These sufferings P. Martyr, now gotten out of England, took notice of in a letter to Calvin, dated November 3; where, having related to him how the two archbishops of Canterbury and York, the bishops of Worcester and Exon, and many other learned and pious preachers, were in bonds for the Gospel, and, together with them, many other godly persons were in extreme danger, he proceeded to mention two things to Calvin, to mitigate the trouble he knew he conceived for this ill news. The one was, " That, although the infirmity of some betrayed them, yet great was the constancy of far more than he could have thought. So that he doubted not England would have many famous martyrs, if Winchester, who then did all, should begin to rage according to his will. The other was, that it was the judgment of all that this calamity would not be long: and therefore," said Martyr, "let us pray to God, that he would quickly tread down Satan under the feet of His church."1

The same learned man, speaking in another letter concerning the good forwardness of religion at the first coming of Queen Mary to the crown, said, "That he had many scholars in England, students in divinity, not to be repented of, whose harvest was almost ripe, whom he was forced to see, either wandering about in uncertain stations, or remaining at home unhappily subverted. And that there were in this kingdom many holy as well as learned bishops, that were then in hard confinement, and soon to be dragged to the extremest punishments, as if they were robbers. And that here was the foundation of the Gospel, and of a noble church laid: and by the labours of some years the holy building had well gone forward, and daily better things were hoped for. But that unless Θεὸς ἀπὸ τῆς μηχανῆς, 'God from above,' came to the succour of it, he thought there would not be a footstep of godliness left at last, as to the external profession."2

All the matters of the Church the queen left wholly to the management of the bishop of Winchester, whom she now advanced from a prisoner in the Tower, to be Lord High Chancellor of England. And indeed the governance

P. Martyr's Epist. [ad calcem loc. Com. p. 765, ed. Genev. 1624]. 2 P. Martyr, amico cuidam [id. ibid. p. 766].

was rich. And, while he was there, they rifled his houses at Battersea and Cawood. At his former house they seized in gold coined three hundred pounds; in specialties and good debts, four hundred pounds more; in plate gilt and parcel gilt, sixteen hundred ounces: a mitre of fine gold with two pendants, set round about the sides and midst with very fine pointed diamonds, sapphires, and balists, and all the plain with other good stones and pearls, and the pendants in like manner, weighing one hundred [and] twenty-five ounces. Six or seven great rings of fine gold, with stones in them; whereof were three fine blue sapphires of the best; an emerald, very fine; a good turquoise, and a diamond; a serpent's tongue set in a standard of silver, gilt and graven ; the archbishop's seal in silver, his signet, an old antique in gold the counterpart of his lease of Wotton, betwixt the late duke of Northumberland and him, with letters patents of his purchase of Scrowby.

Taken from Cawood, and other places appertaining to the archbishop, by one Ellis Markham; first, in ready money, nine hundred pounds, two mitres; in plate, parcel gilt, seven hundred and seventy ounces; and gilt plate, eleven hundred [and] fifty-seven ounces; one broken cross of silver gilt, with one image broken, weighing forty-six ounces; three obligations, one 377. 5s. 10d., another for 157., another for 107. Sold by the said Markham five-score beasts, and four hundred muttons. Sold all the sheep belonging to the archbishop, supposed to be two thousand five hundred. Moreover, he took away two Turkey carpets of wool, as big and as good as any subject had: also a chest, full of copes and vestments of cloth of tissue: two very good beds of down, and six of the best young horses that were at Cawood. Proffered to make sale of all his household stuff in five houses; three very well furnished, and two metely well. Sold all his stores of household: wheat, two hundred quarters; malt, five hundred quarters; oats, sixty quarters; wine, five or six ton. Fish and ling, six or seven hundred, with very much household store; as fuel, hay, with many other things necessary for household. Horses at Cawood, young and old, four or five score: they received rent of his own land, five hundred pounds yearly at the least. This was done by this Markham, upon pretence that he was

guilty of treason, or great crimes. He gave to many persons money to the value of a hundred pounds and above, that they should give information against him. Besides, they took away good harness and artillery sufficient for sevenscore men. All this spoil was committed when he was cast in the Tower. Of all this injury he made a schedule afterwards, and complained thereof to the lords. By this one instance, which I have set down at large, as I extracted it from a paper in the Benet College library, we may judge what havoc was made of the professors of religion, in their estates as well as their persons, as this bishop was served, before any crime was proved against him.

Thus the other archbishop (of York) was not to go without animadversion, any more than he of Canterbury. The former lay eighteen months in the Tower, and was deposed at last for being married, as well as Cranmer. Of this Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, in his sermon at Paul's Cross, (at which were present King Philip and Cardinal Pole), gave, as he thought, this nipping gird: "Thus while we desired to have a supreme head among us, it came to pass that we had no head at all; no, not so much as our two archbishops. For that on one side, the queen, being a woman, could not be head of the Church; and on the other side, they were both convicted of one crime, and so 'deposed." This archbishop of York continued in prison till 1554, when the queen granted the request of the new king for the liberty of a great many prisoners, whereof this prelate was one. He died the next year through grief, as it is probable, and suffering.

1 C.C.C.C. Librar. Miscell. [B. No. cv. fol. 331].

2 [For this Sermon, see Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. vi. pp. 577, 578.]

CHAPTER II.

Protestant Bishops and Clergy cast into Prisons, and deprived.

INDEED in this first entrance of Queen Mary's reign, it was a wonder to see the fierceness that it was ushered in with; the Papists thinking that this rigor at first would terrify all out of their former principles of true religion, and bring them to the devotion of the church of Rome again. And it was as marvellous to observe the stedfastness of the generality of the professors. "This queen began her reign after that manner, (I use the words of one that lived in that time), that it might be conjectured, what she was like after to prove: sending up for abundance of people to appear before the Council, either upon the Lady Jane's business, or the business of religion, and committing great numbers into prisons. And indeed she boasted herself a virgin sent of God to ride and tame the people of England."

To explain somewhat these austerities. They thought fit to begin with the Protestant clergy, bishops and others. For this purpose a commission was directed to the bishops of London [Bonner], Winchester [Gardiner], Chichester [Day], and Durham [Tunstall], men sufficiently soured in their tempers by what befel them in the last reign. These were to discharge the Protestant bishops and ministers of their offices and places, upon pretence either of treason, heresy, or marriage, or the like, to make way for their own men. "Thus John Taylor, bishop of Lincoln, was deprived, because he had a bad title, there being this clause in the letters patents, whereby he was made bishop, Quamdiu bene se gesserit,' and because he thought amiss concerning the Eucharist. John Hooper was deprived of the bishopric of Worcester by the restitution of Nicolas Heath, formerly deprived, and removed from the see of Gloucester for his marriage, and other demerits. John Harley, bishop of Hereford, deprived for wedlock and heresy. Robert Farrar,

1 Hale's Oration. [See Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. viii. pp. 673-679.]

bishop of St. David's, deprived for wedlock and heresy. William Barlow, bishop of Bath, made a voluntary resignation. The bishopric of Rochester was void three years, since Scory was translated to Chichester. John Bird, an old man, married, was deprived of the bishopric of Chester. Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, (for I do but transcribe now out of the Register of the church of Canterbury), being called into question for high treason, by his own confession was judged guilty thereof: whence, in the month of December, the see of Canterbury became vacant. Robert Holgate, archbishop of York, was deprived for wedlock, and was cast into the Tower, and led a private life. The like happened to [John Scory of Chichester, by restoration of George Day], to Miles Coverdale of Exeter, by the restoring John Voisey, who, out of fear, had formerly resigned. Cuthbert [Tunstall], bishop of Durham, formerly deprived, was restored. Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, restored; Nicolas Ridley being removed from the said see, and cast into prison for making an ill sermon,2 and being noted for heretical pravity. Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, restored, John Poinet being ejected and imprisoned, and deprived of episcopacy for being married." To which I must add, the see of Bristol, resigned by Paul Bush, the bishop thereof.

How they proceeded with the inferior clergy in general for being married, may be measured by their proceedings with the clergy of London and Canterbury, which we shall see by-and-bye; so that King Edward's clergy were now in the very beginning of this queen very hardly used. "Some were deprived, never convict, no, nor never called,3 (I use the words of an author4 that lived in that queen's reign, and felt her severity); some called that were fast locked in prison, and yet nevertheless deprived immediately.5 Some deprived without the cause of marriage after their orders.6 Some induced to resign upon promise of pension, and the promise, as yet, never performed. Some so deprived, that 1 Registr. Eccl. Cant. [M. 14, fol. 38, 39].

2

[For an account of this Sermon, see Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. vi. p. 389.]

3 Mr. Rich. Wilks.

5 Mr. Bradford, Bullingham, and May. 7 Dr. Poinet, Taylor, Parker.

4 Dr. Parker.

6 A great number.