Mr. Balfour of Huntingdon, to whom I am much indebted for the readiness with which he facilitated my researches in

18. The great beauty of meekness in the fair sex: Q. Catherine, the first wife of King Henry VIII.

19. That we must not pretend to revenge ourselves: the abbot Apollonius and the quarrelsome man.

Part of the sixth conversation as discoursed on the feast of St. John the

Evangelist, 27 Dec. 1631.

20. That every minister ought to be very diligent in labouring the conversion of sinners, especially those of his own flock: St. John the Evangelist and the young man who turned robber.

21. That a charitable prevention of sin in our brethren is next to a charitable redemption of them from it: St. Nicholas and the decayed gentleman and his three daughters.

22. That gifts of charity will hereafter be certainly rewarded: the mansion of happiness, or bishop Troilus and John the almoner.

23. That some very charitable persons find their riches in this world increase faster the faster they give them away: Cosmo de Medicis the great.

24. That content and comforts, as well as riches, are in this world often multiplied by alms-deeds: Gonsalvo Ferrantes the great captain.

25. That the ill lives and ways of many Christians are some of the reasons which hinder Turks from turning Christians: Saladin the Saracen.

Part of the seventh conversation as discoursed on the feast of the holy innocents, 28 Dec. 1631.

26. That the best and fairest promisings of this world are often mere wretchedness and disappointment: the shirt of the happy woman's making, or the great lady of Naples and her son.

27. That all our time here is but lost, save what is spent in God's service: the last sickness and death of Maurice prince of Orange.

28. That they are the most happy who die soonest: a speech of Q. Elizabeth's in 1586.

29. That we ought always to be prepared for death: the dying man who smiled.

30. That every thing which this world affords is nothing but vanity: Gillimer.

Part of the eighth conversation, as discoursed on 29 Decemb. 1631.

31. That there is no reason to doubt of the certainty of a future state: Gennadius the physician, as related by St. Austin.

32. The same: Synesius the bishop and Evagrius the philosopher.

33. The same: Sidonius, bishop of Auvergne and the two wicked priests. 34. The same: Licinius and the forty martyrs.

35. The same: Marcilius Ficinus and Michael Mercatus.

that town. Inscription at the top, in the left corner. Piu nel' animo. Etat. 71. 1617. Another, also an original, was

Part of the ninth conversation as discoursed on 30 Dec. 1631.

36. The great beauty of humility: St. Anthony.

37. The same: Sara the virgin.

38. The same: the two hermits and the dying lamp.

39. The great beauty of humility further opened: the proud dying hermit and the penitent malefactor.

40. The great beauty of humility further set forth the self-accuser.

The tenth conversation as discoursed on the 31 Dec. 1631.

41. The great beauty of patience: the noblewoman of Alexandria and the perverse widow.

42.

Same: the young man who trod down his own garment.

43. Same. Eulogius and the Leper.

44. Same: Didymus of Alexandria.

45. Same Casimir, prince of Sendomria and John Coner.

46. Same: St. Gregory and Mauricius the emperor and his son. 47. Same: the oil or the sick hermit and his disciple.

48. Same Agaton the hermit and the strangers.

49. Same: Anub and his brethren.

The first conversation, as discoursed on the feast of St. Luke the evangelist, 1632, at the election of Mrs. Mary Collett, alias Ferrar, spinster, to be Mother of the religious academy at Little Gidding in the room of her grandmother Mrs. Mary Ferrar widow, who by reason of her great age had desired to resign.

1. The great peril attending high posts: the young man and his uncle the hermit.

2. The great safety of governing by good advice: Cosmo de Medicis and Charles Pucci.

3. That mean persons, justly appointed to any high office, ought to be as much respected as those who are high-born: Amasis and his new golden idol.

The second conversation, as discoursed on the feast of All Saints, 1632 at the entrance of Mrs. Mary Collett &c. into the office of Mother &c. With an account of the several presents which were then made her by the several other members of that society.

4. That the very looks of good men are sometimes sufficient to reclaim sinners: St. Simeon and Usthazanes the eunuch.

5. That the greatest of sinners are sometimes very strangely converted : from the story of Lais the harlot and father Paphnutius the hermit. 5. (2) The same: the harlot and father Martinian the hermit.

6. Same: Pelagia the harlot and Nonnus the bishop of Heliopolis.

presented by Peckard to the master's lodge in Magdalen College, Cambridge. It is somewhat more distinct than Mr.

The third conversation as discoursed on the feast of St. Andrew the

Apostle, 1632.

7. Sequel of the story of Lais, &c.

8. That we may now and then gather something of good use out of the words of very ill people: St. Ephraim the hermit and the harlot of Edessa. 9. That the greatest of sinners are sometimes very strangely converted : the same St. E. and another harlot of Edessa.

10. That it signifies nothing to repent unless we at the same time resolve also to make restitution of whatever we have unjustly defrauded others of: the penitent miser and his discourse with his many children.

11. That if other men act amiss, their doing so is no warrant for us to follow their examples: the south-country man and the north-country jury-man. 12. Sequel of the story of Pelagia.

13. That the poor should always be treated with great respect: Ingo, king of the Draves.

14. Same: Amadeus, duke of Savoy.

15. Sequel of story of Licinius.

16. That we must always be ready to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ: Modestus the president of Edessa and the orthodox Christian woman and her child.

17. That no alms is too valuable to be given to the poor: Aidan, bp. of Lindisfarn and Oswi king of the Northumbers.

The fourth conversation as discoursed in the third week of Advent, 1632.

19. That we must always be ready to lay down our very lives for the cause of Christ: St. Laurence the deacon.

The fifth conversation as discoursed on St. Stephen's day, 1632.

20. That the martyrs of Christ when under the most cruel torments often feel little or no pain: James Bainham.

21.

Same: Widow Windelmuta.

22. Same: Marian, a poor woman.

23. Same: Bishop Farrar.

24. Same: Thomas Hawkes.

25. Same: the confession of Bishop Boner.

26. Same: Peter Marchesy and Maurice Monge.

27. Same: lame Hugh Laverock and blind John ap Rice martyred at Stratford le Bow.

28. That the poor are the jewels of the church: St. Macarius and the covetous old maid.

The sixth conversation as discoursed on the feast of St. John the

Evangelist, 1632.

29. That the love of God and virtue ought still to be uppermost in all our thoughts: Theodora and Didymus.

Balfour's, but there is no other difference. At the back is a note stating that it is the portrait of Nicholas Ferrar, father to Mrs. Collett, "the head of our family." Mr. Hughes of Bedfont near Hounslow (whose mother, a daughter of Mr. Hugh Ferrar, bequeathed the two family portraits to Mr. Balfour) has a portrait which he supposes to be that of "John (?) Ferrar" the father (?) of N. F.

17. Portrait of Mary Ferrar, the mother, also by Janssen. In Mr. Balfour's possession. Inscription. Dolce inganno.

Etat. 62. 1617.

18. Portrait of N. F. by Janssen, presented by Peckard with the father's. Mr. Hughes has another "like that at Magdalen College, Cambridge, but whether copy or original," he does not know.

19. A portrait of Mrs. Ferrar with N. F. when a baby in her arms. In Mr. Hughes's possession.

20. A small portrait of Charles I. in needlework, said to have been executed by one of the Gidding family. In Mr. Hughes's possession.

30. As 20: Theodorus of Antioch.

31. Same: Marcus bp. of Arethusa.

32. That the persecutors of the saints and martyrs are generally, even at the same instant they afflict those good men and often after, much disturbed with an unusual terror, anguish and confusion of mind: Henry II. of France and the poor tailor of Paris.

The seventh conversation as discoursed on the feast of the holy

innocents, 1632.

33. As 20: Romanus of Antioch and the Christian child.

34. That it is the duty of parents not to grieve but to rejoice at what their children suffer for Christ's sake: Mrs. Clerk of Meaux and her son John Clerk.

35. Same: Mrs. Hunt and her son Wm. H.

36. That if there be a due care taken of their education, even children will always be ready to lay down their lives for Christ: Maximian and the two infant martyrs.

The eighth conversation, as discoursed on the feast of Circumcision, 1632.

37. That the clergy and all those who are intended for holy orders ought never to go into taverns: the hermit and the priest.

21.

Entries in the Gidding and other registers: inscriptions on tomb-stones &c. See the notes on the pedigree.

22. Over the church door is inscribed (and was, doubtless, in Ferrar's time, though the west front is new), This is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven. On an old brass plate on the right of the church door, The house of prayer. In the nave, facing the door as you enter, stands a brazen font, on which are engraved alternately crosses and fleurs-de-lys: originally, as we learn from Lenton, this was surmounted by a cross, but now by a coronet of ruder workmanship, also composed of alternate crosses and fleurs-de-lys. Further on, close to the chancel arch, is a fine brass eagle; the claws, however, having been of silver, have disappeared. Within the chancel arch on the left side is a frame for an hour-glass, supported by a bracket. The communion-table of cedar, with its silk carpet, and brass table containing the creed, Lord's prayer, and commandments are preserved, together with a small piece of the tapestry which the sisters worked for the church. On the silver flagon (of 344 oz.) is inscribed. "What Sr. Edwyn Sandys bequeathed

To

The remembrance of freindship,

His freinde hath consecrated

Το

The Honour of God's Service.

1629."

And on the handle, "For the Church of Little Gidding in Huntingtonshyer." On the offertory dish, "For the Church of Little Gidding of the Guift of Susan Beckwith."

23. The names of some fields in the Gidding estate commemorate events in the family history. Thus King Close, where they met king Charles. So probably Poor folks' pasture, Church Close, Bell Close, Dovehouse Close, Pond Close, Cosens (Cousin's) Close.

24. "J. J." (? Jebb) supplied Peck with a list of various papers. I insert such as are still unprinted, in the hope that they may yet be recovered.