had filled the office of Lord Keeper,) he had a play represented in his house in London, on Sunday, September 27th. The piece chosen for this occasion, at least did credit to his taste, for it appears to have been Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream *, and it was got up as a private amusement. The animosity of Laud to Williams is well known, and in the Library at Lambeth Palace is a mass of documents referring to different charges against him, thus indorsed in the hand-writing of Laud himself: These

6

papers concerning the Bp. of Lincolne wear deli'vered to me bye his Majesty's command.' One of these is an admonitory letter from a person of the name of John Spencer, who seems to have been a puritanical preacher, which purports to have been addressed to some lady, not named, who was present on the occasion of the performance of the play, and upon which the following indorsement was made:

John Spencer presents the Lord Byshop of Lin'colne for having a play that night [Sept. 27th, 1631] ' in his house, being the Lord's Day.' It is a curious specimen of puritanical objurgation, and deserves to be printed entire.

'Good Madame.

'It is the rule of the Apostles of our Saviour 'Christ to rebuke not an elder, but exhorte him as a 6 father, and the Elderwomen as mothers-1 Thimo.

*One of the actors exhibited himself in an Ass's head, no doubt in the part of Bottom, and in the margin of the document relating to this event, we read the words' The playe, M, Nights Dr.'

‹ 5. 1. and in the 20th verse: them that synne reprove openly that the rest may alsoe feare. Oh, therefore it ' would please that blessed Lord, the God of wisedome 'to give unto me such grace and wisdome, that I might performe this duty to your Ladyship with that due

6

6

regard to your noble quality, and tender cause of your precious soule as I ought. But howsoever I may faile in pointe of discretion, yet I hope you will 'beare with me, since it proceedes from a harte that 'doth unfainedly desire your everlasting happines, and would expose my selfe to your pleasure to prevent 'that which might let and hinder the same. I know ' it is a harde taske, and many tymes a thanklesse office, ' to admonish men of meane quality of their faults, and 'to bring them to acknowledge their errors; much 'more those that are our superiors; but where grace ' and true nobility is, it will teach men to suffer words ' of exhortation with mekenes, and to say with the kingly Prophet, Lett the righteous smight mee, for 'that shall be as precious balme unto mee, for the wisest and the greatest in this would have their frailtyes and infirmityes: David, a King, a prophet and a man after God's owne harte, yet erred in numbring • the people, and confessed he had done very folishly;

and Solomon his sonne, the wisest and the greatest 'statesman that ever was upon the earth, yett erred greatly; and although he provided himselfe men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sonnes of men, yet he doth acknowledge all was but vanity and vexation of speritt. And soe I trust

6

your noble harte will tell you; though you were ' drawne with the Bishopps coach to his house to heare 'such excellent musicke, such rare conceits, and to see 'such curious actors, and such a number of people to ' behold the same, yett all was but vanity and vex⚫ation of spiritt; and the more vanity, the more ' vexation of speritt, because it was upon the Lordsday, which should have been taken upp with better 'meditations, and contemplations of heaven and heavenly things. And therefore, that this maye not prove a precedente unto others, I beseech you submitt your 'selfe to this censure that is passed against you, that

6

soe it may appeare to the wourld, that though you ' were drawne into this errore, yett you will not stande ' out in it, but give glory unto God, and yield obedience unto all good lawes, that soe you may stopp the 'mouthes of many people, which proclaime such liberty, 'from this example to followe their pleasures uppon 'the Saboth day. But, I trust, when they doe heare that such persons are questioned and censured for beholding such vanity, it will bee a great danting and 'discouragement unto them, and a meanes to repaire the breache, wherein otherwise wholle troopes of people will venture to violate the Lords sacred day. Even so, beseeching the Lord God of Sabboth, that

my councell may be as wholesome and acceptable unto

'you as the councell of Abigail was unto David, that

you might say with that holy man, Blessed be the 'Lord God of Israell that hath sente thee to meete

mee, and blessed be thy councell, and blessed bee

VOL. II.

D

thou, which hath kept mee from giving any counte'nance or incoragement to any that presumes to pro'faine the Saboth of the Great God of Heaven. "Amen, Lord Jesus, Amen.

'November 10, 1631.'

"John Spencer.

To whom this ebullition of puritanical piety was addressed, as has been remarked, does not appear; but it was probably sent, either to Lady Montagu, or to Lady Headsey, both of whom are mentioned in the subsequent document, which is appended to the letter, and which purports to be a copy of an order, or decree, made by a self-constituted court among the Puritans, for the censure and punishment of offences of the kind.

• A Copie of the order, or decree (ex officio Comisarii generalis) John Spencer.

• Forasmuch as this Courte hath beene informed, by 'Mr. Comisary general, of a greate misdemenor com'mitted in the house of the right honorable Lo. 'Bishopp of Lincolne, by entertaining into his house 'divers Knights and Ladyes, with many other householders servants, uppon the 27th Septembris, being the Saboth day, to see a playe or tragidie there acted, 'which began aboute tenn of the clocke at night, and ' ended about two or three of the clocke in the morn⚫ing: 'Wee doe therefore order, and decree, that the Rt.

3

DI

'honorable John, Lord Bishopp of Lincolne, shall, for` 'his offence, erect a free schoole in Eaton, or else at

6

greate Staughton, and endowe the same with 201.

per ann. for the maintenance of the schoolmaster for

ever.

'Likewise wee doe order, that Sr. Sydney Mountagu, Knight, for his offence, shall give to the poore of Huntingdon. 51.; and his lady, for her offence, five blacke gownes to 5 poore widdowes, uppon Newyeares day next.

'Likewise wee doe order, that Sr. Thomas Headsey, Knight, for his offence, shall give unto the poore of ‹ Brampton 5l.; and his lady, for her offence, blacke 'cloath gownes to 5 poore, uppon Newyeares day

'nexte.

'Likewise wee doe order, that Mr. Williams, Mr. Trye, Mr. Harding, Mr. Hazarde, and Mr. Hulton 'shall eche one of them give a blacke coate, and 5s. in 'money, unto 5 poore in Bugden, uppon newyeares day nexte.

6

6

6

'Likewise wee doe order, that Mr. Wilson, because 'hee was a speciall plotter and contriver of this business, and did in such a brutishe manner acte the same with an Asses head, and therefore hee shall, uppon Tuisday next, from 6 of the clocke in the morning till six of the clocke at night, sitt in the Porters Lodge at my Lords Bishopps House, with 'his feete in the stocks, and attyred with his asse ‹ head, and a bottle of hay sett before him, and this 'subscription on his breast: