Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book II/Chapter XI

This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XI, prepared according to the AnglicanWiki Editorial Guidelines for Historical Texts. It adds descriptive section headings, English translations of Latin passages (with the original preserved), verified internal links, and editorial notes clearly distinguished from Strype's text. Strype's wording, historical spelling, and substance are preserved.

Commissions from the Archbishop for visitation of All Souls college and Merton, in Oxford. The University of Cambridge apply to the Archbishop. The Archbishop's sentence against the Earl of Hertford's marriage.

Visitations of All Souls and Merton

THE Archbishop this year gave a commission to Dr. Yale, his Vicar General and Principal Official, and Dr. Kennal, to visit All Souls in Oxford, dated May 16. The Archbishop was Visitor also of Merton college in the same University, wherein was a great Popish faction, headed by one Hall, a Fellow. This faction set themselves against Man, the Archbishop's Chaplain, lately placed Warden there; who, the year after this, had translated into English Musculus's Common Places, and dedicated the book to the Archbishop; and whom the Queen afterwards made use of for her Ambassador into Spain. His Grace therefore gave out a commission, dated May 22. to Dr. Yale, Dr. Warner, M. D. and John Kennal, LL. D. who was Canon of Christ's Church, and Archdeacon of Oxon, after the death of Dr. Wright, to visit the said college.

The State of Merton College

But to see to what a pass it was come, and how zealous a great many of them were for the old superstitions, and how loath to let them go; I shall give some account how this visitation of Merton college began, and how carried on.

Articles of Inquiry for Merton

It began May 25. On the next day they issued out Articles to be inquired of concerning the Fellows and other Scholars, and officers of the college. Which Articles were these:

I. How many Fellows there be in this house, and what kind of study they do severally apply themselves unto. And whether they be chosen according to the mind of their several Founders.

II. Whether all the Fellows of this house do use to dine and sup at the common table, and not elsewhere. III. Whether they do frequent and use the church upon Sundays and holydays at the time of divine service; and do there continue unto the end thereof. And how often in a year every one of them doth receive the Communion. IV. Whether any of them be defamed with any crime, or be slanderous to the college, or disobedient towards their superiors and elders; unquiet towards their Fellows; causers of strife and debate; negligent at his study, or hath foughten or stricken any of the Fellows of this house.

V. Whether any of them hath stirred or moved any suit; whereby the college hath been charged, or the goods of the college suspended thereby. VI. Whether any of them have received any more wages, or of the college goods, than by the statutes of the same is appointed. VII. Whether any of them do break concord and brotherly charity within this college between Master and Fellow, or any other of the same college. VIII. Whether any do keep any pupils under him, which do not learn logic. IX. Whether any Fellow hath any scholars living within his chamber. X. Whether the Bursar or any other officer do keep in their private studies above the sum of five pounds of the goods of the college, above two days together. XI. Whether they have let any money or other goods of the college to any person or persons without the consent of the Warden, Subwarden, and Fellows. XII. Whether any of them have spent above the sum of three shillings and four pence, in buying any thing, or in reparations done upon the college, or any other houses or buildings appertaining to the same, without consent as before.

XIII. Whether any of them had any conference with Mr. Hall, or any other of the college, sithence yesterday noon, touching matters of the college; or Mr. Hall with them. XIV. Whether any of the Fellows of this house be noted

to be favourers of Papistry, or of any other corrupt doctrine; or have openly maintained or defended the same; or do resort to any company suspected thereof; or be author of sedition or factions either within the house or without. XV. Who resisted Mr. Man at his coming to the college. XVI. Who did cut off the seal from my Lord of Canterbury's citation affixed upon the gate. XVII. Whether Mr. Hall, for maintenance of his seditious purpose, not being senior Fellow at home, but next senior, took not upon him to call the company together; and to conclude matters, as well for the excluding Mr. Man, as others. XVIII. Whether the Warden and more part of the Fellows have decreed before Hallontide last, that in the stead of certain superstitious hymns, appointed for certain feasts in the hall, English Psalms in metre should be sung. XIX. Whether Mr. Hall, contrary to the said decree, did not interrupt Mr. Leach, and snatch the book out of his hand with spiteful words, when he did begin to sing the English Psalm according to the said decree. XX. Whether the said Mr. Hall have not corrupted and falsified the common register, for the excusing of Mr. Benyon's fault. The comperts upon these articles of examination were; that one of the Fellows was suspect of buggery, another for resorting to an evil house. Mr. Hall and three more were noted to favour Papistry, by their neglect of coming to sermons and to the service, and by their talk. After the Mass pistry. was last put down, Hall with one or two more did hide under a piece of the quire almost all the Popish books of service, with divers other monuments of superstition; where they do lie still. Hall, after such time as he shewed conformity,

Hall's Further Disorders

travailed with a scholar of his own to persuade him to Papistry, shewing him places out of the Doctor's in the library: which places the boy after shewed to certain Bachelors. When Mr. Leche, according to an order made in the time of Dr. Gervis, the last Warden, to change the superstitious hymns for the Psalms in English metre, on a certain festival, viz. Allhallow-day, begun to sing the Te Deum, Hall, before half was done, came up crying like a madman, that they ought not nor should not sing; and struck at the Book of Psalms to have smitten it into the fire out of Leche's hand: and afterwards plucked it by force out of his hand, and threw it away, saying with trembling body, and wan countenance, to the Bachelors, " Are you still piping after his pipe ? Will you never have done puling ? I shall teach you to do as I bid you. " And they lacked their singing for a great while, till one Mr. Gifford, who being second Dean, and falling from the faction, began it again. This matter of Hall, the Papists in the town did commend as a just quarrel against heretics. Moreover, Hall caused the gates to be shut by the common servants against Mr. Man, their Master chosen. And when he was almost in, the said Hall caused some to carry him back again, though he had nothing to do in it; and plucked the statute book out of Mr. Man's hand.

A Specimen of Hall's Spirit

Hall upon these disorderly doings was sent up by a pursuivant. But to shew a little more of Hall's temper and spirit. Thus he writ in a letter to a friend: Salve, Jacobe; De rerum apud nos statu te certiorem facere, quoniam id a me expectas, meum esse arbitror. Frigent apud nos hæretici: sed spero eos aliquando fervescere, sicut olim vidimus archihæreticos in fossa illa suburbana, ubi Vulcano traditi fuerunt. That is, “James, I salute you; I think it my part, seeing you expect it of me, to certify you of the state of affairs here. The heretics that are with us grow cold. But I hope one day they will become warm; as we sometimes saw the arch-heretics do in that ditch in the suburbs*, where they were delivered to Vulcan.” And to see a little more of him and of his poison, thus he most profanely ridiculed

Hall's Libel

an instrument of the Bishop's of London; Edmundus permissione diabolica Londinensis apostata, omnibus et singulis Clericis per nostram diœcesim ubilibet constitutis, simultatem, hypocrisim et maledictionem, &c. ("Edmund, by diabolical permission apostate of London, to all and singular clerks throughout our diocese appointed, enmity, hypocrisy and cursing, &c.") This libel Mr. Benyon did publish among the Bachelors. The issue of this visitation beforesaid was, that Man was settled in his wardenship, and this dangerous infectious person, Hall, was according to his deserts expelled. And the visitors after this progress made in their visitation, and some adjournments, appointed others to proceed in it, by an instrument dated Oct. 13. viz. Thomas White and John Griffith, LL. DD. and John May, M. A.

Cambridge Appeals to the Archbishop

Let us turn our eyes to the other University, which did now earnestly call for the Archbishop's help also. A remarkable occasion now happened for him to shew his seasonable kindness to them in a very great strait. For their High Chancellor, Sir William Cecil, seemed resolved to relinquish his office, and to that intent had sent them a letter of abdication: which must needs not only surprise the University, but afflict them sensibly, to be deprived of so cordial and able a patron. And herein the Archbishop's intercession was required. But let us first hear the chief causes of this resolution of the Chancellor, which were those frequent heats and factions that sprung up among them, and the disaffection many of them shewed to the orders of the Church. Cecil's letter to the In his letter to them it appears, "That this was no sudden resolution, but that he found daily more and more causes moving him to surrender that office: divers whereof he mentioned to them. As, that first, he was not meet for it, having no learning to judge of men learned. And fur" ther, that he had not leisure to hear their causes, and much "less to promote them, and consequently no opportunity " to end them. Another great cause was the trouble he " conceived, that so great a part of the colleges were become " so full of faction and contention, and they like to increase. " The redress whereof could not come from him as it ought " to do from a Chancellor, because he could neither skill to judge of the controversies, being risen upon laws and private statutes; nor could come thither to subdue the same with his presence, nor with the authority of his office. And in fine, which most of all he lamented, he could not find such care in the Heads of the houses there to supply " his lack, as he hoped, for the ruling of inordinate youth " to the observation of good order, and increase of learning " and knowledge of God.

For he saw that the wiser sort that had authority would not join together earnestly, to "overrule the licentious parties of youth in breaking of order, and the stubbornness of others that maligned and depraved the ecclesiastical orders established by law in the " realm. He was sensible, he should shortly hear of no " good comfortable report from thence: and that to keep an " office of authority, by which these disorders might be re" medied, and not to use it, was to betray the safety ofthe " same; whereof, he said, he had some conscience.

" And that therefore he thought it meet, that they, the University, should appoint that room to some one such as " might come thither, and visit the state thereof, and to set " things in frame. Yet still they might keep an assured ac" count of him, that he would remain as careful and willing "to do good to that University and to every member thereof, as before." This was dated in June from the Court. Now what should the University do in this plunge ? For their Chancellor they must not part with, if possible they might prevail with him to continue, the being deprived of whom they call justly immedicabile vulnus. First, therefore, they pen a letter to him in a most humble and submissive manner, entreating him not to leave them, and promising all obedience and observance of him for the future. Which letter was dated June the 15th. And two more letters they also writ at the same time, to Dr. Walter Haddon, Master of the Requests, and to our Archbishop, to be intercessors. with Cecil in this behalf: and making Dr. Pory and Mr. Hawford, two of their Heads, their messengers to these honourable personages, with their letters. The contents of the letter the University preferred to the Archbishop were to this effect: "That they would not have presumed to disturb his most weighty affairs, had there not been a great business of theirs, yea of his Lordship's, (since the University's cause was his,) had required it. That this cause touched not their fortunes, nor any membishop. Transcr. à " ber of their body, but the head itself. A desperate evil, Tho.Baker, Th. B. ex unless timely prevented. And whether it might be preS. Reg. Lite- " vented by time, it was uncertain; unless his Lordship rar. Acad. " would vouchsafe seasonably to make himself a mediator. " That their most honourable and most worthy Chancellor " (whom the University was bound to, in many respects) " would no longer bear the supreme magistracy over them; " and that they had not only heard of this by messages, " but by a letter writ by his own hand: and that he " seemed to be resolved in his mind about it; alleging di" vers great causes of his said purpose, which they would " not conceal from him, (whom they made their mediator,) " to arise from themselves, namely, their factions. But that " if he, by his entreaties, could wipe off this great guilt from " them, and obtain of their Chancellor still to remain so, " they doubted not but that there would be a visible reform" ation of studies and manners in the University. And " they, the Heads, promised to be more watchful over their " colleges, and mend all things amiss, either by their coun" sel or correction: and being fatherly admonished by their " Chancellor and by him, would always acquiesce in their authority, embrace their advices, and fulfil their commands."

This dated a Senatu Præsidum, 15 cal. July, 1562.

The Archbishop Prevails

The Archbishop could not deny this request, and both he and Dr. Haddon wrote their letters to the Chancellor in the University's behalf. Which the said messengers carried to him, to make the better way for that which they brought from Cambridge with them. And the Chancellor by these means was reconciled: sending back by Pory and Hawford certain injunctions, for the reforming the scholars in divers things wanting.

Sentence Against the Earl of Hertford's Marriage

Here let me insert a judicial act of the Archbishop, in commission with some other delegates; pronouncing sentence, May the 12th, anno 4. Eliz. against Edward, Earl of Hertford, and the Lady Catharine Gray, his reputed wife. He was eldest son to the late Duke of Somerset; she sister to the late excellent Lady Jane Gray, unhappily set up for Queen, and daughter to the late Henry, Duke of Suffolk, whose wife was of the blood royal. Both he and she pretended a marriage, though at most it seems to have been but a contract, consummated without the ceremony of the solemnization. For this presumption and clandestine act the Queen was exceedingly angry with them, and committed them both to the Tower; and had them at length prosecuted at law, as was said before: notwithstanding he had two sons by her in the Tower, Edward and Thomas. Which Edward had not the earldom, but was contented with his father's first title of Viscount Beauchamp. Some books were then written by their favourers in vindication of them, and for the making it a legitimate marriage. And no question the Archbishop underwent censures for his proceedings. The Lady Catharine soon fell into exceeding grief and melancholy upon the Queen's displeasure and these courses against her: and that produced such bodily sickness, that she had leave granted to remove out of the Tower, and to remain for a time with her uncle, the Lord John Gray, at Pyrgo in Essex; and was then, being at his house, very near death. But I find she died in Suffolk about the end of January 1568.

The Archbishop on the day afore specified by his definitive sentence pronounced the Earl's carnal copulation with her to be unlawful and illegitimate, and, for this excess, both him and her to be censured for fornication.

Notwithstanding Edward, his eldest son by the said Lady Catharine, bore the title of Lord Beauchamp, who died in his father's lifetime. But had issue William: who, by letters patents, dated May 14. in the sixth of King James I. was instituted into the earldom of Hertford.

Editorial Notes

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Source: John Strype, The Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, the First Archbishop of Canterbury in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1821), Vol. I. Enhanced reading edition: section headings, Latin translations, verified internal links, and editorial notes added per the AnglicanWiki Editorial Guidelines for Historical Texts. Strype's text faithfully transcribed from the Google Books scan; spelling and substance as in the original.