antiquo psegmate transcripta." 5. Opistographia ad Oxonienses." The three last are printed with his "Commentarii rerum in Ecclesia gestarum," at Strasburg, 1554, in 8vo, mentioned above. 6. "Concerning Man's Election to Salvation, 1581," 8vo. 7. "Certain Notes of Election, added to Beza's Treatise of Predestination, 1581," 8vo. 8. "The Four Evangelists in the old Saxon Tongue, with the English thereunto adjoined, 1571," 4to, and many other pieces, which were levelled against the Papists.

None of these, however, are likely to add much to his fame, which is now exclusively founded on his " Acts and Monuments," more familiarly known as "Fox's Book of Martyrs." Of this vast undertaking, some brief account cannot be uninteresting. We have before noticed that he conceived the plan, and executed some part of it when he was at Basil, but reserved the greatest part of it until his return home, when he might avail himself of living authorities. It appears by his notes that the completion of it occupied him for eleven years, during which his labour must have been incessant. His assistants, however, were numerous. Among those who pointed out sources of information, or contributed materials, was Grindal, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, who, when an exile for his religion, established a correspondence in England for this purpose, and received accounts of most of the acts and sufferings of the martyrs in queen Mary's reign. It is said also to have been owing to Grindal's strict regard to truth, that the publication of the work was so long delayed, as he rejected all common reports that were brought over, unless confirmed by the most satisfactory evidence. It was this scrupulous fidelity which induced him to advise Fox at first only to print separately, such memoirs of certain individuals as could be authenticated, which accordingly was done, although these separate publications are now seldom to be met with. At length after a residence of some years in England, employed in collecting written and oral information, the first edition was published at. London in 1563, in one thick vol. folio, with the title "Acts and Monuments of these latter and perillous days touching matters of the Churche, wherein are comprehended and described the great persecutions and horrible troubles, that have been wrought and practised by the Romish prelates, speciallye in this realme of England and

Scotland, from the year of our Lorde a thousand unto the time now present, &c. Gathered and collected according to the true copies and wrytinges certificatorie, as well of the parties themselves that suffered, as out of the bishops registers, which were the doers thereof." Mr. Fox presented a copy of this edition to Magdalen-college, Oxford, and at the same time wrote a Latin letter to Dr. Lawrence Humphreys, printed by Hearne in his Appendix, No. V. to his preface to "Adami de Domersham Hist. de rebus gestis Glastonensibus," Oxon. 1727. This volume, which relates principally to the bistory of martyrdom in England, was afterwards enlarged, first to two, and at length to three. volumes, folio, embracing a history of the Christian church from the earliest times, and in every part of the world. The ninth edition appeared in 1684, with copper-plates, those in the former editions being in wood, which last, however, are preferred by collectors, some of them containing real portraits. The publishers of the last edition had almost obtained a promise from Charles II. to revive the order made in queen Elizabeth's time for placing the work in the common halls of archbishops, bishops, deans, colleges, churches. But, if we look at the date, 1684, and recollect the hopes then entertained, of re-establishing popery, we shall not be much surprized that this order was not renewed, nor perhaps, from the improved state of the press, and of education, was it necessary. Since that time, however, there has been no republication of the complete work, although the English part continues to this day a standard book among the publishers of works in the periodical way, who have also furnished their readers with innumerable abridgments in every form. Yet as the original has long been rising in price, we may hope that the liberal spirit of enterprize which has lately produced new editions of the English Chronicles, will soon add to that useful collection a reprint of Fox, with notes, corrections, and a collation of the state papers and records.

The effect of Fox's work, in promoting, or rather confirming the principles of the reformation, to which we owe all that distinguishes us as a nation, is acknowledged with universal conviction. It is proved even by the antipathy of his enemies, who would not have taken such pains to expose his errors, and inveigh against the work at large, if they had not felt that it created in the public mind an abhorrence of the persecuting spirit of popery, which has

suffered little diminution, even to the present day. All the endeavours of the popish writers, however, from Harpsfield to Milner, "have not proved, and it never will be proved, that John Fox is not one of the most faithful and authentic of all historians." And in the words of the writer from whom we borrow this assertion, we add, al though with some reluctance from respect to the gentleman's name," We know too much of the strength of Fox's book, and of the weakness of those of his adversaries, to be farther moved by Dr. John Milner's censures, than to charge them with falsehood. All the many researches and discoveries of later times, in regard to historical documents, have only contributed to place the general fidelity and truth of Fox's' melancholy narrative on a rock which cannot be shaken.'

FOX (RICHARD), an eminent prelate, and the munificent founder of Corpus Christi college, Oxford, was the son of Thomas Fox, and born at Ropesley, near Grantham, in Lincolnshire, about the latter end of the reign of Henry VI. His parents are said to have been in mean circumstances, but they must at least have been able to afford him school education, since the only dispute on this subject between his biographers, is, whether he was educated in grammar learning at Boston, or at Winchester. They all agree that at a proper age. he was sent to Magdalen-college, Oxford, where he was acquiring distinction for his extraordinary proficiency, when the plague, which happened to break out about that time, obliged him to go to Cambridge, and continue his studies at Pembroke hall. After remaining some time at Cambridge, he repaired to the university at Paris, and studied divinity and

*According to Wood, who availed himself of some MS accounts of Fox preserved in this college, written by President Greenway, "the Founder was born in an ancient house known to some by the name of Pullock's Manor." "This house," he adds, "was well known for many years to the fellows of Corpus, who reverently visited it when they went to keep courts at their manors." To what was before recorded

of Fox, Mr. William Fulman, a scholar of Corpus, and an able antiquary, made many additions, with a view to publication, which he did not live to complete. His MSS. are partly in the library of this college, and partly in the Ashmolean Museum. Mr. Gough drew up a very accurate sketch of Fox's Life, for the Vetusta Mouu

menta.

A Life prefixed to bis Acts and Monuments, written by his Son.-Strype's Annals, and Lives of the Archbishops, passiin.-Fuller's Worthies.-Ath Ox. vol. I.---Fox's MS Collections, among the Harleian MSS. in Brit. Mas.-Biog. Brit-Fuller's Abel Redivivus,-Churton's Life of Nowell.-Wordsworth's Ecc Biography, preface, &c.

the canon law, and here, probably, he received his doc tor's degree. This visit gave a new and important turn to his life, and introduced him to that eminence which he preserved for many years as a statesman. In Paris he be came acquainted with Dr. Morton, bishop of Ely, whom Richard III. had compelled to quit his native country, and by this prelate he was recommended to the earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII. who was then providing for a descent upon England. Richmond, to whom he deyoted himself, conceived such an opinion of his talents and fidelity, that he entrusted to his care a negotiation with France for supplies of men and money, the issue of which he was not able himself to await; and Fox succeeded to the utmost of his wishes. After the defeat of the usurper at the battle of Bosworth, in 1485, and the establishment of Henry on the throne, the latter immediately appointed Fox to be one of his privy-council, and about the same time bestowed on him the prebends of Bishopston and South Grantham, in the church of Salisbury. In 1487, he was promoted to the see of Exeter, and appointed keeper of the privy seal, with a pension of twenty shillings a day. He was also made principal se cretary of state, and master of St. Cross, near Winchester.:

His employments in affairs of state both at home and abroad, were very frequent, as he shared the king's confidence with his early friend Dr. Morton, who was now: advanced to the archbishopric of Canterbury. In 1487, Fox was sent ambassador, with sir Richard Edgecombe, comptroller of the household, to James III. of Scotland, where he negociated a prolongation of the truce between England and Scotland, which was to expire July 3, 1488, to Sept. 1, 1489. About the beginning of 1491, he was employed in an embassy to the king of France, and returned to England in November following. In 1494 he went again as ambassador to James IV. of Scotland, to conclude some differences respecting the fishery of the river Esk, in which he was not successful. Having been translated in 1492 from the see of Exeter to that of Bath and Wells, he was in 1494 removed to that of Durham. In 1497, the castle of Norham being threatened by the king of Scotland, the bishop caused it to be fortified and supplied with troops, and bravely defended it in person, until it was relieved by Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey,

who compelled the Scots to retire. Fox was then, a third time, appointed to negociate with Scotland, and signed a seven years truce between the two kingdoms, Sept. 30, 1497. He soon after negociated a marriage between James IV. and Margaret, king Henry's eldest daughter, which was, after many delays, fully concluded Jan. 24, 1501-2*.

In 1500, the university of Cambridge elected him their chancellor, which he retained till 1502; and in the same year (1500) he was promoted to the see of Winchester. In 1507 he was chosen master of Pembroke-hall, Cambridge, which he retained until 1519. In 1507 and 1508 he was employed at Calais, with other commissioners, in negociating a treaty of marriage between Mary, the king's third daughter, and Charles, archduke of Austria, afterwards the celebrated Charles V. In 1509-10, he was sent to France with the earl of Surrey, and Ruthal, bishop of Durham, and concluded a new treaty of alliance with Lewis XII. In 1512 he was one of the witnesses to the foundation charter of the hospital in the Savoy. In 1513 he attended the king (Henry VIII.) in his expedition to France, and was present at the taking of Teroüane, and in October following, jointly with Thomas Grey, marquis of Dorset, he concluded a treaty with the emperor Maximilian against France. In 1514, he was one of the witnesses to the renunciation of the marriage with prince Charles of Spain by the princess Mary; one of the commissioners for the treaty of peace between Henry VIII. and Lewis XII. of France; and for the marriage between the said king of France and the princess Mary, the same He was also one of the witnesses to the marriage year. treaty, and to the confirmation of both treaties; to the treaty of friendship with Francis I. and to its confirmation in the following year.

This appears to be the last of his public acts. During the reign of Henry VII. he enjoyed the unlimited favour and confidence of his sovereign, and bore a conspicuous share, not only in the political measures, but even in the court amusements and ceremonies of that reign. Henry likewise appointed him one of his executors, and recom