X.

to reduce any wilful or stubborn person, bona fide, to the CHAP. "like conformity. Whereupon this shall be to pray you, "upon the trust I have in his sincerity, that ye use him the Anno 1559. "more indifferently, as may stand with your commission. "Your assured loving friend,

"Mat. Elect Cant."

This letter, thus kindly writ for him by the Archbishop, Smith, upon some crotchet or other, took not with him when he returned to Oxford, either not liking some passage in it, or thinking to shift well enough without it: and so he left it behind him.

over-reach

discharged

MSS. C. C.

Now after this job was over with him at Oxford, he used How Smith his wits to get clear his sureties that were bound for him; ed the Archwhich he also compassed by his craft and lying, and herein bishop, and over-reached the unwary Archbishop again. For this pur- his sureties. pose he addressed a letter to the Archbishop, thanking him Epist. int. for his charitable entreating him, when he was with him; c. c. and then went on to tell him this formal story: "that the "wife of one of his sureties named Roger Smith, his cousin, "did so sore trouble her husband, because he was bound for "him in such a great bond, that she would not continue "in house with him, except he were discharged: and that "were pity," added Smith, " for that they had many goodly "witty children: and that she had in her keeping a cap"case of his [Dr. Smith's] with gold in it and money, which "she would not deliver to him until her husband were out "of that obligation: and that he had no money but that to pay his debts; and so should be constrained to sell his "books, bedding, and apparel, and to give up the studying divinity, to teach children; which would be not only his undoing, but some hindrance to his setting forth of God's "word, and the truth of it. That his tarrying there in 49 "Oxon was very chargeful, as he had no living: and there"fore that, except his Lordship would grant his petition, he "must depart straight away. That his other surety was his "own sister's son; to whom he gave thirty pounds to set up "his craft; which he did so dearly love, that he would not

66

I.

BOOK "undo him in no case; as he said he should, if he should depart out of the realm: because the obligation would Anno 1559." be broken thereby.

And overreached

occasion.

66

"And so he desired that his Grace would let only him and "his said nephew stand bound; and that he would never "break that bond, if death should follow thereof. Deum "testem invoco in animam meam, si mentior." And much more he writes to the Archbishop to this purpose. And yet, as it is written by the Archbishop's Secretary in the midst of the letter, "notwithstanding this earnest promise and bond, yet this good Father fled into Paris; such was his faith." I cannot here omit another piece of Smith's fraud, to conhim again ceal his purpose of flying, and to make the harmless Archon another bishop believe his sincerity: which was thus compassed; in a letter which he wrote to the Archbishop, he prayed him, that he would order his Chaplain Mr. Perse [Peerson I suppose] to write out a few of the best authorities and reasons, which his Honour had gathered to prove the marriages of Priests to be lawful: that he might use them, when he should either speak or write for the defence thereof. Both which, he said, he minded to do, as soon as he could conveniently. But we have said enough, and too much of this man, contemptible and infamous for his shifting falsehood and inconstancy. He was afterwards preferred in the college of Doway, and made Dean of St. Peter's there, and died in the year 1563.

The King at Arms

dition to

the Arch

bishop's

coat.

The time of the Archbishop elect's consecration drawing gives an ad- near, as a mark of greater honour, and that his seal for his offices and courts might be ready, Sir Gilbert Dethick, Principal King of Arms, called Garter, added to his paternal coat on chevron argent, the three estoils, gules. Confirmed by Garter's patents, an authentic copy still remaining in the Heralds' Office, bearing date November 28, 1559. Therein he gave the Archbishop his testimony, "to "be a gentleman of a good family, bearing arms; and that familia "he was a person that merited in all places to be admitted "and received into the number and society of illustrious persons. And that for his laudable merits, excellent en

Præclara

ortus.

66

X.

"dowments of mind, and great dexterity in managing affairs, CHAP. "he [the said Garter] had given him that addition to his "arms." But behold the patent, favourably communicat- Anno 1559. ed to me by Sir Henry St. George, then Clarencieux, now Garter:

Ex Offic.

ung Omnibus Christi fidelibus has The patent. wowow presentes literas inspecturis, Facial. visuris, vel audituris, Gilbertus

Dethick, alias Garter, miles, Principalis Rex Armorum Anglicorum, salutem, cum debita et humili commendatione. Equitas vult, et ratio postulat, quod houd mines virtuosi, laudabilis dispodesitionis, et vita honorabilis, sicut

per eorum merita honorati et remunerati in suis personis existlentes in hac vita mortali tam brevi et transitoria, et in quolibet loco honoris præ cæteris exaltati, demonstrando signa et exempla virtutis, honoris ac etiam humanitatis, ea intentione ut per eorum exempla alii magis conentur eorum vitam in bonis operibus et factis clarissimis exercere; et ideo ego pradictus Rex Armorum ut supra, non solum ex divulgata fama, verum etiam ex meo, cæterorumque nobilium fide dignorum testimonio, sum veraciter instructus et informatus, quod Reverend. in Christo Pater Dom. MATTHEUS PARKER, Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis, est præclara familia ortus, 50 gerens arma vel insignia, ac diu in virtute claruit, ac veri et Christiani Prasulis officio functus est, ac in dies fungitur; adeo ut mereatur, et dignus sit in omnibus locis honoris admitti, numerari et recipi in numerum et consortium aliorum veterum et illustrium virorum. Quapropter cum mecum ipse perpendere laudabilia ipsius merita, et egregias ipsius animi dotes, magnumque in rebus gerendis dexteritatem, aliquod in eum affectionis signum, virtutis testimonium exhibere volui. Igitur additione in ipsius arma; quibus antecessores sui ab antiquo tempore utebantur, in hunc ut sequitur modum decoravi, viz. Sur unge chevron d'argent trois

I.

BOOK estoilles, geules, ut latius in scuto hic depicto apparet; habendum et gaudendum prædicta arma unà cum additamento Anno 1559.prædict. dicti Reverend. Patri Matthæo Parker Archiepiscopo, ut supra, et ut ipse in his ornatus sit ad ejus honorem in perpetuum.

Verses ex

planatory of.

In cujus rei testimonium sigillum meum ad arma præsentibus apposui, ac manu mea propria subscripsi. Dat. Londini, anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo nono, Die vero xxviii mensis Novembr. ac anno regni Elizabethæ Dei gratia Anglia, Francia et Hiberniæ Regina, Fidei Defensoris, &c. secundo.

And here I may subjoin an ingenious copy of verses made these arms. in those times; being a poetical, but apt signification of the keys and the stars in our Archbishop's coat of arms aforesaid, with the motto.

So God it would, that he in shield should bear
The keys, his sign of ancient gentle race,
By God's decree, by whom appointed were
The heavenly keys of skill, and eke of grace.
Thereby to-shew, O England, plain to thee,
The treasures great which thou art blest to see.

So God it would, that he whose prudent sight
Disclosed is, by using well the keys,
Should jointly bear the stars of heavenly light,
In word to teach, in life to shine always.

For stars give light, and beautify the sky;
So learning shines with life accordingly.

So God it would, that men of worthy fame,
By noble acts, by wit and learning tried,
Should honour have, deserving so the same;
That in their arms, their name should still abide.
Yet they, the world, both reason, will and lust,
With man himself, at length must turn to dust.

END OF BOOK I.

THE

LIFE AND ACTS

OF

MATTHEW,

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

BOOK II.

51

CHAP. I.

The Archbishop's election, confirmation, and consecration. The rites used. The Nag's Head fable: and confutation thereof. The Act of Parliament, 8th Eliz. confirming the consecration. His enthronization: and temporalties restored. His oath.

Now I shall proceed to the investing of Dr. Parker with Anno 1559. his spiritual honour and charge in the metropolitical church The Archbishop's of Canterbury: for this, being one of the great and primary election. acts of the Reformation, in the constituting of an orthodox and able Metropolitan, will require some more particular and careful relation; since it was the ground on which stood the validity of the rest of the consecrations and ordinations of the succeeding Bishops and Clergy of this church; and likewise since this very matter hath been, with so much ridicule, malice, and falsehood, represented by divers later Popish writers; as though the consecration of this Archbishop, and other his fellow Bishops, were performed at a tavern or