BISHOP AYLMER. 



only upon hearsay; which reflected upon his care of seeing CHAP, 

 due conformity observed in his diocese ; a thing apt to pro- X&amp;gt; 

 voke the Queen against her Bishops more than any other. 

 Therefore they told her of reports of great disorders in 

 Essex, a considerable part of his diocese; and that the 

 Ministers there in their several churches had ways and 

 forms of their own, all different from the appointed service ; 

 and that there were not seven churches in the whole county 

 one like another. This was a severe charge indeed, if it had 

 been true. This happened in November 1581. The Bi 

 shop understanding such an information to be brought to 

 the Queen against him, was not a little nettled at it ; and 

 forthwith caused a diligent search to be made in Essex. And 

 after all had not found three churches in the whole county, 

 wherein the service of the book was not observed. Where 

 upon he prayed the Lord Treasurer, that he would let her 

 Majesty know (and that on his credit) the falsehood of this 

 report, and the conformable condition of his diocese : add 

 ing his resentment, that any should so far abuse her Ma 

 jesty upon credit of others, and tell the Queen matters not 

 of their own knowledge. And to signify his diligence in 

 his place to cure all disorders, he shewed the Lord Trea 

 surer, how by them of the ecclesiastical Commission orders 

 were given out, that Apparitors and officers should on 

 Lord^s days go from church to church to see what confor 

 mity was used everywhere, and to certify accordingly. Of 

 this also the Bishop thought convenient that the said Peer 

 should advise the Queen, and to understand further her 

 pleasure in the same. 



In these and divers other matters, there wanted not for Desires to 

 persons to misrepresent him to the Queen; which, when 

 they were better and more throughly known and under 

 stood, proved but calumnies. And therefore when some 

 time the Queen seemed to give too much credit to these 

 reports, the Bishop would remind her of the request he 

 made to her upon his first access to his charge, desiring he 

 might enjoy the promise she had then made him thereupon : 

 that his adversaries might not carry it away without his an- 



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