Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book II/Chapter XXI
This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XXI, 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.
The Archbishop's proceedings for Uniformity. He excites the Bishop of London.
The Proceedings for Uniformity
THUS stood the Court affected. In the mean time the Archbishop and his fellows of the ecclesiastical commission did go on, as far as they could, to reduce the Church to one uniform order, the Queen still calling upon them so to do, reckoning their own authority sufficient. They cited many before them, conferring with them, admonishing them, and threatening their censures to those that would not comply. But the effect did not correspond at all : but rather what they did proved the occasion to others of becoming more refractory. And whereas the habits had been the only or chief matter they boggled at, now the rest of the Church's rites began to be called in question too : such an influence had the connivance of the Court. But now the Queen shewed herself much offended that so little had been done all this while.[ed 1] The Archbishop takes this occasion again to write to his friend at the Court,[ed 2] signifying the great mischief of these delays and irresolute proceedings.
The Archbishop's Letter to Court
He wished, "that the Secretary and the rest had not stirred istam camarinam,[ed 3] or else to have set on it to some order at the beginning. For that delaying wrought daily more inconvenience, et obfirmatiores fiunt.[ed 4] So that he saw it not best to send up for disordered persons. For after they espy, saith he, how the game goes, redduntur multo præfractiores.[ed 5] Adding, that he thought non solum periculum verti in ritibus vestium tantummodo, sed omnium rituum in universum, i. e. that not only the rites of apparel were now in danger, but all other rites universally." And therefore he advised, that prudence would be taken.
And whereas he understood it was purposed by some, probably that secretly favoured these men, to send for some of the chief of them to the Council, and give them a chiding before the whole body of the Council, he said, if that were all that should be done with them, to be foully chidden, they were verba tantum et præterea nihil;[ed 6] i. e. words only, and nothing else : and he doubted whether it would work a quietness. That the deformities were to be openly entreated. Adding this proverb, according to his dialect, All men be not one man's childern.[ed 7] By which he might mean, that all men were not to be dealt with alike, but some more roughly than others, because of the difference of their tempers.
A Meeting with the Lord Keeper Proposed
He propounded also, that the Secretary, and the Earl of Leicester,[ed 8] would do well to resort to the Lord Keeper,[ed 9] and to consult with him, how to deal in this case, to do good, and to pacify the Queen's Majesty. And he thought it would be a piece of an afternoon well spent. And if the Secretary should think good, he and the Bishop of London would meet them at the Lord Keeper's. And that peradventure they might take some occasion from their information to treat this cause with the less offence. For that he and the said Bishop now knew the whole state and complexion of the causes, and the parties. Which they might well do, having before this time summoned before them the chief of the Ministers of this judgment both in London and the Universities, and fully understood their arguments and pretensions from themselves.
Stirs Up the Bishop of London
And now we have mentioned the Bishop of London, it brings to my mind another difficulty the Archbishop had to struggle with : which was to gain him over to join vigorously with him in this business : whose temper was naturally mild, and averse from rigorous methods. Whereby our Archbishop thought him not active enough in his diocese ; London at that time having many Ministers beneficed therein, who wholly neglected the observance of the habits and rites prescribed. And he knew what an influence their example would have all the nation over. This made him urge this Bishop to a more quick execution of the ecclesiastical laws and injunctions.[ed 10] And by his arguments he at length brought him to a good resolution therein.
And to back his own endeavours, he writ to the Secretary to obtain a private letter from the Queen to that Bishop, to execute her Majesty's pleasure in that regard.[ed 11] For he had told the Archbishop, that if he were so charged, he would out of hand see reformation in all London. "And ye know, saith he, in his letter to the Secretary, there is the most disorder, and then is the matter almost won through the realm. And so prayed him earnestly to procure these letters expeditely, for that he was then in a good mood to execute the law ; and that it would work much more than he would think."
Notes
Editorial Notes
- ↑ Strype's marginal date for this passage, "March 24." (1564), is omitted as navigational apparatus; it marks the date of the Archbishop's letter to the Court described in what follows.
- ↑ The Secretary of State was William Cecil.
- ↑ Istam camarinam — "that Camarina marsh." Camarinam movere was a classical proverb for stirring up needless trouble: Camarina was a marshy lake in Sicily, and to drain or disturb it was fabled to bring evil. Parker means that meddling with the Clergy's scruples had opened a Pandora's box, or else the matter should have been settled at the outset.
- ↑ Et obfirmatiores fiunt — "and they become more obstinate."
- ↑ Redduntur multo præfractiores — "they are rendered much more stubborn."
- ↑ Verba tantum et præterea nihil — "words only, and nothing else."
- ↑ "Childern" is the old plural of "child" (= children), here preserved as printed; "according to his dialect" marks the proverb as Parker's own plain, proverbial manner of speech.
- ↑ Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
- ↑ Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.
- ↑ The Bishop of London was Edmund Grindal, who would succeed Parker as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1575.
- ↑ Strype's marginal date "March 3." (1564) belongs to this letter to the Secretary.
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.