[Sidenote:  “Ecclesiastical Polity”]

[Sidenote:  The Pope his reader]

And I am next to declare, that his Fifth Book—­which is larger than his first four—­was first also printed by itself, anno 1597, and dedicated to his patron—­for till then he chose none—­the Archbishop.—­These books were read with an admiration of their excellency in this, and their just fame spread itself also into foreign nations.  And I have been told, more than forty years past, that either Cardinal Allen,[25] or learned Dr. Stapleton,[26]—­both Englishmen, and in Italy about the time when Mr. Hooker’s four books were first printed,—­meeting with this general fame of them, were desirous to read an author, that both the reformed and the learned of their own Romish Church did so much magnify; and therefore caused them to be sent for to Rome:  and after reading them, boasted to the Pope,—­which then was Clement the Eighth,—­“That though he had lately said, he never met with an English book, whose writer deserved the name of author; yet there now appeared a wonder to them, and it would be so to his Holiness, if it were in Latin:  for a poor obscure English Priest had writ four such books of Laws, and Church-polity, and in a style that expressed such a grave and so humble a majesty, with such clear demonstration of reason, that in all their readings they had not met with any that exceeded him:”  and this begot in the Pope an earnest desire that Dr. Stapleton should bring the said four books, and, looking on the English, read a part of them to him in Latin; which Dr. Stapleton did, to the end of the first book; at the conclusion of which, the Pope spake to this purpose:  “There is no learning that this man hath not searched into, nothing too hard for his understanding:  this man indeed deserves the name of an author:  his books will get reverence by age; for there is in them such seeds of eternity, that if the rest be like this, they shall last till the last fire shall consume all learning.”

[Sidenote:  King James on Hooker]

Nor was this high, the only testimony and commendation given to his books; for at the first coming of King James into this kingdom, he enquired of the Archbishop Whitgift for his friend Mr. Hooker, that writ the books of Church-polity; to which the answer was, that he died a year before Queen Elizabeth, who received the sad news of his death with very much sorrow; to which the King replied, “And I receive it with no less, that I shall want the desired happiness of seeing and discoursing with that man, from whose books I have received such satisfaction:  indeed, my Lord, I have received more satisfaction in reading a leaf or paragraph, in Mr. Hooker, though it were but about the fashion of Churches, or Church-Music, or the like, but especially of the Sacraments, than I have had in the reading particular large treatises written but of one of those subjects by others, though very learned men:  and I observe there is in Mr.