158 THE LIFE OF 



CHAP. This book came out nameless ; and he studiously con- 

 X1I&amp;gt; cealed himself to be known the author : whereof he gave 



this good reason, viz. &quot; That he suppressed his name that 

 &quot; his pen might be freer ; and that he might appear to say 

 &quot; of the Queen, for conscience sake, what he thought and 

 &quot; knew, without suspicion of flattery, or hope of benefit.&quot; 

 And thus much for his Harborow. 

 His book of I do not know whether he writ and published any thing 



the supre- , , ._ , 



macy . else, unless perhaps concerning the Queen s power in spi 

 rituals, and over spiritual men ; for satisfying the people in 

 her ecclesiastical supremacy, concerning which an act was 

 soon after the Queen s taking the sceptre to be made, and 

 all her liege subjects to swear to it. For he gave some sig 

 nification of writing on that argument in his forementioned 

 book, where, having discoursed briefly upon it, he promised, 

 that though he then tarried not longer in that matter, yet 

 a time should come peradventure, when it should be more 

 largely handled. 



He was a We have seen somewhat of Aylmer s learning : indeed it 

 was universal, being a generally learned man. He was an 

 exact logician; and so he shewed himself in answering 

 Knox^s book, by reducing it into arguments; and then 

 closely examining the strength thereof, and shewing the 

 sophisms in them ; going on all along in a very clear way 



An histo- of ratiocination, and apt distinguishing. He was a great 

 historian. He had read Josephus, Egesippus, Berosus, 

 Herodotus, Justin, Polybius, Livy, and divers other such 

 authors. And out of these profane histories, as well as 

 sacred, by many instances at large cited in his foresaid 

 book, he shewed how under women that reigned, the com 

 monwealth was happily preserved, and greatly flourished : 

 first shewing this in Jewish Queens, and then in Queens of 

 other countries : and it was one of his reprimands to Knox, 

 that he should attempt to write of an argument that re 

 quired so much knowledge and insight of ancient history, 

 and be skilled in none but that of the Bible. &quot; All an- 

 &quot; tiquity,&quot; saith he, &quot; of time, all histories and monuments 

 &quot; cannot be contained in so little room : and that therefore 



nan. 



