Proof of their Completion: Statement of Hooker's Widow. xxi explain the course taken in the present edition severally with EDITOR'S each of the three: for it so happens that they stand respectively upon distinct and very unequal grounds of evidence.

First, there can be no reasonable doubt that the author left them completed for publication. Of this fact, we have two, if not three, contemporary statements, independent of each other: first, that of Dr. Spenser in his preface to the first edition of the collected five books; "24 He lived till he saw "them perfected:" secondly, that of Covel, (Just and Temp. Defence, p. 149;) "Those three books of his, which from his "own mouth, I am informed that they were finished." To which in all probability might be added the testimony of the Cranmer family, of whom, it may be supposed, Walton received the anecdote related in the Life, p. 84.

Next, his papers with the rest of his chattels were given by his last will to his wife, whom he left sole executrix under the supervision of a person of the name of Churchman, probably her father, (see Bishop Andrews' Letter, p. 91, note 7.) in conjunction with his own friend and pupil, Sandys. The will is dated Oct. 26, and Hooker died Nov. 2. Only five days afterwards Dr. Andrewes, being then at the court, wrote to Dr. Parry, who was, as it may seem, intimate with the Churchman family, and near at hand, requesting him to provide without delay for the security of the papers. He writes in a tone of the greatest anxiety, and regrets that he should be so late in giving this hint, having but just been informed of Hooker's death. Inquiry, it may be presumed, was made accordingly, and nothing satisfactory elicited from the widow. For the next thing we are told is, that at the end of a month, the archbishop sent one of his chaplains to inquire after the three remaining books, " of which she would not, or could "not, give any account:" but that after an interval of three months more, suspicions having arisen, she was summoned before the privy council, and in a preliminary examination confessed to the archbishop, that many of her husband's writings had been burned and torn by a Mr. Charke, (probably the same who married her daughter,) and another minister who dwelt near Canterbury. Here her statement closes; for she died suddenly before the examination could be resumed.

24 See hereafter, p. 97.

PREFACE.

EDITOR'S

xxii

Hooker's remaining Papers intrusted to Spenser :

Such is the narration of Walton, communicated to him PREFACE. about the year 1624, " by one that well knew Mr. Hooker "and the affairs of his family:" i. e. apparently, by William the brother of George Cranmer, or by one of his sisters: the father and aunts of Walton's first wife. To which must be added the statement of Bishop King, also a contemporary of Hooker's, communicated through the Bishop's son to Walton, with the express intention of its being made public in his name. See hereafter, p. 103. This evidence is surely distinct enough, and has as much claim to be attended to as contemporary evidence has in general. Of course it does not prove that the widow's account was true, but it does prove that the papers were not forthcoming, that she was called on to undergo official examination regarding them, and that such and such was the result of the examination, according to the belief of those who were most concerned to know. It is true, no record of the transaction remains in the council books; but it does not appear from Walton's account that it ever came officially before the council. On the whole, the conclusion is irresistible that the completed books were irrecoverably gone; and all that remained was to secure and arrange what was left of the rough draughts. These, it may be supposed, Mrs. Hooker gave up to the archbishop, on occasion of the aforesaid inquiry, i. e. about March, 1600. And he committed them to the care of Dr. Spenser, not only, doubtless, as an intimate college friend of the author, but also as one of the nearest surviving representatives of George Cranmer, who of all others would have been fittest for the trust, had he been alive. But he unfortunately had fallen at the battle of Carlingford, Nov. 13, 1600, only eleven days after his friend and tutor, and in all probability before he could be aware of his death.

[12]

To Spenser then, who had married Cranmer's sister, and who afterwards became President of the college, the task of editorship was by preference intrusted: the rather, as it may seem, because he was one of those with whom Hooker had most freely communicated on his great work, during its progress. And the single remaining composition of Spenser himself (single, if we except his preface to his edition of the Polity) is quite sufficient to evince his entire sympathy with Hooker's views; at least, his thorough aptness as a learner in that school. It is a posthumous publication, a sermon

[13]

H. Jackson employed in arranging them.

PREFACE.

xxiii at St. Paul's Cross on Isaiah v. 2, 3 full of eloquence and EDITOR'S striking thoughts; the theological matter almost entirely, and sometimes the very words, being taken from those parts of Hooker, in which he treats of the visible Church. It may be added, that Spenser from the beginning appears to have belonged to that party in his college, which feared Puritanism as well as Romanism, and that his appointment to the office of Greek Lecturer, in 1577, had been vehemently opposed by Reynolds 25. Both he and Bishop King were at the time of their common friend Hooker's death resident in London, and neighbours, Spenser vicar of St. Sepulchre's, and King rector of St. Andrew's, Holborn. The first step the former took in fulfilment of the archbishop's charge regarding Hooker's remains, was the republication of the five Books of Polity, with a preface (reprinted in this edition): in which he distinctly announces the purpose of giving to the world the three remaining books, dismembered and defaced as they were. This took place, according to Wood, in 1604. The edition contained the five books, "without any addition or "diminution whatsoever." But the editor's labours that year began to be interrupted by the new Translation of the Bible, in which he was engaged as one of the Westminster committee and no progress appears to have been made with Hooker until his return to Oxford again. But in 1607, on the death of Reynolds, he was elected President of C.C.C., his and Hooker's friend King having been made Dean of Ch. Ch. in 1605.

He found in the college a young scholar of the name of Henry Jackson, of the city of Oxford, skilful and industrious in translating, arranging, and compiling: him Spenser employed, as Walton says, " to transcribe for him all Mr. "Hooker's remaining written papers;" and he evidently entered on the work with an editor's partiality, and was disposed to take to himself the editor's credit, which indeed Spenser, as far as appears, was in no wise inclined to deny him. He began with what may be called the Opuscula: publishing in the years 1612, 13, 14, several of the Sermons, to be noticed hereafter in their places: among which that on Justification had so rapid a sale, that a new edition was 25 See Further Appendix to the Life of Hooker, No. iv. p. 114.

xxiv Death of Spenser. Fate of Hooker's Remains:

EDITOR'S required in a few weeks. It seems to have been intended that PREFACE. the eighth book of the Polity, for whatever reason, should

appear first, by itself: and Fulman has preserved three fragments of letters by Jackson, all dated 1612; the first, as it seems, early in the year, stating that the President had put the eighth book into his hands, and that he was entirely taken up with the task of" polishing" and arranging it. The second letter, dated in September, represents him as just putting the last hand to the same book: and the third, of Dec. 21, complains" that the President, as he, Jackson, had reason to "think, meant to edit it in his own name, although its revival "(for he could call it no less) was the work of him, Jackson, "alone: a plain case of one man bearing off another man's "honours."

Thus far the business of publication had advanced when Dr. Spenser died, 3 April, 1614. At his death, he bequeathed Hooker's papers " as a precious legacy" to Dr. King, who in 1611 had been made Bishop of London. Thus they were taken out of Jackson's custody, at a time when he was not very kindly affected towards any one who might interfere with the interest in them which he considered himself to have acquired. The rest of their history, as a collection, is soon told. Bishop King's son informs Walton, that his father preserved them until his death, which happened March 30, 162126. Afterwards they continued in his, Henry King's hand, till Archbishop Abbot claimed them for Lambeth Library. They were conveyed to him by Dr. Barkham his chaplain, who being dean of Bocking, was probably a neighbour of King, then archdeacon of Colchester. This must have taken place before September 1633. It is remarkable, that while they were under Laud's custody, no thought of completing the edition seems to have been entertained. The reports on the state of the MSS. were probably discouraging, and a false notion might prevail, of undue countenance likely to be afforded to the innovators by certain portions. However, the papers remained undisturbed, except by occasional copyists, (with whom the eighth book seems to have been most in favour,) until Dec. 28, 1640, when the Archbishop was committed

26 Ath. Oxon. ii. 296.

First Publication of the Sixth and Eighth Books. XXV

PREFACE.

for high treason, and his library was made over to the custody EDITOR'S of Prynne 27. From him it passed to Hugh Peters, by a vote of the Commons, June 27, 1644. Nothing more is known of the fate of the original papers: and certainly it is no great wonder, if whilst they remained in such hands, the friends of the Church looked suspiciously at the publication of any thing which professed to have formed part of them.

[14] 7. To record those publications in their order: The first occurs as early as 1641, from the Oxford press, under the sanction of no less a person than Archbishop Ussher. Of this an account will be given in speaking of the Appendix to Book Eight in this edition.

The second of the Hooker Fragments which appeared was the letter of George Cranmer already mentioned, in 1642. Reasons have been given above, against ascribing the editorship of this either to Jackson or to Walton: but it may have passed through the hands of Ussher; who appears to have spent the whole of that year, either in Oxford or in London: and ground may perhaps appear by and by for a reasonable conjecture as to the channel by which he became possessed of this and some other pieces.

The third was a far more important relic. In 1648, according to Wood, (Ath. Oxon. i. 695,) but according to the copy 28 which has been used in correcting the press of this edition, in 165129, came out "Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall

Policy, the Sixth and Eighth Books. By Richard Hooker. "A work long expected, and now published, according to the "most authentique copies. London, printed by R. B. [Richard Bishop,] and are to be sold by George Badger in St. Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleet-street." small 4to. pp. 226. An account of the authorities from which this publication was professedly made may be seen in the Life, p. 95, note 12. Six MSS. are there mentioned: but it may be suspected that the statement relates to the eighth book only. At least, the Catalogus MSS. Anglic. mentions but one copy of the sixth book, nor have the researches made with a view to the present edition succeeded

27 See H. Wharton's Preface to the Troubles, &c. of Archbishop Laud.

28 From the Library of C. C. C. with a few marginal notices and corrections by Fulman.

29 Wood however was right: as appears by a copy with which the Editor has been favoured, since the first publication of this Preface, by the Rev. J.S. Brewer, of Queen's College, Oxford.