prime of his youth, which by so many of his works appears to have been most healthful." ***

The time for the deliverance of England at length came. queen Mary died in November 1558. Of this event Fox had a remarkable preintimation. On the day previous to that of her decease he was preaching to his fellow exiles at Basle, when he told them to be of good comfort; for the time drew near when they should be restored to their own country, and said that he told them this, being warned of God to do so. Some of the elder divines reproved Fox for speaking thus, but the event showed that he was justified. Aylmer was among the persons present on this occasion.

Most of the exiles hastened home, but Fox remained at Basle till the following year; this delay seems to have been partly caused by the difficulty of his removing his family, a wife and two children, in his low circumstances; and having a settled employment he was unwilling to quit it until there appeared a good prospect of matters being settled at home. Also, during a part of the time he was engaged in superintending the early Latin edition of his Acts and Monuments. Grindal and Sampson considered this his best course. The former, when setting out for England on the 19th of December, 1558, wrote to Fox that he had better, for a short time, suspend the further preparation of the great work he had in hand, as many additional materials would now come to light.

Fox rejoiced at the important change. He was the author of an elegant Latin address to queen Elizabeth, printed at Basle by Oporinus, in 1559, where, in the name of the German nation, the queen is congratulated on her accession to the throne; and after speaking of the refuge afforded to the English exiles on the continent, good counsel is given to her majesty and her court, with good advice to the preachers. Another tract, an expression of thanksgiving on the part of the English exiles, was printed about the same time. Fox also wrote and printed a letter to the duke of Norfolk, his former pupil, full of excellent counsel relative to the hopeful prospect of religion, and congratulated him on his own good fortune in the recovery of his title and estates.

We find, however, that Fox had returned to London in October, 1559; and from a Latin letter he then wrote to the duke of Norfolk, printed by Strype, the copy of which is still extant among the Foxian manuscripts in the British Museum, he evidently was in the same distressed state with many of his brethren. From this letter it would appear that it was as yet hardly safe for men of rank to notice the poor exiles. The letter is as follows: "I have so often written to your highness, that I am ashamed to trouble you with more letters. Yet I so well know the inge

• The extracts from the life of Fox, by his son Samuel, given in these pages, are slightly condensed, as that work, though containing much valuable matter, is written in the verbose and generalizing style then prevalent, so as to be wearisome to the reader.

nuous kindness of your disposition, that I am persuaded there would be no necessity for my petition, if will only was needful. But perhaps these times present impediments, hindering you from sending to us, and me from venturing to urge my requests to you. I cannot think that it is from forgetfulness of us, or from any undue feelings of your own importance, that for so long a period you have not sent assistance to us. But whatever may be the cause why your liberality has thus ceased, this I know, my beloved Thomas, that it is most easy for you, possessing such abundance of all things, to impart some small pension to us from your large expenditure. More earnest intreaties would be needful where there was less disposition to confer benefits, but you always appeared more ready to bestow of your own accord, than on account of the prayers of others. And I think that my disposition is well known to you, as so averse to importunate craving, that I would sooner perish with hunger.

"That I have not yet dedicated any work to you, has proceeded rather from fear of endangering you, than from my own will, as, if God permit, you shall hereafter perceive.

66

Concerning religion, I need not admonish you where the truth stands; God grant that you may stand manfully with the truth. Have respect thereunto in the first place, and if at this juncture you cannot help Christ, let no mortal ever prevail on you to be an adversary against him in any thing, for at length he will prevail, though all should oppose. You will do wisely if you employ that time in the reading of the scriptures, which others bestow on pomps and pastimes of the court."

The duke's reply, dated 30th October, 1559, also written in Latin, was as follows: "I have received your letters, my excellent preceptor, from whence I learn your affection towards me, and prize it highly. If the return of my servants had not preceded my letters, you should have been with me long since. For I wrote to them that they should so provide you with all things, that you might speedily come to me, and this would have been done had they not returned sooner than I expected. Now, since I shall myself soon be in London, I would that you should await me there, when, as I desire and as I ought, I shall look to you. In the mean time farewell.

"To my right loving schoolmaster, John Fox."

The duke appears to have fulfilled his promises; he took Fox into his house in London, where the martyrologist resided for some time; probably till the duke was involved in troubles from those secret negotiations with Mary queen of Scots, which brought him to the scaffold in 1572. Fox and Nowell attended him at the place of execution, where he confessed that he had acted contrary to his duty and allegiance. The duke had been suspected of an inclination to popery, this he disavowed, and at the solemn hour of his departure he expressly declared, "As touching my religion I have been suspected to be a papist. I must confess that divers of my familiar friends, and divers of

my servants and officers under me, were papists. But what meaning I had in it, God, who seeth above, knoweth it. For myself, God is my witness, I have always been a protestant, and never did allow of their blind and fond ceremonies. And now, before God and you all, I utterly renounce the pope and his popedom, which I have always done, and will do to my life's end. And as to that which is the chiefest point of our belief-I believe and trust to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ only, and by none other means. For if I did, I should be greatly deceived

at this instant."

There appears every reason to believe that the duke was opposed to popery; even so far as to be inclined to favour the puritans. He cared anxiously for the religious education of his children, as appears from an epistle of Dering and Hansby, two of his chaplains, prefixed to a book of prayers composed for their use, by his command. He was at that time one of the most powerful noblemen in England, and in high favour with queen Elizabeth. These things render his attachment to Mary queen of Scots the more extraordinary, but the influence of many of his near kinsmen, who were bigoted papists, probably assisted this infatuation towards that accomplished but infamous woman.*

Queen Elizabeth was very unwilling that the duke should suffer; she caused him to be respited for several months, but the state of political affairs, and the designs of the papists against her, caused her counsellors to be urgent in pressing his execution. Fox had faithfully warned the duke of the dangers which were likely to result from this correspondence, as appears by a letter from him to his former pupil, extant in the British Museum. The duke left Fox a small pension.

Richard Day, son of the printer, speaks thus of the shelter afforded to Fox by the duke:" When he returned he found succour from his most bounteous, most charitable, and most princely lord, who gave him free and present entertainment and dwelling for him and his, at his manor-place of Christ's Church, by Aldgate. From that his house, he travelled weekly every Monday, to the printing house of John Day. In that, my father's house, many days and years, and infinite sums of money, were spent to accomplish and consummate his English Monuments, and other many excellent works in English and Latin.".

These writings will be noticed on a future page, but the important results to Fox himself, from his intimate connexion with John Day, and the still more important influence on the cause

The reader will find an account of the duke's correspondence with Mary queen of Scots in many historians. It is necessary, however, to warn him against those who manifest a partiality for that wretched female. Of late it has become too common to cast a veil over the crimes of Mary, and to call her vices by gentle names, but no one can become fully acquainted with the history of the Reformation, without feeling deep regret that her character is not more correctly estimated by historians in general.

" Dissuading him from marrying Mary queen of Scots."

of truth and the gospel, requires a distinct notice of that extraordinary printer, whose proceedings were exceedingly beneficial in forwarding the English Reformation.

John Day was a native of Suffolk, and commenced business as a printer in London, probably in 1547. About 1549, he removed to Aldersgate, where, as Stow relates, he built much upon the wall of the city towards St. Ann's church. He had also shops for the sale of his books in other parts of the town, particularly at the little conduit, which was in Cheapside, just at the end of Paternoster-row. During the reign of Edward VI. his press was actively employed in printing the scriptures, and many writings of the British reformers. Herein he showed his zeal against popery, even then at considerable hazard to himself.* When queen Mary came to the throne, Day's labours of course were suspended. He appears to have spent this reign partly as a prisoner in Newgate,† partly as an exile, and partly in retirement, employing himself in bringing his art to greater perfection He was the first printer in the Saxon character, and much improved English typography. His books in particular display a great variety of devices of wood and metal. After the accession of queen Elizabeth, Day resumed his operations with increased activity. The catalogue of books printed by him include the most extensive and valuable publications of that period in general literature and science, as well as history and theology. Many of them were costly and splendid specimens of typography. The unceasing kindness and attention Day received from archbishop Parker, is decisive evidence to his character and abilities.

In the commencement of this reign, Day printed Luke's poetical dialogue between John Boon and. master Person, written against the popish sacrament, and exposing the ignorance and superstition of the priests. The papists made such representations of this book, that the mayor sent for Day, and was about to treat him with severity, when Underhill, one of the king's guard, came to the mayor upon business. The mayor kept Underhill to dinner, when speaking about the book, the latter told him it was a good book, that he had a copy, and there were many others in the court. He gave it the mayor, who being thus better informed of the contents allowed poor Day, then sitting at a side board, to return home instead of committing him to prison as he had intended.

† See Rogers, p. 35.

The importance of the increased attention Day bestowed upon the execution of the works committed to his press, may appear from the words of Bale, in the preface to the second part of his Image of both Churches, printed about 1550, who stating his reasons for discontinuing the marginal references to the scriptures and authors which he had given in his first part, assigns as the first, "the printers, whose heady haste, negligence, and covetousness, usually corrupts all books. These have both displaced them, and also changed their numbers to the derogation of the truth, though they had at their hands two learned correctors who took all pains possible to preserve them." In looking at most of the early printed editions of the writings of the Reformers, the number of typographical errors, often affecting the sense, will be found very considerable, they make reprints literally conformable to those editions far from desirable.

For the valuable history of Hollinshed, the Acts and Monuments, the collected editions of Becon, the writings of Tindal, and many others, we are indebted to this printer, whose enterprising spirit was united with earnest desire to diffuse gospel light and truth. The list of books printed by Day, as given by Ames and Herbert, contains almost all the valuable literature of that age. Day possessed in Fox an invaluable assistant to edit the principal works he published, while Fox had in Day a printer anxious to encourage his exertions to the utmost.

Strype relates that Day found himself the object of envy to his fraternity, who hindered what they could the sale of his books. In 1572 he had a considerable quantity on hand, whereupon his friends procured for him the lease of a small shop to be set up near the west end of St. Paul's cathedral. But, as Strype proceeds,“ his brethren the booksellers envied him, and by their interest got the mayor and aldermen to forbid him from setting it up, though they had nothing to do there but by power." Upon this the archbishop interceded with the lord treasurer for the queen's letters, that Day might go forward with his building, whereby, he said, his honour would deserve well of Christ's church, and of the prince and state. The archbishop also urged that the privy council had lately written to him and the other ecclesiastical commissioners, to help Day, perhaps in vending his books, and encouraging the clergy to buy them.

After this, Day seems to have continued his exertions with success till his death in 1584. If much of the progress of the Reformation is to be attributed, as means, to the art of printing, assuredly Day must not be forgotten as one to whom we are deeply indebted for the right application of that invaluable discovery in our own land.*

To return to our immediate subject:

Part of the early period after Fox's return to England seems to have been passed at Norwich, where his son Samuel was born in 1560. The friendship of Parkhurst, then bishop of that see, doubtless occasioned his residence there. It is, however, but too evident, that for some time after his return Fox remained in a very destitute condition. When Humphrey, his fellow collegian, was appointed president of Magdalen college, Fox began a congratulatory letter to him, which, however, he cancelled, probably froin unwillingness to describe his own wants, or to The homely lines on his monument may be added, Here lyes the Daye that darkness could not blind, When popish fogges had overcaste the sunne; This Daye the cruell nighte did leave behind, To view, and show what blodi actes were donne ; He set a Fox to wright how martyrs runne By deeth to lyfe. Fox ventured paynes and health To give them light; Daye spent in print his wealth. But God with gayne returned his wealth agayne, And gave to him, as he gave to the poore.

The reader should here be reminded of Fox's own remarks on the value of the art of printing. See Disciples of Wickliff, p. 281.