188 THE LIFE OF 



CHAP, what of his spirit, tending to impatience; which however 

 XIV he had the grace to master, and not long to give way to. 

 But lest, by the abovesaid challenges and charges of that 

 most excellent Statesman, any sinister opinion might be left 

 in men s minds concerning him, I shall subjoin his answer 

 to the Bishop, wrote the very same day ; wherein may 

 appear that most admirable, wise, and serene temper that he 

 was master of. 



The Lord &quot; My good Lord, your Lordship s letter is too full of cho- 

 &quot; ^ er ^ or me to answer directly without adding of choler : 

 &quot; and so I should addere oleum igni, i. e. add oil to the fire. 

 &quot; But I am otherwise disposed, both for reverence to your 

 &quot; spiritual vocation, and for charity to mine old familiar ac- 

 &quot; quaintance. For the opinion by you conceived of me, as 

 &quot; not bearing you good- will, surely your Lordship therein 

 &quot; doth misinform yourself: and for answer cor am Domino, 

 &quot; I protest that I bear you no kind of disfavour. That I 

 &quot; have said to you of vour wasting of timber, I spake as a 

 &quot; public officer, and will speak the like upon like occasion 

 &quot; to any of your estate, how dearly soever I shall love them. 



&quot; For reprehension of the common misusage by Bishops 

 &quot; Chancellors, Commissaries, Summoners, and such like, I 

 &quot; say, with grief of mind, that I see therein no true use of 

 &quot; the discipline meant at the first erection of those officers, 

 &quot; (which I allow well of,) but a corrupting of them to pri- 

 &quot; vate gain, and not to the public benefit, and edifying of 

 &quot; the Church. And it grieveth me to see the fond, light, 

 &quot; pretended reformers, to have occasion ministered unwisely 

 &quot; to condemn the offices, where they should condemn the 

 &quot; misuse thereof. 



&quot; And so, my Lord, lest in much writing I should by 

 &quot; heat of argument stir your choler, I end, and pardon 

 &quot; your taunts sparkled in your letters. 



&quot; Your Lordship s with reverence 



&quot; and Christian charity, 



&quot; W. Burghley.&quot; 

 Westminster, May 26, 1579. 



