Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/181

have acted unfairly against him in having been mixed up in the business before it came into court, in having transgressed his Majesty's command and gone beyond his commission in hunting up informations on other matters besides the commutations, in having falsely denied the employment of Reynolds, in sending out idle messengers to seek for fresh informations, in the menacing of witnesses and promising rewards, &c. But the wary knight was beforehand with him. Having discovered what was going on, and knowing what was thought by many members of the privy council as to his conduct in the matter, he wisely took the initiative and complained to the King of the bishop's charges against him in the faithful discharge of his Majesty's service, which he contrived to represent as insinuations against the action of the King himself, setting forth in his petition that the said lord bishop hath "dispersed causeless criminations against the moderate and due proceedings held" in this matter, "not forbearing it before the Lords and other of yo^r Ma^tys high commission where his cause dependeth; and hath likewise cast unjust aspersions upon yo^r subject to draw upon him an undeserved ill opinion, and to strike, through yo^r subject's weakness, at yo^r Ma^tys milde and gratious p'ceedings;" in pursuance of which he goes on to ask for a commission in these words: "Most humbly beseeching yo^r Ma^ty that theise causeless criminac̄ons and unjust aspersions of the said Lord Bp, and the affronts and insolencies of his servants, with other their practises and misbehaviours upon yo^r Ma^tys said service, may be examined and reported to yo^r Ma^ty by such of the Lords and others of yo^r Ma^tys most hon^ble privie counsell whom yo^r Ma^ty shall com̄and yo^r subject to attend; and that, with yo^r Ma^tys good leave, yo^r subject may faithfully rep'sent to the Lords and other of yo^r Ma^tys high commission, in the p'sence of the said Lord Bp, the state of the p'ceeding for vindicating the honour of yo^r service and beareinge yo^r subject's innocence."

The King was pleased to grant the prayer of the petitioner, and by order dated at the court at Theobalds', 14^o May, 1633,