BISHOP AYLMER. 35 



vanities of a Porphyrius or a Julian ; who were base apostates C H A P. 

 from Christianity. And in fine, that were it not for the toil IJ1&amp;gt; 

 of his ecclesiastical Commission, he could gladly have occu 

 pied himself in searching out his vanities ; but according as 

 his health would serve, he would peruse the piece, and set 

 some others a work. 



We have not done with Campion a yet. In September The Bishop 

 1581, (Campion having been caught, and now in hold mp^ 1 ^ 

 the Tower,) the vapouring challenge which he had made of 

 maintaining his doctrine by disputation with any Protestant 

 whatsoever came into remembrance. Several of our Divines 

 took him up : and, by the consent of some of the superior 

 powers, there were several conferences had with him. But 

 when the day was come allotted for these learned combats, 

 the bruit thereof brought great numbers of people to hear. 

 This gave a disgust to the Court, which thought it most 

 convenient to have it privately managed, to prevent all 

 noise, boastings, and misreports, which must fly abroad 

 concerning it. The blame of this confluence was imputed 

 to the Bishop, though he was of the same mind, and had 

 advised the Lieutenant of the Tower of his misliking that 

 so many were admitted. This he was fain by letter to sig 

 nify to the Lord Treasurer in his own behalf, adding, that 

 the Lieutenant s authority was not to be directed by him, 

 (being an exempt jurisdiction perhaps,) but by her Majesty 

 and the Lords : nay, and that for the ill opinion he had of 

 any dispute at all, he sent to stay it : which was all that he 

 could do. And whereas Mr. Whitacre had answered in 

 Latin Campion s Ten Reasons, now some were very busy 

 in translating the answer into English, in order to the pub 

 lishing thereof. But neither did the Bishop like this, that 

 the people s minds might not be heated with controversies ; 

 and therefore, if the copy came into his hands, he was re 

 solved to stay it. 



The issue proved the matter as the Bishop feared : for The Papists 

 the friends of the Jesuit boasted much ; and among the rest ho:ist 



See Additions, Numb. I. 



