BOOK of the same country, who, in respect of good to be done III. there in that diocese, wished no Welshman in Bangor; Anno 1565. they banded so much together in kindred, that a Bishop

Robinson

Bangor.

could not do as he would for his alliance sake. And he learned, that country was much afraid either of Ellis or Hewit, who were, he said, very stout men: that is, who would not be opposed, but vigorously pursue their purposes. And in that regard were only commended. Et præterea quoad mores episcopales nihil.

So at last the Secretary propounded one Robinson, as a nominated person well known and beloved in that country, and a Bishop of Welshman, and one that was much desired by the people there. And considering these and such like things, and 204 probably to decline giving the Earl of Pembroke offence, if the Earl's man should have been refused, and the Archbishop's accepted; the said Archbishop allowed of the Secretary's judgment: and so he was accordingly preferred to the diocese, though his consecration happened not till October following. This Robinson was a grave learned man, and one of the Divines who was lately called in to consult with the Bishops' Commissioners about the apparel. We shall hear more of him under the next year.

Recommends the

Warden of

for a future

avoidance.

The Archbishop had his eye upon one Mr. Herle, the Queen's Chaplain, and now Warden of Manchester. Whom Manchester though he judged not to be made Bishop of Bangor for this turn, yet he could willingly have seen him placed there upon some future avoidance. And if he thought, as he told the Secretary, the Queen would allow of him for that dignity hereafter, he would join him with some other learned men presently to go through that diocese by way of a visitation: adding, that he thought Mr. Herle a grave priestly man, and should well furnish the office with commendams of his other livings, which he then had, though he should give over Manchester, where he could have little rest. But such a visitation he was so wary as not to underBangor dio. take, without first having consulted with the Secretary; desiring therefore some signification of his mind in the matter; and so he would frame himself accordingly. For he

Designs a

visitation of

cese.

V.

knew (he said) what jealous eyes were wont in those days CHAP. to be cast upon the doings of the Bishops, and how severely their actions would be censured.

Anno 1565. The mention of the little rest the Warden of Manchester The state of Manchester

took, brings to my mind a letter of complaint he was forced college. to send up to the Lord Treasurer Burghley some years after this, viz. 1574. The enemies to religion, whereof there were many in the north, had a particular envy against this college, that maintained godly preachers, which they saw tended to the expelling of their Popish darkness, and to the disposing the people to receive the Gospel. The Queen had issued out a commission to the Archbishop of York, and others, to look into the state of that college. Which they did, placing honest and learned men there; and ordering the lands and revenues thereof, as was most necessary for hospitality and relieving the poor. But it appeared how displeased some were herewith. For soon after one of the college, a Bachelor in Divinity, riding to a chapel belonging to the parish, to preach there, was set upon in the way by one of Manchester, who taking his horse by the bridle, drew his dagger, and beat and wounded the preacher with three wounds: and if his horse had not broken out of the other's hands, in likelihood he had killed him. Nor was it the first time their preachers had been so used. They had also caused an attorney of the duchy of Lancaster to enter upon certain lands of the college, called obit lands, upon pretence that they were concealed lands; though they were contained within the letters patents of their foundation. And before this, upon the deprivation of Herle's popish predecessor, they took also all their evidences, and letters patents, and other plates and ornaments, as much as was worth five hundred marks, whereof the plate was the Queen's. And although they had proof into whose hands it came, yet it was kept from them. These complaints the Warden made to the Lord Treasurer, who was their true friend, and had before this time saved the college from utter spoil and destruction. He desired them still to help their poor college, that it might be able to maintain learned men,

BOOK to the help of the country. This letter I have put among III. the monuments in the Appendix. To which I have subAnno 1565.joined another, whereby may appear, in how ill a state that college was divers years after.

No. XLV.

XLVI.

His judg

salt works

in Kent.

This year was a project for salt works in Kent set on ment of the foot by several persons of quality; one whereof was the Earl of Pembroke, and among the rest the Secretary Cecyl, and the Queen herself. Now because these works would require much firing, the aforesaid Earl sent his Secretary, and Cecyl his servant Mount, in the month of February, to the Archbishop, desiring him out of his woods to supply them with wood, and to use their interest with others in Kent for the buying of more. Whereupon he ordered forty oaks, and twenty or thirty acres of wood of his own, to be felled for that use; and appointed a person to attend upon the Earl's Secretary, when he went down into Kent; and directed the said Earl and Cecyl, to the Dean of Can205 terbury, and one Mr. Rolf, to be sped with what they should need more. But he seemed to make some doubt of the success of this their purpose. He told Secretary Cecyl, that he doubted not, but they had well considered the likelihood of the matter, wishing it good success; better than he knew the like to take place about thirty years past in his county, about Walsingham side. From whence came to Norwich, by cart, great plenty. So that the price of the bushel fell from sixteen pence to sixpence. But after experience, they ceased of their buying, and fell to their old salt again, three pecks whereof went further than a bushel of that white, fair, fine salt. He considered also to Cecyl the inconvenience that might come to Kent hereby; partly by wasting the woods by salt making, as it had been before by Dover pier, and other where, by saltpetre making; and partly by planting many strangers about the sea-coasts, who were to manage the works, having great store of them at Sandwich and Norwich already. So that he thought it might be doubted, what good might come to the commonHis good wealth thereby. And in conclusion he propounded to the the under- undertakers a good work, out of the love he bore to that

counsel to

takers.

V.

country, and that was, that in case God gave it success in CHAP. that country, then if the Queen of her princely liberality, and the Lords, the gainers, would convert part of that gain Anno 1565. to the repairing and maintaining Dover haven, that would redound indeed to the great honour and wealth of the realm: more, he meant, than mere salt making would do to the honour and wealth of the nation. Which had been, probably, so much pretended by the undertakers.

CHAP. VI.

The Geneva Bible comes forth. The Archbishop's judg ment thereof. The editions of that Bible. A new translation of the Bible set forward by the Archbishop. The Bishops employed therein. Over which the Archbishop hath the chief inspection. The said Bishops' letters and advices.

Bible.

Frankford.

THE Geneva Bible had been once printed already at Ge-Geneva neva, in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign; viz. in the year 1560, by Rowland Harle, in 4to. For when Troubles at the English congregation came away from thence, and were gone homeward, upon the death of Queen Mary, some of them remained behind, to finish an English translation of the Bible, and some of the Psalms in metre. Which was begun by some of the godly and learned English exile preachers there, at the charge of such as were of the best ability in that congregation.

It may not be amiss here to give some more particular ac- Some account of the undertaking of this translation. These Geneva count of 'translators, who were Miles Coverdale, John Knox, W. translation. Whittingham, Ant. Gilby, and some others, were sensible that the former English translation required to be perused and reformed: "Divers errors therein being occasioned by "the infancy of those times, and imperfect knowledge of "the tongues, in respect of the ripe age, and clear light "which God afterwards revealed, as they speak themselves

BOOK "in the preface. Hence divers learned and godly men, III. "by their earnest desire and exhortation, put them upon Anno 1565.❝ this work; being encouraged also by the ready wills "of such, whose heart God had touched, not to spare any

See the preface.

66

charges for the furtherance of such a benefit towards "God's Church." Another encouragement to them was the present opportunity and occasion, that God then afforded them, by the means of so many godly and learned men, where they were, and such diversities of translations into divers tongues; which they then had the liberty of consulting. And as to their carefulness and sincerity in the work, they said for themselves, that they might with a good conscience protest, that they had in every point and word, according to the measure of that knowledge which it pleased Almighty God to give them, faithfully rendered the text, 206 and in all hard places most sincerely expounded the same. "For God is our witness," say they, "that we have by all

How long they were upon the work.

What was

66

means endeavoured to set forth the purity of the word, "and right sense of the Holy Ghost, for the edifying of the "brethren in faith and charity." And as they chiefly observed the sense, so they reverently kept the propriety of the words; considering that the Apostles, who spake and wrote to the Gentiles in the Greek tongue, rather constrained them to the lively phrase of the Hebrew, than mollified their language to speak as the Gentiles did. And for this and other causes, they in many places reserved the Hebrew phrases, notwithstanding they might seem somewhat hard in their ears, that were not well practised in the phrases of holy Scripture.

So at last, after the labour and study of two years and more, day and night, they finished their translation, and published it, as was said before, in the year 1560, prefixing an epistle dedicatory before it to the Queen, and another epistle, by way of preface, to the brethren of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

That which was done in this Geneva Bible, beside the done in this translation, was all this that followeth.

Bible.

I. Because some translations read after one sort, and