HII. BOOK in England, to inquire diligently in every parish for persons disaffected to the popish religion. And in each parish were Anno 1555. some appointed to be secret informers against the rest. And, for the better discovery of such poor professors of the Gospel, that fled from place to place for their safety, the constables, and four or more of the catholick sort in every parish, were authorized to take examination of all such as might be suspected, how they lived, and where they were. And such as absented from the mass, and conformed not themselves to the church, were to be brought before the justices: who were to persuade them to conform; and, if they would not, to bind them to good abearing, or commit them to prison. The justices were also commanded, by another order soon after, to deliver such as leaned to erroneous and heretical opinions, and would not be reclaimed by the justices, to the ordinaries, to be by them travailed with; and, continuing obstinate, to have the laws executed upon them. Orders sent into Nor. May 27, these orders came from the King and Queen to folk against the justices of Norfolk: which, as I extract from a manuthe profes- script, relating the orders sent into that county, were in these special articles. sors. "I. To divide themselves into several districtions. "II. To assist such preachers as should be sent ;" [for it was thought convenient to send abroad itinerary preachers, as was done in the last King's reign, who should by their doctrine endeavour to reduce the people to the old religion;] "and to use them reverently, and to be present at their ser"mons; and to travail soberly with such as abstained from coming to church, or, by any other open doings, should appear not persuaded to conform themselves: and to use others, that be wilful and perverse, more roundly, either "by rebuking them, or binding them to good behaviour, "or by imprisoning them, as the quality of the persons, and "the circumstance of their doings, may deserve. 66 66 "III. To lay special wait for teachers of heresies, and procurers of secret meetings to that purpose. That they "and their families shew good examples, and begin first to "reform their servants, if any of them be faulty. "IV. To apprehend spreaders of false and seditious "rumours. 66 XVII. "V. To procure one or more in every parish, secretly in- CHAP. structed, to give information of the behaviour of the “inhabitants. 66 Anno 1555. "VI. To charge the constable, and four or more catho"lick inhabitants of every parish, to give account of idle vagabonds and suspected persons," (meaning by these the 366 poor professors, or preachers of the Gospel, who crept about for their own safety, and had no settled habitation,]" and "the retainers of such persons. To observe hue and cry; "and to look after the watches in every parish. "VII. To send an account of felons, &c. when any should "be apprehended. "VIII. To meet every month, and confer about these "matters." thereof. Whereupon the justices meeting together, it was resolved The effect by them to obey every of the said orders: particularly concerning the fifth they resolved, that these secret informations should be given to the justices; and that the accused parties should be examined, without knowledge by whom they were accused. ceiveth in The Earl of Sussex lived in that county, and was one of The Earl of chief trust there: for this Earl had command in Norfolk of Sussex reQueen Mary's army, when she first laid her claim to the formation against crown; and managed it with that prudence and conduct, some, that others were induced by his means to come in. This Earl received several informations against ministers and others; for it seems, notwithstanding all these severe usages, the popish mass had not yet so prevailed every where, but that, in divers places, there were some remainders of King Edward's reformation and service. Among the rest, the Curate of Old Bokenham, and divers in that parish, were complained of, because the ceremonies of the holy time of Easter were not observed there. And, it seems, the Bishop's officers themselves were not all so diligent as they should be. The Earl signified this information to Hopton the Bishop; who, being in his visitation soon after, sent for several of the parish, and made his inquiries, but found things in other sort than were represented to the Earl. And, being returned to his house at Norwich, informed him hereof, and desired the Earl to inform him further, if any thing were amiss, BOOK III. Anno 1555. every where. 367 The Protestants assemble. even amongst his own officers, and he would endeavour to reform them. In these times, for the better taking up of all Gospellers, there were certain spies and secret informers set every where, to give notice of any that came not to church, or that spake any thing against the superstitions. For London were, John Avales, Beard, and others: for Stepney, one Banbury, a shifter, a dicer, and a whoremonger. By which means none almost could be safe. Yet the professors made some provision against this evil. There were some, that kept them company, who were honest men; by whom they often had secret intelligence what persons Avales and Beard intended to take up. And so several, by shifting places and houses, were preserved. The knight-marshal, Sir Thomas Holcroft, the under-marshal, the knight-marshal's secretary, were secret friends of the Protestants: and, when designs were laid to take any of them, some signification was often privately brought them, that search would within some few hours be made for them; and therefore that they should depart from their lodgings, and conceal themselves. And when any good men were under their hands in prison, they would take all occasions to shew them kindness, as far as safely they might. But notwithstanding these persecutions, and that very few of the ministers remained, being either burnt or fled; yet frequently the Protestants in London had very frequently their assemblies. And sometimes, for want of preachers of the clergy, laymen exercised. Among these I find one old Henry Daunce, a bricklayer of White-chappel, who used to preach the Gospel in his garden every holy-day: where would be present sometimes a thousand people. Confident ly reported that a The very beginning of May there was exceeding joy among the Papists for the birth of an heir-male to the crown: whereof the report was so confident every where, crown was that, in the county of Norfolk, the Mayor of Norwich sent male heir to the born. word of it to the Earl of Sussex; and the Bishop had Te Deum sung in the cathedral, and other places of the city. And all expressions of joy both in city and country were shewn. And so it was, no question, in other parts of the nation. And, which is more strange, so long did this bruit XVIII. Anno 1555. Num. LXXXVII. hold, that, besides the first intelligence thereof brought to CHAP. Norwich, within a day or two after came two persons more, avering the truth thereof. The Bishop desired the Earl, according as he heard, if he had any further knowledge, to impart it to him. The contents of all this may be read in the original letter, which is transcribed into the Appendix. But the belief of the Queen's great belly went not over so. For then it was given out, that in June, about Whitsuntide, The was the time that the Queen expected her delivery and : midwives, rockers, and nurses were provided. And, just when that time came, another rumour was blown about in London, that the Queen was delivered of a child. And the bells were rung, bonfires and processions made: and in most parts of the realm so it was. Nay, in Antwerp guns were shot off by the English ships, and the Lady Regent rewarded the mariners with an hundred pistoles. Queen's great belly. But there happened now two things which make it seem Like a design. as though all this were but design, to impose upon the belief Fox, p. of the world. The one was this: "There was a woman, 66 living near Aldersgate, delivered June the 11th, 1555, being Whitsunday morning, of a man child. Unto whom "the Lord North and another Lord came, and desired to have her child from her, with very fair offers. As, that "her child should be well provided for, and that she should "take no care for it, if she would swear that she never "knew nor had such child. And, after this, other women came to her of whom one, they said, should have been "the rocker. But she would in no case part with her child. "This very woman, before witness, made this declaration "unto Mr. Fox and others, about the year 1568, while he "was printing his book: but he leaves it to the liberty of "the reader to believe what he list." Add to this one other passage of a man within four miles of Berwick, who, speaking of the bonfires for joy of the birth of a Prince, said, "There was a joyful triumph, but at length all would "not prove worth a mess of pottage." 1450. zeal. As the Queen's great belly gave these great disappoint- Queen's ments, so, while she went with it, it gave her occasion to be more severe against the poor Gospellers, who were now daily 360 burnt. For she thought, and so she said, "she could not be BOOK safely and happily delivered, nor that any thing could ad Pet. Alexand. A convoca head. ." Which There was a convocation in November this year; wherein tion. Cardinal Pole presided. The Queen gave him a licence under the great seal to hold a synod: wherein she ordered him to decree what canons he thought fit. So he composed a book, with a very specious title, viz. Reformatio Angliæ, ex Decretis Reginaldi Poli Cardinalis, &c. which was printed: a manuscript copy whereof was in the famous library of Mr. Smith, of late years sold by auction. The decrees of this book, in number twelve, were agreed to in February. They are briefly set down by the Bishop of Sarum in his Part ii. p. History. There was an article made in favour of non-residences; which I meet with in the Benet library: there is Synodalia. no date, but I strongly conjecture it is to be laid to this 324. Vol. intit. Num. LXXXVIII. convocation. The Cardinal seemed not to favour non-residences; but the rich clergy and dignitaries were of another mind: wherefore they made this proposition; Decretum perpetuæ residentiæ juxta canonum sanctiones optant pii; sed multa sunt, quæ hodie impediunt, quominus suum effectum juxta bonorum virorum vota consequatur. To which are subjoined reasons for this proposition, and remedies for this evil: which may be read in the Appendix. tion the CHAP. XVIII. Ridley and Latimer burnt. Some peti- WE can declare little this year of the poor Archbishop, Queen for being now a prisoner at Oxford, and out of all place of Cranmer. action. The archbishoprick was sequestered into the hands of Cardinal Pole, and his palace at Lambeth appointed for the Cardinal's abode. In a petition, that some of those that were abroad had sent over to the Queen this year, to dissuade her from these persecutions that were now so |