the dearth of competent preachers to supply the london pulpits appears to have been severely felt about this time, and in january 1593 whitgift had written to the vice-chancellor and heads of the university of cambridge complaining of the refusal of the cambridge divines to take their part in this duty. the same year that the primate appointed boys to tilmanstone we find him preaching at st. paul's cross, though he was then only twenty-seven years of age. two years after he was called upon to preach at the cross again, and it was actually while he was in the pulpit that robert, earl of essex, made his mad attempt at rebellion (8 feb 1600-1).