The Daily Advertiser

Episcopal Anecdote. The late Bishop of Hereford having preached but one sermon during his being a Bishop, reminds me (says a correspondent) of a similar fact, attended with much more curious circumstances, of a Bishop of Cork.

Dr. William Lyons, who was preferred to the Bishoprick of Cork, Cloyne, and Ross, towards the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, was originally a Captain of a ship, who had distinguished himself so gallantly in several actions with the Spaniards, that on being introduced to the Queen, she told him he should have the first vacancy that offered."

The honest Captain, who understood the Queen literally, soon after hearing of a vacancy in the See of Cork, immediately set off for Court and claimed the Royal promise—The Queen, astonished at the request, for a time remonstrated against the impropriety of it, and what he could never think of as an office suitable for him. It was, however, in vain; he said, the Royal word was passed, and he relied on it. Her Majesty then said, he would take a few days to consider of it, when examining into his character, and finding him a sober, moral man, as well as an intrepid Commander, she sent for Lyons, and gave him the Bishopric, saying at the same time, "he hoped he would take as good care of the church as he had done of the State."

Lyons immediately set out for his Bishopric, which he enjoyed for above twenty years with great reputation to himself, but never attempted to preach but once, and that was on the death of the Queen. On that melancholy occasion he thought it his duty to pay the last honors to his Royal Mistress, and accordingly mounted the pulpit in Christ Church, in the City of Cork, when after giving a good discourse on the uncertainty of life, and the great and amiable qualities of the Queen, he concluded in the following warm but whimsical manner:

"Let those who feel this loss deplore with me on this melancholy occasion; but if there be any that hear me who have secretly wished for this event (as perhaps there may) they have now got their wish, and the D---l do them good with it."

The writer of this article gives it on good traditional authority: the Bishop's name, and the date of his appointment (1582) are on record in the consistorial court of Cork: and his picture, in his Captain's uniform, the left-hand wanting a finger, is still to be seen in the Bishop's palace at Cork.