to confer the see of London upon Bishop Ridley". Boner's appeal from the sentence of deprivation given against him had been taken into consideration since the fall of Somerset, but it was pronounced of no validity. Hence there was no reason why the most important diocese in England should any longer be deprived of its chief pastor. In point of emolument, it is probable, that Ridley gained but little by his translation; especially as his expenses were necessarily much augmented. The cupidity of the courtiers was still unsated, and it appeared as if they could never hear of a vacant bishopric, without mentally dividing its revenues among themselves. In order that they might have a large property for distribution upon this occasion, the see of Westminster was dissolved, and its prelate, Thirlby, was translated to Norwich'. The new Bishop of London, how e "On the 21st of February, he (Ridley) was sent for; though it is not unlike that he was designed for it (the see of London) more than a month before; for on the 16th of January, I find Thomas Broke, collated by the Archbishop to the vicarage of Herne, which Ridley had held in commendam with his bishopric of Rochester." He freely resigned his prebend of Canterbury on the 23d of July, 1551. Bishop Ridley took the oaths for the see of London, on the 3d of April, and he was enthroned by proxy on the 12th of the same month. Life of Bp. Ridley, 291, 297. f Bishop Thirlby resigned the bishopric of Westminster on the 29th of March; and it was then suppressed, the diocese being reunited to London, three days afterwards. (Ibid) Bishop Repps resigned the see of Norwich in the beginning of the year, ever, was not suffered to enjoy the estates of which he became legally the possessor. From their proceeds, he was allowed a pension of one thousand pounds per annum, and as the charges of his appointment could scarcely be defrayed upon such an income, he was permitted to retain in commendam, a prebend which he held in each of the churches of Westminster and Canterbury". No sooner had Ridley entered upon his new preferment than he gave such proof of his good sense and Christian temper as was to be expected from his exalted character. He readily allowed his deprived predecessor to move away from the episcopal residences whatever property he could identify as his own, he even paid the wages due to his servants, and treated his mother and sister as if they had been members of his own family. These females, who resided at Fulham, were regularly invited both to dinner and supper with the new Bishop, when at his house there, and the old lady was always placed at the head of his table. Nor however distinguished might be his guests, would the amiable Ridley allow her to be removed from that situation. By favour of 66 the chapter of his cathedral certifying that fact to the Archbishop on the 31st of January. Repps was indebted to the crown in the sum of nine hundred pounds, and on his resignation, he was allowed to reserve for his support an annuity of two hundred pounds from the revenues of his late preferment. He died before the year was ended. Thirlby was translated to Norwich on the first of April. Godwin. de Præsul. 440, 441. Notes. Life of Bp. Ridley, ut supra. your Lordships," he would say, "this place, by right and custom, is for my mother Boner." When, however, the displaced prelate regained his former station, he made a base return for these acts of kindness and liberality. In ordinary habits, Bishop Ridley was strict, studious, and devout. At five in the morning he left his couch, and being dressed, he spent half an hour on his knees in private prayer. When arisen from these personal appeals to the throne of grace, he proceeded to his study, and there continued until ten o'clock; when he met his household in the chapel. After service, he went to dinner, and having taken a moderate refreshment, he commonly spent about an hour either in conversation, or in playing at chess. His afternoons were usually devoted either to literature or business, and before supper, his family again assembled in the chapel. The evening-meal was also followed by an hour of relaxation, and this being exhausted, the exemplary prelate retired again to his study. At eleven o'clock he went to rest, having first concluded the day, as he began it. To his family assembled for devotion, he daily expounded Scripture, beginning at the Acts of the Apostles, and proceeding through the whole of St. Paul's Epistles. Indeed so great was his anxiety, to render all who ate his bread acquainted with the words of eternal life, that he supplied every one of his servants able to read with a New Testament, and gave pecuniary rewards to such of them as would commit portions of Holy Writ to memory. In the scriptural exercises which he thus maintained and encouraged, among his dependents, the thirteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and the hundred and first Psalm were especially distinguished". The metropolis, together with the district ecclesiastically connected with it, being thus excellently supplied with a prelate, the diocese of Winchester came next under consideration. Bishop Gardiner had been visited in his prison, soon after the Common Prayer appeared, by the Lord Chancellor, and Mr. Secretary Petre, for the purpose of learning of him officially whether he would express his assent to the new service. If his answer should prove affirmative, it was intimated to him, that he might expect his release. He conducted himself, however, in an evasive manner, demanding a trial if he were charged with any offence, declaring that he would never submit to be schooled while a prisoner in the Tower, and adding, that if he were set at liberty, he would act according to his conscience. "Should my conduct," he concluded, "be then found illegal, I may be punished according to law." As insurrection was at that time raging from one side of England to the other, and as the seditious openly professed the imprisoned prelate's religious opinions, no farther notice was then Foxe, 1559. It may be worthy of observation, that the venerable martyrologist was ordained deacon by Bishop Ridley, at St. Paul's, on the 24th of June, 1550. Life of Bp. Ridley. i Bp. Gardiner's Relation. Foxe, 1232. taken of him; it being sufficiently obvious, that he was bent upon contravening the new arrangements to the utmost of his power. In the present year, however, the kingdom had attained a high degree of tranquillity, and therefore it was considered, that the Bishop of Winchester's business might be safely resumed. Accordingly it was determined on the 8th of June, that the Duke of Somerset, the Lord Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, and Mr. Secretary Petre, should endeavour to obtain from him, an admission of sorrow for the past, and an engagement, that he would henceforth act agreeably to the religious regulations then in force*. This commission was executed on the following day, Gardiner receiving the King's letter, and reading it on his knees'. Being requested to forbear this abject ceremony, he entered into conversation with his visitors, but nothing bearing upon the business in hand was elicited, beyond the prisoner's anxiety to parry any admission of having been in fault, and a general expression of his willingness to obey such legal arrangements as might be sufficiently known to him, so far as his conscience would allow. also embraced the opportunity to observe, that his confinement was unnecessarily rigorous. In consequence of this interview, it was ordered, that a written account of the King's proceedings Extracts from the Proceedings of Privy Council, 12. He |