472 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. ' The bishops,' said Cecil, ' had no credit either for learning, good living, or hospitality. The bishops who by their teaching and devotion, and relieving of the poor, ought to have won credit among the people, were generally covetous, and were rather despised than re- verenced or beloved/ 1 The Archbishop of York had scandalized his province by being found in bed with the wife of an innkeeper at Doncaster. 2 Other prelates, for reasons known to themselves, had bestowed ordination 'on men of lewd life and corrupt behaviour.' The Bishop of Lichfield had made seventy 'lewd and un- learned ministers, for money,' in one day. 3 The entire no services at all, but are driven to resort to other churches ; or else they choose some one that can read meanly, and that office lighteth upon base conditioned men of occupation, as a tailor, a shoemaker, a smith, or such like.' Memorial of the State of the Realm. In Burghley's hand, November 28, 1585 : MSS. Do- mestic.
- Ibid.
2 The Archbishop was the victim of a conspiracy to extort money. The wife went into his room with her husband's consent. The husband, with Sir Robert Stapleton, a Catho- lic gentleman of the North, waited a quarter of an hour at the door, and then entered and found her with the Archbishop in bed. The Archbishop protested that she was not there with his consent, but he was so imprudent as to give the husband 500^. to hold his tongue. This was not enough how- ever. The man's repeated demands became too heavy to be borne. The Archbishop refused to yield to them. The story came out, and commis- sioners were sent down from London to examine into the case. Though they did not condemn the Arch- bishop, they were at first less favour- able to him than he had hoped. The Queen .however stood his friend. Ultimately the wife declared that she had been set on by her husband, and the innkeeper and Stapleton were both punished. A letter from "Wal- singham to the Archbishop, with which the records of inquiry close, is not exactly what would have been written to a wholly innocent man. But the Archbishop was old, and had probably been only foolish. Do- mestic MSS. 1582-3. Compare STRYPE, Annals, vol. iii. 3 Domestic MSS. February 27, I58S-
