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Hereditary Genius
295
fewer of his spiritual graces, being an inveterate enemy to the Protestant
religion.” I presume, from Middleton's taking so much notice of him, that he
ought to be ranked as a person of importance and character.
Nowell, Alexander, D.D., Dean of St. Paul's (1511-1601, aet. 90). Educated at
Brasenose College, Oxford, of which he became a Fellow, and where he “grew
very famous for piety and learning, and for his zeal in promoting the
Reformation.” On Queen Mary's accession he was marked out for Popish
persecution, so he fled to Frankfort, whence he returned after her death, the
first of the English exiles. He soon after obtained many and considerable
preferments, and was made Dean of St. Paul's aet. 49; then Rector of Hadham
in Yorkshire, where he became a frequent and painful preacher and a zealous
writer. Aet. 84 he was elected Principal of Brasenose College, where, having
enjoyed for a further term of six years the perfect use of his senses and
faculties, he died. He was reckoned a very learned man and an excellent divine.
His charity to the poor was great, especially if they had anything of the
scholar in them; and his comfort to the afflicted either in body or mind was
equally extensive. He wrote many religious works, especially a Catechism,
which was highly esteemed, and which he was induced to write, by Cecil and
other great men of the nation, on purpose to stop a clamour raised among the
Roman Catholics, that the Protestants had no principles. His controversies
were entirely with the Papists. He was so fond of fishing that his picture at
Brasenose represents him surrounded with tackle.
n. William Whitaker,* D.D. (1547—1595, aet. 48). Educated by Dr. Nowell until
he went to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he highly distinguished himself.
He was elected Professor of Philosophy while quite young, and filled the chair
with the greatest credit. Then he became a diligent student of religious writers,
and in a few years went through almost all the Fathers of the Church. He
laboured with incredible application, but overdid his powers and strained his
constitution. Aet. 31 he had obtained a very high reputation for theological
knowledge, and shortly after
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