66

XII.

whither his own private business called him away, and CHAP. "cast away all care of the college; very often travelled "abroad longer than he ought: and so their law, as a re- Anno 1575. 66 venger of them, removed him, who by his long absence "had first removed himself." This was the substance of the Fellows' letters to the Lord Burghley, their Patron. And withal, they mention divers misdemeanors of their Master, many things done by him contrary to their statutes; many things done by violence. And so at length desired his Lordship to nominate another worthy man to them to succeed him.

tion of the

70 The advantage the Fellows took of their Master was, The effect of the Bithat the last year he was absent sixteen weeks, and this shop of [viz. 1573.] he was absent fifteen weeks; whereas the sta- Ely's visitatute allowed but twelve. They had also drawn up articles college. of complaint against him; which they preferred to the Bishop of Ely, their Visitor. But the statutes giving such countenance to the Fellows against their Master, and occasioning so much contest, which lasted to this present year, this Bishop (as well as Bishop Grindal before) had moved that they might be altered, and new statutes sent to the college. Dr. Perne, before mentioned, who had taken notice of this inconvenience, told the abovesaid Lord, that a new statute he hoped would help to alter that case, that longer absence should not be allowed but with this proviso, viz. without great and sufficient cause. The said Bishop of Ely, who had visited the college, and seen how contentions grew, and were nourished there, contrived means for the putting an end thereto; and Dr. Ithel, Master of Jesus college, being his Chancellor, he employed therein. And by him knowing well the state of the matter, ordered him to go up to the said Lord with his letter to him; importing, "That the Fellows affected to maintain a popular "state in the house; and for that purpose, the Seniors held "together, that the Master could do nothing without them. "And that when disorders were to be punished, they would "hardly, and sometimes not at all, be brought to consent

BOOK "it. He therefore advised a commission to be directed to I. "some able and grave men of the University that they Anno 1575." two should name, to reform the state of the house. And "these Commissioners to hear and determine all contro" versies during the imperfection of the statutes. And he " and the same Lord should be in the same commission "themselves. The said Commissioners to be empowered "to remove any officer and Fellow from their office or fel66 lowship, as occasion should be found. And, without the "election of the Master and Fellows of the house, to place "such persons in their rooms, as might be by them thought "most meet."

Dr. Still

ter of St.

missioners.

The Bishop accordingly nominated Dr. Ithel, Dr. Harvey, made Mas- Dr. Perne, and our Doctor, for Commissioners. And this John's by commission, thus seasonably proposed by the Bishop, took the Com- place, (but not before the year 1576,) Mr. Shepheard was removed; and Dr. Still, a Fellow of our Doctor's college, (and, as it seems, by his interest,) became Master of St. John's college. And there was a congratulatory letter sent from the college to the Lord Burghley, not long after Dr. Still's promotion thither; recommending their said new Master to the said Lord's favour, serâ gratulatione, though somewhat late, giving this reason thereof, Academia intermissa, peste grassante; the University breaking up by the reason of the plague.

The sta

tutes, and

other

things, re

virtue of a commission.

The old statutes of the college were interlined, blotted, blurred; and marginal notes made, and set there, by such as had been heads of factions among them. And by this gulated by means the statutes were corrupted and changed. For this cause, according to Bishop Cox's advice, the Queen issued her commission to the Lord Burghley, Chancellor of the University, to the said Bishop, Dr. Whitgift, and other Doctors before mentioned, being Heads of colleges, to visit the state of that college; and to reduce the statutes to their ancient true state; and to punish such as could be proved authors of those corruptions and alterations; and to reform the occasion of those factions in the college; and to restore the college to quietness; and to direct the scho

lars to observe the laws of the realm for divine service in CHAP. XII. the Church. And this restoring of the statutes the Commissioners did accordingly set upon and perform; and did Anno 1575. other things, according as they were hereby authorized, for the regulation of that college from time to time. For this commission obtained from the Queen, the visitors made use of afterwards as they saw differences and disorders springing up in that body. And it lasted, and was in force, even after Dr. Whitgift was made Bishop. Who, I find, was employed sometimes upon occasion in matters of that college, by virtue thereof.

The Mas

bused in a

common

of it.

I shall here subjoin a particular passage that happened 71 this busy and contentious year in this college of St. John's, ter of St. which may shew the little affection of the Fellows toward John's atheir Master. The public behaviour of one of the members (however slily insinuated) was so disrespectful and abusive, place. that it was brought before our Doctor and some other Heads Whitgift's to judge of. One Cock, Fellow of this house, being, by the judgment statute De Lectione Biblii, to do certain exercises, as well common-place as other reading, began to read upon the Epistle to the Hebrews, as he had before upon the Epistle to the Romans: and here he took occasion craftily to speak certain things that reflected upon the Master. He makes this proheme to his following discourse: "That he was in a MSS. Aca"doubt what he should discourse on. That if he should "consult with his auditors in this point, they would suggest

as many arguments as there was variety of minds. That "the superior would bid him speak of the inferior, in this "sort: Tell him of his duty; shew him what an evil dis"obedience is, &c." Then he brings in his favourite, the inferior. "Well, saith the inferior, and thus may I be blam"ed; but the evil you make no end of beginneth not so: "it is from a higher head, and from thence am I derived. "The superior leadeth not forward. I will set my steps by "the brightness of the light and the light in him is no "better than darkness. Well may he sing of mercy and "judgment, Psalm ci. [a text it is probable the Master had

:

dem.

BOOK

I.

ness? But I see his gait; he treadeth not so. My heart "telleth me he trippeth short. He doth alike as doth the Anno 1575." deceiver. His life is like a market, where is gain. Make "him better, and then mend you me. Tell him his duty "and guiding with indifferency. Charge him with his oath, "&c." For these and many such like expressions, (the sense no doubt of himself and the other discontented Fellows,) Cock was accused before the Master; but afterward acquitted by the testimony of those that heard him: but our Doctor, together with Hawford and Goad, two other Heads, advised and willed that he should revoke what he had said sub virtute juramenti, in a particular form and manner of retracting, to be drawn up as should be thought convenient to which they subscribed their names. But this, it seems, this Fellow refused to do; and sent the copy of his common-place to the Chancellor, (to whom he seems to have appealed,) for him to judge of the innocency of what he had then said. And that any other may judge of it, Num. XIX. it may be read at large in the Appendix.

His

shops'

hands, to

be settled

upon poor livings.

There was a plausible design now carrying on, for the better provision to be made for the poor estate of the Clergy; and that to be done by the tithes that were, by impropriations, in the hands of the Bishops or other spiritual men; to the manifest prejudice of episcopal sees, cathethoughts of dral churches, and colleges: and that none of the Clergy tithes in Bi- should have more benefices than one. And a writing was framed to that purpose, very probable to make way for a bill or petition, at the next session of Parliament, now suddenly to meet, viz. in February following. This the Bishop of Ely communicated to our Doctor in the month of December, with his desire that he would peruse it; and for his advice, and endeavour to prevent it, by framing some answer to it. There is a letter extant in the Bodleian library (and printed not many years ago) of our Doctor's writing, to the said Bishop on that argument; Case of im- where he lets him know," That he had not then the leipropriat. by sure he wished, to peruse that script that his Lordship

Dr. Kennet.

Append. "sent him. That the matter was worthy to be dealt in, and

No. IX.

66

XII.

"" very necessary to be considered. And he wished to God CHAP. "the like care and circumspection were in many others, " that was in his Lordship. That the time and state of the Anno 1575. "Church required it. That as touching impropriations, "he thought they were very warily to be dealt in. For "considering how that every man sought to pull from the "Church; how also the temporalty did envy any prospe"rity in the Clergy; and what enemies the most part of "them were to the cathedral churches, bishoprics, colleges "and other places of learning; and that the most part of these consisted of impropriations; he feared, lest under "the pretence of reforming the one, the dissolution and 66 utter undoing of all the other would be sought for. "Which, he added, would be the ruin of the Church at 72 "last, the fall of religion, and the decay of learning. He “observed, that only the Clergy should be plagued there"by. For the temporal men would still keep their interests "in their leases, that they had in such impropriations, as " he himself perceived by some conferences that he had " with some great men in that matter. That it stood them "[of the Clergy] in hand to be circumspect. For that it "would be the policy of some, under fair promises and pretences, to procure that they themselves should be the "authors of their own harms. That this was a certain ❝and sure principle, that the temporalty would not lose one jot of their commodity in any respect, to better the "livings of the Church. And therefore his judgment was, "to keep that they had; for better they should not be; "they might be worse; and that he thought by many was ❝ intended.

66

"Again, where it is said, if the men [of the Church] "joined benefice to benefice, &c. he acknowledged that was to be reproved in such as had no care in doing their "duties, not in such as laboured and were diligent. And "that it was better and more for the profit of the Church "that some had many, than other some one. Moreover, "that it was to be considered, how long and injurious "leases there were of the most part of ecclesiastical liv