54 AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE CHARACTER 



VI., when certain commissioners were coming toward him to search 

 his house for books, he for fear brent a large volume which this 

 holy Bishop had compiled, containing in it the whole story and 

 matter of the divorce, which volume he gave him with his own 

 hand a little before his troubles ; for the loss whereof the Dean 

 would many times after lament, and wish the book whole again, 

 upon condition that he had not one grote to live on. Many other 

 of his works were consumed by the heretickes, which, shortly after 

 his death, swarmed thick in every place and grew into great autho- 

 rky, doing thereby what themselves listed. And it has been re- 

 ported by a good old priest called Mr. Buddie, who, in his youth, 

 wrote many of his books for him, there came to him on a certain 

 time in the aforesaid King Edward's days, a minister, by authority 

 of him that then occupied the See of Rochester, and took from him 

 as many written books and papers of this holy man's labors and 

 travell as loaded a horse, and carried them to His Majestie ; they 

 were all afterward brent, as he heard say by the maister minister 

 and the mann. This INIr. Buddell was then parson of Cockston, in 

 Kent, not far from Rochester, where he yet liveth, a very old man, 

 and declareth many notable things of the austere life and vertue of 

 this holy man."* 



Enough, however, of his writings remain to prove him one of 

 the ablest controversialists of his day. But the general reader, we 

 suspect, will prefer the following extract from his funeral sermon 

 on the noble Princess Margaret to any we might select out of those 

 erudite tomes, not merely because it affords the best specimen of his 

 English style, but as proving how well the memory of his royal 

 benefactress is entitled to the respect of the wise and good of suc- 

 ceeding ages. Si>eaking, indeed, with reference to this eulogy as a 

 composition, we are almost inclined to compare it, from the modern 

 turn and structure of some of its sentences, to the good English 

 which is conspicuous in his fellow martyr's Life of Edvjard V. 

 *' She was bounteous and lyberal to every person of her knowledge 

 or acquaintance. Avarice and covetyse she most hated, and sor- 

 rowed it full moche in all persons, but specially in ony thai belong- 

 ed unto her. She was of syngular easyness to be spoken unto, 

 and full curtayse answere she would make to all that came unto 

 her. Of mervayllous gentyleness she was unto all folks, but spe- 

 cially unto her owne, whom she trustede and loved ryghte tenderly. 

 Unkynde she wolde not be unto no creature, ne forgetful! of ony 



• Harl MS., 7047. 



