Bellarmine was one of the best controversial writers of his time; few authors have done greater honour to their profession or opinions, and certain it is that none have ever more ably defended the cause of the Romish Church, or contended in favour of the pope with greater advantage.  As a proof of Bellarmine’s abilities, there was scarcely a divine of any eminence among the Protestants who did not attack him:  Bayle aptly says, “they made his name resound every where, ut littus Styla, Styla, omne sonaret.”]

[Footnote 59:  Faustus Socinus is so well known as the founder of the sect which goes under his name, that a few words will be sufficient.  He was born in 1539, at Sienna, and imbibed his opinions from the instruction of his uncle, who always had a high opinion of, and confidence in, the abilities of his nephew, to whom he bequeathed all his papers.  After living several years in the world, principally at the court of Francis de Medicis, Socinus, in 1577, went into Germany, and began to propagate the principles of his uncle, to which, it is said, he made great additions and alterations of his own.  In the support of his opinions, he suffered considerable hardships, and received the greatest insults and persecutions; to avoid which, he retired to a place near Cracow, in Poland, where he died in 1504, at the age of sixty-five.]

[Footnote 60:  Conrade Vorstius, a learned divine, who was peculiarly detested by the Calvinists, and who had even the honour to be attacked by King James the First, of England, was born in 1569.  Being compelled, through the interposition of James’s ambassador, to quit Leyden, where he had attained the divinity-chair, and several other preferments, he retired to Toningen, where he died in 1622, with the strongest tokens of piety and resignation.]

[Footnote 61:  His style is very constant, for it keeps still the former aforesaid; and yet it seems he is much troubled in it, for he is always humbly complaining—­your poor orator.  First edit.]

[Footnote 62:  “To moote, a term vsed in the innes of the court; it is the handling of a case, as in the Vniuersitie their disputations,” &c.  So Minshew, who supposes it to be derived from the French, mot, verbum, quasi verba facere, aut sermonem de aliqua re habere. Mootmen are those who, having studied seven or eight years, are qualified to practise, and appear to answer to our term of barristers.]

[Footnote 63:  The prologue to our ancient dramas was ushered in by trumpets.  “Present not yourselfe on the stage (especially at a new play) untill the quaking prologue hath (by rubbing) got cullor into his cheekes, and is ready to giue the trumpets their cue that hee’s vpon point to enter.”—­Decker’s Gul’s Hornbook, 1609, p. 30.  “Doe you not know that I am the Prologue?  Do you not see this long blacke veluet cloke vpon my backe? Haue you not sounded thrice?”—­Heywood’s Foure Prentises of London, 4to, 1615.]