Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

made to it', and (as I take it) hath passed nine3 impressions since the first printing of it, as well it hath, and will deserve to do.

52.

What is so well compiled by that worthy, learned man (whoever he be3) that made the preface to Mr. Herbert's Country Parson:-it's but my poor pains to write it out of the book, that can never too often read or meditate upon that discourse, that so nearly concerns me, as of such a brother, whom the world never could shew a better brother to any brother, nor a more true lover, and one that did more for his family than he did in all kinds and ways, for their temporal welfares, in preservation, augmentation, and maintenance of their civil estates and affairs, and, that which is the superlative of all goodness and benefit, his never ceasing care and pains for their spiritual wellbeing, everlasting happiness and bliss.

53. Some three days before his (N. F.) death, lying in his bed, about eight o'clock in the morning, he called his brother John Ferrar, his sister Collett, and all his nieces to him, saying, Brother, I would

religion hath of late years considerably lost ground, and America seems the likeliest place, wherein to make up for what hath been lost in Europe."-Berkeley's Works (1843), ii. 288. "Westward the course of empire takes its way.... Time's noblest offspring is the last."-Ibid. 294.

1 See it in the Appendix.

2 Six before this life was written (1654). See the preface to Pickering's edition, vi. n.

3 Barnabas Oley.

have you go to the church, and at the west end at the door, where we go into the church, I would have you measure from the half pace, when we go into the church, of stone that you tread upon seven foot to the westward, and at the end of that seven foot there let my grave be made. His brother looking very sadly upon him, with his eyes full of tears, (and so all the standers-by did,) he went on saying, Brother, that first place of the length of seven foot I leave for your own burying-place, you are my elder; God, I hope, will let you there take up your resting-place, till we all rise again in joy. When you have measured out the place for my grave, then go and take out of my study those three great hampers full of books, that have stood there locked up these many years. (They were not many scores', but many hundreds, in all kind of languages, which he had in all places gotten with great search, and some cost: they were comedies, tragedies, love hymns, heroical poems, and such like). Carry, said he, those hampers to the place of my grave, and upon it see you burn them all: and this he spake with some vehemency and passion of indignation. Go, let it be done, let it be done, and then come again all of you to me. So it was performed, and a great smoke,

1 Compare § 54 n.

2 Barnabas Oley (Life of Herbert, xcviii) is mistaken in saying that the books were burnt after Ferrar's death. "After his death, when by injunction (which he laid upon his friends when he lay on his death-bed) a great company of comedies,

bonfire, and flame they made; and it being upon a hill, the towns round about and men in the fields came running up to the house, supposing some great fire had happened at Little Gidding. When they saw what was doing, that it was an infinite sort of books burning, and that Mr. Nicholas Ferrar was like to die, as they heard, they went their ways home. And within a few days it was by rumour spread abroad at market-towns all the country over, that Mr. Nicholas Ferrar lay a dying, but could not die till he had burned all his conjuring-books', and had made a great fire of them upon the grave he would be buried in.

54. Now for the second defamation after Nicholas Ferrar's death made of him, having been four years dead, not by words of mouth, nor in

tragedies, love hymns, heroical poems, &c. were burnt upon his grave, as utter enemies to christian principles and practices (that was his brand), some poor people said he was a conjurer." Compare what is said of Oughtred in Aubrey's Lives, 475. On the belief in astrology and magic in this century see king James's Dæmonologia, the Life and works of Lilly, Grey's notes on Hudibras, part ii. canto 3, part iii. canto I. Even Laud records, "E. B. marryed. The sign in Pisces."-Diary, May 1, 1624. Two very valuable tracts by Gataker (Vindications of the annotations by him published on Jer. x. 2, and Discourse Apologetical, both in answer to Lilly), are in Emman. Coll. Libr. 10. 2. 32.

1 See Wetstein on Acts xix. 19 (especially Aug. Tract. in Joan. viii. § 8), and Hofmann's Lexicon under Librorum combustio.

1

corners, but in print; not by hundreds, but by thousands of their pamphlets, dispersed through the whole kingdom, being put up to the parliament anno 1641, and given into the hands of parliament men, as they went daily into the house; boasting that they had printed and dispersed above nine thousand copies thereof. The title they gave it was: The Arminian Nunnery, or a brief Description and Relation of the newly erected Monasticall Place called The Arminian Nunnery at Little Gidding in Huntingdonshire, Humbly recommended to the wise consideration of this Pari. The Foundation is a Company of Ferrars at Gidding. Printed by Thomas Underhill. 1641. London.

55. The whole book is stuffed with abominable falsehoods, and such stories told as the devil himself would be ashamed to utter: and though it was most easily to be confuted, yet it was upon consideration of some wise men, seeing then the stream of the tide, better to bear it with patience and to do as meek Dr. Jackson had done, as knowing

1 So in the last paragraph; "not many scores, but many hundreds."

2 Reprinted by Hearne, Appendix to his Preface to Peter Langtoft, cxxv. seq., which reprint I have used, notwithstanding Oldys's insinuation. No one has a right to hint a random charge of inaccuracy against a man like Hearne.

3 See Prynne's and Burton's charges against Jackson in Wood, ii. 666. "He had an adversary in England who writ a book against him, with a title not so kindly as might have

their own innocency and the then madness of the people, and that the family's innocency and real actions did sufficiently convince this abominable Lye-Bell'. Yet it must not be omitted, that by the soldiers then raised, that came out of Essex to pass towards the north, and coming near to Gidding, intelligence was given them at Gidding from good hands, that those books were given to many of them, and that they were hired and animated, some of them, not only to use threats, as they did in their march, but to have offered violence to the family and house. But God Almighty in His special providence did turn away their fury at that time, and it then passed over.

56. But to return. His brother, &c., coming up to his bed-side, told him, all was done, as he had required. Then he, suddenly lifting up himself, sat

been devised. It was this, A Discovery of Dr. Jackson's follies: which he bound as an ornament upon him (as Job says), that is, never answered but in the language of the lamb dumb before the shearer, silence and sufferance. And he had one in Scotland who also girded at him :" (Barnabas Oley in Herbert's Remains, xcvii). Ferrar recommended Jackson's works to Oley. See the preface to Jackson.

1 "This I may call a libel indeed, according to sir Francis Bacon's description thereof: for first, it is a lie, a notorious untruth: and then a bell, some loud and lewd tongue hath told, yea rung it out, and perchance was welcome music to some hearers thereof."-Fuller's Worthies (8vo ed.), i. 78. "Many a libel (lie, because false; bell, because loud)."Ibid. ii. 199.

« ForrigeFortsett »