BOOK Anno 1568. contract rents' con CHAP. XVII. The Archbishop judges a cause of contract of marriage. Fears of a French invasion in Kent. The Archbishop's service, and his letter to Court on this emergence. The evil condition of the nation at this time. The Archbishop's judgments of commendams for St. Asaph and small bishoprics. His care about the bishopric of Landaff, now void. Judges of a ABOUT this time also came a case before him, as judge made with- thereof; in which a certain young gentleman, named Beront the pa- naby Goge, was concerned. He had been a retainer to Sir sent. William Cecil the Secretary, and his relation, now a Gentleman Pensioner to the Queen; and for whom the said Knight had writ to the Archbishop, desiring his case might be heard according to law and equity. The business was; a young gentlewoman, named Mary, the daughter of Mr. Darrel of Kent, had privily contracted herself to Goge, without the knowledge of her parents. Which she seemed to do, to prevent her parents from marrying her to one Sampson Lennard, living at Chevening, a certain rich man, a Protonotary; but a person belike whom she could not affect; being not so much moved with the consideration of his money, as her parents were. Some rela tion of the case. The Secretary had writ to Lennard the father, (who depended also upon him,) in favour of his kinsman Goge, who had informed the said Secretary that he was hindered by Lennard's means from his marriage with Mr. Darrel's daughter, by disparaging of him; giving out that he was destitute of friends, and that the Secretary looked upon him but as one of his men. The Secretary wrote, that the matter was made plain to him by the maid's letter and her father's, that she had assured herself to Mr. Goge; and so praying Mr. Lennard to pleasure his honest kinsman, and to order his son to desist his suit, seeing she was engaged already. But Lennard with some heat answered the Secretary, that for his marriage, he might and must have done XVII. with honesty as he did, though it had touched his (the Se- CHAP. cretary's) son, or the best subject's in the realm: shewing, him, how her parents were very earnest, and more earnest Anno 1568. than he, to bring about the match for his son, who indeed had a great amour for her. Whereupon, he said, he had often discoursed with the maid about matching with his son; when she, as well as her parents, seemed very inclinable, and never offered any delay to be his son's wife, but seemed desirous of it in word and gesture. But in truth, of these her two rivals, Mr. Goge had the greater share in her affections and she entertained young Lennard chiefly in obedience to her parents, who were much for him because of his wealth. But Lennard the father, being by reason of his riches both proud and hasty, plainly told the Secretary at last, that he should be no gainer by this match, but should forego a thousand mark, which he might have had in matching his son with as good a stock in the country where he dwelt. And that now he and his son might give up the suit with honesty, and so would. For that he would have been too mad to match his eldest son, where any entangling was, and no stedfastness at all. And that his son now said, that though she would, he would not; and I say, saith he, he shall not have her. He shewed great offence against Goge, who, he said, seemed to have a hot head and a sick brain: 145 and complained that he had written very disrespectfully to him. But this was after Goge had obtained some words from the gentlewoman, amounting to a promise. Which made him, when he could not draw her father to consent, to speak somewhat indecently to him: as that he would tell the Queen of him, and that a Serjeant at Arms should fetch his daughter from him, or that the Secretary should fetch her within a month. The Archbishop, to understand the business more fully, The process. had the young woman before him, to learn from herself the state of the case; who remained firm and stable to stand to that contract which she had made. The father and mother also personally appeared; whom the Archbishop found most earnest against it, and pretended a precontract to Lennard. BOOK This he supposed they did, that it might serve as an occaII. sion to draw the case into the Arches, to spend money. Anno 1563. Which rich Lennard and the wilful parents would fain have Lennard or Clerk of done; thinking thereby to weary out Goge, peradventure not superfluously monied. But the Archbishop not liking these dilatory courses, though in his own Courts, meant to dull that expectation, [of going into the Arches,] resolving himself to go to work plane et summarie, without the tedious formalities of the law. In the mean time, he sequestered the young gentlewoman out of the parents' hands into the custody of one Mr. Tufton, a right honest gentleman, (for that was the character he gave of him,) until the precontract, which the parents pretended, were produced. I find no more of this business; and so cannot relate the issue thereof. Lennard's riches, I suppose, might accrue to him by a Pronotary, wealthy office held by him and his father. For in King the Crown. Edward's book of warrants for the seal, under the year 1550, there is specified the grant of the office of Pronotary, or Clerk of the Crown, to John Leonard and Tho. Leonard for life, and the longest liver, of the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouth, Brecknock, and Radnor, in all courts, terms, sessions, &c. together with the making and entering of all manner of writs, processes, declarations, &c. with all fees and profits thereunto belonging, without account making. His course in this cause justified. In this case our Archbishop may seem to some to be of dealing blameworthy: as though he gave too much countenance to children in disposing of themselves in marriage without or against the consent of their parents; and suffered himself to be biassed in his judgment, upon the Secretary's letter to him to favour his kinsman. But the ignorance of the circumstances of this business makes us uncapable of passing a true judgment thereon. Nor did the Secretary desire any thing else at the Archbishop's hands, than to take cognizance of the cause, and to proceed according to law and equity. Which whosoever governs himself by, cannot make an unrighteous decision. Neither did the Archbishop approve of matrimonial contracts made by children without XVII. the privity of their parents. But all he was now to do was CHAP. to pass a judgment, where a contract had been already made; and it may be, to deliver a young woman from being match- Anno 1563. ed with a person whom she loved not: and thereby to rescue both from an unhappy life; which might in all possibility have followed from a forced marriage. 66 warlike pre French This year the French had prosperous success against the A noise of English. So that they, or rather the hand of God by a paration pestilence, which cost abundance of brave captains, as well made by the as other soldiers, their lives, had forced this nation to sur-puts him render Newhaven to them, about August or September. In upon writing to January following, the French forces lay upon the seacoast, Court. over against Kent; which put the country, especially about Canterbury, in great fears and disorders, expecting no less than an invasion every moment. And the castles on that coast, as well as the people of the 'country, were altogether unprovided. This put our careful Archbishop upon despatching his letters to the Secretary, letting him know the condition of the county, and desiring to receive some comfort from the Court to animate the people. The sum of his letter was, "That the country there was in much perplexity and fear, doubting what might follow of the preparations they heard of, made by the French. That there"fore he thought good to write to him privately, how small "soever his skill in such cases was, trusting he would bear "with it, in respect of his zeal to his country. That the "fear indeed arose upon consideration, that Dover castle, "Walmer and Deal castles, and Quinborow castle, were as 146 "forsaken and unregarded for any provision. The country "was destitute of the Lord Warden and of a Lieutenant; "whom in such straits men might resort to. The people "but feeble and unarmed, and commonly discomforted." The day he writ his letter, he sent his man to Thanet to Sir Sends a serHenry Crispe; who, as the Archbishop proceeded to acquaint Thanet; the Secretary, stood in much doubt. The said Sir Henry had understanding of a French pinnace to have searched as far as the Thames mouth, to know how the Queen's ships were appointed. And he thought they were like to land in vant to II. BOOK Shepy, to keep the Queen's ships within the Thames, and not to come forth: whereby they might be the bolder to Anno 1563. arrive where they intended. The Archbishop added further, "That he feared, that if the country were not comforted, "some folks of wealth would be removing their household "and substance. Upon which example more might do the "like. And, but that he reposed his whole trust and con"fidence, next to God, in the Queen's carefulness, and their prudent foresight toward that quarter, seeing no great "trust in the furniture of men, munition, or artillery, he "would else be carried with mistrusts of the worst, as others "were most commonly." And another to Dover. The same apprehen sions put 66 66 As he had sent a servant to Thanet, so he sent another to Dover to the Lieutenant. Who sent word back, that the people in the town were amazed, and had their hearts cold, to hear of no preparation towards this feared mischief. Which caused the Archbishop to add, "That though they [at Court] saw fully all manner of proceedings, and could "note the furthest sequel of them, yet in his opinion it were "not amiss that some participation of advices proceeded "into those quarters, to speed them abroad to the stay of "the people. For to whom to go, upon whom to stay, they "know not. He said, they had too few Justices; and "between Canterbury and Dover none: wishing that Mr. "Edward Boyes were one, whom he took to be an honest gentleman. "He prayed his Honour to send him some information by "his servant. Not that he could see any ability in himself "to do service that way; yet he could, he said, cause his "neighbours to trust well, and cause his Chaplains to com"fort the people in their sermons in the poor villages: which "was the best they could do in their skill. And so beseeching "God to assist the Queen, and all their circumspections, ita "maturare consilia sua, that peace and unity might still reign among them in their days." This was writ from his house at Bekesborn, Jan. 20. 66 These fears still continued among them, and little was done at Court to the satisfying of the country. Only six |