remained: for a vast charge and debt being contracted in executing the commission' with fees to actuaries and other officers, all this (after long and great solicitation to decline it) fell upon the college, whereof they could not reasonably complain, having given occasion to the division 5 as well as enjoying the fruit of tranquillity and peace. The best of it was, they could not buy their new master too dear, who was an extraordinary man, and one that wanted only opportunity and time to have made the society flourish under him: but his time, as it was short, so 10 was it very unquiet, interrupted with various troubles and frequent avocations, which denied him the occasions of being serviceable where he most desired it. The same year he came to St John's he was chosen vice-chancellor of the university, an office he discharged 15 to the height and to the honour and advantage of that body to pass by many instances, one thing was observed under him, which how often it has been practised since I cannot say, but seems now to be almost forgot. In his year an oath was given to the sheriff of the county to 20 observe the privileges of the university, and so much is placed to account3 to the six clerk for seeing the sheriff take his oath; a thing of late years so much neglected, that we have little more to shew for it than the form of the oath and the grant or privilege for tendering it. 25 Another privilege was then likewise warmly debated, the archbishop's power of visiting or the university's exemption from his visitation; and though Dr Beal was as much devoted to the archbishop as any clergyman in England, yet in this he shewed no compliance nor departed 30 from the rights of his post and station, nor was any advantage gained by the archbishop against the university till the following year. I have that case" in MS. as it was drawn up about that time in favour and right of the university, which may be of some use, if ever that contro- 35 versy should happen to come again into debate. Had the university continued Dr Beale in that station a year longer, 1 Regr. acad. liter. coll. 2 An. 1634. 3 Comput. acad. 4 An. 1636. 5 Ex MSS. D. Gale. [Printed from Baker in Laud's Works, y. 555-580.] it might have been for their advantage, he having been acceptable at court, having had the honour within his year to wait on his majesty, to present him and to be graciously received by him; whereas his successor did not bear an 5 equal character. In 1641, when his majesty took Cambridge in his way to York, notwithstanding the shortness of his stay, he did Dr Beale the further honour to accept of an entertainment' from him in the college, being harangued by Mr Clievland a fellow of the house. ΙΟ Indeed his majesty had reason to favour him for the right he did his prerogative, so zealously maintained by him, and that in a sermon preached this same year; wherein having dropt some expressions in seeming diminution of the power and privileges of parliament, it gave 15 so much offence as to be taken notice of some years after in parliament, in a warm speech by a zealous member of the house of commons. It was against the parliament and its seeming encroachments that he defended the monarchy, for he was as high in his principles for the church; this 20 was likewise objected to him by the same zealous member, his having a hand in compiling the canons in 1640, which though they passed the convocation by a power allowed by most of the judges, yet were condemned by the house of commons as arbitrary and illegal. 25 His zeal herein appeared further in his private college in the solemn offices of religion and in the ornaments of the chapel, which having been left very naked by some of his predecessors was adorned and beautified by him3. The east end of the chapel was faced with a decent wainscot, 30 the rest hung with sixteen pieces of hangings containing the story of our Saviour, the roof painted at no small expense; the bare charges of painting and pictures amounted to £100 and upwards. A decent table was placed for the communion with rails and tapers and plate as well 35 plain as gilded for that service (part thereof given by bishop Dee) with rich coverings of velvet and cloth of silver, besides the cost that was bestowed about the organ, 1 Lib. thesaur. 2 Nalson, Collect. an. 1640. [i. pp. 367, 673]. 3 Liber thesaur. ; inventory of the chapel furniture. cherubims and other furniture; thus far pretty unexceptionable, had not the dove' and glory been added to the account, that furnished Mr Prynn' with an objection, and might as well have been let alone. Mr Ashton's chapel (formerly used as a chamber) with bishop Fisher's, were 5 now likewise adorned and beautified at a considerable expense, the particulars too minute to be insisted on. But that the chapel furniture might be placed in a better light, a new window was struck out towards the east, the large window at the east end being somewhat obscured by 10 painted glass then added for its greater beauty. 3 15 It was this zeal for the church and loyalty to the king that brought his troubles upon him soon after, as well as upon the college and university: troubles that seem to have been foretold by a presage or accident, that I should hardly have mentioned, had it not been thought worth notice by two such great men as bishop Usher and Dr Ward. A fish being brought from sea to Cambridge market, being cut up, a book was found in the bowels of the fish, which being a new way of sending books to 20 Cambridge, gave some men a curiosity of looking into the contents and being examined by Mr Mead, it was found to contain a preparation to the cross, having been wrote by Richard Tracy in Henry the Eighth's time, as was supposed. This alarmed good men, and several accounts were sent of 25 it, particularly by Dr Ward and Mr Mead in two letters to bishop Usher, who looked upon it as an admonition of providence to prepare for sufferings. However this was or whatever it did mean, it is certain troubles succeeded over the whole nation. At Cambridge 30 his majesty's letters being directed to the vice-chancellor Dr Holdsworth for a supply from the university, the several colleges contributed their respective proportions: from St John's was sent £150 in moneys, and 2065 ounces 1 Lib. thesaur. 2 Canterb. Doome, p. 74. 3 Usher, Letter 100, 101. 4 23 Jun. 1626. This book with two other treatises found with it were reprinted at London. an. 1627, under the title of Vox Piscis, with a preface giving an account of the whole matter. 5 Dat. Jun. 29, 1642. 6 August 8, 1642. Ex archivis. and a half of plate, for both which a receipt was given by the messenger John Poley, wherein was specified that the plate was deposited in his majesty's hands for the security thereof and for his service, according to the tenor of his 5 majesty's letters. This, under the guard of Mr B. Oley of Clare Hall, Mr Jo. Barwick' of St John's and others, was sent to the king at York or Nottingham, not without some difficulty, having been conveyed through by-paths and secret passages; whereby they escaped the designs of 10 Oliver Cromwell, who with a party of townsmen and rustics lay in wait near Lowler hedges to intercept it; and being vexed with a disappointment, he returns to Cambridge soon after with a greater force, surrounds St John's college whilst they were at their devotions in the 15 chapel, carries off Dr Beale, whom, with Dr Martin master of Queens' and Dr Sterne master of Jesus, (three of the most active men in the business of the plate) he conducts prisoners with him to London, leading them through Bartholomew fair and a great part of the city to be ex20 posed to and insulted by the rabble; where after much rude and insolent treatment they had the favour to be made prisoners in the Tower. But this being too honourable or too expensive an imprisonment, after a vast expense they were put on board a ship and clapped under deck, and (if 25 we may believe good authority) were intended to be sent or sold to some of our plantations3. Whilst these things were acting at London, the master with twenty-nine of his fellows were deprived of their preferments at Cambridge (whose names being already printed* 30 I need not mention), the college was insulted, guns were frequently discharged in at the windows, the gates at last broke open by the soldiers together with the bursar's chamber and study door, and a good round sum carried off by violence by one captain Mason in presence of several 35 fellows; and after the fortress was taken, the walls for 1 Life of Dr Jo. Barwick. MS. 3 MS. ibid. 4 Querela Cant.; lib. thesaur., where the same number and names, as mentioned in the Querela, are either left out or crossed. The register is imperfect. 5 April 8, 1643. Lib. thesaur. some months were turned into a prison. And whereas it had been made a complaint and crime that their plate was sent to the king, their ancient coins and medals to a great value were now seized, and the communion plate' (that had been always esteemed sacred) was now made lawful 5 plunder; an action so very sacrilegious as to admit of no excuse, unless communion plate might be thought useless, when communions were going out of use. But to do them all right, I find by the books that this was afterwards recovered by Mr Barwick, and yet he having had a hand 10 in drawing up the Querela, a man would suspect that somewhat were yet behind. Though I have done with Dr Beal as master, yet out of a veneration for his memory I will accompany him to his grave. Banished from Cambridge, he was with the 15 king some short time at Oxford; I meet with him after only once more in England, when he was named by his Majesty as one (amongst other great and eminent divines) to attend him at Holmby for the direction of his conscience and clearing of his judgement about the present differences 20 in religion. Being weary of England he made his escape, was received into my lord Cottington's family, and attended him and Sir Edward Hide as chaplain in their embassy to Spain, where at Madrid he sickened and diedʻ. From Sir Edward Hide we may expect the best account 25 of his death, whose son the present lord Clarendon (in whose custody his as well as some of Dr Beal's papers are) gives this account". That the doctor not long after his coming to Madrid was taken ill, and being apprehensive of danger and that 30 he had not long to live, desired Sir Edward Hide and some others of the family to receive the holy sacrament with him, which he in perfect good understanding, though weak in body, being supported in his bed, consecrated and administered to himself and to the other few communicants, 35 and died some few hours after he had performed that last 1 Querela Cant. [p. 18.] 2 Lib. thesaur. 3 Feb. 17, 1646. 4 An. 1650. By a letter from Dr Thomas Smith, intimately known to his lordship. |