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BOOK whereby a visitation was occasioned anno 1565, by the viI. sitor of the said college, the Bishop of Lincoln; and a few Anno 1561. years after, a royal visitation, when he was discharged the Provostship, and fled abroad, as we may hear in the process of our history.

The Commissioners for Queen's

Oxon, ap

Bishop.

An application was made this year from the magistrates of the University of Oxon to our Bishop, against divers in college, Queen's college. The cause was this: The Queen had by ply to the her letters mandatory granted the headship of that college to one Francis, who had some time studied divinity, and afterwards physic, and became Public Professor of that science in that University. The Queen's letters were accompanied with those of the Archbishop of York, perhaps their visitor; who had appointed certain of the Heads to place the said Francis: but the collegians being Papistical, refused (on some colour) to obey the Queen's letters, and to receive their new Provost: for when the Heads appointed repaired to the college, (and a great concourse of people was gotten there together, to see the issue of this business,) they were so unworthily and proudly handled by the Fellows, that all tended to tumult and force. Their words, countenance, gait, state, motion, and acclamations, were all far from modesty and respect: and there appeared all the signs of turbulent citizens, as well as impudent youth. In fine, it was evident they had no mind any remedy should be applied to their inveterate disease. But however, after all, Francis was seated in his place conferred on him. This at large the Commissioners, by letters of Marbeck's inditing, then the University Orator, signified to the Bishop of London, praying him, that when nothing else seemed by those men to be intended, than the diminishing of the Archbishop's authority, contemning the Queen's Majesty, and hindering the course of godliness, he would afford them his help and advice what to do, to restrain their mad and enraged motions; lest, by their impunity and example, others might be incited to attempt the like or greater mat63 ters. They chose, I suppose, thus to apply themselves to

VII.

Grindal, both as he was one of the chief of the Ecclesiasti- CHAP. cal Commission, and also was a native of those parts, that furnished this house with students.

Anno 1562.

CHAP. VII.

The Bishop's proceedings in the repair of St. Paul's. A Synod. Certifies the state of his diocese. Appoints prayers and fasting in London for the plague.

THE Bishop had his mind bent upon the reedifying of Contribu

tions sent

Paul's.

St. Paul's since the late lamentable misfortune that befell it; in for
and no question was much called upon by others to do it,
lying so obvious and sad a spectacle to the eyes of all. It
being now the year 1562, by this time some of the Bishops
and of the richer churchmen had sent in their contribu-
tions; and among the rest, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and Horn Bishop of Winchester. But others were not
so forward; whose backwardness offended the Queen and
Council. One of these that was thus behindhand, was Cox
Bishop of Ely, a man, who as his bishopric was wealthy,
so not commonly backward in any worthy things. Our Bi-
shop wrote his letter to him, exciting him to hasten, and
letting him withal understand, how offended the Honour-
able Council was with him and others. But that Bishop
soon sent his answer, excusing himself by signifying his ig-
norance that any had yet sent up their contributions till he
[the Bishop of London] had better informed him; and
withal he sent forty pounds for himself.

moves to

Bartholo

As to the repair of Paul's the next year, 1563, (that I The Bishop may lay things of the same nature together, though falling take the within another year,) there being an old church in St. Bar- lead of St. tholomew's, that was run much into decay, the Bishop en- mew's for deavoured to get leave to take a heavy coat of lead that was upon it, and to clothe the mother church of Paul's with it.

Paul's.

I.

BOOK With this his purpose he acquainted the Lord Keeper Bacon, and Secretary Cecil, in the month of July, that they Anno 1562. would use their interest, and forward this business at Court, if occasion should be. He dealt also with the parishioners for their consent; the chief whereof were the Lord Rich, whose house adjoined to the said church, the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and Sir Walter Mildmay. The good-will of the first he had obtained. To use his interest with the two latter he desired the Secretary, in case they should prove unwilling. He added, that if he had their consents, he doubted not of the consent of the whole parish; and that if he should think it convenient to move the Queen, (as the Lord Keeper thought not amiss,) he prayed him for his help that way also. And for the supply of another church for the parishioners, he shewed him how there was an house adjoining, which was (as they termed it) the Fratrie, a very fair and large house, and that needed nothing but purging, and the name of a church, 64 being well built of freestone, garnished within round about with marble pillars, large windows, and covered with good slate; and withal assuring the Secretary without partiality, if it were drest up, it would be far more beautiful and more convenient than the other. If he might have the lead, he would compound with the Lord Rich for converting the said Fratry (whose it was) into a church: he would supply all imperfections of the same, and not desire the parish to remove till the other should be fit and convenient to go to.

His plea for it.

"And methinks," as he added to the rest," the matter "is very reasonable: for what is more reasonable than that "the children should clothe their naked parents. Our "church," said he, "is matrix ecclesia, as the Canon "termeth such churches; which is all one with mater."

For the further promoting of this business, as he had sent the above-said letter to the Secretary, so he intended to resort shortly himself to him, either at the Court, or at Richmond, or to some other convenient place. But it seems this his design received some opposition, as the Secretary

VII.

soon after signified to him; to wit, that some concerned in CHAP. this business, whether the forementioned Lord Chief Justice, Sir Walter Mildmay, or some other, tender of demo- Anno 1562. : lishing churches, (which had been too much practised be

fore,) had signified their unwillingness to have St. Bartholomew's pulled down. But the Bishop in some haste replied, "That he meant not to pull down, but to change "a church more commodious than the other: unless," said he, "some strange opinion should arise, that prayer "were more acceptable under lead than under slate." What this came to, I cannot tell, but believe the Bishop could not compass his end; some perhaps concerned, minding rather to convert both church, stones, timber, lead, and all, to their own use, as occasion served: for it was pulled down, as we learn from Stow, upon pretence of repairing with the materials an old steeple adjoining; which yet was not done therewith. However, at length, by the Bishop's care, and the Clergy's contribution, and the City's subsidy voluntarily granted, and the benevolence of other welldisposed persons, the church of St. Paul's was covered, and recovered from the damages it had sustained.

remains unfinished.

Excepting the spire, which remained a great while after The spire in the same condition the fire had left it. In so much that in the year 1576, in the month of June, the Queen was very urgent about the rebuilding thereof, and had given some order to the Lord Treasurer and others of her Council, to deal with the Mayor of London thereupon. And soon after she demanded of the Earl of Sussex, Lord Chamberlain, what was done with the Mayor about the steeple. And when he replied, that the Lords of her Council were so busied in a greater matter, relating to her subsidy, that they had no time that day to deal in that matter; but that the Lord Treasurer and Lord Keeper did intend speedily to send for the Mayor, and to declare plainly to him her pleasure, and make report thereof themselves at their coming to Court: she then willed the Lord Chamberlain to remember the Treasurer thereof again; saying, that if she were not satisfied, she would have the 65

I.

BOOK Mayor and six of the best of his brethren before herself upon the very next Sunday following, though she were then Anno 1562. in a progress, and some distance from London. This the Lord Chamberlain from Court signified in a letter to the Lord Treasurer, and added, that her Majesty was very earnest in that affair. And therefore he prayed him to let her Majesty understand, as soon as he might, what was done therein; for he thought she meant to have them before her, and stayed the sending for them only till she received an answer from him. But however, after all, greater state matters, and the charge, obstructed and deterred from this undertaking and so it lay neglected ever after.

An evil sur

mise of the

Bishop.
Stow.

have the

covery de

clared at

Cross.

There was indeed a report went, that the monies collected for that use were collected and brought into the hands of this our Bishop of London. And so Stow writes in his first edition; which seeming to have an odious surmise of him, as though he had embezzled it, or converted it to his own use, it was left out in the after editions. This probably was invented by some of his ill-willers. But there is no question, but that a man of his integrity and virtue was a good and faithful steward of whatsoever came into his hands in trust for this work.

The Bishop Having said all this concerning the condition of St. ordered to Paul's, I shall now go back again to the year 1562. In the Queen's re- month of October the Queen had been sick; in which time rumours had been spread abroad in the City, either of St. Paul's her death, or her imminent danger thereof. What tumults might arise hence was suspected and feared: therefore, the Queen indeed being now well recovered, October 17, the Lords of the Council required the Bishop to take care for the publishing of her Majesty's recovery and health; and that by his order it might be declared at St. Paul's Cross the next day, and thanks returned to God for it. The tenor of the letter was this:

Grind. Regist.

"After our harty commendations to your Lordship. "Where the Queen's Majesty is at this present, God "be thanked, after some extremity of sickness, very well

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