thank God not impatient) heart. After we had continued there some six weeks longer, and earnestly petitioned to return to our several charges, we were upon 5000l. bond dismissed, with a clause of revocation at a short warning, if occasion should require. Thus having spent the time betwixt newyear's Eve and Whitsuntide in those safe walls, where we by turns preached every Lord's day to a large auditory of citizens, we disposed of ourselves to the places of our several abode.

For myself, addressing myself to Norwich, whither it was his majesty's pleasure to remove me, I was at the first received with more respect, than in such times I could have expected. There I preached the day after my arrival to a numerous and attentive people; neither was sparing of my pains in this kind ever since, till the times growing every day more impatient of a bishop, threatened my silencing. There, though with some secret murmurs of disaffected persons, I enjoyed peace till the ordinance of sequestration came forth, which was in the latter end of March following. Then, when I was in hope of receiving the profits of the foregoing half year, for the maintenance of my family, were all my rents stopped and diverted, and in the April following_came the sequestrators, viz. Mr. Sotherton, Mr. Tooly, Mr. Rawley, Mr. Greenewood, &c. to the palace, and told me that by virtue of an ordinance of parliament they must seize upon the palace, and all the estate I had, both real and personal, and accordingly sent certain men appointed by them (whereof one had been burned in the hand for the mark of his truth,) to apprize all the goods that were in the house, which they accordingly executed with all diligent severity, not leaving so much as a dozen of trenchers, or my children's pictures out of their curious inventory. Yea they

would

would have apprized our very wearing clothes, had not Alderman Tooly and Sheriff Rawley (to whom I sent to require their judgment concerning the ordinance in this point) declared their opinion to the contrary.

These goods, both library and houshold stuff of all kinds, were appointed to be exposed to public sale. Much enquiry there was when the goods should be brought to the market; but in the mean time Mrs. Goodwin, a religious good gentlewoman, whom yet we had never known or seen, being moved with compassion, very kindly offered to lay down to the sequestrators that whole sum which the goods were valued at; and was pleased to leave them in our hands for our use, till we might be able to repurchase them; which she did accordingly, and had the goods formally delivered to her by Mr. Smith, and Mr. Greenewood, two sequestrators. As for the books, several stationers looked on them, but were not forward to buy them: at last Mr. Cook, a worthy divine of this diocese, gave bond to the sequestrators, to pay to them the whole sum whereat they were set, which was afterwards satisfied out of that poor pittance that was allowed me for my maintenance. As for my evidences they required them from me. I denied them, as not holding myself bound to deliver them. They nailed, and sealed up the door, and took such as they found with me.

But before this, the first noise that I heard of my trouble was, that one morning, before my servants were up, there came to my gates one Wright, a London trooper, attended with others, requiring entrance, threatening if they were not admitted, to break open the gates; whom I found at my first sight struggling with one of my servants for a pistol, which he had in his hand. I demanded his business

at

at that unseasonable time; he told me, he came to search for arms and ammunition, of which I must be disarmed. I told him I had only two muskets in the house, and no other military provision. He not resting upon my word searched round about the house, looked into the chests and trunks, examined the vessels in the cellar; finding no other warlike furniture, he asked me what horses I had, for his commission was to take them also. I told him how poorly I was stored, and that my age would not allow me to travel on foot. In conclusion he took one horse for the present, and such account of another, that he did highly expostulate with me afterwards, that I had otherwise disposed of him.

Now not only my rents present, but the arrearages of the former years, which I had in favour forborne to some tenants, being treacherously confessed to the sequestrators, were by them called for, and taken from me; neither was there any course at all taken for my maintenance. I therefore addressed myself to the committee sitting here at Norwich, and desired them to give order for some means, out of that large patrimony of the church, to be allowed me. They all thought it very just, and there being present Sir Thomas Woodhouse, and Sir John Potts, parliament men, it was moved and held fit by them and the rest, that the proportion which the votes of the parliament had pitched apon, viz. 400l. per annum, should be allowed to me. My lord of Manchester, who was then conceived to have great power in matter of these sequestrations, was moved herewith. He apprehended it very just and reasonable, and wrote to the committee here to set out so many of the manors belonging to this bishopric as should amount to the said sum of 400 l. annually; which

was

was answerably done under the hands of the whole table. And now I well hoped, I should yet have a good competency of maintenance out of that 'plentiful estate which I might have had: but those hopes were no sooner conceived than dashed; for before I could gather up one quarter's rent, there comes down an Order from the committee for sequestrations above, under the hand of serjeant Wild the chairman, procured by Mr. Miles Corbet, to inhibit any such allowance; and telling our committee here, that neither they, nor any other had power to allow me any thing at all: but if my wife found herself to need a maintenance, upon her suit to the committee of Lords and Commons, it might be granted that she should have a fifth part according to the ordinance, allowed for the sustentation of herself, and her family. Hereupon she sends a petition up to that committee, which after a long delay was admitted to be read, and an order granted for the fifth part. But still the rents and revenues both of my spiritual and temporal lands were taken up by the sequestrators both in Norfolk, and Suffolk, and Essex, and we kept off from either allowance or account. At last upon much pressing, Beadle the solicitor, and Rust the collector, brought in an account to the committee, such as it was; but so confused and perplexed, and so utterly imperfect, that we could never come to know what a fifth part meant: but they were content that I should eat my books by setting off the sum, engaged for them out of the fifth part. Mean time the synodals both in Norfolk and Suffolk, and all the spiritual profits of the diocese were also kept back, only ordinations and institutions continued a while. But after the Covenant was appointed to be taken, and was generally swallowed of both clergy and laity, my power

of

me;

of ordination was with some strange violence restrained. For when I was going on in my wonted course (which no law or ordinance had inhibited) certain forward volunteers in the city, banding together, stir up the mayor and aldermen and sheriffs to call me to an account for an open violation of their Covenant. To this purpose divers of them came to my gates at a very unseasonable time, and knocking very vehemently, required to speak with the bishop! Messages were sent to them to know their business. Nothing would satisfy them but the bishop's presence; at last I came down to them, and demanded what the matter was; they would have the gate opened, and then they would tell I answered that I would know them better first: If they had any thing to say to me I was ready to hear them. They told me they had a writing to me from Mr. Mayor, and some other of their magistrates. The paper contained both a challenge of me for breaking the Covenant, in ordaining ministers; and withal required me to give in the names of those which were ordained by me both then and formerly since the Covenant. My answer was that Mr. Mayor was much abused by those who had misinformed him, and drawn that paper from him; that I would the next day give a full answer to the writing. They moved that my answer might be by my personal appearance at the Guildhall. I asked them when they ever heard of a bishop of Norwich appearing before a mayor. I knew mine own place, and would take that way of answer which I thought fit; and so dismissed them, who had given out that day, that had they known before of mine ordaining, they would have pulled me and those whom I ordained out of the chapel by the ears.

Whiles I received nothing, yet something was required