THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, | 
 Princeton, N. J. 4 
 
 BX 
 
 5199 .F4 L5 1833 
 
 The life of Nicholas Ferrar 
 M.A. and Fellow of Clare 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2015 
 
 https://archive.org/details/lifeofnicholasfeOOunse 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 0^ 
 
 
 
 NICHOLAS FERRAR, M.A. 
 
 AND FELLOW OF CLARE-HALL, CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 DESIGNED PARTICULARLY FOR YOUTH. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 PUBLISHED BY FRENCH & PERKINS. 
 BOSTOK: 
 PERKINS & MARVIN. 
 
 1833. 
 
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the 
 year 1833, by French & Perkins, in the Clerk's 
 Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 It is believed that the particulars contained in this lit- 
 tle volume have never before been published in America, 
 and are entirely out of fjrint in Great Britain * except in 
 Dr. Wordsworth's voluminous " Ecclesiastical Biography." 
 The book is rather a sketch, or a collection of anecdotes, 
 than a regular biography. Its value would be much 
 greater, if it w'ere possible to add the exact dates of the 
 events which it details. The only authority, however, 
 on which we have relied, is the Memoir of Ferrar, by 
 Bishop Turner, printed in 1761 ; and this has the same 
 defect as to date. 
 
 The w'riter is of a different church from that of which 
 the subject of this memoir was a conscientious member. 
 Yet he loves to recognise true religion in every commu- 
 nion, and hopes that no reader will find reason to charge 
 him with sectarism in any of the following pages. It is 
 useful to look at Christianity under every variety of cir- 
 cumstances, and the aspect in which it here presents itself 
 will certainly be new to most. The character of Ferrar 
 was marked by intelligence, enterprise, firmness, decision, 
 mildness, humility, self-denial, devotion, and love. His 
 youth was amiable and full of promise. His early man- 
 hood was spent in adventures which are almost romantic. 
 His public life, though short, was brilliant His years 
 of maturity and decline were devoted to retired acts of 
 piety. His death Avas like the serene going down of 
 a summer's sun. And whatever judgment may be form- 
 ed of the facts here recorded, or of the manner in which 
 the compilation has been made, there is reason to believe 
 that the work will be read with more than ordinary enter- 
 tainment, if not instruction. May the giver of every good 
 and perfect gift make this labour conducive to the instruc- 
 tion of youth, and the manifestation of His glory ! 
 
 * Since this work has been in the hands of the printer, the 
 compiler has met with an English reprint of Bishop Turner's 
 Sketch, somewhat improved ; Bristol, 1829. From this he has 
 made a few additions. 
 
 3 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. Page 
 
 Birth and Education of Nicholas Ferrar — He goes 
 abroad to School — Is entered at the University - - 5 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 Mr. Ferrar sets out on his Travels — Visits Holland — 
 Germany — Attends the University at Leipsick — Re- 
 sides at Venice — Padua — Rome 14 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 Mr. Ferrar is sick in France — Escapes from a Pirate — 
 Adventures in Spain — Sails for London ----- 26 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Mr. Ferrar returns home — Engages in the Virginia Com- 
 pany — Is elected to Parliament — Family Difficulties 
 —Plague 37 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Family of Ferrars retire into the Country - - - 47 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Family Establishment at Little-Gidding — Rules — Man- 
 ner of spending the Lord's-day — Sunday-school - - 53 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Daily Employments and Devotions at Little-Gidding — 
 
 Inscription — Vigils, or Watch-nights 68 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Visiters — Domestic Habits — Message from the Queen — 
 Scripture Harmonies 78 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Self-denial of Mr. Ferrar — Characteristic Anecdotes - 90 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Last Illness and happy Death 99 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Birth and Education of Nicholas Ferrar — He goes 
 abroad to School — Is entered at the University. 
 
 The life of a true Christian is always in- 
 structive, even if there are some things in it 
 which are liable to objection. The errors as 
 well as the excellencies of good men may 
 properly be described ; and while the reader 
 discerns between the one and the other, he 
 should learn to avoid what is extravagant or 
 improper, and to copy after what is laudable. 
 If some things in the following history should 
 seem uncommon, it must be remembered that 
 the subject of it lived at a time when the 
 principles of the Reformation were not yet 
 fully established. In most particulars, he de- 
 serves to be imitated. There are a few in 
 a2 5 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. Page 
 Birth and Education of Nicholas Ferrar — He goes 
 abroad to School — Is entered at the University - - 5 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 Mr. Ferrar sets out on his Travels — Visits Holland — 
 Germany — Attends the University at Leipsick — Re- 
 sides at Venice — Padua — Rome 14 
 
 CHAPTER in. 
 Mr. Ferrar is sick in France — Escapes from a Pirate — 
 Adventures in Spain — Sails for London ----- 26 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Mr. Ferrar returns home — Engages in the Virginia Com- 
 pany — Is elected to Parliament — Family Difficulties 
 —Plague 37 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Family of Ferrars retire into the Country - - - 47 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Family Establishment at Little-Gidding — Rules — Man- 
 ner of spending the Lord's-day — Sunday-school - - 53 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Daily Employments and Devotions at Little-Gidding — 
 Inscription — Vigils, or Watch-nights 68 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Visiters — Domestic Habits — Message from the Queen — 
 Scripture Harmonies 78 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Self-denial of Mr. Ferrar — Characteristic Anecdotes - 90 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Last Illness and happy Death 99 
 
 4 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Birth and Education of Nicholas Ferrar — He goes 
 abroad to School — Is entered at the University. 
 
 The life of a true Christian is always in- 
 structive, even if there are some things in it 
 which are liable to objection. The errors as 
 well as the excellencies of good men may 
 properly be described ; and while the reader 
 discerns between the one and the other, he 
 should learn to avoid what is extravagant or 
 improper, and to copy after what is laudable. 
 If some things in the following history should 
 seem uncommon, it must be remembered that 
 the subject of it lived at a time when the 
 principles of the Reformation were not yet 
 fully established. In most particulars, he de- 
 serves to be imitated. There are a few in 
 a2 5 
 
6 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 which we shall all agree that he went to ex- 
 tremes. No one will doubt that he was a 
 man of eminent piety, high devotion, un- 
 wearied diligence, and enlarged charity. 
 
 Nicholas Ferrar was born in London, on 
 the first day of February, 1,591. He was the 
 third son of Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, a rich East 
 India merchant. His parents were persons 
 who feared God themselves, and who en- 
 deavoured from the earliest years to give their 
 son a truly Christian education. This they 
 justly thought more important than earthly 
 wealth ; and those parents are wise, who use 
 all means to procure for their children this 
 heavenly riches. Nicholas was a lovely child, 
 but was from his infancy subject to a variety 
 of complaints, so that he was an early sufferer. 
 When he was only six years old, he showed 
 a great desire for knowledge, and was dili- 
 gent in trying to learn every thing valuable. 
 Such boys will never long remain ignorant, 
 for where there is a real thirst for information, 
 it will always be gratified. 
 
 The delightful histories of the Bible drew 
 his attention. The account given in Scripture 
 of God's people is the most interesting narra- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 7 
 
 live which has ever been written, and so young 
 Nicholas found it. In the course of two or 
 three years he had made himself acquainted 
 with the greater part of this, and committed 
 to memory all the Psalms of David. This 
 may appear to some youthful readers a won- 
 derful labour. In childhood, however, the task 
 is not so hard, and small portions of the 
 Holy Scriptures, learned every day, will soon 
 amount to a surprising quantity. It would 
 be well, if every child were accustomed to 
 learn, without book, a passage of the Bible 
 each day of his life. While his litde com- 
 panions were at play, Nicholas would be bu- 
 sily employed in reading. He learned the 
 history of his own country, and then applied 
 himself to Fox's Book of Martyrs^ which 
 gives an account of those good men who have 
 been put to death for the sake of Christ. It 
 is said, that he often forgot his meals and his 
 sleep, in his earnestness to go on with his 
 reading. 
 
 When he was between seven and eight 
 years of age, he was sent from home to the 
 school of a Mr. Brooks, at Newbury, in 
 Berkshire. This is always a critical time in 
 
8 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the life of a boy. Those who leave their fa- 
 ther's house are exposed to peculiar tempta- 
 tions, and are often led astray. Providence 
 directed Mr. and Mrs. Ferrar to a pious and 
 faithful teacher, and one who made it his bu- 
 siness to promote the happiness of his pupils. 
 It seems likely that Nicholas received his first 
 deep impressions of religion at this school. 
 Mr. Brooks was a strict but affectionate man. 
 He conducted all the affairs of his little semi- 
 nary with the greatest discipline and regular- 
 ity. There was a time for every thing, and a 
 place for every thing, and every thing was re- 
 quired to be precisely in its time and place. 
 The teacher had once been a minister in Lon- 
 don, but had retired into the country to take 
 charge of youth. , .' c " 
 
 In this school, all the children were care- 
 fully instructed in the Scriptures, and the ca- 
 techism of the Chur6h to which they belong- 
 ed. They were made to learn by heart the 
 whole of the book of Psalms, the four Gos- 
 pels, and the Epistles. Nicholas had a fine 
 memory, and acquired this knowledge with 
 more ease than his companions. It proved a 
 great blessing to him in after-life. For he tra- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 9 
 
 veiled, and was dangerously ill, in countries 
 where it was hazardous to be seen with a 
 copy of the Scriptures. A Bible was thought, 
 by these superstitious people, a sure mark of 
 heresy. It was a great consolation to him, 
 therefore, to have its most precious parts trea- 
 sured up in his mind. Nicholas attended to 
 his various tasks with the greatest cheerful- 
 ness and diligence. His proficiency was, 
 therefore, very great. He became familiar 
 with every branch of useful knowledge com- 
 monly taught in the schools. Besides this, 
 he attended to some things which were not 
 usual. He made himself master of short- 
 hand, as it was then taught, and learned the 
 principles of music, so as to sing by note. 
 This is a most valuable attainment in one who 
 wishes to sing the praises of God; and if it 
 is not made in early life, it is generally ne- 
 glected for ever. 
 
 There is always some danger lest a very 
 quick and intelligent boy should be puffed up 
 with vanity. The teachers of this youth were 
 so proud of him as to say, that he could learn 
 what he pleased. He seemed to understand 
 every subject, and to master every difficulty. 
 
10 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Yet he had one mark of piety at that early- 
 age. He was humble and modest, and disliked 
 to hear himself commended. Sometimes he 
 would leave the table, weeping, when he was 
 praised, and this sweet temper never forsook 
 him. 
 
 At the age of thirteen, he was taken to the 
 university of Cambridge. His preceptor de- 
 clared, that, notwithstanding his youth, he 
 was fully ripe for entering a college, and that 
 any delay would be a mere loss of time. The 
 reader will understand that each of the Eng- 
 lish universities is made up of a number of 
 colleges, which have separate buildings, libra- 
 ries, and masters. Nicholas Ferrar was ad- 
 mitted to the college which is called Clare- 
 hall. This was a new scene, in which he 
 needed special direction and care of divine 
 grace. Colleges have often been found schools 
 of vice to the youth who frequent them, and 
 the best institutions are not without their dan- 
 gers. There were, at this time, a number of 
 very eminent instructers attached to Clare- 
 hall, and one of these. Dr. Austin Lindsell, 
 who was afterwards bishop of Peterborough, 
 took young Ferrar under his special tuition. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 11 
 
 His genius and diligence, and especially his 
 vast memory, rendered him very soon distin- 
 guished. In the various competitions which 
 took place in repeating by rote, or arguing, or 
 declaiming, he was always ready, always mo- 
 dest and obedient, and almost always success- 
 ful. After the usual course, he took the first 
 degree, namely that of Bachelor of Arts, in 
 1610. It was then proposed to make him a 
 fellow. Here it may be remarked that fellow- 
 ships are peculiar to the British universities. 
 A fellow is one who has passed through the 
 regular course, and who, on account of his 
 eminent scholarship, is supported gratuitously 
 at the university. Here he may abide all his 
 life, in the pursuit of his studies, if he is will- 
 ing to remain unmarried. Ferrar was unani- 
 mously elected to a fellowship. In this situ- 
 ation he was very exemplary. No one was 
 more regular or studious. He always arose 
 upon the ringing of the chapel bell at five in 
 the morning. It used to be said that his cham- 
 ber might be known by the last candle extin- 
 guished at night, and the first lighted in the 
 morning. At the same time his piety was re- 
 marked by all who kn^w him. His devotion 
 
12 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 was warm and elevated, and his prudence and 
 judgment preserved him from excess. He 
 was universally respected and beloved, at an 
 age when young men are commonly impatient 
 of restraint and prone to folly. 
 
 The early weakness of his constitution had 
 now been increased by his inordinate appli- 
 cation to study, so that there were few, of 
 either sex, who were more frail and sickly. 
 The air of Cambridge proved unfavourable 
 to his health, and he was forced to indulge in 
 frequent excursions. The house of his sister, 
 Mrs. Collet, who resided at Bourne, five miles 
 from the university, was his favourite resort. 
 She was a lady of excellent understanding, of 
 much reading, and of solid piety. Here, in 
 the intervals of study, he tried to be useful, 
 by giving religious instruction and exhorta- 
 tion to his nephews and nieces, to whom he 
 was like a father as long as he lived. At the 
 advice of a physician, he endeavoured to re- 
 new his health by abstinence ; but the lowest 
 diet failed to drive away his diseases, and he 
 was at length persuaded that nothing but a 
 change of climate was likely to prolong his 
 days. His parents wegre reluctant to part with 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 13 
 
 him ; his fellow collegians grieved over his 
 departure ; yet, with the hope of his recovery, 
 they yielded to his determination. They did 
 not fear that he would be contaminated by the 
 vices, or betrayed by the superstitions, of fo- 
 reign countries. His pious principles were 
 well established, and he was a zealous Pro- 
 testant, from enlightened conviction of the 
 truth. 
 
 We have every reason to think that he was 
 at this time truly pious ; though, as is often 
 the case, there was no point of time at which 
 he was able to say that his heart was renew- 
 ed. He probably gave way at one period to 
 some youthful follies, yet it is but just to say, 
 that the only evidence of this is his fondness 
 in early youth for plays, romances, and other 
 hurtful books. The manner in which he 
 treated these works in after-life shall be 
 more fully declared in its proper place. 
 
 B 
 
14 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar sets out on his Travels — Visits Holland — 
 Germany — Attends the University at Leipsick — Re- 
 sides at Venice — Padua — Rome. 
 
 It was about this time that Frederick, Elec- 
 tor Palatine, and afterwards king of Bohemia, 
 married the lady Elizabeth, the only surviving 
 daughter of James I. It may be observed here 
 that George I. was the grandson of this Eliza- 
 beth. A party was formed, of noblemen and 
 others, to escort the bride to the Continent, 
 and Mr. Ferrar was advised by Dr. Scott, 
 master of Clare-hall, to avail himself of this 
 favourable opportunity for beginning his tra- 
 vels. Having, therefore, received the degree 
 of Master of Arts, he left his beloved college, 
 and united himself with this company of 
 courtiers. The royal fleet laaded them safely 
 at Flushing, in Holland ; and tlFie short voyage 
 had the happy effect of banishing some of the 
 disorders under which he had been pining. 
 
 His first employment in Holland was to 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 15 
 
 make himself acquainted with the Dutch lan- 
 guage, which he speedily accomplished so far 
 as it was requisite for brdiuary conversation. 
 He then set himself diligently to learn every 
 thing attainable concerning the history of the 
 cities and provinces ; the nature of their go- 
 vernment ; the strength of their fortifications, 
 arsenals, and magazines ; their trade and com- 
 merce, banks and manufactories. This is one 
 of the principal uses of foreign travel, and 
 Holland was at that time in so flourishing a 
 condition, that it afforded a good school for 
 these branches of learning. He inquired into 
 every particular respecting the revenue, the ar- 
 ray, the navy, the shipping, and the charitable 
 establishments of the country. He likewise 
 visited the Reformed churches, and compared 
 their doctrine and discipline with those of his 
 native land. In particular he endeavoured to 
 learn the wonderful dealings of God's provi- 
 dence, in the punishment of sin, and the pre- 
 servation of his people, as displayed in the 
 history of the countries through which he 
 travelled. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar attended upon the Countess Pa- 
 latine at Middleburg, the Hague, and Amster- 
 
10 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 dam. The reception which she everywhere 
 met with Avas splendid, and the young travel- 
 ler was much flattered and caressed. This 
 was dangerous to his spiritual interest, but he 
 seems to have escaped the snare. He was 
 assured that if he accompanied the Countess 
 home, he would probably be made her secre- 
 tary ; but he replied that he aimed at lower 
 things. When he perceived, therefore, that 
 they were about to pass out of Holland into 
 Germany, he begged to be dismissed, and suf- 
 fered them to proceed without him. Upon 
 coming to Hamburg, he frequented the compa- 
 ny of the English merchants there, by whom 
 he was well entertained. They formed high 
 ideas of his excellence and sobriety. It is re- 
 markable, at that age, and in that country, that 
 he practised a total abstinence with regard to 
 intoxicating liquors. No persuasion could in- 
 duce him to take either wine or strong drink. 
 He did not yield for the sake of politeness, 
 as so many young men unfortunately do. 
 When they found they could not tempt him 
 to indulge with them, they acknowledged that 
 he was in the right way, though they pretend- 
 ed it was a path in which they could not walk 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 17 
 
 themselves. It is one of the best tokens of 
 future prosperity to a young man, when he en- 
 tirely abstains from strong drink. He is thus 
 freed from a destructive temptation, and saved 
 from the gulf of drunkenness, into which 
 many an unwary youth has fallen. And the 
 reader may be assured, that if he indulges in 
 any intoxicating liquor, he is in imminent 
 danger as to both body and soul. 
 
 Passing through several cities, he arrived at 
 Leipsick, in Saxony, where there is a cele- 
 brated university. Here he determined to re- 
 main some time, for the purpose of learning 
 such things as were there taught in a superior 
 manner. Among other things he acquired the 
 art of mnemonics, or artificial memory. The 
 citizens of Leipsick were celebrated then, as 
 they have been ever since, for their skill in 
 the mechanic arts. This singular young man 
 had so insatiable a desire for all useful know- 
 ledge, that he adopted the uncommon plan of 
 serving a kind of apprenticeship, for a week 
 or fortnight, with the artificers of every rare 
 kind of work. Painters, dyers, weavers, and 
 smiths were frequently at his lodgings, giving 
 him instruction in their several crafts. Hence 
 b2 
 
18 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 he acquired a great fund of matter for conver- 
 sation, for he could talk with an architect in 
 his own phrases, and with seamen in their 
 peculiar dialect. The great world was the 
 book which he now read, storing up abun- 
 dance of knowledge to be turned to future 
 use. Hence he acquired a singular ability for 
 interesting conversation. It was often observ- 
 ed that he excelled in familiar discourse, and, 
 without pedantry, knew how to make every 
 interview profitable ; drawing illustrations from 
 the most striking facts of sacred and civil 
 history, or from his own observations. 
 
 The literary society of Leipsick flocked 
 around him to such a degree, that he was 
 forced to seek his beloved retirement in the 
 adjacent country. Here he gave his time to 
 the perusal of works upon German history 
 and politics. All men concluded that he was 
 preparing himself to be a great statesman, or 
 civil leader in his own land. The news of 
 this reached his father, who was gratified with 
 the hope, and wrote to him that he might em- 
 ploy as much time and money as he chose, 
 but entreated him to spare his delicate con- 
 stitution. He left Leipsick, therefore, and af- 
 
xVICHOLAS FERRAR. 19 
 
 ter \isiting some of the smaller states of 
 Germany, and tinding that the pla^e raged 
 in many towns, he passed through Vienna in- 
 to Italy. 
 
 When Mr. Ferrar arrived at the Venetian 
 territor}-, he found the inhabitants all engaged 
 in keeping the forty days' fast of Lent, in the 
 manner usual among the Roman Catholics. 
 He did not choose to resist the rules imposed 
 upon him, especially as he had long been ac- 
 customed to rigid abstinence. The solitude 
 of his days was employed in copying out his 
 notes, and methodizing an account of his 
 travels. In the morning it was his practice 
 to go into a neighbouring mountain, which 
 abounded in fragrant herbs. With a few 
 books, and with many hours of prayer, he 
 made the time delightful, and returned again 
 in the evening to a frugal meal of oil and fish. 
 We are assured that he never omitted his re- 
 gular seasons of devotion on account of the 
 interruptions of travelling. Even at midnight 
 he usually rose to pray. He needed few books, 
 having so much of the Scriptures in his me- 
 mory, and *' when he had not time and place 
 
20 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 to kneel, he made the lowest prostration of 
 his spirit." 
 
 On a certain occasion he was riding through 
 a narrow and dangerous passage of the Italian 
 Alps, some paces behind his guide, when an 
 ass came suddenly between them, laden with 
 a huge piece of timber, which filled the wholp 
 way. The passage was narrow, with a pre- 
 cipice on the one side, and a perpendicular 
 wall on the other. When the guide looked 
 round, he saw the peril, and cried out " O 
 Lord ! the man is lost, if he had a hundred 
 lives !" Mr. Ferrar, hearing the guide's 
 voice, was surprised, and, looking up, saw 
 the ass coming down hastily upon him. He 
 perceived that the wood must precipitate him 
 and his mule into the awful depth below. In 
 this emergency he fervently called upon God 
 to preserve him,*and by his omnipotent mercy 
 to find some means of delivering him. Just 
 as the animal approached, she tripped, and 
 the piece of timber being moved, swayed 
 away from its former position. He stopped 
 his mule, the ass passed quietly by, and he 
 received only a gentle brush on one side from 
 the log. He instantly fell prostrate upon the 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 21 
 
 ground, and made humble acknowledgment to 
 Almighty God for his preservation. The 
 guide, and the owner of the ass, who had come 
 up by this time, and told how she broke away 
 as they were loading her, stood crossing 
 themselves, and crying miracolo ! a miracle ! 
 
 Almost every individual can call to mind 
 remarkable instances of God's preserving care, 
 but it is not every one who thankfully ac- 
 knowledges the favour of Providence ; and 
 few, like Mr. Ferrar, record and remember 
 their deliverances. 
 
 At Padua, where we next find him, he ap- 
 plied himself, with great enthusiasm, to the 
 study of medicine, for proficiency in which 
 this city was famous. It was more common 
 then than at the present day, for young men 
 of liberal fortunes to make themselves ac- 
 quainted with all the sciences, even though 
 they never expected to become regular prac- 
 titioners. The infirmity of his frame was 
 also an inducement for him to learn something 
 of the healing art. He gained the confidence 
 and favour of the most eminent scholars at 
 Padua, who were surprised at his attainments. 
 The Englishmen sojourning in that country 
 
22 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 burdened liim so much with their visits, that 
 he retreated to various country places, some- 
 times as much as forty miles from the city. 
 He occasionally remained for a time at Ve- 
 nice, under the roof of Sir Dudley Charlton, 
 the English ambassador, who treated him 
 with great hospitality. 
 
 While he resided at Padua, he was seized 
 with a violent illness. His medical friends 
 held a consultation over him, and expressed 
 their fear that he was near his end. It was 
 their opinion that blood-letting was the proper 
 remedy, if there was any which could prove 
 successful ; but when it was proposed to him, 
 he declared his belief that it would only has- 
 ten his death. A very old Italian doctor was 
 present, who said that the young man was his 
 own best physician, and prevailed upon the 
 others to defer bleeding ; and within three or 
 four days they were all convinced that he was 
 right. This old gentleman was transported 
 with joy at having contributed towards his 
 recovery, and used to come every day, and sit 
 for hours with his patient, enjoying his con- 
 versation and wondering at his piety. It was 
 ^ great trial to Mr. Ferrar to be dangerously 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 23 
 
 ill among ignorant and superstitious people, 
 where the Bible was forbidden, and religious 
 fellowship unknown. 
 
 Upon his recovery he proposed to visit 
 Rome. This great city has always been the 
 principal attraction of travellers in Italy. Its 
 ancient greatness, its noble ruins, and its speci- 
 mens of art are highly gratifying to scholars 
 and men of taste. Besides this, it is the centre 
 of the Romish church, the residence of the pope 
 and cardinals, and the place where the papacy 
 may be viewed in perfection. Mr. Ferrar was a 
 scholar, and he wished to see the spot most 
 famous in ancient history ; he was a Christian 
 and a Protestant, and he was desirous of a 
 better insight into the church-politics of pope- 
 ry. The Jesuits were at this time in the 
 height of power, and the spirit of persecution 
 was displayed upon every suitable occasion 
 towards those who were called heretics. There 
 was a college of English Jesuits at Rome, and 
 Mr. Ferrar was informed that these men were 
 on the watch for him ; that they had an exact 
 description of his person and manners, and 
 were acquainted with all his movements ; and 
 that they already suspected him of having 
 
34 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 some bad design in visiting Italy. It was not 
 then so safe to visit Roman Catholic coun- 
 tries as it is in these days. Mr. Ferrar, there- 
 fore, travelled from Padua, in a very private 
 manner, on foot. He arrived at Rome upon 
 Monday in what is called Holy Week, before 
 Easter day. He changed his lodgings every 
 night, and stayed only ten days. This time he 
 used so judiciously, as to see every thing that 
 was remarkable at that season of pomp. 
 
 Upon one occasion he was so imprudent as 
 to press into a gallery through which the 
 pope was at that moment passing in great 
 state. As is usual, the multitude fell upon 
 their knees to ask an indulgence. Mr. Fer- 
 rar was a man who possessed all the courtesy 
 of those times, and he would willingly have 
 paid those compliments to the pope which he 
 might demand as a mere prince. He was, 
 however, a sincere Protestant, and stood erect 
 for some moments, unwilling to bow down to 
 the pretended vicar of Christ. The conse- 
 quences might have been serious, had not one 
 of the Swiss guards laid his heavy hand on 
 his shoulder, and pressed him down. When 
 the pope had passed, and the Swiss released 
 
NICHOLAS FERR A R. 25 
 
 him, he departed with the crowd. He used 
 to say that he felt the hand of his br^nvny pre- 
 server for a whole week afterwards, and that 
 he frequented such assemblages no more. 
 
36 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar is sick in France — Escapes from a Pirate — 
 Adventures in Spain — Sails for London. 
 
 It was now time for our young traveller to 
 leave Italy. He therefore went to Marseilles, 
 intending to go thence by sea into Spain. 
 Providence, however, detained him longer than 
 he had expected, by an illness more violent 
 than that which he had suffered at Padua. The 
 person at whose house he lodged, as well as 
 the physician who attended him, took him for 
 a knight of Malta. These knights were a so- 
 ciety of religious warriors, under subjection 
 to the pope, who had fought in Palestine du- 
 ring the crusades, and who for a long period 
 held the island of Malta in their possession. 
 The way in which these persons came to 
 think thus of Mr. Ferrar was this. While he 
 lay ill, they saw among his curiosities one 
 of the little crosses worn by those knights, 
 which was presented to him while he was 
 among them. He was, therefore, treated with 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 27 
 
 high respect, especially by the doctor, who 
 was astonished to hear a young knight of 
 Malta express himself so learnedly upon the 
 subject of medicine. 
 
 Soon after he was taken ill, he wrote an 
 importunate letter to a very intimate friend, 
 Mr. Garton, at Venice, urging the latter by 
 every affectionate entreaty to come and see 
 him. In this letter he stated, that he was 
 alone among strangers ; that he had no reli- 
 gious adviser, and no religious book ; and that 
 he needed a friend to secure for him a decent 
 interment. Thus was his faith again tried, 
 and his soul again reduced to the necessity of 
 giving up all earthly hopes. He grew worse 
 and worse, and his disorder arrived at such a 
 critical point, that he clearly saw a few hours 
 more would bring relief, either by amendment 
 or death. The physician sadly took leave of 
 him, expecting never again to see him alive. 
 
 There are few things which put Christian 
 graces to a more severe test than dangerous 
 sickness. The trial is greatly aggravated 
 when one suffers alone, afar from friends, and 
 in a strange land. Yet this young man did 
 not yield to despondency. He resigned him- 
 
28 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 self to the will of his heavenly Father, and at 
 the same time prayed night and day that God 
 would grant him his favour. Soon after the 
 departure of the physician, it pleased God to 
 answer his prayers. He fell into a refreshing 
 slumber, from which he awaked in much com- 
 fort. The attendants thought his speedy 
 amendment to be little short of a miracle, and 
 we may all allow that it was a special blessing 
 of divine Providence. To double his thanks 
 and praises, his dear friend Mr. Garton, from 
 Venice, arrived about the same time, came in 
 weeping, and never left him until he had en- 
 tirely recovered. In this instance, as in many 
 others, we see the accomplishment of that pro- 
 mise to the believer : " The Lord will strength- 
 en him upon the bed of languishing : Thou 
 wilt make all his bed in his sickness." — Ps. 
 xli. 3. 
 
 Soon after his recovery, he embarked, in a 
 small English vessel of twelve guns, for a port 
 in Spain. At that time the Mediterranean Sea 
 was greatly infested with pirates or corsairs. 
 Some of these were Turkish, and others Moor- 
 ish. This enormity has been very much done 
 away, of late, by the European and American 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 29 
 
 squadrons which guard that sea. Before they 
 had been long out, a Turkish pirate gave 
 chase to their little vessel, and was gaining 
 upon them every hour. The master and mate 
 were courageous, but the seamen trembled 
 with fear, and were desirous of striking their 
 colours, and surrendering without a shot. Mr. 
 Ferrar kept his stand upon deck, and listened 
 to all that was said, though he made no re- 
 mark. The master of the vessel at length 
 asked his opinion, observing : "This young 
 gentleman has a life to lose as well as we ; 
 shall we hear what he thinks of it ?" Here 
 we may observe that true piety is the greatest 
 source of genuine courage. Mr. Ferrar had 
 in his mind those words of David : " Let us 
 fall into the hands of God, and not into the 
 hands of men." More especially he dreaded 
 to fall into the inhuman hands of murderers. 
 He therefore encouraged them to be manful, 
 and defend their vessel. He addressed the 
 crew, and set before them the horrid fate they 
 might expect in case of capture. His words 
 had such an effect upon them that they pre- 
 pared for self-defence, and none was more ac- 
 tive or resolute than young Ferrar. The pi- 
 c 2 
 
30 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 rate had been trying for some time to get the 
 advantage of the wind, or what is called the 
 weather-gage, and was apparently just about 
 to bear down upon them. The English cap- 
 tain determined to seize the little opportunity 
 allowed, and give them a broadside, but just 
 as he was about making a signal to the gimner, 
 the Turkish ship, to their great astonishment 
 and deliglit, fell off, and steered away with all 
 the sail she could make. They soon disco- 
 vered the reason of this. A much larger ship, 
 promising greater booty, had appeared in 
 sight, and the corsair turned to pursue her. 
 They thanked God, and expressed their obli- 
 gation to the gallant passenger who had done 
 so much to animate their sinking spirits. 
 
 War and bloodshed are plainly contrary to 
 the spirit of the gospel. Christians are divided 
 in their sentiments even as to resistance in 
 self-defence. We give this account only as 
 matter of history, without expressing any opi- 
 nion on the question alluded to. 
 
 Ferrar, being now fairly landed in Spain, 
 made the best of his way to the capital, where 
 he expected remittances of money from his 
 father. Upon inquiring, however, of the Eng- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 31 
 
 lish merchants at Madrid, he fdund that no 
 such supplies had been sent. The winning 
 demeanour and interesting discourse of the 
 young traveller induced these gentlemen to 
 make him every offer of assistance, but this 
 he saw fit to decline. Yet he was almost pen- 
 niless, and felt much embarrassment. It was 
 his intention to make the tour of Spain, and 
 then to pass through France into England. 
 While he was deliberating upon the course 
 which he should now take, he received the pain- 
 ful news, that his family was involved in sad 
 distresses, and that his presence was absolute- 
 ly necessary to extricate and relieve them. 
 Abandoning, therefore, his long-expected visit 
 to France, he determined to go directly to St. 
 Sebastians, and take ship for England. 
 
 Poverty is a grievous yoke when it falls 
 suddenly upon those who have been brought 
 up in affluence. Happy are they who, through 
 divine grace, are enabled to bear such reverses 
 with serenity and content ! Mr. Ferrar imme- 
 diately sold some of his jewels to supply 
 his present necessity, and then, with a costly 
 *' rapier in his hand, he set out in cuerpo, that 
 
32 THELIFEOF 
 
 is, as we say, in his shirt sleeves, to travel on 
 foot. He was a Protestant in a land of per- 
 secution, without money, without protection ; 
 yet he cast himself upon that kind Providence 
 which had protected him so long, and chose 
 this method of travelling, that he might pass 
 through the country with less suspicion. 
 
 About this time there was a war in Flanders, 
 which excited very general attention, and 
 wherever our traveller stopped he usually 
 made many inquiries upon this subject. Hence 
 there were many who took him for a young 
 Italian gentleman, going to Flanders, to serve 
 under the Marquis Spinola, a great comman- 
 der in the Spanish service. At one little town, 
 the governor insisted upon having his valuable 
 rapier. This he refused, saying, that a man 
 of courage ought never to surrender his sword. 
 The governor still demanded it. Ferrar an- 
 swered resolutely, that if it were forced from 
 him, he should find friends at court who would 
 secure him his rights. It was thought from 
 this, that he was some distinguished person m 
 disguise, for this kind of concealment was 
 common at that day. The governor therefore 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 33 
 
 said : " Well, sir, I did this only to tiy you; 
 I see you love your arms, which, indeed, is 
 soldier-like ; I perceive you are for the Fle- 
 mish wars under your countryman Spinola." 
 He then allowed him to proceed upon his 
 wearisome journey. . ' *• j 
 
 He used to relate what he supposed to be a 
 narrow escape out of danger upon this solitary 
 •journey. On a certain day, as he toiled along 
 his way, guessing at the path by directions 
 which had been given, he found the even- 
 ing beginning to close upon him. The road 
 seemed to lead up a very high hill. This he 
 ascended with some difficulty, and found him- 
 self near a vast circuit of ground, flanked and 
 bulwarked on every side with steep rocks, 
 ^nd without any visible outlet. His perplexity 
 was great, for he saw that be had mistaken his 
 way, and thought it likely that he must spend 
 the night in the open air. Under these cir- 
 cumstances, he betook himself to prayer, be- 
 seeching God to direct and help him. It was 
 too late to turn back, and he looked in every 
 direction for some path. Just then he spied a 
 great black hog running out between two 
 
34 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 rocks. He ran after the animal, to see whither 
 it might lead, in hopes that some dwelling 
 was not far distant. At length he saw it run 
 down at the further end of the mountain, and 
 going thither, he perceived a recess hewn out 
 of the rock, with something like a window. 
 He entered into a winding passage, which 
 grew more dark until he came to a glimmering 
 of more light again, from a similar window. 
 Upon listening, he overheard human voices, 
 and found this to be a Venta, or miserable Spa- 
 nish tavern. Having no choice, he entered 
 and saluted the host, who wondered how he 
 reached the place. "Very soon he found that 
 he had fallen into wretched company. He, 
 therefore, said that he needed repose, and lay 
 down on a bench to sleep, with his rapier in 
 his hand. He had not lain long, before two 
 men of ferocious appearance, accompanied by 
 a female, entered. In order to decoy the 
 stranger into a brawl, one of these ruffians 
 insulted the woman ; the other protected her, 
 and so they proceeded to feign a battle. They 
 flourished their swords, and the weaker called 
 on the stranger to lend his aid, Ferrar, know- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 35 
 
 ing that they meant to rob him, lay perfectly 
 quiet. By means of the landlord's intercession 
 the quarrel was ended, and before sunrise, the 
 guest had stolen away. Such adventures are 
 by no means rare, even at the present day, in 
 Spain. 
 
 At length, through the blessing of God, he 
 reached Si. Sebastians, a port at the north of 
 Spain, upon the Bay of Biscay. Here he was 
 detained some time, waiting for a fair wind. 
 The English merchants treated him with 
 great tenderness, and made him numerous 
 offers of money. He was unwilling to take 
 more than ten pounds, which he accepted as a 
 loan. Embarking as soon as the wind was 
 favourable, he had a good passage to Dover. 
 Here he leaped upon shore, fell upon his face 
 on the earth, and rendered most humble thanks 
 to God, his heavenly Father, for so many pre- 
 servations abroad, and for bringing him safely 
 home to his beloved native country. The sen- 
 timents which he felt were probably like those 
 which the poet has since expressed : 
 
 Thy mercy sweetened every toil, 
 
 Made every region please : 
 The hoary Alpine hills it warm'd, 
 
 And smooth'd the Tyrrhene seas. 
 
THE LIFE OF 
 
 In midst of dangers, fears, and death, 
 . Thy goodness I '11 adore, 
 And praise thee for thy mercies past, 
 And humbly hope for more. 
 
 My life, if thou preserv'st my life, 
 
 Thy sacrifice shall be ; 
 And death, if death must be my doom, 
 
 Shall join ray soul to thee. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 37 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar returns home — Engages in the Virginia 
 Company — Is elected to ParUament — Family Diffi- 
 culties — Plague. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar iminediately hastened to Lon- 
 don, and entering, in his Spanish dress, the 
 house of his father, knelt before the old gen- 
 tleman, and craved his blessing. His father 
 did not know him until he named himself, but 
 was transported with joy upon the discovery. 
 After six years' absence, he had returned with 
 a great increase of health and accomplish- 
 ments. It was his desire to return to his fel- 
 lowship at Clare-hall, but at the anxious re- 
 quest of his parents, he consented to take up 
 his abode in London. 
 
 It was about this time that the Virginia 
 Company w^as engaged in promoting the new 
 colony upon the banks of the James river, in 
 America ; and old Mr. Ferrar was very deeply 
 interested in this scheme, which proved in the 
 end so important to our forefathers. He was 
 an intimate friend of the three celebrated voy- 
 D 
 
38 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 agers, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir John Hawkins, 
 and Sir Francis Drake. 
 
 The English colonies in America were esta- 
 blished during the reign of James I. Queen 
 Elizabeth had done little more than to give a 
 name to Virginia, as the whole of the Atlantic 
 coast was then called. After the decay of one 
 little colony, the country was abandoned, until, 
 in 1606, Newport took over a company of ad- 
 venturers. In 1609 five hundred persons, 
 under Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George So- 
 mers, embarked for Virginia. The first lot- 
 tery ever known in England was licensed in 
 aid of the new settlements, of which Lord De- 
 laware was governor. In 1614 there were 
 not alive more than four hundred. The Lon- 
 don Company, sometimes called the Virginia 
 Company, had received its patent as early as 
 1589. It was a highly respectable body, em- 
 bracing a multitude of gentlemen, barons, 
 viscounts, and earls, and most of the patrons 
 of literature and the arts. They appear to 
 have been sincerely desirous of establishing 
 schools in America.* It may be interesting 
 to observe that king Powhatan died in 1618, 
 * Hume, vol. iv. p. 319. Appendix 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 39 
 
 the year in which Raleigh was cruelly be- 
 headed. 
 
 Men of every class were found ready to in- 
 terest themselves in this great enterprise of 
 settling the wilds of Virginia. Some were 
 anxious to give a home and employment to 
 unsettled people. Some were desirous of af- 
 fording estates to younger brothers and sons. 
 Others looked further, to the great revenue 
 which would accrue from the commodities of 
 the new country ; and a few were solicitous 
 that the savages of the forest should receive 
 the gospel. Many of the bishops and clergy 
 lent their aid in this affair. It is said that 
 they were desirous of wiping off the reproach 
 cast upon Protestants by the Church of Rome, 
 that the former converted no unbelievers in 
 foreign lands. And it must be confessed, 
 that there was but a slender zeal among the 
 Christians of England, at that period, for the 
 illumination of the heathen ; and that the 
 early settlers in Virginia accomplished no- 
 thing directly towards this great object.* 
 
 * We find the name of Mr. N. Ferrar among those of the 
 Virgmia adventurers as early as 1620, in Smith's History 
 of Virginia, vol. ii. p. 45. 
 
4P THELIFEOF 
 
 One of the missionaries sent to America 
 was a son of Dr. William Whitaker, the 
 celebrated theologian and controvertist, and 
 master of St. John's college, Cambridge. This 
 young man was by some called " the apostle 
 of Virginia." 
 
 The principal manager of the new enter- 
 prise, and the treasurer of the Virginia Com- 
 pany, was Sir Edwin Sandys. With this 
 gentleman young Mr. Ferrar was closely 
 intimate. Sir Edward was a learned and 
 worthy man, and used to say that he esteem- 
 ed it as greatly to his honour to be the pupil 
 of good Richard Hooker, as to be the son of 
 the Archbishop of York. Old Mr. Ferrar 
 gave the use of a large parlour to the direct- 
 ors of the Virginia Company ; and this little 
 incident has some interest to an American 
 reader, who cannot but imagine how the de- 
 bates and councils of that room were caused 
 by Providence to bear upon the history of our 
 native land. The good old man was pleased 
 to see his son fully entering into the same ar- 
 dour with regard to the new settlements. He 
 and his brother, Mr. John Ferrar, gave two 
 shares of land in the island of Bermuda for 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 41 
 
 the establishment of a free-school there, and 
 sent a large number of Bibles and Psalm-books 
 for the use of the children. More than twenty 
 noblemen interested themselves in this under- 
 taking ; among whom the most distinguished 
 was Lord Southampton, who had been the in- 
 timate friend of Shakspeare. 
 
 Young Mr. Ferrar became the acting se- 
 cretary of the Company, though he w^ould 
 not consent to share any of the fees. He 
 was named upon all committees, and draught- 
 ed all the letters of advice which were writ- 
 ten to the colonists. He framed and ordered 
 all instructions as to government, agriculture, 
 and commerce ; managed the fitting out of 
 vessels, and had a part in all the active busi- 
 ness. Hence, if for no other reason, his name 
 deserves to be remembered by American 
 youth. In all these employments he acquired 
 the esteem and gratitude of those who patron- 
 ised the scheme, and evinced at the same time 
 his talents and his probity. 
 
 There are two circumstances which occur- 
 red about this time, and which we mention as 
 showing the estimation in which Mr. Ferrar 
 was held, and his resolution in declining flatter- 
 D 2 
 
4^ 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ing solicitations. The lecturer on mathematics 
 at Gresham college became Savilian professor 
 at Oxford, and left the. former situation vacant. 
 He recommended Mr. Ferrar as his successor, 
 advising the directors of the institution to se- 
 cure to themselves his influence and talents, 
 even if they should find it necessary to aug- 
 ment the salary. The offer was accordingly 
 made, but he modestly yet firmly declined it ; 
 declaring that he had other intentions and 
 aims, if it pleased God to ripen them for a 
 happy issue. The other circumstance is as 
 follows. A wealthy merchant, who was one 
 of the Virginia Company, was so much struck 
 with the genius and virtues of this uncommon 
 young man, as to cause him to be informed, 
 that it would give him pleasure to settle ten 
 thousand pounds upon his only daughter, if 
 Mr. Ferrar thought proper to marry her. Such 
 a proceeding was more common at that day 
 than at present. He endeavoured to evade 
 this by some pleasantry, and by assuring the 
 father that he was not worthy to venture upon 
 the management of so great an estate. The 
 gentleman insisted with an importunity which 
 was scarcely delicate. Mr. Ferrar then as- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 43 
 
 sured him, that his plans of life were matured, 
 that he had consulted his own character and 
 disposition, and was resolved to lead a single 
 life. In truth, he had already determined to 
 retire from public life, and to share what re- 
 mained of the family estate with his relations. 
 The disappointed father reluctantly submit- 
 ted ; saying, however, that if the young man 
 never married, he should take it the more pa- 
 tiently. He continued to be a firm friend. 
 
 In the year 1624, a parliament was called, 
 and Mr. Ferrar was e'ected a member of the 
 House of Commons. He took a conspicuous 
 part in public business ; but the account of 
 this could not be interesting to our readers, and 
 is therefore omitted. It has already been 
 hinted that his return from the continent of 
 Europe was hastened by family embarrass- 
 ments. These were so great that it seemed 
 highly probable that the whole estate would 
 be lost. Although he was the younger bro- 
 ther, he was called upon to take the principal 
 management of this business ; which he did 
 so effectually, that soon after the death of his 
 father, the whole affair was happily adjusted, 
 and the family restored to competence. Such 
 
44 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 was his pious acknowledgment of the divine 
 favour, in thus rescuing them when they were 
 to all appearance sinking, that he ever after- 
 wards set apart the last day of every month as 
 a day of devotion. At that day, prayers and 
 praises for the deliverance of the family were 
 regularly offered up, until the troubles of the 
 ensuing period broke up the happy society. 
 
 The year 1625 is memorable in the history 
 of London as that in which Charles I. came 
 to the crown. It was also remarkable for the 
 great prevalence of the plague. This pesti- 
 lential disorder has generally been supposed 
 to have its principal seat in Egypt, but was, 
 for many years, the scourge of Europe. It 
 first appeared in London in 1593, and de- 
 stroyed more than eleven thousand persons. 
 In 1603 it returned, and with greater violence, 
 as thirty-six thousand are supposed to have 
 died. Its next appearance was in the year 
 of which we are speaking. It is calculated 
 that the persons who fell victims to it amount- 
 ed to thirty-five thousand five hundred. And 
 this mortality will appear the greater when 
 we recollect that London was less populous 
 at that time than the city of New York is at 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 45 
 
 present. We have all learned from the preva- 
 lence of Cholera in our own country, how 
 great is the alarm produced by such a visita- 
 tion. In the case of the plague, the panic 
 was still greater, as it was universally believ- 
 ed to be in the highest degree contagious. 
 No one doubted the possibility of its being 
 communicated by means of clothing, books, 
 or even papers. In the present instance, it 
 occasioned the adjournment of king Charles' 
 first parliament from London to Oxford, and 
 finally the dissolution of that body, when the 
 pestilence reached the latter place. The naval 
 expedition against Spain was forced to return 
 in consequence of its seizing some of the sea- 
 men and soldiers. It is to be remarked that 
 in 1636, the plague carried off about as many 
 more, and that its last ravages were in the 
 year 1665, when nearly seventy thousand died 
 of it in London alone. This visitation is 
 justly called the Great Plague of London. 
 
 True religion is the only sure preventive 
 of fear, under such circumstances of alarm. 
 A preparation for eternity, and a good hope 
 through grace, can remove the fear even of 
 sudden death by pestilence. Those who are 
 
46 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 the last to fly, the boldest in facing danger, 
 and the readiest to relieve the distressed, are 
 ever found to be the truly pious. 
 
 In the next house to that in which the Fer- 
 rars lived, there was a death by the plague. 
 Some of the family were invited to the funeral, 
 and being ignorant of the disease, attended it. 
 Shortly after, a second person was seized in 
 the same house, and Mr. Ferrar, beginning to 
 understand the danger, instantly removed his 
 mother and the rest of the household to Mrs. 
 Collet's, in Cambridgeshire. Being himself 
 engaged, however, in settling the affairs of 
 the estate, he would not leave the city, until 
 he had paid every debt, and cleared himself 
 of all engagements. At this time, the deaths 
 in London amounted to four thousand in a 
 single week. God preserved him during all 
 this time of pestilence, and returned him safely 
 to his beloved relatives. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR, 
 
 47 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Family of Ferrars retire into the Country, 
 
 Not long before this, Mr. Ferrar had pur- 
 chased an estate in an obscure part of 'Hunting- 
 donshire, called Little-Gidding. It was finely 
 situated, in a delightful climate, but the coun- 
 try around was almost a solitude. There was- 
 no dwelling in the whole parish, except the- 
 manor-house, and a cottage for the shepherds 
 and their dogs. The estate lay in pasture^ 
 and needed no greater care. To this retire- 
 ment Mr. Ferrar sent his brother John, about 
 the beginning of the plague, to make ready an 
 apartment for him : and when his business in 
 London was concluded, he went thither him- 
 self, in order to be far from society. Accord- 
 ing to the notions of those times, he was afraid 
 of communicating the infection to his friends, 
 and entreated his mother to remain with her 
 daughter at Bourne, until, by a month's expo- 
 sure of himself to the sun and air, he should 
 
48 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 do away all fear of contagion. The affection- 
 ate old lady would not consent to this, but in 
 her anxiety to see her beloved son, who had 
 hazarded his life for their sake, set out to visit 
 him. She arrived at Gidding three days after 
 his coming, and their meeting was an affecting 
 one. Both were full of thanks to God for his 
 providential kindness. He entreated her to 
 corae into the ruinous old house, and rest 
 herself. " Not so," said she, "yonder I see 
 the church, let us first go thither, to give God 
 thanks that he has brought me to this good 
 place, and restored me my son." He informed 
 her that through the irreligion of the former 
 inhabitant, the place of worship had been turn- 
 ed into a barn and hog-sty, and was at that 
 moment filled with hay, which he intended as 
 soon as possible to remove. Mrs. Ferrar 
 seems to have had something of the temper 
 which Augustin ascribes to his mother Moni- 
 ca, when he says of her, that if a dragon had 
 stood between her and the altar, he verily 
 believed she would have braved it to advance 
 thither. To such strong associations of sanc- 
 tity with the place of worship, we must add 
 the fact, that at that day, churches were much 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 49^ 
 
 nsed for private devotion, and we shall be able 
 to account for the earnestness of Mrs. Ferrar. 
 She persevered in going to the church, pressed 
 in as far as she could, and kneeled and wept 
 there for a quarter of an hour. She then 
 charged her son to send for all the labourers 
 about the house, and instantly to remove the 
 hay from the church, and cleanse it as far as 
 was practicable. She saw this done before 
 she would leave the door of her house. She 
 then proceeded to enter the old mansion, in 
 which there was scarcely a room fit to be in- 
 habited. Yet they were cheerful and happy, 
 and the next morning employed themselves in 
 making preparation for the repairing of the 
 church. If some persons should see in this 
 conduct a measure of superstition, others will 
 be ready to acknowledge that it indicates sin- 
 cerity of devotion ; reminding us of the Psalm- 
 ist's vow, to give himself no rest until he had 
 found out a place for the house of the Lord. 
 She made public acknowledgment, indeed, at 
 this very time, that she had solemnly engaged 
 to serve God more faithfully than she had here- 
 tofore done, and to be more and more a temple 
 of the Holy Ghost. Her heart was filled with 
 E 
 
50 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 gratitude to the Most High, for having re- 
 deemed her and her children from death, and 
 her lips were employed with the words : The 
 lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places; J 
 have a goodly heritage. 
 
 Still the family were not all collected. At 
 the expiration of a month, therefore, she sent 
 to Mrs. Collet's, at Bourne, for her children, 
 grandchildren, and other relatives, that they 
 might all enter upon their new mode of life at 
 Little-Gidding. The dilapidated house was 
 then put through a course of repairs, which it 
 greatly needed, as the family consisted of 
 about forty persons. More than twenty of 
 these were the descendants of old Mrs. Fer- 
 rar. It was their custom, conformably to the 
 manner of that age, to kneel down every 
 morning and receive her blessing. It was a 
 time of general distress, and there were many 
 difficulties in the family affairs, but Mr. Fer- 
 rar now proceeded to execute the darling 
 plan of his life, and to establish a household 
 which should make religion its great concern. 
 The church was completed, and they indulged 
 an innocent pleasure in laying, with their own 
 hands, each a stone of the additional building. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 51 
 
 As the pla^e was prevailing in London to 
 an awful extent, the whole family determined 
 to assemble in the church three times every- 
 day, and the minister of the next parish, called 
 Steeple-Gidding, offered to assist them. He 
 was a friendly man, and proved a great bless- 
 ing to them in succeeding years. With a 
 willing heart he joined them in all their acts 
 of w orship, and these were very numerous. 
 The solitary situation of the manor-house con- 
 tributed very much to the quietness, peace, 
 and devotion of the happy family. They were 
 far from the court, far from the bustle of trade, 
 far from the idle curiosity which is ever seek- 
 ing some new thing. Their family constituted 
 the whole parish, and they began to experi- 
 ence the sweetness of a secluded life. Where 
 retirement is sought for pious purposes, and 
 is employed in holy acts, it exempts from 
 many temptations, and conduces to purity of 
 mind. While this unhealthy summer was a 
 time of general distress throughout England, 
 they were permitted by a kind Providence to 
 spend the time in great tranquillity and safety. 
 
 The Ferrars remained at Little-Gidding 
 during the winter, and in the spring of 1626 
 
52 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 made a short visit to London. The old lady 
 intended this as her farewell to the capital. 
 She took leave of her friends, let her house 
 in the city, and made a final settlement of all 
 her pecuniary affairs. Their haste was the 
 greater, as Mr. Ferrar intended, at the ap- 
 proaching Whitsuntide, to enter into holy 
 orders, and become a regular minister in the 
 church of England. He therefore devoted 
 much time to solemn preparation, by fasting 
 and prayer, and spent the whole of the night 
 preceding that day in watching and devotion. 
 Yet his purpose was kept an entire secret from 
 the other members of the family. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 53 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Family Establishment at Little-Gidding — Rules — Man- 
 ner of spending the Lord's-day — Sunday-school. 
 
 We are now about to relate the manner in 
 which this remarkable man prepared himself 
 and his family for a more entire devotion of 
 themselves to the service of God. And here, 
 in order to prevent mistake, it will be proper 
 to make a few introductory observations. No 
 reader will be likely to question the sincerity 
 of Mr. Ferrar's zeal and piety, but there will 
 be a difference of opinion as to the wisdom of 
 the methods which he pursued. It has al- 
 ready been said that we do not mean to re- 
 commend his practice as an example in every 
 particular. Our object is to present a fair and 
 faithful narrative. The reader will judge how 
 far this evinces his discretion and Christian 
 jardour. Even among Protestants, there are 
 isome points upon which true Christians differ. 
 All are not agreed respecting the government 
 E 2 
 
54 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 of the church, the forms of worship, the ob- 
 servance of fasts and festivals, and a variety of 
 similar particulars. In all these respects, Mr. 
 Ferrar, as it will be seen, was a conscientious 
 member of the church of England. The wri- 
 ter of this biography holds other sentiments, 
 and is of a different persuasion : yet he ho- 
 nours the devotion manifested by this excel- 
 lent man, and believes that many who differ 
 in these matters will cordially agree in re- 
 specting the instances of piety here recorded. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar, having resolved to enter into 
 holy orders, kept this determination to him- 
 self, lest he should be perplexed by the op- 
 position of his friends. The only individual to 
 whom he confided his purpose was his former 
 tutor, the Rev. Dr. Lindsell of Clare-hall. This 
 good man was filled with joy at the tidings ; 
 he was like one in a dream, and could scarcely 
 credit his own ears. It was delightful to him 
 to hear that his pupil, renouncing all his fair 
 prospects of eminence in the state and the 
 world, was willing to devote himself to the 
 special service of God, and he was persuaded 
 that, by the divine blessing, he would shine 
 among those who turn many to righteousness. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 55 
 
 Early upon Trinity Sunday, Mr. Ferrar went 
 with this friend to Henry the Seventh's Cha- 
 pel, at Westminster Abbey, and there received 
 orders as a deacon from the Bishop of Lon- 
 don. Towards evening, he returned home to 
 his- mother, and begged her to hear something 
 which he wished to read to her. He then 
 drew from his bosom a parchment, signed 
 with his own hand, containing a solemn vow 
 which he had made, that since Almighty God 
 had afforded him so many gracious deliver- 
 ances, and had rescued his family from im- 
 pending ruin, he would now separate himself 
 to serve God in a holy calling, and to be the 
 spiritual guide of his own numerous relations. 
 His mother and friends were as much amazed 
 as delighted with this information. The 
 pious woman showered her tears and blessings 
 upon him, beseeching God to fill him every 
 day more and more with his Holy Spirit, and 
 to grant him a long life, as an unspeakable 
 blessing to her, and the whole family. They 
 all assured him, that they also, by God's as- 
 sistance, would seek, with greater care and 
 diligence than ever, the one thing needful. 
 The news of this unexpected event was 
 
56 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 quickly spread through the city and court. 
 There were some friends who censured his 
 imprudence. There were more who wondered 
 at his decision. The best and wisest highly 
 ■commended him, and among- the rest, his 
 friend Sir Edwin Sandys. This gentleman 
 made it his last request to him that he would 
 be his executor, and charged his lady to do 
 nothing without the advice of Mr. Ferrar. A 
 member of the Virginia Compan}^ supposing 
 that he would not refuse preferment in the 
 church, though he had declined state-promo- 
 tion, offered him a living of three hundred 
 pounds a year. Another nobleman invited 
 his acceptance of a living of four hundred 
 pounds. Both these he refused, saying that 
 he had already parted with all his property, 
 by sharing it equally with his kindred, and 
 that he would now employ his poor abilities 
 in striving for their spiritual welfare. 
 
 The little church at Gidding was now fitted 
 up with great care for divine service, and it 
 was a favourite employment of Mrs. Ferrar 
 to arrange and beautify it. An old dove-house 
 which belonged to the manor was emptied of 
 its pigeons, and turned into a handsome school- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 57 
 
 house. Not only their own children, but 
 those of the neighbouring parishes were here 
 admitted, at the request of their parents. Al- 
 though religion was the great thing in which 
 they were instructed, yet proper attention was 
 bestowed upon grammar, %yriting, arithmetic, 
 and music. There were as many as three 
 different masters for these subject?. Mr. 
 Ferrar then assigned to his nieces and female 
 relations, according to their ages, chambers, 
 closets, gardens, and pleasure-walks. He 
 fitted up convenient lodgings for the teachers 
 and scholars, and so placed his own apart- 
 ments, in the centre of the house, that he 
 could easily oversee the whole. He provided 
 a room called the Infirmary, which was used 
 for the care of such as were taken sick. 
 Every thing was according to fixed rule. 
 There were times and places at which the 
 children and youth might run, and leap, and 
 practise with the bow and arrow. On Thurs- 
 day and Saturday part of the afternoon was 
 allowed for these pastimes, in order that they 
 might not suffer in health for want of exer- 
 cise. 
 
 The young women of the family were nine 
 
58 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 or ten in number. It was a favourite notion 
 of Mr. Ferrar, that they should be uniform in 
 dress ; and they were al ways appareled in a 
 plain, dark stuff, and all alike. They were 
 caused to spend much time at needlework, 
 and this was often for the poor. According 
 to the custom of the times, they learned to 
 dress wounds, to make salves and ointments, 
 to distil such cordials as were thought medi- 
 cinal ; and there was a room set apart for these 
 things. They freely gave away their reme- 
 dies among the poor, and kept a kind of Dis- 
 pensary, which cost something considerable 
 every year, and was much frequented by the 
 country people. They put in practice their 
 healing art by attending to the wounds of the 
 neighbouring poor. Mr. Ferrar wisely pro- 
 hibited any regular prescription. Though 
 lie had paid some attention to the science 
 when he was in Italy, yet he never ven- 
 tured upon practice, and forbade his family 
 to tamper or meddle with it. These young 
 women were instructed to use all proper 
 means for the instruction, conversion, and 
 comfort of the sick whom they visited. In 
 domestic affairs, the four nieces took turns as 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 59 
 
 managers. Each superintended the family- 
 affairs for a month at a time ; and this was ra- 
 ther a recreation than a task. They were re- 
 quired to keep an accurate account of all the 
 weekly expenditures, allowing every small 
 matter its column in their books ; and by this 
 means they became good accountants and 
 thrifty managers. The land was let out upon 
 shares to tenants^ who by agreement were to 
 serve the family with provisions at a uniform 
 rate ; and their fare was frugal, yet with va- 
 riety enough to suit every one's health and 
 constitution. 
 
 Such was the uniformity observed in Mr. 
 Ferrar's family, that the history of one week 
 would be the history of the whole year. To 
 begin with the first day of the week ; on the 
 Lord's-day, they rose, as on other days, about 
 five o'clock in winter, and about four in sum- 
 mer. The good old mother was up betimes 
 with the rest. After having, on their bended 
 knees, in their several apartments, given God 
 thanks for the night's preservation, they came 
 one after another into the great chamber, 
 which was furnished with a handsome suit 
 of hangings, and in winter provided with 
 
60 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 a good fire. There they never failed to find 
 their protector and friend before them. The 
 younger children repeated to him the chap- 
 ters and psalms which they had committed to 
 memory. This exercise lasted until about 
 seven o'clock, after which they retired to their 
 private rooms for two hours. 
 
 At nine o'clock the bell rang to call them 
 to prayers in the church. The household 
 met in the great chamber, where a hymn was 
 sung, accompanied with the organ. They 
 thence walked to the church, in regular order, 
 two and two, according to their age and 
 standing. The three schoolmasters led the 
 way, the youths followed ; this good son led 
 his aged mother, his two brothers going before 
 her, and all the children after her. Then fol- 
 lowed the servants, making in all a very so- 
 lemn procession. At the church Mr. Fer- 
 rar officiated in divine service. Upon return- 
 ing home, his elder nieces, and some others 
 appointed for that duty, sat in a gallery, if it 
 were summer, or, if it were winter, in their 
 large room by the fire, and heard the children 
 repeat the psalms which they had learned the 
 week before. This was,^ in truth, a Sunday* 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 61 
 
 SCHOOL, though the name was not then 
 known, as it was more than a hmidred and 
 fifty years before Sunday-schools were insti- 
 tuted. Mr. Ferrar was greatly desirous that 
 the whole vicinity should receive profit from 
 his family ; he therefore gave notice that 
 such of the neighbouring children as chose to 
 appear tliere upon Sunday morning should 
 receive each a penny for every one of the 
 Psalms of David which was perfectly com- 
 mitted to memory, besides their Sunday din- 
 ner into the bargain. A Psalter was presented 
 to every one who came. There were some- 
 times forty or fifty children gathered at one 
 time ; and their parents, who were mostly 
 plain country people, were extremely pleased 
 and grateful. 
 
 The influence of this Sunday-school was 
 such, that the neighbouring ministers declared 
 a mighty change was wrought, not only upon 
 the children, but on the men and women at 
 home. For the parents would naturally hear 
 their children repeating their sacred lessons ; 
 whereas, heretofore, their tongues had been 
 exercised in singing lewd or profane songs, 
 or at least idle ballads. Now the streets and 
 F 
 
62 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 doors resounded with the sacred poetry of 
 David's harp. Thus it is that children, in a 
 multitude of instances, become the instructers 
 of their parents ; and this is one of the great- 
 est encouragements which we have in the 
 work of Sunday-schools. If the minds of 
 children are stored with the blessed, glorious 
 truths of the Scriptures, we may hope that 
 they will grow up to be admirers and practi- 
 sers of all that is good. There were some 
 parents in the other parishes, who entreated 
 that their children might also be taught the 
 catechism. Such, however, was Mr. Fer- 
 rar's love of order, that he utterly refused 
 this ; telling them that the instruction in 
 the Bible was a thing by itself, but that cate- 
 chising was the business of their parents, and 
 of their own minister. He informed them 
 that " in doing some things good in appear- 
 ance, one might do very ill, by encroaching 
 on other men's offices ;" a maxim which it 
 would be well for every reader to treasure up. 
 He bade them have a special care of this 
 well-baited and hidden snare, which the devil 
 everywhere cunningly lays in the way of well- 
 meaning people. When he cannot persuade 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 63 
 
 them to foul, known sin, he tempts them to do 
 something good in itself, but which it is pre- 
 sumption in them to attempt. The children 
 not only repeated what they had learned that 
 Aveek, and had for every psalm a penny, but 
 some of them recited a part of what they had 
 formerly learned, in order to fix these incom- 
 parable devotions in their memories. 
 
 At half after ten, the minister of Steeple- 
 Gidding, the adjoining parish, came with his 
 own people. They were few in number, and 
 mostly Mr. Ferrar's tenants. The bell rang 
 again, and the whole family, with the Psalm- 
 children, as they were called, met their neigh- 
 bours, and took their several places. Mr. Fer- 
 rar went up into the chancel, and read the 
 second service at the communion-table ; after 
 w^hich the neighbouring clergyman preached. 
 Returning in the same order as before to the 
 house, they found a number of long, narrow 
 tables ready spread upon trestles, or movea- 
 ble frames. The children arranged them- 
 selves on each side of the tables. Old Mrs. 
 Ferrar, who esteemed it an honour to imitate 
 the Saviour in serving the poor, often set the 
 first dish upon the table with her own hands. 
 
64 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 When the blessing of God had been asked 
 upon their food, the children proceeded to 
 take their meal standing. Their pence had 
 already been given them for their Sunday les- 
 sons, and they were kept in order by a suita- 
 ble person left for that purpose. 
 
 After this the bell was rung for the family 
 dinner. It was a principle in the house- 
 hold that every thing should be sweetened by 
 religion, and while they all stood in the great 
 dining room, a hymn was sung by them, ac- 
 companied with the organ. While they were 
 receiving nourishment for their bodies, one, 
 whose turn it was, read a chapter in the Bible, 
 that their hearts might at the same time have 
 spiritual food. This was very much the cus- 
 tom of Christians in former times, and in 
 large families it might still be practised with 
 great advantage, especially upon the Lord's- 
 day. It would prevent much vain and use- 
 less conversation. After dinner every one had 
 liberty to go where he pleased, either into 
 the fresh air, or their respective retirements. 
 About two o'clock the bell called them to-- 
 gether again, and they all went to Steeple- 
 Gidding church, to attend the evening service. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 65 
 
 Upon their return, they assembled in the great 
 chamber, where they all said, at one time, the 
 psalms which on other days they said at dif- 
 ferent stated hours. They were then free 
 until supper, which was about six o'clock. 
 The organ began to play as they came into the 
 parlour ; they sang an anthem while the food 
 was brought upon the table. After God's 
 blessing had been craved, one read a chapter 
 of the Bible, and another read some instruc- 
 tive narrative from the Book of Martyrs, or 
 other useful works. In summer time, after 
 supper, most of them took the air out of doors ; 
 in winter they repaired to their private apart- 
 ments. The elder members of the family 
 often spent this time in serious conversation. 
 At eight o'clock they were once more sum- 
 moned by the bell to their place of prayer. 
 The service commenced with the singing of 
 an anthem ; and after prayers, they bade each 
 other good night. The young people retired 
 to their beds, and the elder ones to their clo- 
 sets. It was a rule of the family that after 
 prayers no one should go up and down the 
 house ; every one was required to keep his 
 own room. 
 
 f2 
 
60 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Such was the Sabbath at Little- Gidding. 
 
 Whatever may be thought of the wisdom dis- 
 played in their arrangement of time, all must 
 agree that a beautiful order and decorum, as 
 well as diligence and piety, shine in the whole 
 plan. There is always danger lest such 
 methods should generate an empty formality, 
 but this may be said of the best services which 
 are known among men. It is pleasing to ob- 
 serve such attention to this holy day at a time 
 when the loyalists of England commonly ob- 
 served it as a season of merriment. It was 
 but eight years before Mr. Ferrar's settle- 
 ment at Gidding, that James had issued his 
 proclamation against the strict observance of 
 the Sabbath, and eight years after that Charles 
 I. made a similar proclamation, encouraging 
 sports on the Lord's-day. Mr. Ferrar's own 
 words, though somewhat ancient in style, de- 
 serve to be here quoted, with regard to the 
 Sabbath. "It is a day of rest, not of plea- 
 sures. It frees us from bodily labours, but it 
 should more intend the exercises of the mind. 
 God blessed the day and sanctified it ; they 
 must both go together. If we would have it 
 happy, we must make it holy ; and that can 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 67 
 
 be by nothing better done than by taking a 
 survey of all God's works, according to the 
 two divisions of heaven and earth, whereunto 
 he hath reduced all sorts of generations. And 
 if it seem too long and hard a matter to go 
 through all, we need but return to ourselves, 
 where we shall find an epitome of all." 
 
 Upon the first Lord's-day of every month, 
 and also upon the festivals of the English 
 church, they always celebrated the Lord's 
 Supper. On the Saturday preceding these 
 solemn occasions, Mr. Ferrar employed him- 
 self in explaining this sacred ordinance to the 
 younger members of the family, and in exhort- 
 ing the elder, and preparing all for the ap- 
 proach to the holy communion. On these 
 days the servants who had sat down with 
 them at the Lord's table, were not thought 
 unworthy to dine in the parlour with them. 
 It was their custom to sit at the lower end 
 of the high table where they dined that day. 
 
68 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Daily Employments and Devotions at Little-Gidding — 
 Inscription — Vigils, or Watch-nights. 
 
 The little community at Gidding were not 
 less regular upon other days of the week. 
 Believing that method is the half of business, 
 they observed a strict and constant order in 
 all their employments. If they erred, it was 
 upon the extreme of system and formality, 
 and the world is now so little inclined to ex- 
 travagance of this kind, that their example is 
 not likely to be injurious. 
 
 They arose as early as on the Sabbath. It 
 was expected that every one should engage in 
 secret prayer before he left his private apart- 
 ment. This it is which seasons the whole 
 succeeding hours of a Christian day. Their 
 first meeting was in the great chamber already 
 mentioned. Here the younger nephews and 
 nieces repeated to Mr. Ferrar those parts of 
 the Holy Scriptures which they had lately been 
 
NICHOLAS K E R R A R. 
 
 69 
 
 learning. After this they retired for a time to 
 their closets. At six o'clock the bell rang, 
 and they assembled aggin in the common 
 hall. Here a certain numiber of them began 
 reading alternately, verse by verse, the Psalms 
 appointed for that hour. It was a singular 
 rule of the house, that the whole book of 
 Psalms should be devoutly read over in this 
 manner, once in the twenty-four hours. They 
 were divided into companies for this purpose, 
 and each company knew its time and portion. 
 It seems likely that Mr. Ferrar borrowed this 
 custom from what he had observed among the 
 papists upon the continent, where it is very 
 common in monasteries to read or chant over 
 the whole Psalter every day. It is much to 
 be questioned whether this was a judicious 
 arrangement. There was manifest danger of 
 its degenerating, especially with the young, 
 into a mere formality. It tied up the family 
 too strictly to the observance of every hour, 
 when some liberty might have been advanta- 
 geous. With all our veneration for the book 
 of Psalms, we think the attention thus be- 
 stowed upon it inordinate. The time spent 
 in reading over this single book, three hundred 
 
70 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 and sixty-five times in the year, might have 
 been more profitably employed upon other 
 portions of the word of God. And there is 
 something which is^ not unlike superstition in 
 the stress laid upon the repetition, every hour, 
 even of inspired compositions. 
 
 Immediately after this, one of the company 
 repeated from memory a chapter or section 
 from a Harmony of the four evangelists, of 
 which more shall be said in the sequel. This 
 book was so divided, and the various parts so 
 allotted, that the gospel history was repeated 
 once every month. A short hymn, accompa- 
 nied by the organ, was sung every hour. It 
 was commonly something like the following : 
 
 So angels sing, and so sing we, 
 To God on high all glory be : 
 Let him on earth his peace bestow, 
 And unto men his favour show. 
 
 These services, which were conducted with 
 great solemnity, were so adjusted that the 
 psalms, prayers, and repetitions occupied only 
 a quarter of an hour. 
 
 After this they proceeded, as on the Lord's- 
 day, to prayers in the church, when Mr. Fer- 
 rar officiated. By this time it was seven 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 71 
 
 o'clock, at which hour the second company 
 proceeded with the Psalms and other exer- 
 cises, in the manner which has been described. 
 The children then went to breakfast, and after- 
 wards to the school-house, with their respec- 
 tive teachers. Old Mrs. Ferrar, from her 
 chair, inspected her daughters and grandchild- 
 ren, like olive-branches round her table. The 
 latter sat at their books or work in great si- 
 lence ; or when there was any conversation, 
 they were required to avoid " vain talking, 
 and jesting, which are not convenient." 
 Every hour had its allotted business, for their 
 careful guardian used to maintain that this 
 was the only way to effect great things "with 
 ease and pleasure. This he therefore en- 
 joined upon them, even in their spiritual 
 exercises. Some spent their time in preparing 
 the Scripture Harmony, or getting it by heart. 
 Others practised vocal and instrumental music. 
 Writing and arithmetic employed some, while 
 others were engaged in manual labour. Mr. 
 Ferrar desired that every one who was willing 
 should be taught some trade. For this pur- 
 pose he had in the house the daughter of a 
 
72 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 bookbinder from Cambridge, who instructed 
 them in this useful mechanical art. 
 
 He thought it very important that they 
 should early be inured to profitable labour ; 
 and used to put them in mind of that passage 
 in Psalm cxxviii: — "Blessed is every one 
 that feareth the Lord ; that walketh in his 
 ways ; for thou shalt eat the labour of thy 
 hands.^^ *' Whereas (said he) the world 
 thinks the living upon rents, and other men's 
 labours, to be their honour and happiness ; 
 David here makes the contrary an effect and 
 sign of blessedness." He also taught them, 
 that while labour was Adam's punishment, it 
 also carried a medicine along with it, to cure 
 him of sloth and luxury. He assured them, 
 that to concern themselves with some tempo- 
 rary occupation was far from being degrading, 
 and that the apostle Paul himself, though de- 
 voted to God's service, employed himself in 
 tent-making. 
 
 Every hour of the day had its regular reli- 
 gious observance. At ten o'clock, there was 
 a solemn service in the church ; and at noon 
 the dinner was served up. While all things 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 73 
 
 were in preparation, a hymn was sung to the 
 organ, and after they had taken their seats, a 
 youth, whose turn it was, read to the com- 
 pany out of some English history. They 
 thought silence at meals unpleasant, and the 
 ordinary discourse of so great a number un- 
 profitable. For this reason they were accus- 
 tomed to have something read aloud ; such as 
 voyages and travels, the description of foreign 
 countries, and narratives of an entertaining 
 and instructive kind. This not only refreshed, 
 but enriched their minds, and to assist their 
 recollection, a summary collection was kept 
 of all the most remarkable passages. This 
 was arranged by one of the schoolmasters, 
 and was transcribed by the scholars. Imme- 
 diately after dinner, a repetition was made of 
 something which had been read before ; that 
 is, one of the boys repeated a story, selected 
 for him, in different language from that in 
 which it had first been presented. This gave 
 the young people a familiarity with public 
 speaking, and also enabled them to express 
 themselves well, and unaffectedly. The whole 
 family thus became versed in the most import- 
 ant parts of history, and that by a method 
 G 
 
74 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 which rendered it rather a pleasure than s 
 task. 
 
 In all these arrangements, we can observe 
 Mr. Ferrar's love of order, his diligence, and 
 his piety. There is much to be commended, 
 and some things as to the propriety of which 
 we may safely doubt. Few families have it 
 in their power to observe such a routine ; 
 fewer still have the zeal or patience to endure 
 such a yoke. We are far from giving indis- 
 criminate praise to all that we record as his- 
 tory, yet we give even these minute particu- 
 lars, as exemplifying the peculiarities of the 
 man. Their singularities naturally excited 
 attention, and drew upon them some censure ; 
 and, as they were much visited, they caused 
 a tablet to be placed in a conspicuous part of 
 the hall where they entertained strangers, 
 with the following inscription ; 
 
 He that by reproof of 
 our errors, and remon- 
 strance of that which is ^ 
 more perfect, seeks to 
 make us better, is wel- 
 come as an angel of God. 
 But, 
 
 He that any way goes 
 
 He that by a cheerful 
 
 participation of that which 
 is good confirms us in the 
 same, is welcome as a 
 Christian friend. 
 
 But, 
 
 He that censures us in 
 
TflCHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 75 
 
 about to disturb us in that absence for that which in 
 which is and ought to be presence he made a show 
 among Chiistians, though -a to approve of, both by a 
 it be not usual in the < double guilt of flattery and 
 world, is a burden while slander, violates the bond 
 he stays, and shall bear his of friendship and Christi- 
 judgraent, whosoever he anitj'. 
 be. 
 
 Mary Ferrar, widow, mother of this family, aged about 
 80 years, bids adieu to all fears and hopes of tliis world, 
 and only desires to serve God. 
 
 In the ancient Christian church, there is 
 reason to think that whole nights were some- 
 times spent in devotion. These were called 
 Vigils , or watchings. Mr. Ferrar proposed 
 to such of his family as chose to adopt this 
 practice, to set apart some such seasons, 
 though without any constraint. He found 
 manj willing to join him in this. There are 
 some denominations of evangelical Christians 
 who observe this at the present day ; and 
 where it is the tribute of sincere devotion, and 
 is conducted with pious decorum, there can 
 be no blame attached to it. The judicious 
 commentator, Thomas Scott, remarks : "If 
 we are in a proper frame of mind, we shall 
 rather abridge ourselves of wonted refresh- 
 
76 THELIFEOF 
 
 ments than neglect communion with God : 
 nay, there may be urgent cases, when even 
 the night itself does not seem too long to pour 
 out our hearts before him." 
 
 The Vigil began about nine o'clock at night, 
 and was continued for four hours. Those, 
 however, who watched did not undress them- 
 selves all that night, but lay down in their 
 clothes from one till six in the morning. 
 This was observed in separate apartments, 
 the men by themselves, and the women by 
 themselves. The two who watched together 
 repeated, alternately, all the Psalms which 
 they had not recited in the day. These holy 
 compositions they used as their form of prayer, 
 devoutly repeating them upon their knees. At 
 intervals, such as could play and sing refresh- 
 ed themselves with sacred music. As soon 
 as their watch was ended, they came and 
 knocked at Mr. Ferrar's room, bidding him 
 good-morrow, and leaving him a candle light- 
 ed at his door. He then arose, for one o'clock 
 in the morning was the hour at which he con- 
 stantly began his prayers and meditations, 
 when it was not his own turn to keep watch. 
 We are far from inviting others to imitate 
 
?fICH0LA8FERRAR. 77" 
 
 this example ; yet Mr. Ferrar was not singu- 
 lar in this. The martyr, Hugh Latimer, even 
 when he was more than eighty years of age, 
 constantly rose at two o'clock. And the cele- 
 brated Thomas Ken strictly accustomed him- 
 self to but one sleep, which often obliged him 
 to rise at one or two in the morning, and 
 sometimes sooner : this continued almost till 
 his last illness. David also says, " At mid- 
 night I will rise to give thanks unto thee, 
 because of thy righteous judgments." — Ps. 
 cxix. 62. 
 
THE LIFE OF 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Visiters — Domestic Habits — Message from the Queen 
 — Scripture Harmonies. 
 
 There was nothing austere or repulsive in 
 the family at Little-Gidding. They encou- 
 raged the society of the neighbouring gentry, 
 and endeavoured in this way to be useful. 
 Yet they seldom made excursions, or visits 
 of any length. When they first entered upon 
 the manor, the suspicion of the plague pre- 
 vented much intercourse with their neigh- 
 bours ; and when this fear had passed away, 
 it had become generally known that they 
 wished to live much in retirement. Curi- 
 osity led many persons to Little-Gidding, 
 where they were kindly received, and treated 
 with all hospitality. A glass of wine or a 
 tankard of ale, with a piece of cake, was of- 
 fered to all decent visiters. Persons of qua- 
 lity sometimes lingered, as if to partake of 
 their meals, or to lodge with them. No invi- 
 tation, however, was given; and it was not 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 79 
 
 iheir custom to entertain strangers, unless 
 when the latter were really in need of their 
 humane attentions. Indeed had they done 
 otherwise, they would have been overbur- 
 dened with a multitude of guests, whom they 
 could not, with any civility, have avoided. 
 There were instances in which men of for- 
 tune, from a strong curiosity, pretended to 
 lose their way, and leaving their servants and 
 equipage at the neighbouring village, sought 
 a night's lodging at Gidding. Such persons 
 were kindly entertained. As the mansion 
 was upon a high road, numbers of gentry and 
 clergy were accustomed to call as they passed 
 and repassed. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar's singular manner of life attract- 
 ed the attention of many entire strangers. 
 Learned persons of other persuasions, and 
 even Romish priests, sometimes came to con- 
 verse with him, and to discover his opinions. 
 Towards such persons he had no reserve in 
 the expression of his sentiments. Without 
 inquiring who they were, he always enter- 
 tained them with serenity and frankness, and 
 with all the courtesy which was due. The 
 nearest neighbour to Mr. Ferrar was a Roman 
 
80 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Catholic gentleman, who often came with his 
 lady to Gidding, though their visits were not 
 returned. He one day brought with him three 
 learned priests, one of whom was a famous 
 defender of the Church of Rome. They were 
 all full of curiosity to examine a man so 
 much noted for talents and devotion. He 
 freely entered into controversy with them ; 
 and in this he had a great advantage, because 
 in his travels he had seen their practices with 
 his own eyes, and had made it his special bu- 
 siness to compare the lives of papists with 
 their pretensions. The debate was spun out 
 to a great length, and was managed on both 
 sides with good temper. Almost every point 
 which is disputed between Roman Catholics 
 and Protestants was brought up, and they 
 parted in an amicable manner. One of the 
 priests afterwards said that he had seen Little- 
 Gidding, the place so much in everybody's 
 mouth, and that he found the master of the 
 house different from what he had expected ; a 
 profound and solid man, of wonderful memory, 
 keen wit, flowing eloquence, extensive read- 
 ing, and great experience. 
 
 While Mr. Ferrar was most conscientious 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 81 
 
 in the disposal of his time, he was far from 
 being morose or inaccessible. He gave or- 
 ders that if any one came to see him, even if 
 he were in his study, he should be called ; 
 for he hoped that they came either for his 
 good or their own. The whole design of his 
 life was to make himself and others better. 
 Few ever parted with him without satisfaction, 
 and we are told of some who, after spending 
 only a few hours in that happy society, carried 
 away with them a lasting fervour of devotion. 
 When strangers came to the house, even 
 though of a different persuasion, they were 
 invited to accompany the family to the place 
 of prayer, and their hours of going to church 
 were never altered on account of visiters. 
 Sometimes persons came from a mere idle cu- 
 riosity. Such took the liberty, at times, of 
 expostulating with Mr. Ferrar upon his re- 
 tired and severe life, and recommended a 
 course of greater recreation and pleasure. 
 He used to reply, that he would rather not 
 live on earth an hour longer, than pursue the 
 method which the world calls living gene- 
 rously, and like a gentleman, eating and drink- 
 ing, keeping irregular hours, having time 
 
82 THE LIFE OF 
 
 hanging so heavily as to spend much of it 
 in inventing new follies, hunting, hawking, 
 cards, and dice. 
 
 It is well known that the Queen of Great 
 Britain was a zealous papist. Charles I. had 
 often told her of a family which, without any 
 vows, and without being members of the Ro- 
 mish Church, pursued as regular and devout a 
 life as was known in the strictest monasteries. 
 The Queen supposed this to be a mere plea- 
 santry of the King, and determined to go in 
 person and inspect the establishment. The 
 cross-roads of the country happened, how- 
 ever, to be at that time almost impassable. 
 She therefore contented herself with sending 
 a trusty messenger, Mr. Newton, to take an ex- 
 act account of all their arrangements. Upon 
 his return she expressed great regret that she 
 had not made the journey herself. 
 
 A still more notable visit was made to Mr. 
 Ferrar's family two or three years after his 
 decease, when the civil war commenced in 
 England. During all the troubles which pre- 
 ceded this event, he had remained in tranquil 
 obscurity. In 1642, when Charles I. was 
 marching into the north, to set up his royal 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 83 
 
 Standard at Nottingham, he was told that he 
 was in the vicinity of Litile-Gidding. Mis' 
 guided and unfaithful as this unfortunate mo- 
 narch was, he appears to have had a kind of 
 reverence for consistent piety. He struck out 
 of his way, and rode directly to the house of 
 the Ferrars, in company with the Prince of 
 Wales, Prince Rupert, the Duke of Rich- 
 mond, and many other of the cavaliers. This 
 Prince Rupert was the son of the unfortunate 
 Palatine whose bride Mr. Ferrar had accom- 
 panied to Holland more than twenty years be- 
 fore. Upon the commencement of hostilities 
 between the King and parliament, he had come 
 over with his brother, Prince Maurice, and en- 
 listed under the royal banner. The King took 
 a view of every thing with a curious eye, and, 
 in the midst of his own perplexed affairs, 
 spent a good deal of time in reading their Har- 
 monies of the Bible. The princes and gen- 
 tlemen, in the mean time, received such re- 
 freshment as the house afforded. 
 
 This is a proper place to give some account 
 of the Scripture Harmonies, to which some 
 allusion has been made. The first of these 
 was called a Concordance. Concordances have 
 
B4 THE LIFE OF 
 
 been formed upon various methods. The 
 most common is that of a dictionary, in which 
 any verse may be found by seeking for some 
 principal word in it. The first of this kind 
 was made in Latin, by Cardinal Hugo, who 
 flourished about the year 1240, and died in 
 1262. It was he who first divided both the 
 Old and New Testaments into chapters, as we 
 now have them ; and these he subdivided into 
 smaller portions, which he distinguished by 
 the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, placed at 
 equal distances from each other according to 
 the length of the chapters. The facility of 
 reference thus afforded by Hugo's divisions 
 and concordance having become known to 
 Mordecai Nathan, a celebrated Jewish Rabbi, 
 in the fifteenth century, he undertook a simi- 
 lar concordance to the Hebrew Scriptures, 
 and marked every fifth verse with a Hebrew 
 letter. The numerals were afiixed to the 
 other verses in the Hebrew Bible by Athias, 
 a Jew of Amsterdam, about 1663. The di- 
 vision of the New Testament into verses was 
 first made by Robert Stephens, in 1551, and 
 for the same purpose of reference in a Con- 
 cordance. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 85 
 
 The Concordance made by Mr. Ferrar was 
 what we should now call a Harmony of the 
 Gospels: indeed, both words have originally 
 the same signification. The book was divi- 
 ded into a hundred and forty heads, and was 
 a digest, or arrangement of the history of 
 Christ. An hour every day was spent in 
 planning it, and the young ladies did the 
 work, by cutting out from each evangelist the 
 passages selected, and laying them together 
 so as to complete each head or chapter. After 
 cutting out these pieces with their knives or 
 scissors, they neatly and exactly pasted them 
 upon sheets of paper. This was done so 
 dextrously as to resemble printing, and none 
 who saw the book for the first time detected 
 the art. The whole, after being pasted, was 
 passed through a heavy press, which rendered 
 it smooth and even. It was entided : " The 
 Actions, Doctrines, and other Passages touching 
 our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as 
 they are related by the four Evangelists, re- 
 duced into one complete body of history ; 
 wherein that which is severally related by 
 them, is digested into order, and that which 
 is jointly related by all or any of them, is ex- 
 
86 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 pressed in their own words, by way of com- 
 parison : Secondly, brought into one narra- 
 tion by way of composition : Thirdly, extract- 
 ed into one clear context by way of collec- 
 tion : yet so, as whatsoever was omitted in 
 the context is enacted by way of supplement in 
 another print, and in such a manner, as all the 
 four Evangelists may easily be read severally 
 and distinctly by each apart, and alone from 
 first to last, and in each page throughout the 
 book are sundry pictures added, expressing 
 either the facts themselves or their types and 
 figures, or other things appertaining thereunto ; 
 the book is divided into an hundred and forty 
 heads." 
 
 Many hands were engaged upon this labour, 
 and even old Mrs. Ferrar lent a hand to com- 
 plete it. It was much spoken of abroad, and 
 an account of it was even taken to court. Upon 
 a certain occasion, when some extraordinary 
 business had taken Mr. Ferrar to London, it 
 happened that Charles I. lodged at Apthorpe, 
 seven miles from Little-Gidding. He des- 
 patched one of his attendants thither, to en- 
 treat a sight of this Concordance, which he 
 heard was a great rarity, promising to send it 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 87 
 
 back before many days after he should have pe- 
 rused it. The family were in some perplexity, 
 but, after consultation, determined that his ma- 
 jesty's pleasure ought to be readily obeyed ; es- 
 pecially as the gentleman protested, that if they 
 did not send it then, he knew the king would 
 send for it again before he slept. It was 
 accordingly sent. Instead of a few days, it 
 was kept several months. The same gentle- 
 man was sent back with it from London to 
 Gidding. He carried to them the king's 
 hearty thanks for lending him the book, which 
 in his opinion was highly to their honour, 
 and much beyond his expectations. He beg- 
 ged them to excuse his delay, and also the 
 notes which he .had pencilled in the margin. 
 The messenger affirmed, that Charles had 
 read in it daily ; and requested, in the king's 
 name, that they would prepare him a similar 
 volume for his own use. 
 
 The ladies of the family set about this new 
 labour with great care, and finished it in about 
 a year's time. It was bound by their own 
 hands, in a peculiar and elegant manner. The 
 volume was presented to the king by the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, and Dr. Cosins, 
 
88 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 Master of Peter-House, Cambridge. It was 
 greatly admired for its external elegance, as 
 well for the judgment with which it had been 
 compiled ; and Charles said, with justice, that 
 *' it was a present for the greatest king upon 
 earth." And then, turning to the Archbishop, 
 he said : " What think you, my lord, shall I 
 obtain a second favour from these good people ? 
 I have another suit to them ; the matter is this : 
 I have often read over the lives and actions 
 of the kings of Judah and Israel, in the Books 
 of Kings and Chronicles, that the latter was 
 a supplement to the former ; and I find some 
 difficulty in reconciling them together. I 
 should desire that these good people should 
 make me such a book, as would bring these 
 two books into one full and perfect history, 
 and yet so as I may at the same time see them 
 each several and apart to be read. They will 
 easily understand my mind, I know. Will 
 you let them know my pleasure ?" 
 
 The king was assured that it should be done. 
 The request was sent to Gidding, and afforded 
 them work for another year. The book was 
 bound in purple velvet, richly gilt, and was 
 put into the king's own hands by Mr. John 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 89 
 
 Ferrar. " This book," said he, " in all kinds 
 far surpasses my hopes, and is done in a far 
 more excellent way of composure than I con- 
 ceived it could have been ; I shall make it my 
 companion. Herein I shall behold God's in- 
 finite mercies, and his just judgments ; his re- 
 wards of the good kings, his punishing of the 
 evil kings, his promises and his threatenings 
 surely accomplished ; nov/ I must needs say 
 I have gained a second treasure. Their care, 
 their skill, and their cost hath been superla- 
 tive, and so let them know my esteem of it." 
 It had been well for Charles if he had kept 
 his word, and thus profited by instruction ; 
 but he had already imitated the folly of Re- 
 hoboam, and was soon to experience a greater 
 fall. This very volume is said to be preserv- 
 ed to this day, in the library of St. John's 
 College, Oxford. 
 
 h2 
 
00 
 
 ThE LIFE OF 
 
 CH A.PTER IX. 
 
 Self-denial of Mr. Ferrar — Characteristic Anecdotes. 
 
 There is reason to believe that Mr. Ferrar 
 attached too much importance to mortification 
 of the body. He accustomed himself, at 
 length, to spend eighteen hours out of the 
 twenty-four, in study, labour, or devotion. In 
 the latter part of his life he seldom sat by a 
 fire, and scarcely ever sat at all in his study. 
 He usually paced the floor, or stood at a desk, 
 and some of his v.'ritings he is said to have 
 penned upon his knees. While his good 
 mother was alive, she endeavoured to abate 
 his rigour in watching. He assured her that 
 while it profited his soul, it did his body no 
 harm, and that his constitution was more in- 
 jured by excess in sleeping or eating than by 
 any thing else. After his mother's death he 
 seldom went to bed oftener than once a week, 
 but lay upon the floor, wrapped in a frieze 
 gown, with a bear's skin under him. Yet he 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 91 
 
 felt no decay of his strength for the last seven 
 years of his life. 
 
 From Avhat has been said it will be seen 
 that he was not a volatile or unstable man, 
 yet he thought he found great advantage, both 
 to body and mind, in varying his pursuits, and 
 never continuing in any study or employment 
 so long as to make it wearisome. The most 
 salutary rest is sometimes a change of occu- 
 pation. 
 
 For the entertainment of the family he com- 
 posed dialogues and scenes, of a sacred and 
 moral kind ; the characters of which were 
 sustained by the younger inmates. By these 
 means he wished to draw them off from 
 Christmas games, and wilder sports, w-hich 
 make way for riot and extravagance. The 
 latter he called carnal excesses. " Though 
 the heart, (said he) and the flesh too, should 
 rejoice, as David says, yet we must not for- 
 get w^hat follows, — it is in the living God that 
 mirth and jubilee are to be exercised : the al- 
 lowance of better cheer on festival seasons 
 must be only so far as may serve to the in- 
 crease of your ascending joys." On such oc- 
 casions these dialogues, founded upon passages 
 
92 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 in history, were pronounced. They fill two 
 or three large folio volumes, and though they 
 are not suitable for publication, are elegant, 
 ingenious, and profitable. 
 
 When Mr. Ferrar was applied to for his 
 counsel, as was frequently the case, it was 
 his manner to write down briefly the sub- 
 stance of what was proposed : he would then 
 set down his answer, his advice, and the rea- 
 sons of it. Such shorl notes, he found by ex- 
 perience, were more useful than verbal com- 
 munications ; and there was less room for 
 mistake. His correspondence was extensive, 
 and he kept a copy of every important letter 
 which he wrote. In this way he did much 
 good, and made his letters the means of con- 
 veying religious truth. He used to say that 
 religion was diff'usive ; that our Saviour's pro- 
 verb was. It is more blessed to give than to 
 receive ; but the devil's proverb was (as com- 
 monly understood). Charity begins at home. 
 Accordingly he was a charitable householder. 
 Besides the alms occasionally given at the 
 dt>or, to such as were really in need, there 
 was a certain amount distributed every day 
 among the poor of the towns around the 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 93 
 
 manor. They were admitted into a lower 
 room, where ]Mr. Ferrar was usually present, 
 to see their wants relieved, to inquire who 
 were sick, and to give spiritual counsel. 
 
 It is a ditlicult thing to be a " wise re- 
 prover." Mr. Ferrar possessed this happy 
 talent in a remarkable degree. He was ac- 
 customed to relate some pointed anecdote, 
 w^hich might convey a rebuke to the con- 
 science of such as did wrong. Sometimes he 
 gave his best counsels when he seemed to be 
 only asking advice. He made it a principal 
 study to learn how to deal with wounded 
 consciences. As he had been much tempted 
 in his early days, he was able to assist those 
 who were distressed in their minds. While 
 he was in Italy, a young Englishman fled 
 thither, who had murdered another in a duel. 
 He was noticed at Padua, as a man despe- 
 rately melancholy. It so happened that he 
 fell into the company of Mr. Ferrar, and found 
 "him so kind, that he confessed to him his 
 crime, and his remorse. He seemed to be 
 hroken-hearted, and truly penitent for his 
 atrocious transgression. Mr. Ferrar assured 
 him that the mercies of God reached even to 
 
94 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 his case, dreadful as it was, and succeeded in 
 leading him to the hope of the gospel. The 
 young man appeared never to be satisfied, ex- 
 cept in the company of this good instructer, 
 whom he ever afterwards esteemed above all 
 the world. 
 
 He spent much of his time in writing pray- 
 ers, meditations, and other devotional com- 
 positions ; and employed one of his nephews 
 in translating a work of this kind from the 
 Italian. As we have seen, he used all his in- 
 fluence to lead every one around him to com- 
 mit to memory large portions of Scripture, 
 especially the Psalms and the Gospels. He 
 used to hire poor people, both young and old, 
 to do this, in order to win them over from their 
 vain thoughts and pursuits ; and that these 
 holy words might afford them subjects for 
 conversation, without hindering their daily 
 labours. He told them that this was as need- 
 ful for their souls as food for their bodies. 
 *' Who knows (said he) what may be our 
 condition before we die ? We may be blind ; 
 we may be in prison ; we may be travelling, 
 where we can use no books. And no one can 
 Jknow, till he has tried as I have, the comfort 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 95 
 
 and benefit he may derive from such a treasure 
 in his heart." 
 
 Such was the singular character and extra- 
 ordinary life of Nicholas Ferrar. As we should 
 suppose beforehand, many persons misunder- 
 stood and misrepresented him. The little 
 establishment at Gidding was called a monas- 
 tery, and he was denounced as a Papist. This 
 was altogether unjust. We do not recom- 
 mend the rules of his family, because we find 
 from the history of the Church, that just in 
 this way well-meaning and devout men laid 
 the foundation of monkery. In the fourth 
 century, St. Anthony and others retired from 
 the world, and gave themselves up to the ser- 
 vice of God. They may have had good mo- 
 tives, but those who followed their example 
 fell into gi-eat abuses. The deserts of Egypt 
 became peopled with solitary monks. In a 
 short time the Church was overrun with mul- 
 titudes of idle mortals, who abandoned all hu- 
 man connexions, advantages, pleasures, and 
 concerns, and languished in seeming piety, 
 while they did the world no good. 
 
 But the family at Little-Gidding was not a 
 monastery. For, first, in monasteries per- 
 
96 THELIFEOF 
 
 sons are gathered together without family 
 connexion ; in this family, they were naturally 
 bound to one another as relatives. Secondly, 
 in monasteries all the inmates are of one sex ; 
 in this family both sexes lived together in pu- 
 rity and affection. Thirdly, in monasteries 
 each individual is under a solemn vow to re- 
 main unmarried ; in this family there were 
 numerous marriages, and the females were 
 carefully educated so as to be good wives and 
 mothers. Fourthly, in monasteries every one 
 is bound by vows never to relinquish that kind 
 of life ; in this family any one was at liberty 
 to leave the community when he chose, and 
 many did so. Lastly, in monasteries every 
 one is under a vow of subjection to the Pope ; 
 in this family they were all good Protestants, 
 and abhorred the corruptions of popery. 
 
 Mr. Ferrar was so far from being inclined 
 to the Romish religion, that he expressed his 
 detestation of the Mass. He said he had been 
 much in popish countries, and that God's 
 honour and worship were wounded by their 
 practices ; that they adored what they could 
 not believe to be the body and blood of Christ. 
 He once said that such a sacrifice profaned 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 97 
 
 the very place where it was celebrated. One 
 of the company replied, " Why, sir, if Mass 
 should be celebrated in your house, without 
 your leave or knowledge, what would you 
 do ?" — " I will tell you a story," said he. 
 *' A peer of France who had long been in the 
 secret service of the Spanish court, being dis- 
 covered, fled into Spain. As soon as he ar- 
 rived, the King sent his secretary to a certain 
 duke and grandee of Spain, entreating him to 
 lend a palace of his, as the hiding-place of this 
 fugitive. ' Tell the King,' said the nobleman, 
 * my house shall ever be at his majesty's ser- 
 vice,' and when the secretary was about to 
 depart — 'nay,' said he, 'stay and hear me 
 out ; as soon as ever the house is mine again, 
 to do what I will in it, I will purge it with 
 such a vengeance that all the world shall ring 
 of it; for I will burn it down to the very 
 ground, rather than that it shall be said that I 
 harboured a traitor under my roof.' " — " But," 
 replied the friend, " do you account the Mass 
 so great a traitor that you would burn down 
 the house if it had been said there ?" — " I say 
 not so," answered Mr. Ferrar, "but I tell 
 I 
 
98 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 you, since you put me to it, I -would pull 
 down that room, though I built another." 
 
 Mr. Ferrar's zeal against error is laudable, 
 though this particular manner of expressing it 
 would have been extravagant and unwise. It 
 serves to show, however, how little he de- 
 served to be suspected of popery. It was his 
 fault that he attributed too much sanctity to 
 places and forms. His devotion might have 
 been just as great, if he had laid smaller 
 stress upon outward observances. 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 
 
 99 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Last Illness and happy Death. 
 
 We are now approaching the closing scenes 
 of Mr. Ferrar's life. It is to be regretted that 
 our materials furnish us with few dates, so 
 that we cannot state his exact age. It is said, 
 however, to have been in November, 1639, 
 that he began to feel some weakness and 
 faintness, though without pain. He went to 
 church in the morning, and officiated as usual. 
 He afterwards sent for his friend, the minis- 
 ter of Great- Gidcling, and asked him to come 
 every day, and read prayers for him. "My 
 first care," said he, " is that the service of my 
 God be not one day neglected by those who 
 can go to church. I know that I shall not be 
 able to perform my part there any more." 
 
 The family were alarmed, and betrayed 
 their anxiety and fear by thejr countenances. 
 He urged on them the duty of patience and 
 resignation. They asked him why it w^as 
 that he seemed so certain his end was draw^ 
 
100 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 ing near? "I will tell you one reason," he 
 replied ; " in all former sicknesses, I have 
 always had a strong desire to recover, and 
 have been earnest in prayer that God would 
 spare me. He hath spared me, at times 
 when skilful physicians thought there was no 
 hope. And I may further say, to the glory 
 of his great name, I never earnestly set my- 
 self to beg any thing of God, but he fulfilled 
 the petition of his most unworthy servant. 
 But, for some time past, I have no inclina- 
 tion to beg longer life of God ; nay, I rather 
 desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ." 
 
 This general sinking of nature grew upon 
 him, but the powers of his soul were as active 
 and lively as they had ever been when in per- 
 fect health. Upon the Lord's-day morning 
 he received, with great desire and devotion, 
 the holy communion, according to the rites of 
 the Church of England. In this ordinance, 
 he made a solemn and touching confession of 
 his faith and trust in the blessed Redeemer, 
 renouncing all pretence of meriting any thing. 
 He declared that when men had done all, 
 they must truly acknowledge themselves to be 
 most unprofitable. The minister who ofii- 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 101 
 
 ciated said that he had never heard so excel- 
 lent a discourse, and that he thought he should 
 never hear the like expressions again. 
 
 He spent day and night in exhorting the 
 family. He told them that he was going to 
 God, to give an account of what he had taught 
 them, assuring them that it was according to 
 His holy word. He entreated them to rely 
 upon God, and to serve Him with sincerity. 
 He warned them against popery, which he 
 said was mere novelty, and recommended to 
 them what he called " the good old way." 
 When the young people approached him, he 
 said they were suns in the high noon of their 
 Christian course, who had gone through much 
 of the heaven already ; but that there was 
 much of it yet before them, which their souls 
 must labour to complete. Then he addressed 
 himself in familiar language to the little chil- 
 dren, and strove to make deep impressions on 
 their tender souls, of the love and fear and 
 service of God ; reminding them to keep their 
 Psalms and Gospels in their hearts, and set- 
 ting before them the blessings which God 
 would give them. He then fervently called 
 upon God to keep them in his holy protection. 
 i2 
 
102 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 About three days before his death, as he 
 lay in his sick-bed, about eight o'clock in the 
 morning, he sent for his brother John, and 
 other relations. " Brother," said he, " I 
 would have you go to the church, and at the 
 west end, at the door where we go into the 
 church, I would have you measure from the 
 stairs that you tread upon, seven feet to the 
 westward, and at the end of that seven feet, 
 there let my grave be made." His brother 
 looked upon him with the deepest sorrow, 
 with eyes bathed in tears. " Brother," added 
 he, " that first place of the length of seven 
 feet, I leave for your own burying-place. You 
 are my elder brother ; God, I hope, will let you 
 there take up your resting-place, till we all 
 rise again in joy." 
 
 There was another communication which 
 he added : " When you have measured out 
 the place for my grave, then go and take out 
 of my study those three great hampers full of 
 books, which have there been locked up for 
 many years. Carry the hampers to the place 
 of my grave, and see that you burn them all 
 upon that spot. Go, let it be done, let it be 
 done ; and then come again all of you tome." 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 103 
 
 There were several hundreds of these books 
 in various languages, which had been locked 
 up ever since he came to Little-Gidding ; so 
 that no one might use them. He had pro- 
 cured them, in different places, at great ex- 
 pense* There were tragedies, comedies, he- 
 roical poems, novels, romances, love-songs, 
 and the like. His family obeyed him, and 
 the fire flamed up so high from the hill on 
 which the church and house stood, that many 
 from the towns adjacent, and men who were 
 at their labour in the fields, came running to 
 -the place, supposing the mansion to be on 
 fire. When they saw what was doing, they 
 went away, and reported that abundance of 
 books were burning, and that Mr. Ferrar was 
 dying. 
 
 When this circumstance came to be spread 
 abroad, idle people circulated a story that he 
 could not die until he had burned his conju- 
 ring books. This report went as far as to 
 some of his old friends in America. The 
 books were such as had, indeed, bewitched 
 him in his younger days. He knew no other 
 way of bearing so strong a testimony against 
 them. And he had in his mind those early 
 
104 
 
 THE LIFE or 
 
 converts at Ephesus, who had used curious 
 arts, and who brought their books and burned 
 them before all men. Thus it was that Sir 
 Philip Sidney repented of his Arcadia, and 
 gave orders on liis death-bed that it should be 
 suppressed, on account of the temptations 
 which it presents to break the seventh com- 
 mandment. 
 
 When his brother returned to his bedside, 
 assuring him that they had done what he de- 
 sired, he raised himself, sat up in the bed, and 
 gave God hearty thanks. 
 
 Many ministers of the gospel came to see 
 the dying man. He generally asked them 
 first to join with him in prayer, and then to 
 favour him with such discourse as was fit for 
 dying men. One of them so far mistook his 
 duty as to begin thus : " Sir, what joy may 
 you now have of the many almsdeeds you 
 have done — " and he was going on to enu- 
 merate them. " What speak you of such 
 things ?" cried Mr. Ferrar; " it had been but 
 a suitable return for me to have given all I 
 had, and not to have scattered a few crumbs 
 of alms here and there. God forgive me, I 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 105 
 
 most humbly beseech Him, my too much car- 
 nal love to my friends in this respect !" 
 
 At another time, a friend said to him : 
 ** Whether that sickness be for a trial of your 
 patience, or for your sins, ov for our punish- 
 menV — at the addition of that word he was 
 much displeased, beseeching him to speak so 
 no more, for he was a most miserable sinner. 
 
 Once, during his sickness, he overheard his 
 brother bemoaning his own loss and that of 
 the family, if God should thus bereave them, 
 and concluding thus : " Alas ! what shall be- 
 come of us poor sheep, if the shepherd be 
 \aken away !" His deep humility was so 
 much wounded at finding them reposing so 
 much trust in himself, that he called his bro- 
 ther to the bedside, and said, with great 
 warmth, " 0, my brother, what mean you to 
 use that undue expression ! Go, I pray you, 
 to the church, and fast this day, and beg of 
 God to forgive you." 
 
 At the return of another Lord's-day he 
 found himself more and more declining. 
 Heartily wishing to be released, he prayed : 
 *' Why stay I here. Lord, any longer, since 
 I can do little now but take my ease and 
 
106 
 
 THE LIFE OF 
 
 sleep ? Lord, in thy good time, receive my 
 soul!" Among other passages from the 
 Psalms, he repeated this with almost every 
 breath : Haste, thee, O God, to deliver me, 
 make haste to help me, 0 God. 
 
 It was the first Lord's-day of the month, 
 the regular day for their communion. He 
 therefore entreated the minister, that after 
 they had celebrated it at the church, he would 
 return and administer to him ; saying that the 
 heavenly table was now his only support, as 
 he had done with the earthly. After receiv- 
 ing, he offered up his most humble thanks for 
 that most inestimable benefit. He then re- 
 turned to the work in which he resolved to 
 live and die, namely, the instruction of his 
 family in the ways of piety. His last dis- 
 courses were directed chiefly to his two un- 
 married nieces, whom he exhorted to be stead- 
 fast, and to commit themselves to the guid^ 
 ance of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. 
 
 After midnight, having lain still a good 
 while, he spoke a little, and observing that his 
 attendants did not hear him, he said with a 
 loud voice : " What, doth my speech fail ! 
 0, sweet Jesus, let it not fail me to the last, 
 
NICHOLAS FERRAR. 107 
 
 I beseech thee !" He was asked if the mi- 
 nisters should be called ; for, supposing him 
 asleep, they had gone out of his chamber. 
 " Entreat them," said he, " to come and pray 
 together." When they entered, he desired 
 them to offer the prayer for a dying man. 
 After this, they inquired how he was ? He 
 replied, " Pretty well, I thank my God and 
 you ; and I shall be better." He then lay- 
 still about half an hour, and seemed to those 
 who surrounded his bed to be in a fine slum- 
 ber, but suddenly threw his arms out of the 
 bed with great strength, and with a strong and 
 cheerful voice exclaimed, " 0 what a blessed 
 change is here ! what a change is here ! O 
 what do I see — what do I see ! O let us 
 come and sing, and praise the Lord, and mag- 
 nify his holy name together. I have been at 
 a great feast, 0 magnify the Lord with me." 
 One of his nieces said, "At a feast, dear fa- 
 ther ?"—" Yea," replied he, "at the Great 
 King's feast ;" and he said this with the voice 
 and manner of perfect health. While all pre- 
 sent were amazed, and unwilling to interrupt 
 him, he lay down quietly, and putting his 
 hands into the bed, stretched them out, and 
 
108 THE LIFE OF FEKRAR. 
 
 closed his eyes. The ministers went to 
 prayer, and as they were praying that God 
 would send his holy angels to carry his soul to 
 heaven, while those very words were uttered, 
 he opened his lips and gave one gasp, after 
 which, without stirring hand or foot, he fell 
 asleep in Jesus. The clock struck one just 
 at that moment. All present remembered that 
 it was the hour at which he constantly rose 
 every morning, to pray to God, and to praise 
 him. At that very hour God called him to his 
 heavenly kingdom, to praise him with an in- 
 numerable company of angels, and with the 
 spirits of just men made perfect. As one of 
 the company said, he ended the Christian 
 Sabbath here on earth, to begin the everlast- 
 ing one in heaven. 
 
 THE END. 
 
i