edrals did diminish; whereby they now
become, especially in their nether parts, rather markets and shops for
merchandise than solemn places of prayer, whereunto they were first
erected. Moreover, in the said cathedral churches upon Sundays and
festival days the canons do make certain ordinary sermons by course,
whereunto great numbers of all estates do orderly resort; and upon the
working days, thrice in the week, one of the said canons (or some other in
his stead) doth read and expound some piece of holy Scripture, whereunto
the people do very reverently repair. The bishops themselves in like sort
are not idle in their callings; for, being now exempt from court and
council, which is one (and a no small) piece of their felicity (although
Richard Archbishop of Canterbury thought otherwise, as yet appeareth by
his letters to Pope Alexander, Epistola 44, Petri Blesensis, where he
saith, because the clergy of his time were somewhat narrowly looked unto,
"_Supra dorsum ecclesiae fabricant peccatores_," etc.), they so apply their
minds to the setting forth of the Word that there are very few of them
which do not every Sunday or oftener resort to some place or other within
their jurisdictions where they expound the Scriptures with much gravity
and skill, and yet not without the great misliking and contempt of such as
hate the Word. Of their manifold translations from one see to another I
will say nothing, which is not now done for the benefit of the flock as
the preferment of the party favoured and advantage unto the prince, a
matter in time past much doubted of--to wit, whether a bishop or pastor
might be translated from one see to another, and left undecided till
prescription by royal authority made it good. For, among princes, a thing
once done is well done, and to be done oftentimes, though no warrant be to
be found therefore.

They have under them also their archdeacons, some one, divers two, and
many four or more, as their circuits are in quantity, which archdeacons
are termed in law the bishops' eyes; and these (beside their ordinary
courts, which are holden within so many or more of their several
deaneries by themselves or their officials once in a month at the least)
do keep yearly two visitations or synods (as the bishop doth in every
third year, wherein he confirmeth some children, though most care but a
little for that ceremony), in which they make diligent inquisition and
search, as well for the doctrine and behavi