CHAP. "to accumber yourself with any unquietness or delay; "thinking that ratably you shall be despatched the best II. Cheke's Int. MSS. 7th of June, from "Your assured, "JOHN CHEKE." He promised Dr. Parker also to take his opportunity with the King effectually to recommend him for some preferment, when it should fall. But Parker remaining two years after in statu quo prius, upon another occasion of writing to him to Cambridge, Cheke voluntarily took notice, that he had not yet done for him as he would; yet assuring him, "that he did not forget his friendship "shewed him aforetime, and was sorry no occasion "served him to shew his good will. But bid him assure 66 himself, that as it lay long, and took deep root in him, "so should the time come, he trusted, wherein he should "understand the fruit thereof, the better to endure, and "surelier to take place. Which might as well shortly be, "as be deferred. But good occasion, he said, was all." So that we may hence conclude Cheke had a great hand in the places and dignities that afterwards were obtained by the said Dr. Parker. CHAP. III. From Cheke's retirement to Cambridge, to his receiving the honour of knighthood. SECT. I. Goes to Cambridge. Visits the University by commission from the King. Resides there. Writes a book against the rebels. seems, Cheke retires to IN May this year 1549, I find Cheke gotten to the be- Anno 1549. loved place of his nativity and education; and, as it settling himself in his provostship lately granted him. Cambridge. Whither it appears he was now gladly withdrawn from the Court, and all its gay but ticklish splendours, and the frowns as well as the flatteries of it: the former whereof he had lately experienced. Here he is now busy, in order to his residence, fitting up his chamber and study; and sends to his friend Peter Osborn, at London, to convey down to him thirty yards of painted buckram, to lay between his books and the boards in his study, which he had trimmed up; a ream of paper, a perfume pan, and some other furniture. And to shew that he was now under some cloud at Court, and how glad of this his present recess he was, these words fell from him in a letter to his above mentioned friend; "That he now felt the calm of 66 quietness, having been tossed afore with storms, and having felt ambition's bitter gall, poisoned with hope of "hap. That he could therefore be merry on the bank"side, without endangering himself on the sea. Your sight," added he, " is full of gay things abroad, which I "desire not, as things sufficiently known and valued. Oh! "what pleasure is it to lack pleasures, and how honour"able to flee from honour's throes!" Our philosopher esteemed this the truest pleasure and the best honour, and much beyond that of a Court. And there being a visita CHAP. tion of the University instituted by the King this summer, III. Cheke, being now at Cambridge, had the honour to be noAnno 1549. minated for a Commissioner; joined with Goodrick and sitor of the Ridley, Bishops of Ely and Rochester; Sir William Paget, University. Comptroller of the Household; Sir Thomas Smith, Secre Cheke a Vi tary of State; Dr. May, Dean of St. Paul's; and Dr. Wendy, the King's Physician; all formerly choice learned men of the said University. The disputations that were now performed before the Visitors, the correction of superstitious practices, the furtherance of the King's good proceedings, the reforming of the old statutes of houses, managed and provided for by Cheke and his Fellows' care, I leave to other historians to relate. Cheke makes a book a SECT. II. Cheke's Book, viz. The true Subject to the Rebel. THIS visitation being over, Cheke, who I conclude was still in Cambridge, employed his thoughts (and that perhaps by order from above) in composing an expostulation with the rebels; who this summer brake out, partly for enclosures, and partly for religion, into an open and formidable insurrection, in most counties in England, and especially in Devon in the west, and Norfolk in the northa. It was framed by way of a plain and earnest address from himself to them: and being finished, was commitgainst the ted to the press to be dispersed, as well among them, as elsewhere in the realm. The book was entitled, The Hurt of Sedition: how grievous it is to a Commonwealth. The running title, The true Subject to the Rebel. And as there were two sorts of these mutineers, who pretended two virtuous causes for their complaints, so Cheke suited his discourse to each. Those in the west made their disturbances for the restoring the old Popish religion. Those in Norfolk and Suffolk would have amendment in the commonwealth; that the gentlemen should not be put into places of honour and trust, and the poor commons rebels. Rather east. . II. partake of none of these benefits and advancements; but SECT. that all ranks of people should be brought to an equal level. 66 Anno 1549. them about The former of these thus did our learned man in his Argues with said book accost: "Ye rise for religion: what religion religion; "taught you that? If ye were offered persecution for reli"gion, ye ought to flee; so Christ teacheth you, and yet you intend to fight. If ye would stand in the truth, ye "ought to suffer like martyrs; and ye would slay like ty"rants. Thus for religion ye keep no religion; and nei"ther will follow the counsel of Christ, nor the constancy "of martyrs. Why rise ye for religion? Have ye any thing "contrary to God's book? yea, have ye not all things "agreeable to God's word? But the new [religion] is dif"ferent from the old, and therefore ye will have the old. "If ye measure the old by truth, ye have the oldest. If f ye "measure the old by fancy, then it is hard, because men's "fancies change to give that is old. Ye will have the old "style. Will ye have any older than that as Christ left, and "his Apostles taught, and the first Church did use? Ye will "have that the Canons do establish. Why, that is a great "deal younger than that ye have of later time, and new"lier invented; yet that is it that ye desire. desire. And do And do you 66 66 prefer the Bishops of Rome afore Christ? men's inven❝tions afore God's law? the newer sort of worship before "the older? Ye seek no religion; ye be deceived; ye "seek traditions. They that teach you, blind you; that so instruct you, deceive you. If ye seek what the old "Doctors say, yet look what Christ the oldest of all saith: "for he saith, Before Abraham was made, I am. If ye "seek the truest way, he is the very truth: if ye seek the "readiest way, he is the very way: if ye seek everlasting "life, he is the very life. What religion would ye have "other now than his religion? You would have the Bibles "in again. It is no marvel, your blind guides would lead you blind still.But why should ye not like that "[religion] which God's word establisheth, the primitive 66 III. CHAP. "Church hath authorized, the greatest learned men of this “realm have drawn, the whole consent of the Parliament Anno 1549. “ hath confirmed, the King's Majesty hath set forth? Is it "not truly set out? Can ye devise any truer than Christ's "Apostles used? Ye think it is not learnedly done. Dare 66 ye, commons, take upon you more learning than the "chosen Bishops and Clerks of this realm have? And about the commonwealth. "Learn, learn to know this one point of religion, that God "will be worshipped as he hath prescribed, and not as we "have devised; and that his will is wholly in his Scriptures, which be full of God's spirit, and profitable to "teach the truth," &c. 66 66 As for the other malecontents, the other rabble of Norfolk rebels, thus he proceeded to argue with them: "Ye pretend a commonwealth. How amend ye it by killing "of gentlemen, by spoiling of gentlemen, by imprisoning * Ket, their " of gentlemen? A marvellous tanned* commonwealth. ringleader, "Why should ye thus hate them for their riches or for was a tan ner. "their rule? Rule they never took so much in hand as 66 ye do now. They never resisted the King, never with"stood his Council; be faithful at this day, when ye be "faithless, not only to the King, whose subjects ye be, but "also to your Lords, whose tenants ye be. In this your "true duty, in some of homage, in most of fealty, in all of "allegiance; to leave your duties, go back from your pro"mises, fall from your faith; and, contrary to law and "truth, to make unlawful assemblies, ungodly compa"nies, wicked and detestable camps; to disobey your "betters, and to obey your tanners; to change your "obedience from a King to a Ket, to submit yourselves "to traitors, and to break your faith to your true "King and Lords?—If riches offend you, because 66 ye would have the like, then think that to be no com"monwealth, but envy to the commonwealth. Envy it is "to appair another man's estate, without the amendment "of your own; and to have no gentlemen, because ye be 66 none yourselves, is to bring down an estate, and to mend |