sumus in mundo, operemur bonum: and, Opera illorum se- CHAP. quuntur illos.

XIX.

made Suf

Dover.

In this eleventh of the Queen, the Archbishop under his Anno 1568. seal recommended to her Majesty two persons for the office Rogers of a Suffragan within the province of Canterbury, and to fragan of nominate one of them. These two were Richard Rogers, B. D. and John Butler, Clerk, Canon and Prebendary of Christ's Church, Cant. And being so nominated by her, to grant him the style, title, name, and dignity. So she by letters patents sealed under her privy seal, May 12, nominated Rogers for Suffragan of Dover, and commanded the Archbishop to consecrate him thereunto, according to the act of Parliament in the 36th of Henry VIII. and renewed in the first of her reign.

Those in the Netherlands that professed religion were now Dangerous persecuted intolerably by D'Alva, that breathed out nothing errors but blood and slaughter. Great numbers of them from all by strangparts daily fled over hither into the Queen's dominions, for ers. the safety of their lives, and liberty of their consciences; and had hospitable entertainment and harbour for God's sake and the Gospel's: being allowed to dwell peaceably, and follow their callings without molestation in London and Southwark, and elsewhere. But with these came over Anabaptists also, and sectaries, holding heretical and ill opinions, and some also suspected to be guilty of horrible crimes, as was pretended by their enemies.

command

after them.

This the Queen being informed of, and not intending to TheQueen's allow harbour to such sort of persons, (though all sincerely to make inprofessing the purity of Christ's religion, she was very ready quisition to receive and cherish,) issued out her letters, dated in May, to our Archbishop to this purpose; "That he, with the Bishops his brethren, under whose jurisdictions any con"fluences of these strangers were, should take particular "cognizance what and who they were. And that he should

66

66

give speedy order to the Bishop of London, and all other "Bishops within his province, where these people took up "their residence, that they should make a special visitation “and inquisition in every parish, of all manner of persons, being strangers, of what country, quality, condition, and

66

III.

BOOK "estate they were, with the probable causes of their coming "into the realm, and the time of their continuance here, and Anno 1568." in what sort they lived, and to what churches they resort"ed; and to make and continue registers thereupon. And "to give notice to the Justices of peace concerning such as "should be suspected of the foresaid crimes, or were not "conformable to the religion, agreeable with the laws of "the land, or permitted to places especially appointed for "strangers to resort to for the exercise of religion." This Num. LVII. letter I have exemplified in the Appendix.

The Archbishop to the Bishop

of London thereupon.

66

66

66

The copy of this letter the Archbishop sent to the Bishop of London, as was commanded, adding by postscript, "These shall be therefore in the Queen's Majesty's name, "to will and require your Lordship, that having regard, as "I doubt not but you will, to the execution of the Queen's Majesty's said letters within your own diocese, you do also "forthwith signify the tenor hereof to all [and] singular my "brethren, the other Bishops and other Ordinaries within my province, where you shall think any confluence of strangers to be, &c. Dated May 24, 1568." This in truth was chiefly occasioned by this Bishop's application to the Secretary, many Anabaptists now holding secret conventicles in the city; and by that means had corrupted a great many of the citizens with their doctrines. This was now the third search made for strangers in this Queen's reign. 263 As the Archbishop had the chief care of the Church and The Arch of religion under the Queen, so had he also of the venerable bishop has antiquity of the nation. Whose great skill therein, and authority from the earnest desire of retrieving the ancient stories and accounts of persons and things in these islands, from the times of the Britains and Saxons, was so well known, that a kind of office was granted him for the preservation of these antiquities. And the Privy Council granted him their countenance, to gather up ancient monuments throughout England, in whose possession soever they were; not indeed to keep or convert to his own use, but to have the sight and reading of them. For in July divers of the Queen's Privy Counsellors, the Lord Keeper Bacon, the Duke of Norfolk, the Secretary, and others, issued out their letters to all persons, to notify

Council for searching after antiquities.

66

66

XIX.

the Queen's pleasure, "That the Lord Archbishop of Can- CHAP. terbury should have a special care and oversight in the "conservation of such ancient records and monuments Anno 1568. 66 as were written of the state and affairs of the realm of "England and Ireland; which were heretofore preserved "and recorded, by special appointment of certain of her Majesty's ancestors, in divers abbeys, to be treasurehouses "to keep and leave in memory such occurrences as fell in "their times. And because divers of such writings were "commen into the hands of private persons, and so partly "remained obscure and unknown; they willed and requir❝ed, that when the same Archbishop should send his letters, or learned deputies, requesting to have a sight of any such "ancient records, that they would, at the contemplation of "these letters, gently impart the same: not meaning to with"draw them from the owners, but for a time to peruse the "same, upon promise or band given of making restitution. "So as, when need should require, resort might be made for "the testimony that might be found in them; and also by "conference of them, the antiquity of the state of these coun"tries might be restored to the knowledge of the world. "Dated from Howard Place, [now called the Charter "House,] anno 68, July 7.

"Nic. Bacon, C. S. Th. Norfolk, W. Northampton, "R. Leicester, W. Howard, W. Cecyl.".

This letter was printed, because there would be occasion to use divers copies of it, to be shewn by the Archbishop's many deputies to such persons as had any of these ancient books, or instruments, or records, in their possession, and to authorize them to require the sight of them.

the cathe

It is probable the Archbishop obtained this letter to meet Search into with such as were unwilling, or otherwise refused, to oblige drals for anhim with the sight of such ancient books or writings as were cient books. in their possessions; but the Archbishop's desire alone prevailed with many others, considering the public end he drove at, especially with the Bishops of the several sees; whom he had friendly exhorted to examine the books in their churches,

III.

BOOK and to inform him what they were, and if among them any Saxon authors were found. The Bishop of Sarum had been Anno 1568. this year at London, and received great respects from our Archbishop, who took that opportunity to pray him to search narrowly the library of his cathedral for the said purpose; and as he went his visitation, (which the Bishop performed this year,) to make diligent inquiry for such ancient books; and that in his correspondency with Bullinger he would confer with him in some certain matters. Upon the Bishop of Sarum's return back to Salisbury, he did according to the Archbishop's desire; and what success he had, these his letters will shew;

Bishop of Sarum to the Archbishop,

concerning a Saxon

in that

church's

66

"My duty most humbly premised, with like thanks for your Grace's favour to my late being there. It may please your Grace to understand, that, according to my promise, "I have ransacked our poor library of Salisbury, and have book found found nothing worthy the finding, saving only one book "written in the Saxon tongue; which I mind to send to your Grace by the next convenient messenger. The brar.Cambr." book is of a reasonable bigness, well near as thick as "the Communion Book. Your Grace hath three or four "of the same size. It may be Alfricus, for all my cunning. 264" But your Grace will soon find what he is. Other certain "books there are of Rabanus and Anselmus, but as common,

library. Public Li

66

66

so also little worth. If I had any leisure, I would send your Grace the titles of all. But as now I am entering "into the visitation of my diocese. By the way, if I may "learn of any antiquities, I will do your Grace to under"stand. Thus I humbly take my leave from Sarum, the "18th of January, 1568.

"Your Grace's most humble,

"Jo. Sarum."

After his return from his visitation, he sent up the said Saxon book to the Archbishop, accompanied with another letter to this tenor;

"After my most humble commendations. Being now

66

newly returned from the visitation of my diocese, and CHAP. "having this convenient messenger, I thought it my duty

XIX.

letter from

Ubi supra.

"to perform my promise. And therefore have sent your Anno 1568. "Grace that hidden treasure that we had in our library. Another "Whether it be Alfricus or no, or what matter it contain- the same "eth, your Grace will soon judge. I have made inquiry the ArchBishop to "for such antiquities, as I have passed through my Clergy bishop. "in this visitation; but as yet I can find nothing. If there "be any thing found, I shall have understanding of it. I "will not forget to write to Mr. Bullinger: and if your "Grace shall otherwise command me to others else, I am "always ready. Thus I humbly take my leave from Sarum, "the 31st of January, 1568.

"Your Grace's most humble,

"Jo. Sarum."

These letters are found in a volume in folio in the public library of Cambridge; being St. Gregory's tract, De Cura Pastorali, turned paraphrastically into Saxon.

bishop.

The Lords of the Council wrote to the Archbishop, and Southworth, a Papist, the rest of the ecclesiastical Commissioners, to call before committed him Sir John Southworth, a gentleman of Cheshire or Lan-to the Archcashire, and a Papist, and by his corporal oath to examine him upon certain articles and matters that had been already objected against him by the Bishop of Chester, to whom he had refused to give an answer: he had promised, that to the Lords he would, but not either to the former Bishop or the Archbishop of York, upon some mistrust that he should not find such indifference at their hands. So being brought up, the Lords, as was aforesaid, committed him to the Archbishop and Commissioners, the said Lords advising, that he should be only dealt with about those articles; thinking it convenient for other things touching his conscience, that he rather should be won by persuasion. He was privy (it is like) to certain secret conferences held at York, between the Bishop of Rosse and Lidington, friends of the Scotch Queen, and the Duke of Norfolk, to use his interest to procure her liberty, propounding to him a match