The General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 32: Containing an Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in ... the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time - Tapa blanda

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Excerpt from The General Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 32: Containing an Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation; Particularly the British and Irish; From the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time

Imbibing very young a relish of the doctrine of the reformation, he had of course no liking to the mass; so that though his aunt had often urged him to go with her to mass, and procured also some of the canons of St. Paul's to persuade him to it, he still refused. By this she was so much exasperated, that she resolved to entertain him no longer under her roof, imputing all her losses and domestic misfortunes to her harbouring of such an heretic within her doors; and at parting told him, "that she thought at first she had received a saint into her house, but now she perceived he was a Devil."

He now returned home to his father in Lincolnshire; and his uncle, the abbot, finding that he had made some progress in grammatical learning, advised that he should be sent to the university. Accordingly he entered of Queen's college, Cambridge, about 1548, but soon after removed to Pembroke-hall, where the celebrated John Bradford, the martyr, was his tutor. He had not been here long before he was recommended by his tutor and Mr. Grindal (then fellow, and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury) to the master, Nicholas Ridley, by which means he was made scholar of that house, and chosen bible-clerk. These advantages were the more acceptable to him, as his father had suffered some great losses at sea, and was less able to provide for him. When Bradford left Cambridge in 1550, Whitgift was placed under the care of Mr. Gregory Garth, who continued his tutor while he remained at Pembroke-hall, which was until he took his degree of bachelor of arts in 1553-4. The following year, he was unanimously elected fellow of Peter-house, and commenced master of arts in 1557.

Soon after this, as he was recovering from a severe fit of sickness, happened the remarkable visitation of his university by cardinal Pole, in order to discover and expel the heretics, or those inclined to the doctrines of the reformation. To avoid the storm, Whitgift thought of going abroad, and joining the other English exiles; but Dr. Perne, master of his college, although at that time a professed papist, had such an esteem for him, that he undertook to screen him from the commissioners, and thus he was induced to remain; nor was he deceived in his confidence in Dr. Perne's friendship, who being then vice-chancellor, effectually protected him from all inquiry, not-withstanding the very strict severity of the visitation.

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