a gentle and kind man, too prone to yield, too slavishly deferential to authority, too unstable and hasty in his views, but one who, with all his blemishes, wrought a work of incalculable value for the English Church.

§ 24. On the next day after the burning of Cranmer (March 22), Reginald Pole was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. The character of Pole is not unlike that of Cranmer. He was by disposition mild and tolerant; he was, however, weak and yielding, as he showed especially in the last year of his life, when, to refute the accusations brought against him, he allowed himself to uphold those sanguinary executions for heresy of which in principle he disapproved 1

§ 25. In November of this year (1556), Queen Mary restored the church of Westminster to its former condition of a Benedictine abbey, abolishing the character of a collegiate church with dean and canons, which it had been made to assume since 1550. Fourteen monks were appointed, and Feckenham, Dean of St. Paul's, was made the abbot. The Observants were also settled anew at Greenwich, and a house of Dominicans established in Smithfield. The nunnery of Sion, near Brentford, was again furnished with nuns and re-endowed, and at Sheen, near Richmond, a convent of Carthusians was erected. The fraternity of the Knights of St. John at Jerusalem was again founded. in England, and Sir Thomas Tresham appointed the first prior. The Hospital of the Savoy, the lands of which had been granted to Bridewell by Edward VI., was refounded and endowed for the use of the poor.2

§ 26. Other steps were also taken to efface, if possible, the Reformation. A commission was issued for searching out and destroying all papers containing the acceptance of the royal supremacy and the abjuration of the pope, all records of the visitation of abbeys, and all the compromising documents of the Reformation time.

§ 27. In the beginning of 1557, Cardinal Pole set on foot a visitation of the universities. Heretical books were sought out and seized, the services at the chapels inquired into. At Cambridge a formal process was instituted against Martin Bucer and Paul Fagius deceased; they were convicted of heresy, and their bodies were taken up and burned, together with all their books which could be collected. At Oxford the body of the wife of Peter Martyr, buried there, although she could not be convicted of heresy, not having been able to speak English, was yet treated as that of an excommunicate person, on the ground of her having formerly been a nun; it was taken out of consecrated ground and buried in a dunghill. § 28. With these insults to the dead was combined an increase 1 See Poli Ep. iv. 156; Lingard, v. 98; Hook, p. 395. Burnet gives a most favourable character of Pole.

2 Collier, vi. 156.

of persecution of the living. It being found that the civil magistrates now absolutely refused the odious task of searching out heretics and bringing them before the bishops, an ecclesiastical commission was issued (February 8, 1557) to some divines, and twenty laymen, giving them a general power for the whole country "to search out all such persons as obstinately refuse to preach the blessed sacrament of the altar, to hear mass, or come to divine service, to go in procession, or to take holy water or holy bread, and to hand them over to their ordinaries.1 Thus, during 1557, the persecution raged more fiercely than ever.

§ 29. Meanwhile at Rome the pope, a violent enemy of the Spaniards, was bitterly set against the cardinal, and went so far as to revoke his legatine commission, and appoint in his place Friar Peto, the queen's confessor; 2 but the queen would not desert the cardinal, and when her will was crossed she showed herself as ready to resist the pope as her father or her sister. She ordered the ports to be guarded, so that no communication with Rome could be had. She wrote strongly and sharply to the pope, saying that it was her pleasure that Pole should continue legate.3 The pope then endeavoured to lure the cardinal to Rome, where it is probable that he would have been handed over to the Inquisition; and though Pole himself was inclined to go, the queen would not suffer him to do so, but instructed her ambassador to defend him with the pope. The pope at length yielded, chiefly on political grounds, and Pole was reinstated in his office as legate.

§ 30. In January 1558 he presided in the Convocation of Canterbury as archbishop. The whole country was in commotion at the loss of Calais, and the clergy were again called upon for a heavy subsidy. They voted another eight shillings in the pound, but they took the opportunity of making some demands for themselves, which seem to indicate that they were not altogether contented with the state of things then existing, and that the enactments of the Legatine Synod had not been as yet carried out. They petition that clergy may be exempted from serving in the wars. They desire that Homilies, a Catechism, and a Primer in English, may be put forth; that churches, altars, and vestments may be reverently cared for, and replaced where needed; that discipline may be restored; that married clergy might not hold benefices, but merely serve as curates; that cathedral schools be

1 Burnet, Records, ii. ii. 32.

* He was created a cardinal, end nominated to the See of Salisbury. He was abroad at this time, and the queen refused to allow him to return, threatening him with a Pramunire. He died soon after.

3 Lingard, v. 126,

restored, the clerical dress enforced, the Universities regulated, and schools increased and provided with orthodox teachers. Canons on these points were in fact drawn up, but were not finally agreed upon by Convocation.1

66

§ 31. And now the time of bitter agony and trial to the Church of England was drawing to a close. It is a sad picture, which even the historians most favourable to the queen's religion, draw, of the misery of her life, and the overpowering melancholy which hastened her death. She knew that she was hated by her subjects. She became convinced that the fires of Smithfield had failed to break down the spirit of the Reformers, and that her favoured creed would fall with her.2 She found herself involved in a quarrel with the pope, for whom she had done so much, and she was neglected by the husband whom she loved with a deep intensity. The loss of Calais was the last drop in the cup. The queen was unable to rally from a feverish attack. "She lived," said the French ambassador, "almost alone, employing all her time in tears, lamentations, and regrets, in writing to try to draw back her husband to her, and in fury against her subjects." Meanwhile, among all her subjects there arose a great clamour because that she made so many persons to perish, the universal opinion being that these poor wretches who are hurried away to divers punishments are all of them innocent."3 The queen died November 17, 1558, and within twenty-two hours of her death died the cardinal who had taken so prominent a part in carrying out her religious policy. Nearly at the same time died also no less than thirteen bishops, and a great number of the clergy, from the quartan fever, then greatly prevalent. A great barrier to the reintroduction of reforming views was thus removed, but none in the country could be altogether sure of the character in religious matters which the next reign would assume. Elizabeth had steered her way with consummate prudence through the dangerous pitfalls which beset her on all sides during her sister's reign. She was believed to be favourable to the Reformation, but she had conformed to the religion of Mary, and many doubtless awaited with intense anxiety the first indications of the views which she would now uphold.

1 Cardwell, Synodalia ii., 448-449.

2

Lingard, v. 115.

3 Noailles, Ambassade en Angleterre, v. 362-370.

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

TABLE OF THE NUMBER OF REFORMERS BURNED IN THE DIFFERENT DIOCESES DURING REIGN OF QUEEN MARY.

CHAPTER XV.

THE RESTORATION OF THE REFORMATION MOVEMENT.

1558-1559.

§ 1. The English Reformers abroad during the reign of Mary. § 2. They hasten home on accession of Elizabeth. § 3. Doubts as to Elizabeth's sentiments. § 4. The paper of recommendations in religion. § 5. The Commission to revise the Prayer-Book. § 6. Proclamation against innovations. § 7. The Lord Keeper's speech. § 8. Convocation entirely in favour of Romanist dogma. § 9. A disputation resolved on. § 10. The Act of Supremacy. § 11 The disputation at Westminster Abbey. § 12. The revision of the Prayer-Book. § 13. The PrayerBook altered after leaving the Commissioners. § 14. The Act of Uniformity. § 15. Use of the revised Prayer-Book commences. Parliament tampers with Church revenues. § 17. The Romanist bishops deprived. § 18. Their subsequent treatment. § 19. Commission to visit the clergy. § 20. Number of those deprived. § 21. Jewel's account of the state of things. § 22. Queen Elizabeth's Injunctions. § 23. The Commissioners exceed the directions of the Injunctions. § 24. The Articles of Visitation.

$ 16.

§ 1. DURING the troublous period of the reign of Mary a considerable number of English of reforming views-both clergy and laity were living in exile in various towns on the Continent. The Lutheran Churches had indeed churlishly refused an asylum to the fugitives,1 but in Switzerland, the Low Countries, and the cities on the Rhine, the most generous hospitality was everywhere extended to the English exiles. Of bishops who had escaped there were Poynet of Winchester, Barlow of Bath and Wells, Scory of Chichester, Coverdale of Exeter, Bale of Ossory. Of deans-Cox, Haddon, Horne, Turner, Sampson. Of archdeacons-Cranmer, Aylmer, Bullingham. There also were many divines whose names became well known in the after-history of the ChurchGrindal, King, Sandys, Jewel, Reynolds, Pilkington, Noel, Knox, Gilby, Whittingham, Foxe. These, together with a large number of laity of position and importance, made up a total of about 800,2 2 settled in the towns of Arau, Basle, Zurich, Geneva, Emden, Wezel, Strasburg, Worms, and Frankfort. It is with this latter place that the history of the English exiles is principally connected. In their other settlements they lived together amicably 1 Orig. Letters, 163-168. Collier, vi. 19.

2