Church, as appears by the inscription preserved by Mr. Stovin. He had a large family of sons, one of whom, Henry the youngest, became bishop of Chester. He appears to have placed a very high value on illustrious descent, and his book, the "Blazon of Gentrie," rather than his employments and services, have transmitted his name to posterity. This work is divided into two parts. The first part is called "the Glory of Generositie." The second, "Lacy's Nobilitie, comprehending discourses of Arms and of Gentry: wherein is treated of the beginning, parts, and degrees of Gentleness, with her laws of the bearing and blazon of cote armour: of the laws of armes and of combats. Compiled by John Ferne, gentleman, for the instruction of all gentlemen bearers of arms, whome, and none other, this work concerneth." The style of this work is rather too verbose and pedantic, but it is full of curious information, and is far above the level of the early heraldic writers. It is written in the form of a dialogue, and the characters of the interlocutors are well sustained. We have a herald, a knight, a divine, a lawyer, an antiquary, and a ploughman. In the discourse of the last named character, we are presented with a view of the feeling which pervaded the lower orders of the reign of Elizabeth on several points, but particularly on the reformation* then lately completed, and expressed in the vernacular language of the day. The first part was written when Ferne was beginning to devote himself to the study of the law. His work lay by him in MS. and its publication is connected with a singular incident. In the year 1588 there appeared in England a foreigner, who called himself Albertus a Lasco, Palatine of Syradia. He was a Pole. His learning, the elegance of his person, the splendour of his attire, and above all a beard most extravagantly profuse, * Paradinus loquitur. You may percieve by the table, the coat of arms of Hilderbert Lacey: the field thereof is parted into four parts. This form of partition I account as the foremost and most worthy of all partitions. For as the cross, for the dignitie of him that suffered upon the same, was taken into armes, as a sign of greatest honour by godly and antient christians, and is ranged in the Hunter's History of the Deanery of Doncaster, Vol. 1. gained the public attention. He professed that he came to England allured by the reputation of Elizabeth, who received him at her court, and all her nobility vied with each other in the attentions which were supposed to be due to him. When he visited the University of Oxford he was received with public honours. He spoke there largely of what he would do for learned men, who would accompany him to his own country. After having been about four months in England he suddenly disappeared, leaving all his debts unpaid. the chiefest place of the ordinary charges, so likewise it followeth that this partition, divided into the form of a crosse, is the most noble of the rest: for which cause some that have been learned in Blazonne do say, in the Blazonne of such a field, Party per crosse or. and gules, &c. &c. &c. Theologus. I think that by the rules of religion it may well enough be borne in armes, yea and more fit is it to be set forth and painted in places of religious assemblies, whither as christians ought to convent for the exercise of prayers and matters of sacraments and doctrines, then that profane devices, farre inferior to those heathenish emblems and hierogliphiques of the antient Egyptians, in the significations of an vertue or vertuous actions, should be tolerated in such places. But yet this sign of the crosse has been greately abused; for whereas the antient fathers of the christian profession, as likewise som christian Caesars, with sundrie other most worthy captains and nobles, have used the same to a good intention: the one sort thought it convenient to adde some outward signe or consignation of the crosse, and that in baptism, albiet they always contended against the adoration of the same, and this did they bycause that Jewes and other infidels, adversaries to Christ, and his death esteemed of the crosse as of a thing most vile and shameful. And the other sort being most godly and renowned gentlemen, assumed the signe of the crosse into their penons, guydons, estandarts, and shields when they warred against the enemies of Christ's passion, thereby shewing to the enemy how they accounted the sign of the crosse as an emblem and token of great honor, which the Jews and Sarazens deemed most ignominious and accursed, being then an instrument or engine of torture. But after all this godly use of the emblem of the crosse, up starteth Anti-Christ at Rome, who contending to make a mart of all faith and worship of God, diviseth by Counsels and Synods that all signes, images, segments, or reliques of holy men, or sacred things, should be adored, to the great derogation of God's worship, and to the mainteining of grosse idolatry, albiet that his Sorbonists do very doltishly distinguish two kinds of adoration, in putting a difference between Latria, a worship competent onely to God, and Dulia, a worship due to man or angell. And with the worship of Dulia, say they, hath the Romish Church decreed that the crosse (which in former times, and at this day among godly christians might be reputed but as an ensign or badge of Christe's passion), should be adored, whereby daily idolatries have been committed. Sithence which many Romanists have tyred their braines in the defence of the worthiness and virtues of the crosse, amongst whom Durand, and one Rabanus, bishop of Mentz, be the chiefest. Columel. By my trothe, sir, I had thought you had been asleep as well as myself; vor here is zutch a prattle of Lords and Earles, Kings and Queens, Coates and old quaint stories, that I was afred unpaid. Amongst those who sought the honour of his acquaintance was Sir John Ferne. Whether A Lasco first heard from Ferne, that there had been a family of great eminence in England who had borne the name of Laci, or knew it before, is uncertain; but while in England he gave it out that he was of English extraction, and a branch of that noble house. Ferne was engaged by him to write a treatise on the descent of the Lacies; and when the imposture was discovered, it became necessary that the public should know afred to give ease; wherefore I thought to have vetched our landlord (who as they say is now become a gentleman), to have lurried these things, vor zutch as myself are not worthy to hear this talk. But when Maister Paradin began his speeche of the crosse he wakened me. I remember well when it stode in the upper end of our Church body, and had a trim loft for it, with a curten drawn before it to keep it warme: yea, zur, zutch was the time then, that we borrell folke were taught there was a God upon it, and we must creepe many a time and make many offerings to it for our sinnes: but I think, verely, the priest did eate them up, which made them such tread fowles with a vengeance. Marry I am glad now they have wives of their owne, for since that time we have better rule kept; and yet some say it is a decay of man's stature, for the seed of churchmen did send forth lusty strong and sturdie ympes, able to bear a King's banner; but indeed, zur, the crosse was at that time a god, and yet I marvell where he hath left his godhead, vor in those dayes we leaved an unlearned people, durst not pass by it in the churchyarde without bending of a knee. Now these fraltries (God save our good Queen and her wise Lords), have been taken away. But vote you what, sir? though you seem to be a bookish man, and can some good wheresoever you have learned it. I know a man of our coate who will not preach in a churche if the crosse standeth in the window, but he will sweate in the talking against it, he is so veruent hote, and a ring in marriage that's flat superfection. Theologus. Thou wouldest say superstition. Columel. You say true; I can not hit these Latin words: but good Lord, what shall become of us? methinks there should be somewhat between staring and stark blinde. Theologus. Thou must learn to put a difference between darkness of superstition and popery, and the daylight of the gospel, wherein thou seest how leudly you have been led by your blinde guides; but indeed it seemeth true that as by too great a reverence given to things indifference, superstition and false worship entred into the Church, which was the chiefest cause of the defection of the Romaine Church; even so by too profane reckoning of outwarde things in our days, contempt, confusion, and disorder of things more sacred doth encroch. As concerning the sign of the crosse, although the worship thereof in any sort is by no means to be allowed, yet the placing it in churches is much more decent than prophane or pagan devises; and the bearing of it in armes is most prayseworthy, sith that Paule wished to glory in the crosse of Christ. Yea it hath been used by the special commandment of God amongst the Jews: for as at such time as they should pass out of Egypt, they were enjoined to anoint the two door posts of their houses with the blood of a lamb in the form of the letter, Than, when as the angel passed over Egypt with a commission to destroy the first borne, else know what he had communicated to A Lasco on this subject, especially as reports prejudicial to his reputation were circulated. And certainly, if he delivered nothing to A Lasco but what appears in that treatise, he is not guilty of genealogical flattery, as it is a very faithful investigation of the descent of that noble house; and its conclusions must have cut off all hope of this foreign impostor connecting himself with it. This circumstance is alluded to in the "Epistle Dedicatorie to the Right Honourable Baron Edmunde Lorde Sheffielde." "About eight years now past, having culled the chief matters and points of this whole treatise from our diverse authors and writers of blazon, and of the laws of arms, to the reading whereof, as in the place of an intermissive delectation, I did sometimes addict myself: sithence which time, I have not any wit conversed in that study, having long since made choice of a better, for I never ment to make profession of that science, altho' in itself very honourable and praiseworthy, yet to the professors thereof both trifles and unprofitable: I did promulgate the same treatise unto some of my familiers and acquaintance, by whose importune solicitations as enforced I have published the same: and the rather I was thereunto led in what I might notifee to the worlde, my integritye and directe behaviour, unjustly sclaundered, in the deduction of some broken and uncertain lynes or genealogies of Lacies, sometime Earls of Lincoln, drawn by me at the request of an honourable personage; and to that intent have I added them also unto this present treatise." Following the preface are several commendatory addresses of the author and else had they been destroyed of the destroyer. The letter Thau, being the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is formed like a crosse. For so Ezekiel in spirit prophecieth thus, "pass by the middest of the city, and signe the foreheads of suche as weep and lament for the abominations of Israel, with the sign of T, and look upon whom you shall not see T signed, him strike with the sword." Thus has it pleased the Spirit of God to set down the token of his people's deliverance in the forme of a crosse, prefiguring thereby that on the signe of the crosse, albiet a contemptible thing in the sight of the Jews, should be wrought the deliverance of all them that believe on his sonne, by the death of him which was begotten before all worlds, Jesus Christ the righteous. Part 2. page 79. and his book, in French and Latin verse, and one in English, the concluding lines of which are as follows. But stay, no more; my glasse is runne, I list no longer stand, His pain thy gain; and he content, if that he gives may please. I. ROSSE. PEDIGREE OF FERNE, From a MS. of Dr. Burton's, at Burton Constable, said to be copied from a Table at Epworth. |