BISHOP AYLMER. 25 



&quot; else we shall smart for it. For as sure as God liveth they CHAP. 

 &quot; look for an invasion, or else they would not fall away as _ 

 &quot; they do.&quot; For the Papistical sort, who before outwardly 

 complied with the laws, did now withdraw from the Church, 

 and refuse the oath of supremacy ; and others not well 

 grounded, upon Popish suggestions turned Papists. He 

 suggested moreover to the same Lord, that in these danger 

 ous times the heads of Papists which were obstinate (whom 

 he called their chief captains) should be placed in close 

 prison, as Sir Thomas Fitz-Herbert, Townley, and some 

 others of that sort, who now had liberty, or were under an 

 easy confinement only : men ready, if opportunity served, 

 to give counsel and countenance. He signified that he liked 

 not that Fecknam, late Abbot of Westminster, Watson, late 

 Bishop of Lincoln, and Young, another active Popish dig 

 nitary under Queen Mary, should continue where they 

 were, in London, in the Fleet or Marshalsea ; where by 

 their converse and advice they might instigate and do mis 

 chief ; advising that they might be placed again as they had 

 been before, with some three Bishops, as Winchester, Lin 

 coln, Chichester, or Ely ; and that for his part, he, if he 

 were out of his first-fruits, could be content to have one of 

 them. 



About this time [viz. 1577 or 1578] orders came to the Orders for 



Papists 

 prison. 



prison [of the Fleet as it seems] to keep under close re 

 straint all the Papists, both knights and others. But they 

 had the indulgence to dine and sup together; when they 

 sat for whole hours, conferring with and encouraging each 

 other. And upon pretence of the sickness of the wife of 

 one of them, under colour of physicians, Papists were ad 

 mitted to her, and she by private ways let them in to the 

 rest ; where they communicated their news and the counsels 

 that were taken among them. And divers of such as were 

 Protestants, servants and others in the house, were infected 

 and turned by them. Of all this, secret information was 

 given by certain unknown persons that were privy to these 

 doings; whose letter to the Bishop it may not be amiss to 

 set down. 



