burdening the queen's subjects there for their own gain. CHAP. See the Life of Archbishop Whitgift. X. book ii. But still the next year I find the same bishop of Here- Anno 1582. ford's complaints continued against the arbitrariness of the Life of Archbishop said lord president, in respect of his abuses and outrages Whitgift, offered in his government. Of which he, being now come ch. 2. up, thought to have spoken to the lord treasurer in per- 120 son; but being gone from his house without Temple-bar Sir Henry Sidney's riinto the country, he acquainted him with it by a private gorous goletter, wrote in June, 1583, especially that lord being de-vernment of sirous to understand further touching the government of pality. that principality of which the bishop, in his said letter, gave him this account; viz. 66 "How the same, for the four years last past, had been governed by the lord president, and such as he had for "the more part attendant about him, that were at his de❝votion and commandment, his lordship might require the "same of the bishop of Worcester, [Whitgift,] and some "other of the most worshipful of the said principality; "whom he [the lord treasurer] knew to be best affected. "For the fame commonly was, that there were never such "devices to get money as had been lately practised. Which "he thought would appear, if but half the inquisitions "were orderly made thereof, as his lordship had lately untowardly made against him, [the bishop.] He added, that "there was a gentleman of worship said at his [the bishop's] "table, about the beginning of April last, that the said lord "president had received, within two years last past, 30,000l. "But what was answered to her majesty, said the bishop, "his lordship [as lord treasurer] best knew. And that not"withstanding, they said that the queen's house there was "in debt. Whether it were so much, he doubted, (as the "bishop went on;) but a principal attorney, and one that "had something to do in the fines, said to a man of the bishop's, (as he told him,) that none were there rewarded any longer than they could bring in money. 66 66 "That for his own part, he did not intend to accuse "his lordship of any matter, were it ever so evident, that the princi BOOK 1. "touched not her majesty, her state, crown, or dignity : 66 yet for that he was sworn one of the council there, it was, Anno 1582." he said, his part, either to her majesty, or to his lordship, [the treasurer,] (who above others took care of the good government of her subjects,) to intimate some occasions to "inquire further; if he so thought good.” The bi shop's re lord trea surer. 66 This poor persecuted bishop, having stayed in town thus quest to the long till the summer of the next year, 1583, now upon his departure gives his friend, the lord treasurer, the melancholy account, how uncomfortably he was like to spend the remainder of his days in his diocese, by reason of the hard usage he was like to meet with, by means of the president, in these words: "And now I humbly take my leave of your good lordship, and intend to return to my charge, "where I am persuaded I shall live in small security of life, 66 goods, or fame. Of the last whereof, he adds, his lordship, [the president,] and his, had already utterly spoiled "him. For now in the said principality among some of his "friends, I am committed to the Fleet among others [of the "clergy] deprived. [Meaning, as it would be given out 121" there.] And among the lawyers, the tempters here, I "must with six bishops make a purgation." 66 And then in conclusion he requested, "That if his good "lordship, in consideration of the lord president's greatness, "by allies, friends, and authority, and of his own littleness by wanting the premises; of his desire of revenge; and 66 66 ability to perform the same; and of his [the bishop's] "weakness the same to defend or avoid; would be a means "to her majesty, that he and his might be either exempted "from his lordship's authority, to answer in the courts "there at Westminster, as other bishops out of the said 66 principality did use to answer; or else to be removed to "some other place; where he might be in some safety out "of his lordship's reach. And by obtaining this for him, " he should be bound with a grateful mind to ascribe to his lordship's goodness the security and quietness he should thereby enjoy, the few days he had to live: which the "three and twenty years last past [during which time he 66 66 "had been bishop there] he could never find in the said CHAP. principality." 66 X. An account St. David's. Richard Davies, bishop of St. David's, dying in the Anno 1582. month of October, the last year past, an account was taken of the biof the revenues of that bishopric, by order, as it seems, of shopric of the lord treasurer, and sent up this year to him by some officer or steward of that diocese. Whereby it may appear, how much wrong that bishopric received, and was diminished in its revenues, by means of a commission of concealment, granted to one Carey, a groom of the queen's privy chamber, his rigorous proceedings by virtue thereof; and how impoverished it was now at that bishop's death: being reduced from four hundred and fifty-seven pounds, odd money, de claro, (as it was given in 27 Henry VIII.) unto two hundred and sixty-three pounds. This record, transcribed from the original, is preserved in the Appendix. No. XXII. And hereby may be gathered also how much the revenues of the church in this reign suffered by these commissions of concealments, granted now and then: and what a little gainer the crown was by them. CHAP. XI. Puritans. An inscription about the queen's arms in a church in Bury; abusive of the queen. Wright, chaplain to the lord Rich. His troubles. Informations concerning him. And his answers. Papists; lord Vaux, and sir Thomas Tresham. Their examinations. Lord Vaux's confession. Sir Richard Shelly abroad. He offers to make discoveries to the queen. A safe conduct granted to him. His loyalty. Some accounts of him and his family. Bourn late in the inquisition. One Gower, a fugitive, comes to the English ambassador at Paris; desires conference with some learned about religion. Is cast into the bishop of Paris's prison. Seminary priests and mass-hearers brought to the sessions at London. A box of stamps for popish libels taken. Now to gather up some things concerning the ill-willers 122 BOOK to the church established, and its constitution; viz. those called puritans and papists. I. Anno 1582. How the town of St. Edmund's Bury in Suffolk stood affected to puritanism, hath been shewn somewhat largely before. I shall relate one remark more of an act of some of this sort; which shewed they had no good opinion of the queen, for her maintaining the church in the present serA spiteful vice, doctrine, and rites thereof. And that appeared by cerinscription tain words some of them caused to be set on either side of the queen's arms in the church there, viz. after this manner. on the queen's arms in Bury church. 123 Four or five words of these verses were painted by the painter: and then, by advice, the rest was staid; and these words following put in the room; viz. And then this sentence next after: Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which maketh herself a prophetess, to teach and to deceive my servants; to make them commit fornication, and to eat meat sacrificed unto idols. But Thus bold and seditious some of this faction were. it was soon reported up to court; and the matter resolved XI. to be strictly examined. And on the back side of this infor- CHAP. mation was writ, by the lord treasurer Burghley's own hand, in order to the finding out the authors, the names of such Anno 1582. as were to be called up; viz. 1. The minister. [He, probably, in whose church this inscription was set, and who permitted it to be done.] 2. The bookbinder: whose name was Informafound to be Tho. Gybson, a bookbinder in Bury; who sent up. had caused the first sentence to be put up. This man had printed Browne's books. 3. The painter's name. What the further discovery of this was, and the conclusion, I find not. tion thereof on Wright, mer. I meet with one Robert Wright, a puritan preacher, now Matters in the Gatehouse in Westminster. He had been domestic charged upchaplain to the lord Rich's household at Rochford. Pro- a puritan. ceedings of Elmer, bishop of London, with him in the commission, have been shewn in the Life of that bishop. Articles Life of Bishop Aylwere laid to his charge, containing divers matters relating to his principles and practices in those parts of Essex, where that lord's seat was. The particulars whereof I shall now shew more at large from the original papers. The beginning of his troubles was, that he had spoke some time ago against keeping the queen's day. Which, he said, was to make her an idol. Which she heard of, and was very angry. Upon this, he was brought before the bishop and the ecclesiastical commissioners. Then the bishop charged him openly in the He is consistory, that he had slandered the queen, and was worthy brought be to lie seven years in prison. And that for Wright's saying, commission that the queen's majesty knew what was done in the lord Rich's house, [when they had their exercises.] But Wright answered only, Μὴ γένοιτο. fore the ecclesiasti cal. His keeper being a man that favoured puritanism, having some secret word from the secretary, let him go home into Essex, to see his wife lying in, and a child he had of about twelve weeks old. But he could not be so secret, but Dr. Ford, the civilian, advocate against him in court, saw him going to Tooby in that county, to his wife's brother, one Mr. Butler, and told the bishop: who thereupon threatened to complain to the queen of the keeper. Upon this, Wright Addresseth writeth to the lord Burghley, acquainting him with it in a letter to the lord |