that desolation is at hand, and cry mightily to God; His wrath will be then hot against the land. God in His infinite mercy, Whose mercy is above all, divert such a judgement. While he was thus speaking, in came some company.

60. Nicholas Ferrar's mother was of the ancient Cheshire family of the Woodnoths, of Shavinton', where her ancestors had enjoyed that lordship upon five hundred years, from father to son, and allied to most of the gentry in that county. And as there were few women, as all that knew her can testify, that exceeded her in comeliness of her body, excellent beauty, of fair, modest, and sober deportment, grave in her looks, humble in her carriage towards all people, superlative in discretion, of few words, but as occasion offered itself; but when she spake, it was, as bishop Linsell (her son N. F.'s tutor, that knew her many a year, and to her dying day, and ever called her mother) would say of her, that he knew no woman that passed her in eloquency (which was natural to her), in judgement and wisdom, as he did ever admire her; and for her devotion towards God, her piety, her charity, her love to God's word, her constant daily reading scripture, her singing

1 See the pedigree of the Woodnoths of Shavinton, which goes back to the Conquest, in Ormerod's Cheshire, iii. 262.

psalms, when she sat at work with her children and maids about her and hearing them read chapters, and her often reading in the Book of Martyrs, her going to the church-prayers Wednesdays and Fridays, her having heard, as it was computed in her lifetime, twelve thousand sermons (for she was also addicted that way). And what good use she made of all these things, let the world speak it; her deeds will praise her in the gates of the city and the country in the open fields abroad. In a word, the bishop would say, it was no wonder that such a mother should bring forth such a son as N. F. was. I shall refer the historian to that of her life' when finished; yet

1 Mrs. Ferrar is described in some verses prefixed to the translation of Lessius.

"To the Reader.

"Reader, what here thou'lt find, is so good sense,
That, had myself not seen th'experience,

I should subscribe. But I can tell thee where
Full eighty years stand upright, look as clear
As some eighteens: a glass they do not use
To see, or to be seen in; they refuse
Such mediums, because they strictly keep
The golden mean in meat, in drink, in sleep.

They hear well twice; and, when themselves do talk,
Make others do so once: sans staff they walk,
Because they rise from table so; they take

But little physick, save what cooks do make;
And part of that is given to the poor.

Blest physick, that does good thrown out of door;
Thou'lt scarce believe, at once to shew thy eyes
So many years, so few infirmities.

I cannot but here add, what testimony her dying beloved husband gave of her (many of his worthy friends and children then about him), entreating his good friends sir Tho. Middleton, sir Hugh Middleton' his brother, Mr. Robert Bateman and others, to comfort his dear wife in all they could, and commanding his children with all filial duties and reverence to love and obey her, saying: I must give my wife this testimonial, that never, I think, man had the like in all kinds; and these forty-five years we have lived together, I must say of her, she never gave me cause to be angry with her; so wise and good she is. You all know I was by nature (which God pardon) both quick, and choleric, and hasty, which she also will forgive.

61. And of this worthy old Mr. Ferrar, N. F.'s father, know further, that he was a gentleman by birth, of the family of the Ferrars of Yorkshire, a

And, which with beauty all this beauty decks,
This strength I tell on is i' th' weaker sex.
All's due to God, some to this book, which says,
Who will live empty shall die full of days."

See Appendix.

1 The well-known founders of the New River Company. 2 Chamberlain of London, M.P. in 1624, when with Sandys and Ferrar he interested himself in the Virginia Company's affairs. (Commons' Journals, Mar. 13, 1623-4.) Sir Hugh Middleton in his will bequeathed ten pounds to his "brother Robert Bateman." (Lodge's Portraits.) He died Dec. II, 1644. Rich. Smith's Obituary. On his son Sir Ant. lord mayor in 1665, see Strype's Stow, ii. 147.

2

merchant of good reputation in the city, and, as they term it, an alderman's fellow or companion; a merchant-adventurer, trading to the east and west Indies, Spain, Flanders, Germany, &c.; who kept (as they term it) a good free table, and constantly wanted' not only company of his own rank, but often had men of eminency to dine with him, yea lords, knights, ladies, &c.; and sir John Hawkins, sir Francis Drake, sir Walter Raleigh, all gallant seamen, with whom he was an adventurer, evermore affecting the planting of Christian religion in the new world, and advancing trade and commerce for a common good, as well as his own lawful trading. Of whose life very much may be said in its due place. A zealous lover of the church he was, and ever as ready to supply king and state with what was required of him. £300 upon a privy seal he willingly lent, and queen Elizabeth writ him esquire. I shall conclude with the last and true character of old Mr. Ferrar, which that grave, learned bishop Francis White, who was exceeding familiar with

1 Entertained seems to be the word required.

2 See above, p. 13, note.

3 "The parish-church and chancel of St. Bennett Sherehog in London Mr. Ferrar repaired and decently seated at his own expense and as there was not any morning preacher there he brought from the country Mr. Francis White."—Peckard, 10. He was dean and afterwards (Dec. 3, 1626) bishop of Carlisle, next (Feb. 9, 1628-9) of Norwich, and lastly (Dec. 8, 1631) of Ely. He died in Feb. 1637-8. (Richardson's Godwin.) Kennet has left a notice of him (MS. Lansd. 984. art. 131);

:

old Mr. Ferrar, he being the chief means of bringing him out of the country to London, and there in his parish was a lecturer, to whom he liberally contributed, to keep us that happiness the parish had of him and often in the week he was pleased to afford Mr. Ferrar his good company, who wonderfully joyed in it. He preached his funeral sermon (whereat were many hundreds of persons), whose text was: Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season. Job v. 26. And I shall only, amongst many other due commendations that he gave him, out of his own knowledge, as well as out of others' true relations, here in this place declare that he told his auditors, that he never came into old Mr. Ferrar's company, but that saying of our Saviour Christ came into his mind, when He saw Nathanael coming unto Him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile'. For, said he, truly Mr. Ferrar was such a man, and all that knew him must

see also Fuller's Worthies in Hunts, Bentham's Ely, (1812), i. 200, ii. 109, Baker's MS. xxx. 170. When rector of St. Peter's, Cornhill, and divinity reader at St Paul's, he wrote his answer to Fisher (Heylin, Cypr. Angl. 95, 115, seq.), was king's chaplain (ib. 116, 120), disputed against Preston at York house (ib. 140, 213; cf. Fuller, ed. Brewer, vi. 33), was abused by Burton (Heyl. 311), wrote on the sabbath (ib. 279), a subject on which his opinions were influenced by a conference with Brabourne, (Brabourne's Reply to Mr. Collings's Provocator provocatus [in Emm. Libr. x. 5. 65], 64, 65).

1 John i. 47.