Series 2 Episode 9 - The Deprivations of the Puritan Non-Conformists (Transcript added).

Feel free to email me your thoughts.Audio • Season 2 • Episode 9  •  The Deprivations of the Puritan Non-ConformistsArtwork • Portrait of Richard Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury.Lord Clarendon, in praise of him stated that “If Bancroft had lived, he would have quickly extinguished all the fire in England that was kindled at Geneva.”Music 1        •   “O Mistress Mine”  Composer :  •  Thomas Morley (1557/8–1602). He was  an English composer known for madrigals and other secular music.The song :   •  An instrumental piece titled "O Mistress Mine" appeared in his 1599 collection, Consort Lessons. The lyrics :  •  The famous lyrics are from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, appearing in Act II, Scene 3.  Scholars speculate Morley may have written the music for the play, though the timeline suggests his published instrumental piece came before the play was first performed. The song is a plea from a lover to his mistress to embrace the present moment, with the lyrics emphasizing that "youth's a stuff will not endure" and that "in delay there lies no plenty".  The song is a call to carpe diem, or “seize the day”, urging the mistress to "come kiss me, sweet and twenty".  Twelfth Night, or “What You Will”,  was written around 1601–1602. It was likely intended for performance as a Twelfth Night entertainment to celebrate the end of the Christmas season. The first documented public performance took place on 2 February 1602. This romantic comedy was first performed at Middle Temple in London, one of the four Inns of Court, during the Candlemas celebration.Candlemas is a Christian festival celebrated on February 2nd, commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the purification of Mary. It marks the end of the Christmas season with a focus on light, as it is the day when churches traditionally bless candles that symbolize Christ as the "Light of the World".Matteo Bandello (c. 1480–1562) was an Italian writer, soldier, Dominican friar and bishop, best known for his novellas. His collection of 214 novellas, many of which made the journey to England, made  him the most popular short-story writer of his day. Four Bandello stories were adapted by Shakespeare, including Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night.Episode DescriptionOne significant incident in the history of the English church during the reign of James I that is frequently mentioned by historians is the Deprivation of the Puritan Non-Conformists.In March 1604, Richard Bancroft introduced 141 Canons aimed at regulating church life, specifically targeting Puritan ministers who did not comply with the established norms.These regulations met strong opposition in Parliament, which argued that no Canon enacted in the previous decade could infringe upon individuals' freedom of expression.As a result, church authorities suspended around 300 ministers, many of whom later publicly retracted their previous statements. Despite this backlash, at least seventy ministers were removed from their positions, marking the most significant reduction of Puritan ministers up to that point. The dismissals were carried out harshly, with little compassion shown to those affected. Among those dismissed were Richard Bernard, John Smyth, Richard Clyfton, and John Robinson.