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PREFACE OF THE EDITOR.

HAVING AVING formed a design of collecting materials for a new edition of Isaac Walton's Lives of Dr. Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, Mr. George Herbert, and Dr. Robert Sanderson, I was fortunate enough to be apprized of the existence of the two following Letters. Those who are conversant in the history of the times in which they were written will easily discern, that the author had in view the arguments advanced in a treatise generally ascribed to Dr. Herbert Croft, Bishop of Hereford, and first published in 1675, under the title of "The Naked Truth, or the True State of the Primitive Church, by an Humble Moderator. Zach. viii. 19, Love the Truth and Peace. Gal. iv. 16, Am I therefore become your Enemy, because I tell you the Truth?"

The anecdote of the conversation that passed between Dr. Duncon and his Venetian friend is

highly interesting. Sir Henry Wotton, during his residence at Venice, contributed much to diffuse the light of religious truth. His house in that city was the resort of wise and learned men. Here was seen the purity of the Protestant faith, in its own primitive lustre and native loveliness, recommended by the most powerful of all motives, a practice in its professors perfectly consonant with the rules of the evangelical code. Hence Father Paul, and Fulgentio his immediate successor, derived that illumination of their understandings, which enabled them to discover the errors of Popery. Conviction took possession of their hearts, though they had not resolution strong enough to break the fetters in which they were bound. A noted writer, who visited Venice at this time, and on whose veracity we may depend, however peculiar his mode of narration may be, confirms the propriety of these remarks. "Here again," says our entertaining traveller, "I will once more speake of our most "worthy ambassador, Sir Henry Wotton, honoris "causâ; because his house was in the same "streete (when I was in Venice) where the "Jewish Ghetto is, even in the streete called

"St. Hieronimo, and but a little from it. Cer

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tainly he hath greatly graced and honoured his "country by that most honourable port, that he "hath maintayned in this noble city, by his

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generose carriage and most elegant and gracious "behaviour amongst the greatest senators and "clarissimoes, which, like the true adamant, had "that attractive vertue to winne him their love "and grace in the highest measure. And the "rather I am induced to make mention of him, "because I received many great favours at his hands in Venice, for the which (I must confesse) I am most deservedly ingaged unto him “in all due and obsequious respects, while I live: "Also those rare vertues of the minde where"with God hath abundantly inriched him, his

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singular learning and exquisite knowledge in "the Greeke and Latin, and the famousest languages of Christendome, which are excel"lently beautified with a plausible volubility of speech, have purchased him the inward friend"ship of all the Christian Ambassadors resident in "the city; and finally his zealous conversation,

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(which is the principal thing of all) piety and

integrity of life, and his true worship of God

"in the middest of Popery, superstition, and idolatry, (for he hath service and sermons in "his house after the Protestant manner, which "I thinke was never before permitted in Venice; "that solid divine and worthy scholar, Mr. Wil"liam Bedel, being his preacher at the time of

my being in Venice) will be very forcible "motives (I doubt not) to winne many soules "to Jesus Christ, and to draw divers of the "famous Papists of the city to the true reformed "religion, and profession of the gospell.

"In this streete also doth famous Frier Paul "dwell, which is of the order of Servi. I "mention him, because in the time of the dif "ference betwixt the Signiory of Venice and "the Pope, he did in some sort oppose himselfe against the Pope, especially concerning his supremacy in civil matters; and, as well with "his tongue as his pen, inveighed not a little against him. So that for his bouldnesse with "the Pope's holynesse he was like to be slaine

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by some of the Papists in Venice, whereof "one did very dangerously wound him. It is "thought, that he doth dissent, in many points,

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