Life of Matthew Parker (Strype, 1821)/Book III/Chapter XXI
This is the enhanced reading edition of Book III, Chapter XXI of Strype's Life of Matthew Parker. It has been proofread against the 1821 printed text, with section headings, translations of Latin, and editorial notes added for the modern reader. Strype's own words, spelling, and substance are preserved throughout.
The Archbishop sets out a new edition of the Great Bible; and of a smaller for families. The Clergy find arms. Their taxation put into a method by the Archbishop. Makes a rate of arms for his own diocese. His taxation of himself.
The Great Bible
A GREAT Bible by statute being to be had in all churches, and the edition of the old Church Bible being almost gone, our pious Archbishop set himself to prepare a new edition for the churches. And this was the year, (viz. 1568,) if I mistake not, that a new English translation of the Bible did appear in print, whereof our Archbishop was the great procurer. Of his pains in this work somewhat was said before, under the year 1565. This then was the year (as it seems) when the Great English Bible was first printed. For the Bible called the Great English Bible, with the year of the impression, (viz. 1568,) I find in the catalogue of the books the Archbishop gave to the library of Corpus Christi, Cambridge. He had used about this work the help, not only of his learned Chaplains, but of his brethren the Bishops; sending them particular portions of the Bible, of the former translation, to revise with the exactest scrutiny.
And dealt so earnestly with all of them, that they refused not to be companions and partakers with him in these his labours. And afterwards himself, with other learned Divines in his family, perusing all again, he set forth a more correct translation of the holy Scriptures, of the same volume with the former, or a little bigger, and better printed. And so highly pleased was this good Prelate, when he saw an end put to this great work, that he seemed to be in the same spirit with old Simeon, using his very words, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.
This was that which was commonly called the Bishops' Bible,[ed 1] because the Archbishop and the Bishops had the chief hand in correcting, reviewing, and publishing it: a thing which his predecessor Cranmer laboured to do with his fellow Bishops, but could not obtain. But there was a better set of Bishops at this time in the Church of England. Under the year 1572. we shall have a fuller account of the pains our Archbishop took in this most useful work. For it was that year printed again in the greatest folio, with another review.
A Smaller Bible for Families
But our good Archbishop had a care, that private families, as well as churches, might be supplied with the sacred Bible well corrected, to read and meditate in, for their spiritual profit and comfort, as often as they pleased. And therefore the very next year I find it set forth by him in a small, but fine black letter, in large octavo, a curious book, sometime shewn me by the learned Mr. H. W. an excellent antiquarian.[ed 2]
In this Bible, the first capital letter at the first chapter of Genesis is adorned with the arms of the see of Canterbury, impaling the Archbishop's coat, with the letters M. P. set on each side, (which is commonly seen in the books written or printed by his procurement,) and underneath is set the year 1569. The chapters here are divided into verses; but no break in a chapter till the end thereof. And this, I think, is the first English Bible printed with distinction of verses. This Bible hath divers alterations in the version from the former English translations; which shews it to have been all revised anew: and there be divers notes set in the margin by the Archbishop, as it seems, which are different from the notes of Tindal and Coverdale;[ed 3] and such as are very instructive and significant. Take for a specimen the first note, set against the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis; The earth was without form and void, &c. "Although the works of God, both in the creation and in his spiritual operation, may seem rude and imperfect at the first, yet God, by the working of his Holy Spirit, bringeth all to a perfection at the end."
The Northern Rebellion
Things now tended apace towards a rebellion, which broke out in the north this year, headed chiefly by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland;[ed 4] the Earl of Sussex, a true-hearted gallant gentleman, being now Lord Lieutenant of the north. But however secretly it was carried, it brake not forth before November; yet it seems there were already jealousies and suspicions of some such enterprise, or of some invasion of the Spaniard, by the managery of Duke D'Alva:[ed 5] who indeed was privy to the plot, and intended to send over forces to the assistance of the rebels. For the Queen was now making preparation for arms.
The Clergy Charged with Arms
And in May her Privy Council sent to the Archbishop concerning the Clergy: that a certain view should be taken of their armour; and certificates made of the armour to be provided by them, according to the proportion and rate prescribed and used in the time of King Philip and Queen Mary.[ed 6]
Whereupon the Archbishop wrote to the Bishop of London, to give notice of it to his brethren, the Bishops of the province; and withal he sent a schedule, how the Clergy should be charged. Which was to this tenor.[1]
The Archbishop's Schedule
"Whereas the Lords of the Queen's most honourable Privy Council have given commandment for the provision of armour, and other furniture, by the Clergy of this realm, according to such order and rates as were used in the time of the late King Philip and Queen Mary, the several rates and orders in that behalf then used are hereafter particularly specified; viz.
"That every one of the Clergy, having land, or possessions of estate of inheritance of freehold, shall provide, and find, and be chargeable with armour, horse, and other furniture, in such sort, and manner, and form, as every temporal man is charged, by reason of his lands and possessions, by virtue of the statute made in the 4th and 5th years of the reign of the late King Philip and Queen Mary.
"Item, That every one of the Clergy, having benefices, spiritual promotions, or pensions, the clear value whereof, either by themselves or joined together, do amount to the clear yearly value of thirty pounds, or upwards, shall be bound, and charged to provide, have, and maintain armour, and other provisions requisite, according to such proportion and rate as the temporality are bound and charged by the said statute, by reason of their moveable goods.
"Item, If any of the Clergy of this realm hath both temporal lands and possessions, and also spiritual promotions, he shall be charged with armour, and other provisions, according to the greatest rate of one of them, and not with both."
His Observations in Rating
He added also observations of his own in rating for the proportion of armour; viz.
"I. The Bishop to rate himself among the temporalty for lands.
"II. To rate the Dean and Prebendaries, as the temporalty for goods, from thirty pounds upwards.
"III. To rate the whole diocese in like sort.
"IV. To account such as be resident within the diocese, under the sum of thirty pounds, and yet having benefices, or pensions elsewhere, to make up the same sum, or upwards, to be rated there among the supplies.
"V. To rate every Incumbent where he is resident, and every ordinary Chaplain, not resident in the diocese, where he serveth."
And this the Archbishop sent to the Bishop of London, to be dispersed to all the Bishops of his province. The Archbishop also sent this order to the Dean and Chapter of York, that archbishopric being then void.
The Proposed Rate of Armour
I find also in one of the Archbishop's MSS. in the Bene't college library,[ed 7] that this following was the way propounded of laying the charge of armour.
| Yearly value | Corslets | Almain Rivets | Pikes | Long Bows | Sheaves of Arrows | Steel Caps or Sculls | Black Bills or Halberds | Harquebuts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | i | ii | i | ii | ii | ii | — | i |
| 100 | i | i | i | ii | ii | ii | — | — |
| 40 | — | ii | — | i | i | i | i | — |
| 30 | — | i | — | ii | ii | ii | i | — |
Godfrey's Book
This great pains the Archbishop took to draw the matter into a good method, and that the weight might lie even and just upon the Clergy; and yet, that the Queen might have as large aid as might be from them; as appeared hence. The Secretary had employed one Godfrey, belonging, it may be, to the First-fruits Office, to draw up a book of all the Clergy of England, and what armour might be expected from them, according to their benefices. Which being done by the said Godfrey, the Secretary sent his book to the Archbishop for his judgment thereof. Who liked it not, telling the Secretary, that the rate, as he made it, was of small importance, to that which should be certified from every Ordinary; besides, that it was in many respects imperfect. For the illustrating which, view the table he drew up for his own diocese, on the opposite page.[ed 8]
Of this table of his own diocese, the Archbishop sent divers copies to several of his brethren, where he thought it might be taken for their better expedition: not as intending to prejudice their own inventions, as he told them, but shewing his, if they liked it. He desired the Secretary to inform him, if there were any thing further to be considered, and he would follow it.
The Rate for the Archbishop's Diocese
The columns are: Horse; Light Horse; Corslets; Almain Rivets; Pikes; Long Bows; Sheaves of Arrows; Steel Caps or Sculls; Black Bills or Halberds; Harquebuts; Morions.[ed 9]
| Benefice | Horse | Light Horse | Corslets | Almain Rivets | Pikes | Long Bows | Sheaves of Arrows | Steel Caps or Sculls | Black Bills or Halberds | Harquebuts | Morions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. of Bowe | — | — | — | ij | — | i | i | i | i | — | — |
| R. of St. Dunstan's | — | — | — | ij | — | i | i | i | i | — | — |
| R. of St. Foster's | — | — | — | i | — | ij | ij | ij | i | — | — |
| R. of Hays | — | — | — | i | — | ij | ij | ij | i | — | — |
| R. of Bocking | — | — | — | i | — | ij | ij | ij | i | — | — |
| Summa Tot. | vj | x | xlix | lxxxiiij | xlix | lxxxv | lxxxv | lxxxv | xliiij | xxj | xxj |
The rates after Mr. Godfrey's book, for fifteen benefices of thirty pounds and upwards: Almain Rivets xviij; Long Bows xxvij; Sheaves of Arrows xxvij; Steel Caps or Sculls xxvij; Black Bills or Halberds xv.
The sum total of another diocese, which I suppose was Rochester, was this: Light Horse i; Corslets iij; Almain Rivets xxvj; Pikes dcxvij; Long Bows xxvj; Sheaves of Arrows dclxxxiiij; Steel Caps or Sculls dclxxxiiij; Black Bills or Halberds dclxxxiiij; Harquebuts cccv; Morions ix; with vij besides.[ed 10]
His Taxation of Himself
By this scheme, I cannot but observe by the way, how largely the Archbishop taxed himself. Whence one might perhaps make a calculation of the value, even then, of the revenues of that see, but especially of his generous and open mind, to serve the Queen and his country: taxing himself at six horse, with armour, ten light horse, with their furniture; forty corslets, forty Almain rivets, forty pikes, thirty long bows, thirty sheaves of arrows, thirty steel caps, twenty black bills, twenty harquebuts, and twenty morions. This strength then the Queen might expect in this dangerous time from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the rest of her Clergy.
Notes
- ↑ Parker's Register.
Editorial Notes
- ↑ The Bishops' Bible of 1568, so called because Parker set the bishops to revise portions of it. It was the authorized version used in churches until the King James Bible of 1611.
- ↑ Strype's marginal note identifies "Mr. H. W." as Humphrey Wanley (1672–1726), the Anglo-Saxon scholar and librarian.
- ↑ William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, whose translations and notes underlie the earlier English Bibles.
- ↑ The Rising of the North, November–December 1569, led by Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland, and Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland.
- ↑ Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1507–1582), the Spanish governor of the Netherlands.
- ↑ The statute of 4 & 5 Philip and Mary (1557–58) regulating the provision of armour and weapons.
- ↑ Bene't College is Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Parker's own college, to which he bequeathed his manuscripts.
- ↑ The fold-out table, printed sideways in the 1821 edition with the direction "Place this Rate between p. 544 and 545." It gives the rates for the Archbishop's peculiars, the sum total for his diocese, Godfrey's rates for comparison, and (as Strype supposes) the sum total for the diocese of Rochester.
- ↑ Corslets were cuirasses (breastplates); Almain rivets were light German-style armours; harquebuts (harquebuses) were early firearms; morions were open helmets; black bills and halberds were polearms.
- ↑ The Rochester figures are as printed; the alignment of the largest figures across the three columns for bows, sheaves, and steel caps follows the pattern of the Canterbury sum above. "Peculiars" were parishes exempt from the ordinary diocesan jurisdiction and subject immediately to the Archbishop.
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.