Transcribed from the 1903 S.P.C.K edition ,
with an accountof
THE HARMONIES
designed and constructed by
NICHOLAS FERRAR.
by
J. E. ACLAND, M.A.
LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, W.C.;
43, queen victoria street, e.c.
BRIGHTON: 129, north street.
1903.
p. 4[published under the direction of the tractcommittee.]
“How happy a king were I, if I had many more suchworkmen and workwomen in my kingdom! Their art and abilityis excellent. Let them know I will not forget them. God’s blessing on their hearts, and painfulhands.”
Such were the words and opinions of King Charles I., whenspeaking of the happy and industrious family whose life andlabours at Little Gidding are described in the following pages, afamily entirely devoted to good works, under the p. 6able directionof Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, whose history has happily been preservedfor us with great accuracy, and which can hardly fail to beattractive.
Although Nicholas Ferrar and Little Gidding are names that areinvariably associated with one another, it must not be imaginedthat he spent his whole life there. It was not, indeed,till he was thirty-three years old that he left the busy andstirring scenes for which he seemed so suited; and beforedescribing the twelve years of seclusion with which he ended hislife, it is necessary to say something about his more activeemployments as a young man. They prove beyond doubt that hewas endued with abilities of the highest order, which might haveled him to positions of great public importance had hisinclinations so prompted him.
Nicholas Ferrar was born in the year 1592, his parents beingconspicuous for their piety and charity, their conscientiousdischarge of every duty, and their careful training of a numerousfamily in every point of virtue and religion, special attentionbeing paid to the study of the Bible, large portions of whichwere committed to memory.
Mr. Ferrar was a merchant, connected with all p. 7the greatcentres of commerce, especially with the East and West Indies;and being given to most generous hospitality, he was on friendlyterms with many persons of eminence, such as Drake, Raleigh, andHawkins.
Nicholas was the third son, and his talents began to developthemselves very early. His memory, which was naturally veryretentive, was carefully cultivated, and he was at all timeseager and diligent in his studies. At the age of fourteenhe was admitted to Clare Hall, Cambridge; four years later hetook his degree, and was before long elected to aFellowship. But his health now broke down, and it wasconsidered that the only chance of his recovery lay in a completechange, and in leaving England. Just at this time thePrincess Elizabeth was starting for the Palatinate, after hermarriage with the Elector Frederick, and Ferrar was fortunate inobtaining permission to be included in her suite. Theyfirst went to Holland, but before long Ferrar left the Royal