John Harley

was born, as it seems, in Herefordshire, or at least extracted from those of his name there, admitted Fellow of Magd. coll. about 1537. being then Bachelaur of Arts and Master of the Freeschool joyning to that college. Afterwards proceeding in that faculty, he took holy orders, became Preacher to the Earl of Warwick, and Tutor to his children, a zealous Preacher in Oxon against the R. Catholicks upon the coming to the crown of K. Ed. 6. (as I have elsewhere told (*)(*) In Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxen. lib. 1. p. 265. b. you) and at length chaplain to that Prince, who, for the zeal Harley had in Preaching up the reformed religion, gave him a Prebendship in the Church of Worcester, on the decease of Humph. Webley Bach. of Div. an. 1551. Where being settled, he had the rectory of Vpton upon Severne, and the Vicaridge of Kederminster in Worcestersh. bestowed on him, he being then Bach. of Div. Afterwards the See of Hereford being void by the death of Joh. Skipp, he was elected Bishop of that place: So that being consecrated thereunto on the 26. May 1553. was within few months after deprived of it by Qu. Mary for his wilful avoiding the hearing of Mass and for being married. Joh. Leland the famous Antiquary, who knew the said Harley well, doth in an high manner (g)(g) In Encomi [•] s, Trophaeis, &c. eruditorum in Anglia virorum, &c. p. 107. praise him for his great vertue, and learning, especially in the classical Authors and Poets, for his fine vein in Poetry, &c. but what he hath published, that author tells us not, nor Baleus, or his follower Pitseus. Afterwards Harley absconding for a time, did at length go from place to place in an obscure condition, to consolate the poor remnant of Protestants,Clar. 1555. and confirm them in their belief, but died soon after in his wandring to and fro in England. In the See of Hereford succeeded one Rob. Perfey, sometimes called Warbington and VVarton, formerly Abbat of the exempt Monastery of S. Saviour of Bermondsey, educated in the University of Cambridge, (of which he was Bach. of Divinity) who dying in the time of winter 1557. was buried in his own Church at Hereford. Afterwards Tho. Raynolds D. D. Dean of Exeter and Warden of Mert. coll. was design’d to succeed him by Qu. Mary, but she dying before he was consecrated, he was laid aside: whereupon Joh. Scory a Norfolcian born, Doct. of Div. and Chaplain to the Queen, succeeded in 1559, having been a sufferer upon account of religion during Qu. Maries reign, in which time he wrote An Epistle unto all the faithful that be in prison in England, or in any other trouble for the defence of Gods word, &c. printed at Waterford in Ireland 1555. oct. Wherein he doth, by the example of divers holy Martyrs, comfort, encourage and strengthen them, particularly to suffer for Christs sake persecution. In the same year also he published his translation of S. Augustin’s two books, the one of Predestination of Saints, the other of Perseverance unto the end, with the determination of two general Councils concerning that matter.—Printed in oct. And in the year following, he published his translation of S. Ciprian’s Sermon of Mortality, or the willing for saking of this life; Also his Exhortation to Martyrdom, and his Exhortation to keep and endure the faith of Christ, &c. Printed in oct. This Joh. Scory dyed in his house or palace at VVhitbourne in the country of Hereford 26. June 1585. and was, as I suppose, buried there. He left behind him a Son named Silvanus Scory, a very handsom and witty man, and of the best education both at home and beyond the Seas, that that age could afford. His Father lov’d him so dearly, that he fleec’d the Church of Hereford to leave him an estate, but Silvanus allowing himself the liberty of enjoying all the pleasures of this world, reduced it to nothing, so that his Son Edm. lived by hanging on Gentlemen, and by his shifts. Silvanus was also esteemed a learned man, and upon that account did Ben. Johnson dedicate to him a piece of his Poetry, but whether he published any thing, I cannot yet tell, nor any thing else of him, only that he giving way to fate in the Parish of S. Peter near Pauls Wharff in London, in Sept. or Oct. 1617. was buried in the chancel of S. Leonards Church by Shore-a [•] tch, near to the grave of his Mother Elizabeth, who dyed 8. March 1592.