292 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. his dissatisfaction with his lordship's urging ministers, by his method of examination, to accuse themselves ; and then to punish them upon their own confessions. He further observed, " that he would not call his proceedings captious, but they were scarcely charitable. That he would not offend his grace ; and was content that he and the Bishop of London, might use Mr. Brayne as their wisdoms should think fit. But when by examining him, it was only meant to sift him with twenty-four articles, he had cause to pity the poor man.".- Such was the wisdom, the boldness, and the sympathy of this celebrated statesman ; but his generous effortsappear to have been without effect. s. BARNABY BENISON was minister in London, a divine of good learning, and suspended and imprisoned for several years, by Bishop Aylmer, on pretence of some irregularity in his marriage. The bishop charged him with being married in an afternoon, and in the presence of two or three hundred people, by Mr. Field, a nonconformist. For this singular crime, in the year 1579, hewas committed to the Gatehouse, where he continued till towards the close of the year 1584. Mr. Strype, with a design to blacken his memory, observes, " that he studied for some time at Geneva; and upon his return to England, was fraught with innovation and disobedience." He undoubtedly was dis- Strype's Whitgift, p. 169. + Lord Burleigh was a decided friend to the persecuted puritans, and often screened them from the inhuman proceedings of the prelates, or procured their release from bonds and imprisonment. On account of his great abilities, indefatigable application,amazing capacity for business, and immoveable integrity, he is deservedly placed at the head of our English statesmen. His capacity for business appears from the following passage in his life :-"Besides all business in council, or other weighty causes, and " such as Were answered by word of mouth, there was not a day in term " wherein he received not threescore, fourscore, or a hundred petitions, " which he commonly read that night, and gave every man an answer the " next morning as he went to the hall. Hence the excellence of his " memory was greatly admired ; for when any of these petitioners told " hits their names, or what countrymen they were, he presently entered "into the merit of his request, and having discussed it, gave him his "answer." This was his practice towardspersons in all circumstances. He would answer the poorest, as well as others, from his own mouth. When at any time he was forced to keep his chamber, or his bed, he ordered that poor suitors should send in their petitions sealed ; and upon every petition he caused his answer to be written, and subscribed it with his own hand. " He was prayed for by the poor, honoured by the rich, feared by the " bad, and loved by the good."--Biog. Briton. vol. iii. p. 891. Edit. 1778.
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