138 THE LIFE OF 



CHAP, grave Mr. Fox, the martyrologist ; who, being mistaken in 

 XL him, favoured him at first, but afterwards acknowledged 

 with grief of heart that he had been abused by him. Now 

 Benison gathered conventicles, refused to go to his parish 

 church, sought to set all in combustion with schism in the 

 city. Whereupon he was called before Sir Nic. Wood- 

 roff, a grave citizen, (that had been Lord Mayor anno 

 1580,) and the Recorder; who found him in such an 

 humour, that they meant to have sent him to prison. But 

 because he was of the Clergy, they thought good to com 

 mit him to his Ordinary. The Bishop s Ordinary travailed 

 with him most earnestly to bring him to the Church, and 

 become orderly ; but after all could profit nothing with 

 him. Wherefore he sent him again to the sessions, to the 

 Lord Mayor and the Judges. After they had dealt with 

 him, and could find at his hands nothing but railing, they 

 referred him to the Bishop ; who finding in him unspeak 

 able disobedience to the Queen and her laws, offered him 

 the oath usually tendered by the Commission, which he 

 contemptuously and spitefully refused. Which being cer 

 tified according to order, he was sent to the King s Bench, 

 and condemned, and thereupon sent to prison. And what 

 at length could the Bishop have done less ? 



But it seems the Bishop had in the managery of the matter 

 with this man somewhat overshot himself, and not proceeded 

 so circumspectly in the imprisonment of him for so long 

 time. For Benison s cause being brought before the Lords of 

 the Council, the Bishop was judged to have dealt too hardly 

 with him, and received therefore some reprimand. This 

 made Benison s friends and the Bishop s enemies to triumph. 

 And he, to second his blow, (that I may put all together,) 

 preferred a petition to the Lords, &quot; That it would please 

 &quot; them to inform the Queen, while his affliction was yet 

 &quot; something fresh within her remembrance, that for the 

 &quot; late loss and great hindrance he had sustained by his late 

 &quot; imprisonment, over and beside his former harm done him, 

 &quot; the Queen would take some pity on him, and that in three 

 &quot; regards especially. First, his charges of close imprison- 



