John Wolf."[10]
On July 20th, 1600, Samuel Harsnett, examiner of the press, afterwards Bishop of Chichester, sent the following letter and petition to the Attorney General to excuse himself for having approved Hayward's book, thus:—
"Right worshipfull, I have not yet received eny bookes from my Lord of London, and so am not able to performe my taske in comparing them according to my promise. This for griefe of hart and confusion of face I am skarce able to write, that I shold be behinde hand to your most graciouse divine kindnesse towards me. I have sent myne aunswer enclosed, the onlie part of my dutye that I cold performe, moste humblie beseeching your goodnes to accept it in good part, and to be a father unto me as you have begunne. The God of Heven sees and knowes I am innocent; at casus leso numine crimen habet, my poore estate, my credit, my selfe, and more then my selfe doe hang uppon your graisouse countenance, for I muste crave pardon to tell an unmannerlie secrett: I have a poore weake gentlewoman my wife in childbed, who since your messanger his being at myne house did neither eat, nor drinke, nor sleape for fear, and yet I have twentie tymes reade over your most graciouse lettars unto her. The Lord of Heven requite you, for I and my poore frends shall never be able, and so with teares I humblie take my leave. From my poore house at Chigwell, this XXti of July, 1600.
"Your worship his bought
"and bounden servaunt,
"Sa. Harsnett."
"In moste humble wise complaininge sheweth unto your Worship your dailie Orator, Samuel Harsnett, that whereas the Author of a Pamphlet published in print in anno 1599, intituled the 'Raigne of King Henry the Fourth,' hath endevored to excuse his publishinge the sayd pamphlett, as being allowed and approved by your sayd Orator, it may please your worship in your grave wisdome to consider that this his allegation can be no colour of excuse unto him, in regard of these reasons ensuynge.
"Firste, for that it hath been custome and use for eny man that entended in good meaning to put a booke in print, the Author himselfe to present the booke unto the Examiner, and to acquaynt him with his scope and purpose in the same: the Author of this pamphlet concealed himselfe, and nether spake nor conferred with your Orator concerning this pamphlett, (notwithstanding we were both students togither in Pembroochall in Cambridge, and both of a tyme and standing in the colledge), but the Author delivered his pamphlet unto a gentleman in my Lord of London his house, who begged your Orator his approbation unto the same in the name of a cautel of our English chronicles phrased and flourished over onlie to shewe the Author his pretie witt.
"Secondlie, that whereas your Orator his approbation of eny booke whatsoever is but a leading and inducement to my Lord of London, my master, to passe his Lordship his further approbation to the same, without which his Lordship his further approbation your Orator his allowance is no sufficient warrant for the Author to prynt his booke: the Author of this pamphlett published his pamphlett without my Lord and master his approbation at all, contrarie to warrant in that behalfe.
"Thirdlie, the Author hath wronged your said Orator muche, and hath abused your Worship with false enformation, in alledging for himselfe that your Orator allowed his pamphlett as it was and is published in print; for that the Author knoweth in his conscience this is true, that when his pamphlett had mine approbation it was heddlesse, without epistle, preface, or dedication at all, which moved me to thinke it was a meer rhetorical exornation of a part of our Englishe historie to shewe the foyle of the Author his witt: and after myne approbation gotten thereunto, the Author foysted in an Epistle dedicatorie to the Earle of Essex, which I neither allowed nor sawe, and which if I had seen, I protest I shold never have allowed the rest of the pamphlett.
"Fourthlie, it may please your grave wisdome graciouslie to consider your Orator his mean condition and capacitie; that your sayd Orator is a poore Divine, unacquainted with bookes and arguments of state, and with consequenceis of that nature; that your Orator for ten or twelve yeares past neither spake with nor saluted the Author of this pamphlett, and so is cleer from privitye with his entendementes and overtures in the same; that your Orator sett to his hand sodeinlie as mooved by his freind, never reading (uppon his salvation) more then one page of the hedlesse pamphlet; for which his unadvised negligence he humblie beggeth your moste graciouse milder censure, that it may be no imputation of bad meaninge unto him, who doth dailie in his poore calinge, moste hartelie and zealouslie pray for the happinesse of Her sacred Majestie and the state, and for the longe continuance of Her Highnes most graciouse, blessed, divine government over us, and doth from the bottom of his hart wishe shame and dreadfull confusion upon all calumniators and underminers of the same.