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The Lives of Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester
The Lives of Hugh Latimer Bishop of Worcester Author:William Gilpin General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1780 Original Publisher: Blamire Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select ... more »from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: PREFACE. THE character of archbifhop Cran- mer hath been equally the fubjedt of exaggerated praife; and of un- deferved cenfure. The proteftant is as little inclined to acknowledge, that he had any failing; as the papift is to allow him any virtue. The hiftorian therefore, who means to be impartial, will often of courfe, give offence to the warmer advocates of both fides. At the hazard however of this I have endeavoured to do juftice as well to the failings, as virtues of this celebrated re- A 3 former. former. Every caufe, in which truth is concerned, is the better, I fhould think, for having all things but truth lifted from it. And in difcriminating the lights and (hades of a character, the greater the character is, the nicer fhould be the difcri- mination: for the very foibles of an amiable man are fafcinating. Queen Elizabeth ufed to tell the artifts, who drew her picture, that me did not like /hade: it was a mere accident. -- It may be fo: but, it is fuch an accident, that the truth of portrait cannot be had without it. Befides, by impartial treatment, you add refpect to the character you re- prefent. General applaufe is always fu- fpefted: while juft cenfure gives weight to praife. But the queftion recurs, Is your cenfure juft? In cenfuring fome parts of the arch- bimop's conduct, particularly his intolerant principles, I have little doubt ofhaving the general fenfe of good men on my fide. As to the indelicacies, and improprieties of his behaviour, I can only appeal to my own feelings. What I fhould not wifli to approve in myfelf, I cannot but cenfure in anot...« less