The Life of Mafter John Fox, He wai very intimate with Sir F rancis Wa!Jinghdnl, Secretary of State, a prudent and vigilant man, and one who defervedly was the firft that advanced the Power ot the Secrctarilbip. The two Brethren, Sir ThofluH Hennage and Mafl:er Michael Hennt~ge, he entirely affected, tbe firft for the fweetnefs of hisBeha'\'iour, the other for his folid Learning and fingu lar modeflyofLife, and though they were each of them in their kind moO: accompliilied Gentlemen,yet was he wont to fay,tbat Sir Thomi#S Hennage bad as much as was requifitc any way to a compleat Courtier, but that Mafl:er Michael Hem111ge had both all his Brother in him~elf, and that befides of his own, which the Court had not corrupted. To Sir DrHe DrurJ he bare (hkewife) fingular affeCtion, as to a man of finccre inremions, and ofgreat conll:ancy in all Fortunes and (perchance) the only man in the Court, who cominned his favOur, without Jofs of his Freedom. E~.~~~~~~~rro:J::~.~~~~"t!I~~:o:v~~fu~doronH~h:m~:~~d~~~~~o~~Co~~;~;~:~;~~h~~~~~ hi' Partners in banifhment at Bajil. Among the Writers of his time, he preferred before the refi, DoCtor HHmphrtJ, DoCtor Wbitet• f<!r, and Doctor Fui}z, with whofc Learning he was woodroufly delighted, and efl:eemcd it no {mall benefit to be again beloved by them. But with none bad he more familiar acquaintance, than with Mafier 1ohn Crm>~,and Ma£l:er Baldwinc ~:u::S• :O~~~:oc~~~f~~=t b:tn~: ~~t.i~a~t£~\:~3~r~a:[he~:!~i~t~,a~~c~fl~:;~ ~~n~~~~~;~o:; modefiy ofmind. Among military men~ Sir Fumck Drak; wss much delighted with his Familiarity; whom to commend near the times, he lived in, were needle&, bmto commend himtoPofterity, according to his defert, many Volumeswouldfcarce fuffice. Sir~~~;~ ~:e~~~rc~~~~Iz;;c~h;~.h~a;~e?S,~~~~~dJ;ft~~gD:.wai~Ij ~~~!aY&;;;~~o~:r ~t:hac7~{!:7r; great :tccount and efiimation, being part of them fuch as had born the highcft places of Honour in the €i~yj,a~~:~~n~: ~h:(~;~~~~;) %cf~~a~:a~fl~~~~·in Ma£l:er Fox his Friendlhip, as any of thefe; ~~~ ~u~f;,it(~~ ~i~~~~~t:efc~~:~lef~.h~t~~~o~~~~ fi~~~ ~~~~:e~~~e~o~~~a~e~l~o~~~yt:se~)o~~~: thefe were they, from whom, I before fa1d, Mafler Fox rece1ved fi1ch large fums of money to divide ~mong the poor·: which althou~h they did with fo much privacy, as that they trufted not to Meffengers in delivering it, not regardmg any outward praife, their well doing might procure them, knowing the coofcience thereof to be as much as they needed to defire; Yet was it not fitting forme in MaCl:er Fox his Hiftory to diffemble it, or to give any man occalion to fuppofe the truth not opened by Maller Fox, though they themfelves thought good to neglect the fruit of fo great Liberality, c:fpeciall fince it may ab":ndantly ferve for commendation of both him and them, that they fbould be known by their own aChoos, and he by none but his own. He ufed always among his Friends a pleafant kind of familiarity, wherewith be feafoncd the gravity and feverityofhisotherbehaviour. Being once asked at a Friends Table, what DHb he defired to be fet up to him, to begin his meal with, he anfwercd, the lafi: ; which word was pleaf:mtly taken, as if he ~ad meant fame choicer Difh, fuch as ufually are brought for the fecond Courfe; whereas he rather figmfied the defire he bad to fee dinner ended, that he might depart home. 6oin_gabroad (by chance) hemct ~Woman that be knew, whopul~ing a Bo~k from ~nder her arm, and faymg, See you not that I am gom~ to a Ser~on; Maficr Fox rc:phed, But tfyou wtll be ruled by me, go home rather, for to day you wtll do but lmle good at Church; and when fhe asked, At what time therefore: he would counfd her to go; Then (aafwercd he) when you tell no body before hand. It happened at his own Table, that a Gentleman there fpake fomewhat too freely againfi: the Earl of ~~i~t~in~h~~~~h~"tt~~~~~~:~t~r~~)h~;~;:e~n!~db~ ~h:k~!\e~ft~ic~~~~ ;: ft~~~~uti~t~!~: tle~~e~ah;~~~~m!a~~t= ~~;~ r~;~~~~.rec:d~~n;~~~~~:~f many, fa id, That he could conceive no reafon, io the reading of the old Authors, why men fbould fo greatly admire them. No marvel indeed (quoth Mafier Fox) For if you could conceive the reafon, you would then admi re them your felf. , I could fpeak ofmany fiories of th is kind, but that I will not exceed my intended limits too far. At length having in fuch act ions, arid fuch behaviour fpem out his Age, being now full of years, and fiored wah Friend,, ere he had quite paffed through his feventiethyear, he died, not through any known Difeafe, but through much Age. Yet did he forefee the time of his departure,nor would fuffer his Sons (which notwithfianding he entirely loved) to be prefent at his death, but forbad the one at any hand to be Cent for,and fcnt the other on a Journey three days before he died, then calling both of them unto him, when he well knew, though they made never fo great hafi:e, they fhould come too late; whether be thought them unable to bear fo heavy a Spdtade, or would not have his own mind at that time troubled with any thing that might move him to de6re life. Which to me and my Brother was the moft grievous ofal.l chances, t~at tbereb~ we c~uld neither come to .dole his eyes, to receive his la{l Bleffing and Ell:hortatlons, nor fattsfic o~r ~mds wnh that lafi ft~ht ofh1m. P.erchance we could with more pati..;. ence have endured to fee the famtmg approaches of hts death drawmg on, than to have loft in him fo good an example how to die. . Upon the report of his death the whole: City lamented, honouring the fmall Funeral which was ~:ea~if ~~~n;~h~~~;~~~~bt:a~f~3b~;i~u~i~~:no~fthe~!e~:~t& ~w~o~:~:hc~fhioA _ofmour~~
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