ΧΧΙΙ. ." reserved,) he was ready, with greatest repentance of his CHAP. "error and fault, committed in his youth, to fall at her "majesty's feet. I know not," added he in his intercession Anno 1580. for that earl, " whether the reclaiming of desperate men do 66 agree with our state and policy: and yet it is daily seen, "that the kings Christian and Catholic [i. e. of France and "Spain] do it; yea, sometimes with advancement. But "the cause was so great, that he dared not adventure to " speak much of it; and therefore did wholly refer it to his "lordship's wisdom and grave consideration. If the mo"tion were seasonable, (as in truth he thought it to be,) " and the service not offensive to her majesty, it might 650 "be delivered into the lord ambassador's hand, who (as the "earl told him) by one Calvi an Italian, did offer to deal " in it, and within few days to despatch it. And that the "earl had often, by himself and others, spoken with him " herein : but that her majesty's pleasure and his lordship's " opinion, as in every thing, should be his rule in this." This was dated July the 30th, 1580. called lord Again, the same year, from Paris, he undertakes to be a Sir Thomas, mediator for another popish fugitive, viz. Copply, a knight, Copply. called lord Copply, a pensioner to the king of Spain, writing thus: "That if his former letters touching the lord Copply "proved serviceable to her majesty, and profitable to the " state, he should think himself very happy to have adven"tured thus far, for such an one as was very like to be "found, for his deserts hereafter, worthy her grace's and " his honourable favour. That the necessity of the time, "his credit heretofore in England, his long services, well " entertained abroad, joined to the earnest and constant "speeches of his dutiful desire to serve her majesty, (if "the same were taken in time,) put him out of doubt that "her majesty should have good cause to thank his lordship " for the so seasonable recovery of so necessary a subject. "That he sued for no greater a privilege than many a true " and faithful subject did graciously and daily enjoy; that "his land, liberty, and reputation should undertake for " his good demeanour; and that time would undoubtedly BOOK Anno 1580. Hitchcock's a defence " discover, how far he was from thought to offend her ma"jesty." And then, with all the earnestness he could in behalf of this fugitive, he concluded with these words: " Truly, my "lord, there is nothing more apparent in the face and "countenance of the whole household, than a determina" tion religiously to perform at the least whatsoever I have "written. For my part, &c. I do presume, under correc" tion, to put you in remembrance how much the recovery " and restitution of such a gentleman (in whose blood and "race your children have, and your lordship, by this good "turn, shall be ever assured to have interest) may prove " worth in the opinion of every good man." We may add more of Parry's sly letters hereafter. We heard before what fierce resolutions were taken by tract for pope and Spaniard, combined in a pretended holy league, against an against queen Elizabeth and her realm; which caused a Foss, great consternation in the people at this time; the prepara invasion. tions making by them being given out to be exceeding great; and the more formidable, by reason of the secret correspondence of great numbers of the queen's treacherous subjects at home, with them abroad. In this juncture, one Robert Hitchcock, a military gentleman, shewed his zeal and loyalty, by presenting to the queen a tract, by him written upon the like occasion nine years before; directing a manner and method of defence against an expected invasion, with a new dedication of it to her; " Praying her " majesty to hear the true and faithful mind of her humble "subject, poured out at the feet of her sacred majesty, "touching the raging, feigned holy league: Wherein, he " said, he had set out his poor opinion, both of the landing " of the enemy, and what peril it might breed, if it were not "prevented in time; and also, of their repulsing again, " with triumphant victory, if order were used, and his poor 651 "labour accepted in good part: which he humbly presented " unto her excellency." Therein he shewed her the absolute need for her subjects numbers of to be disciplined and trained in skill of arms; who might The vast the enemy XXII. otherwise well be amazed, when they should see such num- CHAP. bers of enemies, as the bruit and report was, to seek them at their own doors. And added, that he was awaked out of Anno 1580. his sleep by such ugly and monstrous bruits, as the confe-terrify the people. derates of that feigned holy league, and their friends, had now thrown abroad within her majesty's kingdoms, to the great terror and disquiet of her loving subjects. The number of these enemies was reckoned so vastly large, as to be able to invade the land on several sides of it at once. For those princes confederates intended so to proportion themselves, and manage their doings, to breed a terror in the subjects' hearts: and therefore would agree to land with several powers, in as many places as they could at one time, and think the matter thereby half won. an invasion places of the Now for the making provision for this their stratagem, His counsel this gentleman advised the queen how to prepare sufficient in case of armies to defend the realm on all sides, by allotting fit in several numbers of men against such as should invade on any or land at every side of the kingdom: namely, such as inhabited in once. the country on the respective sides of it: dividing the force of the land in six several parts; and to apportion to them such shires as best should serve for repulsing them that should come: viz. the first part to be Northumberland, Westmerland, the bishopric of Durham, Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Cumberland, Lancashire; and six shires more that way, to serve the north parts from Trent. Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and four more shires, to serve the east parts. Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and four more on that side, to serve the south parts. Cornwall, Devonshire, and three more bordering counties, to serve the west parts. All the twelve shires of Wales, with Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, to serve for the defence of Wales, Milford-haven, and the rest thereabouts. The city of London, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, being the sixth part; to be about her majesty, to relieve the rest where need should require. And the land being thus divided into six parts, Six hunthere would be in every of those six parts an hundred thou-sand able dred thou BOOK sand able persons; which might right well be levied to repulse the enemy. II. Anno 1580. persons might be levied. A way to Philip; and And then he wished, that the charge and government of every of those six parts might be committed to one nobleman. And he (if it so pleased her majesty) to be called the general of that part of the land that he shall have charge of. The which noblemen should be wise, valiant, true, and unfeigned lovers of their commonweal. And they to have assistants, deputy-lieutenants, &c. And at last, towards the conclusion of his discourse, he divert king addeth, that he was of opinion, (which he referred to men to humble of better judgments,) that he knew the way both to turn the Spani- and divert king Philip's determination from hence, mind it ard. he never so earnestly: and also to take from him and the Spaniards, that thing that is and hath been their only pride and upholder of all their great bravery and acts done in these latter days. Both which her majesty's subject was with all humbleness ready to open to her highness, if she liked so to command him. 652 And also to declare to her highness the way and means, in And to pre-his simple judgment, how to avoid rebellion in her land. bellion at And that the confederates should be out of all hopes to vent a re home. have or receive any succour or aid by any her majesty's subjects, at their landing here, come when they will. And so humbly praying the Lord God of Israel to send his angels with the sword of his glorious power, to defend her majesty, her realm, and people from her enemies. Such gallant men and true firm subjects had the queen at this time to counterbalance the other sort. CHAP. XXIII. Gualter of Zurick acquaints the archbishop of Canterbury what was doing in the synod at Frankford, for union. Formula concordiæ; disliked. Zanchy's Confession of faith; disliked: and why. The harmony of confessions: a motion to this effect to the king of Navar. Horn, bishop of Winton, dies. Translates two seasonable sermons of Calvin in his exile. His apology for his flight. His last will. Dr. Overton made bishop of Litchfield and Coventry. Some passages of him. Railed upon and abused in the pulpit at Chichester, when prebendary there. Two evils oppress bishop Cox. Elmer, bishop of London, accused for felling his woods. Visits his London clergy. The bishop of Norwich, his proposal for rural deans in his diocese. Mr. Laurence, a preacher, sequestered by that bishop for nonconformity. Endeavours made at court to get him restored. The bishop's letter on that occasion. Now to record some notices of our reverend bishops and Anno 1580. divines, as they occur under this year. synod at A great and useful matter had been transacting in Germany now for two years; viz. for the allaying and pacifying the differences of the churches in Germany, chiefly concerning the presence in the eucharist: such were, on the one part, those Lutherans called ubiquitarians, (whereof Jacob Andreas, a learned professor, was the head,) and the evangelici of divers sentiments, the other. In a sy-An endeanod held at Frankford, commendable endeavours were vour, in a used, to frame such a confession as all the churches of pro- Frankford, testants, not only in Germany, but in all other places, might accord in. And what was done in this matter, and how this great affair stood, Rodolph Gualter, of Zurick, gave Grindal, archbishop of Canterbury, an account in a letter sent to him this year, in these words: In Germania passim 653 dat concordia formula, &c. "That that form of a concord What was "to be agreed to by all, gave disturbance in Germany. in. Shewn "Which Jacobus Andreas, successor to Brentius, and the in a letter of concord. done there of Gualter |