A Y L M E R. 4'5 that he was a violent man, who fought to veft too great power in churchmen ; ami treated him as a pcrfc-cutor ami an enemy to true religion : in confequencc of which, mefligcs were fometimes lint to him by the council, to f>ften the Iiarfhnefs of his proceedings; however, he (till continued to be the main pillar of the hinh-commiffion, lord Burleigh {landing his fViend at court. One of thegreatcft troubles h ever met with, was an information exhibited againft him to) the council for cutting down his woods to the amount of a thoufand pounds, and thereby prejudicing hi* fucceflbrs in the fee. The bifhcp gave in an anfwer ; and after the matter had depended long before the council, the queen gave orders Strype^ that he fhould cut down no more of his wooJs. P* 7 > In 1581, he propofcd that a number of learned and found divines fhould be appointed to preach at fet times before great aflemblies, particularly at St. Paul's Crofs, for con- firming the people's judgements in the doclrine and difcipline of the eftablifhed church, which was then (truck at and un- dermined by many ; and that, for the fupport of it, contribu- tions fhould be made and fettled on the preachers by the city. But fir John Branch lord mayor, and the aldermen, did not much like this motion, on account of the (landing charge to which it mud put the city ; fo the defign was dropped. After the defeat of the Armada, in 1589, he exprefled in ftrong terms his diflike of certain libels againft the king of Spain ; " on fo glorious a victory," he faid, " it was better to
- ' thank God, than infult men, efpecially princes."
Beginning now to be uneafy in his diocele of London, he ufed all his endeavour to obtain a removal to the fee of Ely, or that of Winchefter, but without fuccefs. When he came to be broken with age, he was dduous to refign his bifhopric i vert the church as it wjs then efta- bonds fliould be taken of _the parties ililhed. Strype, &c. p. 56. He Tike- th.it they fhould preach no in-.ovat'on, wift procured one Air. c i.k-r, a penbn a- he himlUf ufed to do in granting of agood eftiteand interert inBfrkfliirr, his licences. Aylmer allb impnlo ed who had fpakcn difrt-fpfftfully f.f him, or fcilpenclcd fevcral minifters who svere and refufed to anfwer, to be lommittcJ acc.iled of n n-conformity. Hence J,y the ccdeli.ftical court. Ibid. P. 59. Mr. Fierce, in bis " Vindication of the The chancellor of the univerfityof Difienters," p. 97- fpeak- thus-. Cambridge having confulted him about " Dr. John Aslmer, biftmp of London, t"hc furipreffion of Puritan'fm, which " xvas a msn of a moft intemperate j.revailed greatly in that uuiverfity, he " lie ,r, who pi-rlViuted the Huntans advifed that all licences granted by tlie ' wiih the utmolt rage, and trc.ited univerfity /houlJ be called in, and " minifiers ith luch virulent and granted anew by the heads to fuch as " abufne Unuua^p, u s a man ot fenfe would fubfcribe the articles fynodical, " and indifFerent temper would fcwn to sis was done in all d'.ocsfcs; and that ' ufe toward* porteis and cobUrs." to
