Volume 2

Athenae Oxonienses. An exact history of all the writers and bishops who have had their education in the University of Oxford. To which are added the Fasti, or annals of the said university / By Anthony à Wood.

  • Anthony Wood
Date:
1813-1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Athenae Oxonienses. An exact history of all the writers and bishops who have had their education in the University of Oxford. To which are added the Fasti, or annals of the said university / By Anthony à Wood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1608. 330 ducted thither by his patron the lord chancellor, that when they took their leaves of him, the chancellor, with the ap¬ probation of the ambassador, told him that he had behaved himself so well in his entertainment, that he was fit to serve a king, and that he would be glad to see him as wel¬ come at the court, as they were in the university. About that time he had several benefices confer’d upon him, 9 of which the rectory of Waldgrave in Northamptonshire was one, Dinam and Grafton two more, a residentiaryship in the church of Lincoln, one or more prebendships therein, and the office of chauntor ; besides a prebendship in the church of Peterborough, and a donative in Wales.1 Afterwards he was made sacerdotal rector of the Savoy, chaplain in ordi¬ nary to his majesty, and on Sept. 10. an. 1619, dean of Salisbury in the place of Dr. Joh. Gourdon deceased : Whereupon giving up the Savoy, upon his majesty s desire, it was by him confer’d on a M. Ant. de Dominis archbishop of Spalato; and at the same time ’twas order’d that an yearly pension should be by him (Williams) paid to the fa¬ mous Pet. du Moulin a French protestant, who a little be¬ fore had fled into England upon account of religion.3 About that time, he by the favour of George duke of Buckingham, was made a privy councellor to his majesty, and upon the promotion of doct. Rob. Tounson to the see of Salisbury, had the deanery of Westminster confer’d upon him, in which he was install’d 10 July 1620: Afterwards the deanery of Salisbury was confer’d upon Dr. Joh. Bowles of Cambridge, as I shall elsewhere tell you. In the month of July 1621 he was nominated bishop of Lincoln on the translation of Dr. George Mountaigne to the see of Lon¬ don, and about the same time was made lord keeper of the great seal by Buckingham's endeavours. On the 9 Oct. following he proceeded to Westminster hall, as lord keeper, but without 4 pomp, and on the 11 Nov. was consecrated bishop of Lincoln in the collegiat church of St. Peter at Westminster, by the bishops of London, Worcester, Ely. Oxford, and Landaff; and about that time his majesty gave him leave to keep Westminster in cnmmendam. It was then observed by many, that as sir Nich. Bacon had before received the great seal from a clergyman,' (Nich. Heath archb. of York) so a bishop again received it from his son sir Francis, at which the lawyers did fret, to have such a flower pull’d out of their garden. But as for the further addition to the story, that Williams was brought in by Buckingham to serve such turns as none of the laity could 9 [16JO, 25 Aug. Joh. Williams A. M. admiss. ad eccl. de Duddinghurst, per mort. Rob. Comin ad pres. Ann® Stanley, relict® Johannis Stanley de Duddinghurst. Reg. Bancroft, E’pi Lond.—1612, 31 Oct. Joh. Williams A. M. iterum admiss. ad eccl. de Duddinghurst eo quod patronus recupeiavit jus suum contra Ep.'Lond. Reg. King. 1611, 3 Maii, Joh. Williams cler. et A. M. ad rect. de Grafton, ex pres, regis, pro hac vice. Reg. Dove, Ep. Petri'o. 1614, 4 Maii, E’pus instituit. Joh. Williams cler. S. T. B. ad rect. de Wal- grave ad pres. Ricardi Line, episcopi, per resign. Will. Bate cler. Reg. Dove. Kennet.] 1 [His donative in Wales was the rectory sine cura of Llanchiadr in Kin<- merch in the diocese of Bangor, which he resigned soon after he was dean of Saruin, and Dr. Dan. Featley was instituted into it as the proxy of Peter du Moulin, Apr. 8, 1620. Penrhim house stands eleven miles from Conway, and little more than a mile from Bangor. Humphreys.] 2 Camb. in Annal. R. Jac. 1. MS. sub. an. 1619. 3 [Petrus Molinaeus, Petri filius, S. T.P. in academia Lugd. Bat. incorporat. Cant. 1640. Petr. Molinmus sen. S. T. P. Cant, regiis literis an. 1615. Vide Colomesii Collect. Litemrum, pp. 232, 271. Baker. Old Peter du Moulin of Sedan had the sine-cure rectory of Llanhrayader in Derbyshire, which he enjoyed 1646. (Letters Nov. 1646.) Tanner.] 4 Caiubd. in Annal. sub. an. 1621. be found bad enough to undertake, as a libellous 5 author reports, we must leave it to knowing men to be judges of it. After K. Ch. I. came to the crown, he was continued a privy counsellor for a time, but Buckingham being then in great favour with that prince, caused the seal to be taken from him in Oct. 1625, as having neglected, and been very ungrateful to him ; and in the beginning of Feb. following, when that king was crown’d he was set aside from admi- nistring service at that ceremony, as dean of Westminster, and Dr. Laud bishop of St. David’s, and preb. of Westm, (who before had received several schoolings and affronts from Williams while lord keeper) officiated in his place. Further also, lest he should seek revenge against Bucking¬ ham for wiiat he had done unto him, he, with the eails of Somerset, Middlesex, and Bristol, (all of an inclination, tho’ not all of a plume) were interdicted the parliament house. Hereupon Williams grew highly discontented, sided with the puritan, and finding the king to decline in the affection of his people, he fomented 6 popular discourses tending to his majesty’s dishonour, so long, until at length the incontinence of his tongue betrayed him into speeches, which trespass’d upon loyalty : for which words, they hav¬ ing taken vent, he was question’d by a bill in the Star- Chamber, 4 Car. I. Dom. 1628. But the information being somewhat lame and taken up with second hand reports, the accusation lay dormant ’till about 1632, when it was revived again. And the purgation of B. Williams depend¬ ing principally upon the testimony of one John Pregian registrary of Lincoln, it hapned that the Febr. after, one Eiizab. Hodson was delivered of a base child, and laid it to this Pregian. The bishop finding his great witness charged with such infamy, conceived it would invalidate all his testimony, and that once rend red invalid, the bishop could easily prognosticate his own ruine. Therefore he bestirs himself amain, and ’tho by order of the justices at the public session at Lincoln, Pregian was charged as the reputed father, the bishop by his agents, Powel and Owen, procured that order to be suppressed, and by subornation and menacing of, and tampering with, witnesses, did at length in May, 10 Car. I. procure the child to be fathered upon one Bohun, and Pregian to be acquitted. After this he being accriminated in the Star-Chamber for corrupting of witnesses, and being convicted by full proof on the 11 of July 1637 he received this censure. That he was to pay ten thousand pounds fine to the king, to be imprison’d in the Tower of London during his majesty’s pleasure, and to be suspended ab officiis & beneficiis. In 1640, Nov. 16. lie was released from the Tower, and became the idol for a time of both houses, (having since his fall closed with the puritan) L and who then should be in daily conference with him but Edward Bagshaw a parliament man for Southwark, and af¬ terwards Will. Prynne, two zealous and bigotted puritans; whose counsels were chiefly to pull down Laud archbishop of Canterbury, Wentworth earl of Strafford, Heylin of Westminster, and other royalists. On the 12 Jan. follow¬ ing, he preached before the king, and pleased the puritan very much, as being zealous for the sabbath, and against the book for sports • yet towards the conclusion said that the discipline of Geneva, and Cornaries diet, were fit for none but beggars and tradesmen. Afterwards, it was ob¬ served by many, that he declined daily in the peoples favour, 5 Sir Aut. Weldon in his Court and Char, of King James, printed 1650, p. 139. 6 Ham. L’estrangc in his Hist, of the Reign of King Ch. I. under the year. 1637.
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