and delicate. When your pangs shall be most urgent, set this saying of St. Paul before your eyes, Things which are seen, and that we suffer here, are temporal, and last for a while, but things which are not seen, and that we shall have, are eternal. In hope therefore of these eternal things, willingly compose your body to sleep, for so this corporeal death is named in scripture. The patriarchs were ever said to have, slept with their fathers, when they died, and not without a cause, for that our bodies shall arise again in the last day, as though it were from a sleep indeed. At the blowing of a trumpet, saith Paul, the dead shall rise uncorrupt; and from heaven, saith the same Paul, we look for our Lord Jesus Christ, which shall transform our vile bodies, and conform them to his glorious body. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also which are asleep through Jesus, shall God bring with him, 1 Thess. iv. Oh! bringing most blessed, goodly, and pleasant, when the bodies that now are sown in corruption, shall arise in uncorruption. That now are in dishonour, shall rise in glory. That now are sown in weakness, shall rise in power. That now are sown natural bodies, shall rise spiritual. When these corruptible shall put on incorruption, and these mortal shall put on immortality; death is clearly swallowed up in victory, 1 Cor. xv.

Oh how joyous shall that day be to the faithful! when men's bodies, made like to the body of Christ, shall inhabit the kingdom which God hath prepared for those that fear him, before the beginning of the world, where they shall have joy and everlasting gladness, whereas they, being like to the angels of God, shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

At the last, sweet friend, forasmuch as I have declared unto you that all men must die, and that when it shall please God.-Further, that in dying we do no other, but as all the saints, yea, and Christ himself, hath done, with whom we shall rise again. And that death is but a due repaying of things, that were for a time liberally lent us; to the earth our bodies, and our souls to God our most bountiful Father. That nothing here is of such excellency, that it should allure a wise man, and him that hopeth for another life to come, to tarry long with it; that good men have ever desired to die, and to be with God, forasmuch as death is the end of all miseries, the finisher of all sorrows, and an entrance into perpetual bliss.

Further, in that I have declared unto you whither you shall go, and what you shall have after this life, and that God most mercifully hath forgiven you your sins, for that you are repentant and faithful, and that he will provide for yours, if they fear him, as well or better than he did in your days.

Finally, that this body of yours shall rise again from the earth gloriously in the last day, through his power that gave its first fashion-for that these things are so, I say, quiet your mind, and prepare yourself, as doth the swan with song of heart and pleasure, to die, and to the accomplishment of God's will, all fear of death being excluded.

Think only of immortality, being willing and glad to depart hence to God that calleth you. Which, as the servants of God should always be ready to do, so at this time most ready, forasmuch as this miserable world, beset with the horrible tempests, storms, and troublesome whirlwinds of all kinds of evil, beginneth to decay.

Moreover, as grievous things have already befallen to nations, so more grievous things are to be looked for, in that sin daily increaseth among men more and more, provoking the justice of God. Therefore, I cannot but think it a great gain quickly to depart hence. If the posts of the house were perished, and the trembling roof should threaten ruin to be at hand, would you not, being in health, depart with all speed? If a troublesome and stormy tempest suddenly risen on the sea, should threaten plain shipwreck, and the drowning of you and your company, would you not make haste to the port?

Lo, the world decayeth, and the end of things threateneth plain falling down; and shall not you give thanks to God, and for your own part be glad that you shall be delivered in time, from such ruins, plagues, and tempests as hang over the heads of men?

Think, sweet friend, I beseech you, and think again, that so long as we are here, we are very strangers; and that we ought chiefly to embrace that hour, which shall appoint every one of us to his own house, and restore us, delivered from all snares of the world, to paradise, and the heavenly kingdom.

Who, being in a strange country, will not covet to return to his own country? Who, sailing towards his friends, will not covet a quick and prosperous wind, that he may the rather embrace his well beloved? We count paradise

our country, the patriarchs to be our parents and friends. Why then do we not fervently desire speedily to see the patriarchs at paradise, where a great company of our friends look for us, and a wonderful number of our parents, brethren, and sisters tarry for us; we being sure of their immortality, and wishing that we had the same? At the sight and meeting of these, oh how great gladness shall happen both to us and them! How great pleasure of the heavenly kingdom, without fear of death, and with the eternity of life! How high and perpetual felicity! There is the glorious company of the apostles; there is the laudable number of the glad prophets; there is the innumerable host of martyrs crowned, and triumphing with the victory of their strifes and passions. There are those which have broken the concupiscency of their flesh, with the strength of continence. There are the merciful enjoying their rewards, who by feeding the poor, and helping the needy, have wrought the works of justice; and keeping the commandments of God, have transferred their earthly patrimonies into heavenly treasures: this is the joyous company; to this no earthly company is to be compared. To Him which hath bought you a place in this company with the price of his blood, I do betake you. Commit yourself to his hands, for he shall never fail you. Farewell.

PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS.

The conclusion of this book, teaching all men gladly to die.

I suppose that by this doctrine, every christian man shall be contented, and will be instructed in the time of death to put away from them these aforesaid impediments, so that I trust in God they shall not hinder him, nor draw him back from a joyful and glad will to receive this corporeal death, but shall wait for it patiently, and with a good will, whensoever our dear Father calleth him thereto. For by it, as it were thorough and entire, he leadeth us unto another life a thousand fold better, and so delivereth us from all misery and displeasure, from all dangers, and out of the hands of all our enemies, being certified by our faith, that all things which could hurt or hinder us, whether it were sin, death, devil, or hell, are altogether vanquished and overcome, being turned to our profit.

The account is passed, the Judge is appeased, all debts are pardoned, forgotten quite, satisfied and paid, and there is nothing found damnable in us, because we are in Jesus Christ, and in his faith, as it is said sufficiently before.

But it is always to be noted, and this should we keep well in memory, that we have all these things only by Jesus Christ, who is our head, and we his members, I mean, those that are christians, not all they that bear the name, for, by a loving faith, we trusted, and do rest in and upon him, and his blessed word, knowing that he is Lord of lords, almighty Emperor above all that are in heaven, hell, or earth who hath given us all these things of his mere liberality, without any deserving of us, but through his love and kindness; and hath obtained it for us of his celestial Father, by his precious blood. Because we believe this is true, and know that it is so, all fear and dread goeth from us, and by this means God worketh again in us a ferventness, and such a love toward him, that we turn all things to his praise and honour who hath showed us such kindness and love, being of nature his very enemies.

Therefore, let us continually apply ourselves again to please Him, and to leave all that we know doth displease him. But because that by reason of the sinful and filthy flesh, we are daily troubled and inclined to evil, which doth withdraw and hinder us so to do, therefore, let us call for his help, and desire with the apostle Paul, as is said before, that this mortal body may die and be destroyed, to the intent that we may serve God, and be obedient evermore unto him without any hinderance. long as we have here to travail, bearing this sinful flesh about with us, let us resist daily, and fight against the evil inclinations thereof, to the intent that we may hold it under the bridle, and so continue as valiant captains-in and by our Head, Jesus Christ. The which God our celestial Father grant eternally.

And as

QUEEN CATHERINE PARR,

The last Consort of Henry VIII.

CATHERINE PARR, the sixth and surviving queen of king Henry VIII., was born in Westmoreland. She was the daughter of sir Thomas Parr, of Kendal,* and married first to Edward Burgh, secondly to John Neville, lord Latimer. After his decease, she became the wife of Henry, in July 1543.

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She was early instructed in literature; a plan frequently adopted with females of rank in the sixteenth century; in England, it was promoted by the example of the monarch in the education of his daughters. Udal writes thus in a dedicatory epistle to queen Catherine herself. Now, in this gracious and blissful time of knowledge, in which it hath pleased God almighty to reveal and show abroad the light of his most holy gospel, what a number is there of noble women, especially here in this realm of England; yea, and how many in the years of tender virginity, not only as well seen, and as familiarly traded in the Latin and Greek tongues, as in their own mother language; but also in all kinds of literature and arts, made exact, studied, and exercised, and in the holy scripture and theology so ripe, that they are able aptly, wisely, and with much grace, either to indite or to translate into the vulgar tongue, for the public instruction and edifying of the unlearned multitude! Neither is it now a strange thing to hear gentlewomen, instead of most vain communication about the moon shining in the water, to use grave and substantial talk in Latin and Greek, with their husbands, of godly matters. It is now no news in England, for young damsels in noble houses, and in the courts of princes, instead of cards and other instruments of idle trifling, to have continually in their hands, either psalms, homilies, and other devout meditations, or else Paul's epistles, or some book of holy scripture matters; and as familiarly to read or reason thereof, in Greek, Latin, French, or Italian, as in English. It is now a common thing to see young virgins so nursed and trained in the study of letters, that they willingly set all other vain pastimes at nought, for learning's sake. It is now no news

He left his two daughters £800 each, but in case their brother died, and they became co-heiresses of his estates, then the whole of the £1600 was to be paid to the abbey of Clairvaux, to purchase copes and vestments for performing the Romish ceremonials. Such an arrangement gives some idea of the pomp of those services, when it is remembered that the sum is equal to more than ten times the amount at the present day.