devolvunt istum lignum truncum in confertissimos auditores. Hic varius auditur diversorum clamor, rapitur, laceratur, frustillatim comminuitur, scinditurque in mille confractus partes, tandem in IGNEM mittitur. Et hic tulit exitum illum.

LVI.

A Consolatory Letter to Henry VIIIth, from the Bishop of Durham, after the Death of Queen Jane.

(Cott. Libr. Titus, B. 1, P. 121.)

PLESE your Highnes to understande, that wher now of late it hath pleasyd Almighty God to take unto his Mercy out off this present Lyffe, the most Blessed and Vertuouse Lady, your Graces most Dearest Wyffe the Queens Grace, whose Soule God pardone, and newes thereof Sorrowfull to all Men, came into these Partes, surely it cannot well be expressed, how all Men of all Degrees dyd greatly lament and mourne the Death of that Noble Lady and Princesse, taken out of this World by bringing forth of that Noble Fruit that is spronge of your Majesty, and her, to the great Joy and inestimable Comforte of all your Subjects, consideringe withall that this Noble Fruit, my Lord Prince, in his tender Age interyng into this World, is by her Death lefft a Dear Orphant, commencinge thereby thys miserable and mortall Lyffe, not only by Weepinge and Waylinge, as the Mysery of Menkynde requireth, but also refte in the Begynnynge of his Lyffe from the Comforte of his most dear Mother. And albeyt to hym by tenderness of his Age, it is not known what he hath lost, yet we that do know and feell it, have much more Cause to morne, seinge such a Vertuose Princesse who hath shewed so great Hopes of much Frute to come of her Body, is so sudenly taken from us. But thys notwithstandinge your Majesty whom thys chauncly most towcheth, must by your High Wisdome consyder the Misery of the Mortal Lyffe of Mankynde, which no Man born in this World, Prince nor Poore Man, can exchue; seing it is the Sentence of Almighty God, sayinge in the begynning aswel to the Woman, In dolore paries Filios tuos;" as to the Man, and by him to all his Posterite," Pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris." In which Mortal Lyffe who soever is most vexyd and troubled, yf he take it patiently ys more accepte to God, and called in the Scripture therby blessed; as it is written in the Book of Job, "Beatus Homo qui corripitur à Deo; in

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crepationem ergo Domini ne reprobes, qui ipse Vulnerat et medetur, percutit et manus ejus sanabit. And it is written in the Epistle of James lykewise, "Beatus Vir qui suffert tentationem, quum autem ille probatus fuerit, accipiet Coronam Vitæ." And as Saint Paul saies to the Hebrewes, It is a sure tokyn that God favoureth them as his Children, to whom he sendeth Adversite, sayinge, "Quem enim diligit Dominus, castigat; flagellat autem omnem Filium quem recipit. In disciplina perseverate, tanquam Filiis vobis se offert Deus: Quis enim Filius quem non corripit Pater; quod si extra disciplinam estis, cujus participes facti sunt omnes, ergo adulterini et non Filii estis." And albeyt the Disciplin of Adversite be full of Hevinesse for the Tyme, yet it endeth alwayes in Joy; as there folloeth “Omnis autem disciplina in presenti quidem non videtur esse gaudii sed meroris, postea autem fructum paratissimum exercitatis per eadem reddet justitiæ." And like as al Men more do Favour those their Servants, that in a longe Voiage do sustein more Adversite, so Almighty God in this Lyffe (which all is but a Voiage, for as Sainte Paule saieth, "Non habemus hic manentem civitatem sed futuram inquirimus), most accepteth those his Servants, that so sustein most Adversite patiently. And Saint Paule, consyderinge the Instabilite of this World, exhorteth all Men to use all Things therin as Transitory, and not permanent both in Prosperity and in Adversite; for neither of both doth tary, but brively overpaseth; sainge, "Tempus breve est; reliquum est, ut qui habent Uxores tanquam non habentes sint, et qui flent tanquam non flentes, et qui gaudent tanquam non gaudentes, et qui emunt tanquam, non possidentes, et qui utuntur hoc mundo, tanquam non utantur, preterit enim figura mundi hujus.' Then sence Prosperite is Fugitive, and taryeth not; let us not trust to yt, and since Adversite soon overpasseth and abideth not, let us not esteem it, for after it sustenyd patiently sure we be that Joy shall succed. Consyder yf it like your Majestie how oft Tymes sence your most Noble Regne began, God hath sent you diverse and many Tymes great flowings of Prosperite, and therfor yf God sum Tymes do sende a droppe of Adversite, sustein it by your High Wisdome, with patient Suffering, as I trust assuredly, and doubt not but your Highnes wyl; assured you may be that God for your so doinge shal hyghly requite that far beyond your Highnes Expectations. Grete Cities, Towns, and Regions, al People in them, and Princes of the same, oft do sustein Adversitie bycause the hole World is alway subject to mutabilitie, and lyke as after Lygth succeedeth Darknes, and after Somer cometh Winter, so Darknes taryeth

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not, but Light doth folow, and Winter giffeth Place to the Somer again; so that I doubt not but God willing this Storme of sorowful Season, shal by your Majesties Wysdome after a Tyme overpass, and the Somer of joyful Gladnes shall succeed, not only to your Grace Comforte, but to the Comforte of all your Subjects, much Mornyng at this Tyme in their Harts with your Highnes. And when Almighty God hath taken from your Grace, to your greate Discomforte a most Blessed and Vertuouse Lady, consyder what he hath given your Highnes again to your Comforte, and to the rejoyce of all us your Subjects, our most Noble Prince, to whom God hath ordeined your Majestie not only to be Father, but also as the Tyme now requireth, to supply the roome of a Mother also. So that therby he shal hereafter have double Cause to Honour your Highnes. As it is not to be doubted, but God grautyng him Lyfe herafter he wyl do. In whom in the mean Tyme, Almighty God of Infinite Mercy grant, that your Grace putting away all sorowful Pensivenesse, may to the Comfort of your Noble Harte, long rejoyce, which shall be also to the High Comfort of al the Subjects of your Graces Realme. And sense Mornyng can in no wise amend the Matter, and thanks given to God may sooner over-blow this Storm; Best shall be to conclude with Job, "Dominus dedit, dominus abstulit, sicut Domino placuit ita factum est. Sit nomine Domini Benedictum." God gave your Grace that Noble Lady, and God hath takyn her away as it plesed hym. So it is done, Laude be gyven to hym: and for to consyder also, how Job exhorteth by his example, al Men being in like Case, to Patience, sainge "Si bona suscepimus de manu Domini, mala autem quare non sustineamus:" which your Highnes for your great Wisdome and Learninge can much better consider, then I can advertise the same, unlesse sorrowfulnes for the Tyme put it out of remembrance. Almyghty God of his Infinite Mercy grant your Grace Spiritual Comfort, and putting away al Worldly Hevynesse, ever to rejoyce in him, who have your Majestie alway in his Blessed Protection to your Harts Desire, with encrease of much Honore. From your Citie of Yorke the xiii Day of November.

By your most humble Subject,

Servant and Chapelein,
CUTHBERT DURESME.

LVII.

Injunctions geven by Edwarde Archbushope of Yorke, to be observed within the Dioces of Yorke, by all the Clergie of the same, and oder, whome the sayde Injunctions do con

cerne.

You shall fyrste diligentlie observe all maner of Injunctions, given unto you by the Kings Hyghnes Commaundiment, and specially concerninge the Abolicion of the Papacie, or of the pretendyd Jurisdiction challenged by the Byshope of Rome within this Realme; and also concerning the Confirmation and Establishment of the Kyng's Highnes Title of Suprime Heade over thole Catholique Churche of Englande, aswell Spirituall as Temporall.

Item, Everie Curate and Preyste within this Dioces, shall have an New Testament in Englishe or Latten, within Fourtie Days nexte after the Publication hereof; and shall daylie reade Two Chapitores of the same afore Nowne, and Two at aftre Nowne, and that treatablie and distinctlie; and shall do his best Indevoure to understande the same.

Item, Everie Curate shall provyde to have the Booke compyled by the King's Highnes Commaundiment, namyde Thinstitution of a Christen Man, with all convenient Speyde, as soon as the saide Book shall come forth by his Commaundment: And in the same shall daylie read Two Chapitores, so that he may be able to declare the same to his Parochians.

Item, All Curates and Heades of Congregacions, Religiouse and not Religiouse, Privileged and not Privileged, shall, accordinge to the Kyng's Highnes Commaundiment and Injunctions, everie Holie Day, at Mattens Time, and betwene Mattens and Laudes, read the Pater Noster, and the Ave Maria in Englishe, treateabli and distincelie, and cause all theire Parochians, whiche cannot all redy say it in Englyshe, yonge and olde, to reherse everie Petecion by it selfe, to thend therof, after them;, and in lykewise everi Holy Day, at Masse, and immediatlie after the Crede, shall rehers everie Article of the Crede by it selfe, and so shall cause the Parochians to rehers after them, everie one, by it selfe, to thende, and likewise every Holy Day, at Even-Songe, betwene Even-Songe and Completorie, shall rehers the Tenne Commaundements, every one by it selfe, and so cause his Parochians to rehers after him, everie one by it selfe, to thende, to thentente that they may lerne perfectelie all Three. And for this Purpose, the saide Curates, and oder Heades of the Congregacion, must give Warninge

to thaire Parochians, that none of them be absent at such Times as any of the saide Three shall be rehersed. And shall furthermore declare unto them, that they shall not be admytted to resave the Blessed Sacrament of the Alter at Easter, tyll they can perfectlie reherse them all Three by Rote: And therfore everie Gostelie Father, accordinge to the King's Injunctions muste everie Lent examen ther Parochians, in Time of Confession, to knowe wheder they have learned the Premisses perfytly, or not.

Item, All Curates muste continuallye call upon thaire Parochians to provide a Booke of the hole Byble in Englyshe, of the Largieste Forme, within Fourtie Dayes nexte after the Puplication hereof, that may be chayned in some open Place in the Churche, that all Men may resorte to reade in it for theare Instruction, under the Payne of Suspencion of ther Churches. And the same to be boughte at the Charges of the Vicare or Parsonne, and Parochians, accordinge to the King's Injunctions.

Item, All Curates must cause one Booke, comprisinge the Pater Noster and Ave Maria in Englishe, the Crede and the Tenne Commaundements in Englishe, to be set upon a Table in the Churche openlie, that all men may reasorte to learne them, at all such Tymes as they woll. And this to be done, within Twentie Days after the Puplication hereof.

Item, No Curates, nor oder Preistes of what sorte soever they be, shall haunte Taverns or Alehowses, or open Hoistres, oder way esthan for necessarie Meales and Refections if they canne have none in oder Places, accordinge to the King's Highnes Injunctions; but shall occupie themselves, either in the Churche, or in thaire Chambers, with Reading of Holy Scripture, or Teachinge of Children.

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Item, All Curates and Priestes, beinge in one Churche togeddre, shall (if they can so provide) live togedder at one Commons; and not one to be in one Place, and ane oder in an oder Place. And shall, in all theire Behaviors, shew good Example, in Worde, Dede, Countenaunce and Habyte, to the better Edifienge of the Laye People.

Item, They shall not be Common Hunters ne Hawkers, ne playe at Gammes prohibytede, as Dycese and Cartes, and suche oder.

Item, That they shall (accordinge to the King's Highnes Injunctions) in no wise discorage any Man to reade in the English Byble, which is the Booke of Lyefe; but shall comfort them therin: Never the lesse exhorting them to entre in to the Readinge therof, withe the Sperite of Mekenes, and Purpose to be gostelie edified. And not to be Brablers VOL. III, PART II.

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