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THE L I F E O F

whom the Archbishop hath Experience, and upon whom he may rely, andso obtained London for the Bishop of Hereford. Dr. Wren gave no Regardto Dr. Hacket' s Foolery, suspecting it to be a Contrivance of Bishop Williams ’s,to breed in him a Dislike of the Archbishop; but resolving to keep his Faithwith the King and Archbishop, acquainted him presently with all thatpast between him and Dr. Hacket. The King approv’d well his Dealingherein, and told him, there was no Truth in the Report, nor any Thing buta Plot to kindle,Coals between them two.

In November, next Year, Bishop Lindsell died, and the Archbishop sentMr. Dell to tell him, that the King would bestow Hereford upon him, andthe Deanery of Ifindfor upon his Brother. Fie was elected Biihop ot' Here-ford, December 5, 1634. B ut ^ le Archbishop’s Chapel at Lambeth being notready, his Ordination was deferr’d till the second Week in Lent, March 8.

Presently after this, his spare Time was taken up in framing an Office forthe Consecration of a Church, at Dore in Herefordshire , and converting theImpropriation into a Rectory ; the Gift of the noble and pious John LordScudamore, whose Journey, as Embassador into France , staid upon the Dis-patch of this, which was executed by the Bishop of St. David's.

Next he prepared for a Visitation of that Diocese, and calling for the Sta-tutes, they sent him two Books, the one of some Antiquity, though withoutDate, very imperfect, and of no Authority, inscribed, Has. leges I? con-fuetudincs ecclefia Herefordenf. The other a Body of Statutes compil’d byBishop 'Whitgift, then of Worcester, upon a Mandate from the Queen, butnever confirm’d by her. So there was just Doubt how Men could be putto any Oaths upon such Statutes, or Censures, for not observing them. TheArchbishop told him, that Bishop Lindsell had the same Scruples, and there-fore advis’d him to take those Books along into New-forest, (whither theKing was going to hunt) and out of them, and such Observations of his own,as he could not want (having so long attended Bishop Andrews, been Pre-sident of Pembroke-Hall , Master of Peter-House, Dean of WijidJor, andWoolverhampton, Prebendary too of Winchester, and Westminster) to compileone entire Body of Statutes, for the future Government of that Church andthe College of Vicars and Hospitals belonging to it. He did so.

But about August 20, the King without any Warning given, remov’d toOatlands, and seeing the Bishop got thither the next Day, he smiled, and said,I’ll reward your Diligence, I hear the Bishop of Norwich is dead, and I’llremove you thither, (giving him his Hand to kiss,) but I'll have you goand dispatch the Visitation, you have warn’d at Hereford, before you rt^nove.

The Bishop besought his Majesty not to put that upon him, for besidethat it would be construed a Point of great Arrogance in him, itwould undo him too ; for having deferr’d all Tenants, that desired to re-new their Leases, till he should come down among them ; if he went now,he should receive nothing, (though it would cost him 100/.) nor be able toperform his Promise to them; his Majesty having order’d, that no Bishopafter he is named to remove, should let any Lease. I’ll trust you, said theKing. How many Tenants have been with you ? He said Five. I give youLeave said the King to contract for them.

. I st Hs Visitation, Dr. Richardson the Dean, serv’d an Inhibition uponhim, out of the Archbishop's Court; thinking his peculiar Jurisdiction wouldbe prejudiced. The Bishop was not a little glad of it; for this shorten'd hisStay, and he fore’d the Dean to be visited by his Chancellor, the Week be-fore he removed.

Fie spent three Days in visiting the Chapter, finding there diverse veryreverend and learned Men, far from rigid Puritanism, wherewith they hadbeen slander’d. He left them the Book of Statutes he had compiled, to be

consider’d