London. He was the first, it is said, who preached the Gospel at Reigate, and was instrumental in removing the Popish idolatries of the place. There it was that he added to his engagements as tutor, and to his labours as a Minister of the word of life, the severer studies of an author. He had essayed his powers in the composition of a small work in Latin; and in the year 1548 it issued from the press, the first of his productions printed. Some other small books followed; but his chief attention was turned towards the collection of materials for that imperishable work, the "Acts and Monuments of these Latter and Perilous Days, touching Matters of the Church, wherein are Comprehended and Described the Great Persecutions and Horrible Troubles that have been Wrought and Practised by the Romish Prelates, specially in this Realm of England and Scotland, from the Year of our Lord a Thousand, unto the Time now present. Gathered and Collected according to the True Copies and Writings Certificatory, as well of the Parties Themselves that Suffered, as also out of the Bishops' Registers, which were the Doers thereof, by John Foxe." This, however, is the title of the later English work, which grew into a large volume by the constant accession of new materials. The "Commentaries," written in Latin,* and first printed at Strasburg, were probably begun, and considerably advanced, at Reigate; but the imprinting of such a book in England was then impossible.

When his noble pupil had outgrown his tutorage, he continued to be a visiter, if not a resident, in the ducal mansions. One day Bishop Gardiner called on the young Duke, as he was in the habit of doing, asked after the health of his old tutor, and said he should like to see him. Norfolk instantly surmised the Bishop's object, and, whatever answer he might have made, he did not introduce his tutor. While

* The title of this more than typographical curiosity is, "Commentarii Rerum in Ecclesia Gestarum, maximarumque per totam Europam persecutionum, a Vuiclevi temporibus ad hanc usque ætatem descriptio. Liber Primus. Authore Joanne Foxo Anglo. His in calce accesserunt Aphorismi Joannis Vuiclevi, cum collectaneis quibusdam, Reginaldi Pecocki Episcopi Cicestrensis. Item, оniσтоурapia quædam ad Oxonienses. Argentorati ex cudebat Vuendelinus Ribelius, Anno M.D.LIIII.

they were yet talking, Foxe, not knowing that Gardiner was there, came into the room, and, seeing him, suddenly withdrew. "Who is that?" asked the Prelate. "My physician," answered the Duke. "I like his appearance," said Gardiner; and, when necessity requires, I will employ him."

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By this time, under Queen Mary, the laws were strangely altered; and although the Duke of Norfolk had dissuaded Foxe from leaving England, Gardiner's back was no sooner turned, than he advised him to lose no time in making his escape. To make the flight as easy and safe as possible, he sent one of his own servants to Ipswich to hire a vessel, and make arrangements for the voyage. Avoiding towns, he sent him with an escort to one of his tenants, on a farm near Ipswich, to be sheltered and concealed until the moment of embarkation. Accompanied by his wife, then great with child, Foxe bade farewell to his pupil and deliverer, and fled for life. Scarcely had they weighed anchor, when suddenly a rough wind, rising from the contrary shore, troubled the sea with so great violence, that the stoutest mariners began to tremble. Then followed a dark night, with continued showers; and a great multitude of clouds gathered together into a thick storm of rain and hail, which both hindered the seamen's work, and took away all possibility by the compass any longer to direct their course. That night, with much ado, they lay at anchor; and as soon as the day appeared, when the tempest seemed not likely to cease, they began to cast about, and to make back again to shore; so that, the tide a little favouring them, at length, with much difficulty, they arrived in the same evening at the same haven again whence they had loosed the day before. In the meanwhile that Mr. Foxe had been at sea, a messenger from the Bishop of Winchester had broke open the farmer's house, with a warrant to apprehend him wheresoever he might be found, and bring him back prisoner to the city; but understanding he was gone already, after he had pursued him even to the port, and there found that the ship he had embarked in was yet scarcely out of sight, he returned back without his errand. Mr. Foxe, as soon as he came ashore, hearing what had passed, although the news somewhat amazed him, yet recol

lecting himself, presently took horse, and made as if he would have left the town; but the same night returning, he bargained with the master of the ship to set sail again with the first convenience of the winds, telling him that so his business required; nor did he much care what shore he landed at, only desiring him to go forward, and not doubt but God would prosper so pious a work. Whether for reward or piety's sake, the pilot took upon him the venturous task, and performed it accordingly; for, loosing thence in the night's silence, as soon as the tide turned, though the sea was rough, and the weather blustering, within two days' space he landed Mr. Foxe and his company in safety at Nieuport haven, on the other side the sea."

From Nieuport Mr. and Mrs. Foxe went to Antwerp, and thence to Strasburg, where his "Commentaries" were printed. From Strasburg he removed to Frankfort, where he took an active part in the unfortunate quarrel about robes and prayers, which scandalised the Protestant world. Foxe was on the Genevan side, and to the end of his life continued to refuse clerical apparel. The garb represented in his portrait tells as much.

After that turbulent sojourn at Frankfort, we find Foxe at Basil, with his family, employed as corrector of the press, to Oporinus the printer, and associated with many learned men, refugees from England, and with many others whom literary labours occupied in Basil. "To these men Mr. Fox joined himself, so much the better liked of, because having been always inured to hardness, and in his youth put to the trial of his patience, he had learned how to endure labour; and that which seemed the greatest want to others, to suffer want, to sit up late, and keep hard diet, were to him the sports of fortune." And labour, otherwise hard enough, was made much harder by preparation for an English edition of his English "Acts and Monuments." "There were no annual registers, magazines, journals, nor newspapers in that day, for recording the events which daily took place in the courts of law; or of the transactions, whether at home or abroad, which most interested the public." This lack, however, was supplied by the communication of documents which flowed in

from all quarters to his hands; the suffering Protestants of England transferring to him the honourable and most useful toil of writing a history of the English persecutions. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the throne, and the return of the refugees to their own country, Foxe remained at Basil to complete his work, and received from England considerable accessions to the treasure.

At length, in the latter end of the year 1559, he signified by letter to his friend, the Duke of Norfolk, his willingness to return, and received in answer an offer of assistance for conveyance home. Without such help he could not have crossed the sea; for the printers at Basil "had only requited his valuable services with shelter, bread, and water." With broken health, he was once more in London, in the manorhouse of his Grace, by Christ's Church, Aldgate. To divert him, if possible, from excessive literary toil, for he was preparing for an enlarged edition of his work, the Duke sent him to Norwich, where his friend, (although former antagonist at Frankfort,) Dr. Cox, was now Bishop. There he became eminent as a "Preacher of the Gospel," toiling in the pulpits of Norwich and in other parts of the county to preach down Popery, and establish the grand doctrine of justification by faith alone. His determined opposition to ecclesiastical vestments barred him from the episcopate, to which he was most worthy to be advanced. But that circumstance, with some peculiarity of opinion in regard to the services of the Church of England, which he was too honest to conceal, although a man of holy and pacific spirit, made it impossible to afford him more than minor preferments. Of course, a Bishop should be prepared to exemplify his attachment to all parts of the discipline of his Church; and Foxe, considering this, had no disposition to complain. There can be no doubt of the sincerity and depth of his piety; and not a blemish lies on his reputation, notwithstanding the severe tests to which he was constantly subjected.

As death approached, he had a singular desire to be alone. He had two sons, but would not allow one that was at a distance to be informed of the state of his health; and, three days before his death, he sent the other away on some business.

He died on the 18th of April, 1587, at his residence in the city of London. "Upon the report of his death, the whole city lamented, honouring the small funeral which was made for him with the concourse of a great multitude of people; and in no other fashion of mourning than, as if among so many, each man had buried his father, or his own brother." His body was buried in the chancel of Cripplegate church. There, too, lay Milton; and their monuments yet adorn the walls.

PHILOLOGY.

WRITTEN LANGUAGE.

THE next topic is WRITTEN

LANGUAGE. (Waiving all small criticisms on the phrase, written language, we adopt it because it is familiar to all.) This question has been the torture of many critics; and its ramifications are very nu

merous.

The origin of alphabetic characters is involved in obscurity. If of man's invention, we have here one of the most admirable efforts of human ingenuity. The Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Phoenicians, the Persians, and the Indians, have all claimed the honour; each having professed to name the inventor. By many, on the other hand, letters are considered as of Divine origin; and, considering their stupendous importance, we may rationally allow, at least, a special Divine suggestion.

It has been a current opinion, that the first mode of record was pictorial representation; the second, an abridged style of this laborious art; and the third, the design of an alphabet. Egyptian monuments, and the ruins of Persepolis, &c., (far from being, as Sir Thomas Brown says in his "Urn Burial," merely "the irregularities of vain-glory," and "the wild enormities of ancient magnanimity,") exhibit specimens of the full, and of the abridged, picture-writing. They may be regarded as chronicles that defy the rage of elements. The method of picture-writing has been practised by various American tribes; and the Mexicans have particularly excelled. To this day, China uses innumerable pictorial signs, or