"Sitting at divinity disputations and at sermons, &c. Coming to congregations and common dirges. King's "dirges. 66 "Matriculation to be had by the Presidents. “Pronunciation of the Greek tongue. [About which was great controversy about this time.] "Revelation of secrecies." CHAP. Anno 1545. Hath a son. CHAP. VI. Stoke college by his means preserved from dissolution under King Henry VIII. But dissolved under King Edward. Hath a Hath a pension for it. Parker marries. Vice-Chancellor again. The Archbishop and Bishop of Westminster summon him to preach at Court. Two discourses of his writing. Preaches to Ket, and the rebels in Norfolk. His danger thereby. IN this same year, being the 37th of the King, all colleges, Labours the chantries, hospitals, &c. were granted by Parliament to his college him. This act struck full at Stoke college, which caused of Stoke against the the Dean to bestir himself, if it were possible to prevent act. the dissolution of a place which he had laid out so much of his pains about, to make it useful for the service of the King, the Church, and commonwealth. And he applied Applies to himself particularly unto good Queen Katherine and her Queen KaCouncil, (she being patroness, as it seems,) to try, if by his Council, arguments to them he might prevail to stop this ruin impending over so good a foundation. He shewed them, how he had improved the college above the first institution : how he had formerly refused to comply with certain, who would have persuaded him to surrender the college, with promise of considerable advantage to accrue to himself by pension and otherwise. But now the continuance thereof being in such danger, as it was out of his ability to prevent, he laid the consideration thereof before them, who in other matters consulted for the Queen's honour and commodity. He urged to them, "how small a matter of profit it would therine's BOOK I. 66 bring to the King, viz. but 300l. and chiefly consisting in spiritual rents. That the house was so situate, that the Anno 1545. “Queen's tenants were round about it: whence they did "use to receive alms and hospitality, and had good instruc❝tions from the Dean and Prebends there out of God's "word preached to them: and that the Queen's tenants' "children had their education there gratis. Then he also "laid before them, how convenient the house was for the "entertainment of the Queen's officers and servants, as often "as they should have occasion to come down among her "tenants, (a part of her revenue lying thereabouts,) as in "former times, upon surveys, her Council had been re"ceived there sometimes eight days together, with resort "of the most part of her farmers thither at the same time.” These things the Dean recommended to them, to acquaint the Queen with, that she might accordingly inform the King; and that by her suit unto him, he might grant a continuation of this said college. And to the And as he wrote this to the Queen's Council, so he likewise made suit to the Queen's Grace herself, with his declaration of these things aforesaid. But the whole letter, whereof these are the short contents, may be found in the Numb. VI. Appendix. And lastly, he made use of the interest of Sir 22 Anthony Denny, a learned and worthy Knight, and one of the Privy Chamber to the King: who made his application Ant. Den to the King in the said behalf; shewing the King withal the great merits of the Dean himself, and of his honest and virtuous using of that college. Anno 1546. And to Sir ny. The college stands as yet. Anno 1547. But soon after dissolved. All these together moved the King to suffer the college yet to stand: but it was but for a little while longer, that is, during his life, as we shall see by and by. The college of Stoke then remained until the first year of King Edward VI. In which year it was suppressed, and the members were dispersed, by virtue of an act of the Parliament, that began to sit November 4, 1547. By which act (as there had been such an act before under King Henry) all colleges, free chapels, chantries, hospitals, fraternities, guilds, were given to the King, to convert the be V. nefits of them, with the colleges and chapels themselves, to CHAP. his use; and the right and title thereof to the King, to commence at Easter next following. Now the Dean again Anno 1547. tried what he could do to rescue his college, by soliciting the Commissioners to respite the ruin of so useful a foundation. But when he saw there was no remedy, he bethought himself to part with it upon as good terms as he could. So he applied himself to his friend Sir Anthony Denny, to use his interest with the Commissioners, for the settling a good pension upon him for his loss of his college. Who therefore wrote thus to them: the Com about the MS. C. C. C. C. Mis "Besides most harty commendations; for that heretofore Sir Anth. "I have been a suitor to the King, our late sovereign Lord Denny to "deceased, on the behalf of Mr. Parker, Dean of Stoke, missioners "whose honest and virtuous using of that college much Dean of "also moved the same late King, in such wise as his Ma- Stoke. "jesty clearly resolved to permit the same to remain undis"solved; I am much at this present stirred to require you cell. O. "to be favourable towards him. And albeit I mean not to "have the said college to endure in his former plight, know"ing that of necessity it must now ensue the course of “others, being in like state; yet that it might seem good "unto you to consider the man's worthiness above the com"mon sort: and that as he in all points hath shewed him"self not like to the rest, so likewise to be esteemed, and accordingly rewarded to his deserts; that is, in having an "honest and convenient pension. Which although perad"venture it shall seem the greater, yet may the King's Ma"jesty be soon thereof discharged by redemption of some "other spiritual promotion, and the man nevertheless wor"thily advanced. Thus much I have thought good to "write in his commendation and favour, whose worthiness "I much esteem and tender. Trusting thereby, both for "his deserts sake, and this my simple contemplation, ye "will the rather have respect towards him, as the cause "and person require; and my thankfulness for the same 66 66 BOOK Anno 1547. 66 may deservedly ensue. Fare ye right hartily well: from "my house at Chesthunt, the last of February 1547. "Your own assured, "Ant. Denny." And no question Sir Anthony Denny's request, (being of the Privy Chamber to the present King, as he was also to his father,) especially considering the great deserts of the man, so much insisted on by him, had a favourable answer; A pension and that a good pension was settled on the Dean, until the said pension was redeemed, according to Denny's phrase, with the dignity of the deanery of Lincoln, afterwards conferred on him, though that was not till some years after. And April 1. he resigned his deanery. settled on him. The Commissioners When the college therefore was now to be dissolved, Nifor dissolu- cholas Bacon, the great lawyer, (afterwards Lord Keeper of tion of col- the Great Seal,) Christopher Peyton, and Ambrose Gilbert, leges send to Parker. these being some of the Commissioners appointed by the devolves to Sir John King Edw. King, together with Sir Roger Townsend and Sir Arthur Hopton, for the surveying of colleges, and doing divers things in the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk; the three former sent the Dean a letter to bring in, against such a day, a perfect rental of the lands, tenements, possessions, and hereditaments appertaining to his college; and a certain inventory of all the ornaments, plate, jewels, goods, debts, cattals, due unto the said college: which accordingly he did. This was exactly the method observed under King Henry VIII. when monasteries were dissolved. 23 This college at length fell into the hands of Sir John The college Cheke; who with Walter Moyl purchased it, together with all the tenements and messuages in the parish of St. Lawrence Pountney, London, belonging to the college of Corpus Christi, near that church. But herein Sir John made use of the friendship, counsel, and direction of Dr. Parker, Epist. Viror Illust. the Dean. Which kindness so affected him, that he proint. MSS. mised him his pension should be first settled; as appears by Cheke's letter to him, wherein he mentions the kindness Sales. C. C. C. C. V. and friendship he received from him; and that when the CHAP. Commission was come forth, "you and yours," said he, "shall be the first to whom pensions shall be appointed; Anno 1547. "and for your part, I trust, so rewarded, that no pensioner "better." allowed. Thus, until the first year of King Edward, did Parker The pension hold this college against some that often sought it. And he had a pension for it of forty pounds per annum allowed him, paid out of the Exchequer. And thus was this house, and all the good uses Parker made it serviceable to, (in great pity,).put to an end. And when he could not save the college any longer, he saved at least the remembrance of it, by conveying away thence a small square of glass, painted with the coat of arms of the founder, the Lord Mortimer, being three lilies, which he set up in his lodge at Bene't college, and remains there unto this time; which was shewn me, when I was there in the year 1690, by the reverend Dr. Spencer, then Master. It bespake Parker's Dr.Spencer. good affection to that religious foundation, over which he had presided, and which he had made so useful to the country. Thus did the superstition of such foundations draw this, though so well purged, and made so useful, into the same calamity with the rest; nor would the private covetousness of those times be persuaded to spare so public a good. of Stoke grateful. I meet with one of the scholars bred in the school of this A scholar college of Stoke; whom the Dean removed thence to his col- college lege in Cambridge; and afterwards took care of him there for school divers years. He was afterwards preferred at the Court in the Signet Office. Who, when his patron was preferred to be Archbishop of Canterbury, came not long after to congratulate him at Lambeth, and to offer him his service, and to acknowledge his former great favours. But for his delay in the mean time, he made his apology, and did his duty by letter. His name was Thomas Bowsly. In which letter he acknowledged to the Archbishop, "how he bred him a "scholar, first at his school of Stoke, then sent him to "Bene't college, and placed him in the room of a Bible "Clerk; permitted him, for his better conveniences in |