Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/165

344 In this letter he enclosed a petition which he begged Lord Wentworth to present to the King on his behalf, in which he indignantly denies the charge that has been brought against him, and begs that the informer may be strictly examined, and the petitioner [i.e., the bishop himself] punished if the accusation can be proved; but if not, that his Majesty will continue him in his good opinion, and hereafter suspect the information of his enemies. Soon after this he proceeded to London to lay his complaint before the King in person.

In the meantime Sir Thomas Canon prosecuted his enquiry with a full determination to find out something that he might act upon if possible. The chief informers were James Martin, John Lewes, and Henry Reynolds; of whom the latter constantly attended the commission; and at his suggestion Sir Thomas sent for sundry deprived ministers and others who were inimical to the bishop, and urged them to bring forward any evidence they could against his conduct or character, whether public or private. In all this he was somewhat timidly opposed by his fellow-commissioner, Mr. Hunt, who said that their commission was simply to enquire whether he had received any other commutations than those which he had acknowledged, and who deprecated such underhand dealings as being detrimental to their own character no less than to that of the bishop. But the commission proceeded notwithstanding. The commissioners were at Warrington on the 14th and at Wigan on the 15th of February, where many frivolous charges were made against the bishop; but it was all hearsay evidence, and there was nothing laid against him that they could swear to of their own knowledge.

In a letter from Mr. Edward Bridgeman, the bishop's brother, written from his residence at Sankey, near Warrington, on 19th February, 1632-3, while the commission was still going on (in reply to one written to Him by the bishop from Coventry on his way to London), he says:

"On Sondaye morninge last I rode out to Wigan to heare Mr. Bridge preach at fifomoon sermon. I had neither word nor sallutation with