BRA 



fir John Havriiigton, for this piirpofe ; fir John demiirrccl 

 and c^elayed, and thoaglit J>i'adh)rd cunfciciitior.fly precife 

 and fcrnpulous. This iiicidont gave n new dir^.ftion to his 

 views and pnrfiiits; and though for fomc lime !ie pnrfutd 

 the ftudy of the law at the Inner Temple, he rcfolved to re- 

 move to Cambridge, and to devote himfelf to the profcdion 

 of a divine. In this new fituation he applied to his Undies 

 with ilngnlar diligence, and firft took his degree ol M.A. ; 

 and was afterwards eletted tcliow of Pembroke hall. Dur- 

 ing tills time the recoUeftiou of his former mifconduft op- 

 pvefled his fpirits, nor was he able to recover the trancpiillity 

 of his mind till, by fucccffive payments, as his cireiimllanees 

 would allow, he had difcharged the full fum of 520I. los. as a 

 rellitution to the king. By this aft ot jull retaliation, perform- 

 ed voluntarily on his own part before the king and council 

 knew of the offence, did he give the mod unequivocal proof 

 of the fincerity of his repentance, and lay the furcft founda- 

 tion of that reputation and ufefnlnefs for which he was after- 

 wards dillinguiOied. Having thus pacified the accufations 

 of his coiifcience, he proceeded in his ftudies with unabated 

 vigour ; and his charader for piety was likewife fo eminent, 

 that bifliop Ridley, in 1550, fent for him to London, in- 

 duced him to receive deacon's orders, gave him a hcence to 

 preach, and foon after appointed him one of his own chaplains. 

 Air. Bradford acquired great popularity as a preacher, both 

 at St. Paul's Crofs in London, and in his native county ; 

 and continued the exercife of his miniflry with uninter- 

 icitting ardour and fmgular fuccefs until the clofe of king 

 Edward's reign, and after the commencement of that of 

 queen Mary. But with the change that took place on this 

 occafion, he, as well as many others, fuffered the feveritv 

 of perfecution. His undaunted refolution and zeal expofed 

 Lim to peculiar danger ; and his popularity as a preacher, 

 which afforded him an opportunity of preferving the life of 

 a popifh priefl, who, by a furious declamation againit the 

 late king, and in favour of popery, had incenfed the multi- 

 tude that formed his auditory at St. Paul's Crofs, was in- 

 terpreted by his enemies into an occafion of offence ; and in 

 confcqnence of this aft of humanity and kindnefs, for which 

 he merited recompence even from the powers that then pre- 

 vailed, he was arretted by order of the queen's council and 

 biiliops, and committed to prifon tmder a charge of fedition 

 and herefy. During his clofe confinement, for about a year 

 and a half, in various prifuns, he manifelltd an invincible 

 attachment to the principles of the reformation ; and exerted 

 himielt by private admonitions and epiftolary addreffes, for 

 which he availed himfelf of every opportunity that occurred, 

 in reprefenting the delufions of popery, and in confirming 

 thofe wlio were wavering in their adherence to the protellant 

 faith. Many of his letters and difcourfes are extant ; and 

 they abound with expreflions of the moil fervent piety and 

 unlhakeii conllancy. In the beginning of the year ii';4, 

 he was brought before a commiihon fpecially appointed for 

 his examination ; but, as he perfilled in an undifmayed avowal 

 of his opinion, he was finally condemned. After his con- 

 demnation, he was remanded to prifon, where he remained 

 near iialf a year longer; manfully refilling every attempt 

 that was made with a view of inducing him to abandon the 

 caufe to which he was devoted, and recommending himfelf 

 to mild treatment on the pait of thofe who had the cullody 

 of him, by tlie gentlenefa of his temper and manners. Dur- 

 ing the fuocelTive intervals of his confinement, he preached 

 conllantly, and was allowed to receive the vifits of his friends, 

 who rclorted in great numbers to enjoy the benefit of his 

 difcourfes. So irreproachable and exempliry, indeed, w'as 

 his condiid, and to fi:ch a degree did he attach the eileem, 

 and intereil the humanity of thofe who had accefs to him, 

 Vol. V. • 



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tliAt m.iny paplfts were induced to txpref their widies for the 

 jirefei vation of liis life. To liis fellow prifuners he communi- 

 cated fahitary counfel and pecuniary aflillance, as their fcvcraL 

 circumllances required ; and he was eminently iifeful in rc- 

 clainiing the erroneous, and in reforming the vicious and pro- 

 fligate. At length, however, the day of his execution 

 arrived; and when it was announced to him, he lifud np liij 

 eyes to heaven, and faid, " I thank Clod for it ; ) have look, 

 ed for it along time; therefore it a)mcs not luddenly, but 

 as a thing waited for every day and hour; the Lord make 

 me woitliy of it." On the ill of July, 15^5, he was broriglil 

 to the Ihike at Smithfield,in company with aYorkfliIre youth, 

 named John Lyefe, then an apprentice in London, whom 

 he animated to conllancy by l;is example of calm and un- 

 daunted fortitude ; and having killed a faggot and the Hake, 

 he pulled off his cloaths, and prepared for the laft tremend- 

 ous fcene. At the flake, he exclaimed aloud, with his 

 Iiands and face lifted up towards heaven, " () England, 

 England, repent thee of thy fins; beware of idolatry, be- 

 ware of Antichrills, ktl they deceive you:" and then for- 

 giving, and intreitling forgivencfs of all the world, he Com- 

 forted his companion, and embracing the flaming reeds that 

 were near him, uttered tliefe words, the lail which -vere 

 dillinftly heard ; " Strait is the way, and narrow is ihc 

 gate," &c. and thus expired. Biog. Brit. 



Bradford, £a/l and ll'^(/f, in Cfojrnpiy, townfhips of 

 America, in the county of Chcller, and ftate of Pennfylvania. 

 Bradford, a townfliip of Effex county in the Maffachu- 

 fctts, feated on the fouth fide of Merrimack river, oppofite to 

 Haverhill, and 10 miles weft of Newbury port. It has two 

 parifhes, and contains ij"! inhabitants. In this place is a ma- 

 nuf-fture of leather flioes for exportation, and fomc veflels arc 

 built in the lower parilh. Several llreams fall into the Merri- 

 mack river from this town, which fupport a number of mills of 



various kinds. Alfo, a townfhip in HilUborough countv, 



New-Hampfhire, containing 2 1 7 inhabitants, incorporated 111 



1760; 20 miles E. of Charlcftown Alfa, a townfliip in 



Orange county, Vermont, on the wefl bank of Connefticut ri- 

 ver, about 20 miles above Dartmouth college, having 6J4 in- 

 habitants. In this townfhip is a remarkable ledge of rocks, 

 about 200 feet high, which appears to threaten the pafllng 

 traveller ; the interval between it and the river is fcaretly 

 wide enough for a road. 



Bradford, a market and manufafturing town in Wilt- 

 fliire, in England, 200 miles W. from London, and 7 N. E. 

 from Bath. Its name appears to have been derived from 

 the Saxon term Bi-adaifnrd ; fo called from the broad ford 

 which formerly crofied the river at this place. Though not 

 a town of large extent, it has accpiired conliderable import- 

 ance from the great quantities of line broad clotli manufac- 

 tured here, as from ten to twelve hundred pieces are fent 

 away annually. One manufaftory alone employs nearly fifteen 

 hundred perfons, and the number of clothiers is between 

 fixty and feventy. Its fituation is peculiarly romantic, be- 

 ing principally built on the declivity of a hill, and confills 

 of three llreets rifiiig one above the other. Thele are narrow 

 and irregular, yet many good houfes prefent themfclves to 

 the eye of the paifenger. The church, a plain ilone build- 

 ing, with a fquare tower and fmall lleeple, is lltuated at the 

 foot of the hill, and confills of a nave, N. aifle, chanoel, and 

 a fmall chapel on the S. fide. In the chancel are fcveral 

 large and handfome monuments, and the church is orna- 

 mented with two windows of modern ilained glal's, which 

 were given by John Ferrott, efq. a native of Bradf ird ; who 

 alfo left a donation of ten pounds to be laid out in bread, 

 and dlllribiited among the poor monthly. Near the chuieh 

 is a free-fchool fur boys, and in the town are tvvo charitalfle 

 B b c.'tabllj"*(- 



