Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 53.djvu/55

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bishop accordingly suspended him from preaching. Smith addressed a brief vindication to Lord Burghley, in which he stated that the bishop had himself called upon him to preach at St. Paul's Cross, and denied that he had spoken against the prayer-book. He said he yielded his full consent to all the articles ‘of faith and doctrine,’ but he avoided reference to matters of discipline. The parishioners sent a testimonial and supplication on his behalf. Lord Burghley actively interposed in his favour, and he was restored to his ministry (Strype, Life of Aylmer, ed. 1701 pp. 152–6, 1821 pp. 100–3; Lansdowne MS. 61, art. 26; Marsden, Early Puritans, p. 181).

During the last illness of William Harward, rector of St. Clement Danes, and again on his death, strenuous efforts were made by the parishioners to obtain for Smith that benefice, which was in the patronage of Lord Burghley; but Richard Webster, B.D., was instituted on 22 May 1589, probably after Smith had declined the preferment. Owing to ill-health he resigned his lectureship about the end of 1590, and retired to Husbands Bosworth. During his sickness he occupied himself in preparing his works for the press, and in revising his sermons, some of which had been ‘taken by characterie’ and printed, without his consent, from these imperfect shorthand notes (Notes and Queries, 8th ser. x. 189). His collected sermons he dedicated to Lord Burghley, but he died before the collection was published. Smith was buried at Husbands Bosworth on 4 July 1591 (Parish Register). His father survived him many years.

Although puritanically inclined, Smith was in sympathy with the church of England, and regarded the followers of Brown and Barrow as enemies of the church. His sermons are noble examples of English prose and pulpit eloquence. They are free, in an astonishing degree, from the besetting vices of his age—vulgarity and quaintness and affected learning (Marsden).

The bibliography of Smith's works is bewildering. The ‘Collected Sermons’ passed through the following editions: London, 1592, 8vo, 1593, 1594, 1595, 1599, 1604, 1607, 1609, 1612, 1613, 1614, 1617–19, 1620–2, and 1631–2. Another edition of the ‘Sermons,’ including the ‘Prayers’ and other works with a very meagre life of the author by Thomas Fuller, B.D., appeared at London in 1657, and again in 1675, 4to. Both editions are very scarce, especially the former; the latest edition was printed at London in 2 vols. 8vo in 1866.

Among his other works are: 1. ‘A preparative to marriage: The summe whereof was spoken at a contract and enlarged after. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of the Lords Supper, and another of usurie,’ London, 1591, 16mo; Edinburgh, 1595, 8vo. 2. ‘Jurisprudentiæ, Medicinæ et Theologiæ Dialogus dulcis,’ London, 1592, 8vo. In Latin hexameters and pentameters. Published by his kinsman, Brian Cave, who dedicated the work to his uncle, Thomas Cave, esq., of Baggrave, Leicestershire. 3. ‘Vitæ Supplicium: sive de misera Hominis conditione querela,’ London, 1592, 8vo; in Latin sapphics. This is annexed to the ‘Dialogus.’ An English translation appeared under the title of ‘Micro-Cosmo-Graphia; The Little-Worlds Description: or, the Map of Man (From Latin Saphiks of that Famous, late, Preacher in London, Mr. Hen. Smith) translated [into English verse] by Iosvah Sylvester,’ printed with ‘The Parliament of Vertues Royal,’ London [1614], 8vo, and reprinted in ‘Du Bartas his Diuine Weekes and Workes,’ London, 1621, fol. 4. ‘Gods Arrow against Atheists,’ London, 1593, 4to, with his sermons; London, 1614, 1621, 1632, 4to, and 1872, 8vo; translated into Latin, Oppenheim, 1594, 8vo.

His portrait has been engraved by T. Cross, James Basire, and by an unknown engraver.

[Life, by Thomas Fuller; Addit. MS. 24490, p. 392; Ames's Typogr. Antiq., ed. Herbert; Bailey's Life of Fuller, pp. 201, 609, 752; Brook's Puritans, ii. 108; Burton's Leicestershire, p. 313; Granger's Biogr. Hist. of England; Harington's Epigrams, iii. 16; Holmes's Descriptive Cat. of Books; Hunter's Illustr. of Shakespeare, ii. 49, 211; Lansdowne MS. 982, art. 111; Nichols's Leicestershire, ii. 185, 389–91, 468, 889, plate lxxi; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. iii. 222, vi. 129, 231, vii. 223, 2nd ser. viii. 152, 254, 330, 501, ix. 55, 285; Retrospective Review, 2nd ser. ii. 11; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.]

T. C.


SMITH, HENRY (1620–1668?), regicide, born in 1620, was the only son of Henry Smith of Withcote in Leicestershire, descended from the family of Smith, alias Heriz or Harris, in Nottinghamshire, to which belonged Erasmus Smith [q. v.] and Henry Smith (1550?–1591) [q. v.] His mother was daughter of Henry Skipwith of Cotes, Leicestershire. Henry the elder dying in 1623, the future regicide became a ward of the king. He matriculated at Oxford from Magdalen Hall (now Hertford College) on 26 Jan. 1637–8, and graduated B.A. from St. Mary Hall on 9 June 1640. In the same year he became a student of Lincoln's Inn. He represented the county of Leicester in the parliament of 1640 as a ‘recruiter;’ he was probably elected in the place of Henry, lord Grey de Ruthin