IX. dys: my purpose being to retrieve and preserve, as much CHAP. as I can, the memory of these first bishops under queen Elizabeth, the great directors and instruments of our refor- Anno 1582. mation. Whereof this learned, pious exile and confessor, as well as prelate, was one of the chief. meanour. Tower. thence. But this business ended not yet. For I find sir Robert Stapleton fined, and Stapleton was proceeded against sharply for his misde- committed For he was deeply fined, and committed a pri- to the soner to the Tower; and remained there, and in the Fleet, in the years 1583 and 1584. Which affliction seemed to 109 humble him, and bring him to repentance. For thus I find a letter of his to the lord treasurer importing, as I take it from the original, viz. "That as my great follies and of- His letter "fences deserve the punishment that willingly and with contentment I do endure, so I humbly crave, upon my "true repentance, that your lordship would please, for the "relief of my weak body, most deeply decayed with long "restraint in prisons, close and unwholesome, to be a mean unto her majesty for my liberty of this house: whereby "in taking air and convenient exercise by walking, I must "hope for the remedy that by physic is denied, both for "the unfit season of the year, being intemperately cold, and "his feebleness and inability of stomach, unapt to receive "medicine. He added, that he dared not trouble his lordship with long letters, but did beseech him, for God's cause, "to mitigate his displeasure, which he confessed he had largely deserved. That the Highest knew he was right "woe for it, and did purpose to become a new man in low"liness and integrity of life. That this was the same duty "that he offered to God for his sins: and he verily hoped "his most gracious sovereign would not refuse it: neither "that his lordship would reject that just petition of him "that was in misery. Even so he humbly took his leave, "beseeching God to preserve him in all honour and happiFrom the Tower, the 24th of December, 1583." 66 And I find the said knight in the Fleet in May, 1584, petitioning the said lord to procure the release of his imprisonment and fine; all writ with his own hand, to this te I. 66 BOOK nor: "That as one most heartily sorry for his great offences, he did lay himself at his lordship's feet; craving Anno 1582. "his mercy and honourable favour towards the relief of his Another pe- <6 poor estate by release of his grievous imprisonment and of the same." heavy fine. He acknowledgeth, that his lordship had of nitent letter 66 66 "late been pleased to mitigate his extremities in more ho- "Your good lordship's, in all duty and service, 110 The bishop of Peter CHAP. X. The bishop of Peterburgh addresseth to the queen for con- The TRANSACTIONS of remark of some other bishops happening this year, follow. Edmund, bishop of Peterburgh, had now some business with her majesty: which was, to have the statutes of the deavours cathedral church confirmed; chiefly to oblige the prebenda burgh en.. X. the confir ries thereof to residence. The want of which he made com- CHAP. plaint of to her, in a long letter, dated June the 19th, from Peterburgh; introduced with this humble, apologizing pre- Anno 1582. face: "That he knew not whether he should begin to crave mation of "pardon for his boldness in presuming, after his simple the statutes. "manner, to write to her most excellent majesty, or to ❝ make his excuse, that he had deferred until that day to "signify unto her a matter of so great necessity as that " which he was to declare. Wherefore touching both those "points, determining to rest upon her accustomed favour "and royal virtue, he proceeded to his purpose. Letting "her understand; to the queen "That her good and gracious father, king Henry VIII. Addressed "had erected in Peterburgh a cathedral church. And that for that pur"kind of foundation implied always a society of learned pose. 66 men, stayed and grounded in all parts of religion, apt to preach the gospel, and convince errors and heresies, which "in the singleness of opinions (where particular men over "particular churches, as pastors, are set, within the diocese, where it is chief) may happen to arise; and fur❝ther, to assist the bishop, the head of the diocese, in all 66 dral church godly and wholesome consultations. Insomuch that the The cathe"cathedral church ought to be, as it were, the oracle of the the oracle. "whole diocese, and a light unto all places lying near it. "And that after this house [of God] was erected, there came to the same certain statutes for the government "thereof, under his majesty's name: and so had conti-111 "nued; not without regard the rather through a confir"mation made of them by her majesty's visitors, appointed "for that place and country adjacent, anno primo of her "most happy reign. Insomuch, that a long time after his "coming to that bishopric, he did, (he said,) as well he might, contain the prebendaries of the said church in the "duties of residence, hospitality, and preaching the word, "indifferently well. "But that (as he went on) of late years these good of"fices were diminished; and at the last, in a manner, he spake it not without deep sighs, almost clean vanished: BOOK "insomuch as, he said, he dared not express unto her how J. "little residence was there; being loath in any wise to trouAnno 1582. "ble her majesty therewith, if he had been able to reform it “of himself. That he had extended his authority and force "of jurisdiction to the uttermost, and followed the severity "of laws in higher courts, pretermitting no means under "her majesty, to redress that which was, and still remained, "amiss and had not found either very good success, or "mean charges, expenses, and trouble. That the chief and "sole cause, in a manner, of all this matter, besides the perverseness of men's natures, being the uncertainty of the "authority of the statutes of the said church; the froward " and disobedient always pretending for their defence, that "the same were and are of no force; and that they stand "at liberty to do, or not to do, the premises at their pleasure. Because they were not extant under the great seal, " and indented." 66 And thus having shewed the cause of his complaint to the queen, he proceeded to make his request: "Wherefore "he, styling himself her majesty's most faithful and poor "subject, appointed under her to that church and govern"ment, most humbly prostrated himself before her in this "matter, as of great importance, both in respect of God's glory, and of her father's and her own renown, for this his 66 majesty's most famous work of erecting cathedral churches, "instead of monkish and superstitious houses, was, and so "still remained, the beauty of the reformation of religion, " and the greatest benefit next to the doctrine of the gospel "itself, that the church of God in his realm received at "his most royal hands, far exceeding all other acts that were done by any of his progenitors before him; and surmounting all that was like to be done in any time to "come: if that which his will founded might likewise be "well governed." 66 66 And then further to press his motion, he used these words to her: "Let not then, I most humbly beseech you, the "matter of government of these houses, (for they all that "are of your father's foundation be in like uncertainty of X. "the authority of their statutes, and especially this church CHAP. "where I am,) stand any longer doubtful; but let it be "by your most sacred majesty decided and determined, Anno 1582. "under what rules and orders they shall live. And so shall "the holy plant of your father's hand be by you well nou"rished and cherished; and you shall be rightly heir, as "well of his glory, as you are of his imperial crown and dignity. And the Lord shall bless, prosper, and multiply your days and years; to the great comfort of the church, 112 "and all your most faithful subjects." And still to excite the queen to a despatch of this business, he added: "That this thing, until it be perfectly "finished, being a matter that needed no long delay for the 'difficulty, nor would be deferred for the great utility, all "celerity would seem little to him, being an old man, de"sirous to leave his church in good order before he died: " and knowing that it was now more than ten years since "it was moved by him and others to their archbishop that "was dead; and by him to her majesty, as he said, to be "reformed: concluding, that he that was loath to begin to "write, now found difficulty to make an end, because of "the weight of this matter that he was entered into. But "because he was grown to more length than he purposed, "he must of necessity make an end: most humbly beseech"ing her majesty to pardon him in that he dared to pre"sent, after his rude manner, this, or any cause unto her. Subscribing, 66 "Your majesty's most faithful subject, cealments cese of Lin The commission for concealed lands and estates, granted Commisout by the queen, created great perplexities and wrongs to sion of conthe clergy, as at other times before, so this year; the queen in the diogratifying some of her dependents, and particularly the coln comgentlemen pensioners, with these commissions. Whereof one plained of. of them was Edward Stafford. Whose deputies extreme dealing with the clergy in the large diocese of Lincoln, was |