Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 18.djvu/378

 the assistance of one Giovanni Battista Guelfi, ‘a scholar of Camillo Rusconi.’ The collection was afterwards greatly neglected. ‘Coming back,’ writes Walpole to Montagu on 20 May 1736, ‘we saw Easton Neston, where in an old greenhouse is a wonderful fine statue of Tully haranguing a numerous assembly of decayed emperors, vestal virgins with new noses, Colossus's, Venus's, headless carcases, and carcaseless heads, pieces of tombs, and hieroglyphics’ (Letters, ed. Cunningham, i. 6). The marbles were presented in 1755 to the university of Oxford by Henrietta Louisa, countess of Pomfret [q. v.] A description of Easton Neston and its art treasures is included in the ‘Catalogue of the Duke of Buckingham's Pictures,’ 4to, London, 1758 (pp. 53–66). Leominster died 7 Dec. 1711, and was succeeded by his only son, Thomas, who was advanced to an earldom 27 Dec. 1721 by the title of Earl of Pomfret, or Pontefract, Yorkshire.

[Collins's Peerage (Brydges), iv. 205–6; Bridges's Northamptonshire, i. 289.]  FERNE, HENRY (1602–1662), bishop of Chester, eighth and youngest son of the antiquary, Sir John Ferne [q. v.], was born at York in 1602, while his father was secretary to the council of the north. After Sir John's death (about 1610) Lady Ferne married Sir Thomas Nevill of Holt, Leicestershire, by whose care Henry was educated at the free school of Uppingham, Rutlandshire. According to Wood (Athenæ, iii. 533, ed. Bliss), Ferne entered St. Mary Hall, Oxford, as a commoner, in 1618, where he remained two years under the tuition of a noted tutor; but there is no mention of his matriculation in Clark's ‘Registers.’ A George Ferne of Cambridge was incorporated M.A. at Oxford 21 Feb. 1617–18. In 1620 Henry was admitted pensioner, and was afterwards fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Soon after taking his B.D. (1633) he became domestic chaplain to Morton, bishop of Durham, who in about a year made him rector of Masham, Yorkshire. He was afterwards presented by his step-brother, Henry Nevill, to the living of Medbourne, Leicestershire, holding also from 1641 the archdeaconry of Leicester, to which post he was presented by the Bishop of Lincoln. In 1642 he went to Cambridge to take the degree of D.D., and spoke in answer to the Divinity Act at the Commencement. Returning to his living he first came under the king's notice by a sermon he preached before him at Leicester in July, when Charles marched through on his way to Nottingham. There also Ferne, who seems to have joined the royal forces, again preached, and so pleased the king that he made him his chaplain extraordinary, till an ordinary chaplaincy should fall vacant, which happening the next year Ferne received the promised post. Meantime he returned to Medbourne, and in the autumn published his first work, which was also the first pamphlet openly on the king's side, entitled ‘The Resolving of Conscience upon this question: Whether upon such a supposition or case as is now usually made (viz. the king will not discharge his trust, but is bent or seduced to un-bend religion), subjects may take arms and resist? and Whether that case is now?’ Cambridge, 1642, 4to (2nd ed. Oxford, 1643), ‘with an epistle to all the misse-led people of this land.’ Having thus declared himself, Ferne was obliged to abandon his living, and retire to Oxford for safety. Here in 1643 he took the degree of D.D., and employed himself by preaching constantly ‘gratis’ at St. Aldgate's Church, and also in writing pamphlets in reply to the storm of controversial literature which his first book had aroused: ‘Conscience Satisfied, by H. Ferne, D.D., by way of reply unto severall answers made to a treatise formerly published for the resolving of conscience … especially unto that which is entitled a Fuller Answer,’ Oxford, 18 April 1643, 4to; and ‘A Reply unto severall treatises pleading for the armes now taken up by subjects in the pretended defence of Religion and Liberty. By H. Ferne, D.D.,’ Oxford, 1643, 4to (Brit. Mus. and Bodl. Catalogues). As a further proof of royal favour, on a rumour reaching Oxford that the headship of Trinity, Cambridge, was vacant by the death of the master, Charles would have promoted Ferne to the post, but the news proving false he gave him a patent for it, ‘when it should prove void.’ Ferne was summoned, according to Walker, before parliament as a delinquent. In 1644 he took part in the negotiations at Uxbridge as chaplain to one of the lords commissioners, and there spoke by request upon the difference between episcopacy and presbyterianism, publishing his views upon the subject under the title of ‘Episcopacy and Presbytery considered; according to the severall respects we may commend a church government, and oblige good Christians to it,’ Oxford, 1644, 4to (Bodl. copy; 2nd ed. 1647, Brit. Mus.). A few months after his return to Oxford he accompanied the king to the siege of Leicester, probably hoping in the event of success to return to Medbourne; but when the defeat of Naseby (14 June 1645) shattered the royalist cause, Ferne slipped away from the battle-field to Newark, where he remained preaching to the garrison till the royal command came to them to 