SAMUEL HARSNETT, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK. 289 
Harsnett was admitted as a sizar, or servitor, to King's College, 
Cambridge, on the nomination of Richard Bridgwater, of Bovill's 
Hall, Ardleigh, and of Dedham, who became a notable man in 
the academic world and a likely patron for a lad of merit. As 
Public Orator of the University he made a Latin oration to 
Queen Bess on her visit to Audley End. 
The University reflected strongly the discords of the nation. 
The glorious King’s College Chapel had only recently been 
purged of its “ popish trash ” by that iconoclastic prelate, Bishop 
Cox, of Ely, when its learned and benevolent Provost, Dr. Philip 
Baker, had fled, heart-broken, to Louvain, while Dr. Caius, 
the munificent founder of the College which bears his name, had 
also been forced to abandon his academic shelter. Dr. Bridg¬ 
water played a moderating part, but probably from dislike 
of the stern puritanism of Provost Roger Goade, of King’s, 
Harsnett migrated to Pembroke Hall, where the future poets, 
Edmund Spenser and Gabriel Harvey (an Essex worthy), were 
then students. He may also have found a friend in the wife 
of Dr. Young, the Master of Pembroke, who had married a 
Mistress Cocke, from Colchester. In 1581 he proceeded B.A., 
and was elected Fellow of Pembroke in November 1583, receiving 
Holy Orders and taking his degree of Master of Arts in the 
following year. 
When only 24 years of age he had the high honour of being 
selected as a preacher at St. Paul’s Cross, a pulpit usually 
filled by the most powerful dignitaries of the Church. 
Here Latimer’s stern warnings had turned Court, City and people 
towards the Reformation—here Bancroft four years later re¬ 
asserted the doctrine of the Apostolic succession. With the ardent 
enthusiasm of youth, and a courage which never failed him, 
Harsnett took the bold course of challenging, in the face of all 
England, the dominant Calvinism of the day, preaching an 
eloquent sermon on the text from Ezekiel xxxiii. 11, “ As I 
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live ; turn 
ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die ; O house 
of Israel ?” Keble's Assize sermon started the Catholic movement 
of the 19th century as did Harsnett’s that of the late 16th 
and 17th centuries. 
So bold a challenge to the stern logical theology which the 
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