Fox - BR1600 .F6 1684 v1

The Life &[ Maffer John Fox, any City, or place of reforr, he chafe out the houfe of one of his Servants a Farmer, where he might with convenience expetl: the warning of a fair Wind to put to Sea. Thither Mafl:er ~~Id~~~ ~~~f;:~~~;~:c:~~t;~:~~~J~~i~i!et~5 ~b:r:~~~~;no~i~~r:~e~il~h~re:d~dw~~~ to the contrary; andasfoon as it wastoldkim, hiscompanyexpctted him, he made haft to the Port, and went abroad. Scarce had they weighed Anchor, when fuddenly a rough Wind rifi11g from the contrary fhore, troubled the Sea with fo great violence of Waves, that the fi'outefi Marine~ began to tremble: Then followed a dark night, with continual !bowres, and a great multitude of €Joudi gathered together i~to a thick Uorm of rain and hail, both hind~ed the Sea-mens'work, and took away all poffibiilty by the Compafs any longer to direct the1r courfe. That night with much ado, they lay at Anchor, and as foon as the day appeared when the Tempdt feemed not like to ceafe, they began to cafi abour, and make back again ro the fuore: fo that the Tide a Jitdc favouring them, at length with much difficulty they arJived in the evening at the fame Haven again, from whence they had loafed tbe day before. In the mean while that Mafter Fox had been at Sea, a Purfevant from the Bifuop of Winchrfter had broke open ·~~!~a:c~c~i~~~~; ~i~~c~~:;a;n~~~ ~fJJ:~~~~d~;·~;~~:f~~e: ~~:!l;~t !he!o~~dha~n:u~{~~~ him even to the Port, and there found that the Stnp he was embarqued in, was yet fcarce out of fight, had rcmrned back without his arrant. MaO:er F ox, as foon as hecameailiore, hear· ing by repert of the people what had paffed, although the News foAlewhat amazed him, yet recolkfringhimklf, prcfent.ly took horle, and made as if I~ wou.ld have left the Tow~~ but the fame night returning, he bargained with the Maller of the Shtp ~o fet fail again w1th the firfi com·eniencc of the Winds; telling him that fo his btJfinefs required, ncr did he much care what filorc he landed at ; only defiring him to go forward, and not doubt but that God would profper fo pious a Work. Wh:ther for reward or pietics fake, the: Pi late took upon him this vemurous task, and performed 1t accordingly. For looling thence in the nights.fil~nce, as foon as the Tide turned, though the Sea were rough, :111d the weather blufuing, wnhm two days fpace he landed Mafrer fgx and his company in fafety at .Newpori·Haven oo the other fide the Sea. Wbo(oeverfuall read this fiory, needeth not a more evident argument, to force him to ac~ knowledge, either the certain courfe of Providence, or the uncertainty of all humane forecafi~ when be may fee the fubtil eft deliberations oft he wi(ell heads, oftentimcs by errors come tO no effect; often overthrown by fuddain accidents ~ and now and then thwarted by cogtrary Counfels: and that all this is done to teach men fo to ufe their authority, as that tbo more power Fortune bath conferr'd upon them, fo much the lefs they fhould know they are able to do oftbemfelves, and not defpife thofe that are of meaner condnion. For that God r~rdeth all men alike, having made them in nature equal, and differenced them by degre~, not to fwell the one fort , or fhamc the other, but to exerci(e both their modefiie$, or his own Juftice,. if ~=fie~e~:~ ,~~~~ ~~tl;d fpent fame few day! at Ntwport, in refrdbing himf~lf 3ad his company, we.nt to Antwerp, and from thence by fmall Journey$ to ~ajil. This (;uy was at that time much fpokcn of for the great fnend01ip and courtefie fhewed to thofe of the Englijh Nation: for which caufe many famous men withdrawing themfelves from the cruelty ot the Times, had efcaped out of England thither. Oftbefeweremany, but of Oender eftate, who fome one way, and fame another, but the mofr part maintained their Livelihood, by .reviewing and coreCting the efcapes of the Pref:i; this place k:>r careful Printing, and plenty of d1ligent and wealthy men in that Profefiioo, thenfurpafiiog all che Cities ofGer~ fJianJ ; and preferring the induO:ry of our men, in that Employment, before any of their own Countrymen. To thefe men Mafter Fox joyned himfelf, fo much the better liked of, becaufe having beeg always inured to hardinefs, and in his Yomh put to the tri:d of his patience, he bad learned how to indure lal?ourj and that which fcemed the greatell mifery to others, to fuffer want, to fit up late, and keep hard diet; ·were to him but the fports of Fortune. This (perhaps) may fecm (\range to many, who remember M<1fier Fox to have been all his life long but a fiender bodied m:m, and in his elder years fomewhat fickly : But let no man compare his old age, w?m out, and eaten up with .cares, and even by the courfe of Nature ruinous, with the flouri!hmg prime of his Youth:; wluch by fo many his works appeareth to have been moO: healtbful: whe-- ther it be, that in thofC of indifferent fize, an upnght fhape of the Limbs.aad Members ,may fufficiently ferve for health : or that the mind enftamed with defire of vertuous actions, being content with its own abilities to purfue thofe things it affeltetb, necdeth the lefs help from the llody. Ba;l~ t1h~~~~ive~t~~ ~:be:ae~: ~~~~dh~~~~~~~fi~t;h!~~s~~"j X1o~~~~~ser;J!h~C;:~c:~ a Work by the Title alone feeming beyond mam belief. At fufl: it fufficed only to mark it out, and to draw the firft lines or rudiments, or as it were to f<1ften the Warp to the Loom: the whole body oft he Hifl:ory he added and interwove it, afier he returned into his own Country. Firft, he wrote it inLatine, and fenttbe Copy toB4J[lto beprin~ed; where the Work is fiill in great eO:imation, a9 alfo in divers othei foreign Nattons, among our own men hardly known,' wliilfi we feek after, and admire !bangers only ; eitbcr through carelefsnefs 1 or envy neglefr!~~

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