CHAPTER XXII.

"THE WORTHIES OF ENGLAND." (1662.)

PREPARATION OF THE "WORTHIES." - FULLER'S REFLECTIONS ON

MAKING

BOOKS.-DESIGN OF THE WORTHIES."-ITS FOREIGN TOPICS.-fuller's 66 EXCEPTIONS TO HIS OWN BOOK.-THE LIVES: THEIR COMMENDATIONS BY LAMB, KNIGHT, ETC.-WM. WINSTANLEY.-THE SOURCES OF THE WORK. -FULLER'S FRIENDS: HIS CORRESPONDENCE.-PEPYS, NEWCOME, ETC., AND "THE WORTHIES."-THE Errors, etc., OF THE WORK.—ITS PATRON. —JOHN FULLER: HIS INTEREST IN THE WORK.-HIS COLLEGE FELLOWSHIP AND THE ACT OF UNIFORMITY.

“God's Calendar is more complete than man's best martyrologies; and their names are written in the Book of Life who on earth are wholly forgotten.' (Worthies.)

CCORDING to the anonymous Life, Fuller began to collect the materials for his last and only incomplete work when chaplain in the field to Lord Hopton.' During the seventeen or eighteen subsequent years, he kept the project steadily in view. The occasional dates and references in the work evidence a lengthened preparation. Oldys, following his predecessor, sees in the work "the main channel of his thoughts; but, through the whole course of this current, they branched out into little streams or rivulets. The said intermediate publications were mostly occasional, or offered from time to time as so many little whets or stays to the keen appetites of his curious readers, while his larger and more splendid entertainments for them were getting ready."

The time occupied in the controversy with Heylyn greatly interfered with the preparation of the book for the press. "I have a book of The Lives of all English Worthies (God send it good success!), which had been in print if not obstructed by the intervening of this contest." And in his letter to Cosin in 1657 he speaks of being then about to set forth a book Of the Worthies of England. There is thus therefore no ground

'See p. 333 ante.

2

whatever for the unfair charge advanced by Nicolson that it was "huddled up in haste for the procurement of some moderate profit for the author." At the time of his death all was printed except about twelve counties (Durham, Derby, Dorset, Gloucester, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottingham, Oxford, Rutland, with part of Kent, Devonshire, and the cities of London and Westminster), and an appendix.

We have already seen that Fuller has alluded with a degree of sadness to his love of historical research taking him from his high vocation. He added: "I now experimentally find the truth of Solomon's words: 'Of making many books there is no end,' Eccl. 12. 12. Not but that all perfect books (I mean perfect in sheets, otherwise none save Scripture perfect) have Finis in the close thereof; or that any author is so irrational, but he propounds an end to himself before he begins it; but that in making of many books there is no end,' that is, the writers of them seldom or never do attain that end which they propound to themselves, especially if squinting at sinister ends, as who is not flesh and blood?" His remarks are directed chiefly against those who had to write in their own vindication; "which is my case; enough to take off my edge, formerly too keen in making multiplicity of books. I confess, I have yet one History ready for the press, which I hope will be for God's glory and honour of our nation. This new-built ship is now on the stocks, ready to be lanched; and being a vessel of great burden,' God send me some good adventurers to bear part of the expense. This done, I will never meddle more with making any books of this nature. It is a provident way, before writing leaves us to leave off writing, and the rather because scribbling is the frequentative thereof. If therefore my petitioning and optative Amen shall meet with God's commissioning and imperative Amen, I will hereafter totally attend the concernments of my calling, and what directly and immediately shall tend to the advance of devotion in my self and in others, as preparatory to my dissolution out of this state of mortality." 1

After the publication of the Appeal, Fuller made great efforts to complete the book, it having been his intention to have continued it to the end of 1659," and had therefore writ it in such language as those times of Usurpation (during the most part of which it was compiled) would suffer such a subject." Towards the beginning of the year 1660 he had it ready for the press. But before finally printing it, "he reviewed it over,”

Appeal, chap. xiii. Fuller's reference to his love of writing is curiously illustrated in the Oratio of South, p. 613 ante: "He is ever doing what you are doing-writing."

says the Life, "giving Truth and his own most excellent fancy their proper becoming ornaments, scope and clearness. But neither the elevation of Usurpers, nor the depression of the Royalists, and the vice versa of it, did ever incline or sway him to additions, intercalations, or expunctions of persons, whom he hath recommended to the world for Worthies; no such thing as a Pym or Protector whom the mad world cried up for brave: drops of compassionate tears they did force from him, but his resolute ink was not to be stained by their black actions. A pen full of such would serve to blot out the whole roll of fame. This constancy of the Doctor's to his first model and main of his design doth most evidently argue his firm persuasion and belief of the reviving of the royal cause, since he wrote the most part during those improbable times of any restitution; and he had very ill consulted his own advantage if he had not well consulted the Oracles of God."1

The design of Fuller's thoroughly English work is set forth in the elaborate introductory chapters, not the least entertaining portion. It affords a testimony to his love of fatherland, and by consequence of topographical pursuits. He observes that "England may not unfitly be compared to an house, not very great, but convenient; and the several shires may properly be resembled to the rooms thereof. Now as learned Master Camden and painful Master Speed [" Father Speed" he is called elsewhere], with others, have described the rooms themselves, so it is our intention, God willing, to describe the furniture of those rooms; such eminent commodities which every county doth produce, with the persons of quality bred therein, and some other observables coincident with the same subject.

"Cato, that great and grave philosopher, did commonly demand, when any new project was propounded to him, Cui bono? What good would ensue in case the same was effected? A question more fit to be asked than facile to be answered in all undertakings, especially in the setting forth of new books; insomuch that they themselves, who complain that they are too many already, help daily to make them more. Know then, I propound five ends to myself in this book: first, to gain some glory to God; secondly, to preserve the memories of the dead; thirdly, to present examples to the living; fourthly, to entertain the reader with delight; and lastly (which I am not ashamed publicly to profess), to procure some honest profit to myself."

1 Pp. 51, 49, 52, 53.

Under the fourth head, he confesses his subject "is but dull in itself, to tell the time and place of men's birth and deaths and therefore this bare skeleton of time, place and person must be fleshed with some pleasant passages. To this intent, I have purposely interlaced (not as meat, but as condiment) many delightful stories, that so the reader, if he do not arise (which I hope and desire) religiosior or doctior-with more piety or learning, at least he may depart jucundior-with more pleasure and lawful delight." Fuller's delight in such “pleasant passages was the true reason of their insertion. He somewhere apologises for his partiality to a good tale or anecdote, with the remark that even Cato himself might sometimes smile. Oldys, who made a careful analysis of the Worthies, added to it a lengthy essay on the toleration of wit in grave subjects; for he was annoyed at the dull criticisms upon a work that he frequently consulted.

As for his last" end "-compensation for his pains-on which point alone Nicolson unfairly fastened, he observes that it was a proper question which plain-dealing Jacob pertinently propounded to Laban his father-in-law: 'And now when shall I provide for mine house also?' Hitherto no stationer hath lost by me; hereafter it will be high time for me (all things considered) to save for myself."

Fuller's design took in a variety of other topics, as a kind of safety-valve to his besetting literary sins. We have, e.g., a geographical description of every county, with their productions, edifices, wonders, battles, proverbs, &c. There are besides, in all but ten counties, lists of the gentry whose names were returned by the commissioners in 1433; with lists of the sheriffs, and their arms, down to recent times. Even this multiplicity of subjects did not satisfy the wandering pen of the author, who has introduced in the body of the work-not to speak of the sixteen sheets of preliminary matter-numberless unlooked for digressions. He has also made the work a storehouse of much of the gossip that he had heard during his busy life, and imported into it out of the way and wellnigh forgotten lore.

These features add to the attraction of the work. Alluding to it and to the Church-History, Rogers said that: "Perused as books of amusement, there are few in the English language which a man, with the slightest tincture of love for our early literature, can take up with a keener relish; while an enthusiast, whether by natural predisposition or acquired habit, will, like Charles Lamb, absolutely riot in their wild luxuriance." No work is so well calculated to run counter to the saying, “a

great book, a great evil;" or to reverse Dr. Johnson's dictum that only those authors are popular whose works are in pocket volumes.

Fuller concluded his introductory matter with the usual chapter called "Exceptions against the style and matter of the author prevented." It contains some personal references. Thus, an exception is made to the fact that occasionally Fuller remitted the reader for further information to the lives of certain worthies which he had already written in his other works. "Such references," says he, "are very sparing. . . . . And I appeal to all writers of many books (of which fault I myself am guilty) whether such references be not usual in the like cases. I will not [!] add that I have passed my promise (and that is an honest man's bond) to my former stationer [Williams and the Church-History and Holy State seem to be referred to] that I will write nothing for the future which was in my former books so considerable as may make them interfere one with another to his prejudice." A fault is found that the book is surcharged with "Scripture observations and reflections in divinity." Fuller hereupon quotes the use by Luke the physician of the word used in his faculty, πaρóğvσμos, ' dissention,' Acts xv. 39. "So that the spirit of God, guiding his pen, permitted him to make use of the language proper to his vocation. And I presume the same favour will be indulged to me by all ingenuous persons, to have (I will not say a partiality, but) an affection to the expressions of, and excursions into, my own. calling. Secondly, I plead conscience, that seeing some may cavil this work to be a deviation from my function (and I myself perchance sensible of some truth therein), I will watch and catch all opportunity to make a fair regress to my profession." The references to Scripture passages are accordingly perhaps more numerous in the Worthies than even in the Church-History. The lives of worthy natives, which form the bulk of the work, constitute its great value. They are classified in an original manner, which he explains in the opening chapters. He says that he had not "wittingly, willingly, or wilfully shut the door against any worthy person which offered to enter into my knowledge; nor was my prejudice the porter in this kind to exclude any who brought merit for their admission." Some, indeed, to whom he has, as it were, said "Come up hither," and introduced into his gallery of illustrious Englishmen, were -though worthy by their lives and writings to be held forth as examples-passing out of recollection in his day. By far the

1 Chap. xxv.