College and Dean of Gloucefter, which was the highest preferment he ever arrived at. He was a great scholar and a good linguist, and understood divinity better than most in that age. He died in the fixty-third year of his age.

Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York, died about this time; in his youth he is faid to have been a good preacher, and was exiled for his religion in the reign of Mary. He was preferred afterwards fucceffively to the Sees of Worcester, London, and York, and was a zealous ftickler for conformity of all forts in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He perfecuted the Puritans in the feverest manner, and called for the affistance of the fecular arm to inforce his power. Whatever may be faid in his behalf, by thofe who may praise a party, for finifter purposes, it is manifeft, that he had all the outward appearances of a bad man; he faid, he believed rites and ceremonies were not of divine inftitution, and were of very little fervice, and yet he perfecuted all who would not conform to them with unrelenting cruelty, as far as his power could extend.

As long as there were any hopes of fettling differences between the church and the Puritans, the controverfy was carried on with fome degree of temper; but after all hopes of agreement were at an end, the difputants loaded each other with reproaches and calumny. The Puritans were now excluded from all privilege of the public printing-offices; all the preffes were fhut against them;

they

they had therefore now no opportunity of vindicating themselves, or of defending their cause through the ordinary channel. To remedy this difadvantage, they procured a private one, and carried it from place to place, for fear of being discovered. It was first fet up at Mouldfley in Surry, near Kingston on the Thames, afterwards at Fawley in Northamptonshire; from thence to Norton, from thence to Coventry, from Coventry. to Woolfton in Warwickshire, and from thence to Manchester, in Lancashire, where it was difcovered. Many farcaftical performances were printed by this prefs, and difperfed over all the kingdom, which very much incenfed the Bishops. against the Puritans. One which is entitled Martin Mar-prelate provoked them highly; it is very fevere against their reverences, and places them in fuch attitudes, as highly offended their modesty. Who was the author of this droll performance could never be learned; it was fuppofed to be the work of a club who affociated together to revenge themfelves on the Bishops, for their cruelty towards the non-conformists. There are many true, and a great number of humorous fayings in that performance, and according to the language of the times, it is not badly written. The writers indeed appear to have been angry, and it must be allowed, that the Bishops had given them fome occafion, who never did any thing to please them; but it is as manifeft, that the clergy were as much chagrined at this performance, as the writers were

offend

offended at them. If Whitgift could have difcovered the writers of this fatire, he would have made them pay foundly for the freedom they used with the gentlemen of the black cloth. Befides this book, there was another, entitled, Thefes Martinianae, dedicated to Whitgift, under the name of John Kankerbury, containing a great many fevere things against his reverence: for which he gave the author no thanks, as he did not love to hear his own praises founded in fuch a manner as the author was the author was difpofed to found them. There was alfo a very droll performance adreffed to Doctor Cooper, Bishop. of Winchefter; the title of it is Ha' ye any work for the Cooper? The author pays his refpects to the Bishop very humoroufly, and fays fome farcaftical things not unfit for the tafte of a dignitary of those times. The cobler's book, and another with the title, Ha' ye any more work for the Cooper? were performances of the fame tafte, and contain many fevere reflections against the Bishops, and the fubfcribing clergy. The prefs was feized, when the first of thefe performances were printing, with feveral other pamphlets unfinished, containing matter of the fame import. The friends of the church were under a neceffity to try the weapons of ridicule, when they could not find an opportunity for ufing their ordinary artillery, but their humour is but heavy, and their wit low; the matter of fact is, they could not find fo many objects of ridicule among the Puritans, as they found among them, which rendered it

more

more difficult to write in the fame manner. Pappe with an hatchet, Pafquil's apology, an almond for a Parrot, a counter cuff given to Martin Junior, are all written in the fame tafte, and contain fome humorous things, but breathe too much of perfecution to make the reader laugh.

To put a period to these pamphlets, the Queen fent a letter to the Archbishop, ordering him to make strict enquiry after the printing prefs, and iffued forth a proclamation, for bringing all feditious libels and books, whether written or printed before the ordinary, or one of the privy council, and prohibits all her fubjects from keeping fuch books in their cuftody, as were contrary to the laws which confirmed the established religion as foon as this printing prefs was difcovered, the Archbishop wrote to the Lord Treasurer, to profecute the perfons in whofe poffeffion it was found; but begged it might be done by the Lords of the Council, and by the ecclefiaftical Cominiffioners, because they had fuffered much reproach by fupporting the government already, which had received many wounds through their fides. Accordingly thofe, who had fupported the prefs, were deeply fined in the ftar chamber, and others were executed for publishing what were called libels.

The Archbishop, in his next vifitation, framed twenty-two articles of enquiry; upon which the church-wardens of every parish were to be examined upon oath. According to these articles, they were to fwear that their minifter was 'con

for

formable in all things, to the orders of the church, otherwife to impeach him; and to declare whether they knew of any of their neighbours, or fellow parifhoners, who were common fwearers, drunkards, ufurers, witches, conjurers, heretics; any man that had two wives; or woman that had two husbands; whether they knew of any that went to conventicles, or meetings for faying prayers in private houses; any that were of age, and did not receive the facrament three times a year. Thefe articles were fo like articles of inquifition, that Sir Francis Knollys, when he read them, fent them to the Treasurer, calling them articles of inquifition, highly injurious to the royal prerogative; but his Grace proceeded in fpite of all oppofition.

This year Mr Udal fuffered feverely, on fuppofition of being the author of one of 1590. the pamphlets publifhed againft the Bishops, entitled, the Dialogue; he had been minifter of Kingston on Thames, and was filenced by Dr Hone, Official of the Bifhops court. He was called by the people of Newcastle upon Tyne, who wanted a minifter to do duty among them; but after he had refided a year among them, he was fent for to London, by Lord Hunfdon and the Lord Chamberlain, to appear before the ecclefiaftical commiffioners. The commiffioners were, Lord Cobham, Lord Buchhurst, Lord Chief Juftice Anderfon, Dr Young, Bifhop of Rochefter, Mr. Fortefcue, Mr Egerton, the Queen's Solicitor, Dr Aubery, and Doctor Lewin. The examinaVol. II. Oo

tion,