yielding up every thing to craving courtiers. But the fall of his patron put a ftop to his unworthy measures; and he was defer vedly imprisoned, even in Edward VI's reign, by the Precentor and other Canons, for his dijbonefty, &c. where he continued the remaining part of that reign and on Queen Mary's acceflion, being adjudged an beretick, he was filenced and degraded; and, having no friends to intercede for him, was, &c. -as may be feen at large in Fox's Book of Martyrs, where are given no less than fifty-fix articles exhibited against him, with his anfwers, though injufficient 1Intolerable would this account be at any time; but execrable, juft after the Hanoverian succession; just after the defeat of Jacobitical rebellion; when Proteftant principles were in their meridian glory, and Papal Antichrift had juft received a critical blow. This was a period when we would fuppofe that not even Papiftical fpleen could have dared in invidious and moft cenforious terms to accufe a Proteftant Prelate, who died in fupport of the Reformation, in the first place of being a married man, and a promoter of that Reformation, who readily refigned his priory (like a hundred others) to fovereign power. Next he is alledged to have been a moft fervile tool of courtiers; though, on the contrary, it is known that he was incapable of adulation; fee Godwin, Burnet, &c.; and that he was a miferable dilapidator, though he even got the temporalities restored to that fee. "But his patron's fall put a flop to his unworthy measures." Where is the proof of thofe unworthy measures and difhonefty, on account of which Willis prefumes to decide that this good Prelate was defervedly imprifoned; nay more, he was adjudgedan heretick." -Ahah! thou bigot! that even by thy cruel filence doft malacre over again a glorious martyr, plainly fubfcribing to this heretical guilt, even in a Proteftant reign! which indeed is a noble proof of its toleration, in oppofition to Papistical perfecution. Whether the good Bishop aufwers to the articles exhibited againit him, I too refer to Fox's Martyrs every candid reader. No Proteftant will conceive that Bishop Ferrar would have yielded to declare his lawful wife a harlot,-his lawful iffue, baftards,-or the Pope's power to indulge criminals in their crimes. But all hope of restoring this Antichristian traffick in Britain was finally deftroyed at the decifive battle of Culloden: Proteftant principles are tri

to him; fome, as if he had incurred a præmunire for acting in his courts in his own name, not in the King's; fome, for neglecting his charge; and fome for little indecencies, as going Arangely babited, travelling on foot, whistling impertinently with many other things, which, if true, fhewed in him much weakness and folly. The beavieft articles he denied: vet he was kept in prifon; and commiffioners, fent into Wales, took many depofitions against him. In prifon till Queen Mary's time, he was then kept in on account of his belief. But his fuffering afterwards for his conScience (when Morgan, his chief accufer before, being then his Judge, condemned him for heresy, and made room for him felf to be a Bishop, by burning him) did much turn people's cenfures from bim upon his fucceffor." But Burnet afferts that he was rafb and indifcreet, without any fpecimen; and mentions lit tle indecencies, which, if true, were inftances of folly,—but never examines if they were true or not. The most hei Rous of these indecencies, that incurred burning alive, were whifling (Burnet adds, impertinently), walking on foot, and in a frange babit. It feems the Bifhop was once obferved to cherup to his infant fon, a capital crime with thofe who infift on clerical celibacy; and, on the fudden appearance of a feal in Mil ford Haven, the prelate, in furprize, was enormously guilty of cryin-Whew! He alfo was unfortunately fond of walking; and there being then nothing like turnpike-roads in Wales, walking was often abfolutely neceffary in the crofs roads to various parishes; and that without pomp or pontificals. It is fufficient that the great charges against him, fuch as the neglect of duty and the matter of the pramunire, were denied, and (maugre Willis) unproved, as may be feen at full in Fox. What then can we think of the following infamous affaffinating relation in Browne Willis, who (of himfelf) has faid little in his book but this invective, and Laud's encomium ! Robert Ferrar, a married man, born at Halifax in Yorkshire, and at the time of the diffolution of the priory of Noftell (which he, being a promoter of the Reformation, readily yielded up into the King's hands, and obtained a falary of 100l. per annum) fucceeded, by the intereft of the Duke of Somerfet, to this fee [of St. David's], and had the temporalities restored, July 1, 1548; where he became a most miferable dilapidator,

umphant;

umphant; and the fcurrility of Papifts only creates derifion, as it merits contempt *.

Ferrar's furviving child, a daughter, became the wife of Lewis Williams, rector of Narberth in Pembrokeshire. Their only fon, Robert Williams, of Saint Florence in that county, married Elizabeth Whitchurch, niece of Robert Rudd, archdeacon of St. David's; whole father, Anthony Rudd, D. D. was of York fhire, and fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge; and in 1593 was Bithop of St. David's. He was buried at Langathan in Carmarthenshire; where the family-eftate, on the deceafe of his defcendant Sir Rice Rudd without iffue, was fold; but the title went to his coufingerman Anthony Rudd, whofe fon John was father of the beautiful Lady Anne Hamilton.

W. WILLIAMS.

A concife Account of the Parish of WIDWORTHY, in the County of Devon; intended as an Answer to the Queries propofed by the Rev. R. POLWHELE, for bis Hiftory of Devonthire. By WILLIAM JOHN TUCKER, A.M. Rector of Widworthy, 1791.

WY

YDWORTHIE (the ancient fpelling) is undoubtedly a Saxon name: indeed, the appellations of moft of the parishes in the county of Devon are of Saxon origin, and they are not unfrequently denominated from their approximation to fome river with which this hilly country abounds, or are expreffive of their fituation or fhape; as this of Widworthy,—that is, Latus Fun dus, the Wide Farm.

This parish is fituated in the hundred of Colyton, in the South-eaft part of the county; and in one part adjoins to Dallwood, in the county of Dorfet.Widworthy is rather a fmall parish, about eight miles in circumference, nearly refembling in form a trapezium, bounded on the Weft and North by Offwill, on the Ealt by Shute, and on the

Bishop Watfon alledges that Wood and Willis treat the Martyr too feverely. As to his inflexibility, he was inclined to yield, in effer matters, to the Papifts; thus Bradford prevented his confenting to the Eucharist in one kind, to prevent diforders. As to his

honesty, I have a schedule of his own handwriting, owning all the fums, and to whom he was indebted. His feal and noted walkingStaff are alfo with me; who inherit his fmall eftate in Abergwilly parish, even now only forty pounds a year: though it greatly excited the spleen of his adverfaries, W. W.

South by Colyton and a fmall part of Northleigh. The foil varies, being in part meadow and pasture, part arable; and in the centre, on a hill, private property, though not inclofed, there is a very deep and extenfive Aratum of limeftone, in the North-weft part of the parich, which employs many of the inhabitants in burning that useful article for building and manure. There is likewife fome excellent free-ftone from the Northern and Southern extremity of the lime-flone rock. About a mile distant from each other, iffue two remarkably tranfparent, warm fprings, which, when diverted over fome meadows immediately beneath them, leave a confiderable flime on the furface, and render them luxuriantly fertile. The one falls into the river Coly, the other into a rivulet on the Weft fide of the parish. The parish is inclofed with very good turf-hedges, on which the underwood grows faft; and the ufual forts of timber-trees are flourifhing, and abound in the hedge-rows and coppices. The roads made and repaired with flints are found, but rather rough. There is only one village, Wilmington, where a fair or revel is held the Monday after St. Matthew's day. It is fituated on the great Western road, which divides the parifh from Offwill on the North. The houfes are all thatched, except the manor-house, and are neat and compact; and have all, even the cottages, gardens and a little orchard annexed to them. The inhabitants are all tenants at rack-rent. Their farms are in as good a state of cultivation as most Devonshire farms, and are from fifteen to a hundred pounds per annum. The number of houfes, of every defcription, is about thirty-five. Reckoning fix fouls to a house, you will nearly have the number of parishioners; among whom are not more than three freeholders.The men are moftly employed in hufbandry; the women fpin wool. Bene. dictus Marwood, Eq. of Hornfhays, in Colyton, firft purchafed the manor of the Chichefter family, and, dying unmarried, left it to his brother Thomas, whofe grandfon new inherits it. Befides the manor and barton of Widworthy, there are two capital eftates in this pa ri, Cookays and Sutton, with large, decent houfes on each, built by the Marwoods about eighty years fince, and twenty years before they purchased the manor of the Chicheflers. See Rifdon, part II. p. 64. "Widworthy hath had divers Knights fo named dwellers there,

and