CHAPTER XI. COVERDALE DEPRIVED OF HIS ACCESSION OF QUEEN MARY. a POLYDORE VIRGIL tells us that on the accession of Queen Mary, all ecclesiastics who were married and would not put away their wives, or who were at all opposed to papistical doctrines, were indiscriminately thrust out from their places. Some were clapped up in prison, under the pretence of preaching without licence, or of owing the queen for first-fruits, or tenths, or of using king Edward's service book, &c.; so that the prisons in London were full of them." On the 22nd of August, a letter was sent to Coverdale for his undelayed repair to the court, then being at a Page iii. ed. 1570, copied verbatim in Godw. Ann. p. iii. ed. 1616. Richmond, and there to attend the council's pleasure. On the 31st, Coverdale appeared in obedience to this summons, and on the 1st of September he was directed to wait the council's further pleasure." It would not appear that Coverdale was committed to prison at all; or if he was, it was only for a short time, as Fox intimates that in April, 1554, he was about on sureties." Probably the council could get nothing to allege against him, except his difference of opinion on religious matters; and they had not then determined on the plan of persecution, which they afterwards adopted. But his danger on this account, was not the less imminent, the moment it should please his enemies to attack him. A public disputation on certain articles of belief had been held at Oxford, in which Cranmer, and Latimer, and Ridley had been the champions for the reformers; but so little of fair play had been shown to them, that the rest of the imprisoned divines made a protestation against submitting to a disputation at the universities, except on certain conditions: because, as they alleged, among other things, "Some "of them having been in prison these eight or nine "months, where they had no books, no paper, no 66 66 pens, no ink, or convenient place for study, they thought they should do evil thus suddenly to de"scend into disputation." They however drew up a declaration of their belief to accompany the protesta • Minutes of Privy Counc. MSS. Cecil. vol. i. p. 177-8. Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. p. 181. tion, which they all signed; amongst the rest, Coverdale, thus: "To these things abovesaid, do I Myles Coverdale, consent and agree with these mine "afflicted brethren being prisoners, mine own hand.”* 66 In the mean time, exertions were being made to procure Coverdale's pardon. Dr. J. Macchabæus Alpinus, who was related to Coverdale, as we have before mentioned, through his wife, prevailed with his sovereign, king Christian of Denmark, to write a letter to queen Mary, in Coverdale's behalf, which that monarch accordingly did, on the 25th of April, 1554/ In this letter he stated, that he had heard that a certain Myles Coverdale, lately made bishop of Exeter in the last king's reign, was in great danger of his life; and that being assured he was perfectly innocent of the charges made against him, and being moreover importuned by one of his subjects, whom he much esteemed, (Dr. John Macchabæus, a man of great learning and piety, who was bound to this Coverdale, not less by the ties of relationship than by his excellent qualities), he could not but earnestly beg, relying firmly, as he did, on the good understanding which had always existed between their two kingdoms, that the queen, tendering as well her own character for clemency as his request, should pardon this man. But if, on account of the times, he could not conveniently be permitted to remain in England, that then he and his should be sent over in safety and Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. p. 102, ƒ Id. p. 182. unharmed to Denmark. He would take this, he added, as a great favour, and if ever her majesty should require any thing from him, she might rely that he would do all in his power in return to oblige her. 66 66 He says very clearly in this letter, in the following passage, that he understands a participation in the recent rebellion to be the crime of which Coverdale was accused, but of which, he says, Macchabæus had testified to him that he was perfectly innocent: Exposuit is (Macchabæus) nobis, in hac recenti perturbatione ac motu regni Angliæ (quem ex animo "evenisse dolemus, & nunc indies in melius verti "speramus) quendam nomine Milonem Coverdalum, nuper diœcesis Exoniensis, piæ lauditissimæque "memoriæ proximi Regis Serenitatis vestræ fratris, consanguinei itidem nostri chariss. auctoritate con"stitutum Episcopum, nunc in tristissimas calami"tates, carcerem, ac periculum vitæ, nulla atrocioris "delicti culpa, sed illa fatali temporum ruina, inci"disse." 66 66 It seems curious that Christian should really think that this was the cause, when Coverdale was known to have been in trouble, as early as September, 1553, before the insurrection took place: but it might be merely a statagem to force the queen either to declare Coverdale innocent, or else to allege some ground of complaint against him. However this may be, Christian seems in this letter to have had great fears of Coverdale's safety, and almost intimates an apprehension that he may have been proceeded against, before this letter could reach her: "Movemur pro "fecto non temere illius viris (cui suo merito imprimis "benevolumus) commiseratione, ejusque maximè tes"timonio de captivi Antistitis innocentia atque integritate: de qua quidem est, ut eo melius speremus, quod multis jam morte mulctatis sontibus, de ipso integrum adhuc Deus esse voluit." 66 66 66 Her majesty, it would appear in her answer to this letter, said that Coverdale was not charged with any such matter as that mentioned by king Christian, but only for a certain debt due to her treasury: that nevertheless Coverdale should feel the good effects of his majesty's interposition in his behalf: and as she desired nothing more than in this and every other transaction to cultivate the best possible understanding between their majesties and between their respective kingdoms; so his majesty need not fear but that on every just occasion, she would show the clemency and moderation which ought ever to accompany the sword of a monarch. She, however, took no steps one way or the other with regard to Coverdale, and his friends began to be alarmed, lest this doubtful conduct might not forebode his destruction. They prevailed on Christian to write another letter to queen Mary in Coverdale's favour, dated the 24th of September." In this second letter, he says that it had given him much pleasure to hear that Coverdale was only charged with a debt to her majesty, and not with any graver offence; for he could not but feel certain Scilicet," Macchabæi." Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. p. 182. |