it, fled in the night in great distress, and got so dangerous a fall from his horse, that he never recovered it. During this retirement, he turned the book of Psalms into English verse; and wrote a defence of the marriage of priests. Q. Elizabeth's accession, in 1559, made a great change in his condition: For, he not only became free from all fear and danger, but was exalted to the highest station in the English church, to the archbishopric of Canterbury. A station for which he was looked upon as the fittest man; his great prudence, courage, conduct, learning, and experience, being wanting and necessary, for the Reformation that was now to be set on foot, and carried on with the utmost vigour. He was so far from seeking that high dignity, that it seems he earnestly avoided it. In the mean time, he was appointed one of the visitors of the university of Cambridge. And he privately addressed the queen, to dissuade her from exchanging the temporal revenues of bishoprics for impropriations, as she was impowered to do by act of parliament, upon a vacancy; which was a very unequal exchange. He likewise advised her to remove crucifixes and lighted tapers out of churches, particularly out of her own chapel.

Having been elected archbishop August 1, 1559, by the dean and chapter of Canterbury, he was confirmed, Dec. 9. in the church of St Mary le Bow; and consecrated the seventeenth of the same month, in Lambeth-chapel, by William Barlow, late bishop of Bath and Wells, and then elect of Chichester, John Scory, late bishop of Chichester, and then elect of Hereford, Miles Coverdale late bishop of Exeter, and John Hodgkin suffragan bishop of Bedford. The Romanists invented afterwards a tale, that he had been consecrated at the Nag's-head inn, or tavern, in Cheapside: But that story hath been so thoroughly confuted by our English authors and others, and withal disproved by many Catholics; that, to believe it now-a-days, requires more even than the faith of a papist. Archbishop Parker being thus constituted primate and metropolitan of the church of England, took care to have the several sees filled with learned and worthy men, and well-affected to the Reformation : And soon after performed his metropolitical visitation of the several dioceses. It has been observed, that in the space of fifteen years and five months (during which he was metropolitan) he either consecrated or confirmed the bishops of all the dioceses throughout the kingdom: A circumstance, which has occurred to him alone of all the archbishops of Canterbury. In 1560, he and the bishops

of

of London and Ely addressed the queen, to enter into the blessed state of Wedlock; but she chose to reign alone. He likewise, and some other bishops, exhorted her to remove images entirely out of churches, which she inclined to retain. By his encouragement it was, that a freeschool was founded, in 1563, at Sandwich in Kent; and he likewise recovered the stipend of the school-master of Stoke near Clare. In 1564 he completed the reparation and building of his palace at Canterbury, the expence whereof amounted to above one thousand four hundred pounds; and, about the same time, founded a free-school at Rochdale in Lancashire. One of his main designs and endeavours, was to introduce into this church an uniformity both in habits and ceremonies; but he met therein. with great opposition from that wicked great man the earl of Leicester, and some other courtiers; and from the whole bulk of the Puritans, who have severely treated him upon that account. June 24, 1567, he founded three grammar-scholarships, or exhibitions, in Bennet-college. And again, in May 1569, he founded five more scholarships; and, the August following, two other scholarships, and two fellowships, in the same college. And, in July 1568, obtained also of the queen, for that college, the advowson of St Mary Ab-church in London; for which he gave in exchange the rectory of Penshurst in Kent. This lastmentioned year, came out the great English Bible, commonly called "the Bishops Bible;" which was put out chiefly through the archbishop's procurement and care.

His heart was much set upon this great work, from the many defects which appeared in the bibles then in use. He was the great spring which set this business in motion. He distributed the book in parts to several learned bishops and other divines, and revised the whole for the press. Edwin Sandys, then bishop of Worcester; Guest, bishop of Rochester, who had the Psalms; Parkhurst, bishop of Norwich; Davies, bishop of St David's; Cox, bishop of Ely; and other eminent men; were employed in this translation. Strype says, So highly pleased was this good prelate, when he saw an end put to this great work, that he seemed to be in the same spirit with old Simeon, using his very words, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation! This was that which was commonly called the Bishops Bible, because the archbishops and the bishops had the chief hand in correcting, reviewing, and publishing it. Lawrence, a man very famous for his knowledge in Greek,

• had

had the care of the New Testament.' The second edition of this bible was published in 1572, much improved and embellished.

In 1570, he repaired the great hall at Lambeth, covering it with shingles; and made the long bridge into the Thames near the palace. He also made the regent-walk, leading from the west of St Mary's church in Cambridge to the public schools, paving it, and building a brick wall on each side. In 1571, he gave handsome presents of plate, and other benefactions, to several colleges in that university, and in particular founded one scholarship in Trinity-hall, for the study of the law. The seventh day of September, 1573, he magnificently entertained Q. Elizabeth at Canterbury, as he had entertained her several times before. Taking umbrage at the prophesyings set up in several dioceses, particularly in that of Norwich, he endeavoured to suppress them, which exposed him to fresh censures from some warm Puritans: And made them use their utmost efforts to ruin him at court. Towards the end of the year 1574, he gave a hundred volumes to the library of the university of Cambridge; whereof twenty-five were valuable manuscripts: And, added further benefactions to his favourite college of Corpus-Christi. At length being arrived to the seventy-second year of his age, and finding himself in a declining condition; April 5, 1575, he signed his will, wherein he bequeathed legacies and gifts to several persons and places. He died the seventeenth of May following, of the stone and strangury; and was buried with great solemnity, in his own private chapel, within his palace at Lambeth.

His magnificent, as well as generous and charitable disposition, is sufficiently manifest from what hath been said of him in this article. As to his other virtues; he was pious, sober, temperate; modest even to a fault, being upon many occasions over-bashful; unmovable in the distribution of justice; a great patron, and zealous defender of the church of England, against the attacks both of Puritans and Papists; in which he acted with great stoutness and resolution, it being his rule " in a good cause "to fear nobody;" notwithstanding he is for that censured by some, as having too much roughness, and want of courtship. Among his other valuable episcopal qualities, he was a frequent preacher; and given to hospitality without profusion or offence; his family and entertainments, though large, being conducted with the utmost decency, elegance, regularity, and sobriety. Of his learning, the

several

several books published by him are a sufficient evidence. Particularly he was a great lover and preserver of manuscripts, and other antiquities; and a hearty encourager, if not the first reviver, of the study of the Saxon tongue in this kingdom. He recovered many books in that language, which would otherwise have been inevitably lost; and some of them were published by himself, or by his direction. The best antiquarians in his time, had the honour of standing in the number of his most intimate friends and acquaintance.

His WORKS were as follow: "1. A Defence of Priests Marriages, established by the Imperial Lawes of the Realm of England: Against a Civilian naming himself Thomas Martin, Doctor of the Civil Lawes, going about to disprove. the said Marriages, lawful by the eternal Word of GOD, and by the High Court of Parliament: Only forbid by foreign Lawes and Canons of the Pope, coloured with a Visor of the Church. Which Laws and Canons were extinguished by the Parliament, and so abrogated by the Convocation in their Synod by their Subscriptions. Printed in 1562, without his name. 1. Elfric, [Abbot of St Albans, about the year 996.] his Saxon translation of a Latin Homily, entitled, A Sermon of the Paschal Lamb, and of the Sacramental Bodie and Blood of Christ, written in the old Saxon tongue before the Conquest, and appointed in the reign of the Saxons to be spoken unto the People at Easter, before they should receive the Communion. Or, A Testimony of Antiquity, shewing the Ancient Faith of the Church of England, touching the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of the Lord, here publicly preached, and also received, in the Saxons time, above 700 years ago. With Two Epistles of Elfric. 3. The world is also obliged to him for the publication of four of our best English historians; Matthew of Westminster, Matthew Paris, Asser's Life of King Alfred, and Thomas Walsingham.-Matthew of Westminster he published in 1570, fol. under this title, Flores Historiarum per Matthaum Westmonasteriensem collecti, præcipuè de rebus Britannicis ab exordio mundi usque ad Annum Domini, 1307. With a large preface. 4. Matthew Paris was published by him in 1571, fol. and entitled, Matthæi Paris Monachi Albanensis Angli Historia major. 5. And the Life of K. Ælfred, by John Asser, bishop of Sherbourne, came out in 1574, entitled, Alfredi Regis res gesta ab Asserie Shirburnensi Episcopo conscripta: Printed in Saxon letters, the same as the original manuscript was written in; on purVOL. II.

*

M

pose

pose to bring gentlemen to the knowledge and study of the Saxon tongue. To which is subjoined, Hostoria brevis Thoma Walsingham ab Edvardo primo ad Henricum quintum ; with his Upodeigma Neustria vel Normannia. i. e. "The "History of Thomas Walsingham from Edward I. to Hen"ry V. with his Account of Normandy." 6. It was through his advice and encouragement, that the learned John Fox published K. Ælfred's Saxon Translation of the Gospels; and Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum, 1571, 4to. 7. Another considerable work of his was, "The Lives of his Predecessors Archbishops of Canterbury, entitled, De Antiquitate Britannica Ecclesiæ & Privilegiis Ecclesiæ Cantuariensis, cum Archiepiscopis ejusdem LXX. London, 1572, fol." Though London is put in the title-page, it is said to have been printed at Lambeth, where the archbishop had workmen of all sorts. He caused only a few copies to be printed, which he occasionally distributed amongst his friends. It is very remarkable, that there are hardly any two copies alike; and most of them want the account of his own life, he having, out of modesty, caused it to be suppressed while he lived. Mr Strype has therefore inserted it in the appendix to our archbishop's life.——————A wretched edition of that book was printed again at Hanaw in 1605, full of faults and imperfections. But, a very beautiful and elegant one was at length reprinted at London in 1729, folio, by Samuel Drake, D. D. fellow of St John's College, Cambridge; adorned with the figures of the several archbishop's monuments, and other sculptures, exquisitely performed. Some have ascribed this work to John Josceline, our archbishop's secretary, or chaplain, a very learned antiquarian. But what share Josceline had in it, was only this, that he made collections for it out of ancient historians: And the digester and compiler of them was the archbishop himself. This is undeniable from two letters of the archbishop published by Dr Drake, and Mr Strype; wherein he calls that work, "My BOOK of my Canterbury predecessors-my small Travels-my "pore collection, &c."

PETER