66 66 66 XVII. Dated Feb. teen days after the Archbishop's letter, the Lord Cobham CHAP. went to Dover castle; but a naked man, without strength of men. This put his Grace, now at Canterbury, upon the Anno 1563. writing a second letter to the Secretary: "Requesting him him upon writing the "to be an instant means, to have special respects of the second time. "country there, to the Queen's Majesty and her Council: 6. assuring his Honour that he feared the danger, if it were "not speedily looked to, would be irrecuperable; if the enemy should have an entry, as by great considerations "of our weakness, and their strength, of their vigilancy, " and our dormitation and protraction, was like. And then "the Queen's Majesty would never be able to leave to her successors that which she found delivered her by God's "favourable hand. He said, that posts and letters with requests were sent, but little return was made, as he heard, "and small aid and comfort came to the Lord Warden, a good gentleman, and that meant honourably. But what, "saith he, can a man do more than may be done, by a man "almost destitute of men, money, and arms?" He also desired to put it to their consideration, what were best to be done at that juncture with his two guests, which they had sent him; meaning Thirlby and Boxal. What order was sent back concerning them I do not find: but I suppose they still remained with him, and returned with him to Lambeth when he returned. 66 with France But by good providence these fears and dangers went But peace off without any other harm done. For the Court was at follows. this very time busily transacting a peace with the French: which about the beginning of the next year was concluded between both nations. And probably the French had made this great show of arms almost in the sight of England, thinking thereby to procure to themselves a more advantageous peace. of the na In truth, about this time, the gravest and wisest men ap-147 prehended the kingdom to be in a very ill condition, not only The ill state in respect of France and enemies abroad, but of the loose and tion at this bad order of things at home. The Queen's subjects lived time. dissolutely, vainly, and luxuriously, with little fear of God II. BOOK and care of honesty, and in a neglect of that honour and obedience that was due to her. So that now the clouds gaAnno 1563. thered thick over the nation. Which Sir John Mason, an old and wise counsellor, Treasurer of the Queen's Chamber, well perceiving, exhorted much to the striking up a peace with France upon this necessity; that so the Queen might the better look after her concerns within the realm. In March, being retired for his health into the country to Gonelsbury, he signified these his apprehensions, and suggested this counsel to the Secretary. The Secretary had in a former letter spoke of the present infirmities of the kingdom. The said Sir John in his answer told the Secretary, "That the cure of his own sickness was much lessened by "his great care of the many sicknesses that he saw in the commonwealth; which was to him more dear than was "either health or life. He wished to God they were but Sir John Mason's sense thereof. MSS. penes (6 me. infirmities, as the Secretary had termed them, ac non "potius xaxorbes, seu quod genus morbi iis sit magis immo66 rigerum, et ad sanandum rebellius. And, (that worse "was,) cum universæ partes corporis nobis doleant, a ver"tice capitis usque ad plantam pedis. Dolorem tamen (for 66 any care was seen to be had thereof) sentire non vide"mur: quod mentis ægrotantis est indicium. A great argu"ment whereof was, that in tot reip. difficultatibus, editur, ❝ bibitur, luditur, altum dormitur, privata curantur, pub"lica negliguntur, ceu riderent omnia, et pax rebus esset "altissima. The fear of God, whereby all things were "wont to be kept in indifferent order, was in effect gone, " and God seemed to weigh them, and to conduct their do"ings thereafter. The fear of the Prince went apace after, "whereof they saw daily proof both by sea and by land. It "was high time therefore for her Highness to take some good 66 way with her enemy, and to grow with him to some rea"sonable end, yielding to necessity; cui ne dii quidem resist"unt, et non ponere rumores ante salutem: and to answer "their friends in reason. So as rebus foris constitutis, she "might wholly attend to set things in better order at home. "The looseness whereof was so great, as being not remedied XVIL “in time, the tempest, he said, was not a little to be feared, CHAP. "cum tot coactæ nubes nobis minantur. Which God of his mercy by the prayer of decem justi a nobis longissimè Anno 1563, " avertat." London. London also, the metropolis of the kingdom, was in ill The state of case, by reason of the late plague, poverty, and other judgments: "There being, as the said Sir John Mason wrote, "in the said city and about it, numbers of men in much "necessity; some for lack of work, and some for lack of "will to work. So that if they, with others that possessed "the highest ways round about, were not by some good " means kept in awe, he feared there would be ill dwelling "near unto London." And therefore, whereas the Queen was intending to take a progress northward that summer, he advised to the contrary; and "he thought no good man "would counsel her thereunto. That the Prince's face, "turned towards these loose citizens, must needs be a great "bridle to them. Whereunto he trusted her Highness "would have good respect. Besides the great discomfort "that needs must be to many of her good subjects there, to "see her Majesty to turn her countenance from them." of the Bi ferred to Our Archbishop had an occasion offered him now in A business March, whereby to shew his wisdom and his care, both of she the Church, and of the credit of those that were preferred Asaph reto the government of it. The Bishop of St. Asaph, Dr. the ArchThomas Davies, consecrated in the year 1561, enjoyed some bishop. benefices, together with the bishopric, without any legal warrant, or royal indulgence, as it seems, so to do. Whereupon, it being discovered, endeavours were made by certain persons to get themselves presented, and invested into those livings. This put the Archbishop upon suing to the Queen and her Council, that he might not be deprived of his small benefices, considering the smallness and incompetency of his bishopric. This being the cause of a Bishop within our Archbishop's province, and the Council valuing his judgment in matters of this nature, referred the thing unto him, to consider how meet and convenient it were to yield to his suit, and by what means his benefices might be legally March 18. BOOK continued to him. Concerning this he wrote his judgment II. unto the Secretary to this purpose: "That to the mainteAnno 1568.“nance of his hospitality it were needful for him to obtain 148 66 so much favour, for the commendam of his benefices, at "the Queen's Majesty's hands, as to have her warrant to "the faculties. Which grace, he said, was such as was "commonly heretofore granted, when livings were better, "and victuals cheaper. And though these commendams “seemed, as he said, to be a kind of appropriation, yet that "inconvenience might be thought less, than that the order "of godly Ministers in that function should be brought "to contempt for lack of reasonable necessaries. Which "though before God it made no great matter, nor needed "honest Ministers to be abashed within themselves, to expend no more than they may; yet the world looked for port agreeable. And wise grave men thought, there was "done already enough toward that state for bringing superfluity to moderation." His judg ment of commen pluralities. It was his judgment, that the port of a Bishop ought to be preserved, for his better countenance in the world; which dams and is apt to despise the function when those that are of it are poor and live nearly. And though he did not like of commendams nor pluralities; yet in small bishoprics and preferments he thought them a less inconvenience, than that hospitality and the credit and esteem of the Clergy should be lost. Whereby religion itself might be subject to the contempt of the people and lest any might object, that the Clergy were to be kept poor upon political accounts, he thought the Church had been sufficiently stripped, to prevent any evil that might arise to the commonwealth at any time from their pride or faction. Takes care about the daff. And as it was a piece of his paternal care that the Church see of Lan- should be full, and that the revenues thereof might not be more diminished, so the bishopric of Landaff, being now to be provided for, and the house called Mathern, belonging thereunto, being alienated, whether by Dunstan, the late Bishop, a monstrous dilapidator of that see, or by some other means; our Archbishop earnestly reminded the Secretary XVII. Mathern. to procure some to be preferred to it, and to get the house CHAP. restored back to the bishopric; that so it might be a means to oblige to residence such as should be admitted Bishops Anno 1568. there. And signifying how highly convenient it were that Bishops should reside in their dioceses, he used these words; "That how little soever they did severally in their dioceses, "it was a good stay in divers respects to the insolent affec❝tion of the people." Meaning that they would be awed by the presence of a spiritual father among them. This letter makes it evident, that Godwin's Catalogue is misprinted, where this Bishop is made to decease anno 1566, which should be 1563. CHAP. XVIII. Coverdale made Minister of the parish of St. Magnus, collated to AND these are the matters that passed through the hands Coverdale of our Archbishop while he was in his diocese in Kent. St. Magnus, Now let us take notice of some other things. Miles Cover- London. dale, that assisted at the consecration of our Archbishop, sometime Bishop of Exon, being now old and poor, the Bishop of London committed to his charge the church and parish of St. Magnus, at the bridge foot, London. But the height of the first-fruits being 607. 16s. 10d. ob. beyond his ability to satisfy, made him in the month of January write to the Archbishop, (as he did also to others of the Court,) that the setting his age and his poverty before the Queen, would 149 prevail with her to forgive him that debt. The contents of this letter to the Archbishop, which will set forth his present condition, were, "That it would please him to join with the His letter "Bishop of London in suit for him to the Queen, that in to the Arch bishop for |