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

This is the enhanced reading edition of Chapter XXIV, 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 repairs his chancels, and his palace at Canterbury. Assists at the Emperor's funerals. The Archbishop's son at Peter house in Cambridge. Dr. Pern's judgment in a dissertation giving offence, his account thereof to the Archbishop.

The Archbishop Repairs His Chancels and His Palace

THIS year the Archbishop began to repair the chancels of those churches which came into his possession: of which there were many (now miserably decayed) belonging to his see, partly by the exchanges of the ancient possessions of the Archbishops of Canterbury, made between Archbishop Cranmer and King Henry, and others; and partly by another exchange between this Archbishop and the Queen, imposed upon him sore against his will, upon account of a statute published in the first year of this Queen mentioned before.

This year also he fully completed the reparation and building of his noble palace at Canterbury, (both ancient, and also noted for its grandeur and stateliness,) having been in great decay, partly by fire and partly by time, and the edifices thereof, in many parts of it, fallen flat to the ground: though nothing was left by his predecessors towards the dilapidations.

The Great Charge of the Undertaking

Yet he entered not upon this expensive undertaking but with prudence and caution: for he had now cleared his first-fruits, and got out of debt for the furniture and ornaments of his house: and especially (as he made God's service his first and chief care) had settled religion and divine worship in his province. In the second place, his mind was to restore the see of Canterbury to its ancient magnificence. He had indeed naturally a spirit towards the doing of great things: and before this, it was his custom, wheresoever he was, to lay out himself in acts of magnificence, that might be serviceable to religion, learning, or charity. This enterprise of his was the greater, in that he would not be discouraged in it; though much of the lands and revenues of his see were taken away, the price of victuals and provisions much enhanced, wages of workmen raised, being more a great deal than in former times; and people expected that he should enlarge his housekeeping, rather than to diminish it. Add, that there were no materials of stone, mortar, timber, scaffolding, &c. now remaining, but all gone: which incredibly increased the charges of building.

A matter that had so far prevailed with other of his fellow Bishops, that they pulled quite down, rather than builded up, the ruins of their palaces. These reparations, in short, cost him above 1400l. a great sum in those days; besides the great feastings that followed.

The Hall of the Palace

Notwithstanding, this charge he was the more willing to undergo, because of the fame that went of the hall of this palace. Which was of such a vast amplitude, that once (viz. in the year 1519.) it was graced with the presence of the Emperor Charles V. and King Henry VIII. at the same time; together with his royal consort Queen Katharine, whom (being the said Emperor's aunt) he came into England to visit. This hall then contained these most royal persons, and all their numerous attendants. Wherein they adjusted matters of state between them, exercised their triumphs, and feasted together in a most splendid manner, at the incredible cost and expenses of Warham, then Archbishop. The report of this inflamed the Archbishop's desire to keep up the magnificence of this hall; and especially for the memory also of the coronation of Kings and Queens, frequently heretofore performed here; and lastly, for the enthronization of Archbishops his predecessors. To whose most sumptuous feasts in this hall there had been vast confluences, as well of the nobility as gentry; when personages of the greatest quality, dukes and earls, bore the offices of stewards and butlers; and received yearly fees as such, from the Archbishops, agreeable to the qualities of such noblemen.

Feast Tables in the Cathedral Library

In the library of the church of Canterbury there be yet remaining some old distinct printed sheets, describing the magnificent solemnities and feasts that had formerly been made there, by Archbishops and Abbots in Canterbury, or elsewhere. As for example; there is set forth an account of the great feast at the installation of Ralph de Bourn, Abbot of St. Augustin's, Cant. anno 1309; also of the mighty feast at the enthronization of George Nevyl, Archbishop of York; also of the feast made at the enthronization of Archbishop Warham, on Passion Sunday, March 9, anno Dom. 1504. And the last of these tables conclude in words to this effect:

"Memorandum, That in the same year, viz. 1504, when W. Warham was enthronized, Matthew Parker was born the sixth day of August next before. Who being preferred to the said archbishopric, and consecrated to the same the 17th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1559, finding the said palace, with the great hall, and all edifices therein, partly burned and fallen down, and partly in utter ruin and decay, did repair and re-edify again all the houses of the same, in the year of our Lord 1560, and 1561, [beginning then I suppose the work,] as it is at this day. The charges and expenses whereof amounted to the sum of 1406l. 14s. and 4d. as appears by a particular book drawn of the same. And this was to remain upon record, instead of any splendid feast to be made by Archbishop Parker."

The Bishops Excused

The same Archbishop, in his Antiquities, (where he treats of Archbishop Warham, and gives account of his said vast feast,) took occasion again to excuse himself and other Bishops in his time, in the want of such entertainments; and withal bestowed a secret lash on the times wherein he lived, while he assigned the reason why they were no more to be expected.

"Complaint is now commonly every where made, that that more than Asiatic luxury is reduced to too much niggardise. But the Bishops are falsely blamed, whose possessions have been taken away from them, and given to laymen." But as to those tables of former luxury above mentioned, they seem, according to the conjecture of my learned friend deceased, to have been printed, to be hung up in the great hall of the palace, as public memorials. And there might have been more of them, which now are lost.

The Emperor Ferdinand's Funerals

In October our Archbishop assisted at the solemnization of the funerals of Ferdinand the Emperor, late deceased, at St. Paul's church; whereat was a splendid appearance of the Peers of the kingdom, both spiritual and temporal; and many of the Court: and the Bishop of London preached the sermon. Which was printed. An account whereof is given in that Bishop's life.

Parker's Son at Peterhouse

I find the Archbishop's son (his eldest, I suppose) in October this year, returning to his studies to Cambridge, having been admitted there, as it seems, not long before. His father planted him in Peter house, knowing the good discipline of that college, under the inspection of Dr. Pern, an excellent governor of youth: choosing to place his son under his care, and in that house, rather than in that where himself was educated.

Upon his coming back to the college, Dr. Pern signified to the Archbishop how glad he was of his son's return to follow his studies. The course he appointed the young gentleman for his studies was, that, besides the reading of logic, he enjoined him every day tasks of the Greek language, as well as of the Latin, as the Doctor certified the Archbishop; and that he had provided him a very learned and affable master to read to him, and that he himself was not wanting to take all care possible of him.

Dr. Perne Vindicates Himself

The said Dr. Pern having been a complier under all governments, (Chaplain to King Edward VI. and one of his six itinerary preachers, kept in under Queen Mary, and still under Queen Elizabeth held his preferments of the mastership of his college, and to the deanery of Ely,) many nowadays failed not to bespatter him for his fickleness, and to throw out expressions, that he was a favourer of all the Romish errors and superstitions, abating the Pope's universal bishopric. Whereupon happening somewhere to vindicate himself, he made a challenge at last to dispute his opinion before the Queen herself. But sure it is, that not long before this time he held a public dispute with some learned man in a great audience; some whereof were Bishops. The report went afterward, when this matter came to be talked of in the mouths of men, that Pern had called the person he disputed with heretic, and that he approved of all those errors that were embraced in the Romish Church.

Perne's Letter to the Archbishop

Of these rumours the Archbishop freely acquainted him. To whom Dr. Pern in a letter at length, dated from Peter house, October 25, 1564, gave answer in his own vindication to this tenor:

"That the unjust accusation of him by some in his absence had moved him for a disputation to be held before the Queen. And that if his conscience had not been more to him, and more sustained him, the speeches of his Grace concerning that matter would have cast him into great anxiety. That whereas the Archbishop signified to him, that it was by some affirmed, that in his dispute he should in that audience call that learned man, [unmentioned,] and in many respects his friend, an heretic; it was no more true, than that if he should have uttered any such matter, he should have been a person estranged from all humanity. That where they seemed to assert, that he approved of every thing brought in by the Roman Church, except the Roman Bishop's pride, whereby he usurped an universal bishopric over all other bishops; nor was that agreeable to truth. For he was not so ignorant, nor such an enemy to known truth, but that he knew most foul errors were brought into the Roman Church by the boldness and rashness of some Popes, who were never of him liked, and whom in that disputation he denied in express words that they should ever be defended by him. Although he did not with an unwilling mind embrace the catholic and orthodox faith received by the Roman Church, agreeable to the word of God; nor judged the truth which it professed, to be rejected in hatred to the Church of Rome; nor was his judgment swayed by so blind a lie, that the title of the Church of Rome was to be defended; nor that if it obtruded upon us any errors repugnant to the word of God, should he contend, by any preposterous and corrupt judgment, that they were to be retained. He acknowledged, he said, that many things were piously retained by the Church of England, in the administration of the Lord's Supper, which appeared plainly to all to be taken from the very description of the Mass itself: and that in the other forms of prayer we might observe the same to be prudently done cum delectu, with due choice and culling. And that such things, as might seem to contribute to the edification of the common people, were transferred by lawful authority into our public prayers, being things that were taken out of the ancient prayers of the Church. But the rest, which could not with any just reason be defended, were thrown out by the same authority whereby they were first brought in. For, said he, as it is the part of an arrogant insolence to reject all things promiscuously, so to approve all which crept in, (I know not by what rite or title,) were the part of an ignorant credulity. In which bounds, as he went on, when the current of my discourse was then circumscribed, (although I confess ingenuously, that I was very angry with one for denying that most approved axiom of sacred discipline, Quod prius melius, quod posterius deterius,) I do not see how it could occasion any great offence among learned and equal hearers. Though that disputation, or rather tumultuary oration, suddenly uttered, was not made by me with that intent, that I should hope to gain a good-will from any, or to give distaste to any, but to satisfy the duty of my order. Yet, thanks be to God, as far as I understand, that dissertation of mine was less offensive at that time to the ears of such, who by reason of their singular learning were able best to judge of it; and of whose judgment, for their high authority, most account was to be had."

Perne Sends His Sermon

But whatsoever it was, he promised the Archbishop, that, as far as his memory after such a space of time could recollect, he would transmit to his Lordship to judge of, as soon as he had leisure. And in the mean time he sent him a copy of his sermon lately, as it seems, preached at Court. For it was customary for the Archbishop in these times to require copies of the sermons preached in more public auditories, as at Court, or at St. Paul's Cross.

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.