BALE. 109 who broke through the conditions of thenew-formed church, interrupted the peace of the congregation, and, in effect, drove them from the city, they fled to other places. Dr. Bale retired to Basil in Switzerland, where he remained until the death of Queen Mary. The church at Basil was also exercised, with contentions, of which our author, in a letter to one of his friends, gives avery deplorable account, severely censuring those who were of a contentious spirit.* Though we have already mentioned Dr. Bale as an author, it will be proper to renew the subject. He pub- lished a celebrated work, containing the lives of the most eminent writers of Great Britain. It came out at three different times. He first published his " Summariurn illustrium majoris Brytannise Scriptorum," Wesel, 1549. This was addressed to King Edward, and contained onlyfive centuries of writers. Afterwards he added four more, and made several additions and corrections through the whole work. The book thus enlarged, was entitled 44 Scriptorunt illustriurn majoris Brytanniw, quarn nunc Angliam et Scotiam vacant, Catalogus ; a Japheto per 3618 annos usque ad annum hunt Domini 1557," &c. It was com- pleted and printed at Basil, while the author was in a state of exile. The writers, whose lives are contained in this celebrated work, are those of Great Britain, including England and Scotland. The work commences from Japhet, one of the sons of Noah, and is carried down through a series of 3618 years, to the year of our Lord 1557. It is collected from a great variety of authors : as, Barostts, Gennadius, Bede, Honorius, Boston of Bury, Frumentarius, Capgrave, Bostius, Burellus, Trithemius, Gesner, and our great antiquary John Leland. It consistsof nine centuries, comprising the antiquity, origin, annals, places, successes, and themostremarkable actions, sayings, and writings ofeach author, in the whole of which a due regard is had to chro- nology ; and with this particular view, " That the actions of the reprobate as well as the elect ministers of the church may historically and aptly correspond with the mysteries described in the Revelation, the stars, angels, horses, trum- pets, thunderings, heads, horns, mountains, vials, and plagues, through every age of the same church." There are said, ought to be left to the determination of the bishops. He, also, admo- nished their lordships to keep within their own spherel and told them, that he would appeal to e queen, if they continued to interpose in matters not belonging to them. ood's /Manx Oxon. vol. i. p. 161.-Biog. vol. iv. p. 298, 599. * Strype's Ecel. ern, vol. iii. p. 24S. Appen, p. 107.
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