I.

BOOK Therein he mentions the cardinal's commending of him to prince William of Bavaria, for his place of professor at InAnno 1585. golstad: that he being an exile Englishman, that prince had embraced him with both arms of his charity and clemency and that the said prince in all his speeches remembered Allen, and talked much of his glory and virtue: and that that prince had sent one George Brand, his messenger, to obtain somewhat of the pope; which he prayed Allan to forward, and to recommend him to the pope, to despatch his business. And as an argument to excite the said cardinal Allan, or Allen, he highly commended this his prince for his life, not only without blot, but without suspicion ; and that he was a great assertor of the see of Rome; and who had erected a seminary in Germany, according to the prescription of the council of Trent: and that he had wholly rooted out of his jurisdiction whatsoever ill plants Luther had set. And concluded his letter with this wish, "That God might restore the most illustrious [meaning the "cardinal] to England, and England to the most illustrious."

be admitted

into the college at Rome.

In another letter to the same, giving him the title of the most reverend and most illustrious, he recommended an One Cof- Englishman, one Edward Coffin, ready at his service, to be fin seeks to admitted into the English college at Rome, (where Allen was chief,) being a young man, a catholic and an exile. This person he recommendeth to him, "whom (as he flat"tereth him) England loved, Rome adorned, banishment "hath as it were ratified [sanxit] the patron and father of Englishmen, catholics and exiles. That this man had de"sired Turner's letters to him, and that his request was, "that he might be chosen into the said college; having "consecrated himself to God, to England and Rome; and "that he was a fit young man, of no ill note, and prepared “inire palæstram, juvenis feroculus; ready to enter upon "action, a fierce youth:" very good qualifications for a Romish emissary.

Another

letter of

And before this, (that we trace this Turner a little backTurner to wards,) it appears by another letter of his to Dr. Allen, now at Doway, before he went to Rome, writing to him from

nal.

XXV.

Ross.

Paris, he calleth him his patron; who was to take care of CHAP. him, and to fix him somewhere, (having been invited over privately, as it seems, by him,) styling himself a catholic, Anno 1585. poor, and his client. In which letter he speaks also of the bi-319 shop of Ross, (the queen of Scots' agent abroad,) and of his Bishop of assistance of him at Paris; and who had such an inclination to him, that he chose him into the number of those that were shortly to go thence with him to Rome. Upon the mention of this bishop of Ross, and his friendship to Turner, I do but hint a consolatory letter to the said Mary queen of Scots; which was drawn up by this Turner; being master of an elegant Latin style, mentioned before, under the year 1583.

deavours

to pervert

one Hil

liard.

evangeli

tus, Roma

terra perse

est nominis

I cannot but relate something out of another letter of the Turner ensame man, of like strain of zeal, to one Hilliard, his countryman, and his former acquaintance in the university, though of another opinion in religion: whom he tried by his oratory to reduce. He tells him, he was "so sincerely Tam sincere "his, as the gospel, Christ, and Rome suffered him to be." tuus, quam Where it is worth observing the argument he used to bring um, Chrishim over to the popish religion, and his hatred that religion patitur. begat in him to his native country. Thus writing concern- Cælum odit, ing England; "Whatsoever bears but the name of Eng-quitur, "land, is hated by heaven, and persecuted by earth." And quicquid again; "That England would be to him but a bait to sin, Anglicani. "to ruin, and to death." And comparing his countryman, Angliam the said Hilliard, to the prodigal son, he exhorted him to tibi ad pecreturn to his Father's house, " where was poculum gratiæ, catum, ad "osculum pacis, &c. the cup of grace, the kiss of peace, mortem. "the music of a good act, and the fatted calf, Christ him"self: then he should be filled and satisfied from Rome, "satisfied in himself; and well satisfied, too well: that is, "by the prescription of antiquity, by the prescription of "tradition, by the sense of the church, and the consent of "the world." And then going on in his argument: "But

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among the [i. e. protestants,] said he, what is there of " antiquity? No more than from Luther to the present age. "What is there of tradition? Their foundation is, that

fore escam

ruinam, ad

BOOK

J.

Anno 1585.

nomen et

numen.

"there was no tradition at all. What do they say of the sense of the CHURCH? O! they are afraid of this name and deity. What of the consent of the world? A part of Timent hoc ❝ it, and that the worst of all, is in England; a very little part of it in Germany; a most seditious part in France: " and in all places of the world the most unlearned; all but dregs; and how little a portion in comparison of our "world," &c. And thus this unnatural Romish Englishman went on, to bring off his countryman both from his religion and from a love of his native country, by his empty, but malicious oratory.

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320

Archbishop of York en

CHAP. XXVI.

Usury practised in York. The archbishop brings it before the commission ecclesiastical: his letter to the lord treasurer about it. The dean of York openly dissents. Articles against him in the star-chamber by the archbishop. The dean's submission to the archbishop. This archbishop preaches at Paul's Cross. Scory, bishop of Hereford, dies. Exercises in the diocese of Chester. That bishop prescribes rules to the clergy for them. Scambler translated to Norwich: his complaint of his predecessor. Curtess, bishop of Chichester, dies poor. Complaint made by the bishop of Litchfield and Coventry: his letter to the lord treasurer. Cox, bishop of Ely, vindicates his liberties in Holborn against the city. The revenues of the dean and chapter of Norwich in danger, upon pretence of concealment: the case: the suit: referred. Now I proceed to make some relation of matters of the church, and of some of the bishops thereof, according as they occur to me this year.

Sandys, archbishop of York, had observed a great crime deavours to prevailing in his diocese; and especially in the city of York. reform It was usury, in a most excessive degree; insomuch that tised there. such as had occasion to take up money paid a heavy consideration for it. The good archbishop was moved at it,

usury prac

XXVI.

and brought the matter into the ecclesiastical commission. CHAP. And, which was worst of all, one of his chief brethren of the clergy, even the dean of York, who was rich, was Anno 1585. deeply touched in the same fault. And he, being one of the commissioners, endeavoured to interrupt it; and in fine, openly protested against it: which spoiled all the archbishop's good intentions, in punishing and redressing that great oppression. The archbishop had no help now, but by applying to those above. And as he had written to the queen and to the archbishop of Canterbury, so he also declared the matter more at large to the lord treasurer; which was to this tenor: (which I relate, that the thing before us may be the better understood.)

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to the lord

"That in his troubles he was forced to fly unto his lord- His letter ship. That God would ever record with him how faith- treasurer 66 fully and painfully he had travailed in his vocation, as about it. "well in preaching the gospel as in exercising discipline. "But that now such was the malice of man, that his hands 321 "were closed up, and the rod of discipline taken from him. "That biting and vile usury, forbidden by the law of God " and man, the very bane of the commonwealth, was practised "in that city of York more than elsewhere in the world, in "his opinion; and that all other traffic and art was in a manner laid aside; and that only put in ure; even from the "highest to the lowest, all in manner given to it: and that "in most extreme sort, to take one hundred at the hun“dred. That this had eaten up the poor, and spoiled the gentlemen of their patrimony."

66

66

He proceeded; "That he had diligently laboured with "others, by preaching, to reform this sin: sed in vanum la"boravimus. And therefore compelled even in conscience, "by virtue of her majesty's commission ecclesiastical, to call "the offenders herein to answer their fact: but that, as "they were in the consistory, ministering oaths unto them, "to answer unto certain articles, the dean of York, (who The dean "crossed all good proceedings,) with a full stomach, stood up protesting, that he dissented from them. And further,

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of York defends usury.

I.

BOOK "that he there publicly defended usury as lawful; and "threatened the witnesses, which were brought in to charge Anno 1585." the offenders, with premunire: the dean adding, that he "would clear his hands of it. Yet, as the archbishop sub"joined, the report was, that his hands were deeply mired "in this matter: for otherwise he could hardly have "abounded in such wealth as he at that time presently did.

Council in

complained

of.

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"And that thus his speech wonderfully encouraged the "offenders, as afterwards (added the archbishop) fell forth "in proof: for hardly would they be brought to any exa"mination: and that one of the number utterly refused to answer to the articles, although he had taken his oath to "do it: and that another of them utterly denied their [viz. "the ecclesiastical commissioners] authority and jurisdic"tion; and that with big words and unseemly behaviour. "And that for this their great contempt they were compelled to commit them to the castle: for the example "(said the archbishop) was not tolerable."

And which he further thought fit now to acquaint the the north treasurer with, that obstructed their good purpose, was the opposition that the council in the north gave thereto. For thus the archbishop went on. "That the second after the "vice-president, with the rest of the council there, by war"rant sent for them, and set them at liberty; and that

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chiefly provoked thereunto by Mr. Cheek," [who was son to that excellent man sir John Cheek, and was now a member of that council,]" who (said the archbishop) with"out all cause did malice him, cross and hinder his proceed"ings, what he could. That he thought the like had not "been done by any authority heretofore:" [namely, that a council in the north should annul or revoke what was done in an ecclesiastical commission, issuing from the queen.] "That her majesty's commission, by reason hereof, was dis"credited, and made of no authority; and they, her majes"ty's commissioners, defaced and contemned: and so forced "to surcease any further proceeding by that authority." 322 And then adding these words; "So that sin may now take