X. were united to any colleges, chantries, hospitals, &c. be not CHAP. let or set to farm, but kept and reserved in the manurance, tillage, and occupation of the said masters, wardens, &c. for Anno 1577. the maintenance of good housekeeping; and that they might not make any leases for term of life or years. It may be worth repeating the sum of Lever's letter concerning the premises. 66 to the lord "That it might please his honour to understand and His letter "consider, that in both the universities many leases of im- treasurer in propriations were so made, bought, and sold, that some that cause. "such as had a lease of impropriation from a college did "set the same to an under-tenant. And so being indeed "neither landlord nor tenant, neither of the same parish "nor of the same college; yet from all these common places and persons, to his own private use, took above the "value of an 1007. for a fine, and 20%. a year for an over 66 66 plus of rent. Yea, masters, fellows, and others in colleges "which grant leases, take the same under other men's "names to themselves, or else fines and overplus of rents to "their own private profit. So now, many that should get "learning in colleges, and exercise the same in parishes, do "seek and take occasion to get private profit from parishes "and colleges, from landlords and tenants, to serve them"selves in other places, and other vocations. "And as concerning colleges in the university, so it is "likewise concerning hospitals in other places. And by a "statute made 37 Henry VIII. purposely to preserve public 66 provisions and hospitals from private spoil, such of these "leases as have been made since, be utterly void. There"fore if by any means the said statute be now newly put in "execution, many leases of impropriations belonging to hospitals and colleges shall be found void. And order 66 "may be taken that no lease be made hereafter by any 66 college or hospital of any impropriation, but that the in"cumbent serving the cure shall have all tithes; and pay 514 "thereof yearly the accustomed rent unto the proprietor, 66 being college, or hospital. And so in such parishes, col BOOK II. Anno 1577. “leges, and hospitals, all such provision made afore for doc"trine and hospitality, poverty and learning, shall remain, 66 or soon be reduced to the common use now that it was "first ordained; and the daily perverting of the same "unto private spoil and profit be reformed or restrained. "And herein is great need, desire, and trust of your godly "wisdom and authority, to consider the case of colleges and "hospitals: and how for them the said statute was in good "time well made, and may and should now be well exe"cuted which God grant. 66 By your honour's to command in Christ, Upon a flat marble stone in the chapel of Sherborn hospital, near the altar, is this inscription, THOMAS Leaver, preacher to king Edward VI. He died in July, 1577. He was succeeded in that hospital by his brother, Rafe Leaver. Anno 1578. ambassador CHAP. XI. Monsieur Gondy, French ambassador, comes to the court, with intent to go to the Scottish queen. News at court of foreign matters. Duke Casimire comes to court. His esteem here with the queen and nobles. His manifesto in taking arms for the defence of those of the Low Countries. Simier, the French ambassador, still at court soliciting the amours of the duke of Anjou. The archbishop of York continues his visitation. Account thereof sent up. The trouble he met with about the dean of Durham, Whittingham: by occasion of inquiry into his orders, taken at Geneva. A commission for visitation of that church. 3.IN the beginning of May, 1578, comes monsieur Gondy, The French the French king's ambassador, into England: whose chief comes hi- business was with the Scottish queen. And therefore came first to wait upon queen Elizabeth, to have her leave to repair to that queen. How he appeared at court, and what ther. XI. respects he had there, a letter from court, writ by Gilbert CHA P. Talbot to his father, the earl of Shrewsbury, (one chiefly concerned therein,) will shew: importing, "that he was Anno 1578. lately come from the French king: and that on May-day "he had audience in the chamber of presence, and delivered "his message to her majesty with the king's letters: and "that he [Gilbert Talbot] heard, that the king sent him to "have licence of access to the Scottish queen: and from 515 "her to go into Scotland: and that the king's letter was "only to that end. But that her majesty as yet had de"nied him. But whether he should obtain leave hereafter, "he could not tell. Howbeit, he added, he wished his Epist. Comit. Salop. "lordship [the earl] would have every thing in such order in Offic. "as he would desire; lest he [the ambassador] should come Armor. "on the sudden, as another did to him (who was then with "his charge, viz. that queen) from the duke of Ascoite." With whom went secretary Wylson's servants, his chief secretary; who was held to be a wise fellow, as Mr. Talbot said, [and so thought fit to attend that ambassador, and take notice of things that passed.] He proceeded, “That "this monsieur Gondy seemed to be a man of great ac"count and port, and was the other day richly appareled "in jewels at the court. And that if he should get leave, "[i. e. to go to that queen,] it would be expected that his "entertainment there should be very great. He thought "there would be some other gentlemen sent from thence "[meaning from the court] with him down." 66 news. Don the Nether Some further news of foreign matters (wherein England Foreign seemed to be concerned) was sent to the said earl of Shrews-John the bury in October from the lord Burghley. Which was, governor of "That by letters received but three hours before, he was lands, his "certainly informed, that don John de Austria was dead death, &c. "of the plague; and the duke of Parma chose lieutenant; "that the report of the death of Sebastian, king of Por 66 tugal, and of the two kings of Fess, was true. That the "cardinal, named Henry, of the age of sixty-seven, was to "succeed: but that he dared not to take possession of the crown until the pope should license him." BOOK mire at court. the order of the gar ter. Duke John Casimire, son of the elector palatine of the Rhine, was now come to the English court: a man of Anno 1578. worth and valour, a firm protestant, and a hearty favourer Duke Casi- of the religion; and that assisted the Netherlands in their defensive wars. He was highly favoured by the queen when he came and at his departure, which was in February 1578, when he took his leave of the queen, she presented him with two cups of gold, of several fashions, worth 300l. apiece. But there was, it seems, something to do, to bring her hereunto, being a frugal princess, and sensible of her necessary and unavoidable expenses. And secretary Walsingham was the great mover, and employed therein Chosen of with the queen. He was a few days before chosen of the order of the garter: and the earl of Leicester gave him for a present a rich collar and george at it, and two georges besides; whereof one of them was an agate, a curious and rich piece. Also, the earl of Pembroke sent him from Wilton (where he now was retired, being not well) a fair george at a chain of gold, set with stones, which cost 150l. The earl of Leicester gave him also divers other things, as geldings, hawks, and hounds, wood-knives, falchions, horns, crossbows, and sundry pieces of broad cloth, fit for huntinggarments, both in winter and summer. For the said duke Casimire delighted greatly in hunting, and could choose his winter deer very well. A little before, he killed a barren doe with his piece in Hyde-park, from among three hundred other deer. The earl of Huntington was to go with the duke to Gravesend, and sir Henry Sydney to Dover. And the earl of Leicester had been almost continually with him since his coming to London. All this courtnews did the lord Gilbert write to the earl of Shrewsbury, his father, in the month of February. Gifts to him. 516 And in the next month he communicated to him this further intelligence concerning the said Casimire; "That he "was safely landed at Flushing, after he had tarried a long "while on the coast on this side for a wind:" adding his That duke's judgment concerning that duke's obligation, viz. "That he 66 was far to blame, if he spake not great honour of her ma obligation to England. 66 XI. elder Anno 1578. jesty and her realm. For there was never any of his CHAP. "coat, that was able to brag of the like entertainment that "he had received here. That it was said, that his "brother the palsgrave [Frederick III.] was dead. "then it was supposed, that duke Casimire was to hold his 66 66 And Casimire tutor to the young grave. room during the nonage of his elder brother's son, who prince palswas an infant. And if the said child miscarried, the "whole was his. And then should he be a very great "prince. That it was a great change for her majesty and "this realm, if it were so. For then she should possess a "noble, honest, able friend of this duke, to pleasure her; "and lose an ill-affected froward Lutheran, if not an ob"stinate papist in heart, of his elder brother." The news of the palsgrave's death proved true. ration for Countries. And having said all this of this worthy German prince, His declawho this year was at the English court, it may not be amiss his assistto add further, what ingratiated him so much to the people ing the Low of this kingdom, namely, that he was so cordial to the interest of the reformed religion, and the liberty of his country, by his hearty and zealous assistance of the oppressed in the Low Countries; in relieving of whom the queen also bare a share, assisting him with large sums of money. And to justify himself in this enterprise to all the world, he set forth a manifesto in the month of June this year, both in the German and Latin tongue; (a copy whereof was sent hither to court ;) shewing upon what great reason he undertook this expedition: namely, to put a stop to the most grievous, tyrannical oppression of those Low Countries, being part of his own native country, Germany. It was entitled, Brevis et luculenta expositio causarum, quibus adductus illustriss. princeps et dominus, dom. Johannes Casimirus, &c. i. e. "A brief and clear exposition of the "causes, whereupon the most illustrious prince and lord, "lord John Casimire, count palatine of the Rhine, duke of "Bavaria, &c. hath undertaken this expedition, to raise the "affairs of Belgium grievously afflicted.” It began, Nos Johannes Casimirus, &c. "We, John "Casimire, by the grace of God, count palatine of the |