are honest men. I am inclinable enough to credit it. I spake not because I would have any man's honesty impaired. I did not affirm it to be true that I heard. I spake it to advertise you to beware of bearing with wilful and prepensed murder. I would have nothing enforced against any man: this was mine intent and meaning. I do not know what ye call chance-medley in the law, it is not for my study. I am a scholar in God's book, I study that.

I heard say since of another murder, that a Spaniard should kill an Englishman, and run him through with his sword. They say he was a tall man. But I hear not that the Spaniard was hanged for his labor; if I had, I would have told you it too.

There be such dicing houses now-a-days, they say, as hath not been wont to be, where young gentlemen dice away their thrift; and where dicing is, there are other follies also. For the love of God, let remedy be had, let us wrestle and strive against sin. Men of England, in times past, when they would exercise themselves, (for we must needs have some recreation, our bodies cannot endure without some exercise,) they were wont to go abroad in the fields a shooting; but now it is turned into glossing, gulling, and whoring within the house.

The art of shooting hath been in times past much esteemed in this realm; it is a gift of God that he hath given us to excel all other nations withal; it hath been God's instrument, whereby he hath given us many victories against our enemies. But now we have taken up whoring in towns,* instead of shooting in the

* Of the manners of the youth of that time, Stowe says, "The youth of this city have used on holydays, after evening prayer, at their masters' doors to exercise their bucklers; and the maidens, one of them playing on a timbrel, in the sight of their masters and mistresses, to dance for garlands hung across the streets. Which open pastimes in my youth being suppressed, worser practices within doors are to be feared." Again the same honest chronicler, speaking of the sports of the youthful citizens before this change, says: "After dinner they used to go into the fields, and play at the ball. Every Friday in Lent, the young men, with disarmed lances and shields, used to practice feats of war. In Easter holydays, they used to fight battles on the water; a shield was hanged on a pole, fixed in the midst of the stream, a boat was prepared without oars, to be carried by the violence of the water, and in the forepart thereof standeth a young man, ready to give charge with his lance. If so be he breaketh his lance against the shield, he is thought to have performed a worthy deed; but if he chances to be flung into the water, then he loses his honor, and it occasioneth the spectators to laugh. In the summer season they exercised themselves in leaping, shooting, wrestling, casting the stone, and practising their shields, with many other such like feats of activity. In the winter

fields. A wondrous thing, that so excellent a gift of God should be so little esteemed! I desire you, my lords, even as ye love the honor and glory of God, and intend to remove his indignation, let there be sent forth some proclamation, some sharp proclamation to the justices of peace, for they do not their duty: justices now be no justices. There be many good acts made for this matter already. Charge them upon their allegiance, that this singular benefit of God may be practised, and that it be not turned into bowling, glossing, and whoring within the towns; for they be negligent in executing these laws of shooting. In my time, my poor father was as diligent to teach me to shoot, as to learn me any other thing; and so I think other men did their children. He taught me how to draw, how to lay my body in my bow, and not to draw with strength of arms, as divers other nations do, but with strength of the body. I had my bows bought me, according to my age and strength; as I increased in them, so my bows were made bigger and bigger; for men shall never shoot well, except they be brought up in it. It is a goodly art, a whole

they never omitted the wholesome exercises of sliding, and skating on the great fen or moor, which was where Moorfields now are."-Stowe's Survey of London.

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some kind of exercise, and much commended in physic.

Marsilius Ficinus,* in his book "De triplici vitâ,” (it is a great while since I read him now,) but I remember he commendeth this kind of exercise, and saith, that it wrestleth against many kinds of diseases. In the reverence of God, let it be continued; let a proclamation go forth, charging the justices of peace, that they see such acts and statutes kept, as were made for this purpose.

We cannot be saved without hearing of the word; it is a necessary way to salvation. "We cannot be saved without faith, and faith cometh by hearing of the word. 'Fides ex auditu.' And how shall they hear without a preacher ?” I tell you it is the footstep of the ladder of heaven; of our salvation. There must be preachers if we look' to be saved. I told you of this gradation before, in the tenth to the Romans consider it well. I had rather ye

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* Marsilius Ficinus, the reviver of the Platonic philosophy, was a native of Florence, where his father was physician to Cosmo de Medici. Marsilius was bred to the same profession, but Cosmo was so pleased with him that he gave him a residence in his palace, to complete a translation of Plato's works, upon which he was employed five years. He afterwards took orders, and obtained several benefices from Lorenzo de Medici. He died in 1499.

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should come of a naughty mind to hear the word of God, for novelty, or for curiosity to hear some pastime, than to be away. I had rather ye should come as the tale is by the gentlewoman of London: one of her neighbours met her in the street, and said, Mistress, whither go ye? "Marry," said she, "I am going to St. Thomas of Acres* to the sermon; I could not sleep all this last night, and I am going now thither; I never failed of a good nap there." And so I had rather ye should go - a napping to the sermons, than not to go at all. For with what mind soever ye come, though ye come for an ill purpose, yet peradventure ye may chance to be caught ere ye go; the preacher may chance to catch you on his hook. Rather than ye should not come at all, I would have you come of curiosity, as St. Augustine came to hear St. Ambrose. When St. Augustine came to Milan, (he tells the story himself, in the end of his book of Confessions,) he was very desirous to hear St. Ambrose; not for any love he had to the doctrine that he taught, but

* This was an hospital in Cheapside, and situate nigh the ground whereon since has been built Mercers' Hall and Chapel. It had a master and brethren, and was sold and surrendered by Henry the Eighth to the Company of Mercers. It is called in old records St. Thomas of Acon.