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MATTHEW WREN, D. D.
consider’d of; contracted with four of the five Tenants, receiv’d of them500 /. and in a Fortnight return’d, and gave the King Account of all.
But what have you done with the fifth Lease, said the King ? Reserved itto your Majesty’s Wisdom, quoth the Bishop. The Case was thus, Mr.Geeres of London, the fifth Tenancy to the Impropriation of Dihin , hadrnov’d to add a Life to his Lease. But before the Bishop came thither, a se-cond being fallen, his Agents proferr’d a 1000/. for a new Lease, for threesuch Lives as they would name. But the Bishop consider’d, that ’twas worth300/. per Annum, a convenient House upon it within three or four Miles ofHereford-, the Life remaining (Dr. Robotham’s Widow) above 60 Years old, sothat, never could come a fairer Opportunity to augment the Bishoprick, if theKing would see that no succeeding Bishop should lease it, but hold it only asDemesnes for his I ime. The King was mightily pleased, and told the Bi-shop, he had done like an honest Church-man, and begun to let him into a Re-solution which he had in his Mind to augment the lesser Bishopricks if fairlyhe could. And presently he gave such Order, that not only Bishop FieldWas stopped from renewing that Lease, but after him Bishop Cook also; tho’his Brother Sir fobn Cook was much aggrieved at Bishop Wren for. it.
About a Fortnight after his Return, Dr. Kerry, the senior Residentiary(Bo Years old) and Dr. Skinner the Chancellor came to him to London in theName of the Chapter, to give him Thanks for the Book of Statutes which heleft them, which, though somewhat to the particular Loss of some of them,(the old Doctor especially) yet were in general so much for the public Goodof the Church, that they craved his Mediation to the King, that he wouldconfirm that Book for ever to be their Rule. This he desired to be ex-cus’d in ; as having made the Book, and being now removing from them.So to the Archbishop's Palace they went, who, after the Examination ofsome few Things, excepted against by the Dean, having heard the Bishop’sAnswers, got the whole Book confirm’d under the great Seal of England, andsent to them. Within three Months after his Translation to Norwich , theKing made him Dean of his Chapel; the Bishop of London, being madeLord-txeasurer. Two Years and half he fat at Norwich, in that Time therewas a foul Riot at Ipswich, with which they would have scar’d him ; SirJohn Banks. pursued them for it in the Star-chamber; there was also a Con-spiracy against his Life discovered out of Holland, by Sir William Bofwellwhose Letters the King commanded Secretary Windebank by Post that Day, toconvey to him, being then at Ludham in Norfolk. Two Petitions againsthim from Ipswich and Norwich, were secretly conveyed to the King’s Handby some great ones. But the King gave Answer to them with Check enough,and after sent the Bishop the Petitions, and told him who delivered them.
In April 1638, the King by his Letters from Newmarket, removed himto Ely ; but told him one Day, he would have an Account from him con-cerning the Bishoprick of Norwich, and its State. He anfwer’d, that an Op-portunity there would be (when he should be in his Grave, but the King byOod’s Grace still,living to effect it) to make it one of the best Bishopricks inEngland ; or rather (if he should see it more for the public good) to dividethat over-great Diocese (having in it above 1200 Titles) and to make twocompetent ones of it. A Cathedral for Suffolk might be either Sudbury, orbt. Edmund’s-bury ; there are in it two Arch-deaconries, and a Dean, andfour Prebends might without great Difficulty be rais’d upon Benefices, andsome other Particulars, in that County, within the Gift of his Majesty andthe Archbishop. And for Supply of Maintenance, there is, fays he, aLease of the greatest Part of the Bishoprick of Norwich, containing abouteighty Parcels granted at very low Rents to Queen Elizabeth , by Dr. Scambler
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