thought too, missing now his Father departed, and seeing fower children of his owne, and of their ofsprings eleven, beganne in his owne conceite to wax olde: and this thought of his was encreased by a certaine sicklie disposition of his breast, even by and by following as a signe or token of age creeping upon him. He therefore, irked and wearie of worldlie busines, giving up his promotions, attained at last by the incomparable benefitt of his most gentle Prince (if it please God to favour his enterprise) that thing, which in a manner from a child he alwaies wished and desired; that he might have some yeares of his life free, in which he little and little withdrawing himself from the busines of this life, might continuallie remember the immortallitie of the life to come. "And he hath caused this Tomb to be made for himself (his first wife's bones brought hither too), that might everie day put him in minde of death, that never ceaseth to creepe on him. And that this Tomb, made for him in his life time, be not in vaine; nor that he feare death coming upon him, but he may willinglie, for the desire of Christ, die and finde death, not utterlie death to him, but the gate of a welthier life, help him (I beseech you, good reader) now with your prayers while he liveth, and when he is dead also." Finis. Laus Deo, beatæque Virgini Mariæ. Albeit increasing of learning of tongues and sciences, wyth quicknes of wit in youth and other, doth marvailously shoot up, as is to be seene, to the sufficient furnishyng of Christes Church: yet so it happeneth, I can not tell how, the further I looke backe into those former tymes of TYNDALL, Frith, and others lyke, more simplicitie with true zeale, and humble modestie I see, wyth lesse corruption of affections in them; and yet with these dayes of ours, I finde no fault, JOHN FOX. WILLIAM TINDALL. WILLIAM TINDALL the faithfull Minister and constant martyr of Christ, was borne about. the borders of Wales, and brought up from a childe in the Universitie of Oxford, where he by long continuance grew up, and increased as well in the knowledge of tongues, and other liberal Arts, as specially in the knowledge of the Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularlie addicted: Insomuch that bee lying then in Magdalene Hall, read privily to certaine students and fellowes of Magdalen Colledge, some parcell of Divinitie; instructing them in the knowledge and truth of the Scriptures. Whose maners also and conversation being correspondent to the same, were such, that all they that knew him, reputed and esteemed him to be a man of the most vertuous disposition, and of life unspotted. Thus he in the Universitie of Oxford increasing more and more in learning, and proceeding in degrees of the schooles, spying his time, remooved from thence to the Universitie of Cambridge, where after he had likewise made his abode a certaine space, being now further ripened in the knowledge of Gods word, leaving that Universitie also, hee resorted to one maister Welch a knight of Glocester shire, and was there schoolemaister to his children, and in good favour with his maister. This gentleman, as hee kept a good ordinarie commonly at his table, there resorted to him many times sun dry dry Abbots, Deanes, Archdeacons, with divers other Doctors and great beneficed men; who there together with M. Tindall sitting at the same table, did use many times to enter communication and talke of learned men, as of Luther and of Erasmus: Also of divers other controversies and questions upon the Scripture. Then maister Tindall as he was learned and well practised in Gods matters, so hee spared not to shew unto them simply and plainly his judgement in matters, as he thought: and when as they at any time did vary from Tindall in opinions and judgement, he would shew them in the booke, and lay plainly before them the open and manifest places of the Scriptures, to confute their errors, and confirme his sayings. And thus continued they for a certaine season, reasoning and contending together divers and sundry times, till at length they waxed weary, and bare a secret grudge in their harts againt him. Not long after this, it happened that certaine of these great Doctors had invited M. Welch and his wife to a banket; where they had talke at will and pleasure, uttering their blindnesse and ignorance without any resistance or gainesaying. Then M. Welch and his wife coming home and calling for M. Tindall, began to reason with him about those matters, whereof the priests had talked before at their banket. M. Tindall answering by Scriptures, maintained the truth, and reproved their false opinions. Then saide the Lady Welch, a stout and a wise woman (as Tindall reported), "Well" (saide shee) "there was such a Doctour which may dispend a hundred pounds, and an other two hundred pounds, and an other three hundred pounds, and what; were it reason, thinke you, that we should beleeve you before them?" Maister |