in Zoology. See CANIS, MAMMALIA Index.

The fox is a great nuisance to the husbandman, by taking away and destroying his lambs, geese, poultry, &c. The common way to catch him is by gins; which being baited, and a train made by drawing raw flesh across in his usual paths or haunts to the gin, it proves an inducement to bring him to the place of destruction.

The fox is also a beast of chase, and is taken with greyhounds, terriers, &c. See HUNTING.

Fox, John, the martyrologist, was born at Boston in Lincolnshire, in the year 1517. At the age of 16 he was entered a student of Brazen-Nose college in Oxford; and in 1543 he proceeded master of arts, and was chosen fellow of Magdalen college. He discovered an early genius for poetry, and wrote several Latin comedies, the subjects taken from Scripture, which his son affirms us were written in an elegant style. Forfaking the mules, he now applied himself with uncommon assiduity to the study of divinity, particularly church-history; and, discovering a premature propensity to the doctrine of reformation, he was expelled the college as an heretic. His distress on this occasion was very great; but it was not long before he found an asylum in the house of Sir Thomas Lucy of Warwickshire, who employed him as a tutor to his children. Here he married the daughter of a citizen of Coventry. Sir Thomas's children being now grown up, after residing a short time with his wife's father, he came to London; where finding no immediate means of subsistence, he was reduced to the utmost degree of want; but was at length length (as his son relates) miraculously relieved in the following manner: As he was one day sitting in St Paul's church, exhausted with hunger, a stranger accosted him familiarly, and, bidding him be of good cheer, put a sum of money into his hand; telling him at the same time, that in a few days new hopes were at hand. He was soon after taken into the family of the duchess of Richmond, as tutor to the earl of Surrey's children, who, when their father was sent to the Tower, were committed to her care. In this family he lived, at Ryegate in Surrey, during the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII., the entire reign of Edward VI. and part of that of Queen Mary: but at length, persecuted by his implacable enemy Bishop Gardiner, he was obliged to seek refuge abroad. Bahil in Switzerland was the place of his retreat, where he subsisted by correcting for the press. On the death of Queen Mary he returned to England; where he was graciously received by his former pupil the duke of Norfolk, who retained him in his family as long as he lived, and bequeathed him a pension at his death. Mr Secretary Cecil also obtained for him the rectory of Shipton near Salisbury; and we are assured that he might have had considerable church preferment, had it not been for his unwillingness to subscribe to the canons. He died in the year 1587, in the 70th year of his age; and was buried in the chancel of St Giles's, Cripplegate. He was a man of great industry, and considerable learning; a zealous, but not a violent reformer; a nonconformist, but not an enemy to the church of England. He left two sons; one of whom was bred a divine, the other a physician. He wrote many pieces; but his principal work is, the Acts and Monuments of the Church, &c. commonly called Fox's Book of Martyrs. His facts are not always to be depended on, and he often loses his temper; which, considering the subject, is not much to be wondered at.

Fox, George, the founder of the sect of English Quakers, was a hockmaker in Nottingham. The accounts of those times tells us, that as he wrought at his trade, he used to meditate much on the Scriptures; which, with his solitary course of life, improving his natural melancholy, he began at length to fancy himself inspired; and in consequence thereof set up for a preacher.

He proposed but few articles of faith; insinuating chiefly on moral virtue, mutual charity, the love of God, and a deep attention to the inward motions and secret operations of the Spirit; he required a plain simple worship, and a religion without ceremonies, making it a principal point to wait in profound silence the directions of the Holy Spirit. Fox met with much rough treatment for his zeal, was often imprisoned, and several times in danger of being knocked on the head. But all discouragements notwithstanding, his sect prevailed much, and many considerable men were drawn over to them; among whom were BARCLAY and PENN. He died in 1681. His followers were called Quakers, in derision of some unusual shakings and convulsions with which they were seized at their first meetings. See QUAKERS.