A briefe view of the state of the Church of England as it stood in Q. Elizabeths and King James his reigne, to the yeere 1608 being a character and history of the bishops of those times ... / written ... by Sir John Harington ..., Knight.

Of Bishop Thomas Godwin.

Of Bishop Gilbert Bourn I can add no∣thing, and of the other Gilbert but a word, that he was a good Justicer, as saith the

same Author (nisi quatenus homo uxoris conjugis importunitate impulsus a veri ac recti tramite aberravit) saving that some∣times being ruled by his Wife, by her im∣portunity he swarved from the rule of Justice and sincerity, especially in perse∣cuting the kindred of Bourn his predeces∣sor. The fame went that he dyed very rich, but the same importunate woman caried it all away, that neither Church nor poor were the better for it. But for Doctor God win of whom I am to speak, I must with my Authors leave add a word of mine own knowledge. He came to the place as well qualified for a Bishop as might be unreprovably without Simonie, given to good Hospitality, quiet, kind, affable, a Widdower, and in the Queens very good opinion, Non minor est vir∣tus quam quaerere parta tueri, if he had held on as clear as he entred, I should have highly extold him: but see his misfortune that first lost him the Queens favour, and after forc't him to another mischief. Being as I said, aged, and diseased, and lame of the Gout, he maried (as some thought for opinion of wealth) a Widow of London. A chief favourite of that time (whom I am sory,

to have occasion to name again, in this kind) had labored to get the Mannor of Banwell from this Bishoprick, and dis∣daining the repulse, now hearing this in∣tempestive Mariage, took advantage thereof, caused it to be told the Queen (knowing how much she misliked such matches) and instantly pursued the Bi∣shop with letters and Mandats for the Mannour of Banwell for 100 yeers. The góod Bishop not expecting such a sudden tempest, was greatly perplext, yet a while he held out and indured many sharp Mes∣sages from the Queen, of which my self caried him one, delivered me by my Lord of Leicester, who seemed to fa∣vour the Bishop, and mislike with the Knight for molesting him, but they were soon agreed like Pilat and Herod to con∣demn Christ. Never was harmless man so traduced to his Soveraign, that he had maried a Girle of twenty years old, with a great portion, that he had conveyed half the Bishoprick to her, that (because he had the Gout) he could not stand to his Mariage, with such scoffs to make him ridiculous to the vulgar, and odious to the Queen.

The good Earl of Bedford happening

to be pr̄esent when these tales were told, and knowing the Londoners Widow - the Bishop had maried, said merrily to the Queen after his dry manner, Madam, I know not how much the Woman is a∣bove twenty, but I know a Sonne of hers is but little under forty; but this rather mar'd then mended the matter. One said, Majus peccatum habet. Another told of three sorts of Mariage, of Gods making, as when Adam and Eve two young folks were coupled, of mans making, when one is old, and the other young, as Josephs Mariage, and of the Devills making, when two old folks marry not for comfort, but for covetousness, and such they said was this. The conclusion to the premisses was this, that to pacifie his persecutors, and to save Banwell, he was fain with Wilscombe for 99 yeeres, (I would it had been 100.) and so purchased his peace. Thus the Bi∣shoprick as well as the Bishop were pun∣ished, who wished in his heart he had ne∣ver taken this preferment to foile himself in his decrepid age, with that ftain, that all his life he had abhorred, and to be made an instrument of another mans sacriledge, and used like a leaden Conduit Pipe to convey waters to others

and drinke nothing but the dreggs and drosse and rust it selfe, wherefore right honesty and modesty and no lesse lear∣nedly writes his owne sonne of him in the forenamed Treatise. O illum faelicem si faelix mane••e maluisset, quam Regi ••inis ecclesiastici labo is tum susciper, cum labo∣ribus i••par fractus senio necessu n illi fuerit aliorum uti auxilio, &c. O happy he if he would rather have remained happy (where he was) then to undergoe the la∣bours of Ecclesiasticall government when he grew unable to travell, broken with age constrained to use the helpe of others, who though their duty required a care of so good a natur'd old man, yet they pro∣ving as most do negligent of others good, and too greedy of their owne, overthrew both; For my part, though I loved him well and some of his, yet in this case I can make no other apology for him, nor use no other plea in his defence but such as able debtors doe, that when they are sued upon just occasions plead per minas, or ra∣ther to liken him to an husband-man, that dwelling neare a Judge that was a great Builder, and comming one day a∣mong divers other Neighbours with car∣riages, some of Stone, some Tin: The

Steward, as the manner of the Country was, provided two Tables for their Din∣ners, for those that came upon request, Powdered Beefe and perhaps Venison, for those that came for hire, Poor-John and Apple Pies, and having envited them to fit downe in his Lordships name, telling them one boord was for them that came in Love, the other for those that came for Money, this husband-man and his Hind sate not downe at either, the which the Steward imputing to simplicity repeated his former words again, praying them to sit downe accordingly, but he answered (for there is craft in the clouted Shooe) he saw no Table for him, for he came nei∣ther for love nor mony, but for very feare; and even so I dare answer for this Bishop, he neither gave Wilscombe for love, nor sold it for money, but left it for fear.

How strangely he was intrapt in the unfit marriage: I know not if it may be called a marriage.

Non Hymenaeus adest illi, non gratia lecto.

Himselfe protested to me with Teares in his eyes, he tooke her but for a guid of his house, and for the rest (they were his own words) he lived with her as Joseph

did with our Lady. Setting this one dis∣grace of his aside he was a man very well esteemed in the Country beloved of all men for his great hospitality, of the better sort for his kinde entertainment and plea∣sant discourse at his Table, his reading had beene much, his Judgement and Dc∣ctrine sound, his government mild and not violent, his minde charitable, and therefore, I doubt not but when he lost this life he wonne heaven according to his word, Win God, win all. This I say truly of him which his Son was not so fit to say for feare perhaps of the foolish saying, yet wise enough if it be well understood. Nemo laud at patrem nisi improbus filius.