6 : strange, however, that there should be so many editions at the same time, and we could prove that they were intended to be of authority but it is enough now to say that we have another work to appeal to; viz. 'The Booke of prayers and administra'tion of the Sacramentes, approued and received by the Churche of Scotland. 1584.' Again, we extract the whole Order of Burial. The corps is reuerentlie brought to the graue, accompanied with the congregation, without any further ceremonies: which being buried, the Minister if he be present, and required, 'goeth to the Church, if it be not farr off, and maketh some 'comfortable exhortation to the people, touching death and ' resurrection.' We cannot say whether this is the order still observed by the members of the establishment, miscalled the Church of Scotland, but we know that it was so for many years after this time: and we must also own that it did allow a faint and distant opening for the burying of our dead out of our sight, in somewhat a more decorous way than we should get rid of a dead dog. But still an opening very distant: the minister is to be present; he is to be asked; he is to go to the church only if it be not far off: a happy concatenation not very favourable to the chance of some comfortable exhortation.' Looking back wistfully to years long gone by, regretting, as we often must, the many good observances which have been taken away from us, how much cause yet of thankfulness have we as members of the Church of England, that not all is gone: that, for example, in this one point of burial, we still commit the bodies of our fellow-Christians to the earth, as hoping for their blessed resurrection; as knowing that they are not severed really from, although no longer visibly in, our Holy Communion; that they are still to be subjects of our pious solicitude, still to be prayed for over the grave, still to be partakers with ourselves in the mysterious blessings which attend the offering up to the Almighty Father of the Body and the Blood of our risen 6 Lord. But we reluctantly return to Martin: he would not be laid East and West, but North and South: Tomb he would haue none, nor Epitaph upon his graue, but in some post or tree, not 'farre from it, he would have onelie engraven, M. M. M. Whereby his sonnes say, he meant, Memoria Martini Magni. 'But I think rather, this, Monstrum Mundi Martinus.' (Sign. G. 1.) The will goes on to bequeath various legacies: such as his knavery, his lying and slandering, his foolery, &c. &c. to various persons: Item, I bequeath all my plots, and modells, that I haue drawne, of churches, and commonweales, to the number ' of twelve, for euerie moneth of the year one, to our chiefe 'builders (you know their names) to dispose of at their plea 'sure.' And so, the narrative goes on, within about half an 6 We might have fancied that Martin, being dead, might rest at last; upon the old principle de mortuis nil nisi bonum. But our author thought differently: and feared not to say so. In his prefatory Epistle to Pasquin, speaking of the Martinists, he ends,Since they are now become contemptible, amongst the 'most and best, let vs trample on them as the dirt of the streete.' So his book finishes, as in fact the history of any one's death should, with a series of epitaphs, by various contributors. We shall extract the author's own. We have one tract Almost more, which was either published at the same time with the Month's Minde,' or very shortly after. This is, Plaine Percevall the Peace-maker.' (No. 12.) every one, we know no exception, who has alluded to or professed to give a list of the Marprelate Tracts, has set it down to the credit of his adversary, or has directly attributed it to Nash. (Confer. Lowndes, Bibl. Dict.) But it is, in fact, a last gasp of the Puritans: an expression in their extremity of some desire of peace: a wish that they might for a time, until themselves spoke again, be let alone. The quaintness of the title, leaning apparently against Martin Marprelate, would be apt to mislead: and the writer of it struggles to be neutral, but his bias is too This epitaph is quoted by Dr. Bliss in his edition of Wood's Athenæ, from Weaver's Funeral Monuments. ! ، strong to be mistaken. The book is tiresome: the spirit of the particular controversy might be said to be at an end; and we do not propose to strain the little remnant of our reader's patience through Plaine Percevall.' There is no little anxiety displayed to be witty, or to seem to be so, according to the old tune; but we agree with Percevall himself, that after the spice and peppercorns of the earlier dishes of the feast, he follows, 'like a plaine Dunstable groome, with salt and spoones on a trencher.' Now that, in fact, the battle had been fought, and the assailants beaten out of the field with their own weapons, and (in a sense) upon their own ground, it was too late, and manifestly absurd, that any one should venture forward as a peacemaker, to say, as it were, to two parties no longer equally strong, be friends," and so strive to cover a defeat, and check, by a pretended compromise, the real triumph of the victors. If there is any cleverness at all in the idea, it certainly consists in the attempt to induce men to believe that such really was the case; and if, again, we can give any credit for sincerity to some of our historians, this ruse, though it failed with contemporaries, succeeded with their successors. These seem to have thought that it was not alarm, but a genuine wish for peace, which at last brought the Puritan to complain that there was no penaltie to represse such lauish ouer reachers * as offer legends of lies to the presse;' that ‘heresay is too 'slender an evidence to spit a man's credit upon;' and that it should come to this, as the most reasonable and Christian course, ، Well, Martin and you professed Mar-Martins, in presence of 'me Perceuall, shake hands and be friendes, meet halfe-way, and I standing jump in the middle, will crie aime to you both.'-Pp. 11, 12, 20. One consequence of acting a pretended part is shown in this book: both the style and the matter are in many places so obscure and involved, that it is not possible to make sense of it. We would willingly give some specimens of the author's reasoning, but have found the greatest difficulty in selecting one: Plaine Percevall begins a long paragraph addressing this side, then turns to that, back again to the first, and so on, equal in his favours, until the reader is most successfully mystified, and so far the object of the author gained. (We would refer, for example, to pp. 16, 17, 18.) The following extract, however, is clear enough, and somewhat to the purpose; addressing (if we are not mistaken) the Mar-Martins. Mary who began (say 'you :) Martin cald traytor first, he spake lavishly, and must heare as knauishly. Now the blood is vp; he that hath most gall in his garbage, thinks to win the goall. And he that hath 'most toong powder hopes to driue the other out of the field 'first. I could tell these eager youngsters how they might be 6 euen with their adversary: giue faire words for foule: Doe good against euill, and heape hoat burninge coales rpon his head. That is a sentence sooner belieud, bicause it is scripture, then put in practise, for all it is true.'-P. 7. And one more: addressing Martin or his sons: O Martin, honor gray heares, during thy nonage: or else looke for dishonor and dotage, if 'thou canst get any competent yeeres on thy backe; be thou a young boy or a stale batchellar, learne to reuerence those 'two ornaments of a common-wealth; age and authority. Barre 'this pert bearding of men reputed honest for their behaviour, ' and honorable both for their calling and counsaile.'-P. 13. We would draw our reader's attention to the qualified praise, reputed honest and honourable. It was an enemy that did this. 6 Besides the volumes which we have described, there was published in 1589 a Latin tract against Martin Marprelate, of which we give the full title below.* A copy of this is in the Bodleian Library. It is very sensibly written, and its object to prevent the youths of that day being carried away by Martin's misrepresentations of facts, ill-arguments, and lies. It points out the extent which Puritan violence would reach if not checked; that it would not overthrow the Bishops of the Church only, but the ruling powers of the State. The pretended divine call which many of that faction claimed, and that they had authority given them, are also exposed and denied. The author states expressly in his preface that he aims at arguments, and not persons. We have no doubt that this is one of the rarest books connected with the controversy; being written in a learned language, and for a particular class, it is probable that the original edition was somewhat limited. There were also at least two, perhaps more, poetical tracts against Martin. One of these Mar-Martine,' was written soon after the Hay any Worke for Cooper,' or the Dialogue of Tyrannical Dealing. It begins (we take our account from Herbert) 'I knowe not why a trueth in rime set out For where truth builds, and lying overthroes, The book consists of satirical epitaphs, much we suppose after the fashion of those in the Month's Minde,' alluded to already. * Antimartinus; seu monitio cujusdam Londinensis ad adolescentes utriusque academiæ, contra personatum quendam rabulam, qui se Anglicè Martin Marprelat, hoc est, Martinum Maoriyάpxov, podpxov vocat. Londini. Excudebant Georgius Bishop et Radulphus Newbery. Anno Domini 1589. 4to. Pp. 60. This production excited the wrath of the Martinists. The author of the Just Censure and Reproofe' says, 'I would have born with thee, if thou haddest taken a little paines in ryming with Mar'Martin, that the cater-caps may knowe howe the meanest of my 'father's sonnes is able to answeare them, both at blunt and 'sharpe. And for thy further instruction against another time, heere is a sample for thee of that, which in such like cases 'thou art to performe. ¶The first rising, generation, and originall of Mar-Martin. Sign. D. iij. 1. From Sarum came a gooses egge, 2. 'What can the cockatrice hatch up, What sees the Ape within the glass but a deformed elfe? 'Then must Mar-Martin have some smell ' of forge or else of fire, 'A sotte in wit, a beast in minde, 'for so was damme and sire.' Quoted also by Herbert. The other poetical tract is, A Whip for an Ape, or Martin displaied.' It begins 'Since reason, Martin, cannot stay thy pen, 'We'il see what rime will do: have at thee then!' One stanza bears upon a point which we have already spoken of, and we therefore quote it as confirming our own view:— 'And ye graue men that answere Martin's mowes, Both these tracts are a single sheet each of four leaves, and copies are in the libraries of the British Museum and Bodley. Another effective weapon was used against the Puritans, but soon forbidden by the government, viz. the stage. The theatrical history of that period is somewhat obscure; and there is not any play now extant which was performed with the especial |