THere be two Primates, or Arch-Bishops throughout England and Wales, Canter­burie and Yorke, both Metropolitans, York of England, Canterburie of all Eng­land, for so their Titles runne. To the Primate of Canterburie bee subordinate thirteene Bishops in England, and foure in Wales. But the Primate of Yorke hath at this time but two Suffragans in England: Namely, the Bishops of Car­liele, and Durhan: though hee had in King Lucius dayes, (who was the first Christian King of this our Nation) all the Prelacy of Scotland within his jurisdiction: Canter­burie commanding all from this side the River Trent to the furthest limits of Wales; and York commanding all from beyond the Trent to the utmost bounds of Scotland, and hitherto, their prime Archiepiscopall Prerogatives may (not unproperly) be paralleld.

In the time of Henrie the first were potent two famous Prelates, Anselme of Canterburie, who durst contest a­gainst the King, and Girald of Yorke, who denyed to give place or any precedence at all to Anselme. Thomas Becket, [Page 3] who was first Chancellour, and after Arch-Bishop of Canter­burie, in the reigne of Henrie the second, bore himselfe so insol [...]ntly against the King his Soveraigne. that it cost him his life, being slaine in the Church as he was going to the Altar. But above all, the pride, tyrannie, and oppression of the Bishop of Ely, in the reigne of Richard the first wants example, who was at once Chancellour of England, and Regent of the Land, and held in his hand at once the two Arch-Bishopricks of York and Canterburie, who never rid abroad without a thousand horse for his guard to attend him, whom we may well parallel with the now great Cardinall of France: and need hee had of such a traine to keep him­selfe from being pulled to peeces by the oppressed Prelates, and people, equally extorting from the Clergie, and Laietie; yet he in the end, disguising himselfe in the shape of an old Woman, thinking to passe the Sea at Dover, where hee awayted on the Strand, a Pinace being hired for that pur­pose, he was discovered by a Sayler, and brought backe to abide a most severe sentence. Stephen Lancthon, Arch-Bi­shop of Canterburie, in the time of King Iohn, would not absolve the Land, being for sixe yeares together indicted by the Pope, till the King had payd unto him and the rest of the Bishops eighteene thousand Markes in gold; and thus I could continue the pride of the Prelacie, and their great Tyrannie through all the Kings Reignes: But I now fall up­on the promist parallel betwixt Thomas Wolsey, Arch-Bishop of York, and Cardinall, and William Laud, Doctor in Di­vinitie, and Arch-Bishop of Canterburie.

They were both the sonnes of meane and Mechanick men, Wolsey of a Butcher, Laud of a Clothworker. The one borne in Ipswich, (threescore miles) the other in Rea­ding thirtie miles distant from the City of London, both of them verie toward, forward, and pregnant grammar Schollars, and of singular apprehensions, as suddenly rising to the first forme in the Schoole. From thence, being yong, they were removed to the Vniversitie of Oxford, Wolsey ad­mitted into Maudlin Coledge, Laud into St. Iohns, and as [Page 4] they were of different times, so they were of different sta­tures; yet either of them well shapt according to their pro­portions: VVolsey was of a competent tallnesse, Laud of a lesse size, but might be called a prettie man, as the other a proper man: both of ingenious and acute aspects, as may appeare by this mans face, the others picture. In their par­ticular Colledges they were alike proficients, both as active of body as braine, serious at their private studies, and e­qually frequent in the Schooles, eloquent Orators, either to write, speake, or dictate, daintie Disputants, well verst in Philosophy, both Morall, Physicall, and Metaphysicall, as al­so in the Mathematicks, and neither of them strangers to the Muses, both taking their degrees according to their time; and through the whole Academie, Sir Wolsey was cal­led the boy-Batchelour, and Sir Laud the little Batche­lour.

The maine study that either of them fixt upon was Theo­logie: for though they were conversant in all the other Arts and Sciences, yet that they solely profest, and by that came their future preferment; Wolsey being Batchelour was made Schoole-master of Maudlin Schoole in Oxford, but Laud came in time to be Master of St. Iohns Colledge in Oxford; therein transcending the other, as also in his degrees of Master of Art, Batchelour of Divinitie, and Doctor of Di­vinitie, when the other being suddenly cald from the Re­ctorship of his schoole, to be resident upon a Countrie Be­nefice, he took no more Academicall degrees, than the first of Batchelour, and taking a strange affront by one Sir Ami­us Paulet, a Knight in the Countrie, who set him in the Stocks, he indured likewise divers other disasters: but that disgrace he made the Knight pay dearely for, after he came to be invested in his dignitie. Briefely, they came both to stand in the Princes eye; but ere I proceed any further, let me give the courteous Reader this modest caveat, that he is to expect from me onely, a parallell of their Acts and Fortune., but no legend of their lives; it therefore briefely thus followeth,

[Page 2]Both these from Academicks comming to turne Cour­tiers; Wolsey by his diligent waiting, came to insinuate himselfe into the brests of the Privie Counsellours. His first emploiment was in an Embassie to the Emperour, which was done by such fortunate, and almost incredible expedition, that by that only he grew into first grace with King Henry the seventh, father to King Henry the eighth. Laud, by the mediation and meanes wrought by friends, grew first into favour with King Iames of sacred memory, father to our now royall Soveraigne King Charles. They were both at first the Kings Chaplaines, Woolseyes first preferment was to bee Deane of Lincolne, of which hee was after Bishop. Lauds first ecclesiasticall dignity was to be Deane of Saint Davids, of which he was after Bishop also. And both these Prelati­call Courtiers came also to be privie Counsellours. Woolsey in the beginning of Henry the eighths raigne, was made Bi­shop of Tourney in France, soone after Bishop of Lincoln, and before his full consecration (by the death of the Incum­bent) was ended, translated to the Arch-Bishoprick of York, and all this within the compasse of a yeare; Laud, though not so suddainly, yet very speedily, was from St. Da­vids removed to London, and from London to Canterburie, and this in the beginning of the Reigne of King Charles. Thus you see they were both Arch-Bishops, and as Laud was never Cardinall, so Woolsey was never Canterburie.

But in some things the Cardinall much exceeded Can­terburie, as in holding all these Bishopricks at once, when the other was never possest but of one at one time. The Car­dinall also held the Bishoprick of Winchester, of Worcester, Bath and W [...]lls, with a fourth, and two Abbat-ships in Com­mendam: He had besides an Hat sent him from Rome, and made himselfe Cardinall, (that being before but Yorke) he might over-top Canterburie. But our William howsoe­ver he might have the will, yet never attained to that pow­er, and howsoever hee could not compasse a Hat from Rome, yet made the meanes to have a consecrated Miter sent from Rome; which was so narrowly watcht, that it came not to his wearing. Moreover, the Cardinall extorted the [Page 6] Chancellourship from Canterburie; but we finde not that Canterburie ever either trencht upon the jurisdiction, or tooke any thing away from the Arch-Bishoprick of York.

Woolsey likewise farre out-went him in his numerous Traine, and the noblenesse thereof, being waited on not onely by the prime gentrie, but even of Earles, and Earles sonnes, who were listed in his family, and attended him at his Table, as also in his hospitalitie, his open house being made free for all commers, with the rare and extraordina­rie state of his Palace, in which there were daily uprising and downe-lying a thousand persons, who were his dome­stick servants. Moreover in his many entertainments of the K. with Masks, and mightie sumptuous banquets, his sumptuous buildings, the Prince-like state he carried in his forraigne Embassages, into France, to the Emperor, &c. in which he spent more Coyne in the service of his King, for the honour of his Countrie, and to uphold the credit of his Cardinals Cap, than would (for the time) have paid an Armie Royal. But I answer in behalfe of our Canterburie, that hee had never that meanes or imployment, by which hee might make so vain-glorious a show of his Pontificalitie, or ā Archie­piscopall Dignitie: For unbounded mindes may bee re­strained within narrow limmits, and therefore the parallel may something hold in this too.

They were also in their judiciall Courts equally tyran­nous; the one in the Chancerie, the other in the High Com­mission: both of them at the Councell boord, and in the Starre-chamber alike Draconically supercilious. Blood drawne from Doctor Bonners head by the fall of his Crosse presaged the Cardinals downfall. Blood drawne from the Eares of Burton, Prin, and Bastwick, was a prediction of Canterburies ruine; the first accidentall, the last premedi­tate and of purpose. The Cardinall would have expelled all the Lutherans and Protestants out of the Realme, this our Canterburie would have exil'd both our Dutch and French Church out of the Kingdome. The Cardinall took maine delight in his foole Patch, and Canterburie tooke [Page 7] much delight in his partie coloured Cats. The Cardinall used for his agents Bonner and others, Canterburie for his Ministers, Duck, Lamb, and others. They both favoured the Sea of Rome, and respected his Holinesse in it. The Cardinall did professe it publickly, the Arch-Bishop did reverence it privately. The Cardinalls ambition was to bee Pope, the Arch-Bishop strove to bee Patriarch, they both bid fairely for it, yet lost their aime; and farre easier it is for men to descend, than to ascend.

The Cardinall (as I have said) was very ambitious; the Arch-Bishop was likewise of the same minde, though bet­ter moulded, and of a more politick braine, having a clo­se and more reserved judgement in all his observations, and more fluent in his deliverie. The Cardinall was verie curious in his attire, and ornament of his body, and took great delight in his traine, and other his servants for their rich aparrell; the Arch-Bishop his attire was neat and rich, but not so gaudie as the Cardinals was, yet tooke as much felicitie in his Gentlemens rich aparrell, especially those that waited on his person, as ever the Cardinall did, though other men paid for them: and if all men had their owne, and every bird her Feather, some of them would bee as bare as those that professe themselves to bee of the Sect of the Adamists: To speake truth, the Arch-Bishops men were all given to covetousnesse and wantonnesse; that I never heard of was in the Cardinals men.

As the Cardinall was sumptuous in his buildings, as that of White Hall, Hampton Court, &c. as also in laying the foun­dation of two famous Coledges, the one at Ipswich, where he was borne, the other at Oxford where he had his bree­ding: so Christ-Church which he left unfinished, Canter­burie hath since repaired; and wherein he hath come short of him in building, though he hath bestowed much on St. Iohns Coledge, yet he hath out-gone him in his bountie of brave voluminous Books, being fourescore in number, late sent to the Bodleian or Universitie Librarie: Further, as the Cardinall was Chancelour of England, so Canterburie was Chancellour of Oxford: And as the Cardinall by pluc­king [Page 8] downe of some small Abbies, to prepare stone for [...] greater Structures, opened a gap for the King, by which he tooke the advantage utterly to raze and demolish the rest: so Canterburie by giving way for one Bishop to have a tem­porall Triall, and to be convicted, not by the Clergie, but the Laitie, so he left the same path open both for himselfe, and the rest of the Episcopacie: of which, there before scarce remained a president.

I have paralleld them in their dignities: I will conclude with a word or two concerning their downe-falls. The Cardinall fell into the displeasure of his King, Canterburie into an extreame hatred of the Commons: both were ar­rested of high Treason, the Cardinall by Processe, Canter­burie by Parliament. The Cardinall at Keywood Castle neare Yorke, Canterburie at Westminster neare London; both their falls were speedy and suddaine: The Cardinall sate as this day in the high Court of Chancerie, and within two dayes after was confined to his house; Canterburie as this day sate at the Counsell-boord, and in the upper house of Parliament, and the same day committed to the blacke Rod, and from thence to the Tower: The Cardinall dyed at Leicester some say of a Flux; Canterburie remaines still in the Tower, onely sick of a fever. Vanitas vanitatum om­nia vanitas.