H. GELLIBRAND. 425 ness and contentment v.ith his own little patrimony, that the pursuit of preferment might prove no detriment to his studies. In all probability these papers had great weight, since, within a few days, January 2, 1626, he was elected professor of astronomy in that college.. Mr. Gellibrand was a decided puritan, and an enemy to the errors and superstitions of popery. In the year 1631, his servant, William Beale, by his encouragement, pub- lished an almanack, in which the popish saints, usually put into our calender, were omitted; and the names of the saints and martyrs, mentioned in Mr. Fox's "Acts and Monuments of the Martyrs," were printed in their stead, exactly as they stand in Mr. Fox's calender. This gave great offence to Bishop Laud, who immediately cited them both into the high commission court. When the case came to be examined, and it appeared that other almanacks of the same kind hadbeen printed in former times, both Mr. Gellibrand and his servant were'acquitted by Archbishop Abbot and the whole court, excepting Laud. This tyran- nizing ecclesiastic, finding the court so favourable towards Mr. Gellibrand, stood up, and in great anger declared, "That the queen herself (a notorious papist) sent for him, and particularly complained to him against this almanack, which gave offence to those of her religion; and desired him to prosecute the author and suppress the book ; there- fore, he hoped that he should not go unpunished in this court." But the court still persisted in acquitting him ; upon which the bishop again stood up, and in great fury addressed Mr. Gellibrand, saying, " Sir, remember you have made a faction in this court, for which you ought to be punished ; and know that you are not yet discharged. I will sit in your skirts. For I hear that you keep conven- tides at Gresham college, after your lectures are ended." His grace then ordered a second prosecution against him in the high commission, which so deeply affected the good man's spirits, that it brought a complaint upon him, of which he afterwards died.+ He lived in the closest intimacy with Mr. Henry Briggs, at whose death, and by his solicitation, Mr. Gellibrand undertook the perfecting and publishing his celebrated Biog. Ethan. vol. iv. p. 2188. Edit. 1747. As Laud could not succeed in having Mr. Gellibrand censured, and his alrnanacks burned by the common hangman, the papists bought them all up, and caused them to suffer martyrdom in the flames.-Prones Canter- kuries Dooms, p. 182.
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