Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/449

 1571 ] THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 435 served the most part and portion of the yearly reve- nues of their dignities unto themselves, to the slander of the whole estate of the clergy/ The remedy was not to return to the old law of celibacy, and it was ad- mitted that ecclesiastics, if they brought children into the world, ought to provide for them ; yet, so great a change could not be passed over without the expression of an opinion, that it was no matter for entire satisfac- tion. The framers of the bill desired to intimate, that archbishops and bishops, deans and provosts of col- leges, ought to maintain their households on the old and generous scale ; and for the necessary evils, their wives, those ladies should consider that they were the companions of learned men, who had charge and care of the whole realm as concerning the doctrine of faith and good examples of life : it was their duty therefore, as sad and discreet matrons, to bestow their time in devout and godly exercises, prayers, almsdeeds, minis- tering to the poor, with such like works of charitj^. They ought not, as was now far otherwise reported to be, much to the blemishing of their good name, to in- trude and press themselves into the worldly affairs of any such State and Government. 1 One after another these measures went May. up to the House of Lords. The Queen inter- fered once more. On the ist of May she sent a message to the Commons, that Church questions be- longed to herself, and that they had no business with Act for the Bishops and Clergy, 1571 : MSS. Domestic, Rolls House.