“I svppose it altogether needlesse (Christian Reader) by commending M. VVilliam Perkins, the Author of this booke, to wooe your holy affection, which either himselfe in his life time by his Christian conversation hath woon in you, or sithence his death, the neuer-dying memorie of his excellent knowledge, his great humilitie, his sound religion, his feruent zeale, his painefull labours, in the Church of God, doe most iustly challenge at your hands:  onely in one word, I dare be bold to say of him as in times past Nazianzen spake of Athanasius.  His life was a good definition of a true minister and preacher of the Gospell.”—­The Printer to the Reader.

26. Examples written about the end of Elizabeth’s reign—­1603.

“Some say, That euer ’gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s Birth is celebrated,
The Bird of Dawning singeth all night long;
And then, say they, no Spirit dares walk abroad: 
The nights are wholsom, then no Planets strike,
No Fairy takes, nor Witch hath pow’r to charm;
So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.” 

          
                                                          SHAKSPEARE:  Hamlet.

“The sea, with such a storme as his bare head
In hell-blacke night indur’d, would haue buoy’d up
And quench’d the stelled fires. 
Yet, poore old heart, he holpe the heuens to raine. 
If wolues had at thy gate howl’d that sterne time,
Thou shouldst haue said, Good porter, turne the key.” 

          
                                                            SHAKSPEARE:  Lear.

IV.  ENGLISH OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

27. Reign of Elizabeth, 1603 back to 1558.—­Example written in 1592.

“As for the soule, it is no accidentarie qualitie, but a spirituall and inuisible essence or nature, subsisting by it selfe.  Which plainely appeares in that the soules of men haue beeing and continuance as well forth of the bodies of men as in the same; and are as wel subiect to torments as the bodie is.  And whereas we can and doe put in practise sundrie actions of life, sense, motion, vnderstanding, we doe it onely by the power and vertue of the soule.  Hence ariseth the difference betweene the soules of men, and beasts.  The soules of men are substances:  but the soules of other creatures seeme not to be substances; because they haue no beeing out of the bodies in which they are.”—­WILLIAM PERKINS:  Theol.  Works, folio, p. 155.

28. Examples written about the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign.—­1558.

“Who can perswade, when treason is aboue reason; and mighte ruleth righte; and it is had for lawfull, whatsoever is lustfull; and commotioners are better than commissioners; and common woe is named common weale?”—­SIR JOHN CHEKE.  “If a yong jentleman will venture him selfe into the companie of ruffians, it is over great a jeopardie, lest their facions, maners, thoughts, taulke, and dedes, will verie sone be over like.”—­ROGER ASCHAM.