III. BOOK "the Lord Bacon, but christianly, godly, and friendly. "And that he wrote with that deference, as that if Bacon Anno 1567.“ had been prince of the realm, and he [the Archbishop] "his chaplain, he might have writ as he did. And yet, "as he chose to express it, might Matthew Parker write "privately to Nicolas Bacon, in matters of good friendship, "without offence. But still, in humility of heart, he would "not stick to submit himself to the page of his chamber, "and would be admonished by him in reason, though "he were his enemy. And again, in doing his duty to "God, and the office of friendship to them, whom he did sincerely honour and love, he would not be abashed to say to his Prince that he thought in conscience. For speaking his mind so plainly to his Lordship, he said for "himself, that God, the God of vengeance, would ask ac"count of him, if he should hold his peace; when both my “Lord and I, said he, shall stand dreadfully before his 66 chancery. And therefore he would not so covet the favour "of men, as to displease God: and that he could do no "less, of tender heart to his estimation. And loath he would "be, that his example should be alleged for divers spoilers "of the ministry in that country of Norfolk. He beseeched "this honourable lady, his wife, to help to remove this "scandal out of God's house; that that Lord might not 66 66 bespot the glory of his old age. Evil reports went about, "which he would not write, or credit all tales. Fy on "the world! to carry God's good elect, and principal mem"bers of his kingdom, so to be drowned in the dregs of this "mortality, not to regard these so chief causes. What 260" shall be hoped for in friendship, if the advertising of one "another in true faithful friendship, and to God-ward, shall "stir up enmity and disliking? He said, he was jealous "over my Lord's conscience, and over his honourable 66 name. That he had joyed in him, and always honour"ably reported him; and in great places, and before the "most honourable, compared him with More and Audley, "for eloquence, wit, and learning in law, and with Bishop "Goodrick, for his sincerity towards justice; though they "all had their faults: which he prayed God to keep my CHAP. "Lord and him from. The first imbued with Papistry; XVIII. "the second, omnia, et ab omnibus. The third, a dis- Anno 1567. "sembler in friendship. "I would be loath to break friendship with any mean "body, much less with my Lord. And yet either King, "or Cæsar, contrary to my duty to God, I will not, nor in"tend not, God being my good Lord. And it is not the "solemnity or commodity of mine office that I so much "esteem. I was sorry to be so accumbered: but necessity "drove me; and what fate shall thrust me out, susque deque fero. I am grown into a better consideration by "mine age, than to be afraid or dismayed with such vain "terriculaments of the world. I am not now to learn to "fawn upon men, whose breath is in their nostrils." But I leave the reader to peruse the whole letter in the Appendix, wherein so much of the good temper and brave spirit Num. LVI. of our Archbishop will appear. hensions More of that spirit, and public concern for religion, and His advice the professors of it, this godly Archbishop shewed in an- upon appreother matter happening this summer. There was now a from Spain; secret contribution made, by means of the Archbishop, among the Bishops and Clergy, for some foreign friends, Protestants (as it seems) in Flanders, and those parts under the Spanish yoke, who endured great and intolerable pressures. But however privately this charitable business was carried, it came to the Spanish Ambassador's knowledge; who then had a great stroke with the Queen. And she (though for politic ends) seemed to be too much led by him, to the trouble of her truest friends. This, with some concern, the Secretary had hinted to our Archbishop. Whereat the venerable man declared himself astonished: but, however, took this occasion to excite the Secretary most earnestly to use his interest with the Queen, to set her right in these Spanish matters. And these were his words. to him: "That whereas the Spanish Ambassador knew of To Secretary Cecit. "their contribution, he would wish that he not only heard "of it, and suspected it, but saw it. And yet prudence III. BOOK "would be used. God save the Queen's Majesty (said he) "from his enchanting. Her peril is evidently feared in Anno 1567." this security. The realm is like to be in danger, if our "foreign friends be not well. For God's sake, and for his "Son's religion sake, by whom vivimus et salvi sumus, "have good consideration in this matter, and use your wis“dom, opportunè, importunè. Non putarâm, is no wise "man's saying. God fortify you, and my Lords of the "Council. God make the Queen's Majesty to understand "all foreign sleights." This he writ from Croydon, July the 17th. This great danger did the honest party of the Court apprehend the nation and the religion to be under at this time, from the crafty insinuations of the Spaniard ; and this was the seasonable warning of this great watchman. The Queen, however, continued this favour for Spain, or at least backwardness to fall out with that nation: notwithstanding many base and false characters and stories of her and her government were commonly vented, and told about there, to her dishonour. In January the next year, our Archbishop sent a paper of notes thereof to the Secretary, that he might take his opportunity to acquaint the Queen with them; and by this means take off her favourable sentiments towards that her most dangerous enemy. For he doubted, as he said, there never was any notice given her, how courteously (as he spake ironically) she was used in Spain, by these their public stories of her. The Clergy watched by Among the various discouragements of the Clergy nowainformers. days, there were many that watched their tripping, by transgressing any penal law, to take advantage against them that way. Many promoters there were, that were ready to inform against such as did not reside, let the non-residence be never so necessary or reasonable; hoping to enjoy the for261 feiture of ten pounds a month for absence. The ArchbiAnno 1568. shop, in one of his letters writ this year, makes mention of a very honest man, having two benefices, and keeping a very good house at the greater benefice, who was notwithstanding accused in the King's Bench in Hilary term, by one of these informers, for non-residence from his less be XVIII. nefice; and, as it seemeth, was fain to pay the penalty for CHAP. divers months' absence. Therefore one Walker, mentioned before, a learned preacher in Norwich, and so of great use Anno 1568. in that city, where there was scarce a preacher besides, notwithstanding, out of fear of this kind of informers, resolved to leave the city, and return to his small living in the country. And so by the means of these evil men that city was deprived of the good service he did in it. CHAP. XIX. The Archbishop's care for preserving hospitality at Canterbury. Attempteth to make the river there navigable. Consecrates a Suffragan of Dover. Orders to the Archbishop to inquire into the religion and condition of all strangers. The Archbishop, by letters of the Privy Council, hath the care of records and monuments. The Bishop of Sarum sends up a Saxon book to the Archbishop. Sir John Southworth, a Lancashire gentleman, and a Papist, sent by the Council to be examined by the Archbishop. Committed afterwards to the Bishop of London. Archbishop repairs Bekesbourn chancel. The hospitality church of OUR Prelate, among other his episcopal qualities, had a His care for great care for preserving the reputation of his church of preserving Canterbury. To which the keeping of hospitality tended in his considerably; that travellers and strangers might not want Canterbury for entertainment there. But the Queen having determined to reserve the prebends of that church for her Chaplains, he seemed not to like of it; lest their non-residence might prejudice that good housekeeping, that was so convenient to be there maintained. But there was another thing in it, that tended most fatally to the destruction of hospitality there: and that was, that, notwithstanding their non-residence, they obtained grants to receive their full profits, without any defalcation for absence: whereby the charge lay still harder upon those that resided. And this would make them think III. BOOK of absenting themselves too. And upon that occasion some now were about so to do. They heard that Dr. Nevison Anno 1568. would sue for his whole profits absent, and Mr. Freke would do the like. Three more, viz. Mr. Sentleger, Mr. Boleyn, and Mr. Dorel, were so preferred. The Archbishop thought it worth writing to the Secretary for the redress of this matter: "Praying his Honour to consider how the Church "stood, that foreigners and noblemen, passing that way, "might find convenient numbers at home to offer them a "dinner for if many of them should be absent, and have "their whole profits, as many of them had lately obtained, "the rest would be too much hindered in their hospitality: "and it would make them also to absent themselves. This "therefore he thought not expedient; and that three of "them had such a grant of the whole profits, notwithstanding non-residence, he said, it was enough, and too much, "and so left it to their consideration." This matter he wrote of to the Secretary, March 29. His endeavours for And he was a friend to the city of Canterbury as well as the making the church, being a furtherer, if not a first propounder, of the river to making the river to Canterbury navigable. The charge was Canterbury navigable. computed to amount to fifteen hundred pounds. Which be : ing too great for the city to raise of itself, there was endeavour made to get aid elsewhere. And for this purpose he 262 laboured, by the Secretary's means, to procure letters from the Queen and that they might be penned in such form that the Lords of the Council might subscribe them, to be directed to the Justices of Kent, to be delivered them at their next meeting. He prayed the Secretary's help, and left it to his management, as he should think good: appointing his servant to attend the Secretary's pleasure; intending himself to have come and spoke to him by word of mouth concerning it at the Star-chamber, if the business had taken there, which it seems was adjourned, and so he went not; but supplied his absence by a letter, May 21st, exciting both himself and the Secretary to the doing of good, from the uncertainty of their abode in the world; which he meant by those short sentences wherewith he concluded his letter; Dum |