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

This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XV, 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.

Some of the Archbishop's doings in his diocese. He hears of some writings of Archbishop Cranmer. Searches after them. Recovers them. Visits Sandwich. Furthers the foundation of a freeschool there. The good behaviour of the strangers settled there.

His Pious Endeavours in His Diocese

ARCHBISHOP PARKER being now in his diocese was loath to be idle, but took into his consideration how he might be serviceable to God and the Queen in those quarters. And that none might escape his diligent inspection, nor the benefit he was minded to do them, he divided his flock into the Laity and the Clergy. The Laity he divided again into the common sort, and into those of highest rank and quality. As to the common sort, his care was to maintain and settle a peaceable and quiet state among them. As for the other, whom he called the better sort, he consulted for the making them instrumental to maintain and further the Queen's service, and her affairs. And as to both, he sent up at length this account to the Secretary, that he found them all in so good order, that he rejoiced therein. And for the ecclesiastical persons, he signified, that with them he dealt indifferently, and found obedience in them. And in this good case stood his diocese at this time, occasioned, as one may rationally conjecture, by the long care and diligency of Archbishop Cranmer: the influences of whose paternal government, notwithstanding the interval of Queen Mary, still remained in Kent. Though afterwards the county ran into such ecclesiastical disorders, as created a great deal of trouble to Whitgift, one of this Archbishop's successors; as may be shewn hereafter.

In Pursuit of Archbishop Cranmer's Writings

As one of our Archbishop's designs, wherever he came, was to retrieve as much as ever he could the British and Saxon antiquities, or any other ancient writings of our own countrymen, whether Divines or Historians, of which there had been such a fatal destruction by the dissolution of monasteries, when the respective libraries of those houses underwent the same fate with the places where they were kept; so he being now at Canterbury, made this one of his businesses, to pick up what he could of this nature.

And by searching and prying, (as he styled it himself,) among other things, he found, by very credible information, in whose hands the learned writings of his predecessor Dr. Cranmer did remain. But the parties denied they had them. However, he, loath to be deprived of such a treasure, in the month of August earnestly requested the Secretary to procure him the Council's letters, to authorize him to make the best search he could after them, and to give him all the advantage that might be, strictly to examine such as he suspected might have them. Which letters were prepared for him by the Secretary, being himself a person so studious of learning, and having so high a value for, and having been so great a friend and acquaintance of, the said Cranmer. Of this I had occasion to write in the Memorials of that Archbishop; look into the Appendix, to which I did transfer Archbishop Parker's letter concerning this matter: to which I refer the reader.

But to give some larger relation hereof, and to shew what kind of books these were that the Archbishop was in this earnest pursuit of, and in whose possession they were. They were in the possession of Dr. Nevinson, one of the Prebendaries of Canterbury. Yet was he not, it seems, the rightful owner of them, but somebody else, that appears not. But who could that be but Cranmer's heir? And who was he but Thomas his only son, who, I suppose, was now at Canterbury, and perhaps gave Archbishop Parker the first notice of these writings. But whoever it were that gave the notice, the same informer asserted, that he had seen them with his own eyes in Nevinson's study: however, Nevinson had denied he had them. Which when Parker was acquainted with, he thought not fit to require them himself of the said Nevinson, concluding he would give him the same answer; viz. that he had them not. But he privately speeds away a letter to Windsor, where the Court and his friend the Secretary was, requesting the Council's letters as before was said, but omitting Nevinson's name. To which, two or three days after, the Secretary made him this answer.

The Secretary's Letter

"May it please your Grace, I thank the same for your letters. I am glad that you have heard of such hid treasures, as I take the books of the holy Archbishop Cranmer to be. I have of late recovered of his written books five or six, which I had of one Mr. Herd of Lincoln. Your Grace writeth to have letters from the Council; but to whom they should be written, or who the persons be of whom the writings should be demanded, your Grace's letter maketh no mention. And therefore

knowing no such earnestness here, or care of such mat" ters, I forbear to press the Council therewith, especially " being not liable to render them an account, who hath the writings. But upon advertisement thereof, I will not fail " but procure such letters. From Windsor, where we are, yet in health, thanked be Almighty God. On Tuesday " the Spanish Ambassador died here within two miles, of a " burning ague. 25 Aug. 1563. " Your Grace's at commandment, " W. Cecyl." The Archbishop in his next letter informed the Secretary of the possessor's name; as appears by these minutes of his letter.

The Archbishop's Answer

"Where I did write to your Honour to procure the Council's letter for the obtaining of certain ancient written books of the Lord Cranmer; and belike did not express particularly either to whom these letters should be directed, or the persons of whom they should be demanded; your Honour shall understand, that the party to whom belonged these books sued to me to recover them out of " Dr. Nevinson's hands, in whose study the owner plainly " avoucheth that he saw them with his own eyes, and did " then require them of him. But he denied to have them. "And I am persuaded he would do the same to myself, if I should demand them, and therefore desired the Council's letters, &c." The rest is so defaced that I cannot read it. Dated Sept. 7.

The Secretary now soon obtained letters of the Council for this purpose. One whereof they wrote to Nevinson himself, ordering him to deliver these writings to the Archbishop.

And another to the Archbishop, to empower him, in case of Nevinson's refusal, to search his study, or any other places for them, and to take them into his custody; especially considering these writings contained matters of divinity, very proper to be consulted at this time, when true religion was in restoring and settling. letter.

But behold the letter.

The Council Writes

"After our very hearty commendations to your good Lordship. Being given to understand, that certain writsupr. "ten books, containing matters of divinity, sometimes belonging to Archbishop Cranmer, your Lordship's predecessor, are come to the hands of Dr. Nevinson, being very necessary to be seen at this time; we have somewhat earnestly writ to the said Mr. Nevinson, to deliver those " books unto your Lordship. And like as we doubt not " he will forthwith deliver the same unto you, considering " they are for so good a purpose required of him; so if he " shall deny the delivery thereof, we think meet that your " Lordship, by your own authority, do cause his study, " and such other places where you think the said books do

" remain, to be sought: and if the same books may be " found, to take them into your custody. And thus we "bid your good Lordship most heartily farewell. From Windsor Castle, 23. Sept. 1563.

"Your good Lordship's most assured loving friends, "N. Bacon, C. S. W. Northampton. Pembroke. "R. Duddeley. E. Clynton. Franc. Knollys. "William Petre. S. W. Cecyl."

The Writings Recovered

And by these means the Archbishop at length obtained the books desired. They are two volumes in folio, consisting of collections made by that most venerable Father, Cranmer, in order to the furnishing himself with a sound writings. knowledge of the true state of the ancient Church, for his good proceeding in the great work of reforming the Church of England; being vast transcriptions out of the Fathers and ecclesiastical authors, as well as holy Scripture, digested by him under proper heads or common places; shewing what the doctrines and practices of the Church in the ancient times were; and thereby making it evident, how much the present Church of Rome was warped and gone off from it. Parker caused both these volumes to be copied out for his own use, and then restored the originals, I suppose, where they belonged. These transcribed volumes I have seen in the MS. library of the right reverend and right honourable the present Bishop of London, into which by his favour I had free access. In the former volume Archbishop Parker had caused to be inserted, ob memoriam rei ("for remembrance of the matter"), the three letters by me above specified.

He numbered also all the pages with his red lead pencil.

There is also at the beginning a Tabula Repertoria ("a Table of Reference," i.e. an index), shewing the various matters or common places treated of in these volumes. Which index, I suppose, was drawn up also by Parker. I have presented it to the reader in the Appendix, Numb. XXIII. for the giving more light into these valuable writings.

Founding the Freeschool at Sandwich

During the Archbishop's stay here at Canterbury, he became the instrument of founding a freeschool at Sandwich. The townsmen were well disposed to build it at their charge: and the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, by our Archbishop's particular solicitation, were willing to grant an acre of ground belonging to their Church, whereon to found it: and Mr. Manwood, he who was afterward Sir Roger Manwood, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, being born in the town, and taught in a school there belonging to a chantry, which with the chantry was dissolved, was fully determined to give to that foundation twenty pounds per annum in perpetuum ("yearly for ever"), of his own possessions presently. And his lands were ready for assurance. And nothing was wanting but the Queen's licence to the town of Sandwich; and to the Dean and Chapter for their alienation, or to make a lease in fee-farm of the said piece of land. Whereupon our Archbishop, having brought matters to this ripeness, on the 27th day of the month of August, despatched, his letters to his friend the Secretary, who was never wanting in such good works, to obtain such a licence from her Majesty urging to him the opportunity; which being such, he doubted not of the Queen's Majesty's good and gracious assent. As he learned by the experience of a former suit, which he had made to her in a thing of the like nature; namely, for the recovery of the Schoolmaster's stipend at Stoke college, whereof he had formerly been Dean. Which college was dissolved in the beginning of King Edward, and the whole revenue, with the Schoolmaster's allowance also, swallowed up into the Exchequer; which nevertheless he obtained of the Queen, though that money went now out of her own coffers. By which he perceived, as he said, the Queen's godly zeal for the furtherance of learning. He took notice also of the good zeal of Manwood in this business; "Considering, as he said, how persons of his vocation (that is, towards the law) were commonly judged rather to employ all their abilities to their own posterities, than to such common respects; and that he, being not " without issue, and daily like to have more, might have " followed the common example, in leaving the gains of his " time to his offspring.

Manwood's Liberality Commended

Therefore, he said, he wished his purpose were favoured, both for example to others, and also to put away the common judgment which ran upon such as were of his calling. He added, that he took it to be a motion of God: in consideration, said he, that we poor Bishops be not now able to succeed our predecessors in their so liberal foundations."

And to signify, that now, since the fleecing of the Clergy, it was incumbent upon secular persons of wealth and interest to promote such charitable foundations, he used these words to the Secretary.

"Now you, such as you be, and as Mr. Manwood is, must lay hands to the furtherance of such public endowments, or else ye be not like to leave to your successors that which ye have received of your ancestors."

The School Endowed

And this pious purpose took effect. And for the lasting good name, both of the Archbishop and the Founder, let it be further remembered here, that besides what he settled upon this school himself, he procured of his brother Thomas Manwood, Mayor of Sandwich, ten pounds per annum; and of one Thomson, a Jurat of that town, eight pounds more per annum, for the use of the said school. He built also a school-house for the habitation of a master, an usher, and sixteen boarders.

And in the year 1586, he procured letters patents of the Queen, for incorporating the school, with the lands and revenues thereunto belonging, to the Mayor and his brethren of Sandwich, and their successors. And moreover he obtained two Scholars' places in Caius college in Cambridge, and two more in Lincoln college in Oxford, for such as should be removed from this school; and four marks yearly to be paid to each of the said four Scholars: as Holinshed relates at large in his history. And this was not all our pious Archbishop did for the furthering this good design; but to take a view of the ground and situation, as well as for other good causes, he rode on Sunday morning from his house at Bekesborn to Sandwich, which was about five or six miles; and got thither by seven o'clock; that by coming so soon he might prevent their formalities of receiving him, and partly to be present at their whole service. But notwithstanding, the townsmen prevented him: for though that morning were very foul and rainy, yet he found the Mayor and his Jurats ready at the town gate to accompany him to his lodging, and so to the church. Of whom he gave this character to a friend at Court, "That they were men of honest civility, and of comely grave personages, and of good understanding. "And that their streets were clean, as might be for the " straitness of them. That their service was sung in good " distinct harmony and quiet devotion. That the singing " men were the Mayor and the Jurats, with the head men " of the town, placed in the quire far and distant, in as " good order as he could wish."

The Visit to Sandwich

The Archbishop himself then preached before an auditory great and attentive: and took that occasion to declare the Queen's pleasure concerning the prayers and fast before mentioned. And, in sum, to their credit he said of them, " That he saw not, but the " Queen's Majesty would have of them good subjects and " true orators."

The Strangers Settled There

Thus being here according to his function, he inquired diligently into the behaviour of the inhabitants, as likewise of the strangers, who had fled hither for the sake of the Gospel from foreign parts, whether French or Dutch, or both; and had here settled themselves. Of these also he took notice, and found them, as he wrote to the same friend at Court, very godly on the Sabbath day, and busy in their work on the week day: and their quietness such, as the Mayor and his brethren had no causes of variance between themselves, coming before them. Our Archbishop indeed was a friend to all strangers that fled over hither, if they were truly pious and sober. "Profitable and gentle strangers" (they are his own words) "ought to be welcome, and not to be grudged at." And for disorders there, reformable by ecclesiastical laws, he had, before his coming here, deputed their Minister, a grave learned man, to exercise, by his Grace's authority, ecclesiastical censures as he should see cause; of which little had been spied.

The finding things in this good state, in this outward corner of his diocese, created much joy to him. Which he did communicate unto the Secretary, as

he said, that he might be the willinger to help them in this affair of the school before spoken of; and in so doing, he used these moving words to him, Mercedem reportabis a Domino in resurrectione justorum; i. e. You shall receive your reward from the Lord at the resurrection of the just.

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.