MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.tectour, was first called and promoted to that dignitie. This man I may well call twyse a Martyr, not onely for the cruell death of the fire which hee suffered most constantly in the daies of Queene Mary, vnto the sheeding of his bloud: but also for diuers other iniuries & molestations in K. Edwardes tyme, which he no lesse firmely, thē vnworthely susteined at þe hands of his enemies after the fall of the Duke of Somerset. Of these his vexations & troubles, wyth the wranglyng articles and informations layd against hym, Marginalia56. Articles agaynst B. Farrar in King Edwardes time, deuised by Tho. Yong, Constantine, and other his aduersaries.to the number of fiftie & sixe, and of the malice conceaued agaynst hym by certayne couetous Canons of the Church of Carmarthen, and what were the proceedings of both parts as well of the Innocent as of the craftie aduersaries, and what the names of these were (to wytte George Constantine, Dauid Walter his seruant, the Chaūter MarginaliaTho. Yong sonne in law to Constantine.sonne in law to Constantine, which was Tho. Yong,
On 29 January 1561 Richard Pratt, a friend of the martyrologist, wrote to Foxe and asked him not to discuss Ferrar's feud with his canons as it would create scandal and encourage the catholics, particularly since Thomas Young was about to become archbishop of York (BL, Harley 416, fol. 170r-v). Foxe obliged to the extent of witholding the names of Meyricke and Young from his first edition. In the second edition, with both men dead, he supplied their names and even identified Meyricke ashaving been bishop of Bangor and Young as having been archbishop of York.
[Back to Top]On 29 January 1561 Richard Pratt, a friend of the martyrologist, wrote to Foxe and asked him not to discuss Ferrar's feud with his canons as it would create scandal and encourage the catholics, particularly since Thomas Young was about to become archbishop of York (BL, Harley 416, fol. 170r-v). Foxe obliged to the extent of witholding the names of Meyricke and Young from his first edition. In the second edition, with both men dead, he supplied their names and even identified Meyricke ashaving been bishop of Bangor and Young as having been archbishop of York.
[Back to Top]1 | Thomas Yong Chaunter of the Cathedrall Church of S. Dauids. |
2 | Rowlād Mericke Doctor of law, and Canon resident of the same church. |
3 | George Constantine, to whom the Bishop gaue the office of Registership. |
FIrst the Bishops aunswere vnto the first, second, third, fourth, and. xxxvj. MarginaliaOf these Articles read before in our former editiō of Actes and Monumentes pag. 1085.articles doth declare þe effect and controuersie betwene him & hys sayd aduersaries.
Item the sayd George Constantine beyng ioyned in friendship with hys sonne in law Tho. Yong aforesayd, and they both confederated with the said Rowlād Mericke, wyth diuers other their adherents, were the originall beginners of all this trouble and contention betwene the sayd Byshop and them, onely for their own wicked and most couetous behauiour MarginaliaThe vices of these aduersaries described.in spoyling the Cathedrall Church of Plate, Iewels, & other ornaments to a notable value, cōuerting it vnto theyr own vses, against the kinges right and to the vtter decay of the same church: also for omitting the Kynges Maiesties Iniunctions, and for cōmitting Simony and bribery, as is declared in the exceptions against the sayd Yong and Constantine: and furthermore for their abomination in manifest bearing wyth most wycked and vile liuers, as is declared in the bishops MarginaliaOf these aunsweres read more in our former edition of Actes and Monumentes. pag. 1088.aunswere to the xij. article. For which their ill demerites and wilfull persisting therein, and theyr most stubburne disobedience agaynst the sayd Bishop,
Foxe does not supply any details of a quarrel which been festering between Ferrar and his canons long before this denunciation of Ferrar was sent to the privy council. Over a year before this document was written, Ferrar had suspended some of his leading opponents from their diocesan offices and they had appealed to the Council of the Marches. And along with the complaint made against Ferrar to the privy council, another complaint had been brought against Ferrar in the Court of Great Sessions in Carmarthen. (For the details of the feud between Ferrar and his canons, see Brown, pp. 82-185).
[Back to Top]Item the sayd Thomas Yong, Rowland Mericke, and George Constantine, to preuent the said bishop, who had (as they knew rightwell) iust and haynous
matter agaynst them, did most maliciously conceiue, diuise, procure, aswell the pretēsed matter of MarginaliaPremunire pretended agaisnt B. Farrar.Premunire
This was originally a series of statutes enacted in 1353, 1365 and 1393, limiting appeals to the papacy by English clerics and prescribing penalties for those promoting a papal bull or excommunication in England. By Ferrar?s day it had come to be used as a legal term for any clerical usurpation of royal power or authority.
[Back to Top]Item they are mayntayners & bearers of þe charges of Thomas Lee brother in lawe to George Constantine, vncle to the wyfe of the sayd Tho. Yong, and promoter of the sayd articles by them diuised, and came in for wytnesses vnto their own conceites.
Item, furthermore they obtayned a commission into the countrey for better proufe of the sayd articles,MarginaliaCommissiō procured agaynst B. Farrar by his aduersaries. by vertue of which commission, and also by colour therof they examined sixe score and seuen witnesses, and that very partially and vnlawfully, as appeareth in the generall exceptions hereafter ensuing: which great nūber of wytnesses did sound much in the Coūsels eares. Neuertheles it is proueable, that the one halfe at the least (of the sayd number) were defamed persons, and many of them haue bene punished for their demerites by the said bishop and hys officers, and therefore were the readier to witnes against him:MarginaliaCrafty packyng agaynst B. Farrar. as adulterers, fornicators, baudes, dronkadrs, braulers, fighters, theeues, runnagates, and beggers. And the more part of the sayd wytnesses are eyther kynsmen, familiar friendes, farmers of benefices, seruantes, or by some other meanes adherentes vnto the sayd aduersaries. And as for the honest Gentlemen and other which haue deposed vpon the sayd articles, they haue sayd nothing that can hurt the sayd bishop, as it is thought by such as haue seene the depositions. And thus much briefly touching the first trouble of B. Farrar in K. Edwardes tyme.
[Back to Top]After that the foresayd M. Farrar bishop of S. Dauids had bene long deteined in custody vnder sureties in the raigne of king Edward (not for any iuste cause of hys part deserued, but by reason that he had ben promoted by þe Duke of Somerset, and now after his fall he found fewer frendes to supporte hym against such as hunted after hys bishopricke) at length after the decease of king Edward, MarginaliaThe secōd trouble of B. Farrar in the time of Queene Mary.by the comming in of Queene Mary the state of religion began to bee chaunged and altered. Whereby a new trouble rose vpon him, being now accused and examined, not for any matter of Premunire, but for hys fayth and doctrine. Whereupon he was called before the bishop of Winchester wyth M. Hooper, M. Rogers, M. Bradford, M. Saunders, & others aforesayd, the iiij. day of February. On the which day he should also with thē haue ben condēned: but because leysure or lyst dyd not so well then serue the bishop, his condemnation was differred, and he sēto to prison agayne, where he continued tyll the. 14. day of the sayd moneth of February. What his examinations and aunswers were before the sayd B. of Winchester, so much as remayned & came to our handes, I haue here annexed in maner as followeth.
[Back to Top]This is not an official record but the account of an eyewitness. Judging from this account, this examination was unusually ad hominem, focusing not as much on doctrinal matters as on efforts to rattle Ferrar by alleging past misbehaviour to him.
MarginaliaThe talke of Byshop Farrar before the B. of Winchester and other Cōmissioners.AT hys first comming and kneeling before the Lord Chaūcellor, þe B. of Duresme, and þe B. of Worcester, who sat at the table, and Maister Rochester, Maister Southwell, maister Bourne and other standing at the tables ende, the Lord Chauncellor sayd vnto hym on thys sort.
[Back to Top]Winch. Now Syr, you haue heard how the world goeth here.
Farrar. If it like your honour, I know not.
Winch. What say you? Do not you know thinges abroad, notwithstanding you are a prisoner?
Farrar. No my Lord, I know not.
Winch. Loe, what a froward fellow is this?