GARDENS OF CELEBRITIES 



been Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Worcester, and as Dean of 

 Peterborough had attended the execution of Mary Queen of Scots at 

 Fotheringay Castle. For thirteen years he had been chaplain to 

 Queen Elizabeth, whose dislike to a married clergy was well known. 

 Time, no doubt, had modified her early prejudice, but she was 

 clearly of the opinion of St. Paul that " a bishop should be the hus- 

 band of one wife ; " and, knowing this, as he must have done, 

 Fletcher was courting disaster, when, shortly after his translation 

 to the See of London, he married for a second time. In conse- 

 quence, for twelve months he was banished from Court, where he 

 had been a constant attendant for twenty years ; and for six months 

 was suspended from the exercise of his ecclesiastical functions : 

 the period of his disgrace might have been longer but for the good 

 offices of friends. Nor does he seem ever to have completely re- 

 covered the Queen's favour, " which of all things," says Faulkner, 

 " he most desired." He died suddenly " whilst sitting in his chair 

 and smoking tobacco, which was not usually taken in those days, 

 unless by way of physic, or to divert melancholy ; " therefore we 

 may conclude that the unfortunate bishop was very melancholy 

 indeed. Unlike Aylmer, Bishop Fletcher died poor. 



The bishop's initials, with the date 1595, are in the window of the 

 hall at Fulham, for he had spent much money in restoring the 

 palace, and also other houses of the See. This was pleaded at his 

 death in support of a petition to the Queen to defray his debts, 

 and assist his eight children. He had repaired the palace, says 

 Faulkner, " out of respect, as well to his duty and necessary use, 

 as to Her Majesty's satisfaction, for he hoped one day to recover 

 her gracious favour, and to see Her Majesty in his house at 

 Fulham " . . . " Such," he adds, " was Bishop Fletcher, whose 

 pride was rather in him than on him, as only gait and gesture 

 deep, not sinking to his heart, though carelessly condemned as a 

 proud man, far more humble than he appeared." 



The bishop's son, John Fletcher, was the well-known dramatist 

 who wrote plays in collaboration with Francis Beaumont, and after 

 Beaumont's death, with Jonson and Massinger. The bishop's 

 nephew was that Phineas Fletcher who was the author of " The 

 Purple Island." 



Queen Elizabeth appears to have been very fond of visiting the 

 prelates of the Reformed Church, and therefore that she ceased to 



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