112 - 3 Oct. To John Bramhall, bishop of Derry

Summary

Salutem in Christo

My very good Lord,

I sent away by the Packett to my Lord Deputy but upon Sunday last and the very next day being returned from Hampton Court there came a Letter to a Servant of mine from one Mr Yorke a Minister within your Diocesse, whoe (it seemes by his Letter) is like to fall into a great deale of distresse, if you doe not shewe some favour to him. My Lord I doe not well remember, but I doubt you did write something to me concerning such a man att your first comeing to be Bishop of Derry. Howsoever that were, and whether you writt or noe, all that I shall now write upon my Servants entreaty, and the memory of the mans Father (whoe in my time lived many yeares in Oxford, and was reputed a very honest, plaine man) is but this, that if the poore mans Faults be not over great, either in his life, doctrine or conformity to the Church, you would att this my request have some compassion on him, for I heare he hath lived long there and hath att this present a great charge of Children lying on his hands. I find in his Letters, that he had in your Diocess twoe Benefices, and that the last yeare, you urged him soe hard (though he expresses not for what) that you made him resigne one of his Liveings worth ninscore pound per annum promiseing him to provide better for him: and that now, insteed of provideing for him otherwise, you intend to take from him alsoe the Parsonage of Loughreah, which he sayth will tend to his utter undoeing, have served the Church there above this 20 yeares. I am very confident, you will use noe act of power, to the undoeing of any poore man, and therfore I pray, if his Faults be not greevous, to shewe him mercy for my sake, and I shall thanke you heartily for it. And my desire is that att least you would leave him to keepe that which he hath, if you doe not provide him farther of something else, in lieue of that which he formerly resigned to you, which as he writes you promised him to doe.