Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book III/Chapter XIX
This is an enhanced reading edition of Chapter XIX of Book III of John Strype's Life of Matthew Parker (1821), prepared per the AnglicanWiki Editorial Guidelines for Historical Texts. The text has been proofread against the 1821 printed edition; section headings, Latin translations, verified internal links, and editorial notes have been added. Strype's substance, chronology, and wording are preserved; original spelling is retained.
The Archbishop's care for preserving hospitality at Canterbury. Attempteth to make the river there navigable. Consecrates a Suffragan of Dover. Orders to the Archbishop to inquire into the religion and condition of all strangers. The Archbishop, by letters of the Privy Council, hath the care of records and monuments. The Bishop of Sarum sends up a Saxon book to the Archbishop. Sir John Southworth, a Lancashire gentleman, and a Papist, sent by the Council to be examined by the Archbishop. Committed afterwards to the Bishop of London. The Archbishop repairs Bekesbourn chancel.
Preserving Hospitality at Canterbury
Our Prelate, among other his episcopal qualities, had a great care for preserving the reputation of his church of Canterbury. To which the keeping of hospitality tended considerably; that travellers and strangers might not want for entertainment there. But the Queen having determined to reserve the prebends of that church for her Chaplains, he seemed not to like of it; lest their non-residence might prejudice that good housekeeping, that was so convenient to be there maintained. But there was another thing in it, that tended most fatally to the destruction of hospitality there: and that was, that, notwithstanding their non-residence, they obtained grants to receive their full profits, without any defalcation for absence: whereby the charge lay still harder upon those that resided. And this would make them think of absenting themselves too. And upon that occasion some now were about so to do. They heard that Dr. Nevison would sue for his whole profits absent, and Mr. Freke would do the like. Three more, viz. Mr. Sentleger, Mr. Boleyn, and Mr. Dorel, were so preferred. The Archbishop thought it worth writing to the Secretary for the redress of this matter: "Praying his Honour to consider how the Church stood, that foreigners and noblemen, passing that way, might find convenient numbers at home to offer them a dinner: for if many of them should be absent, and have their whole profits, as many of them had lately obtained, the rest would be too much hindered in their hospitality: and it would make them also to absent themselves. This therefore he thought not expedient; and that three of them had such a grant of the whole profits, notwithstanding non-residence, he said, it was enough, and too much, and so left it to their consideration." This matter he wrote of to the Secretary, March 29.[ed 1]
And he was a friend to the city of Canterbury as well as the church, being a furtherer, if not a first propounder, of making the river to Canterbury navigable. The charge was computed to amount to fifteen hundred pounds. Which being too great for the city to raise of itself, there was endeavour made to get aid elsewhere. And for this purpose he laboured, by the Secretary's means, to procure letters from the Queen: and that they might be penned in such form that the Lords of the Council might subscribe them, to be directed to the Justices of Kent, to be delivered them at their next meeting. He prayed the Secretary's help, and left it to his management, as he should think good: appointing his servant to attend the Secretary's pleasure; intending himself to have come and spoke to him by word of mouth concerning it at the Star-chamber, if the business had taken there, which it seems was adjourned, and so he went not; but supplied his absence by a letter, May 21st, exciting both himself and the Secretary to the doing of good, from the uncertainty of their abode in the world; which he meant by those short sentences wherewith he concluded his letter; Dum sumus in mundo, operemur bonum: and, Opera illorum sequuntur illos.[ed 2]
A Suffragan of Dover Consecrated
In this eleventh of the Queen, the Archbishop under his seal recommended to her Majesty two persons for the office of a Suffragan within the province of Canterbury, and to nominate one of them. These two were Richard Rogers, B.D. and John Butler, Clerk, Canon and Prebendary of Christ's Church, Cant. And being so nominated by her, to grant him the style, title, name, and dignity. So she by letters patents sealed under her privy seal, May 12, nominated Rogers for Suffragan of Dover, and commanded the Archbishop to consecrate him thereunto, according to the act of Parliament in the 36th of Henry VIII. and renewed in the first of her reign.[ed 3]
Inquisition After Strangers
Those in the Netherlands that professed religion were now persecuted intolerably by D'Alva, that breathed out nothing but blood and slaughter. Great numbers of them from all parts daily fled over hither into the Queen's dominions, for the safety of their lives, and liberty of their consciences; and had hospitable entertainment and harbour for God's sake and the Gospel's: being allowed to dwell peaceably, and follow their callings without molestation in London and Southwark, and elsewhere. But with these came over Anabaptists also, and sectaries, holding heretical and ill opinions, and some also suspected to be guilty of horrible crimes, as was pretended by their enemies.[ed 4]
This the Queen being informed of, and not intending to allow harbour to such sort of persons, (though all sincerely professing the purity of Christ's religion, she was very ready to receive and cherish,) issued out her letters, dated in May, to our Archbishop to this purpose; "That he, with the Bishops his brethren, under whose jurisdictions any confluences of these strangers were, should take particular cognizance what and who they were. And that he should give speedy order to the Bishop of London, and all other Bishops within his province, where these people took up their residence, that they should make a special visitation and inquisition in every parish, of all manner of persons, being strangers, of what country, quality, condition, and estate they were, with the probable causes of their coming into the realm, and the time of their continuance here, and in what sort they lived, and to what churches they resorted; and to make and continue registers thereupon. And to give notice to the Justices of peace concerning such as should be suspected of the foresaid crimes, or were not conformable to the religion, agreeable with the laws of the land, or permitted to places especially appointed for strangers to resort to for the exercise of religion." This letter I have exemplified in the Appendix.[ed 5]
The copy of this letter the Archbishop sent to the Bishop of London, as was commanded, adding by postscript, "These shall be therefore in the Queen's Majesty's name, to will and require your Lordship, that having regard, as I doubt not but you will, to the execution of the Queen's Majesty's said letters within your own diocese, you do also forthwith signify the tenor hereof to all [and] singular my brethren, the other Bishops and other Ordinaries within my province, where you shall think any confluence of strangers to be, &c. Dated May 24, 1568." This in truth was chiefly occasioned by this Bishop's application to the Secretary, many Anabaptists now holding secret conventicles in the city; and by that means had corrupted a great many of the citizens with their doctrines. This was now the third search made for strangers in this Queen's reign.
Keeper of the Nation's Antiquities
As the Archbishop had the chief care of the Church and of religion under the Queen, so had he also of the venerable antiquity of the nation. Whose great skill therein, and earnest desire of retrieving the ancient stories and accounts of persons and things in these islands, from the times of the Britains and Saxons, was so well known, that a kind of office was granted him for the preservation of these antiquities. And the Privy Council granted him their countenance, to gather up ancient monuments throughout England, in whose possession soever they were; not indeed to keep or convert to his own use, but to have the sight and reading of them. For in July divers of the Queen's Privy Counsellors, the Lord Keeper Bacon, the Duke of Norfolk, the Secretary, and others, issued out their letters to all persons, to notify the Queen's pleasure, "That the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury should have a special care and oversight in the conservation of such ancient records and monuments as were written of the state and affairs of the realm of England and Ireland; which were heretofore preserved and recorded, by special appointment of certain of her Majesty's ancestors, in divers abbeys, to be treasurehouses to keep and leave in memory such occurrences as fell in their times. And because divers of such writings were come into the hands of private persons, and so partly remained obscure and unknown; they willed and required, that when the same Archbishop should send his letters, or learned deputies, requesting to have a sight of any such ancient records, that they would, at the contemplation of these letters, gently impart the same: not meaning to withdraw them from the owners, but for a time to peruse the same, upon promise or band given of making restitution. So as, when need should require, resort might be made for the testimony that might be found in them; and also by conference of them, the antiquity of the state of these countries might be restored to the knowledge of the world. Dated from Howard Place, [now called the Charter House,] anno 68, July 7.
"Nic. Bacon, C. S. Th. Norfolk, W. Northampton,
"R. Leicester, W. Howard, W. Cecyl."[ed 6]
This letter was printed, because there would be occasion to use divers copies of it, to be shewn by the Archbishop's many deputies to such persons as had any of these ancient books, or instruments, or records, in their possession, and to authorize them to require the sight of them.
It is probable the Archbishop obtained this letter to meet with such as were unwilling, or otherwise refused, to oblige him with the sight of such ancient books or writings as were in their possessions; but the Archbishop's desire alone prevailed with many others, considering the public end he drove at, especially with the Bishops of the several sees; whom he had friendly exhorted to examine the books in their churches, and to inform him what they were, and if among them any Saxon authors were found. The Bishop of Sarum had been this year at London, and received great respects from our Archbishop, who took that opportunity to pray him to search narrowly the library of his cathedral for the said purpose; and as he went his visitation, (which the Bishop performed this year,) to make diligent inquiry for such ancient books; and that in his correspondency with Bullinger he would confer with him in some certain matters. Upon the Bishop of Sarum's return back to Salisbury, he did according to the Archbishop's desire; and what success he had, these his letters will shew;[ed 7]
"My duty most humbly premised, with like thanks for your Grace's favour to my late being there. It may please your Grace to understand, that, according to my promise, I have ransacked our poor library of Salisbury, and have found nothing worthy the finding, saving only one book written in the Saxon tongue; which I mind to send to your Grace by the next convenient messenger. The book is of a reasonable bigness, well near as thick as the Communion Book. Your Grace hath three or four of the same size. It may be Alfricus, for all my cunning. But your Grace will soon find what he is. Other certain books there are of Rabanus and Anselmus, but as common, so also little worth. If I had any leisure, I would send your Grace the titles of all. But as now I am entering into the visitation of my diocese. By the way, if I may learn of any antiquities, I will do your Grace to understand. Thus I humbly take my leave from Sarum, the 18th of January, 1568.
"Your Grace's most humble,
After his return from his visitation, he sent up the said Saxon book to the Archbishop, accompanied with another letter to this tenor;
"After my most humble commendations. Being now newly returned from the visitation of my diocese, and having this convenient messenger, I thought it my duty to perform my promise. And therefore have sent your Grace that hidden treasure that we had in our library. Whether it be Alfricus or no, or what matter it containeth, your Grace will soon judge. I have made inquiry for such antiquities, as I have passed through my Clergy in this visitation; but as yet I can find nothing. If there be any thing found, I shall have understanding of it. I will not forget to write to Mr. Bullinger: and if your Grace shall otherwise command me to others else, I am always ready. Thus I humbly take my leave from Sarum, the 31st of January, 1568.
"Your Grace's most humble,
"Jo. Sarum."
These letters are found in a volume in folio in the public library of Cambridge; being St. Gregory's tract, De Cura Pastorali, turned paraphrastically into Saxon.[ed 9]
Sir John Southworth, the Lancashire Papist
The Lords of the Council wrote to the Archbishop, and the rest of the ecclesiastical Commissioners, to call before him Sir John Southworth, a gentleman of Cheshire or Lancashire, and a Papist, and by his corporal oath to examine him upon certain articles and matters that had been already objected against him by the Bishop of Chester, to whom he had refused to give an answer: he had promised, that to the Lords he would, but not either to the former Bishop or the Archbishop of York, upon some mistrust that he should not find such indifference at their hands. So being brought up, the Lords, as was aforesaid, committed him to the Archbishop and Commissioners, the said Lords advising, that he should be only dealt with about those articles; thinking it convenient for other things touching his conscience, that he rather should be won by persuasion. He was privy (it is like) to certain secret conferences held at York, between the Bishop of Rosse and Lidington, friends of the Scotch Queen, and the Duke of Norfolk, to use his interest to procure her liberty, propounding to him a match with her: he might also be privy to some fugitive Priests, who in these parts were now busily stirring the people to discontent, and drawing them away from their obedience: Pope Pius V. this year, by Ridolph of Florence, but residing in London as a factor, exciting the Papists every where against the Queen. But the articles touched not these matters, but they concerned his entertainment of Popish Priests into his house and company, and relieving them who had not only refused the ministry, but also in his hearing had spoken against the present state of religion; and about his neglect in coming to church to the common prayer and holy Communion, so often as he should have done.[ed 10]
The Lords, together with their letter, had sent the Archbishop a form of a submission for the said Knight to subscribe. On the 14th of July he appeared before the Archbishop, according to their Lordships' order: and the said form being offered to him, he refused to submit himself to any such subscription: telling the Archbishop, his conscience could not serve him in most points of that order. But he offered not to receive nor sustain any such disordered persons, as heretofore he had sustained and holpen. This the Archbishop signified back to the Council; and that he seemed further to desire that he might be suffered to live according to his conscience; and desired much to go over sea. The consideration of all which suits he [the Archbishop] referred to their honourable wisdoms.
This Southworth escaped now, having at last subscribed and complied with the established laws; but soon after revolted. For the next year, viz. 1569, in May, Sir John Southworth was at Bath, where there was great flocking of gentlemen, all hinderers of God's word and the Gospel, and this gentleman the ringleader, and no little doer in Bath, (where Bonner's friends and relations also were,) and remained in great admiration, as one Thomas Churchyard informed Secretary Cecyll. And thereupon he was taken up again, and committed to the custody of the Bishop of London.[ed 11]
I find him in August the following year, viz. 1569, with the said Bishop, who then sent letters to the Council, that he could do no good with him for altering his opinion in religion. Besides the Bishop's labour with him, the Dean of Paul's, by him requested, conferred with the said Knight very often, and had used also much courtesy and humanity towards him, and not without charge; which in reason might have been a means to move the said Sir John somewhat to relent, but the man was altogether unlearned, carried with a blind zeal without knowledge: [I do but transcribe Bishop Grindal's letter to the Secretary;] his principal grounds were, "He will follow the faith of his fathers: he will die in the faith wherein he was baptized."[ed 12] Sir John after this earnestly requested to repair to the Court, to sue unto the Council, that he might be employed in some service. And the Bishop allowed him to go. The Bishop was now discharged of him, and the Dean of St. Paul's harboured him, where, after he had been ten or twelve days, he grew weary of him; for the Knight now became more peremptory by the Dean's gentle usage, and would come neither to prayers nor sermon. So the Bishop in behalf of the Dean suggested to the Secretary how gladly the Dean would be to be delivered of him. Yet the Bishop in his letters now to the Lords, prayed them to spare his imprisonment for a time, because the prison sicknesses reigned usually at that time of the year.
Repairing Bekesbourn Chancel
The Archbishop, who was a great repairer of the houses and chancels pertaining unto his see, did this year repair and beautify the chancel of Bekesbourn church, where he had an house. He set up fair and comely seats of wainscot for ornament. And in one of these seats, which probably might be that wherein he sat himself, are still remaining the arms of Parker, and the date 1568 engraven: but now are much gone to decay, through the negligence of the tenants, that should have kept them in repair; and some of them have been lately pulled down, and cut to pieces.[2] About that time an augmentation was given to the vicarage, being a pension of corn, viz. four quarters of wheat and eighteen quarters of barley per annum; and ten pounds in money: so settled, as it seems, by the Archbishop's means.[ed 13]
Notes
Editorial Notes
- ↑ Dr. Nevison is Thomas Nevinson, Prebendary of Canterbury; the others named — Freke, Sentleger, Boleyn, Dorel — were likewise Prebendaries of Canterbury holding grants of non-residence with full profits.
- ↑ Dum sumus in mundo, operemur bonum — "While we are in the world, let us do good." Opera illorum sequuntur illos — "Their works follow them" (Rev. xiv. 13).
- ↑ Richard Rogers (c. 1532–1597), afterwards Dean of Canterbury (1584). The Suffragan of Dover acted as the Archbishop's assistant within the diocese of Canterbury.
- ↑ D'Alva is Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1567, whose Council of Troubles persecuted Protestants.
- ↑ Strype refers to Numb. LVII. of his Appendix; the Appendix is not contained in the scan from which this text is transcribed.
- ↑ The signatories: Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper (C.S., Custos Sigilli); Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk; William Parr, Marquess of Northampton; Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; William Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham; William Cecil, Secretary. Howard Place, the former Carthusian priory, was granted to the Duke of Norfolk and later became the Charterhouse school and hospital.
- ↑ The Bishop of Sarum is John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury (1522–1571), who signs himself "Jo. Sarum." Heinrich Bullinger (1504–1575) was Zwingli's successor at Zurich and a frequent correspondent of the English reformers.
- ↑ Alfricus is Ælfric of Eynsham (c. 955–c. 1010), the Anglo-Saxon homilist; Rabanus is Hrabanus Maurus (c. 780–856); Anselmus is St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109).
- ↑ Pope Gregory the Great's De Cura Pastorali (Pastoral Care), translated into Old English under King Alfred; Parker's copy survives among the Corpus Christi College manuscripts.
- ↑ The Bishop of Rosse is John Lesley, Bishop of Ross, agent of Mary Queen of Scots; Lidington is William Maitland of Lethington, the Scottish Queen's secretary; the Duke of Norfolk is Thomas Howard, whose intrigues for a marriage with Mary led to his attainder in 1572. Ridolph is Roberto Ridolfi, the Florentine banker behind the Ridolfi plot of 1571.
- ↑ Edmund Bonner, the deprived Marian Bishop of London, died a prisoner in the Marshalsea in 1569; his "friends and relations" at Bath were fellow recusants. Thomas Churchyard (c. 1529–1604) was a soldier and miscellaneous writer who acted as an informer.
- ↑ The Bishop of London is Edmund Grindal (1519–1583), afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury; the Dean of St. Paul's is Alexander Nowell (c. 1507–1602).
- ↑ Bekesbourn (Bekesborn) in Kent, where Parker kept a residence. N. Battely is Nicholas Battely, the Canterbury antiquary cited by Strype.
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, Book III. 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.