§. 27. Yet the old Man's Fury did not end fo, but ftrove to incenfe the Court againft him, efpecially King Henry VIII. himself; because the Doctor had faid in a Sermon, That an unjuft Peace was to be prefer'd before a moft just War which Sermon was preach'd in that nick of time, when the King was raifing Forces against the French. Two Minim Friars were the chief Men that manag'd this Bufinefs; whereof one was an Incendiary of the War (for which he deferv'd a Bishoprick) the other, with a pair of huge Lungs, declaim'd in his Sermons against Poets, thereby aiming at Colet, who tho he had Skill in Mufick, yet was in truth averse from Poetry.

S. 28. Here the King (who was an excellent Perfon in his Youth) gave an evident proof of his royal Parts, exhorting Colet privately to go on in his Preaching, freely to tax the corrupt Manners of that Age, and not to withdraw his Light in those most dark times; adding, That he knew very well what incens'd the Bihops fo highly against him, and how much good Colet had done by his Divine Life and Holy Doctrine to the English Church and Nation. Laftly, that he wou'd fo curb their Endeavours, that it shou'd appear to the World whoever troubled Colet hou'd not escape unpunish'd. Hereupon Colet humbly thank'd the King for his Royal Favour, but befeech'd him not to do so, profeffing that he had rather lay down his Preferment, than that any fhou'd fuffer for his fake.

§. 29. But foon after another occafion was offer'd, by which they hop'd to ruin him: For it happen'd that the King made preparation to march after Eafter againft the French; and upon Good-Friday Colet made a Sermon to the King and Courtiers, which was much admir'd, concerning the Victory of Chrift; wherein he exhorted all Chriftians to fight under the Banner of their heavenly King, and overcome, faying, That they who either thro Hatred, or Ambition, or Covetousness, do fight with evil Men, and fo kill one another, fight not under the Banner of Chrift, but the Devil; fhewing withal, how hard a thing it is to die like a Chriftian, how few go forth to Battel free from Hatred and Covetoufnefs, and how difficult for fuch to be in Charity (without which no Man shall fee God) who fheathe their Swords in their Brethrens Bowels. Adding, that they fhou'd rather imitate their King Chrift, than Pagan Cafars and Alexanders. And he had fo many other fmart Paffages to this purpose, that his Majefty was fomewhat afraid left this Sermon would,difhearten his Soldiers that were lifted.

§. 30. Hereupon all the Birds of Prey flock'd about Colet like an Owl, hoping the King wou'd be incens'd against him. His Majefty commands Colet to come before him at Greenwich.

He

He goes into the Garden of the Monaftry of the Francifcans which was near, prefently difmiffeth his Attendants. When they two were alone, the King bid Colet cover his Head, and fpeak his Mind freely and then his Highnefs began thus, Dean, be not surpriz'd with needlefs Fear, I did not fend for you hither to diflurb your most holy Labours (which I refolve to cherish as much as I can) but to unload my Confcience of fome Scruples, and to defire your Advice concerning my Duty. The Conference lafted almoft an hour and an half, and I must not relate it all. In the mean while Bricot (the Francifcan Bishop) was in the Court ftark wild, hoping that Colet had been in great danger; whereas the King and he agreed in every particular very well. Only his Majefty with'd that what Colet fpoke truly, he would fpeak (fometime or other) more plainly, left the rude Soldiers fhou'd misunderstand it, as if he had faid, That no War is lawful among Chriftians. And thus Colet (hy his fingular Prudence and Moderation) not only fatisfy'd the King, but got farther into his Favour.

§. 31. When they return'd from the Garden to the Court, the King being about to difmifs Colet, call'd for a Cup, and drank to him, embrac'd him moft kindly; and promifing him all the Favours that could be expected from a moft loving Prince, difmifs'd him. And now the Courtiers, ftanding round the King, expected to know the Iffue of this long Conference; and the King, in the hearing of them all, faid, Well, let other Men chufe what Doctors they please, and make much of them, this Man fhall be my Doctor. Whereupon Bricot, with the reft of the gaping Wolves, departed, and from that day forward never dar'd trouble Colet any more; a Person that in an high Fortune and Plenty was led and govern'd not by his Nature, but by Chrift: In a word, whom I fhall not doubt to reckon in the Catalogue of my Saints, tho he be never canoniz'd by any Pope.

Phenir

Phenix XVIII.

Some Account of the Lady Jane
Gray, Daughter to the Duke of
Suffolk, particularly before ber
Death. Together with four Pa-
pers written with her own Hand,

viz.

I. An Admonition to fuch as are weak in Faith, in
a Letter to a noble Friend who had apoftatiz'd.

II. A Conference between her and Mr. Feckenham
in the Tower, a little before her Death.
III. An Exhortation to her Sifter. And,
IV. Her Words at her Death.

OME worthy Parcels or excellent Effays of the never-enough to be imitated Vertues, of that most admirable, wife, learned and religious Lady, the Lady Jane Gray, Daughter to the Duke of Suffolk, and unfortunate Wife of the Lord Guilford Dudley, Son to the Duke of NorthumberLand, coming in an old antient printed Copy unto my Hands, as it were half forgotten in the World; or like a curious Monument, whose well-carv'd Figures and rare Architecture the Duft and Cobwebs had injuriously defac'd: I cou'd not, out

of

of Charity and Chriftian Love to a Mirror of fuch Excellence, but with my beft Art and Induftry polifh and cleanse a Perfection fo noble, holy, and worthy all good Mens Imitations; and as it were to awaken the fleepy World from her fantastick Lethargy, to behold in that, which we call the weaker Sex, a ftrength matchless and invincible: A Sheba that had so oft heard the Wisdom of Solomon, that ten thousand of our Solomons may come now to be inftructed at this Sheba. Briefly, a Lady in all Goodness fo perfect, that whofoever could gain but fome part of her fhadow, might have enough in these latter days to boaft, and rank themselves with the beft that are call'd vertuous: fo flatteringly are Attributes caft upon the Living, and fo maliciously flander upon the Dead.

To return then to my Difcourfe, you may by that which hath been formerly spoke of her Birth and Marriage, judg the Greatness of her Blood and Place, both which were far overfhin'd by her Vertues, as fhall be declar'd hereafter: She was born in England, and there brought up in Learning and Religion with that profperous and devout Painfulness, that as Seed caft upon the best and moft fruitful Ground, fhe brought forth her Increase in fuch abundance of Infinites, that the leaft of her Excellencys were impoffible to be circumfcrib'd. For proof whereof, that every judgment may ftand ftedfaft in the Opinion of her Perfection, I will here deliver unto you an Epiftle of her own penning, fent to a noble Friend of hers in the Court of England, being, in those days of Perfecution, fallen from the Truth of God's holy Word for fear of the World; in which you fhall find fo much Learning, Charity and Divine Readings, that by this one Talent only this Princely Eagle may be truly difcover'd how potent and unmatchable the great fubftance of fo rich a Vertue is.

An Epistle of the Lady Jane Gray's to a Noble Friend of her's, newly fallen from the Truth.

oft as I call to mind (dear Friend and chofen Brother) the dreadful and fearful Sayings of God, That he which Layeth hold upon the Plow, and looketh back again, is not meet for the Kingdom of Heaven; and on the other fide to remember the comfortable words of our Saviour Chrift, to all those that forfaking themselves do follow him: I cannot but marvel at thee, and lament thy Cafe, that thou which sometimes wert the lively Member of Chrift, but now the deform'd Imp of the Devil; fometimes the beautiful Temple of God, but now

the

the ftinking and filthy Kennel of Satan; fometimes the unfpotted Spouse of thy Saviour, but now the unfhamefac'd Paramour of Antichrift; fometimes my faithful Brother, but now a Stranger and Apoftate; yea fometimes a ftout Chriftian Soldier, but now a cowardly Runaway. So oft as I confider the Threatnings and Promises of the Divine Juftice to all those which faithfully love him, I cannot but fpeak to thee, yea rather cry out and exclaim against thee, thou Seed of Satan, and not of Juda, whom the Devil hath deceiv'd, the World hath beguil'd, and defire of Life hath fubverted, and made of a Chriftian an Infidel.

Wherefore haft thou taken upon thee the Teftament of the Lord in thy Mouth? Wherefore haft thou hitherto yielded thy Body to the Fire, and to the bloody hands of cruel Ty rants? Wherefore haft thou inftructed others to be ftrong in Chrift, when thou thy felf doft now fo horribly abuse the Teftament and Law of the Lord, when thou thy felf preachedft (as it were not to fteal) yet moft abominably ftealeft, not from Men, but from God; and as a moft heinous facrilegious Robber, robbeft Chrift thy Redeemer of his right in his Members, thy Body and thy Soul; when thou thy felf doft father chufe to live miferably (with fhame) in this World, than to die gloriously and reign in Honour with Chrift to the end of all Eternity, in whom even in Death there is Life beyond wifn, beyond all expreffion. And when I fay thou thy felf art moft weak, thou oughteft to fhow thy felf moft ftrong, for the ftrength of a Fort is not known before the Affault but thou yieldeft (like a faint Captain) thy Hold before any Battery be brought against thee.

Oh wretched and unhappy man! what art thou but Duft and Afhes? and wilt thou refift thy Maker that form'd and fashion'd thee? Wilt thou now forfake him that call'd thee from Cuftom-gathering among the Romish Antichriftians, to be an Ambaffador and Meffenger of his eternal Word? He that firft fram'd thee, and fince thy Creation and Birth preTerv'd thee, nourish'd thee, and kept thee, yea and inspir'd thee with the Spirit of Knowledg (I cannot, I wou'd I cou'd, fay of Grace) fhall he not poffefs thee? dareft thou deliver up thy felf to another, being not thine own' but his? How canft thou, having Knowledg, or how dareft thou neglect the Law of the Lord, and follow the vain Traditions of Men? and whereas thou haft been a publick Profeffor of his Name, become now a Defacer of his Glory?

I will not refuse the true God, and worship the Invention of Man, the golden Calf, the Whore of Babylon, the Romish Religion, the abominable Idol, the moft wicked Mafs: Wilt

thou