Chap. VI. 7ha HISTORY of the PUetTANS. 247 of the {rodents of Cambridge to the parliament about this time, they ac- Queen knowledge, that therewere plenty of able and well furnifhed men among Elizabeth, them, but that they could not get intoplaces upon equal conditions ; but C M unlearned men, nay the fcum of the people, were preferred before them; fo that in this great want oflabourers, we (fay they) {land idle in the market- place all the day, being . urged with fubfcriptions before the bithops, to approve the Romifh hierarchy, and all the eeftts of that government, to he agreeable to the word of God, whichwith no fafety of confcience we can accord unto. They then offer a conference or difputation, as the queen and parliament (hall agree, to put an amicable end to there differences, that the church may recover forne difcipline, thatfimonyand perjury may be ba- nifhed, and that all who are willing to promote the falvation of fouls, may be employed ; but the queen and bithops were againft it. All the public converfation at this time, ran upon the queen's marriage with the duke ofAnjou, a French papift, which was thought to be as good as conclitded,; the proteftant part of the nation were difpleafed with it, and fome warm divines expreffed their dark apprehenfions in the pulpit. The puritans in general made a loud proteft againft the match, as dread. ing the confequences of a protellant body being under a pops head. Mr. john Stubbs, a fludent of Lincoln Inn, whole lifter Mr. Cartwright had Mr. Stubbs's married, a gentleman ofexcellent parts, publifhed a treatife this fummer, right hand entitled, the GAPING GULPH wherein England will befwallowed up with"' of the French marriage ; wherewith the queen was fo incenfed, that the immediately iffued out a proclamation to fupprefs the book, and to appre- hend the author and printer.. At the fame time, the lords of the council' wrote circular letters to the clergy, to remove all furmifes about the dan- ger of the reformation, in cafe the match fhould take place, alluring them the queen would fuller no alterations in religion, by any treaty with the duke, and forbidding them in their fermons or difcourfes to meddle with fuch high matters. Mr. Stubbs the author, Singleton the printer, and Page the difperfer of the above-mentioned book, were apprehended, and fenten- ced to have their right hands cut 1f, by virtue of a law made in queen Ma- ry's reign, againft the authors and difperfers of feditious writings : The printer was pardoned, but Mr. Stubbs and Page were brought to a feaf- fold, erefted in the market -place at We/Irninfier, where with a terrible for- mality their right hands were cut off, by driving a cleaver through the wrift with a mallet; but I remember (rays Cambden) being prefent, that as loon as Stubbs's right hand was cut oft, he pulled off his hat with his left, and faid with aloud voice, Godfave the queen; to the amazement of the fpeEtators, who flood filent, either out of horror of the punithmenr, or pity to the man, or hatred to the match. Mr. Stubbs proved afterwards a
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