sisters should be passed by as illegitimate, on the ground of the marriages of their mothers having been declared void, and by passing over other branches who had a nearer right to the throne, the succession should be settled upon the lady Jane Grey, who, as Northumberland had arranged, was to marry one of his sons, the lord Guildford Dudley. Her mother, lady Frances Brandon, duchess of Suffolk, was grandaughter of Henry VII.

As the spring of 1553 advanced, reports of the king's death were frequent; the anxiety of the nation at large appears from many passages in the writings of the reformers. Feeling his strength decline, Edward became increasingly anxious to secure a protestant successor. He drew up a paper with his own hand, directing the order of succession to the throne, by which the crown devolved upon the lady Jane Grey. An instrument was then prepared by which the principal counsellors declared their assent to this settlement. The judges hesitated for some time, but, with one exception, were finally induced to consent. Northumberland's conduct was such as to make them apprehensive of personal violence. He urged this measure forward; archbishop Cranmer opposed it, and argued much with the king against such a proceeding, in the presence of two of the nobility. He also desired to have a private conference with Edward upon the subject, but this was not allowed, and the duke of Northumberland told him at the council board, that "it became him not to speak to the king as he had done." Cranmer for some time refused to be a party to this instrument, and urged much in behalf of the lady Mary's right. He was silenced, and told that the judges and king's counsel learned in the law were of opinion the alteration could lawfully be made. Cranmer then absented himself from the council, and still refused to sign till the king personally entreated him not to stand out. At length his affection for his royal master, and the authority of the principal law officers prevailed; he reluctantly added his signature. Only one of the judges, justice Hales, refused his assent; but this did not save him from being an object of persecution and suffering in the ensuing reign. The regular instrument, signed by the king and his counsellors, bears date June 21.

Another public document completed by Edward at this time, excites more pleasing reflections. At the commencement of his last sickness, bishop Ridley preached before him, and said much upon the duty of all persons to be charitable according to their ability, especially those who were of high rank. After this sermon, the king sent for the bishop, and commanded him to sit down, and be covered. He then went over the principal arguments mentioned in the sermon, desiring Ridley, that as he had shown what was his duty, he would now show in what manner he should perform it. Ridley was affected, even to tears, at this pleasing conduct of the king, and asked leave to consult with the mayor and aldermen of London upon the subject. Edward approved of this, and desired that they would consider the best manner of re

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lieving the poor. They did so; and Ridley returned in a few days with a plan, dividing the poor into three parts; the poor by impotency, the poor by casualty, and the thriftless poor; again subdividing them into nine classes. After this, the king ordered the Grey Friars monastery, with the lands belonging to it, to be endowed as a school, (now Christ's Hospital;) St. Bartholomew's for sick and maimed persons; Bridewell and Bethlehem, for idle, dissolute characters, and the insane; provision also was made for the relief of poor housekeepers. He hastened the appropriation of these endowments to the laudable purposes just mentioned; and on signing the charters, upon the 26th of June, 1553, when he was so weak as scarcely to be able to hold the pen, he thanked God for sparing his life until he had executed his design. The reader will recollect that all these noble foundations have continued to the present time, as well as several free schools founded by him.

The above is the account given respecting the origin of these noble foundations, by bishop Ridley himself to Grafton the historian. A letter from bishop Ridley to secretary Cecil, contains some further information respecting one of these establishments. He writes thus on the 29th of May: “Good Mr. Cecil, I must be suitor to you, in our Master Christ's cause: I beseech you be good unto him. The matter is this, alas, he hath been too long abroad, as you do know, without lodging, in the streets of London, both hungry, naked, and cold. Now, thanks be to almighty God, the citizens are willing to refresh him, and to greet him with both meat, drink, clothing, and firing; but alas, sir, they Jack lodging for him, for in some one house I dare say they are fain to lodge three families under one roof. Sir, there is a wide, large, empty house of the king's majesty's, called Bridewell, that would wonderfully well serve to lodge Christ in, if he might find such good friends in the court to procure in his cause. Surely I have such a good opinion in the king's majesty, that if Christ had such faithful and trusty friends that would heartily speak for him, he should undoubtedly succeed at the king's majesty's hands. Sir, I have promised my brethren the citizens to move you in this matter, because I do take you for one that feareth God, and would that Christ should be no more abroad in the streets. There is a rumour that one goeth about to buy that house of his majesty to pull it down. If there be any such thing, for God's sake speak you in our Master's name. I have written to M. Gates more at large in this matter, I join you with him and all that love and look for Christ's final benediction at the latter day. If M. Cheke is almost recovered, God be blessed. Were he amongst you I would surely make him in this business one of Christ's special advocates, or rather one of his principal protectors, and surely I would not be sent away. And thus I wish you in Christ, and well to fare."*

Ridley's anxiety to promote these good works, appears from a sermon of Lever's, preached in 1550. He says that, "a number of poor,

The king now evidently drew near his end. When there appeared no longer to be hopes of life, the physicians were dismissed, and some remedies suggested by a female empiric were tried, but without success. The physicians were recalled in a few days, but the royal sufferer rapidly declined, and on the 6th of July breathed his last. "His manner of death," as the council reported to sir Thomas Hoby, "was such toward God, as assureth us that his soul is in place of eternal rest."

Fox relates," About three hours before his death, this godly child, his eyes being closed, speaking to himself, and thinking that none heard him, made this prayer which follows:

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Lord God, deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life, and take me among thy chosen. Howbeit, not my will, but thy will be done. Lord, I commit my spirit to thee. O Lord! thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee, yet for thy chosen's sake send me life and health, that I may truly serve thee. O my Lord God bless thy people, and save thine inheritance. O Lord God, save thy chosen people of England. O my Lord God, defend this realm from papistry, and maintain the true religion, that I and my people may praise thy holy name, for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake.'

“Then turned he his face, and seeing who was by him, said unto them, 'Are ye so nigh? I thought ye had been further off.' Then Dr. Owen, one of his physicians, who gave this account, to satisfy him, said, 'We heard you speak to yourself, but what you said we know not.' He then (after his fashion) smilingly said, "I was praying to God.' The last words of his pangs were these: 'I am faint, Lord, have mercy upon me, and take my spirit.' And thus he yielded up the ghost."

The untimely decease of Edward, and the political circumstances of that day, caused reports to be spread of his having fallen a victim to poison. For this there was no real foundation. The opinions which then prevailed are stated in a letter of Terentian, an Italian, who had accompanied Peter Martyr to England, (Ep. Helv. Reform. lxxvi.) He says, "On the 6th of July died that holy Josiah, our earthly hope; of consumption as the physicians state, of poison as is said, for the papists spread this report that they may heap every sort of odium upon Northumberland, and, to say the truth, there are considerable grounds for suspicion; but if I may say what I think, I would rather believe the papists themselves to be the authors of such wickedness, for they manifest no appearance of sorrow, and no inquiry is made respecting such a crime."

Strype says, "His funeral was solemnized at Westminster,

feeble, halt, blind, lame, sickly, with idle vagabonds and dissembling caitiffs mixed among them, lay, and crept begging in the miry streets of London and Westminster,"-adding, "but now I trust that a good overseer, a godly bishop I mean, will see that they in these two cities shall have their need relieved and faults corrected, to the good ensample of all other towns and cities."

Aug. 8, 1553. Whereat were expressed, by all sorts of people, such signs of sorrow for his death, by weepings and lamentations, as the like was scarce ever seen or heard upon the like occasion."

Burnet relates, "Day, bishop of Chichester, preached the funeral sermon for king Edward. It was intended by queen Mary that all the burial rites should have been according to the old forms that were before the reformation. But Cranmer opposed this vigorously, and insisted upon it, that as the king himself had been a zealous promoter of the reformation, so the English service was then established by law. Upon this he stoutly hindered any other way of officiating, and himself performed all the offices of the burial; to which he joined the solemnity of a communion. In these, it may be easily imagined, he did every thing with a very lively sorrow; since as he had loved the king beyond expression, so he could not but look on his funeral as the burial of the reformation, and in particular as a step to his own."

Bale relating the above, remarks how much Edward had the welfare of his people at heart, and says that he had often observed him at public prayers when the words, O Lord save thy people, were repeated, joining most fervently with clasped hands and eyes lifted up to heaven.

To enlarge upon the excellences of this our "British Josiah," would not be difficult, but it is unnecessary. Enough has been related to show, that although his rank and situation exposed him to many temptations, he was preserved from evil, and ever anxious for the discharge of his peculiar duties. But the most important feature in his character is, that he was a follower of the truth," a saint of God," one of whom the world was not worthy.

Many letters and other writings of Edward VI. have been preserved. The greater part of these have been printed by Burnet and Strype. Though interesting as illustrations of his character, they are not desirable for the present collection. The treatise on the papal supremacy is a specimen of his productions; it is supposed to have been written by this prince at the age of twelve years. A sufficient memorial of Edward VI. will never be wanting so long as the protestant faith is professed in England.

The original of his journal is in the British Museum; it has been printed by Burnet, but there are very few observations of the king on the events he notes down. One of these notices refers to the execution of the unhappy Joan Bocher.* Another contains evidence

*For some account of the undeserved sufferings of this friendless and persecuted female, see life of Cranmer, p. 49. The entry respecting her in king Edward's journal does not notice the interference which the archbishop is said to have made on this occasion. It is as follows: "May 2, 1549. Joan Bocher, otherwise called Joan of Kent, was burned for holding that Christ was not incarnate of the virgin Mary; being condemned before, but kept in hope of conversion; and the 30th of April the bishop of London and the bishop of Ely were to persuade her; but she withstood them, and reviled the preacher that preached at her death." Deep

of the deceitful course adopted by bishop Gardiner. "The duke of Somerset, with five others of the council, went to the bishop of Winchester, to whom he made this answer: 'I having deliberately seen the Book of Common Prayer, although I would not have made it so myself, yet I find such things in it as satisfieth my conscience, and therefore I will both execute it myself, and also see others my parishioners to do it."" The journal contains various notices, which show the interest Edward took in » the affairs of the protestants in Germany, and the anxiety caused by the designs of the Romanists respecting the princess Mary; but, though valuable as an historical document, it contains very little relating to the internal progress of the reformation. The principal circumstances relative to the fall and execution of the duke of Somerset are mentioned, and the active endeavours of Northumberland to occupy the young king's attention by a succession of amusements, while the death of his excellent uncle was urged forward, are very apparent. From memorandums written by the king still extant, it is evident that in allowing the proceedings against his uncle to go forward, he considered that he was sacrificing his personal regard and feelings for the due course of justice and the welfare of the kingdom. Hayward describes him as often lamenting the unhappy situation in which the necessity for consenting to his uncle's death placed him.

The extended circulation of the bible must ever be considered as one of the principal glories of king Edward's reign. The free use of the scriptures now was permitted to all; and no less than thirty-four editions of the whole Bible, or of the New Testament, were printed during the six years Edward VI. was upon the throne, besides separate editions of detached parts, and innumerable other writings setting forth the truths of the gospel. Among the most valuable memorials of his reign, the first book of Homilies may be mentioned. These discourses have been so often printed, and are circulated in so many forms, that it is unnecessary to advert to them further, or to include any portion of them in the present collection. Nowell's Catechism, in its original form, supplies an important summary of the doctrines of the reformation, as set forth at this period, and as such it is given in this work. A selection of prayers from the Primer authorized by king Edward, also shows the principles of truth then taught in our land. The serious reader cannot peruse them without pleasure and profit, and they may without impropriety be considered as productions of the youthful monarch, though not immediately from his pen.

indeed must have been the dreadful prejudices that authorized religious persecution, when king Edward could thus record such an event. The preacher was a dissembling papist, Dr. Scory; the sufferer told him to go and read the scriptures, and we cannot be surprised that she expressed herself in strong terms.