Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/198

Rh I must tell you by ye way whosoever once relisheth Yorkshire aright will hardly be drawen to change it. But I see the Doctor is resolved to apply himselfe to serve your Lop wth all his powers.

I am sure you will make much of him for his owne sake, and for mine, my Lord, you must needs forbeare to presse him to come and settle himselfe in Chester sooner then he can wth convenience dispose of his estate in Yorke, wch is the worke hee is allready about, and therein useth ye best industry he can. And soe I rest yor Lops faithfull friend

and humble servant

.

Dublin Castle this
 * 22th of December, 1634.
 * Lord Bishop of Chester."

The question of the cathedral services and sermons at Chester was left unsettled in 1633 when the bishop's report of church affairs in his diocese was sent in. The archbishop's metropolitical visitation had been held in the summer of that year; and the bishops of Chester and Carlisle had been writing to his grace of York to complain, on behalf of their clergy and others, of the excessive fees charged by his officers during the visitation, which seems to have rather offended him. Hence the following letter, which is certainly more abrupt and peremptory than usual. The allusion to the cathedral services will be found in the postscript: "Salutem in Christo. I received yor Lorp's lr̃es of ye 22th of December [and] ye 3d of this moneth, together with yor certificate, whereof I shall give his Mātie information.

I conceive yorundefined Lorp will expect from me an answere to one or two p'ticulers of yor lr̃es. Touching ye reducing of ye seats in the p'ish churches and chappells to an uniformity, ye worke is such as, I thinke, no man will distaste or oppose. But for ye rest of yor intentions for ye disposing of the seats, as to sitt ye men on ye one side of the church, and ye woemen on the other side, otherwise then in times past hath been used, or to remoove