BISHOP AYLMER. 141 



nicknamed his Lordship (whose Christian name was John) CHAP. 

 Don John, and sometimes, by an easy variation from thence, 

 Dumb John ,- intending thereby to fetch him over for lazi 

 ness and neglect of preaching. Whereas in truth he was 

 both a great and a learned preacher, and had been very 

 successful therein. In former time he was the only preacher 

 in Leicestershire : whereby, under God, that county was 

 brought out of ignorance to knowledge and sound religion. 

 When afterwards he was Archdeacon of Lincoln, by his 

 diligent preaching and careful discipline, he purged both 

 the cathedral church and the county too, and reduced it 

 to order, sobriety, and religion. Moreover thev had the 

 confidence to give out, that simony was the Bishop&quot; 1 * lackey, 

 and that, according to Marprelate s phrase, Tarleton had 

 taken him in Don John of London s cellar : that he urged 

 men to subscribe contrary to law : that he abused the High 

 Commission : that he bound an Essex Minister in a bond 

 of 200Z. to wear his surplice on Easter-day : that he forbade 

 men to humble themselves in fasting and prayer : and that 

 he then said unto the preachers, Now you had best tell the 

 people that we forbid fasts. The occasion of this clamour 

 seemed to be, that in Lent 1588, by letters to the Arch 

 deacon of Essex, he had forbidden certain fasts which the 

 sectaries had of their own authority appointed. Further, 

 they told it abroad with triumph, how one dame Lawson, 

 a citizen s wife, a bold prating woman, came to the Bishop 

 at Paul s gate, and bade him throw himself down at her 

 Majesty s feet, and acknowledge himself to be unsavoury 

 salt, and to crave pardon of her Highness, because he had 

 so long deceived her and her people. This woman, as it 

 seems, was set on by the malecontent party. For she took 

 her opportunity to abuse even the Archbishop of Canter 

 bury, as well as the Bishop of London. But the apolo- 

 gizer, in the name of the Bishop, replied, that this dame 

 came at no time to him in that bravery. For if she had, 

 the Bishop was not so soft, but she should have felt of his 

 discipline, and of the Queen s authority. 



They charged him further, that he was a defender of the 



bath. 



