tuous, fo the Court broke up without doing any thing.

Wickliffe died of the palfy, at his parfonage of Lutterworth, in 1382, and his bones were taken up and burnt by a decree of the Council thirteen years afterwards.

The learned and candid Melancthon speaks thus of Wickliffe:

"He foolishly confounds the Gospel and poli"tics, and does not fee that the Gospel permits "us to make ufe of all the lawful forms of Go"vernment of all nations. He contends, that it

is not lawful for Priefts to have property. He "infists that tithes* ought only to be paid to those "who teach, as if the Gofpel forbad the use of " political

Ofborne in his celebrated "Advice to his Son," fays, "Grudge not tithes to the teachers of the Gofpel, affigned "for their wages by the Divine Legiflator: of whose in"stitutes this was none of the least profound, that the Tribe "of Levi were prohibited all other revenue than what was "deducible out of the tenth part of the other eleventh's in"creafe; fetting bounds thereby to all the improvement "their wisdom, and the tie the priesthood had over the "people's confciences, might in the future poffibly make,

in caufing their maintenance to rife and fall proportionably "to the general standard of the nation's felicity; which this "limitation obliged them to promote, and for their own

fakes to oppofe all incroachments likely to interrupt their "brethren's utility."

political ordinances. He wrangles fophiftically " and completely feditiously about civil domi

nion."

HENRY THE FOURTH.

[1399-1413.]

"DURING his laft fickneffe," fays Hollinfhed,

Henry caused his crowne (as fome write) to be "fet on a pillow at his bed's head, and fuddenlie "his pangs fo fore troubled him, that he laie as

though all his vital spirits had beene from him departed. Such as were about him, thinking ve"relie that he had been departed, covered his face "with a linen-cloth.

"The Prince his fonne, (afterwards King Henry "the Fifth) being hereof advertised, tooke 'awaie "the crowne and departed. The Father, being "fuddenlie revived out of that trance, quicklie perceived the lacke of his crowne; and having

knowledge that the Prince his fonne had taken "it awaie, caused him to come before his presence, requiring of him, what he meant, fo to mifufe "himself. The Prince with a good audacitie an "fwered, Sir, to mine and to all men's judge"ments, you feemed dead in this world; where"fore I, as your next heire apparent, take that as

"mine own, and not as yours.'-' Well, faire

Sonne, (faid the King, with a great figh) what right I had to it, God knoweth.'- Well, (faid "the Prince) if you die King, I will have the

garland, and truft to keep it with the fworde "against all mine enemies, as you have done.'"Then (faid the King) I commit all to God, and " remember you to do well.' With that he turned " himself in his bed, and fhorlie after departed to « God."

SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGN.

LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE KING'S BENCH.

THE following account of this courageous and inflexible Magiftrate is taken from "

Magne Bri"tannie Notitia," article " Gunthorp:"

"Famous only for the ancient, virtuous, and "warlike family of Gafcoign, two of which (both

Knights and named William) were High She"riffs of the county of York in the reigns of Henry VI. and VII. But, before either of thefe, there was a Knight of this family, named "alfo Sir William Gafcoign, far more famous

than they. He was bred up in our Municipal "laws in the Inner Temple, London, and grew "fo eminent for his skill and knowledge in them, "that he was made Chief Justice of the King's "Bench

"Bench by Henry the Fourth, in the eleventh

year of his reign, and kept that high fituation "till the fourteenth year of that King's reign, de" meaning himself all the time with admirable integrity and courage, as this example will << fhew:

"It chanced that the fervant of Prince Henry (afterwards Henry V.) was arraigned before the Judge for felony; and the Prince, being zealous "to deliver him out of the hand of justice, went "to the Bench in fuch a fury, that the spectators "thought he would have ftricken the Judge; and "he attempted to take his fervant from the bar: " but Sir William Gascoign, well knowing whose

.person he represented, fat unconcerned; and, "knowing the Prince's attempt to be illegal, com"mitted him to the King's Bench Prison, there "to remain till the King his father's pleasure was "known. This action was foon reprefented to "the King, with no good will to the Judge, but it "proved to his advantage; for when the King "heard what his judge had done, he replied, "that he thanked God for his infinite goodnefs, "who had at once given him a Judge that dared

impartially to adminifter justice, and a fon who " would fubmit to it.' The Prince himself, when " he came to be King, (reflecting upon this tranf"action) thus expreffed himself in relation to "Sir William Gafcoign: I fhall ever hold him << worthy

"worthy of his place and my favour; and I wish "that all my Judges may poffefs the like un"daunted courage to punifh offenders, of what "rank foever."

HENRY THE FIFTH.

[1413-1422.]

"THIS King," fays Hollinfhed, " even at firft "appointing with himself, to fhew that in his per"fon princelie honours fhould change publicque "manners, determined to put on him the shape "of a new man. For, whereas aforetime he had "made himselfe a companion unto mifrulie mates "of diffolute order and life, he now banished "them all from his prefence, (but not unrewarded, "or elfe unpreferred) inhibiting them, upon great "paine, not once to approach, lodge, or fojourne " within ten miles of his court or prefence; and " in their places he chofe men of gravitie, wit, "and high policie, by whofe wife council he

might at all times rule to his honour and dig"nitie: calling to mind, how once, to the offense " of the King his Father, he had with his fift "ftricken the Chiefe Juftice, for fending one of "his minions (upon defert) to prifon, when the Juftice ftoutlie commanded himself alfo ftrict "to ward, and he (the Prince) obeied."