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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
for nonconformity. Sampson is understood to have possessed a very considerable portion of the learning that was then cultivated, and next to Cartwright, the most active and determined of his party. He is said to have been born at Play- ford, in Suffolk, in 1517, and was educated at Oxford, though Strype says he was a fellow of Pembroke hall, Cambridge. He imbibed the principles of the reformation at an early period. In 1651, he was preferred to the rectoiy of All- hallows, Bread-street, London ; and ailerwards to the deanery of Chichester. During the reign of Mary he went to Strasburg, where he became intimate with the famous Tremillius. He next removed to Geneva, and there engaged in the translation of the Genevan Bible. He returned to England on the acces.sion of Elizabeth, and was offered the bishopric of Norwich, which he refused. In September, 1560, he was made a prependary of Durham. In 1561, he was in- stalled dean of Christ church, Oxford. In 1562, he resigned his prebendary of Durham ; and, in 1564, was deprived of the deanery, for refusing to wear the clerical habits. In 1568, he was pre- sented to the mastership of Wigston Hospital, in Leicester,* where he died April 9, 1589. A monument was erected to his memory, in the chapel of the hospital, by his two sons, John and Nathaniel.
David Whitehead was a profound scholar, and was also deemed an excellent professor of theo- logy, had been chaplain to Anne Boleyn, and was intended by Cranmer for a bishopric in Ireland. Elizabeth even offered him the arch- bishopric of Canterbury, which he not only de- «linea, but refused to accept of any preferment in the church as it then stood. He seems to have been a quiet and moderate man, who de- clined to enter into the angry contests of the times, but endeavoured to do as much good as he was able by private preaching.
Many other names belonging to the puritanic party might be enumerated, and in justice to them it must be admitted that several of their leading men were eminently possessed of the learning of the times ; though m point of num- l>ers, or extent of literature, they cannot be com- pared with their antagonists ; nor had they any pretensions to the merit of elegant composition. To the refinements of taste, and to the love of the fine arts, they appear to have been perfect strangers. The books that were printed upon the occasion, are now consigned to oblivion ; for though a vast number of publications were issued on both sides, the disputants displayed a gpreater portion of zeal and bigotry than of candour and judgment.
John Fox, the martyrologist, was born at Boston, in Lincolnshire, in 1517, and educated atBrazennose college, Oxford, where he acquired a character for extensive learning and meek- ness of deportment. He was chamber-fellow with Alexander Nowell, afterwards dean of St.
• A Warning to take heed of Fowler't Ptalter, (tent latelf from Louvain) given bg lame Thoman Sampson. Dated at Leicester 10th Oct. IS77. Printed in IS78, llmo.
Paul's, a friendship which was no doubt advan' tageous to both parties. In 1537, he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and shortly after en- tered into holy orders, and wa£ chosen a fellow of Magdalen. In 1545 he was expelled on a charge of heresy, and shortly afterwards found an asvlum in the house of sir Thomas Lucv, at Charlecote, near Stratford-upon-Avon, in War- wickshire, as a tutor to his children ; and while there, married the daughter of a citizen of Coventry, and went to live with her family. He afterwards was engaged by the duchess of Richmond, as tutor to the earl of Surry's chil- dren, in whose family he resided, at Kiegate, during the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII. the whole of Edward Vlth's, and a part of that of Mary, when his life being in danger on account of his principles, he witliorew with his wife to the continent ; first to Antwerp, Uien to Franc- fort,and from thence to Basil,where he became a corrector of the press to John Oporinus, the celebrated printer. At Basil he conceived the plan of his Acts and M<mumenU,yi)iKh took him eleven years to complete. Fox is not, indeed, always a safe guide in the ecclesiastical antiqui- ties of the primitive church, but we have the testimony of Burnet, Strype, and others, to his fidelity with regard to our domesUc transactions. On the accession of Elizabeth he returned to England, and, through the interest of secretary Cecil, he was presented with a stall in Durham cathedral, which he did not long retain ; but by the kindness of the duke of Norfolk, he obtained a prebendal stall in the cathedral of Salisbury. He refused to subscribe to the canons, and though a nonconformist, was a modertae one. In 1563 he published his Acts and Monuments of the Church, better known by the name of Fox's Book of Martyrs.* John Fox died in London, April, 1587, and was buried in the church of St. Giles, Cripplegate,t where a white marble tablet, with a Latin inscription to his memory, erected by his son, may still be seen. The following is an extract from the original register of burials, preserved in the vestry, Aprill, 1587. John ffox
househoulder preacher the 20th.
1575. The first part of Churchyard's Chippet, contayning twelve several labours, divided and published only by Thomas Churchyard, gent.
- The foUowtnf? iji the original title : — Acte and montt'
ments of these latter and periltoua dayes, touching matter» of the church, wherin or comprehended and described tAe great persecutions, and horrible troubles, that have been wrought and practised by the Romish prelates, specialise, in this reaime of England and Scotland, from the yeare of our Lorde a thousande unto the tyme nowe present. Gathered and collected accordyng to the true copies and unytins eer- tiflcaiorie, as well of the parties themselves that s^jfered, at also out of the bishops registers, which wer the doers there~ of, by John Fo:r. Dedicated to the queen. 741 leaves, besides preface and index. March 30. Cum priviteg. reg. majest. Folio. l£6a.
Many theological tracts were written by John Fox, bat what above all others is entitled to our notice, is a liatia letter which be addressed to the queen, in behalf of two anabaptistSi who were condemned to be burnt ; but it is to regretted, that his efforts in their favour were in vain.
t This church escaped the great Are of London, and contains the monuments of John Milton and John Speed, who were buried there. Oliver Cromwell was married in this church.
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