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a prisoner in the Tower.

His first The first occasion of trouble he met with was for disobe-
dience to the King's royal visitation, in the year 1547, re-

fusing then to receive injunctions and orders ; and for ob-

serving all the popish superstitions in his church. For

which he was sent for to the Council, and laid in the Fleet.

Letters During his being here, which was not long, there passed
tween the some letters between the Archbishop of Canterbury and

Archbishop jjjjjj . ] ie ] iac } ur o- e( J to the Archbishop the state of religion

and Win- .. & r &
Chester. in King Henry's days ; from which he, and the clergy, and

the Council did begin so much to vary. Winchester re-

minded him of the King's book, as he called it, established

by Parliament. But the Archbishop in his answer told him,

that he indeed called it so ; and that the King was seduced ;

and that he, the Archbishop, knew by whom he was compass-

ed in that book. But Winchester sharply replied to him:
Concern- " That the book was acknowledged by the Parliament as
King's " the King's book ; and that the Archbishop himself corn-

book.

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 459
" manded it to be published in his diocese as the King's CHAP.

" book. And that if he thought it not true, he ought to J " '

" think his Grace would not for all the princes christened Anno 1555.

" in the world have yielded unto. And he threatened the
" Archbishop, that if he made this matter more public, and
" charged the late King with being seduced, he would vin-
" dicate his master, as one of his old servants." And whereas
the Archbishop had advised him to bethink himself of his
present condition, lying now in prison ; Winchester replied
to this with seemingly much satisfaction, " how himself was
" arrived to that haven of quietness without loss of any no-
" table tackle, as the mariners say, which, he said, was a
" great matter as the winds had blown ; and with a little
** flea-biting conveyed to an easy state. He advised, that
" seeing King Henry died so honourably, and so much la-
" mented, and was concluded to be received to God's mercy,
" the realm should not be troubled during the King's mi-
" nority with matters of novelty, there being so many other
" things for the King's counsellors to regard."
The Archbishop had persuaded Winchester to spend Concern-

some of his leisure thoughts in composing some good homi- m ^- ms f

lies for the use of the people ; which the Archbishop sig- homilies,

nified he was intent upon. But Winchester knew he should

stop the Archbishop in his demand, by giving him a speci-

men after what manner he should write homilies, drawing

into them such doctrine as the other would not approve of:

and he gave him an instance how he would proceed, if he

Avere to write de vita perfecta : suggesting thereby it would

be better for the Archbishop's purpose, that Winchester

should be let alone writing homilies. In fine, Winchester

wrote his judgment to the Archbishop, " that it were better

" to let the people alone without them altogether. For

" people went to heaven before without them, and he trusted

" they should follow after them, though they had no homi-

" lies." And so after this scoffing manner he disapproved of

the pious endeavours of Archbishop Cranmer for the bringing 2^8

the people out of ignorance, and the instructing and edify-

ing them in true religion.

460 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP. And as he conferred with this Bishop by letter, so he did

XXXV. a ] so D y S p eec h ; who, being at the Dean of St. Paul's house,

Anno 1555. together with the Bishops of Rochester and Lincoln, Dr. Cox,

Conference a nd some other divines, (in commission, I suppose,) con-

Archbishop suiting together for the composing some homilies for the

and Win- uge f t ] le Church, sent for the said Bishop of Winchester.

clicstcr
concern- There the Archbishop shewed him the homily was then in

ing the h an d concerning Salvation, wherein was handled the matter

liomny oi o
Salvation, of justification ; endeavouring to persuade him to allow of

it, by reasoning with him concerning it. But Winchester

pretended, whatsoever they said could not salve his con-

science, and challenged them to shew any old writer that

taught as that homily did.

Winches- Upon the return of the Duke of Somerset, lord protector

to'the^ro- °^ tne King's person, from his victorious expedition into

tector. Scotland, Winchester, being still in the Fleet, wrote letters

unto him. In one of them he vindicated himself as to his

behaviour in the royal visitation : shewing that he could not

in conscience obey several injunctions : as the receiving of

Erasmus's Paraphrase, Englished; which was so falsely trans-

lated, and such errors also being in the author himself. He

objected also against the book of Homilies, which was then

finished, and enjoined to be received and used in all

churches. He signified to the Protector, that he, under-

standing such a visitation to be in hand, wrote to the Council

to stay it, till the said Protector's return. Which he pre-

tended was intended by him out of the favour and care he

had of his Grace, who had hastily allowed of this visitation

before his departure to Scotland ; whereby, as the Bishop

suggested to him, he might incur the danger of breaking

an act of Parliament ; against which, as Winchester would

insinuate, this visitation went. He pretended also these pro-

ceedings were against the late King Henry's honour, and

the safety of the present Sovereign. He acquainted also the

Acts and Protector, that in his said letters to the Council he touched

Mon. a- lively, but truly, some Acts of Parliament, which, as he

mong Gar- Ji J ' . '
diner's let- would pretend, these proceedings ran counter to. Whereof

ters# he gave some instances in a part of the letter which is pub-

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 461

lished elsewhere. These were some transactions relating to CHAP.
XXXV.
him while he lay in the Fleet.
But he was discharged out of the Fleet, and had his li-^ nno 1555 -

berty to repair to his diocese upon his promise of conformity. shop . s do .

When he was now come to Winchester, he was very busy in s s at
.- . * . Winchester.
in setting forth matters that bred greater strife in that city

and county, than almost in all the nation beside. It was

reported also to the Protector, that he caused his servants

to be harnessed. And when certain preachers were sent

down from the Council to preach in the cathedral and dio-

cese, he would keep the pulpit, and preach himself ; warning

the people to fly from such new preachers, and to embrace

only the doctrine he preached to them.

Upon this he was sent for again, and upon a second pro- Sent for and

mise the Council set him at liberty ; but to remain at Lon- from his

don, sequestering him from his diocese for a time. Now diocese «

again he fell to meddling in matters wherein he had no com-

mission nor authority ; part whereof touched the King's 279

Majesty : whereupon he was again admonished by the

King and the Lords. Then he offered before them to de-

clare to the world his conformity, and promised to open his

mind in sundry articles agreed upon. And then, he said,

that as his own conscience was well satisfied with the King's

proceedings, so would he utter his conscience abroad to the

satisfaction of others. But when he came to preach, (which Winchester

he did on St. Peter's day before the King,) he spake things prea °

contrary to express commandment. And when he came to

speak of the articles which were enjoined him to declare, he

used such a manner of utterance, that had like to have

caused a great tumult. And speaking of certain great mat-

ters, presently touching the policy of the realm, shewed him-

self a very seditious man : as particularly, advising that no-

thing should be altered during the King's minority.

The reason the Council enjoined him to preach upon such The people

particular subjects, and to forbear to speak of others, was, wlnches-

bccause before the said sermon was preached, and at the ter's ser-
• i li o \ i nion.
time thereof, (and, as it happened, long after,) there was

such controversy and variance in London and many other

462 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP, places in the realm, about those matters of religion : and the

' xxv - Council was many times troubled with complaints of that

Anno 1555. nature. But Winchester, when he came to preach, instead

of managing his discourse for the quelling and appeasing

these popular jarrings and contests, the contention at the

very time of his speaking grew so great, that if the King's

Majesty and the Lords of the Council had not been present,

the people had plucked the Bishop out of the pulpit, they

were so offended with him : as the Earl of Warwick, then

present, testified.

Sent to the Upon this sermon he was committed to the Tower, and

Sir Ralph Sadleir, and Hunnings, clerk of the Council,

sealed up certain doors of his house which they thought

convenient.

Sir William The Council sent several messages to him, and the most

wIstTrepiy honourable personages thereof often came themselves in

to Winches- person to persuade him to subscribe, and to comply with the

King's proceedings. Once among the rest, when the Bishop

had said, thinking to enervate the King's doings in his mi-

nority, that if the King should pass away things now,

which he should see prejudicial afterwards, he might re-

verse what he had done, and use therein the benefit of his

young years : and added, that Mr. Secretary Peters would

say as he did, being a learned civilian : Peters wisely re-

plied, the Master of the Horse, the Earl of Warwick, and

others then present, " My Lord, I must say, that your say-

" ing in a common person is true ; but in the person of a

" king, I never read any such law ; and my opinion is, said

" he, that except a king in his tender and young years be

" bound to his doings as well as at full man's estate, it

" would be impossible to have that realm and state well go-

" verned." Whereunto the Bishop said little.

Deprived. These troubles lasted with Winchester till the year 1551,

when he was solemnly deprived by a sentence of the Arch-

bishop of Canterbury, together with the consent and assent

of the Bishops of London, Ely, Lincoln, Sir William Pe-

tre, Sir James Hale, Leyson and Oliver, doctors of the civil

280 law, Goodrickand Gosnald, esquires, delegates and judges,

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 463

by a commission from the King. And so he continued a CHAP,

prisoner in the tower (and so a stirring busy man laid aside) -

till the beginning of Queen Mary's reign: when his sun Anno 1555.

arose again, and appeared brighter than ever it did before.

And now he had his opportunities of taking sufficient re-

venges upon the men and the cause which occasioned his

sufferings. And indeed he spared them not.

Now this Bishop was in his meridian, and all matters of The Bishop

the Church and the State too passed through his hands, obsequies

The Pope dying the beginning of this year 1555, to declare f° rthe Po P e

the devotion of this kingdom now to that chair of Rome ;

on the 10th of April, our Bishop, now lord chancellor,

signified the same by letter to Bonner, bishop of London,

and required that there should be solemn obsequies said for

him throughout the realm ; and also certain prayers, three

in number, enclosed in the said letter, to be used at mass

times, in all places, during the vacation of the apostolical

see : and that he should see it done in his diocese ; and to

send word to the rest of the bishops to have it done in

theirs ; and this by the King and Queen's command. This

letter and the prayers are extant in the register of the church

of Canterbury, but they are also printed in Fox ; and

therefore I shall not here set them down : only Bishop Bon-

ner's letters missive to the dean and chapter of Canterbury,

in pursuance of the Chancellor's letter, I shall, as it is in the

foresaid register, being not yet made any where public, as I

know.
LittercB Missiva Episcopi Londinensis.

" After my right hartie commendations : I have received The Bishop

"of late from my Lord Chancellor letters of the tenor jUj'jJj?

" here inclosed : and desirous that you should have know- upon.

" ledge of the contents of the same, as I was earnestly and

" effectually required, I have sent these with the copy there-

" of unto you, to th'intent the matter therein expressed

" may take that good effect in the diocese of Canterbury,

" and the peculiars of the same, the archiepiscopal see being

" vacant, which is required and looked for. And thus I

464 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP. « commit you to God most well to fare. At my house in

" London, this xi. of April, 1555.

Auno 1556 - " Your loving frende, Edmond London."

To my loveing f rends, the Dean and Chapter of Canter-

bury : and in their absence to their Vicare General, and

Deputies in this behalf, yeve this with spede.
Bishop Gar- But the greatest point of all, wherein the Bishop of Win-

b'loody ton shewed his zeal to the Pope and Popery, appeared in

his furious prosecution to blood, of all such as would not

or could not truckle to it : the book of Acts and Monu-

ments is an eternal monument of his cruelties towards abun-

dance of poor innocent men. Nor is all his severities there

recorded. A certain bishop, unnamed, was made mention

of by Robert Smith the martyr, in one of his examinations

281 before Bonner. "¦ This bishop, he said, had at that time an

" innocent man, a professor of the gospel, in his prison,

" who, when he overcame the bishop by Scripture, made

" him privily to be tied, and his flesh to be torn and pluck-

" ed away with a pair of pincers : and after bringing him

" out before the people, said, whether in jest or earnest I

" cannot tell, that the rats had eaten him.' 1 '' What bishop

this was is not mentioned, but I know none more likely to

be this tyrant than Winchester.

Reported Indeed it is strange to observe the brazen foreheads of the

to blnilld Popish writers concerning this man : that notwithstanding

and merci- ] ie was so notoriously known to be the great instrument of

burning and destroying so many professors, yet they repre-

sent him as a mild and merciful man, and greatly averse to

shedding of blood, and an earnest intercessor with the su-

preme power, for saving the lives of such as the law con-

Watch- demned. These are Robert Parson's words : " If a man

'" should ask any good natured Protestant [and very good

" natured indeed he must bc~\ that lived in Queen Mary's

" time, and had both wit to judge, and indifference to speak

" the truth without passion, he will confess, that no one

" great man in that government was further off from blood

" and bloodiness, or from cruelty and revenge, than Bishop

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 465

" Gardiner: who was known to be a most tender-hearted and CHAP.

" mild man in that behalf: insomuch that it was sometimes, '

" and by some great personages, objected to him for no small Anno 1555.

" fault, to be ever full of compassion in the office and charge

" that he then bore. Yea, to him it was imputed, that none

" of the greatest and most known Protestants in Queen

" Mary's reign were ever called to account, or put to trou-

" ble for religion. 1 ' Mark the marvellous confidence of the

man, in endeavouring to face out a thing, the contrary to

which was most notoriously known, and severely felt. This

indeed was one thing that rendered these popish bishops so

abominably hated by all ; that they not only brought so

many to the most cruel death of burning ; but besides that,

exercised so many tortures and inventions of accurate pains

upon them. Some were whipped unmercifully, stretched

upon the rack, their hands burnt with candles put under ;

some set in the stocks, hands and feet, for many days and

nights together ; some thrown into dark and stinking dun-

geons ; some had their bodies tortured by strange inven-

tions ; some pined away and starved in prison : and those

that died in prison were denied Christian burial, and thrown

out into the fields. And all these cruelties exercised upon

them with mirth and sport.

The Bishop, of whom we have said so much, was cut offHis disease

by death in the midst of all his worldly pomp and splendour, an

being taken first ill at dinner, the Duke of Norfolk then his

guest. The disease, and the manner of his death, take from

a letter wrote out of England to Mr. Bale, then an exile

abroad. " That his disease was hydrops acidus, et prodi-

" giosa scabies, (I leave it to physicians to English it,) taken,

" as was commonly reported, by drinking or whoredom.

" For he had indulged much to both those vices in his life-

" time. In his sickness he stunk like a jakes ; his breath

" not to be endured ; his body distended, his eyes distorted His eyes

" and turned inwards: during his illness he spake little but thsto '" ted

° r and turned
" blasphemy and filthiness, and gave up the ghost with inwards.

" curses in his mouth, in terrible and uncxpressible torments. 282

" He died very rich, worth 90,000 crowns. 11 God gave
VOL. III. H h

466 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP, him not his desire to outlive Cranmer, archbishop of Can-

terbury, his great antagonist, whose death, no question, he

He encou

raged learn

Anno 1555. would have been glad to have seen.

Yet let me subjoin one or two things to his commenda-

n his tion : he affected learned domestics, and countenanced

learning in his family : he would take in young University

men, such as were of good parts and great hopes ; several

of these so entertained by him were afterwards bishops, as

White and Brokes, and two were secretaries of state, and

advanced to the honour of barons, and employed by the

Sir. w. Pa- State in great embassies. One of these was Sir William

get.
Eucomia. Paget, to whom Leland thus writ ;
Tu Gardineri petiisti tecta diserti,

Eloquii sedem, pieriique chori.

That is, that being young, " he went into learned Gardi-

" tier's family, which was the very seat of eloquence and of

" the muses. 1 '' From his family, as he had been of his col-

lege of Trinity hall in Cambridge, so he went to study in

the University of Paris. And after some stay, returned

again into the Bishop's house ; and soon after became se-

cretary of state. About this time he married a gentlewo-

man, named Preston, by whom he had several children. Then

he was sent ambassador to France, then to the Emperor; and

grew very rich by being Chancellor of the duchy, and en-

Sir Thomas joying other advantages under King Edward. The other

was Sir Thomas Wriothesly : having his grammar learning

in London, where he was born, he was removed to Cam-

bridge. I can tell little of his person or features, only by

Encomia. Leland I learn he was red-haired ; for he speaks of his au~

ricomus vertex. At first he was taken into some office be-

longing to the Treasury ; and now Sir Edmund Peckham, a

privy counsellor, took notice of him. And when Gardiner

went ambassador, he took him along with him. Afterwards

he fell under the observation of Crumwel, who was delighted

with his wit and dexterity. Then he went ambassador to

Holland and Flanders, to the Emperor's sister, the Queen of

Hungary; and after the Lord Audley's death, was advanced

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 46?

to be Lord Chancellor, and was the root of the noble family CHAP.
XXXV
of the Earls of Southampton, lately extinct.

And thus did this Bishop shew his favour to learning, by Anno 1555,

encouraging it in his own house. And long before, while

he was a member of the University of Cambridge, he did a

good piece of service to it. For being of some considerable

influence there, (perhaps reader of the civil law,) he endea-

voured to purge that study ; and turned the minds of the

students thereof from some of the glossematarians : where-

by he ran into the great offence of some, and had great con-

tention about it ; as Cheke, in one of his letters to that Bi-

shop in the contest about pronouncing Greek, remembered

him ; and Leland praised him for, in these words : Encomia.

Tu certe, innumeris locis ad ilium 283
Leges, vel veterem labor e grato,

Splendorem revocas : docens vieta

Tot glossemata, (opus recentiorum

Scriptorum,) ingeniis bonis obesse.

To this bloody Bishop, I cannot but add here the mention of Bonner

his brother in cruelty, Bonner, bishop of London; who there-

fore was ordinarily called, the bloody butcher, and the common

slaughterman : and bringing so many very innocent holy

men and women in London, Colchester, and elsewhere in

his diocese unto their ends, by burning, starving, and impri-

sonment, was most mortally hated by all honest men, as well

as the friends and relations of the slain. These would some-

times sharpen their pens, and pelt at him with letters,

wherein they freely expressed their minds towards him, and

laid him open to himself and to the world. One of these

letters, wherein he is not spared, is preserved in Fox's book,

being writ by a woman upon his burning of Philpot.

Another I have seen in MS. wrote this year, in as sharp a Pag. 16-72.

style, between the condemnation and burning of that holy

man.

h h 2

468 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP. XXXVI.
Memorable notes of things occurring in the Churcli and

State, in the months of December, January, February,