trus; who held some
conversation with him concerning the miracles said to be lately
done, by one Lipsieus Apricollis, a woman who lived at Zichem. From
particular miracles, the father turned the discourse to the difference
between divine and diabolical miracles; and he told Mr. Hall, that if
he could ascertain that one miracle ever was wrought in the church
of England, he would embrace that persuasion: To which our author
replied, that he was fully convinced, that many devils had been
ejected out of persons in that church by fasting and prayer. They both
believed the possibility and frequency of miracles; they only differed
as to the church in which miracles were performed. Hall has censured
father Costrus, as a barren man, and of superficial conversation; and
it is to be feared, that whoever reads Hall's religious works will
conclude much in the same manner of him. They departed from Brussels
soon after this interview between father Costrus and our author, and
met with nothing in their journey to and return from the Spa, worth
relation, only Mr. Hall had by his zeal in defending his own church,
exposed himself to the resentment of one Signior Ascanio Negro, who
began notwithstanding Mr. Hall's lay-habit, to suspect him to be a
clergyman, and use some indecent freedoms with him in consequence of
this suspicion. Our author to avoid any impertinence which the captain
was likely to be guilty of towards him, told him, Sir Edmund Bacon,
the person with whom he travelled, was the grandchild of the great
lord Verulam, High Chancelor of England, whose fame was extended to
every country where science and philosophy prevailed, and that they
were protected by the earl of Hertford, the English embassador at
Brussels. Upon the Italian's being made acquainted with the quality of
Sir Edmund, and the high connections of the two travellers, he thought
proper to desist from any acts of impertinence, to which bigotry and
ignorance would have excited him. Hall returned to England after being
absent eighteen months, and was received but coldly by Sir Robert
Drury his patron; there having never been much friendship between
them. In consequence of this, Mr. Hall came to London, in search of a
more comfortable provision; he was soon recommended by one Mr. Gurrey,
tutor to the Earl of Essex, to preach before Prince Henry at Richmond.
Before this accident Mr. Hall had been author of some Meditations,
whom Mr. Gurrey told him, had been well receiv