A HISTORY OF NORFOLK shameless spoiler. But his most unenviable distinction is that he urged the speedy execution, as a dangerous person of blasphemous opinions,^ of Francis Ket, who in 1589 was burned alive in the Castle Ditch at Norwich. Ket seems to have been a mystic of the type of Johann Scheffler. Burton* notes ' how holy he would seem to be, the Sacred Bible almost never out of his hands, himselfe alwayes in prayer.' He was a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, and a grandson of Robert Ket, and is described as of Wymondham. In 1584 a successor to the Unitarian Matthew Hamount had been burnt at Norwich in the person of John Lewes (who called himself Abdoit), condemned for denying the godhead of Christ and for 'other detestable opinions. Bishop Scambler died 7 May, 1594, and William Redman, archdeacon of Canterbury, was consecrated 12 January, 1595. Chamberlain, writing to Sir Dudley Carleton, described him as ' one of the wisest of his coat.' * The records of Norwich ^ show that throughout his episcopate a steady effort was made to insist on the strict observance of Lent in Norwich and the rest of the diocese. He died 25 September, 1602, and was succeeded by Bishop Jegon, consecrated 20 February, 1603, who had previously been, in succession, master of Corpus Christi College, vice-chancellor of the university, and dean of Norwich. We find James throughout his reign anxious that the decencies of religion should be insisted on ; from the first also it was evident he wished to show tolerance to the recusants, and after a conference on 17 July, 1603, with a deputation of loyal Catholics, he settled to remit, at any rate, the collection of the fine of 20 // per month levied on the gentry for non-attendance at church. Acting on his instructions a general inquiry was instituted by the archbishop, and the returns for the archdeaconry of Norwich, dated 12 July, 1603, are in existence,* and furnish a most interesting account of that portion of the country, which may presumably be taken as fairly representative of the whole. It gives the number of those who received the communion in every parish ; the numbers of recusants, both men and women, without specifying their names ; of those who did not receive communion ; the names of all double-beneficed men in the diocese, whether they be endowed with vicarages or served with curates ; what the vicarages were valued at ; the stipend of the curate ; the name of every parsonage endowed with a vicarage ; and the patrons of the several benefices. The return for this archdeaconry shows, as might be expected, a very small number of non-communicants in comparison with the number of communicants ; it shows also that where benefices were held in plurality they were of small value and only a short distance apart, and the name and state of the incumbent being given in each case proves that many of them were graduates at the universities. The ' Lansd. MS. 982, fol. 1 62 (B.M.) ' David's evidence, 124. ' Fuller, Ch. Hist, ix, 10. • Cal. S. P. Dom. 1601-3, p. 249. ' Liber Ruber Civitatis, fol. 12 ; Ledger Book, fol. 202 ; Dec. et Cap. Norw. fol. 185-6, &c. ; Cor- respondence between the council and the mayor and aldermen. In 1568 a proclamation calling attention to the slackness in keeping Saturd.-iy as well as Wednesday and Friday in Lent as fish days had been issued. In I 585 the provision with regard to Wednesdays was repealed (Stephen, Hist, of the Engl. Ch. v, loi). ' Harl. MS. 595, 39, i, 166. Printed in Horf. Arch, x, p. i, by Dr. Jessopp (B.M.). 276
