e Church of England," published in 1562, was
quickly translated into every language in Europe. In episcopal matters
he took great interest, and built the library over the cloisters,[12]
besides devoting great care to the education of students, having
always a number of poor lads in his house, and maintaining others at
Oxford, one of whom was the famous "Judicious Hooker." Fuller praises
him in terms that seem, however extravagant, to be generally admitted
by his contemporaries to be fully deserved, and the famous sentence,
"It is hard to say whether his soul or his ejaculations arrived first
in heaven, seeing he prayed dying, and died praying," shows that he
was reverenced by the Reformed Church as a veritable saint. He died at
Monkton Fairleigh in 1571, his tombstone, despoiled of its brass, is
now near that of Bishop Wyvil, whence it was removed from its former
place in the choir.

=Edmund Gheast=, or =Gest= (1571-1577), the first Protestant Bishop of
Rochester, was translated to Salisbury, where he gave a fine
collection of books to the new library of the cathedral. His tombstone
is in the north choir aisle.

=John Piers= (1577-1589) preached before Queen Elizabeth at the solemn
thanksgiving for the defeat of the Spanish Armada. He was translated
to York in 1589.

=John Coldwell= (1591-1596), a physician before he became a cleric, is
also noticeable as the first married bishop who held the see. He was
accused of wasting its revenues, and is responsible for the loss of
Sherborne Castle, which he alienated, says Fuller, "owing to the wily
intrigues of Sir Walter Raleigh."

=Henry Cotton= (1598-1615) was one of the chaplains of Elizabeth, and
a godson of the Queen, of whom she is reported to have remarked that
"she had blessed many of her godsons, now one should bless her." Sir
John Harrington says, "he had nineteen children by one wife, which is
no ordinary blessing, and most of them sonnes. His wife's name was
Patience; the name of which I have heard in few wives, the quality in
none." As the second married bishop he certainly appears to have
supported fully the Protestant opposition to the celibacy of the
clergy.

=Robert Abbott= (1615-1618) was the elder brother of George,
Archbishop of Canterbury. Fuller says, "George was the more plausible
preacher, Robert the greater scholar; George the abler statesman,
Robert the deeper divine. Gravity did frown in George, and smile in
Robert." As one might infer from so