LAY IMPROPRIATORS REMOVED.

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who bestowed portions of the confiscated estates CHAP. amongst his courtiers. These subsequently became known under the title of lay impropriations.

Twenty years previously, the Puritans, at the Hampton Court Conference, had petitioned that oneseventh of the revenues thus derived might be appropriated to the maintenance of ministers residing in destitute districts, but without avail.

In 1624 subscriptions were commenced, the funds thus raised being invested in feoffees, who bought up the advowsons according as money and opportunities enabled them. Puritan ministers were appointed to them, and the feoffees also engaged other ministers not in full orders to act as lecturers, who visited the towns on market and fair days throughout the country. This was the scheme Laud now undertook to destroy. It required some three or four years to accomplish, but in the end he was completely successful.

These impropriations had long been a source of vexatious annoyance to the prelate, and in a diary he was in the habit of keeping there is an entry, so far back as January 1626:-'Methinks,' he writes, 'I see a cloud arising, and threatening the Church of England. God of His mercy dissipate it!' A month later he adds: 'I gave the King an account of the restoring of the impropriations.'

Having obtained the royal permission to harass and discourage the Puritans, he proceeded to attack them in a vital part. The pulpit had always been a favourite spot, from whence had issued those fervent addresses so loved and listened to by the laity. These he was determined to close altogether on the

1629

CHAP.

IV.

1629

afternoons of Sundays, and in the place of the sermon the Church Catechism was substituted. Those lecturers in deacon's orders employed by the feoffees were also required to wear the surplice when performing Divine Service; but it was not until he became Archbishop, three years later, that his victory was complete, for then, by dint of Star Chamber prosecutions, heavy fines, and ultimate confiscations, he put an end to them. The final entry in his diary on this subject is as follows: The feoffees, that pretended to buy in impropriations, were dissolved in the Chequer Chamber. They were the main instruments for the Puritan faction to undo the Church.'

One more noteworthy act of this prelate, before dismissing him for the present, may be mentioned. By way of diverting the minds of the people from grieving over the loss of their lecturers, he procured the King's sanction to republish the Book of Sports.' Church-ales had long fallen into disrepute, likewise also 'lawful sports and pastimes' in the parish churchyards after the Sunday afternoon services.

The Book of Sports' was to set all these going afresh, and the Judges, when on circuit, were requested to use their influence in restoring the good old custom of church-ales-which, by-the-bye, they thought better honoured in the breach than in the observance, and therefore declined, although urged thereto by the Archbishop and Dr. Pierce, the Bishop of Bath. It is but anticipating a few years the results of such teaching as that of the royal' Book of Sports,' if we quote the evidence of the Archbishop himself, as to the state of the religious world in general, and

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of the Church of England in particular, in the year CHAP. 1637.

In his annual report to the King, of that year, we read as follows:

'I found in one half of the churches they had not a clerk able to read and answer the minister in Divine Service, by which means the people were wholly disused from joining with the priest, and in many places from so much as saying " Amen." In my own diocese, I have several years acquainted your Majesty, and so must do now, that there are still divers Brownists and other separatists, but they are so very mean and poor people that I know not what to do with them. How this part came to be infested with such a humour of separation I know not, unless it were by too much connivance at the first beginning. Neither do I see any remedy like to be, unless some of these strife-seducers be driven to abjure the kingdom, which must be done by the judges at the common law, but is not in our power.'

The King's remark to the latter part of the above (written in the margin) is very characteristic: 'Inform me of the particulars, and I shall command the Judges to make them abjure.' 'At Norwich, where there are thirty-four churches,' the report continues, 'there was no sermon on the Sunday morning save only in four, but all put off to the afternoon, and so no catechising.'

It would appear, however, that whilst lay impropriations had been effectually rooted out, Laud was not quite so successful in dealing with the lecturers themselves. They abound,' continues the Arch

6

IV.

1629

CHAP. bishop, 'in Suffolk, and many are set up by private

IV.

1629

gentlemen, even so much as without the knowledge of the ordinary, and without any due observance to the canons or discipline of the Church. At Ipswich it was not unknown to your Majesty how Mr. Ward stands censured in the High Commission, and obeys not; yet the Bishop was ready to have allowed them another, if they would have sought him, but they resolve to have Mr. Ward or none. At Yarmouth, where there was great division heretofore for many years, the lecturer, being censured in the High Commission about two years ago, since went into New England, since which time there hath been no lecturer, and very much peace in the town and all ecclesiastical orders well observed; but in Norwich one Mr. Bridge, rather than he would conform, has left his lecture and two cures, and is gone into Holland.'

The King's remark (in the margin) to this is, 'Let him go; we are well rid of him!'1

1 Harl. MS. 787.

CHAPTER V.

New Charters for Boroughs introduced-Old Sir Oliver Cromwell at Hinchinbrook Oliver Cromwell settles at St. Ives-His Farming Operations-King James and Laud resort to Monopolies to replenish the Empty Exchequer-Royal Visit to Scotland-Attempt to introduce Episcopacy in Edinburgh-Prynne sentenced to the Pillory— Ship-money Scheme of Noy-John Hampden fined for opposing it— The Puritan Lecturers, and Cromwell's Letter on their Behalf-He removes his Family to Ely on the Death of his Wife's Uncle, Sir Thomas Stuart-Cromwell opposes the Fen Draining Scheme-His Plans for Emigrating (with others) to America frustrated by the Government-Star Chamber Prosecutions-Lilburn, Bastwick, and Burton in the Pillory-Graphic Picture of the Period by Sir Arthur Haselrig-Scene in St. Giles's Church, Edinburgh-Cromwell returned to Parliament Member for Cambridge Town-Debate on Grievances renewed-Parliament Dissolved, and several Offending Members committed to Prison-War breaks out between England and ScotlandDomestic Life of the Royal Family-State of England - Prince Charles and his Tutor.

V.

1630

SHORTLY after the dissolution, the King, no doubt CHAP. with the object of obtaining control over future Parliamentary elections, called in all the old charters, and in exchange substituted new ones better adapted to his purposes. Huntingdon underwent this change in the year 1630; this fact is important merely in reference to Oliver Cromwell, whom we find mentioned, with Robert Barnard and Dr. Beard, Oliver's old schoolmaster, to serve as Justices of the Peace in the charter.

A dispute of some kind appears to have arisen, shortly after, between Oliver and Barnard-whether