Richard Field

, received his first being in this World in the County of Hertford, was entred a Student in Magd. coll. in 1577. where continuing in drudging at his book, till he was about Bachelaurs standing, retired to Magd. hall, took the degrees in Arts, and afterwards for about 7 years was not only a daily Reader of Logick and Philosophy, but also a Moderator, and every Sunday a discusser of controversies against Bellarmine, and other Pontificians, before his Fellow-Aularians and many others. Afterwards being Bach. of Divinity, he became first a Reader thereof in the Cath. Church of Winchester, and afterwards in Lincolns Inn; and when Doctor, Chaplain in Ordinary to Queen Elizab. and after her death to K. James; the last of whom not only gave him a Prebendship of Windsore, on the death of Jo. Chamber, an. 1604. but also the Deanry of Gloucester, in 1609. in the place of Dr. Tho. Morton promoted to the Deanry of Winchester. Both which he kept, with the Rectory of Burcleere or Burrowcleere in Hampshire, and all little enough for the encouragement of so right learned a Man as this our author Dr. Field was, who in his time was esteemed a principal mountainer of Protestancy, a powerful Preacher, a profound Schoolman, exact Disputant, and so admirable well knowing in the Controversies between the Protestants and the Papists, that few or none went beyond him in his time, as it doth plainly appear in these his labours.

Of the Church, four books. Lond. 1606. fol. To which he added a fifth book.—Lond. 1610. fol. with an Appendix containing, A defence of such passages of the former books that have been excepted against, or wrested, to the maintenance of the Romish Errours. All which were reprinted at Oxon, 1628. fol. He also published,

A Sermon Preached before the King at Whitehall, on Jude ver. 3. Lond. 1604. qu. He surrendred up his pious Soul to the great God that first gave it, on the 21. Nov. in sixteen hundred and sixteen, 1616 (being then reviewing the said books, and about to give answer to such that had oppugned them,) and was buried in the outer Chappel of St. George at Windsore, a little below the Choire. Over his grave was soon after laid a plank of black Marble, and thereon this inscription engraven on a Copper plate fastned thereunto. Richardus Field hujus olim coll. canonicus, & Ecclesiae Glocestrensis Decanus, verè Doctor Theologiae, & author librorum quinque de Ecclesia. Vna cum Elizabetha Harrisia Sanctissima & Charissima conjuge, ex qua sex reliquit filios, filiam unicam. Hic sub communi marmore expectant Christi reditum, qui faelicitatem, quam ingressi sunt, adventu suo perficeat, ac consummet. Obierunt in Domino, ille an sal. 1616. aetatis suae 55. Haec an. sal. 1614. aetatis suae 41. In Dr. Field’s Deanry of Gloucester succeeded Dr. William Land, and in his Canonry of Windsore, Edm. Wilson Doctor of Physick and Fellow of Kings coll. in Cambridge.