Iordan Briset hauing first founded the Priory of Nunnes here by Clerkenwell as aforesaid bought of the said Nunnes ten Acres of ground giuing them for the said ten Acres twenty Acres of land in his Lordship of Willinghale or Wellinghall in Kent Vpon which ground lying neare vnto the said Priory hee laid the foundation of a religious structure for the knights Hospitalers of S. Iohn of Ierusalem These following are the words out of the Register booke of the Deedes of the said house written by one Iohn Stilling-fleete a brother of the house circa ann 1434. to the end that their benefactors names being knowne they may be daily remembred in their prayers Iordanus Briset Baro tempore regis Hen. primi circa an Dom. 110. fundauit domum ac Hospitale S. Iohns de Clerkenwel Hic etiam erat Fundator domus Monialium de Clerkenwel ac ab eis emit decem acras terre super quas dictum Hospitale ac domum fundauit pro illis decem acris terre dedit illis Monialibus viginti acras terre in Dominico suo de Willinghale in com Cant. c. In ye yere of Criste as I haue the words out of an old Mss 1185. ye vj. Ides of Merche ye dominical lettre being F ye Chyrche of ye Hospitall of S Iohns Ierusalem was dedicatyd to ye honor of S. Iohn Baptiste by ye worschypfull fader Araclius Patriarke of ye resurrection of Christe ye sam dey was dedycatyd ye hygh Altrâ— and ye Altre of S. Iohn Euangelist by ye sam Patryarke The said Heraclius in the same yeare dedicated the Church of the new Temple as hereafter is spoken Within a short time this Hospitall began to flourish for infinite were the donations of all sorts of people to this Fraternitie as in the Beadroul of their benefactors is specified but aboue all their Benefactors they held themselues most bound to Roger de Mowbray whose liberalitie to their order was so great that by a common consent in their chapiter they made a decree that himselfe might remit and pardon any of the Brotherhood whomsoeuer in case he had trespassed against any of the statutes and ordinances of their order confessing and acknowledging withall his offence and errour And also the knights of this order granted in token of thankefulnesse to Iohn de Mowbray Lord of the Isle of Axholme the successour of the foresaid Roger that himselfe and his successours in euery of their couents assemblies as well in England as beyond seas should be receiued entertained alwaies in the second place next to the King Thus through the bounty both of Princes priuate persons they rose to so high an estate and great riches that after a sort saith Camden they wallowed in wealth for they had about the yeere of our Lord 1240. within christendome nineteene thousand Lordships or Manours like as the Templars nine thousand the reuenewes and rents whereof fell afterwards also to these Hospitallers And this estate of theirs growne to so great an height made way for them to as great honours so as the Priore of this house was reputed the prime Baron of the land being able with fulnesse abundance of all things to maintaine an honourable port And thus they flourished for many yeeres in Lordly pompe vntill a Parliament begun the 18. of April 1540. Anno 32. Henry 8. their corporation was vtterly dissolued the King allowing to euery one of them onely a certaine annuall pension during their liues as you may reade in the Annals of England The value of this foundation in the Kings bookes was 3385 l. 19 s. 8 d. of ancient yeerely rent This Priory Church and house was preserued from spoile or downe pulling so long as Henry the 8 raigned but in the 3 of King Ed. the sixt the Church for the most part with the great Bell-tower a most curious piece of workemanship grauen gilt and enameld to the great beautifying of the Citie saith Stow was vndermined and blowne vp with Gun-powder the stone whereof was imployed in building of the Lord Protectors house in in the Strand The Charter-house Sir Walter Manny Knight of the Garter Lord of the towne of Manny in the Dioces of Cambrey beyond the seas in that raging pestilence in the 23 of King Ed. the 3. when Churches Church-yards in London might not suffice to bury the dead purchased a piece of ground in this place called Spitle croft containing 13 acres and a Rodd and caused the same to bee enclosed for burials and dedicated by Raph Stratford Bishop of London in which place and in the same yeere more then 50000 persons were buried in regard of such a multitude here interred he caused a Chappell here to be builded wherein Offerings were made and Masses said for the soules of so many Christians departed And afterwards about the yeere 1371. he caused here to be founded an house of Carthusian Monkes which he called the Salutation which house at the dissolution was valued to be yeerely worth sixe hundred forty two pounds foure pence halfe penny Iohn Stow saith that he had read this Inscription following fixed on a stone crosse sometime standing in the Charter-house Church yard Anno Domini M. ccc.xl.ix Regnante magna pestilentia consecratum fuit hoc Cemiterium in quo infra septa presentis Monasterij sepulta fuerunt mortuorum Corpora plusquam quinquaginta millia preter alia multa abhinc vsque ad presens quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen This inscription vpon the foresaid Stone Crosse as also the relation before was taken out from the words of his charter the substance whereof followeth Walterus Dns. de Many c. cum nuper pestilentia esset tam grandis viâ—lenta in ciuitate London quod Cemiteria Ecclesiae ciuitatis non possunt sufficere pro sepultura a personarum in eadem pestilentia discedentia nos moti pietate habentes respectum c. Purchased 13. acres of land without Smithfield Barres in a place called Spitle croft and now called new Church-Haw for the buriall of the persons aforesaid and haue caused the place to be blessed by Raph then Bishop of London in which place plus quam Quinquaginta millia personarum de dicta pestilentia morientium sepulti fuere And there for our Ladies sake wee founded a Chappel of the holy order of the Cartusians made there a Monastery by consent of the Prior or Cartuse Maior in Sauoy c. for the health of King Edward the third and Dame Margaret his wife Hijs Testibus Iohn Hastings of Penbroke Humfrey Bohun of Hereford Edmund Mortymer of Marâ—h and William de Monteacuto of Sarum Earles Iohn de Barnes Maior of London William de Walworth and Robert de Gayton Sheriffes Dat apud London 20 Martij Anno Regni Reg. Ed. 3.45 Sir Walter Manny or de Manie the foresaid Founder was buried here in his owne Church who deceased in the same yeere that he
of Frobenus that not alonly the Germaines but also the Italianes themselfe that count as the Grekes ded full arrogantly all other Nacions to be barbarouse and vnlettered sauing their owne shall haue a direct occasion openly of force to say That Britannia prima fuit parens altrix addo hoc etiam iure quidem optimo conseruatrix cùm virorum magnorum tum maxime ingeniorum Britaine was a mother a nurse and a maintainer not onely of worthy men but also of most excellent wits And that profite hath risen by the aforesaid iourney in bringing full many things to light as concerning the vsurped autorite of the Bishop of Rome and his complices to the manifest and violent derogation of Kingly dignite I referre my selfe most humbly to your most prudent learned and high iudgement to discerne my diligence in the long Volume wherein I haue made answer for the defence of your supreme dignitie al only lening to the strong pillor of holy scripture against the whole Colledge of the Romanists cloking their crafty affections and arguments vnder the name of one poore Pighius of Vltraiect in Germany and standing to them as to their onely anker hold against tempests that they know will arise if truth may be by licens lette in to haue a voyce in the generall counsell Yet herin only I haue not pytched the supreme worke of my labour wherunto your grace most like a kinglye Patron of all good lernyng ded animate me But also considering and expending with my selfe how great a number of excellent godly wittes and writers lerned with the best as the times serued hath bene in this your region Not onely at such times as the Romane Emperors had recourse to it but also in those daies that the Saxons preuailed of the Britaines and the Normans of the Saxons could not but with a feruent zele and honest corage commend them to memory Els alas like to haue bene perpetually obscured or to haue lightly remembred as vncertaine shaddowes Wherfor I knowing by infinite varietie of bookes and assiduouse reading of them who hath bene lerned and who hath written from time to time in this realme haue digested into four bokes the names of them with their liues and monuments of lerning And to them added this title De viris illustribus folowing the profitable example of Hierome Gannadie Cassiodore Seuerayne and Trittemie a late Writer But alway so handling the matter that I haue more exspaciated in this campe then they ded as in a thing that desired to be somewhat at large and to haue ornature The first boke beginning at the Druides is deducted vnto the time of the comming of S. Augustine into England The second is from the time of Augustine vnto the aduente of the Normans The third from the Normans to the end of the moste honourable reigne of the mightie famouse and prudent Prince Henry the seuenth your Father The fourth beginneth with the name of your Maieste whose glory in lerning is to the world so clerely knowne that though emonge the liues of other lerned men I haue accurately celebrated the names of Bladud Mulmutius Constantinus Magnus Sigebert Alfridus Alfridus magnus Athelstaâ—e and Henry the first Kings and your progenitors And also Ethelward second sonne to Alfride the great Humfryde Duke of Glocester and Tipetote Earle of Worcestre yet conferred with your grace they serue as small lights if I may freely say my iudgement your high modesty not offended in respect of the daye starre Now farther to insinuate to your grace of what matters the Writers whose liues I haue congested into foure bookes hath treated of I may right boldly say that beside the cognicion of the foure tongues in the which parâ— of them hath excelled that there is no kinde of liberall science or any feate concerning learning in the which they haue not shewed certaine arguments oâ— great felicitie of witte Yea and concerning the interpretation of holy Scripture both after the ancient forme and sens the scholasticall trade they haue reigned as in a certaine excellency And as touching historicall knowledge there hath bene to the number of a full hundreth or mo that from time to time hath with great diligence and no lesse faith wolde to God with like eloquence perscribed the actes of your noble predecessors and the fortunes of this your Realme so incredibly great that hee that hath not seane and throughly redde their workes can litle pronounce in this parte Wherfor after that I had perpended the honest and profitable studies of these Historiographers I was totally enflamed with a loue to see throughly all those partes of this your opulent and ample realme that I had redde of in the aforsaid Writers In so much that all my other occupacions intermitted I haue so traueled in your dominions both by the see coastes and the middle parts sparing neither labour nor costs by the space of these sixe yeeres past that there is almost neither cape nor baye hauen creke or pere riuer or confluence of riuers breches washes lakes meres fenny waters mountaines vallies mores hethes forestes woodes cities burges castels principall manor places monasteries and colleges but I haue seane them and noted in so doing a whole world of things very memorable Thus instructed I trust shortly to see the time that like as Carolus Magnus had among his treasures three large notable tables of siluer richly enameled one of the site and description of Constantinople another of the site and figure of the magnificente Citee of Rome and the third of descrypcyon of the world So shall your Maiestie haue this your world and impery of Englande so set forth in a quadrate table of siluer if God send me life to accomplish my beginning that your Grace shall haue ready knowledge at the first sight of many right delectable fruitfull and necessary pleasures by contemplacion thereof as often as occasion shall moue you to the sight of it And because that it may be more permanent and farther knowne then to haue it engraued in siluer or brasse I entend by the leaue of God within the space of twelue moneths following such a description to make of your realme in writing that it shall be no mastery after for the Grauer or Painter to make the like by a perfect example Yea and to wade farther in this matter where as now almost no man can wele gesse at the shadow of the ancient names of hauens riuers promontories hilles woods Cities Townes Castles and varyete of kyndes of people that Cesar Liui Strabo Diodorus Fabius Pictor Pomponius Mela Plinius Cornelius Tacitus Ptolomeus Sextus Rufus Ammianus Marcellinus Solinus Antoninus and diuerse other make mencyon of I trust so to open this wyndow that the lyght shall be seene so long that is to say by the space of a whole thousand yeeres stopped vp and the old glory of your renowned Britayne to reflorish through
that place he conuerted vnto the faith of Christ Sebert king of the East Saxons Of which this Stanza out of Harding Then Austin made Peter a clerke deuoute Of Saynt Austines th'abbot religious And made Mellito as Bede clerly hath note Of London then byshoppe full vertuous A Clerke that was then beneuolous Who then conuerted of Essex the king Sebert And all his land baptised with holy herte But the wicked sonnes of this good King Sebert expelled Mellitus out of their dominions from whence he trauelled into France and there stayed for a time vntill he was commanded by Archbishop Laureâ—ce to retâ—â—ne and looke to his flocke He was a man noble by birth but much more noble for the excellencie of his minde an eloquent speaker and therefore aâ—â—siuely called of some Mellifluous exceeding carefull of his charge despising the world and neuer caring for any thing but heauen and heauenly things hauing beene sicke a long time of the Gowt hee died Aprill 24. ann 624. and was buried beside his predecessour Vpon whose Tombe this Epitaph was engrauen Summus Pontificum flos tertius et mel apricum Hac titulis clara redoles Mellite sub arca Laudibus eternis te predicat vrbs Dorouernis Cui simul ardenti restas virtute potenti Presently vpon the death of Mellitus Iustus then Bishop of Rochester was preferred to this Archbishopricke He was a Romane borne the disciple of Gregory the great by whom he was sent ouer into England to preach the Gospell He was a Monke after the order of Saint Benet Vir tantae integritatis vi iusti nomine non tam gentilicio quam propter virtatem honorandus censeretur Which his vertue as also his learning are both highly commended by Pope Boniface the fourth to whom as to his deared beloued Brother he sendeth greeting He died Nouemb. 10. ann 634. was buried by his predecessour and canonized a Saint and Confessor But heare his Epitaph Istud habet bustum meritis cognomine Iustum Quarto iure datus cui cessit Pontificatus Pro meritis Iusti sancta grauitate venusti Gratia diuinam diuina dat his medicinam Honorius a reuerend learned man borne in the same Citie brought vp vnder the same Master and one of the same order with Iustus succeeded him in his pontificall Gouernment During the time he sate which was somewhat aboue twentie yeares amongst other things hee appointed diuers Bishops to diuers countries and diuided his Prouince into Parishes of which I haue spoken before that so he might appoint particular Ministers or Priests to particular congregations In his time the Pelagian heresie began to spring vp againe in Scotland but by his exhortatorie diuine Epistles to the Clergie of that kingdome he so dealt that the poysonous infection of that contagious heresie spread not farre neither continued any long time He died Februar 28. Ann. 653. and was laid with his predecessours This was his Epitaph Quintus honor memori versu memoraris Honori Digna sepultura quam non teret vlla Litura Ardet in obscuro tua lux vibramine puro Hec scelus omne premit fugat vmbras nubila demit One Frithona famous for his learning and vertuous life being elected Archbishop vpon the day of his consecration changed his name for Deus dedit or Adeodatus He was the first Englishman that gouerned this See which charge he attended carefully the space of sixe yeares and dyed Iuly â—4 Ann. 664. being the very same day that Ercombert the king of Kent dyed he was the last Bishop buried in the Church-porch Such was his Epitaph Alme Deus Dedit cui sexta vâ—catio cedit Signas hunc lipidem lapidi 〈…〉 eâ—dem Prodit ab hac vrna 〈…〉 aâ—urna Quâ— melioratur quic 〈…〉 graâ—atur Theodore a Grecian Saint Pauls 〈…〉 borne in Tharsus succeeded Deus deâ—it He was sixtâ—e sixe yearâ—â— of age before he vndertooke the charge of this Archbishopricke in 〈◊〉 hee continued two yeares three moneths twenty seuâ—n dayes vntill 〈…〉 which happened Sept. 29. anno 690 A man hee was to omit particulars worthy of perpetuall remembrance for his singular vertues vnder whom the Church of England receiued much comfort and encrease in spirituall matters Hee was exceeâ—dingly well learned both in profane and holy literature hee would often visit the countrey of the Englishmen all ouer and teach them the wayeâ— and pathes of good life Hee was the first Archbishop vnto whom all the whole Church of the English Nation did yeeld and consent to submit themselues Hee writ many learned bookes mentioned by Bâ—â—e hee was the seuenth Archbishop of whom these verses were written vpon the wall in Latine now translated thus into English Seuen Patriarchs of England Primates seuen Seuen Rectors and seuen Babaurers in heven Seuen Cesterns pure of life seuen Lamps of light Seuen Palmes and of this Realme seuen Crownes full bright Seuen Starres are here interr'd in vault below These verses were common to aâ—l these seuen pillars of the English Church for so they are called yet euery one as you haue read had his particular Epitaph and this following went curiant for Theodore thus Englished by the Translatour of venerable Bede A worthie Prelate lyeth here fast closed in this graue To whom the name of Theodore the Greekes most iustly gaue With title right the soueraigntie hauing of each degree Christs flock he fed with true doctrine as all men do well see His soule was set at libertie that lumpish lumpe of clay Dissolued when September had put nineteene dayes away And coueting their fellowship that liue a godly life Is companied with Angels high voyd of all care and strife Brithwald called like others allusiuely Bright world Abbot of Reculuer some two yeares after the decease of Theodore was elected and consecrated Archbishop by one Godwin Metropolitan of France He was a man very well learned both in Diuinitie and humanitie and very skilfull both in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall orders censures and disciplines but farre inferiour in all vnto his predecessour He continued Archbishop in this fâ—â—med seuen and thirtie yeares sixe moneths fourteene dayes a longer time then euer any did either before or since and dyed Ianuar. 9. ann 731. and was buried in this Abbey Church because the Porch was already filled with the dead bodies of his predecessours for whom this Epitaph was 〈◊〉 and engrauen vpon his Monument Stat sua laus feretro Brithwaldus stat sua metro Sed minor est metri laus omnis laude feretri Laude frequentandus pater hic glorificandus Si prâ—ce slectatur dat ei qui danda precatur Tatwin a man very religious and no lesse learned succeeded Brithwald soone after whose consecration great controuersie arose betweene him and the Archbishop of Yorke about the Primacie wherein Tatwin preuailed Who hauing sate onely three yeares died Iuly the last day An. Dom. 735. and
fyue hundryd and eighteen yere Inscriptions in the Stilliard the house sometime of the German-Merchants Haec domus est laeta semper bonitate repleta Hic Pax hic requies hic gaudia semper honesta Item Aurum blanditiae pater est natusque doloris Qui caret hoc maeret qui tenet hic metuit Item Qui bonis parere recusat quasi vitato fumo in flammam incidit Saint Mary Bothaw .......... Chich .... vocitatus ..... Robertus omni bonitate refertus Bauperibus largus pius extitit ad mala tardus Moribus ornatus iacet istic intumulatus Corpore procerus his Maior arte Grocerus Anno milleno C quater x quater anno ............. This Robert Chichley was Lord Maior An. 1422. hee appointed by his Testament that on his birth day acompetent dinner should be ordained for 2400 poore men housholders of this city euery man to haue two pence in money Saint Michaels Crooked lane Here lieth entombed in a Chappell of his owne foundation Sir William Walworth Knight Lord Maior of London whose manfull prowesse against that arch-Rebell VVat Tyler and his confederates is much commended in our English Chronicles his monument was shamefully defaced in the raigne of King Edward the sixt as many others were but since it was renewed by the Fishmongers he died Anno 1383. as appeareth by this Epitaph Here vnder lyth a man of Fame William Walworth callyd by name Fishmonger he was in life time here And twise Lord Maior as in bookes appere Who with courage stout and manly might Slew Wat Tyler in King Richards sight For which act done and trew entent The King made him Knight incontinent And gaue him armes as here you see To declare his fact and Chiualrie He left this life the yere of our God Thirteene hundryd fourescore and three od Iohn Philpot Nicholas Brember and Robert Launde Aldermen were knighted with him the same day To this Maior the King gaue 100 pound land yeerely and to each of the other 40 pound land by yeare to them and their heires for euer He founded a Colledge to this parish Church for a Master and nine Priests or Chaplaines Worthy Iohn Louekin Stockfishmonger of London here is leyd Four times of this City Lord Maior hee was if truth be seyd Twise he was by election of Citizens then being And twise by the commandment of his good Lord the King Cheef Founder of this Church in his life time was he Such louers of the common-welth too few ther be Of August the fourth thirteene hundryth sixty and eyght His flesh to Erth his soul to God went streyght Sir William Walworth was an apprentice to this Iohn Louekin Here lyeth wrapt in clay The body of William VVray I haue no more to say Saint Laurence Poultney This Church was increased with a Chappell of Iesus by one Thomas Cole for a Master and a Chaplaine the which Chappell and Parish-Church was made a Colledge of Iesus and of Corpus Christi for a Master and seuen Chaplaines by Iohn Poultney Maior and was confirmed by Edward the third in the twentieth of his raigne So that of him it was called Saint Laurence Poultney in Candlewickstreet This Colledge was valued at 79. l. 17. s. 11. d. per ann and surrendred in the raigne of Ed. the sixth The thrice honourable Lord Robert Radcliffe the first earle of Sussex of that name and Henry Radcliffe his sonne and heire as of his possessions so of his honours were first interred in this Collegiate Church whose relique were afterwards remoued to Boreham in Essex Saint Mary Abchurch Hac gradiens fortis tua lingua precando laboret Esto memor mortis dum virtus vivida floret Dum vita fueris quid agas circumspice mente Nam tu talis eris qualis concido repente Corpora Gilberti Melites celat lapis iste Eius vxoris Christine quos cape Christe Saint Mary Colechurch So called of one Cole the builder thereof King Henry the fourth granted licence to William Marshall and others to found a brotherhood of S. Katherine in this Church to the helpe of Gods seruice because Thomas Becket and S. Edmund Archbishops of Canterbury were baptised herein Alhallowes Barking On the North side of this Church was sometime builded a faire Chappell founded by king Richard the first and much augmented by king Edward the first Edward the fourth gaue licence to his cosin Iohn Lord Tiptost Earle of Worcester to found here a Brotherhood for a Master and Brethren And he gaue to the Custos of that Fraternitie the advowsion of the Parish Church of Stretham in Surrey with all the members and appurtenances the Priory of Totingbeck and a part of the Priory of Okeborne in Wiltshire both Priors Aliens and appointed it to be called the Kings Chantrie In Capella beate Marie de Barking king Richard the third founded herein a Colledge of Priests and reedified the decayed structure Great concourse of people came hither to our Lady of Barking a pilgrimage vntill the Colledge was suppressed and pulled downe in the second of Edward the sixth and the ground whereupon it stood imployed as a Garden plot Many funerall Monuments are yet remaining in this Parish Church which you may reade in the Suruay of this Citie Saint Mary Wolnoth Here lieth Sir Iohn Arundell knight of the Bath and knight Baneret Receiuor of the Duchy ....... Grey daughter to the Lord Marquese Dorset who died 8. Febr. the 36. of the reigne of king Hen. the 8. This Sir Iohn Arundell was of the house of Lanherne in Cornwall a family of great respect in that county Of which I shall haue further occasion to speake when I come to Saint Columbs where this mans Ancestors lye entombed The Christian name of his wife with time worne or torne out of the brasse was Elianor the third daughter of Thomas Grey Marquesse Dorset halfe brother by the mother to Edward the fifth by Cicely daughter and heire of William Bonvile Lord Harrington Quid caro letatur cum vermibus esca paratur Terre terra datur Caro nascitur moriatur Orate pro anima Simonis Eyre ......................................... vnder this defaced Monument Simon Eyre the sonne of Iohn Eyre of Brandon in Suffolk lieth interred He was Lord Maior in the yeare 1445. Hee built Leaden Hall for a common Granary for the Citie and a faire large Chappell on the East side of the Quadrant ouer the Porch whereof was painted Dextra Domini exaltauit me And on the North wall Honorandus famosus Mercator Symon Eyre huius operis Fundator He gaue 5000. l. and aboue the poore Maids marriages and did many other works of charitie Hee died the 18. day of September 1459. Saint Nicholas Acons O ye dere frendys whych sall here aftyr be Of yowr deuotion plese ye to remembyr Me Richard Payne which of this noble cite Somtym whylst I liud was
Sanguine perfuso reparasti quem pretioso Here lieth entombed the body of Raph Selby descended from the ancient family of the Selbies of Billesdun in the County of Northumberland a Monke of this fraternitie a learned Doctor in the ciuill and canon lawes and one exceedingly beloued and fauoured of King Henry the fourth and Henry the fift in the eight yeare of whose raigne hee departed this world Anno 1420. as by this Epitaph appeareth Ecce Radulphus ita Selby iacet hic Cenobita Doctor per merita prepotens lege perita Legibus ornatus a regibus et veneratus Ordo eiusque status per cum fit conciliatus M. C quater x bis post partum virginis iste Michaelis festo tibi spirauit bone Christe Not farre from this Selby lieth buried vnder a marble stone the body of Iohn Windsore one of the noble familie of the Windsores sometime residing at Stanwell in this County a great commander in the warres of Ireland vnder Richard the second and in the battaile of Shrewesbury vnder King Henry the fourth who died in the second yeare of King Henry the fift vpon Eester Eue the seuenth of Aprill 1414. as this Epitaph sheweth Est bis septenus M. Christi C quater annus Vespera Paschalis dum septima lux fit Aprilis Transijt a mundo Io. Windsore nomine notus Corde gemens mundo confessus crimine lotus Fecerat heredem Gulielmus auunculus istum Miles et Armigerum dignus de nomine dignum Dum iuuenilis erat bello multos perimebat Postea penituit eorum vulnera fleuit Recumbens obijt hic nunc in carcere quiescit Viuat in eternum Spiritus ante Deum But now I will conclude the funerall Monuments of this Abbey with the death and buriall of our most learned English Poet Geffery Chaucer whose life is written at large by Thomas Speght who by old copies reformed his workes which the Reader may see a little before the beginning of his bookes He departed out of this world the 25. day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1400. after had liued 72. yeares Thus writeth Leland Chaucer liued till he was an old man and found old age to be grieuous and whilest he followed his causes at London he died and was buried at Westminster The old verses which were written on his graue at the first were these Galfridus Chaucer vates et fama Poesis Materne hac sacra sum tumulatus humo Thomas Occleue or Okelefe of the office of the priuie Seale sometime Chaucers scholler for the loue he bare to the said Geffray his master caused his picture to be truely drawne in his booke De Regimine Principis dedicated to Henry the fift according to which that his picture drawn vpon his Monument was made as also the Monument it selfe at the cost and charges of Nicholas Brigham gentleman Anno 1555. who buried his daughter Rachell a childe of foure yeares of age neare to the Tombe of this old Poet the 21. of Iune 1557. such was his loue to the Muses But to returne againe to Chaucers picture to which these verses were added by the said Occleue Although his life be queint the resemblaunce Of him that hath in me so fresh liuelinesse That to put other men in remembraunce Of his Person I haue here the likenesse Doe make to the end in soothfastnesse That they that of him haue lost thought and minde By this Peniture may againe him finde The Inscriptions vpon his Tombe at this day are after this manner Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olim Galfridus Chaucer conditur hoc tumulo Annum si quaeras Domini si tempora mortis Ecce notae subsunt quae tibi cuncta notant 25 Octobris 1400. Aerumnarum requies mors N Brigham hos fecit musarum nomine sumptus About the ledge of the Tombe these verses were written Si rogitas quis eraâ— forsan te fama docebit Quod si Fama negat mundi quia gloria transit Haec monumenta lege Now it shall not be amisse to adde to these Epitaphs the iudgements and reports of some learned men of this worthy and famous Poet and first of all let vs heare his Scholler Occleue Vir tam bonis literâ—s quam generis prosapia clarus these are his lines of him in his foresaid booke de regimine Principis Alas my worthy maister honourable This lands very treasure and richesse Death by thy death hath harme irreperable Vnto vs done her vengeable duresse Dispoiled hath this land of the sweetnesse Of Rhetorige for vnto Tullius Was neuer man so like among vs. Also who was heire in Philosophy To Aristotle in our tongue but thee The steppes of Virgill in Poese Thou suedst eken men know well inough What combre world that thee my master slough Would I slaine were Iohn Lidgate a Monke of Burie in his Prologue of Bocchas of the fall of Princes by him translated saith thus in his commendation My Master Chaucer with his fresh Comedies Is dead alas chiefe Poet of Britaine That whilome made full pitous Tragedies The faule also of Princes he did complaine As he that was of making soueraine Whom all this Land should of right preferre Sith of our Language he was the load-sterre That excellent and learned Scottish Poet Gawyne Dowglas Bishop of Dunkeld in the Preface of Virgils Aeneados turned into Scottish verse doth thus speake of Chaucer Venerable Chaucer principall Poet without pere Heuenly trumpet orloge and regulere In eloquence baulme conduct and dyall Milkie fountaine cleare strand and rose ryall Of fresh endite through Albione Island brayed In his legend of noble Ladies sayed Spenser in his Fairie Queene calleth his writings The works of heauenly wit Concluding his commendation in this manner Dan Chaucer Well of English vndefiled On Fames eternall beadrole worthy to be filed Sir Philip Sidney likewise and M. Camden speake much in the deserued praise of this worthy Poet whom I leaue to his eternall rest Vnder the Clocke in the Church I haue read this Inscription Dic mihi quid prodest horas numerare fugaces Cum cessant perdas quod numerare libet This Church hath had great priuiledge of Sanctuarie within the precinct thereof as Stow saith in his Suruay of London to wit the Church Churchyard Close and all that which is still called the Sanctuarie Which Priuiledge was first granted by Sebert king of the East Saxons the first Founder thereof Since encreased by Edgar King of the West Saxons renewed and confirmed by King Edward the Confessor as appeareth by this his Charter following Edward by the grace of God king of Englishmen I make it to bee knowne to all generations of the world after me that by especiall commandement of our holy Father Pope Leo I haue renewed and honoured the holy Church of the blessed Apostle Saint Peter of Westminster and I order and establish for euer that what person of what condition or estate soeuer he be from
procured his lands and reuenues backe againe from the Conquerour and by himselfe and his forcible perswasions with others he did further enrich his Abbey with many faire possessions 15 Richard succeeded him who solemnly magnificently did consecrate the Church which his predecessour Paul had finished and built a Chappell of himselfe to the honour of Saint Cuthbert in which hee was entombed with this Epitaph Abbas Richardus iacet hic vt pistica nardus Redolens virtutum floribus et merit is A quo fundatus locus est hic edisicatus Ingenti studio nec modico precio Quem nonas decimas Februo promente Kalendas Abslulit vltima sors et rapuit cita mors 16 Geffrey the Abbot gaue many rich ornaments to this his Monastery with a Challice and a couer all of massie pure gold which afterwards hee sent to Pope Celestine the second vt ipsius sedaret auaritiam volent is hanc Ecclesiam appropriare that he might appease or mitigate the couetousnesse of his holy father of Rome who was willing and went about to impropriate this Abbey Abbas Galfridus Papa cui fuit ipse molestus Hic iacet innocuus prudens pius atque modeslus 17 Raph his successor built anew the lodgings for the Abbots and gaue diuers rich Copes and Vestments for the ornament of his Church 18 Robert was the next Abbot who procured the Church of Luton to be annexed to this and deliuered his Monastery from the seruitude of the Bishop of Lincolne which was a controuersie of long continuance and in the end agreed vpon by composition which agreement was confirmed by Alexander the third Bishop of Rome about the yeare 1178. as by his Bull to that purpose appearent Bulla de compositione facta inter Lincoln Ecclesiam et Ecclesiam beati Albani Alexander Episcopus seruus seruoruÌ„ Dei. Dilecto filio Roberto Abbati monasterij Sancti Albani Salutem et apostolicam ben Ea que compositione seu concordia mediante rationabili prouidentia statuuntur in sua debent stabilitate consistere Et ne alicuius temeritate in posterum valeant immutari Apostolice sedis ea conuenit auctoritate muniri Ea propter dilecte in Domino fili Roberte tuis postulationibus grato concurrentes assensu compositionem que inter Lincoln Ecclesiam et monasterium beati Albani super Processionibus de Herfordshira de quibus inter vtramque Ecclesiam controuersia fuerat sicut in instrumento exinde facto continetur vtriusque partis assensu rationabiliter facta est tibi et prefate Ecclesie tue auctoritate Apostolica confirmamus Statuentes vt nulli omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem omnipotentis dei et beatorum Petrie et Pauli Apostolorum eius se neuerit incursurum Dat. Auagn xi Kal. Feb. pontificatus nostri anno vij About twenty yeares afterwards vpon some new quarrels belike arising betweene the two foresaid Churches this composition and transaction was againe confirmed by Clemens the third in these words Clemens Episcopus seruus seruorum dei dilectis filijs Abbati et conuentui Sancti Albani Salutem et Apostolâ—cam ben Cum inter vos ex vna parte et Ecclesiam Lincolnien et Capitulum eius ex altera controuersia verteretur super eo quod Capitulum ipsum Ecclesiam vestram proponebat Ecclesie Lincolnien de iure esse subiectam inter vos concordia de assensu partium intercesserit Nos itaque volentes que super causarum litigijs concordia vel iuditio rationabiliter statuuntur firmitatem perpetuam optinere et ne processu temporis in scrupulum recidue contentionis deueniaâ—t literarum amminutulis memorie commendare concordiamillam sicut rationabiliter facta est et ab vtraque parte recepta et in scripto autentico continetur auctoritate Apostolica conâ—irmamus et presentis Scripti patrocinio communuimus Statuentes vt nulli as before Dat. Lateran Id. Martij Pontisicatus nostri Anno secundo 19 Symon Abbot caused many bookes to be written for the vse of the Couent in his time one Adam Steward of the monastery made the Kitchin much more large and gaue both money and lands to the Couent and Monastery ideo saith my Author ob preclara eius merita inter Abbates in capitulo sepulturam meruit optinere therefore for his good deserts hee deserued to be buried in the Chapter-house amongst the Abbots 20 Carine caused a coffin and a Shrine to be new made wherein he put the reliques of Saint Amphibalus Richard Cordelion King of England being taken prisoner by Leopold Duke of Austria and his ransome set at one hundred thousand pound commandement was directed from his Iustices that all Bishops Prelates Earles Barons Abbots and Priors should bring in the fourth part of their reuenues towards his deliuerance at which time the shrines in the Churches were fleeced and their Chalices coined into ready money yet this Abbot quia Regi erat amicissimus redeemed the Chalices and all other the rich offerings to the glorious shrines within his Church for two hundred markes This Carine was the first Abbot of this house that was dignified with Miter and Croisier 21 Iohn de Cella did many workes of piety and purchased the Church of Saint Stephen with certaine lands thereunto adioyning for one hundred and twenty markes which he did assigne to the Officers of his Kitchin 22 William amongst many of his pious acts reedified Saint Cuthberts Chappell being as then ruinous and ready to fall downe which hee new made in the honour of Saint Cuthbert Saint Iohn the Baptist and Saint Agnes the Virgine vpon which dedication he caused these verses to be insculped ouer the high Altar Confessor Cuthberte Dei Baptista Iohannes Agnes virgo tribus vobis hec ara sacratur 23 Iohn of Hertford was a great benefactor to this Abbey 24 His successor Roger did wondrously loue the beautie of the house of God which he euidently did demonstrate by the great cost and charges he bestowed vpon this his owne Church besides he caused to be made three tunable Bels for the Steeple two to the honour of Saint Alban and the third to Saint Amphibalus which he appointed to be rung at nine a clocke euery night whereupon it was called the Corfue or couer fire bell 25 After Roger succeeded Iohn of Berkamstede of whom because hee did nothing memorable in his life time nothing shall be spoken in this present page Sed taman Lectorem monemus saith the Booke vt conuertatur ad pietatis opera et omnipotenti deo pro eius anima preces fundat 26 Iohn Marines gaue a Censer to his church of a great price besides many other necessaries 27 Hugh his successor inlarged the reuenues of his church with many faire possessions and obtained of Edward the second diuers great gifts with a crucifixe of gold beset with precious stones a cup of
sisque benignus Tresque Duces simul es Eneas Titus Vlixes Non bene concessum princeps regit ille Ducatum Concilio procerum qui non regitur sapientum Iudex quando sedes caneas ne iura supines Iure quidem tradito Plebs Rex est Rex sine regno In the windowes of the Abbots Studie or Librarie Cum studeas videas vt sit virtus honestas Hic vbique tibi finalis causa studendi Hec loca sceptrigere pudeat sacrate Sophie Hoc ad opus trahere quod mandat Martha Marie Huius amore loci regimen postponere noli Quo minor esca gregi detur magis esurienti In the Chamber adioyning to his Studie Condere ne timeas quicquid persuadet honestas Gratia propositis semper respondet honestis He gaue a great Bason of siluer double gilt to the Monasterie which hee thus engraued about the Verge Dic quisquis fueris bene domi si memoreris Quis fueratque dator nunqui suus esse precator Siue prees ve subes propter donum tenearis Si â—ic hortor te pro donatore precare Dicque perhennis eâ— sit lux que locus requieâ— In a Chappell which he built for the Couent these verses Turma senectutis plebs egra cohorsque salutis In vestris precibus Are sacra cum celebratis Hanc propter fabricam sextum memorate Iohannem After this manner did he adorne new build and enrich both his Church and Abbey and in all his new buildings or repairings hee caused the pictures of a Lambe and an Eagle to be thereupon drawne or depicted with these verses following which you may reade vpon the roofe or top of the Quire in the Abbey Church at this day Dic vbicunque vides sit pictus vt Agnus Ales Effigies operis sexti sunt ista Iohannis Parte vel in toto in visse vel in faciendo Est opus hoc vnum causauit eum faciendum He built much at his Mannor of Titten-Hanger not farre from hence and in his Studie there inscribed these verses Ipse Iohannis amor Whethamslede vbique proclamor Eius alter honor hic lucis in ange reponor In a Chappell there which he much enlarged he caused to be painted vpon the walls the similitudes of all the Saints of his owne Christian name of Iohn with his owne picture which seemingly thus prayeth Cum fero par nomen par ferre precor simul omen Tum paribus que pari licet impar luce locari He repaired or rather built anew the Church of Redburne and consecrated the altar againe ouer which these verses were written vpon the wall M. semel x. terno C quater â— quoque querno Ara resecrata domus hec varijsque nouata Vpon the couering or roofe ouer the Chancell vnder the pictures of the Lambe and Eagle these Ecce pecus mundi toâ—lens peccata rotundi En et auis celi reserans arcana fideli En pecus en et auis opus en sextique Iohannis He built a Librarie in the Monkes Colledge in Oxford to which he gaue many bookes in some of which he writ these verses Fratribus Oxonie datur in munus liber iste Per patrem pecorum Prothomartyris Angligenorum Quem siquis rapiat ad partem siue reponat Vel Iude laqueum vel furcas sentiat Amen In other of the bookes which he gaue to the said Librarie these Discior vt docti fieret noua regia plebi Culta magisque Dee datur hic liber ara Minerue His qui dijs dictis libant holocausta ministris Et Cirre bibulam sitiunt pre Nectare lympham Estque librique loci idem dator actor et vnus He built also a Chappell adioyning to the Librarie and in the principall window vnder the pictures of the Crucifix the Virgine Mary and Saint Iohn Baptist he caused these deprecatory times to be put in the glasse Mors medicina necis via vite pax populatus Sis spes prompta precis lex cure laus Monachatus Maâ—ris mesticia mors prolis vulnera quina Sint mâ—a leticia fati pulsante ruina Virginis imbutor fidei fortissâ—me tutor Nominis vt reputor seror omnis oro secutor He bestowed great charges vpon the Abbots lodging-house in London By his wisedome he did so mediate with Vmfrey Duke of Glocester that he gâ—ue to this Church ornatus vestimentorum a suite of vestments worth three thousand markes with the Mannour of Pembroke in South Wales for that the Monkes should pray for his soule and chose this Church for the place of his buriall Vpon which these rimes Vltraiam dicta que sunt numero satis ampla Diues item cella Penbrok à plebe vocata Per patris media fuit Ecclesie propriata Ossa tegique sua legit Propriator in ipsa He gaue much to the Churches of Winslow and Newenham and other Churches in London He gaue a challice of pure gold and of great waight to the Priory of Tinmouth where he was brought vp as a Scholler a Challice to Wallingford another to the Church of Worcester An estimate of his charitable and pious deuotions to this and other Churches you may see in these two lines beside what money and goods he bequeathed vpon his death-bed Summa prius dicta si sit sine fraude quotata Bister millenas fertur transcendere libras And preter gesta iam dicta saith the booke fecit Abbas prefatus multa alia opera bona que non scripta in libro hoc Hec antem scripta sunt vt glorificetur deus in omnibus qui dedit servulo suo gratiam ad peragendum hec paucula in diebus suis. Et vt ea legant Fratres atque legentes vt ardentiorâ—m habeant appetitum ad orandum in specie pro anima eius He was a generall good scholler some fourescore and odde seuerall Treatises are set downe in this booke of Saint Albons written by this Abbot Before the names whereof these verses Nomina librorum cum contentis eorum Quos frumentalis domino pressante Iohannes Fecit vel scribi fieri vel vel renouaui Hic subscribuntur mentaliter vt teneantur He gaue ouer his charge for a time and vndertooke it againe a little before his death which happened in the raigne of Edward the fourth He was buried in his owne Chappell which he had prouided in his life time To whose memory this Epitaph was made by one of the Monkes Contegit iste lapis venerabilis ossa Iohannis Whethamstede Abbas hic qui fuit eius in annis Ter doctus doctos amans eis miseratus Nec fraudes patiens curarum Presbyteratus In lubricos Phinees in adulterijsque Iohannes Extitit ymo Petrusin omnes Symonianos Insuper in laceris domibus mansisque vetustis Sic reparator erat sic reparando nouabat Quod sibi preteritus non sit compar Pater vllus Siue coequalis manet impar rebus in istis Marcas millenas decies numero repetitas
Camdene Seldeni gloria creuit Ingentes Dominos titulorum dote superbos Famo sosque Equites simul omnes si perijssent Quiuis Rex Orbi potis est renouare beatum Cottoni pectus nullâ est reparabile cera Ingenio quicunque vigent tua tecta frequenter Visebant tanquam à Phoebo responsa petentes Nunc Oracla silent sed non Schediasmate tantae Oceanum laudis liceat transnare misellum Nescio quid gaudens ad amici iusta litasse Omnia complectar celebrat Wigornia verbis Queis Neckami obitum crescitque in carmine verum Eclipsim patitur sapientia Sol sepelitur Cui si par vnus minus esset flebile funus He died at his house in Westminster the sixt of May about ten of the clocke in the forenoone Anno 1631. being aged threescore yeares three moneths and some few odde dayes He tooke to wife Elizabeth one of the daughters and heires of William Brocas Esquire by whom hee had issue onely one Sonne Sir Thomas Cotton Baronet now liuing who married Margaret Daughter of the Lord William Howard grandchild to Thomas Duke of Norfolke by whom hee hath issue one Sonne named Iohn and two Daughters Lucie and Francis But to returne I haue had many helpes I confesse from Sir Henry Spelman Knight and Iohn Selden Esquire the most learned Antiquaries now liuing of our times nor haue the helpes beene few which I haue long receiued from the well furnisht and daily increasing Librarie of Sir Simonds D'Ewes Knight whose iudicious directions and ready assistance were as often vouchsafed vnto mee as I had occasion to request and whose long studied and still intended labours for the publique good though in another kinde may in due time make his memory and themselues deare vnto posteritie Diuers of the Heralds haue much furthered these my intended designes namely Sir Richard and Sir Henry Saint George Knights Iohn Philipot and William Le Neue Esquires which I shall euer acknowledge as occasion presents it selfe Venerable Bede when hee compiled the Chronicles of the English Saxons had all the helpe that might be of the Bishops and learned men of this Land Cymbertus wrote vnto him all that was done in Lincolnshire Nothelmus also sent vnto him all that he had gathered together in Sussex Surrey and Kent Alcuinus gaue him his labours and collections for the Prouince of Yorke Daniel of Winchester made him priuie of all that was done amongst the west Saxons And from all other quarters of the Land were Letters Scrowles and writings directed vnto him by messengers to aide and assist him in his enterprise as he doth himselfe acknowledge in his Epistle Dedicatory to Ceolnulph King of the Northumbers Now generous Reader as hee had these helpes for the perfecting of his Ecclesiasticall Historie and as I haue had the acceptable assistance of many of my good friends studious in this kinde for the finishing of this first part and the rest of the worke now in hand which is already in a good forwardnesse let me intreate thy furtherance in the same thus farre that in thy neighbouring Churches if thou shalt finde any ancient funerall Inscriptions or antique obliterated Monuments thou wouldst be pleased to copie out the one and take so much relation of the other as tradition can deliuer as also to take the Inscriptions and Epitaphs vpon Tombes and Grauestones which are of these times and withall to take order that such thy collections notes and obseruations may come safely to my hands and I shall rest euer obliged to acknowledge thy paines and curtesie And I would earnestly desire the Tombe-makers of this Citie of London and elsewhere that they would be so carefull of posteritie as to preserue in writing the Inscriptions or Epitaphs which they daily engraue vpon Funerall Monuments from whom I shall expect the like kindnesse and to whom I will euer remaine alike thankfull For I intend God willing hereafter to publish to the view of the world as well the moderne as the ancient memorialls of the dead throughout all his Maiesties foresaid Dominions if God spare me life if not it is enough for me to haue begun as Camden saith in his Epistle to the Reader of his booke Britannia and I haue gained as much as I looke for if I shall draw others when I am dead into this argument whose inquisitiue diligence and learning may finde out more and amend mine It may seeme peraduenture vnpleasing to some for that I do speake so much of and extoll the ardent pietie of our forefathers in the erecting of Abbeyes Priories and such like sacred Foundations To the which I answer with Camden that I hold it not fit for vs to forget that our Ancestours were and we are of the Christian profession and that there are not extant any other more conspicuous and certaine Monuments of their zealous deuotion towards God then these Monasteries with their endowments for the maintenance of religious persons neither any other seed-plots besides these from whence Christian Religion and good literature were propagated ouer this our Island Neither is there any other act of pietie more acceptable in the sight of Almighty God then that of building Churches Oratories and such like sacred edifices for the true seruice of his heauenly Maiestie Ethelbert the first Christian King of Kent hauing built S. Pauls Church London and diuers other Churches and religious structures as I shew hereafter is thus commended to posteritie by this Epitaph following which passed with applause no question in those dayes Rex Ethelbertus hic clauditur in Polyandro Fana pians certus Christo meat absque Meandro King Ethelbert lyeth here closed in this Polyander For building Churches sure he goes To Christ without Maeander The pious care likewise and gracious intention of our late Lord and Soueraigne King Iames of famous memory had for the repairing of the foresaid Church of Saint Paul and the earnest desire and purpose which our dread Lord and Soueraigne now hath proceeding out of his zeale to Gods glory and his diuine worship for the repairing and vpholding as his Father intended of that venerable large Fabricke and goodly Pyle of building will be had in remembrance to all generations and their names will be registred in the booke of the liuing And the munificent allowance towards the said worke from William Laud now Lord Bishop of London of one hundred pounds by the yeare while he doth contiune there Bishop shall be commended and had in remembrance of all his Successours for euer It may perhaps bee distastfull to some for that I write so fully of the fall and backsliding of Religious Persons from their primitiue zealous ardour of piety making that the maine cause of the dissolution of Abbeyes which I doe for that some are of opinion that because many of these Monasteries were built vpon the occasion of rapine and bloud the Founders thereby thinking to expiate their guilt and make satisfaction for their sinnes an
errour in point of Diuinitie these sacred structures howsoeuer consecrated to the seruice of Almighty God could not stand fast nor continue in one and the same state for many ages therefore I thinke it meete and expedient to discouer and lay open to the world the manifold enormities of the professed votaries residing in such religious foundations that it may euidently appeare that it was not the sinnes of the Founders of whose pious intentions we ought to haue a more reuerend opinion that their donations were of no longer continuance but that the delinquencies of the religious Orders themselues were the sole cause of their owne vtter subuersion I may perhaps be sound fault withall because I doe not chorographically and according as Churches stand neare or further remote in one and the same Lath hundred or wapentack emprint and place the Funerall Monuments in this my booke but slip sometimes from one side of a County to another before I emprint and Epitaph To which giue me leaue to make this answer that hauing found one or two ancient Funerall inscriptions or obliterated Sepulchers in this or that Parish Church I haue ridden to ten Parish Churches distant from that and not found one Besides I haue beene taken vp in diuers Churches by the Churchwardens of the Parish and not suffered to write the Epitaphs or to take view of the Monuments as I much desired for that I wanted a Commission which would greatly haue encouraged me and still it would as that of Henry the eight did Iohn Leyland in the prosequution of this businesse I conclude the Epitaphs and Funerall inscriptions in this booke as I finde them engrauen with a cuius anime propitietur Deus or with God pardon his soule which some may say might haue beene as well left out of my booke as they are in many places scraped out of the brasse And I write the Latine in the same manner as I finde it either written or imprinted as capud for caput nichil for nihil and the like as also E vocall for E dipthong dipthongs being but lately come into vse And now I hope that neither the conclusion of the one nor termination of the other will seeme any way offensiue to my intelligent Reader I likewise write the Orthographie of the old English as it comes to my hands and if by the copying out of the same it be any manner of wayes mollified it is much against my will for I hold originalls the best whereby some may obiect the simplicitie of my vnlaboured stile and the rough hewen forme of my writing To which I reply that this my kinde of Argument is incapable of all eloquent speech When I cite Ouid or Lucan I vse those exquisite translations of George Saâ—dys and Thomas May Esquires Some will say that the Epitaphs of London are already printed and true it is that some are especially such as are of later times with which I do not meddle at all onely I set downe those of more antiquitie which haue either beene omitted in the collection or for which I haue some historicall elucidations for the better vnderstanding of the qualities of the parties defunct and interred Hauing had the helps and collections of many my Reader may finde errours in some which hereafter I shall studie to amend intreating in the meane time a fauorable construction Many are the errataes I am afraid which will be found in the printing the greatest I haue met withall I haue amended not doubting but some also of consequence haue escaped mee and for those of lesser note I haue passed them ouer desiring my Reader to correct and pardon Thus curteous Reader submitting my selfe and this worke to thy learned and friendly censure I take my leaue From my House in Clerkenwell Close this 28. of May 1631. Chytraeus Te moneant Lector tot in vno funera libro Tempore quod certo tu quoque funus eris So many burials Reader in one booke Warne thee that one day thou for death must looke A TABLE OF THE DISCOVRSE summed into certaine Chapters or Heads bearing these following Contents The first Chapter Fol. 1. DIscusses and treates of Monuments in generall Chap. 2. fol. 5. Of Funerall Monuments Graues Tombes or Sepulchers of the ancient custome of Burials of Epitaphs and other Funerall Honours Chap. 3. fol. 10. Of Sepulchers answerable to the degree of the person deceased The diuers manner of bearing man and woman to the graue When both sexes began to be borne alike Chap. 4. fol. 12. Of the excessiue expences bestowed vpon Funerals in former times Chap. 5. fol. 18. The reasons wherefore so many haue made their own Sepulchers or Tombes in their life time Of the care that all or most of all men haue of decent buriall The burying of the dead a worke acceptable vnto God A Funerall Hymne of Aurelius Prudentius to the like purpose Chap. 6. fol. 29. Of the care and cost anciently vsed in the preseruing whole and entire the bodies of the dead Strange waies customes and fashions of buriall Chap. 7. fol. 32. Of Cenotaphs Honorarie and Religious of the reuerence attributed to these emptie Monuments Chap. 8. fol. 37. Of the sanctitie ascribed sometimes to ancient Funerall Monuments and of the ardent desire most men haue and euer had to visite the Tombes and Sepulchres of eminent and worthy persons Chap. 9. fol. 42. Of the punishments both by humane lawes and Gods seuere iustice inflicted vpon such malefactors in foregoing ages who violated Sepulchers Of Church-Robbers Chap. 10. fol. 50. Of the rooting vp taking away erazing and defacing of Funerall Monuments in the seuerall raignes of K. Henry the eight and Edward the sixt Of the care Queene Elizabeth of famous memory had for the preseruation of the same Her proclamation in the second yeare of her raigne against breaking or defacing of Monuments of Antiquity being set vp in Churches or other publike places for memory and not for superstition Chap. 11. fol. 57. The conuersion of this our Nation from Paganisine to Christianitie including generally the Foundations of Religious Structures in the same The piety in the primitiue times both of Religious and Lay persons Chap. 12. fol. 66. Of the fall or backsliding as well of Religious Votaries as of Lay people from the foresaid zealous ardour of pietie Chap. 13. fol. 78 Of the abrogation abolition and extinguishment of the Popes supreame and exorbitant authoritie within the King of Englands dominions Chap. 14. fol. 89. The policie vsed by Henry the eight and his Councell in the expelling of the Popes foresaid authoritie out of his dominions Chap. 15. fol. 104. The policie vsed by the King and his Councell for the dissolution and extirpation of Religious foundations and religious orders within this Realme of England and Wales the reformation of religion of Inscriptions in Churches the Kings warrant for the surrender of Religious Houses an information to Queene Elizabeth of the seuerall abuses done vnto the state generall
277 27â— Steward Henry Lord Darle 539 Styword 815 Sâ—igand Archbishop 346.785 Stoarer 806 Stone 336 Stonehenge 317 Story 699 Stoke 555.567 Stokesâ—ey Bishop 361 Stondon 567 Stoteuile 779 Stourton 526 Straw 745 Stratford Archbishop 222 Stratford Bishop 425 Stradling 331 Stration 325.368 Le Strange 822.823.530.865 Vide Stanley Street 404 Strayler 577 Sudbury Archbishop 224.225.743.744 Suliard 779.780 Supremacy 80 Sutton 605.391.818.114.433.528.752 Surrender of religious houses 106 Sumner 547 Suanden 526 Swanne 263 Sweden K. 677 Swein de Essex 693.606 Swinton 212 Swindon 657 Swidelin king 777 Swynford 661 726 T TAdiacus Archbishop 309 Taylor 857 Talboys 840 Talbot 805 828 â—43 Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury 372. the Terrour of France 380 Talbot couragious 822 823 Talburgh 604 Taleworth 649 Tatâ—eâ—sâ—ll 338 Taâ—win Archbishop 249 Tedder 477 Tendering 783 640 744 772 776 Temple Church Templers 71 269 441 719 747 Temple Court 719 Terell 779 Terrell 641 Terrye 329 Thakley 630 Thaâ—â—eâ— Isle 266 Thanye 656 Theobald Archbishop 217 743 744 545 Theobald 754 Theâ—dore Archbishop 248 298 Theodred Bishop 714 Thewrs 732 Therket 517 Thimur or Thuâ—nor 261 262 Thynne 228 677 Thâ—rieby Bishop 869 Thomas Earle of Lancaster 366 Thomas 260 333 677 Thomas Duke of Clarence 211 Thomas de Eure 370 Thompson 677 681 Tomson 111 Thorley 526 Thorndon 817 Thorne 257 261 276 443 815 Thornell 114 Thorpe 209 391 803 806 Thurkeby 825 Thurstine Archbishop 305 Tye 784 805 Tyes 372 Tyler 693 266. Idoll of Clownes 745 Tillis 805 Tilney a man of high stature sixteen Knights of the Tilneys successiuely 818 Tilney 401 814 Tymislow or Trimslow 542 Tymperley 780 765 766 Tiptoth or Tiptost 750 Tiptost Earle of Worcester 411 Tyrell 114 657 658 609 Titinylks what 94 Tobias Bishop 311 Todyng 76â— Todenham 818 Toke 283 296 Tombert 761 Tonge 274 275 675 Tony 586 Topperfeld 656 Torner 779 Totlâ—herst 324 Torynton 586 Towne 422 Towneshend 811 812 Tracy 202 Trapps 392 Traheyron 676 Trauers 134 Treâ—wel 601 677 Troys 7â— Trumpington 760 Trussell 238.485.857 Tubman 676 Tudensa 418 Tudeham 8â—9 Turberuile 582 Turbus Bishop 789 Turkill 339 Turke 699 Turman 586 Turnham 318 319 Turnant 535 Turnot 586 Turlepin 296 Turpine 676 Twesden 296 V De Valence Will. Earle of Penbroke 479 Valence 238.721 Valonies 235.275 734 Vaodicia Queene 708.709 Verdun 288 Vernon 552.821 Vere Earle of Oxford alii 284.367.418.613.614.615.616.617.619.620 621.630.631.656.831.832 855.750 Vere Sir Francis Vere 713. Horatio Lord ibid. Vfford Archbishop 222 Archdecon 224 Vfford Earles of Suffolke 753.754.755 Maud his wife ibid. Vffords 826 750 720.804 Viene 429 Vincent 77.667 Epistle to the Reader Vynter 545 Virgius 65 De Vise 290 29â— Visions and strange incredible stories 245 298 300 333 343 344 345 199 712 alibi Vitalis 487 Vmfrevill 284 212 Vnderell 779 Vnton 814 Voloyns 7â—â— Vortimer King 316 51â— Vowes 1â—â— Vpton 27â— Vpon the Armes of 〈◊〉 and Doctoâ— Furent 587 Vrswicke 5â—8 90â— Vuedal 863 8â—â— W WAchesham â—â—â— Wayth 814 Wayâ—e 6â—1 Wake 542 Wâ—kering Bishop 7â—4 Wâ—ll 675 Wâ—â—degraue 747 757 758 744 778 Walsingham 235 266 50â— 5â—â— 806 8â—8 Walter de Susfield Bishop 790 Walter at Lea 548 Waltham Bishop 482 Waldefe 586 Waldby Archbishop 481 Walkesare 822 Walworth 266 781.296 Walleys 331 379 461 Wallingford 556 Walkesley 290 Walden 315 336 627 Walden Bishop 4â—4 Wallop 89 Waning 737 Wancy 731 Wandeâ—ford 7â—0 Wangdeford â—32 De Wanton Bishop 790 869 766 Warren 209 337 792 823 Ward 110 547 814 Waring a Conâ—urer 45 Waâ—hesham 750. misnumbred Ware 2â—â— Warbecke 2â—â— Warham Archbishop 232. â—47 Warcopp 676 Warnys 803 Warner 809 814 Warrant for Commissioners to take Surrender of Religious houses 1â—3 Waster 674.678 Water 8â—7 Waters 675 797 Waterton 209 Watervill 31â— Waterhouse 38â— Watton 317 Webb 296 Wedderby 804 Wedyrlye 865 Weeuer 269 393 550.340 436. Weeuer Riuer 281 Weyland 368.744.753.720 Wellar 72 Weld 259 Welden 389 Welington 784 Welchmen â—â—â—tie 656 Wendall 238 Wendouer Bishop 333 338.349 482 Wendling 824 Wenlocke 486 Wentworth 284 429 Wernod 252 West 114.385.693.744 Westbroke 587 Westborne 745 Westby 583 Weston knight of the Garter Baron Neyland Lord Treasurer 618 619 Weston 113.114.430.514.599.769.826 Westcliffe 701 Withred king 242 Weâ—iuen 403 Weâ—â—all 809 Whalley Parish Plebania 180 Whatvile 429 Whathamsted 562 563 564 565 566 567 574 White Bishop â—71 White 227.817 Whiting 807 Whitington 407.408 Wyat 327.852 853 Wyborne 659 Wyborough 742 Wychingham 804.805.807 Wickwane Archbishop 306 Wydo Abbot 253 Widevile E. Riuers 493 Wickham Bishop 71 Wye 444 Wyer 179 Wigmore 276 Wight 805 Wightman the Heretique 55 Wiâ—exnes 721 Wyld 625 Wilkin 209 Willoughby Earle of Vandosme 327 Willoughby 326.419.612.754 William Norman Bishop 362 William Rufus king 216.254.786 Will. a Scottish Baker Sainted 315 Wilcocke 296 Wilford 237 Wilshire 334 Wil be 750. misnumbred Wilton 802 Wingfeld 334.720.755.756.759.781.782 Wingenhall 861 Wynkepery 742 Windham 796.802 Winterborne 370 Wingham Bish. 359. Wingham 281 Winter 114 Winmarke Baron 603 Winchelsey Archbishop 221 Windsore 489.529.674 Wiseman 657 Withe 85 Wittor 580 Wittlesey Archbishop 224 Wiues not to liue with their husbands in the houses of Cathedrall or Collegiate Churches 184 Woderow 863 Wodderington 599 Wolberghe 699 Woluen 582 Wolsey Cardinall 104.540.703 704 752 Wood 238.327.389 610.620 Woodbridge 753 Woodford 335 Woodcock 393.693 Woodhouse 805.818.864 Woodvill 286 Wood-okes 280 Woodnesbergh 236 Worsted 807 Worsley 368 Wotton Lord Baron 289 Wotton Rich. Nich. ibid. Wotton 286 Wraw 69â— 745 Wray 4â—0 Wred 29â— Wrexworth 674.678 Wâ—nchesley Io. alii 661.662.686 Wriothesâ—ey principall king of Armes 661.674 Wryothesley Earle of Southampton Lord Chancellour 661 Wryothesley 676.678 Wrongey 817 Wroxham 807 Wulfricke 252.253 Wye 444 Y YArd â—54 Yardherst 296 Yardley 324 Yarford 401 Yaxley 732 780 Yeluerton 821.822 Yerdford 695 Yngham or Ingham 803.817 861 Ynglos 826 Yoâ— 417 Yong 110 394.448.675.677 Yorke 358 Z ZIburgh 806 Zorke 818 Zouch 825.826 FINIS A DISCOVRSE OF Funerall Monuments c. CHAP. I. Of Monuments in generall A Monument is a thing erected made or written for a memoriall of some remarkable action fit to bee transferred to future posterities And thus generally taken all religious Foundations all sumptuous and magnificent Structures Cities Townes Towers Castles Pillars Pyramides Crosses Obeliskes Amphitheaters Statues and the like as well as Tombes and Sepulchres are called Monuments Now aboue all remembrances by which men haue endeuoured euen in despight of death to giue vnto their Fames eternitie for worthinesse and continuance bookes or writings haue euer had the preheminence Marmora Maeonij vincunt monimenta libelli Viuitur ingenio caetera mortis erunt The Muses workes stone-monuments out last 'T is wit keepes life all else death will downe cast Horace thus concludes the third booke of his lyrick poesie Exegi monimentum are perennius Regalique situ c. A monument then brasse more lasting I Then Princely Pyramids in site more high Haue finished which neither fretting showers Nor blustering windes nor flight of yeares and houres Though numberlesse can raze I shall
aloft did reare Which in her cinders now lies sadly buried here With Alabaster Tuch and Porphery adornd When welneare in her pride great Troinouant she scornd Likewise vpon this forgotten Citie a namelesse late writer hath made this Epitaph Stay thy foot that passest by Here is wonder to descry Churches that interr'd the dead Here themselues are sepulchred Houses where men slept and wak't Here in ashes vnder-rak't In a word to allude Here is corne where once Troy stood Or more fully home to haue Here 's a Citie in a graue Reader wonder thinke it then Cities thus would die like men And yet wonder thinke it none Many Cities thus are gone But I will conclude this Chapter with these two stanzaes following taken out of Spensers poeme aforesaid speaking of the vanity of such Princes who Absolon like thinke to gaine a perpetuitie after death by erecting of pillars and such like monuments to keepe their names in remembrance when as it is onely the Muses works which giue unto man immortality In vaine do earthly Princes then in vaine Seeke with Pyramides to heauen aspired Or huge Colosses built with costly paine Or brasen pillars neuer to bee fired Or Shrines made of the metall most desired To make their memories for euer liue For how can mortall immortalitie giue For deeds doe die how euer nobly done And thoughts of men doe in themselues decay But wise words taught in numbers for to runne Recorded by the Muses liue for aye Ne may with storming showres be washt away Ne bitter breathing windes with harmfull blast Nor age nor enuie shall them euer wast CHAP. II. Of Funerall Monuments Graues Tombes or Sepulchres Of the ancient custome of burialls Of Epitaphs and other funerall honours NOw to speake properly of a Monument as it is here in this my ensuing Treatise vnderstood it is a receptacle or sepulchre purposely made erected or built to receiue a dead corps and to preserue the same from violation Nam monumentum Sepulchri est quod causa muniendi eius loci factum sit in quo corpus impositum sit vnde Monumentum quasi munimentum dicitur And indeed these Funerall Monuments in foregoing ages were very fittingly called muniments in that they did defend and fence the corps of the defunct which otherwise might haue beene pulled out of their graues by the sauage brutishnesse of wilde beasts for as then none were buried in Townes or Cities but either in the fields along the high way side to put passengers in minde that they were like those so interred mortall vpon the top or at the feet of mountaines Apud maiores saith Seruiuâ— lib. xi Aeneid aut sub montibus aut in ipsis montibus sepeliebantur vnde natum est vt super cadauera aut pyramides fierent aut ingentes collocarentur columnae The Romanes were forbidden by this the second Law of their twelue Tables Hominem mortuum in vrbe ne sepelito neve vrito to bury or burne any within any Towne or Citie For the ancient custome of buriall amongst the Iewes wee reade that Abraham was buried with Sara his wife in the caue of Machpelah in the field of Ephron Gen. cap. 25. And Vzziah king of Iuda slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the buriall which pertained to the kings 2. Chron. cap. 26. The sepulchre of Lazarus was without the citie of Bethania and so was that of Ioseph without Ierusalem Sandys in the relation of his long iourney tells us that hee was shewed the Tombe of the Prophet Samuel as also the Sepulchre of the seuen brethren who were tortured to death by Antiochus fenced about with a pile of stones square flat and solid both of them being on the top of two mountaines neare vnto the citie of Emmaus and in the vineyards on the North-west side of the said citie sundry places of buriall hewne out of the maine rocke amongst the rest one called the Sepulchre of the Prophets And those Egyptian lofty proud Pyramids the barbarous wonders of vaine cost so vniuersally celebrated being the Regall sepulchres of the Ptolomees were erected farre out of all cities as the said Traueller tells vs who did see so much of the ruines thereof as time hath not deuoured The Athenians buried such as were slaine in battell and other honourable personages in a place without the Citie called Ceramnicus So here in England the interments of the dead were anciently farre out of all Townes and Cities either on the ridges of hills or vpon spatious plaines fortified or fenced about with obelisks pointed stones Pyramids pillars or such like monuments for example Englands wonder vpon Salisbury-plaine called Stonehenge the sepulchre of so many Britaines who by the treachery of the Saxons were slaine there at a parley That of Wada the Saxon Duke neare to Whitby in Yorkshire and those of Cartigerne the Britaine and Horsa the Saxon neare to Ailesford in Kent It was a thing vsuall among our old Saxon ancestours saith Verstegan as by Tacitus it also seemeth to haue beene among the other Germans that the dead bodies of such as were slaine in the field and buried in the fields were not layed in graues but lying upon the ground were couered ouer with turnes clods or sods of earth And the more in reputation the persons had beene the greater and higher were the turnes raised ouer their bodies and this some vsed to call Byriging some Beorging and some Buriging of the dead which wee now call berying or burying of the dead which properly is a shrowding or an hiding of the dead bodie in the earth Of these kinde of funerall monuments you haue many vpon Salisbury-plaine out of which the bones of bodies thus inhum'd are oftentimes digged vp which the Inhabitants thereabout call Beries Baroes and some Burrowes which accordeth with the same fence of Byrighs Beorghs or Burghs From whence the names of diuerse Townes and Cities are originally deriued Places first so called hauing beene with walls of turfe or clods of earth fenced about for men to bee shrowded in as in forts or Castles Reutha King of that neuer-conquered terrible fierce Nation of the Scots who flourished about they eare of the world 3784. and before the birth of our blessed Sauiour one hundred eightie and seven yeares ordained That such Noblemen which had atchieued any notable exploit in defence of their countrey should bee had in perpetuall memorie and buried in solemne wise in sepulchres aloft vpon hills or mountaines vpon which were set so many Obelisks pillars or long-pointed stones as they had slaine enemies in the warres Whereof some remaine saith Hector Boethius in the life of the said King there to be seene euen to this day Sepulchres of this stately kinde of structure for persons of eminent ranke and qualitie were sometimes howsoeuer erected within the cities for wee reade in the first booke of the Maccabees Chap. 13. that Ionathan the valiant brother to Iudas the
wherein they stood not onely vpon the words of their former crie but reading something out of a paper they went more particularly ouer the office and caâ—ling of Hacket how he represented Christ by partaking a part of his glorified bodie by his principall spirit and by the office of seuering the good from the bad And that they were two Prophets the one of mercy the other of iudgement called and sent of God to assist this their Christ Hacket in his great worke These men were apprehended the same day The 26 of Iuly Hacket was arraigned and found guiltie as to haue spoken diuers most false and traiterous words against her Maiestie to haue razed and defaced her Armes as also her picture thrusting an iron instrument into that part which did represent the breast and heart For the which he had iudgement and on the 28. of Iuly hee was brought from Newgate to a gibbet by the Croâ—e in Cheape where being moued to aske God and the Queene forgiuenesse be fell to railing and cursing of the Queene and began a most biasphemous prayer against the diuine Maiestie of God They had much ado to get him vp the ladder where hee was hanged and after bowelled and quartered His execrable speeches and demeanure as well at his arraignment as death vtterly distained and blemished all his former seeming sanctitie wherewith he had shroudly possessed the common people Thus you see how easily ignorant people are seduced by false new doctrines how suddenly they â—â—ll from true Religion into heresie frensie and blasphemie robbing the Church of all her due rites and as much as in them lies God of his Glory which abuse of these times I leaue to be reformed by our reuerend Clergie On the next day to make an end of the Story Edmund Coppinger hauing wilfully abstained from meat and otherwise tormented himselfe died in Bridewell And Henry Arthington lying in the Counter in Woodstreet submitting himselfe writ a booke of repentance and was deliuered such was the end of these men saith mine Authour of whom the â—ilâ—ie people had receiued a very reuerend opinion both for their sincere holinesse and sound doctrine And in the yeare 1612. Aprill 11. Edward Wightman another peruerse heretique was burned at Lichfield This Wightman would faine haue made the people beleeue that he himselfe was the holy Ghost and immortall with sundrie other most damnable opinions not fit to bee mentioned amongst Christians Yet for all this this heretique had his followers It is much to be wished that all backsliders from our Church should be well looked vnto at the first and not to runne on in their puritanicall opinions Of the Shcismatiques of those times and more especially of Martin Marprelate these Rythmicall numbers following were composed Hic racet vt pinus Nec Caesar nec Ninus Nec Petrus nec Linus Nec Coelestinus Nec magnus Godwinus Nec plus nec minus Quam Clandestinus Miser ille Martinus Videte singuli O vos Martinistae Et vos Brownistae Et vos Barowistae Et vos Atheistae Et Anabaptistae Et vos Haketistae Et Wiggintonistae Et omnes Sectistae Quorum dux fuit iste Lugete singuli At Gens Anglorum Presertim verorum Nec non qui morum Estis honorum Inimici horum Vt est decorum Per omne forum In secula seculorum Gaudete singuli A certaine Northern Rimer also made these following Couplets vpon him and his seditious Pamphlets The Welchman is hanged Who at our Kirke flanged And at her state banged And brened are his buks. And tho he be hanged Yet he is not wranged The de'ul has him fanged Is his kruked kluks His name was Iohn Penry a Welshman a penner and a publisher of books intituled Martin marre Prelate he was apprehended at Stepney by the Vicar there and committed to prison and in the moneth of May 1593. hee was arraigned at the Kings bench in Westminster condemned of Felonie and afterward suddenly in an afternoone conuaied from the Gaile of the Kings Bench to Saint Thomas Waterings and there hanged with a small audience of beholders saith Stow. CHAP. XI Of the conuersion of this our Nation from Paganisme to Christianity including generally the Foundations of religious houses in the same and the pietie in the Primitiue times both of religious and Lay persons OF the conuersion of this our Island from Paganisme to Christianity diuers authenticall Authors both ancient and moderne haue written at large a little then of so much will suffice for this present Discourse Christiana doctrina sexaginta octo plus minus annorum spacio post passionem Domini nostri Iesu Christi totum fere orbem peruagata est within the space of threescore and eight yeares or thereabouts after the death and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Christian Religion was spread almost ouer the face of the whole world And so fruitfull and famous was this spreading of the Gospell that Baptista Mantuan a Christian Poet compares the increase thereof with that of Noah thus alledging vnto it Sicutaquis quondam Noe sua misit in orbem Pignora sedatis vt Gens humana per omnes Debita caelituum Patri daret orgia terras Sic sua cum vellet Deus alta in regna reuerti Discipulos quosdam transmisit ad vltima mundi Littora docturos Gentes quo numina ritu Sint oranda quibus caelum placabile Sacris As Noah sent from the Arke his sonnes to teach The Lawes of God vnto the world aright So Christ his Seruants sent abroad to preach The word of life and Gospell to each wight No place lay shadowed from that glorious Light The farthest Isles and Earths remotest bounds Embrac'd their Faith and ioy'd at their sweet sounds Now to speake of the conuersion of this Island out of a namelesse Authour who writes a booke De regnis Gentibus ad Christi sidem conuersis thus Prima Prouinciarum omnium sicut antiquissimi Historiarum Scriptores memoriae prodidere quorum etiam authoritatem M. A. Sabellicus inter nostrae aetatis recentiores est sequutus Britannia Insula publico consensu Christi fidem accepit The first of all Prouinces or farre countries as ancient Historiographers haue deliuered to memory whose authority M. A. Sabellicus one amongst the late writers of our age doth principally follow this Island of Britaine by common consent receiued the Christian faith The glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ saith Gildas Albanius surnamed the wise the most ancient of our British Historians which first appeared to the world in the later time of Tyberius Caesar did euen then spread his bright beames vpon this frozen Island of Britaine And it is generally receiued for a truth that Ioseph of Arimathea who buried the body of our Sauiour Christ laid the foundation of our faith in the West parts of this kingdome at the place or little Island as then called Aualon now Glastenbury where he with twelue disciples his
sacred Bishop or venerable Pastour were in such high and holy repute amongst the lay-people as that when any of them were espied abroad they would flocke presently about him and with all reuerence humbly beseech his Benisons either by signing them with the crosse or in holy prayers for them And further saith Bede it was the manner in those primitiue times of the people of England that when any of the Clergie or any priest came to a village they would all by and by at his calling come together to heare the word and willingly hearken to such things as were said and more willingly follow in workes such things as they could heare and vnderstand A wonderfull order of pietie both in priest and people Chaucer in the prologue to his Canterbury Tales giues vs the character of a religious and learned priest who in his holy actions did imitate the example of the Clergie of these times whereof I haue spoken but such were not to be had by the dozens in his dayes as by his writings appeares The Parsone A good manne there was of religioun And was a poore Parsone of a toun But rich he he was of holy thought and werke He was eke a lerned manne and a clerke That Christes Gospels truly would preach His Parishens deuoutly would he teach Benigne he was and wonder diligent And in adversitie full patient And soch one he was proued oft sithes Full loth were him to curse for his tithes But rather would he yeuen out of doubt Vnto his poore Parishens all about Both of his offring and of his substaunce He couthe in little thing haue suffisaunce Wide was his parish and houses fer asander But he ne left neither for raine ne thonder In sikenesse in mischiefe for to visite The ferdest in his Parish moch or lite Vpon his feete and in his hand a stafe This noble example to his shepe he yafe That first he wrought and afterward taught Out of the Gospell he the words caught And this figure he added eke thereto That if gold rust what should iron do For yef a priest be foule on whom wee trust No wonder is a leude man to rust And shame it is if a priest take kepe To see a shitten Shepherd and a cleane shepe Well ought a priest ensample for to yeue By his clennesse how his shepe should liue He set not his benefice to hire And let his shepe acomber in the mire And renne to London to sainct Poules To seken him a Chauntrie for soules Or with a brother hede to be withold But kept at home and kept well his fold So that the wolfe made him not miscary He was a shepherd and not a mercenary And though he holy were and vertuous He was not to sinfull men despiteous Ne of his speech daungerous ne digne But in his reaching discrete and benigne To drawne folke to heauen with fairenesse By good ensample this was his besinesse But if he were any persone obstinate Whether he were of high or low estate Him would he snibbe sharply for the nonis A better priest I know no where non is He wayted after no pompe ne reuerence Ne maked him no spiced conscience But Christes lore and his Apostles twelue He taught but first he folowed it him selue The Monasticall orders likewise in that age serued God in continuall prayer watching and fasting and preaching the word of life to as many as they could despising the commodities of this world as things none of theirs taking of them whom they instructed onely so much as might serue their necessities liuing themselues according to that they taught to others being euer ready to suffer both troubles yea and death it selfe in defence of the truth that they taught And in another place speaking of the religious and lay-people in the North countrey They had no money saith he but cattell for if they tooke any money of rich men by and by they gaue it to poore people Neither was it needfull that either money should be gathered or houses prouided for the receiuing and entertainment of the worshipfull and wealthy who neuer came then to Church but onely to pray and heare the word of God The King himselfe when occasion serued to come thither came accompanied onely with fiue or sixe persons and after prayer ended departed But if by chance it fortuned that any of the Nobilitie or of the worshipfull refreshed themselues in the Monasteries they contented themselues with the religious mens fare and poore pittens looking for no other cates aboue the ordinary and daily diet For then those learned men and rulers of the Church sought not to pamper the panch but to saue the soule not to please the world but to serue God Wherefore it came then to passe that euen the habite of religious men was at that time had in great reuerence so that where any of the Clergie or religious person came he should bee ioyfully receiued of all men like the seruant of God Againe if any were met going on iourney they ranne vnto him and making low obeysance desired gladly to haue his benediction either by hand or by mouth Also if it pleased them to make any exhortation as they passed by euery man gladly and desirously hearkened vnto them Vpon the Sondayes ordinarily the people flocked to the Church or to Monasteries not for belly-cheare but to heare the word of God And if any Priest came by chance abroad into the village the inhabitants thereof would gather about him and desire to haue some good lesson or collation made vnto them For the Priests and other of the Clergie in those dayes vsed not to come abroad into villages but onely to preach to baptise to visit the sicke or to speake all in one word for the cure of soules Who also at that time were so farre from the infection of couetousnesse and ambition that they would not take territories and possessions toward the building of Monasteries and erecting of Churches but through the earnest suite and almost forced thereunto by noble and wealthy men of the world which custome in all points hath remained a long time after saith he in the Clergie of Northumberland No lesse feruent in deuotion and austere in strictnesse of life in these dayes were the religious Votaries of the female sex I had almost forgotten saith Capgraue in the prologue to his booke of the English Saints the company of sacred virgines which like lillies amongst thornes despising all carnall pleasures with all the great pompe and riches of the world many of them being kings daughters did in all chastitie pouertie and humilitie adhere onely to their Sauiour Iesus Christ their celestiall Bridegroome for whose sake as in this subsequent Treatise will be shewne they did vndergo many exquisite torments and in the end were glorified with a crowne of martyrdome Deus ex sexu elegens infirmiore vt fortia mundi confunderent In a Lieger booke belonging sometime to the
Regis Ed. 3. Ann. 24. that William Fox Parson of Lee neare Gainsborough Iohn Fox and Thomas of Lingeston Friers Minors of that Couent in Lincolne were indited before Gilbert Vmfreuill and other Iustices in partibus de Lindesey apud Twhancaster die Sabbati post festum sâ—ncti Iohannis Baptiste in the said yeare for that they came to Bradholme a Nunnery in the County of Nottingham the eighteenth of the Kal. of February and then and there rapuerunt abduxerunt inde contra pacem Domini Regis quandam Monialem nomine Margaretam de Euernigham Sororem dicte Domus exeuntes eam habit Religionis induentes eam Rob. virid secular ac etiam diuersa bona ad valenc quadragint solid Violently tooke and forcibly from thence carried away against the peace of their Soueraigne Lord the King a certaine Nunne by name Margaret de Euernigham a sister of the said house stripping her quite out of her religious habit and putting vpon her a greene Gowne Robe or Garment of the secular fashion and also diuers goods to the value of forty shillings In this Kings raigne Robert Longland a secular Priest borne in Shropshire at Mortimers Câ—liberie writ bitter inuectiues against the Prelates and all religious orders in those dayes as you may reade throughout this book which he calls The vision of Piers Plowman Presently after in the raigne of Richard the second Iohn Gower flourished who in his booke called Vox clamantis cries out against the Clergie-men of his time first Quod Christi scholam dogmatizant eius contrarium operantur 2 Quod potentiores alijs existunt 3 Quod carnalia appetentes vltra modum delicatè vinunt 4 Quod lucris terrenis inhiant honore Prelacie gaudent non vt prosint sed vt presint Episcopatum desiderant Quod legibus positiâ—is quae quamuis ad cultum anime necessarie non sunt infinitas tamen constitutiones quasi quotidie ad eorum lucrum nobis grauiter imponâ—â—t Quod bona temporalia possidentes spiritualia omittunt Quod Christus pacem suis discipulis dedit reliquit sed Prelati propter bona terrena guerras contra Christianos legibus suis positiuis instituunt prosequuntur Quod cleri sunt bellicosi Quod scribunt docent ea quae sunt pacis sed in contrarium ea quae sunt belli procurant Quod nomen sanctum sibi presumunt appropriant tamen sibi terrena nec alijs inde participando ex caritate subueniunt Quod intrant Ecclesiam per Symoniam Quod honores non onera Prelacie plures affectant quo magis in Ecclesia cessant virtutes vitia multipliciter accrescunt Quod Rectores in curis residentes cuâ—â—s tamen negligentes venationibus praecipue voluptatibus penitus intendunt Quod Presbyteri sine curis siue stipendarij non propter mundiciâ—m ordinis honestatem sed proptâ—r mundi otia gradum Presbyteratus appetunt assumunt Much more he speakes against the abuses and vices of Church-men as also against the lewd liues of the Schollars in Cambridge and Oxford which he calls the Churches plants concluding thus his third book Sic quia stat cecus morum sine lumine clerus Erramus Laici nos sine luce vagi In his fourth booke hee speakes of Monkes and all other religious Orders Quod contra primi ordinis statuta abstinentie virtutem linquunt delicias sibi corporales multipliciter assumunt Ripping vp their faults in particular Chaucer who was contemporarie and companion with Gower in the Plowmans tale the Romant of the Rose and in his Treatise which hee intitles lacke Vpland writes as much or more against the pride couetousnesse insatiable luxurie hypocrisie blinde ignorance and variable discord amongst the Church-men and all other our English votaries As also how rude and vnskilfull they were in matters and principles of our Christian institutions to whose workes now commonly in print I referre my Reader for further satisfaction In a Parliament holden at Westminster the eleuenth yeare of King Henry the fourth the lower house exhibited a Bill to the King and the Lords of the vpper house in effect as followeth To the most excellent Lord our King and to all the Nobles in this present Parliament assembled your faithfull Commons doe humbly signifie that our Soueraigne Lord the King might haue of the temporall possessions lands and reuenues which are lewdly spent consumed and wasted by the Bishops Abbats and Priors within this Realme so much in value as would suffice to finde and sustaine one hundred and fifty Earles one thousand and fiue hundred Knights sixe thousand and two hundred Esquiers and one hundred Hospitals more then now be But this Petition of spoiling the Church of England of her goodly patrimonies which the pietie and wisedome of so many former ages had congested was by the King who was bound by oath and reason to preserue the flourishing estate of the Church so much detested that for this their proposition he denied all other their requests and commanded them that from thenceforth they should not presume to intermeddle with any such matter This King as also his sonne and grandchilde were wondrous indulgent to the Clergie although they were daily disquieted with the bellowing of the Popes Prouisorie Bulls For Henry the fifth was so deuour and seruiceable to the Church of Rome and her Chaplaines that he was called of many the Prince of Priests And Henry the sixth surnamed the holy wa an obedient childe and no lesse nay more obsequious to the See Apostolicall then any of his predecessours howsoeuer I finde that once he reiected the Popes Bull concerning the restoring of the Temporalities of the Bishoppricke of Ely And now giue me leaue a little to digresse speaking somewhat by the way of the denomination of this word Bulla and why the Bishops of Rome call their leaden Seales by which they confirme their writings Bulls This word Bulla was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est à Consilio of councell For that anciently a golden Bull broach or ornament round and hollow within was vsually fastened about the necks or breasts of young children and semblablie to all their pictures signifying thereby that their render vnbridled age ought to be gouerned by the graue councell and good aduise of others of more maturitie in yeares And from hence the Bishops of Rome borrowed the name for their leaden Seales vpon one part of which the name of the Pope is to be read on the other the head of Saint Paul on the right side of the Crosse and of Saint Peter on the left are to bee seene Honoris tamen non praelationis gratia factitatum hoc ab Ecclesia Nam quanquam S. Petrus sit Princeps Apostolici ordinis tamen Ecclesia voluit eos indiscretae esse excellentiae But this was done of the Church saith my Author in regard of honour not of preheminence For although
the King And in case they shall by him or otherwise lerne and knowe that Melanchton is there arryued then his grace wold that the said Haynes and Mount shall in such sort as they be not moche noted resorte vnto him and for the disuading of his continuance there or alteration of his opinion and alluring of him hither to vse suche reasons and persuasions as be before written with suche other as they can further deuise for that purpose To the which Haynes and Mount the Kings pleasure is ye shall deliuer like copies of the said Deanes booke and Bishops Sermons to be shewed vnto the said Melanchton or otherwise vsed as may be most expedient for thachyeuement of the Kings purpose in that behaulfe Ye shall also vnderstande that the kings pleasure is ye shall write to Sir Iohn Wallop and send vnto him therwith like copies willing him in case he shall haue certain knowledge that tharticles be true written in these his letters concernyng the French Kings sending into Germany for the continuance of the Bishop of Romes pretended supremacie to repaire with the said copies to the French King and not only to set the same furth with such reasons as he can deuise in that part shewing how moche it shal be against his honour both to geue himselfe subiect to the said Bishop and moue other to doo the semblable but also to declare vnto him that the Kings highnes remembring his old frendly promises concernyng the mayntenance of his cause and of his procedyngs touching the same cannot thinke it a litle strange that the said French King seing his Maiestie hath in his doings touching the said Bishop of Rome moued neyther his nor any Princes subiects will mâ—ue and styr the Germayns to condescende vpon a contrary opinion both to themselfs and to his grace in this behalfe And that his Maiestie must nedes thinke this Amytie moche touched in that he shuld moue any state or cuntrie to doo that thing whiche is so moche against the Kings highnes and his owne promes vsing all the waies to disuade him from the dishonorable obedience of the said Bishops See mouing him to inclyne to the Kings iust opinion touching the same Finally the Kings pleasure is ye shall write an other letter to the Bishop of Aberden signifying that the Kings Maiestie taketh it very vnkindly that the King his Nephieu wold now embrace without his aduise or counsail being his derest frend and Vncle and now in liege and Amytie with him the mariage of Mounsieur de vandous daughter wherevnto he wold geue non eare at his graces ouerture hertofore made of the same In your seid letter imputing a great negligence therein to the said Bishop and other of his Masters counsail seing their Master sheweth not in the doing therof suche amytie towards the Kings highnes as the frendship betwene them doth require And to make an end his grace will in no wise that Barnes of Haynes shall tarry for any further instruction of the Bishop of Canterbury or any other his grace hauing determyned to sende the same after by Master Almoner and Heth but that he Master Haynes and Mount shal with all possible diligence departe immediatly in post without lenger tarying thenne for this their depeche shal be necessary soo as their abode empeche not the Kings purpose touching the said Melanchton And thus fare youe most hartly well From Langley in moche hast this Monday at iiii of the clocke at after none Your louyng Frends T. Norffolk George Rocâ—ford Also before the beginning of that Parliament wherin the Popes supreme authoritie here in England was abolished these remarkable Inductions following were set downe and commanded by the King and his Councell to be suddenly put in execution First to send for all the Bishops of this realme and speciallie for suche as be nerest to the Courte and to examine them a parte whether they by the law of God can proue and iustifie that he that now is called the Pope of Rome is aboue the generall Counsaile or the generall Counsail aboue him Or whether he hath gyuen vnto him by the law of God any more auctority within the realme then any other foreyn Bishop Item to deuise with all the Bishoppes of this realme to set furth preach and cause to be preched to the Kings people that the said Bishop of Rome called the Pope is not in auctoryte aboue the generall Counsell but the generall Counsell is aboue him and all Bishpos And that he hathe not by Goddes law any more iurisdiction within this realme then an other forraine Bishop being of any other realme hath And that such auctority as he before this hath vsurped within this realme is both against Gods law and also against the generall Counsalles Which vsurpation of auctoritie onely hath growen to him by the sufferance of Prynces of this realme and by none auctority from God Item therefore that order be taken for such as shall preach at Paules Crosse from henceforth shall continually from Sonday to Sonday preach there and also teach and declare to the people that hee that now calleth himselfe Pope nether any of his Predecessours is and were but onely the Bishops of Rome and hath no more authoritie and iurisdiction by Gods law within this realme then any other forraine Bishop hath which is nothing at all And that such authoritie as hee hath claimed heretofore hath been onely by vsurpation and sufferance of Princes of this realme And that the Bishop of London may bee bound to suffer none other to preach at Paules Crosse as hee will answer but such as will preach and set forth the same Item that all the Bishops within this realme bee bound and ordered in the same wise and cause the same to bee preached throughout all their Diocesses Item that a speciall practise be made and a straight commandement giuen to all Prouincialls Ministers and rulers of all the foure Orders of Friers within this realme commanding them to cause the same to be preached by all the Preachers of their religions and through the whole realme Item to practise with all the Friers Obseruants of this realme and to command them to preach likewise or else that they may be stayed and noâ— suffered to preach in no place of the realme Item that euery Abbot Prior and other heads of religious houses within this realme shall in like manner teach their Conuents and brethren to teach and declare the same Item that euery Bishop shall make speciall commandements to euerie Parson Vicar and Curate within his Diocesse to preach and declare to his Parishoners in likewise Item Proclamations to be made throughout the realme containing the whole Act of Appeales And that the same Act may bee impressed transumed and set vp on euery Church doore in England to the intent that no Parson Vicar Curate nor any other of the Kings subiects shall make themselues ignorant thereof Item the Kings prouocations and appellations made from the Bishop
foure orders Preched to the people for profit of themselues Glosed the Gospel as hem good liked For couetous of Copes construe it as thei wold So Chaucer in his prologues and in the Character of the Frier mentions foure Orders A Frere there was a wanton and a merry A Limyâ—our a full solempne man In all the Orders foure is none that can So much of daliaunce and faire language But to returne to the first of the foure orders which is that of S. Basill howsoeuer as I conceiue the order of Saint Dominicke was accounted one of the foure here in England this Basill surnamed the Great for his great learning liued about the yeare of Grace 300. he was a Priest in Caesâ—â—a the chiefe Citie of Cappadocia where he was borne and whereof afterwards he was chosen Bâ—shop He was the Authour of building of Monasteries whereas many might liue together for before his time the Monkes dwelt in caues and cels alone in desarts and solitarie places from the which hee drew them into Coenobies or Couents and instituted of discipline by the which they should no more wander but bee alwayes bound by one forme of Religion These Monasteries were schooles in the which the arts and Philosophie together with Diuiniâ—ie true Religion and pietie were taugâ—t to the end there might be learned and fit men alwayes readie to gouerne the Church it is said that he built so great and spatious a Monasterie in Armenia as it contained aboue 3000 Monkes and in the end reduced all the religious men of the East to a good forme of life He died in the yeare 379 full of yeares as of vertues when Damasus the first of that name held the See of Rome and the Emperour Valens an Ariâ—n gouerned the East This Emperour was determined to haue dispossessed him of his Bishoppricke as he had done others but hearing him preach and speaking with him at Cappadocia he absteyned from expelling him his seate to which effect P. Opmer thus Basilius tantae doctrinae ac sanctitatis suit vt et Valens abstinueriâ— ab expellendo eum sede cùm reuersus Cappadociameum concionantem audijsset atque venisset cum illo in colloquium It is holden that this Basill was the first which caused Monkes to make a vow after a yeares probation to liue in their Monasâ—eries vntill death to promise full obedience to their superiours and not to contradict their ordinances and moreouer to vow continencie and pouertie This order wheresoeuer they liue labour with their hands in imitation of the perfect Monkes of Aegypt and what they get with their labour they bring in common retaining nothing to themselues This order of this holy man doth flourish at this day in Italy especially in the dominions of Venice although all the Monasteries there which are of this order doe acknowledge the Abbey of Grottaferata twelue miles distant from Rome for their mother I doe not finde that any of this rule liued euer here in England which makes me beleeue that this was none of the foure Orders before specified The next Monasticke Order confirmed by the Church of Rome was that of the Doctor of all Doctors namely Saint Augustine He was borne in the Castle of Tegast in Carthage about the yeare of our redemption 358. his Fathers name was Patricius his Mothers Monica by whose intreaâ—â—es mingled with teares and the learned Sermons of Saint Ambrose hee was drawne from the errours of the Manachies from Saint Ambrose as then Bishop of Millan in Italie he returned into his owne countrey where hee obteyned of the Bishop of Hippo whereof he was afterwards Bishop himselfe a garden without the Towne causing a Monastery to be built there in which he liued of the labour of his hands in all integritie according to the institution of the Primitiue Church He died of a feuer at Hippo when he had sitten fourty yeares in his Bishopricke being seuenty and six yeares of age on the fifth of the Kalends of September leauing to posteritie two hundred and thirty bookes of his owne writing This order multiplied greatly throughout the whole Christian world howsoeuer branched into many seuerall orders differing both in habit and exercises as also in rule and precepts of life An Epitaph to the memorie of Saint Augustine which I found in the booke of Rufford Abbey Omnis plorat homo mox matris vt exit ab aluo Et merito quoniam veâ—it in vallem lachrimosam Solum nascentem risisse ferunt Zoroastrem Ergo monstrosum crede risum liquet istum Primus enim rerum fuit inventor magicarum Hoc Augustinus testatur vir preciosus Vir doctus vir magnisicus vir quippe beatus About some fourtie yeares after the death of Saint Augustine Saint Benedict vulgarly called Benet appeared to the world who is accounted the Patriarch and Father of all the Monkes of Europe Hee was borne in Vmbria a region in Italy of the noble familie of the Regards his Fathers name was Propre his Mothers Abundantia hee was sent to Rome at the age of ten yeares to learne the liberall Arts but being wearie of the tumults and warre during the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour hee went from thence into a desart neare vnto Sublacke a Towne some fourtie miles from Rome where he continued the space of three yeares or thereabouts doing very austere penance vnknowne to any saue one Monke called Roman but being afterwards discouered by certaine Shepherds the people by reason of the great â—ame of his integritie and holinesse of life flocked from all parts to see him who had such force to perswade them to abandon the world as in a short time they built twelue Monasteries and hauing giuen to euery our of them a good Superiour or Abbot desiring solitarinesse he retired himselfe with a good number of his best disciples to the mount Cassin neare to the Towne of old called Cassina Where hauing ruined all the idolatrous Temples and broken downe their Images hee built him a Monasterie which hee dedicated to Saint Iohn the Baptist with a Chappell to Saint Martin Drawing all the Monkes dispersed in Italy into one societie and companie to whom he gaue a certaine rule in writing by the which they and their successours should gouerne themselues according as Saint Basill had done before him and withall bound them to three seuerall vowes Chastitie Pouertie and Obedience to their superiours which decree was ratified by the Church of Rome for an Euangelicall law This congregation of the Benedictines grew by little and little to bee so great throughout all Christendome as is almost incredible Nulla Monasteria nisi Beneâ—dictina erat apud Anglos ab aetate Edgari vsque ad regnum Gulielmi primi There was no Monasteries saith a late Writer amongst the English from the time of King Edgar till the raigne of William the Conquerour but Benedictines This order saith the same Authour came first into England with Austin the Monke Bishop of
mores que sacta norma Quid dâ—ceat quid non instrue sancte pater Respunsio ipsius Bernardi Que â—eci primâ— vâ—bis facienda relinquo Nulium â—uâ—auâ— discordes pacificaui Lefus â—ustinui nec mihi complacui Within one hundred yeares after the first spreading abroad of these Cistercian and Bernardin Monkes the Benedictines wanted another reformation which was attempted by Peter one of the same Order surnamed â—â—â—oron of a Mountaine so called at the foote of which he liued in a caue for the space of three yeares doing daily penance Vpon this mountaine he built a little Church which he called of the holy Ghost be ware aâ—wayes a â—lâ—aine of Iron vpon his bare flesh vpon it a shirt of haire being in continuall prayer and reforming the rule of Saint Benet which was then much degenerated Hee obtained of the Pope a confirmation of his rule vpon which hee celebrated the first generall Chapter of his Order After which in the seuentie ninth yeare of his age he was chosen Pope about the yeare of our redemption 1â—94 by the name of Celestin the fifth where vpon this reformed order were called Celestins the number of which increased so fast that he himselfe consecraced for them fixe and â—hirtie clâ—â—sters in Italy wherein were sixe hundred Monkes amongst others this was one of Celestin the Popes caueats for his new reformadoes Tunc Celestinus cris si celestia mediteris If heau'nly things thou lt meditate Then shalt thou liue in heuenly state Their first comming into England was much what about the yeare 1414. The sanctitie of the Francischan Minorite Friers growne cold one Berâ—ard of Sienna a gentleman of a noble extraction moued with an holy and 〈◊〉 deuotion laboured much for the reformation of that Order which 〈◊〉 some assistants effected taking away the abuses which were crept 〈◊〉 causing the Friers to liue in common and to haue nothing proper to 〈◊〉 following simplie the institution of their father Saint Francis 〈◊〉 called Obseruant Minorite Friers because they were obseruan 〈…〉 S. Francisci propterea meliores more obseruant to keepe the 〈◊〉 and orders of Saint Francis and therefore the better This Order 〈…〉 the yeare of Iubile 1400. or thereabouts it was first confirmed by 〈◊〉 Couâ—â—ell of Câ—â—sâ—â—nce afterwards by Eugenins the fourth and other 〈…〉 the fourth brought them into England and Henry the seuenth auhmented their numbers in whose time they had six famouâ— Cloisters here in this kingdome Many other reformations haue been◠〈◊〉 time to time of the Franciscans as by the Minims Recoâ—lects Pen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ries Capuchins c. and by many others which happened sinced 〈◊〉 lution here in England or much what thereabouts One Norbert Archbishop of Magdebourgh leauing the world retired himselfe with certaine companions into a certaine place called 〈…〉 of which this order tooke denomination where hee squared 〈…〉 himselfe his fellowes and successours to obserue much what after the order of Saint Augustine which was approued and confirmed by Calixtus the second Honorius the second made them regular Charions Their Abbots were perpetuall and euer consecrated by Bishops They had power to conferre their lesser Orders to their Monkes and to blesse all thâ— ornaments of the Church and to do all other ceremonies but where as conseâ—ration is required in the blessing yet they might celebrate soâ—emne and 〈◊〉 Masse with the myter crosier staffe cappe and other ornaments which belong to the Episcopall order and dignitie The first institution of this order was about the yeare 1120. their first house here in England was at Newhouse in Lincolnshire These Votaries pretend to haue had their first institution at mount Carmel in Syria where Elias and other heretofore liued solitarily and that the place being inhabited by many Hermites Almericke Bishop of 〈◊〉 drew them together liuing dispersed about the mountaine and 〈…〉 them a Monasterie in that mount neare vnto a fountaine They say a fâ—thâ—â—r one Albert Patriarch of Ierusalem a very famous man set downea rule from the life of Elias out of a certaine Greeke booke of the institution of the first Monke and from the rule of Saint Basill the Great giuing it to keepe to one Brocard who was Prior of Mount Carmell and to his Hermits which rule of Albert they vowed to obserue which was afterwards confirmed by Pope Honorius the third They affirme that the Virgine Mary appeared vnto one of their order and presented vnto him a Scapularie saying Receiue my beloued this Scapularie which I giue vnto thy order in signe of my fellowship Whereupon they vsurpe the title of 〈◊〉 tres Ordinis beatae Mariae Virginis de monte Carmelo Friers of the Order of the blessed Virgine Mary of mount Carmell Their first apparition 〈◊〉 the world was about the yeare 1170. Their entrance into England and seating themselues at Newenden in Kent of which hereafter was about the midst of the raigne of King Henry the third These like as other Orders haue beene diuers times reformed euer as they did degenerate from their primitiue sincerity at this day they are called Carmes discalced or bare footed Friers by a certaine constitution confirmed by the Apostolique authoritie in a generall Chapter held at Alcara de Henares in the yeare of our redemption 1581. There were likewise Carmelin or Carnie 〈◊〉 Nunnes here in England Iohn Bale who writ of the writers and the best learned men of great Britaine writ also a large Treatise of this Order of Carmes or Carmelites whose antiquitie institution and progresse he sets downe in one of 〈…〉 sages as followeth De Antiquitate Fratrum Carmelitarum Tanta est Carmeli Fratrum de monte vetustas Quim mentâ—m superet cunctorum pene virorum Namque per Hâ—liam datur Ordo fuisse Prophetam Hie primo inceptus sacro quoque iure statutus Qui postquam curru raptus fuit in Paradisum Flammato successit et vates Heliseus Condita quinque virum ter claustra fuere per illum Quem post affirmant Ionam fuisse Prophetam Cui successerunt Abdias atque Micheas Et plerique alij quos non memorare necesse est Tempore non Christi Montem Baptista Iohannes Carmeli Andreas et Apâ—stolus incoluerunt Nathaniel Ioseph Vir Virginis atque Marie Sanctus Iheronimus et quidam nomine dictus Nilas Marcellus quorum Pauli fuit alter Petri Discipulus fuit alter deinde beati Tunc in honore pia fuit Ara sancta Marie Monte in Carmeli prenescentum que virorum Tunc in Hierusalem Claustrum fuit aurea porta Quondam nempe loco qui vulgo sertur ab omni Ac in monte Syon claustrum primo Muliâ—rum Multe denote quod percoluere Sorores Sincletica Euprepia Polycrasia item Melania Combustum primo verum fuit à Mahumeto Postque per Eraclum destructum post quoque Paulo Euersum rursus Danorum et ..... Regio .... Per .... Karoli reparatum tempore magni Ast vbi
men which did diligently ouersee like good Shepheards the flocks committed to their charge and these were called Bishops Episcopus Grece latine speculator interpretatur speculari enim debet mores vitia populi sibi subiecti intendere ad eorum salutem A Bishop both in Greeke and Latine signifies a beholder or a Scoute watch for he ought to behold and ouersee the manners conditions and vices of the people liuing vnder his gouernment and to vse the best meanes hee can for their soules health Homer calls Hector suum Episcopum because he was precipuus Troiae inspector et propugnator the chiefe ouerseer and defender of the Citie of Troy Nihil in hoc seculo excellentius sacerdotibus nihil sublimius Episcopis reperiri potest Nothing in this age more excelling then Priests nothing more sublime and high then Bishops can be found Honor et sublimitas Episcopalis nullis poterit comparationibus adaequari The Episcopall honour and dignitie can be equalled by no comparisons Esto subiectus Pontifici tuo et quasi parentem animae tuae ama Be subiect to thy Bishop and loue him as the father and nourisher of thy soule Nihil est in bac vita et maxime hoc tempore difficilius laboriosius et periculosius Episcopi aut Presbyteri officio sed apud Deum nihil beatius si eo modo militetur quo noster Imperator iubet Nothing in this life and specially at this time more difficult laborious and perillous then the office of a Bishop or Priest but before Almightie God no office more blessed if they fight and make warre after the same manner as they bee commanded by their Captaine our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Omnis Pontifex saith Saint Paul ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs qui sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona et sacrificia pro peccatis Euery Bishop or high Priest is taken from among the men and is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that hee may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes They are Gods labourers Gods husbandrie and Gods buildings Let a man so thinke of them as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of God What is more pleasant saith William the Monke of Malmesbury in his Prologue to the Acts of our English Bishops then to rehearse the praise of our ancient Bishops that thou mayest know the deeds of them of whom thou hast receiued the rudiments of Faith and the incitements to a godly life No nation of the world saith Capgraue in the Prologue to his Catalogue of English Saints hath from the beginning beene so blest with holy learned and religious Bishops as England whose sanctitie did so shine that all which saw them and their good workes assuredly knew that they were the seed to whom God had imparted his blessings their conuersation and studie being alwayes about heauenly matters As the rod of Aaron did bud and blossome and bring forth ripe Almonds so the Church and Ministery of England by the meanes of our reuerend Bishops as of Gods sacred instruments did and still doth prosper flourish and bring forth fruits of righteousnesse to the glorie of God and comfort of all true Christian hearts Now before I conclude this point giue me leaue to speake a little further of the first institution of Bishops out of the booke of a namelesse Author written in Latine about three hundred yeares since translated into English by one William Marshall and imprinted at London by one Robert Wyer Ann. 1535 in the 27. of King Henry the eighth the booke is called The Defence of Peace After the tymes of the Apostles the nombre of Preestes beyng notablye augmented and increased saith he to avoyde sclaundre and occasyon of offendynge any man and to avoyde scisme and dyvysion the Preestes chose one among themselues which shulde dyrecte and ordre the other as touchynge to the exercysynge of the Ecclesiasticall offyce or service and the dystrybutyng of the oblacyons and the dysposynge and orderynge of other thyngs in the most conuenient maner leste yf euery man myght do this thinge after his owne pleasure as he lest himselfe the good ordre and servyce of the Churches myght be troubled by the reason of the dyuerse affeccions of men This Preeste whiche was so elected and chosen to ordre and rule the other Preestes by the custome and vsed maner of speakynge of them that came afterwards was onely called a Bysshop or ouerseer because not onely he was ouerloker of the Christen people for whiche cause all other Preests also were called Ouerseers in the Prymatyne Church but also because he had the ouersyght of the other Preestes Howsoeuer saith he in the same Chapter in the essentyall and inseparable auctoryte and dygnyte of Preesthood the Bysshops have no preheminence aboue other Preestes but onely in auctoryte accydentall being that the Bishop by the provydence of God is chosen vpon the former reason to have the rule and gouernment of the Clergie within his Diocesse For in the power and auctoryte of makyng and admynystryng the Sacraments and performing of other duties belonginge meerely to the Preesthood all Preestes saith he have all one auctoryte in kynde neyther the Bysshop of Rome or any other Bysshop hath this auctoryte any whyt more largely than any other hath who euer he be beynge called a symple or pryvate Preest And therfore it is to be mervayled wherfore some men do stryve styffely and frowardly affyrmynge yet no thynge reasonably that the Pope of Rome hath more large power of the keyes geuen to hym of Chryste than hath other Preestes seing that this cannot be proued by the holy Scrypture but rather the contrary For whiche thyngs to go on with my Author more euidently to be seene and perceyved you ought to vnderstande and knowe that these two wordes Presbyter and Episcopus that is to saye Preest or senyour and Bysshop were both of one sygnyfycacion and betokened all one thynge in the Prymatyue Church albeit they were put to sygnyfy one thynge of diuers propertyes for Presbyter was a name gyven to them of age which is as moche to saye as a Senyour or Elder And Episcopus was a name gyuen of cure or charge vpon other and is as moche to say as an ouerloker according to that of Saynt Iherom in a certayne Epystle to Euandre who sayth thus Presbyter and Episcopus the one is a name of age the other of dygnyte These dignified priests I meane Bishops euer since the Conquest their chiefe seate or chaire in Cities and their Churches haue euer since the sunne-shine of the Gospell beene called Cathedrall and in respect they were more spatious then other inferiour Parish Churches they were tearmed Basilicae of which will it please you heare Camden speake These greater Churches saith hee when the sauing light of Christ shone vpon the world
heare a peece out of Harding in the life of Henry the second He exiled then Thomas of Cauntorbury Out of Englande and many of his alliaunce For cause of his rebellious gouernaunce And as he came fro Rome by Fraunce awaye With language fel he prayede the Kyng that daye The poyntes to mende And now if you will giue me leaue a little to digresse I will tell you a tale beleeue it as you lift reported by the said Thomas Becket himselfe how that being in banishment our blessed Lady gaue him a golden Eagle full of precious ointment inclosed in a stone vessell commanding him to preserue it foretelling withall that the kings of England which should be therewith anointed should be strong champions and stout defendours of the Church that they should be bountifull benigne and fortunate and that they should peaceably recouer such lands or territories as had beene before lost by their predecessours so long as they had this Eagle with the viall or sacred vessell in their custody telling him withall that hee should bee a Martyr This vision happened to him forsooth at Sens in France in the Nunnes Church consecrated to Saint Columbe in which Citie hee found Pope Alexander the third a man like himselfe of an ambitious and turbulent â—ierie spirit into whose bosome saith Hollinshead he emptied whole cart-loads of complaints and grieuances like a contumacious rebell against his soueraigne Lord excommunicating and cursing with bell booke and candle all that did any way adhere vnto the kings partie But now to returne to the words by which hee did expresse his strange and incredible apparition which I will set downe in the same language as I found them anciently written in the Lieger booke of the Abbey of Whalley in Lanchishire Thus he begins Quando ego Thomas Cantuar. Archiepiscopus exul ab Anglia fugie bam ad Franciam veni ad Papam Alex. qui tunc Senonis erat vt ei ostenderem malas consuetudines abusiones quas Rex Anglie in Ecclesiam in troducebat Quadam nocte cum essem in Ecclesia Sancte Columbe in Monial rogaui Reginam Virginum vt daret Regi Anglie et hered propositum et voluntatem emendandi se erga Ecclesiam et quod Christus pro sua miserecordia ampliori dilectione ipsum faceret diligere Ecclesiam Statim apparuit mihi beata Virgo habens in pectore istam aquilam auream siue lapideam accipiens Aquilam de pectore suo ampullam includit Aquilam cum Ampulla in manu mea posuit et hec verba per ordinem dixit Ista est vnctio per quam Reges Anglie debent inungi non isti qui modo sunt regnant regnabunt quia maligni sunt propter peccata sua multa amiserunt amitterent Sunt autem Reges Anglie futuri qui inungerentur vnctione benigni pugiles Ecclesie erunt Nam isti terram amissam à parentibus pacisice recuperabunt donec Aquilam cum Ampulla habeant Est autem Rex Anglorum futurus qui primo mungeretur vnctione ista qui terram amissam à parentibus scilicet Normanniam Aquitaniam recuperabit sine vi Rex iste erit maximus inter Reges est ille qui edificabit multas Ecclesias in terra sancta fugabit omnes Paganos de Babilon in â—adem Ecclesias ediâ—icabit plures quotiescunque Rex portabit Aquilam in pectore victoriam habebit de inimicis suis regnum eius semper augmentabituâ— tu autem es Martyr futurus Tunc rogaui beatam Virginem vt ostenderet mihi vbi custodirem tam preciosum Sanctuarium que dixit mihi est vir in ciuitate isla Willielmus Monachus Sancti Cipriani Pictauie eiectus iniuste ab Abbate suo de Abbachia sua qui rogat Papam vt Abbatem suum compellat vt eum in Abbachiam suam reducat trade sibi Aquilam cum Ampulla vt eam ad Ciuitatem Pictauie portet et in Ecclesia Sancti Gregorij que est iuxta Ecclesiam Sancti Hillarij eam abscondat in capite Ecclesie versus occidentem sub lapide magno ibi inuenietur in tempore oportuno et erit vnctio Regum Anglorum Henry the first Duke of Lancaster vnder Edward the third in the warres of France had it deliuered to him by an holy man say they which found it by reuelation But of this enough if not too much This Archbishop Becket being recalled from exile and restored to his former honours and reuenewes carried himselfe more obstinately then before perturbing the whole State with curses and excommunications in maintaining of Ecclesiasticall liberties as he pretended but most of all this kinde of dealing grieued the King who cursed the time that euer he made him Archbishop Which is thus explained in old rimes For which the King was with him sore displeased That then he sayd had I had men that ment Myne honeste I were not thus diseased With such a Clerk thus greeued and vneased It happened amongst other foure Knights to be present at this speech of the King namely Reynald Fitzâ—vrse Hugh Moruill William Tracy and Richard Briton who gathered thereby that they should do a deed very acceptable vnto him if they killed the Archbishop Whereupon without either warrant or priuitie of their Soueraigne they posted into England came with their swords drawne into this his owne Church and therein most barbarously murdered him with many blowes vpon Tuesday the 28. of December Ann. Dom. 1170. as saith Mat. Paris who in the same place obserues that many remarkable occurrences behappened this Martyr euer vpon the Tuesday more then vpon any other day in the weeke Mars secundum poetas saith he Deus belli nuncupatur vita Sancti Thome secundum illud Iob vita hominis militia est super terram tota suit contra hostem bellicosa passus fuit die Martis et translatus die Martis Die Martis sederunt Principes aduersus eum apud Northampton Die Martis actus est in exilium Die Martis apparuit ei Dominus apud Pontiniacum dicens Thoma Thoma Ecclesia mea glorificabitur in sanguine tuo Et die Martis reuersus est ab exilio Martyrij palmam die Martis est adeptus Et Die Martis Anno 1220. venerabile eius corpus gloriam translationis suscepit anno 50. post passionem eius In English as followeth Mars according to the Poets is called the God of warre the life of Saint Thomas according to that of Iob the life of man is a warfare vpon earth was a continuall conflict against the enemy vpon the Tuesday he suffered vpon Tuesday he was translated vpon Tuesday the Peeres of the Land sat in councell against him at Northampton Vpon Tuesday he was banished vpon Tuesday the Lord appeared to him at Pontiniacke saying Thomas Thomas my Church shall be glorified in thy bloud Vpon Tuesday he returned from exile vpon Tuesday he got the palme or reward of Martyrdome and vpon
Edwin king of Northumberland Sandwich Before the generall suppression here was a religious house of white Friers Carmelites founded by one Henry Cowfeld an Almaine Ann. 1272. and an Hospitall founded by Thomas Rabyng William Swanne Clerkes Iohn Goddard and Richard Long. In a booke of this order of Carmes written by Iohn Bale of which I haue spoken in the prefixed discourse I finde the Foundation of this Religious structure as also certaine Epitaphs made to the memorie of diuers of the Fraternitie therein interred in this manner following Anno Domini M.CC.LXXII fundatus erat Conuentus Sandwici per Henricum Cowfeld de Alemania Epitaphium Magistri Fratris Thome Legatt qui obijt Anno Domini M. CCCCIX Carmelita Thomas Legatt qui Theologie Doctor erat quondam conditur hoc lapide Epitaphium Fratris Thome Hadlow Hic Prior iste Hadlow nunc hoc sub marmore tectus Turmas celicolas adeat nostra prece vectus M.C. quater X. sepâ—eno transijt anno Huic deciâ—o sexto Septembris lumina nexo Magister Frater Willelmus Becklee hic sepultus cum hoc Epitaphio Nunc me petra tenet saxoque includor in isto Et lacerum vermes laniant nunc vndique corpus Quid mihi diuicie quid alta palacia prosunt Cum mihi sufficiat paruo quo marmore claudor Quam fastus quam pompa leuis quam gloria mundi Sit breuis fragilis humana potencia quam sit Collige ab exemplo qui transis perlege posco Obijt Ann Dom. M. CCCC.XXXVIII Epitaphium Magistri Iohannis Sandwich huius Conuentus Prioris perquam amabilis Subiacet huic Tumbe deuotus mente Iohannes De Sandwich dictus huiusce Prior que domus Mille quadringentos tres annos congere lumen Quindecimam Iunij sumite tempus habes Quo sors superna rapuit de corpore vitam Fundito queso preces vt sit ei requies Epitaphium Fratris Dionisij Plumcooper Cuspide lethisera mors que premit impia cuncta Mole sub hac gelià a clausit ossa viri Qui rogitat nomen cognomen postulat ipsum Hoc Dionisius est Plumcooper illud erat Mollibus hic annis Carmeli dulcis alumnus Extitit placide Pacis amator erat Ad canos veniens nature iura reliquit Mors dedit lassis artubus hic requiem Valedicit mundo xx Febr. Ann. Dom. MCCCC LXXXI Ann. 1563. Sir Roger Manwood before remembred natiue of this place founded here a free Schoole which hee endowed with fourty pounds of yearely reuenue Right famous in former times saith Camden was the Citie of Richborow whereof now nothing remaines saue certaine walls of a Castie of rough flint and Britane brickes in forme of a Quadrant Ouer the entrie whereof is the head of Queene Berta as some say grauen in stone the wife of King Ethelbert who here had a royall pallace The Romanes had their Presidents or Prouosts who had the gouernment of this Citie of which I finde but onely two to haue beene here interred namely Flauius Sanctius and Claudius Contentus the one ruling with all peace the other liuing in all riches and prosperitie whose memories are thus preserued by the Poet Ausonius Militiam nullo qui turbine sedulus egit Praeside letatus quae Rhutupinus ager His martiall seruice he discharg'd with care without all strife And Rutupin reioyc'd in him whilst there he was in life The same Authour setteth forth likewise in a lamentable funerall verse in the praise of Claudius Contentus whom he calls Vnkle who being ouertaken with death left behinde him vnto strangers a mighty great stocke of money which he had put out to vsury among the Britaines and increased by interest Et patruos Elegia meos reminiscere cantus Contentum tellus quem Rhutupina tegit My dolefull Muse now call to minde the songs of Vnkle mine Contentus who enterred lyes within mould Rutupine Ashe-Church In this Church are many ancient Monuments of worthy Gentlemen namely Sir ... Goshalls Sir ... Leuericks who lye crosse-legged as knights of Ierusalem One of the Septvaus with a collar of S S about his necke his wifes portraiture vpon the same Tombe diuers of the surname of Saint Nicholas of the Harslets and others all without Inscriptions sauing two and those shamefully defaced Claus. 25. Hen. 6. Memb. 30. 1446. Christian S. Nicholas Lady Prioresse of the Minories without Algate was daughter and heire of Nicholas S. Nicholas of S. Nicholas in Thanet and Thomas S. Nicholas is named in the same Record Hic iacet .... Clitherow Ar. ..... vxor eius silia Iohannis Oldcastell qui obijt ..... Pray for the sowle of Ioane Keriell Ye frends all that forth ypasse In endlesse lyff perpetuall That god it grant mercy and grase Roger Clitherow her fader was Tho erth to erth of kynd returne Pray that her sowle to lyff may come The name of Kiriell hath beene of great note and antiquity within this County Sir Nicholas Kiriell flourished in the raigne of King Richard the second and Sir Thomas Kiriell beheaded with the Lord Bouvile the day after the second battell at Saint Albons in the raigne of King Henry the sixth or slaine in the battell according to Iohn Harding ..... The Lords of the North Southward came To Sainct Albones vpon the fasting gang eue Wher then thei slewe the Lord Bouvile â—eue And Sir Thomas Kyriell also of Kent With mekell folke that pitee was to se. Sibbertswood In this Church are some ancient Monuments but now without Inscriptions erected to the memory of the Philipots or Philpots a familie which hath resided here a long time at Vpton Court within this Parish of which name and family was that renowned Lord Maior of London Sir Iohn Philpot knighted in the field by King Richard the second together with Sir William Wallworth then Maior and other Aldermen for the good seruice they performed against Watt Tylar and his complices Rebels of Kent and Essex This Sir Iohn gaue to the City certaine lands for the finding of thirteene poore people for euer It is likewise remembred of him to his eternall honour that Ann. 2. R. 2. he manned forth a Fleete at his owne charges to scoure the narrow Seas of such Scottish French and Spanish Pyrats as had done much villany by their often incursions to many of our English Ports and Harbours with which he not onely guarded both water and Land from their intollerable violences but also tooke their prime Captaine one Iohn Mercer a Scot with all his whole Nauie consisting of fifteene Spanish ships all being fraught with very rich commodities Which memorable atchieuement as it was right worthily applauded extolled and admired of all the faithfull Commonaltie so was it most wrongfully vnderualued enuied and drawne into question by some of the slothfull Nobilitie Ikham In this Church I saw an old Monument vpon
To whose memory Sir Henry Savill that rare Grecian and exact reuiuer of Antiquities now deceased late Warden of the said Colledge and Prouost of Eaton with the fellowes of the same taking downe an old marble Tombe haue erected another Monument ouer him of Touch and Alabaster bearing this Inscription Waltero de Merton Cancellario Angliae sub Henrico tertio Episcopo Roffensi sub Edwardo primo Rege vnius exemplo omnium quotquot extant Collegiorum Fundatori maximorum Europae totius ingeniorum faelicissimo parenti Custos Scholares domus Scholarium de Merton in Vniuersitate de Oxon. communibus Collegij impensis debitum pietatis Monumentum posuere Ann. Dom. 1598. Henrico Savile Custode Obijt in vigilia Simonis Iudae Ann. Dom. 1277. Edwardi primi quinto Inchoauerat Collegium Maldoniae in agro Surr. Ann. Dom. 1264. Hen. tertij 48. cui dein salubri consilio Oxonium Anno 1270. trans extrema manus faelicissimis vt credi par est auspicijs accessit anno 1274. ipsis Cal. Aug. anno Regni Regis Edwardi primi secundo Magne senex titulis Musarum sede sacrata Maior Mertonidum maxime progenie Haec tibi gratantes post saecula sera nepotes En votiua locant marmora sancte parens Haymo de Heath or Hythe so named of Hithe a Towne in this tract where he was borne lyeth buried by the North wall he was Confessour to King Edward the second This man built much at his Mannor houses of Troscliffe and Hawling In the Towne of Hithe before named he founded the Hospitall of Saint Bartholomew for reliefe of ten poore people endowing the same with twenty Markes of yearely reuenue He resigned his Bishopricke into the Popes hands of whom he had receiued consecration in the Court at Rome Ann. 1352. and liued about some six yeares after that a priuate life with the Monkes in this Priory This Bishop saith the booke of Rochester bought a precious Miter which was Thomas Beckets of the Executours of the Bishop of Norwich which hee offered at the high Altar on S. Pauls day 1327. Iohn de Shepey so likewise surnamed from the place of his birth vpon Haymo his resignation was by the Pope elected to this Bishoprick hee was Lord Treasurer of England in the two and thirtieth yeere of King Edward the third in which office he continued about three yeeres euen vntill his death which happened the nineteenth of October 1360. His portraiture is in the wall ouer his place of Buriall Here ouer against Bishop Merton lieth buried vnder a faire Marble Tombe the body of Iohn Lowe Bishop of this Diocesse borne in Worcestershire and brought vp in Oxford where he proceeded Doctor of Diuinitie He liued for a time in the Abbey of the Friers Augustines in Worcester of which order he was Prouinciall Vir aetate sua ab omni parte doctus So that in regard of his great learning and painfulnes in preaching he was preferred first to the Bishoprick of Saint Asaph by King Henry the sixt and after that translated to this of Rochester hee writ diuers learned works and was a carefull searcher after good bookes so as diuers copies of some ancient Fathers had vtterly perished but for his diligence Hee died the yeere 1467. hauing gouerned the See of Saint Asaph foure yeeres and and this of Rochester foure and twenty The inscription vpon his Tombe is almost all gone only these words remayning ...... Iohannis Low Epis ...... ...... miserere mei Domine Credo videre Dominum in terra viventium O quam breve spatium huius mundi sicomp ..... Sic mundi gloria transit Sancte Andree Augustine orate prop nobis I doe not finde the certainty of any other of the Bishops of this Diocesse to haue bin buried in this Cathedrall Church for most commonly in ancient times as now they departed from this place before they departed from the world this Ecclesiasticall preferment being but a step to some higher aduancement A word therefore or two of Saint William here enshrined and the like of the Priory and so I will take my leaue of this most ancient and no lesse reuerend Episcopall Chaire and goe to Gillingham for the rest of the funerall Monuments in this Church are of later times which I reserue for another Volume This Priory erected by Gundulph and the number of her religious Votaries encreased by him from sixe secular Priests to threescore blacke Canons or Monkes with ample reuenues for their maintenance was within the compasse of one hundred yeares what by casuall fire what by the falling out of the Monkes and Bishop Glanvill and what by the calamities it sustained in the warres of King Iohn brought to that ruine and pouerty that the beauty of all her goodly buildings was altogether defaced her Church burned her sacred Vtensiles by robbery and suites in law embezelled mispent and consumed and the whole Couent greatly indebted Anno 1179.3 Id. Aprilis Rofensis Ecclesia cum omnibus officinis cum tota vrbe infra extra muros combusta est anno 97. ex quo Monachi in eadem Ecclesia instituti sunt It was now therefore high time saith Master Lambard to deuise some way whereby this Priory and Church of Rochester might be if not altogether restored to the ancient wealth and estimation yet at the least somewhat relieued from this penury nakednesse and abiection Therefore Laurence of Saint Martins Bishop of this Church and Councellour of King Henry the third perceiuing the common people to bee somewhat drawne by the fraud of the Monkes to thinke reuerently of one William that lay buried in the Church and knowing well that there was no one way so compendious to gaine as the aduancement of a Pilgramage procured at the Popes Court the canonization of the said William with Indulgence to all such as would offer at his Tombe vnderpropping by meanes of this new Saint some manner of reuerend opinion of the Church which before through the defacing of the old Bishop Paulinus his Shrine was declined to naught This Saint William was by birth a Scot of Perthe by trade of life a Baker of bread in charitie so abundant that hee gaue to the poore the tenth loafe of his workmanship in zeale so feruent that in vow he promised and in deed attempted to visit the holy Land and the places where Christ was conuersant on earth In which iourney as he passed through Kent he made Rochester his way where after that he had rested two or three dayes he departed toward Canterbury but ere he had gone farre from the Citie his seruant that waited on him led him of purpose out of the high-way and spoyled him both of his money and life This done the seruant escaped and the Master because he dyed in so holy a purpose of minde was by the Monkes conueyed hither to Saint Andrewes laid in the Quire and promoted by the
also to my Lady Chamberlaine soiournyng with my brother Lathell my Mantell c. Saint Gregories by Pauls Here in this Church lyeth buried the body of Thomas Riplingham who was the husband of the foresaid Katherine who died An. 1469. but he is better knowne by this his will and testament This xii day of October the ix of Edward the fourth in the yeere of our Lord M. cccc.lxix aduowes first my soul to God and my body to be beryed in S. Gregories Church London I will yat the same Church haue the two Challices and a cupp pledged to me for x markes be restored to them frelie and more to the same Church I giue x markes to continually prey for my soul. I will that Katherine my wyff haue all such goods as she brought to me with her I will that Raph my Brother haue x. l and Iohn my Broder x. l and euery of my Sisters one hundred shillings to prey for my soul. Also I will that Richard my Broder haue my land in Riplingham to him and his heires for euer and as for my land in Etton I will that Iohn my Broder haue it to him and his heires for euer the remaynder in defaute to Raufe my Broder and to his heires and for defaute of yssue to the right heires of the said Richard Item to Richard Welden my best goune Item to my dauter Elisabyth a goune cloth I will that Ioan Welden my Goddauter haue x markes to her mariage Item I will to the Church of Rowley on hundryd shillings to the grey Friers of Beuerley on hundryd shillings Item to the white Friers of Sawburgh on hundryd shillings to prey for my soul and my moders Also I will yat a dozen Dishes and as many Sawsers of siluer ye which were my Lord Vesseys be deliuered to William Rilston and Iohn Fereby to be sold to my Lord Chamberlein and to Sir Thomas Burrow as we were agreed Item I will the two Obligations of the statute of the Staple concerning the summes of xii c markes and also a bagg of money conteyning cc markes be deliuered to the said William and Iohn I will another bagg of gold conteyning the summe of on c.l. pertaining to the executors of Iohn Heron be deliuered to Nicolas Statham to be disposed for the soul of Iohn Heron. Saint Fosters Lord of thy infinit grase and pitee Haue mercy on me Agnes sometym the wyf Of William Milborne chamberlein of this citee Which toke my passage fro this wrechyd lyf The yere of grase on thousand on hundryd and fyf The xii day of Iuly no longer was my spase It plesyd then my Lord to call me to his grase Now ye that are liuing and see this picture Prey for me here whyle ye haue time and spase That God of his goodnes wold me assure In his euerlasting Mansion to haue a plase Saint Peters Cheape ...... pur l'ame Nicole de Farindone .... de son Vnder this old monument as this maymed French Inscription would tell vs Nicholas Faringdon Goldsmith foure times Lord Maior of this Citie lieth intombed he was the sonne of William Faringdon Sheriffe of the same Of which two Faringdons the two Wards within and without tooke their denominations Hee liued after the first time of his Maioralitie which was An. Dom. 1309. full three and fiftie yeeres Saint Martins Nere vnto Aldersgate was sometime a faire and large Colledge of a Deane and secular Canons or Priests consecrated to the honour of Saint Martin and called Saint Martins le graund founded by Ingelricus and Edward his brother in the yeere of Christ 1056. and confirmed by William the Conquerour as appeareth by his charter dated 1068. This Colledge claimed great priuiledges of sanctuarie and other Franchises as appeareth in a booke written by a Notary of that house circa An. 1442. This Colledge was surrendred to King Edward the sixt in the second of his raigne and in the same yeere the Colledge Church was pulled downe and a Wine-Tauerne built in the place which continues to this day Saint Annes Aldersgate Orate deuote pro anima magistri Iohannis Pemberton Vtriusque iuris Bachalarij quondam Residentiar Ecclesie Cathedralis de Rippon Ebor. Diocesis huiusque etiam Eccles. Rectoris qui obijt 12 diâ— Septemb. An. Dom. 1499. Qu an tris di c vul stra os guis ti ro um nere uit H san chris mi t mu la. Quos anguis tristi diro cum munere strauit Hos sanguis Christi miro tum munere lauit Corda manus oculos aures animosque levemus Et domino voces sua sunt ei sua demus Vt tibi praeceptis mens conformetur honestis Sex animo semper sunt repetenda tuo Principio Deus est noster seruator author Hostis in opposita stat regione Sathan Tertiares presens est vita similima ventis Mors sequitur nobis quae prope semper adest Ordine sunt quinto Coeli Palatia summi Tartara sunt sexto constituenda loco Haec animo tacite secum qui saepe reuoluit Miror in hoc vitij si quid inesse potest Gualterus Haddonus Saint Iohn Zacharies Hic iacet Ioanna vxor Tho. Thorp vnius Bar. de Scaccario domini Regis Prolocutoris Parliamenti tenti apud Reding anno Regis Hen. sexti xxxi Que Ioanna obijt xxiii Iun. An. Dom. M. ccccliii cuius anime I finde this Baron Thorp to haue beene a man of many good parts and euer faithfull to his soueraigne Lord King Henry the sixt by whom hee was specially employed both in peace and warre against the violence of his headstrong Lords But in the end it was the hard happe of this vpright Exchequer man to be beheaded at High-gate by the Commons of Kent the 17 day of February An. 1461. Here lieth the body of Iohn Sutton Citizen Goldsmith and Alderman of London who died 6 Iuly 1450. This Sutton was slaine in that blacke and dismall battell by night vpon London Bridge betweene Iack Cade with his Kentish Rebels and the Citizens of London Here lieth William Breke-spere of London sometime Merchant Goldsmith and Alderman the Common-wele attendant Wyth Margaryt hys dawter late wyff of Suttoon And Thomas hur sonn yet liuyng vndyr Goddys tuitioon The tenth of Iuyl he made hys transmigration She disissyd in the yer of grase of Chrysts incarnatioon A thowsand four hundryd threescor and oon God assoyl her sowls whos bodys lye vndyr this stoon Saint Leonards Fosterlane When the bells be merely roung And the Masse deuoutly soung And the meate merely eaten Then â—all Robart Trappis his wyffs and his chyldren be forgetten Thus farre Stow. Wherfor Iesu that of Mary sproung Set their soulys thy Saynts among Though it be vndeservyd on their syde Yet good Lord let them euermor thy mercy abyde And of yowr cheritie For their soulys say a Pater
Rotulorum et Recordorum in Turri London remanentium qui obijt vltimo die Feb. Anno 1523. cuius Clericus paruae Bagiae or Clarke of the Petit Bagge is an Officer in the Chancerie of which sort there be three and the Master of the Rolles is their chiefe Their Office is to record the returne of all Inquisitions out of euery Shire all Liueries granted in the Court of Wards all ouster les maines to make all Patents of Customers Gawgers Controllers and Aulnegers all Conge d'eslires for Bishops all Liberateis vpon extent of Statute Staples the recouery of Recognisances forfeited and all Elegits vpon them the summons of the Nobilitie Clergie and Burgesses of the Parliament Commissions directed to Knights and other of euery shire for seassing of the Subsidies Writs for the nomination of Collectors and all trauerses vpon any Office bill or otherwise and to receiue money duel to the King for the same This Officer is mentioned Anno 33. Hen. 8. cap. 22. and it is like hee had first this denomination and stile of Petie Bagges because hauing to doe with so many Records of diuers kindes as aboue mentioned they were put in sundry leather Bagges which were not so great as the Clarke of the Hamper now vseth and therefore might be called Petits Bagges small or little bagges This Iohn Gyles was also keeper or Clerke of the Rolles and Records in the Tower of London an Office generally well knowne throughout all England the master whereof at this day is that learned Gentleman Sir Iohn Borrowes Knight vnder whom my vnderstanding friend Will. Collet and my industrious country-man Will. Riley alias Rouge-Rose Pursiuant at Armes doe officiate the place Dona requiem miserecordissime Iesu anime famuli tui Laurentij Bartlâ—t nuper Registrarij Episcopi Lincol. qui obijt ... die octob An. 1470. Quisquis ades vultumque vides sta perlege plora Iuditij memor esto tui tua nam venit hora Sum quod eris fueramque quod es tua posteriora Commemorans miseris miserans pro me precor ora Te mediante tuus viuam post funera seruus Qui te dilexi Michael bene dummodo vixi Non Homo leteris tibi copia si fluat eris Hic non semper eris memor esto quod morieris Corpus putrebit quod habes alter habebit Es euanebit quod agis tecum remanebit The Temple Church The first Founder hereof is not certainely recorded some hold that it was built by Dunwallo Mulmutius about the yeare of the worlds creation 4748 the precincts whereof he made a Sanctuary or a place of refuge for any person therein to be assured of life liberty and limbs of which I haue spoken elsewhere Besides these priuiledges vnto Temples hee constituted diuers good lawes Of which he writ two bookes the one called Statuta municipalia the other Leges iudiciariae which is as much to say as the statute Law and the common Law Cooke Reports 3 part ad Lect. out of Bale cent 1. Hauing reduced his Realme into one Monarchie being before by ciuill warres and dissention seuered and brought into diuers dominions Hee raigned 40. yeares died the yeare of the worlds creation 4768. and was buried in this place with other of the British Kings But it appeareth by this inscription following ouer the Church doore in the stone worke that this holy Structure was newly founded of farre later times and dedicated to the honour of the blessed Virgine yet I thinke it is farre more ancient Anno ab incarnatione Domini M.C.lxxxv dedicata hec Ecclesia in honorem beate Marie a Domino Eraclio dei gratia Sancte Resurrectionis Ecclesie Patriarcha 11 Idus Februarij Qui eam annatim petentibus de iniuncta sibi Penitentia lx dies indulsit Knights Templers were the last Founders of this house which at the first were certaine noble Souldiers religiously bent who bound themselues by vow in the hands of the Patriarke of Ierusalem to serue Christ after the manner of Regular canons in chastitie and obedience and to defend Christian Religion the holy land and Pilgrimes going to visite the Lords Sepulchre they flourished for a time in high reputation for pietie and deuotion but as they increased in wealth so they fell to wickednesse insomuch that in the yeere 1308. all the Templers in England as also in other parts of Christendome were apprehended and committed to diuers Prisons and in the yeare 1312. all their lands were giuen to the Knights Hospitalers of the order of Saint Iohn Baptist called Saint Iohn of Ierusalem as I haue said elsewhere There are in this Temple many very ancient monuments of famous men for out of what respect I know not King Henry the third and many of the Nobility desired much to be buried in this Church shaped in marble armed their legges crosse whose names are not to be gathered by any inscriptions for that time hath worne them out vpon the vpper part of one of their portraitures Camden saith that hee hath read Comes Penbrochie and vpon the side this verse Miles eram Martis Mars multos vicerat armis Of Mars I was a doughty knight Mars vanquisht many a man in fight Vnder which monument lieth William Marshall the elder Earle of Penbroke a most powerfull man in his time being the Kings Marshall Generall of his Armie and Protector of the kingdome in the minority of King Henry the third vntill such time as he the said William died which was in the yeare 1219. 27 die Martij This Epitaph following goes also currant for this glorious and triumphant Earle as an Epitome of his noble vertues Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hibernia Solem Anglia Mercurium Normannia Gallia Martem Irelands Saturne Englands Sunne am I The Mars of France and Normans Mercury or thus Whom Ireland once a Saturne found England a Sunne to be Whom Normandy a Mercury and France Mars I am he This William had fiue sonnes William Richard Gilbert Walter and Anselme all Earles of Penbroke and Marshals of England Here by his father vnder the like monument lieth William the eldest sonne Earle of Penbroke Lord of Strighull Chepstow Caerwent Leigh or Liege Weshford Kildare Ossorie and Carlogh who died the sixt of Aprill 1231. as it is in the booke of Wauerly wherein this Epitaph is made to his memory Militis istius mortem dolet Anglia ridet Wallia viuentis bella minasque timens England laments the death of this braue Knight Wales laughs he liuing did her so affright The Annales of Ireland will haue him to be buried by his brother Richard in the Quire of the Friers Predicants in Kilkennie of whom it was thus written Cuius sub fossa Kilkennia continet Ossa Whose bones bestowed in graue so deep Kilkenny Towne doth safely keep Wheresoeuer he was buried a Martiall braue Earle he was which hee worthily shewed when as he set vpon Lehwellin Prince of Wales
in health And as our Lord knoweth I haue nothing left vnto me for to prouyde any better but as my Brother of his owne purse layeth out for me to his great hynderance Wherfore gode Master Secretary estsones I byseche yow to haue som pittie vpon me and latt me haue such thyngs as are necessary for mee in myn age and especially for my health And also that itt may please yow by yowr high wysdom to moue the Kings highnesse to take me vnto his gracious fauor againe and to restor me vnto my liberty out of this cold and painfull imprisonment wherby ye shall bynd me to be yowr pore beadsman for euer vnto almighty God who euer haue yow in his protection and custody Other twayne things I must also desyer vpon yow first oon is that itt may please yow that I may take som Preest within the Tower by th' assignment of master Liuetenant to hear my confession against this hooly tym That other is that I may borrow some bookes to stir my deuocion mor effectually theis hooly dayes for the comfortte of my sowl This I byseche yow to grant me of yowr charite And thus our Lord send yow a mery Christenmas and a comfortable to yowr hearts desyer Att the Tower this xxii day of December Your poore Beadsman Iohn Roffe Thus he lay imprisoned in great misery hungrie cold and comfortlesse as the prisoners dittie in Newgate runs vntill the time of his arraignment during which time as also before being diuers times examined by the Lords of the priuie Councell as also examined and sworne in verbo Sacer docij by Thomas Bedyll and Richard Layton Clerkes of the Kings Councell in the presence of Sir Edmond Walfingham knight Lieuetenant of the Tower and others to many Interrogatories his answeres were euer agreeable in effect with his letters He was arraigned onely for denying of the Supremacie howsoeuer he was before attainted by Parliament of misprision of Treason for the matter of the holy Maid of Kent as by this his Indictment appeares of which so much as is materiall Quidem tamen Iohannes Fyssher nuper de ciuitate Roffen in Com. Kanc. Clericus alias dictus Iohannes Fyssher nuper de Rofen Episcopus deum pre oculis non habens sed instigatione diabolica seductus false maliciose et proditorie optans volens et desiderans ac arte imaginans inuentans practitans et attemptans serenissimum dominum nostrum Henricum octauum dei gratia Angl. et Franc. Regem fidei defensorem dominum Hibernie atque in terra supremum caput Ecclesie Anglicane de dignitate titulo nomine status sui Regalis videlicet de dignitate titulo et nomine eius in terra supremi capitis Anglicane Ecclesie dicte imperiali corone sue vt premittit annexis vnitis depriuare Septimo die Maij Anno regni eiusdem domini Regis vicessimo septimo apud Tarrim London in Com. Mid. contra legiancie sue debitum hec verba Anglicana sequent diuersis dicti domini Regis veris subditis false maliciose proditorie loquebatur et propalabat videlicet The Kyng owre Soueraigne Lord is not supreme hedd yn erthe of the Cherche of England In dicti domini Regis immund despect et vilipendium manifest ac in dictorum dignitatis tituli et nominis status sui Regalis derogationem et preiudic non modicum et contra formam dicti alterius Actus perdicti Anno xxvi edit ac contra pacem prefati domini Regis c. Of this Indictment being found guilty he had iudgement whereupon execution presently followed which the more was hastened as also his arraignement in regard of the rumour that a Cardinals hat was comming towards him from the Pope because he had stood so stoutly in his defence which newes was so vnwelcome vnto him that vpon the first report thereof comming to his eares he said in the presence of some of the Lieuetenants seruants that if the Cardinals hat were laid at his feet he would not stoupe to take it vp so little did he set by it but let vs leaue him to his eternall rest onely thus much out of the writers of his time who say that hee was omnium Episcopalium Virtutum genere suffarcinatissimus et singulari linguae gratia praeditus He was of many sore lamented being a man of a very good life and great learning as his writings in diuers bookes did testifie The common people had such a reuerend opinion of his holinesse that they beleeued certaine miracles to be wrought by his head put vpon a Pole and set vp vpon London Bridge Adrianus Iunius and Cornelius Musius two German writers of Fisher thus in opposition Iunius Te niuei mores celebrem et conscia virtus Eâ—exit coelo et relligionis amor Sed dum Romuleo nimium tibicine fultus Perstas nec causam Regis amare potes Mors properatatibi est ceruice cruenta rescissa Munus vbi inselix purpura missa venit Musius Non ego purpureos ambiâ—i indignus honores Nec potui humanis fidere praesidijs Vnica cura fidem intrepide veramque tueri Commissoque ouium pro grege cuncta pati Si quaeras ceruix igitur cur ense re scissa est Improba displicuit Regia caussa mihi Another Dum mihi martyrij donat Diadema securis Quaeso meum teneas o bone trunce caput Another Vim sine vi patior qualis qui carcere rupto Cogitur e vinclis liber abire suis. The sixt day of Iuly following the decollation of Bishop Fisher Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellor of England was likewise beheaded on the Tower hill for the like deniall of the Kings Supremacie he was first buried in this Chappell and the body of his deare friend Fisher was remoued out of Barking Church-yard and buried with him in the same graue for agreeing so vnanimously in their opinions liuing it was be like thought vnfitting to part them being dead but how long they lay together in this their house of rest I certainly know not yet this is certaine that Margaret the wife of Master Roper and daughter of the said Sir Thomas More remoted her fathers corps not long after to Chelsey and whether she honouued the Bishop by another remoue to the place of her fathers buriall or not I know not yet she might by all probabilitie They were both accused to be of the adherents to Elizabeth Barton in her counterfeite holinesse hypocrisie and traiterous intents but their innocencie and their often writing to the King and Cromwell in their owne excuse acquitted them of that imputation In the Act for the surety of the succession of the Crowne of England an oath was deuised for the maintenance and defence of the said Act which was to be taken by all the Kings subiects this oath being tendered to these two they were content to bee sworne to the maine point but not to the
preamble of the said Oath which I haue touched before of which Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie thus deliuers his opinion by his letter to Secretarie Cromwell if I now digresse I craue a fauourable construction Right worshipfull Maister Cromwell after most harty commendations c. I doubte not but you do right well remembre that my Lord of Rochester and master More were contented to bee sworne to the Actt of the Kings succession but not to the preamble of the same what was the cause of thair refusall thereof I am vncertaine and they wolde by no meanes expresse the same Neuerthelesse it must nedis be either the diminution of the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome or ells the reprobation of the Kings first pretensed matrimony But if they doe obstinately persiste in thair opinions of the preamble yet me semeth it scholde not be refused if thay will be sworne to the veray acte of succession so that thay will be sworne to mayntene the same against all powers and Potentates For hereby shall be a great occasion to satisfie the Princesse Dowager and the Lady Mary which doe thinke that they sholde dampne thair sowles if thay sholde abandon and relinquish thair astats And not only it sholde stop the mouthes of thaym but also of th'emperour and other thaâ—r friends if thay giue as much credence to my Lord of Rochester and master More spekyng or doinge against thaym as they hitherto haue done and thought that all other sholde haue done whan they spake and did with thaym And peraduenture it sholde be a good quietation to many other within this Realme if such men sholde say that the succession comprised within the said acte is good and according to Gods lawes For than I thinke there is not one within this Reaulme that wolde ones reclaime against it And where as diuers persones either of a wilfulnesse will not or of an indurate and inuertible conscience can not altre from thair opinions of the Kings first pretensed marriage wherein they haue ones said their minds and percase haue a perswasion in their heads that if they sholde now vary therfrome their fame and estimation were distained for euer or else of the authoritie of the Busschope of Rome yet if all the Reaulme with one accord wolde apprehend the said succession in my iudgement it is a thing to be amplected and imbraced which thing although I trust surely in God that it shall bee brought to passe yet hereunto might not a little auaile the consent and othes of theis two persones the Busshope of Rochester and Maister More with thair adherents or rather confederats And if the Kings pleasure so were thair sayd othes myght be suppressed but whan and where his highnes might take some commoditie by the publyshinge of the same Thus our Lord haue you euer in his conseruation From my Maner at Croydon the xvii day of Aprill Your own assured euer Thomas Cantuar. Here in this letter is to be seene the wisedome and policie of this prudent Archbishop who could make such auaileable vse to the state of the strong opinion which most men conceiued of the profound iudgement of these two persons This Sir Thomas More was pregnant of wit eloquent wise and learned as by his bookes still extant doth appeare and besides those mentioned by Bale which we haue in print During the time of his imprisonment which was foureteene moneths saith Pitseus he writ an historicall exposition of the Passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to the foure Euangelists Which I can hardly beleeue for I finde that when he was in prison his bookes and all his papers were taken away from him Whereupon he shut vp his Chamber-windowes saying When the wares are gone and the tooles taken away we must shut vp shop Thus would he lose his light before he would lose his iest for that he would neuer lose nor leaue off vpon the least occasion offered vntill he had lost his head He was twice married first saith Erasmus his intimate deare friend Virginem daxit admodum puellam claro genere natam He married a Maide very young borne of a noble Familie whom he tooke care to haue instructed in all good literature and to be expert in all sorts of Musicke by her he had foure children one Sonne named Iohn and three daughters Margaret Alice or Aloysia and Cicely God saith Leland that reuerend Antiquarie that liued in his dayes extraordinarily blessed these his children and namely his three daughters to whom he had giuen an admirable dexteritie in the science of Songs and Arts which he noteth in this his learned Epigram Desine facundas nimium laudare diserti Natas Hortensi maxima Roma tui Candida tres charites nam Mori cura politi Obscurant multis nomina vestra modis Non illis studium Milesia vellera dextra Carpere non facili ducere fila manu Sed innat eloquij crebro monumenta latini Versare doctis pingere verba notis Nec minus authores Graecos euoluere Homerum Et quem dicendi gloria prima manet Vt nec Aristotelis dicam quo pectore libros Scrutentur sophiae mystica dona deae Turpe viris posthac erit ignorare Mineruae Artes grex adeo quas muliebris amet His second wife was a widow of whom he was wont to say that she was nec bella nec puella Who as she was a good huswife so was she not voide of the fault that often followeth that vertue somewhat shrewd to her seruants Vpon a time Sir Thomas found fault with her continuall chiding saying If that nothing would reclaime her yet the consideration of the time for it was Lent should restraine her Tush tush my Lord said she looke here is one steppe to heauen-ward shewing him a Friers girdle I feare me said he this one steppe will not bring you vp a steppe higher One day when she came from shrift she said merrily to her husband Be merry Sir Thomas for this day was I well shriuen I thanke God and purpose now therefore to leaue off all my old shrewdnesse Yea quoth he and to begin afresh This man thus much giuen to a certaine pleasure in harmlesse mirth facetious iests and present wittie answers was wonderfull zealous in Religion and deuout in so much that diuers times in his Chancellourship he would put on a Surplise and helpe the Priest to say and sing diuine Seruice for which being reprehended by Thomas Duke of Norfolke who told him that it was a dishonour to the King that the Lord Chancellor of England should be a Parish Clerke Hee thus answered Now truly my Lord I thinke and verily beleeue that when the King shall heare of the care I haue both to serue his Master and mine he will accept and take me for a faithfull Seruant Which he might well say for vpon his first comming to his seruice the King gaue him this godly lesson First looke vnto
saith the said booke of S. Albans merito nomen Angelicum est sortitus nam opera que ipse fecit ostendunt qualis fuerit Fuitque in omni vita tam pius suis fratribus mansuetus vt inter eos merito tanquam Angelus haberetur Gulielmus quartus opus hoc laudabile cuius Extitit hic pausat Christo sibi premia reddat This Abbots name was William Wallingford a man abundantly charitable to the poore and munificent to the Church His gifts to both did amount to the summe of eight thousand and threescore pounds seuen shillings and sixe pence confirmed in the said booke by Thomas Ramridge then Prior and the rest of the Couent in the yeare 1484. Die octauo mens Augusti concluding with these words Ex his igitur premissis manifestissime cernere possumus quam vtilis quam carissimus suo olim Monasterio extiterit Ea propter sinceris omnes cordilus ad omnipotentem deum pro eo precaturi dies ac noctes deuotissime sumus vt sibi in celis mercedem suis factis dignissimam retribuere dignetur Amen Hic iacet ... Thomas Abbas huins Monastery .... This is the last Abbot for whom I finde any Inscription or Epitaph and the last in my Catalogue whose Surname was Ramrige Vir suis temporibus tam dilectus deo quam hominibus propterque causas varias nomen in perpetua benedictione apud posteros habens saith the golden Register Here I may haue occasion to set downe the names of all the Abbots of this House from the first foundation to this man and the rather because I haue certaine Epitaphs in some of their commendations collected out of the Abbey booke which sometime were engrauen vpon their Monuments besides other passages are thereby discouered not vnpleasing to the Reader When Offa the Founder had built and endowed this Monasterie with more then twenty Lordships and Mannors and obtained for it all royall priuiledges and pontificall ornaments he made choice of one Willigod to haue the gouernment of these possessions and prerogatiues as also of the religious persons by him to his Abbey promoted This man did laudablie gouerne his charge for many yeares 2. Eadrick succeeded him a seuere punisher of malefactours 3. Then Wulsigge 4. Wulnoth in this Abbots time many miracles are said to be wrought at Saint Albons Shrine 5. Eadfride this Abbot gaue a massie cup of gold or challice of inestimable value to the Shrine of Saint Albon 6. Wulfine a village of a few houses being here alreadie built neare to the Monastery this Abbot procured a Market there to be kept and called together people of other villages therin to inhabite He built the Churches of Saint Peter and Saint Michael in this Towne and a Chappell neare to S. Germans Chappell which he dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene 7. Alfricke this Abbot for a great summe of money purchased a large and deepe pond lying betwixt old Verulam and this village an euill neighbour and hurtfull to his Church which was called the Fish poole appertaining to the kings and the Kings officers and Fishers molested the Abbey and burdened the Monkes thereby Out of which Poole he the said Abbot in the end drained the water and made it drie ground The name of which Pond or Poole remaineth still here in a certaine street called Fish-poole street 9. Ealdred the Abbot in the raigne of king Edgar hauing searched for the ancient vaults vnder ground at Verulam ouerthrew all and stopped vp all the wayes with passages vnder ground which were strongly and artificially arched ouer head For they were the lurking holes of whores and theeues Hee leuelled the ditches of the Citie and certaine dennes into which malefactours vse to flie as vnto places of refuge But the whole tiles and stones which he found fit for building he laid aside intending therewith to haue reedified his Church but he was preuented by death 9. Eadmer his Successor went forward with the worke that Ealfred began and his pioners ouerthrew the foundations of a pallace in the midst of the old Citie And in the hollow place of a wall as it were in a little closet they happened vpon bookes couered with oaken boards and silken strings at them whereof one contained the life of Saint Alban written in the British tongue the rest the ceremonies of the Heathen When they opened the ground deeper they met with old tables of stone with tiles also and pillars likewise with pitchers and pots of earth made by Potters and Turners worke vessells moreouer of glasse containing the ashes of the dead c. To conclude out of these remaines of Verulam Eadmer built a new the most part of his Church and Monasterie with a determination to haue finished all Sed tamen morte preuentus saith the booke propositum suum non est assecutus 10. Leofricke was preferred to the Archbishopricke of Canterbury who departing with the benediction of his brethren left his Monastery abundantly rich This man is omitted in the Catalogue of Bishops or otherwise Aluricâ—us or Alfricus is set in his place 11. This Alfricke or Aluricke was the eleuenth Abbot and brother by the mothers side to his predecessour Leofricke he compiled an Historie of the life and death of Saint Alban and hee together with his brother got and gaue nine villages to this Abbey 12 Leofstane procured many great and important liberties to his Church of Edward the Counfessour whose Chaplaine and Confessour the said Abbot was and who betwixt the King and his Queene Editha was Casti consilij seminator 13. Fredericke the bold and rich Abbot of Saint Albans for so he was called succeeded Leofstane descended from the Saxons noble bloud as likewise from Canutus the Dane this man opposed the Conquerour William in all his proceedings plotted against him in diuers conspiracies and told him stoutly to his face that he had done nothing but the dutie of his birth and profession and if others of his ranke had performed the like as they well might and ought it had not beene in his power to haue pierced the land so farre But this and other his ouer-bold answers did so offend the King that he tooke from him this Abbey of Saint Albans with all the lands and reuenues belonging thereunto which lay betwixt Barnet and London stone Whereupon without delay hee called a Chapter of his Brethren shewing them their approaching dangers and to auoide the present storme went himselfe to Ely where he desisted not from his wonted machinations against the Conquerour and there ended his dayes in magna mentis amaritudine saith mine Author postquam multis annis huic Ecclesie nobiliter prefuisset 14. Paul a Monke of Cane vpon his death was made Abbot who in short space by the counsell and aide of Lanfranke Archbishop of Canterbury builded very sumptuously a new Church with a Cloister here with aâ—l offices and adorned the same Church with many good bookes and rich ornaments He
full of honours and yeares ended his life here at his Castle of Berkamsted but was buried at his Abbey of Hales Of whom hereafter Here are diuers Tombes to the memory of the name of Waterhouse whose inscriptions of antiquitie are all taken away with the brasse and the carefull preseruing of the rest altogether neglected Hic iacent Iohannes Waterhouse Margaret vxor eius ..... Ecce sub hoc tumulo coniux vxorque iacemus Eternam pacem donet vterque Deus Nil vnquam abstulimus si quid benefecimus vlli Est qui pro meritis premia digna dabit Est tamen vna salus Christi miseratio quam qui Transis ambobus sepe precâ—re Deum Hic iacet Richardus Westbroke qui obiit 29. Septemb. 1485. supplicans vobis ex charitate vestra pro anima sua dicere Pater Noster Ave. Here lieth Katherin the wyfe of Robert Incent the father and mother to Iohn Incent Doctor of the Law who hath done many benefytes and ornaments to this Chappell of St. Iohn Baptist ..... the twelâ—th yeere of Henry the eight This Iohn Incent Doctor of the Law was Deane of Saint Paules London who built in this Towne a free-Schoole allowing to the Master a stipend of twenty pound per annum And to the Vsher ten pound which was confirmed by Act of Parliament Here lyeth Robert Incent late Servant to that noble Princesse Cicely Duchesse of Yorke who dyed of the sweating sicknesse the first yeere of Henry the seuenth Hic iacet Edwardus de le hay ... 1510. This is an ancient name flourishing euer since the raigne of Hen. the second Stow. Annal. Hic iacet Margarita Briggs que ob 17. Aug. 1374. Here is an ancient monument to the memory of one Iohn Rauen Esquire who died in the yeere 1395. Vnder the Armes of King Edward the sixth painted vpon a table these verses Quid sextum dicis nulli virtute secundus Ingenio nulli nullus in arte prior Edwardi insignis sunt haec insignia Iudiâ— In Signis illum deliniare nequis Vnder the cote and crest of Doctor Incent these Hexameters Mira cano nondum denos compleuerat annos Cum Pater est Patriae Edwardus Musisque Patronus Ille tuis avibus sublatas reddidit alas Incenti obtusis aciem pugionibus ille Ille cruci vires Infanti adiecit amictum Ille Rosam suavi perfudit odore caducam Kings Langley So named of the Kings house thereunto adioyning wherein Edmund Plantaginet the fifth sonne of King Edward the third was borne and thereupon surnamed Edmund of Langley Hereby was a religious House for preaching Friers founded by Roger the sonne of Robert Helle an English Baron valued to be yeerely worth at the suppression one hundred and fifty pound fourteene shillings eight pence in the Church of this monasterie the foresaid Edmund was interred He was Lord of Tindale Earle of Cambridge and Duke of Yorke He married Isabell second daughter and one of the heires of Peter King of Castile and Leon who died before him in the yeare 1393 and was buried in this Friery by whom hee had issue Edward Earle of Rutland Duke of Albamarle and Yorke Richard Earle of Cambridge and a daughter whose name was Constance He had a second wife whose name was Ioane daughter of Thomas Holland Earle of Kent who after his death was married to William Lord Willoughby of Eresby to Henry Lord Scroope and to Henry Bromflet Lord Vescy He is reckoned for one of the Knights of the Garter and in the absence of his father in France is said to be Protectour of the Realme of England Hee is much commended for his affabilitie and gentle deportment as also for his valour of which will you heare my often alledged Author Io. Harding Sir Edmond Langley full of gentylnesse Sir Thomas Woodstok full of corage For his valour in another Chapter thus At whiche battaill duke Iohn of Gaunt indede And his brother Edmond then faught full sore Were neuer twoo better knightes then thei indede That better faught vpon a feld afore It was but grace that thei escaped thore Thei putte theimselfes so fer furth ay in prees That wounded wer thei bothe full sore no lees This renowned Duke deceased saith Stow in the yeare 1402. the third of Henry the fourth and was here buried neare to his wife with two of his brethren who died young Here sometime lay entombed the body of Pierce Gaueston a Gascoigne borne Lord of the Isle of Man and Earle of Cornwall A man in such fauour with Edward the second hauing before ensnared his youth by the allurements of a corrupt life that hee had from the said King whatsoeuer could be poured vpon him For though it might seeme incredible saith Speed out of the booke of Dunstable he both gaue him his Iewels and ancestors treasure and euen the Crowne it selfe of his victorious father not sticking to professe if it lay in him hee should succeed him in the kingdome But his insolencie and presumption vpon the kings fauour made him so farre to forget himselfe as that he scorned the best of the Nobilitie as much as they hated him miscalling and giuing them scoffes with bitter iests which left behinde them a sowre remembrance and the sting of reuenge Of all which my old timer who flourished about those dayes thus speaketh more seriously in Prose Perys went into the kyngys Tresorye in ye Abbey of Westminstre saith he and yer toke away a tabil of gold wyth the tressel and oyer ryche Iuwels the whyche wer sumtym king Arthurys and hem he toke to a merchant yat het Aymery of Friscomband and bar hem ouer the see into Gascoigne and yay wer neuer brought ayen yat was gret harme to yet Reme And this Sure Perys gretly despysyd the Lordys of ye londe and atte yat tym Sure Perys clupyd Robard of Clare ye Erle of Gloucetre Hore sone and ye Erle of Penbrok Ioseph ye Iew and ye Erle of Nycol Sure Henry de Lacy Brokbely and Gowy of Warwike Blak hound of Ardern and also he clupyd ye nobiâ— and gentyl Erle of Lancastre Eherle and oyer meny despytes he sâ—yd to ye Lordys of Englonde wherfor yay weryn sore agreuyd And so much agrieued they were that they surprised him in the night at a viliage or mannour called Dathington or Deddington betweene Oxford and Warwick from whence Guy Earle of Warwick tooke him to his Castle of Warwicke where in a place called Blacklow afterward Gaueshead his head was stricken off the nineteenth of Iune 1311. at the commandement and in the presence of the Earles of Lancaster Warwicke and Hereford as of one that had beene a subuerter of the Lawes and an open Traitour to the kingdome A violent and vnaduised part of these Lords to put to death an Earle so dearly loued of the King without any iudiciall proceeding by triall of his Peeres
l. 10. s. 8. d. per annum Pleshy This Collegiate Church was founded by Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester for Canons regular which was valued in the Kings bookes to be yearely worth one hundred thirty nine pounds three shillings ten pence The vpper part of which Church within these few yeares was taken downe and as I was told in the Towne the Parishioners being either vnwilling or vnable to repaire the decayes carried away the materials which were employed to other vses This part of the Church was adorned and beautified with diuers rich funerall Monuments which were hammered a peeces bestowed and diuided according to the discretion of the Inhabitants Vpon one of the parts of a dismembred Monument carelesly cast here and there in the body of the Church I found these words Here lyeth Iohn Holland Erle of Exceter Erle of Huntington and Chamberleyne of England Who dyed ....... This Iohn was halfe brother to King Richard the second and Duke of Exceter From which dignitie he was deposed by Act of Parliament in the first yeare of King Henry the fourth whose sister he had married and in the same yeare beheaded in this Towne for a seditious conspiracie saith Camden and in the very place where the Duke of Glocester was arrested by King Richard which was in the base court of the Castle of Pleshie now quite ruined that he might seeme saith he to haue beene iustly punished by way of satisfaction for the foresaid Duke of Glocester of whose death he was thought to be the principall procurer He was beheaded the third day after the Epiphanie 1399. 1. Hen. 4. Vpon a broken peece of a faire marble stone reared to the side of a pillar whereupon were the pictures in brasse of an armed knight and his Lady this ensuing disticke was engrauen Militis o miserere tui miserere Parentum Alme deus regnis gaudeat ille tuis Vnder this stone if Tradition may go for truth Sir Edward Holland Earle of Mortaigne sonne of the foresaid Iohn Holland beheaded with his Lady were entombed Orate pro anima Iohannis Scot primi Magistri huius Collegij qui obijt primo die Ianuar. M. cccc.x Qui me psalmasti miserere mei Qui me pretioso tuo sanguine redimisti miserere mei Qui me ad Christianitatem vocasti miserere mei Here lyeth Robert Frevyt a man letterd sowndyt For hys sowl and for all christine sey a Pater Noster and an Ave. But I shall forget the Founder Thomas of Woodstocke the sixth sonne of King Edward the third and Vncle to King Richard who was taken by force from this his Castle of Plessy by Thomas Mowbray Earle Marshall and conuayed to Callis where he was smothered vnder a Featherbed 1397. His body was afterwards conueyed with all funerall pompe into England and buried here in this Church of his owne foundation in a goodly sepulchre prouided by himselfe in his life time Whose reliques were afterwards remoued and laid vnder a marble inlaid with brasse in the Kings Chappell at Westminster In which Church Elianor his wife of whom I haue spoken before lieth entombed with this French inscription who after the death of her husband became a Nunne in the Abbey of Barking within this County Cy gist Aleonore de Bohun aysue fille et vn des heirs l'hounrable seignour Mons. Humfrey de Bohun Counte de Hereford d'Essex et de Northampton et Constable d'Engleterre Femme a puissant et noble prince Tho. de Woodstock Fitz a tresexcellent et tre puisant seignour Edward Roi d'Engleterre puis le Conquest tiers Duc de Glocestre Counte d'Essexie et de Buchingham et Constable d'Engleterre quemorust le tierz iour a'October ban du grace 1399. de gi aisme Dieux face mercy Amen But againe to returne to the Duke her husband touching whose life and death with the manner thereof thus writeth Gower in his booke called Vox clamantis O quam Fortuna stabilis non permanet una Exemplum cujus stat in ordine carminis hujus Rex agit et Cygnus patitur de Corde benignus Ille prostratus non est de Rege levatus Ad Plessye captus tunc est velut Hostia raptus Rex jubet arma geri nec eo voluit misereri Cum Sponsa nati lugent quasi morti gravati Plusque Lupo sevit Rex dummodo Femina flevit Nil pietas munit quem tunc manus invida punit Rex stetit obliquus nec erat tunc unus amicus O Regale genus Princeps quasi pauper egenus Turpiter attractus jacet et sine iure subactus Sunt ibi Fautores Regis de sorte Priores Qui Cygnum pendent vbi captum ducere tendent Sic ducendo ducem perdit sine lumine lucem Anglia que tota tenebrescit luce remota Trans mare natavit regnum qui semper amavit Flent centum mille quia Cygnus preterit ille Calisij portus petit unde dolus latet ortus Error quem Regis genuit putredine legis Carcere conclusus subito fuit ille reclusus Nescit quo fine sit vite sive ruine Tunc Rex elatum sumpsit quasi Falco volatum Vnde suas gentes perdit Custode carentes A little after follow these verses touching the deniall of buriall to bee granted vnto him among the rest of his honourable and royall Ancestors Sic nece devictum sic corpus ab hoste relictum Clam de conclavi susceperat Anglia navi Per mare regreditur corpus nec adhuc sepelitur Namque sepulturam defendit Rex sibi puram Desuper a latere patris loca justa tenere Dummodo quesivit vix bassa sepulchra subivit Of the manner of his death these three verses following Hen quam tortorum quidam de sorte malorum Sic Ducis electi plumarum pondere lecti Corpus quassatum jugulant que necant jugulatum Such was the end of this royall Prince sonne to a King and vncle to a King who by our writers is discommended in this that he was euer repining against the King in all things whatsoeuer he wished to haue forward Erat enim vir ferocissimus precipitis ingenij as Polidor censures him a most fierce man and of an headlong wit who thinking still that those times wherein he had mastred the King were nothing changed though the King was aboue thirty yeeares old forbare not roughlie not so much to admonish as to check and schoole his Soueraigne Hatfield Peuerell So denominated of one Randolph Peuerell the owner thereof to whom Edward the Confessor was very munificent for that hee had married his kinswoman the daughter of Ingelrick a man of great Nobilitie among the English Saxons A Lady of that admirable beautie that with her lookes she conquered the Conquerour William who desired nothing more then to be her prisoner in Armes which to effect hee begins to expresse a kinde of loue to the remembrance of
for any fauour loue or awe but say the sooth to your knowledge Also ye shall promise and sweare to be true and secret to all gentlewomen widdowes and maydens and in case that any man would doe them wrong or force them or disinherite them of their Liuelyhood and they haue no good to pursue them for their right to Princes or Iudges if they require you of supportation ye shall support them with your good wisedome and counsell to Princes and Iudges Also ye shall promise and sweare that you shall forsake all places of dishonesty the play of Hazardy and the common haunt of going vnto Tauernes and other places of debates eschuing vices and taking you to vertues to your power This article and all other articles aboue said ye shall truly keepe so God you helpe and holydoome and by this Booke and Crosse of this Sword that belongeth to Knighthood Things necessarie to be prouided for the Creation of a Pursuiuant at Armes First a Booke whereon he must take his Oath Item his Letters Patents which must be read by an Officer Item His coat of Armes of Dammaske embroydered Item a Bowle of wine to be poured on his head and that Bowle is to be taken by the new Pursuiuant of Armes The manner of the Pursuiuants Creation The Pursuiuant of armes shall be brought into the presence of the King or his Earle Marshall or the Earle Marshals Deputy betweene two of the eldest Pursuiuants and kneele downe before him laying his hand vpon the booke Garter principall King of armes reads the oath vnder written and so hee kisseth the booke Then his letters Patenâ—s shall bee read by an Herald and when he saith Creamus the King or the Earle Marshall putteth on his Coat of armes with the sleeue before And when he saith Nec non nomen vulgariter c. the King or the Earle Marshall poureth the Bowle of wine vpon his head calling him by his name as Portcullis or otherwise as his office requireth The aduertisment and oath of a Pursuiuant of Armes at the time of his creation First ye shall sweare that ye shall be true to the most high most mighty and most excellent Prince the King our Soueraigne Lord. And if you haue any knowledge or heare any imagination of treason or language or word that shall sound to the derogation or hurt of his Estate and Highnesse which God defend ye shall in that case as hastily and as soone as it is to you possible discouer and shew it to his Highnesse or to his noble and discreet Counsell Also ye shall dispose you to be lowly humble and seruiceable to all Estates vniuersall that Christian bene not lying in waite to blame ne hurt none of the said Estates in any thing that may touch their honours Also ye shall dispose you to bee secret and sober in your port and not too busie in language ready to commend and loath to blame and diligent in your seruice eschuing from vices and taking you to vertues and true in your reports and so to exercise while ye be in the Office of a Pursuiuant that your merits may cause your more preferring in the Office of Armes in time comming All such Articles and things as belongeth to a Pursuiuant of Armes to keepe you shall well and truly obserue and keepe So helpe you God and Holydome and by this Booke A Catalogue shewing what Kings of Armes were in former Ages and now out of vse in this Realme as also the Succession of the Kings Heraulds and Pursuiuants of Armes haue from ancient times to this present day succeeded one another And first The Succession of the principall Kings of Armes GArter is the principall King of Armes as I haue written before and goeth first as the onely ring-leader of them all not so much for the antiquitie of his Creation as for the supereminence of the Order of the Garter for he was but instituted by King Henry the fifth His peculiar Office is which partly you may reade in his oath with all dutifull seruice to attend vpon the Knights of the Garter at their Solemnities To aduertise them which are chosen of their new election to call them to bee enstaulled at Windsore To cause their Armes to be hanged vp vpon their Seates and to marshall the Funerall Rites and Ceremonies of them as also of the greater Nobilitie as of Princes Dukes Marquesses Earles Viscounts and Barons and to do many other seruices vnto the King and State The priuiledges of Garter King of Armes his goods and Seruants as appeareth in the Black booke of the most honourable Order of the Garter Whereof this ancient institution following is enregistred Hij tres hujus ordinis officiales Scriba videlicet Garterus Rex Armorum Hostiarius ab atra virga nuncupatus ipsi cum suis tam rebus quam ministris in suis officijs permanentibus sub perpetua supremi protectione ac propugnaculo securè durabunt Vnde si quaevis injuria seu violentia ipsis inferatur vel ab eis qui supremo subjecti sunt vel externis quoties causas suas arbitrio supremi submittent ipse cuÌ„ Sodalibus exhibebit eis iusticiam aut exhibeÌ„dam ex aequo et congruo procurabit Si vero pars aduersa causam suam supremo submittere detractabit ipse cum Commilitonibus eum erga Officiales hos animum habebit vt ipsorum causam quoad iustum at que aequum erit cum debito fauore tueri velit Sir William Brugge or Brugges knight was the first King of the name Garter in the raigne of Henry the fifth as aforesaid His Patent was confirmed by Henry the sixth in the foure and twentieth yeare of his raigne as it is in the Patent Rolls of that yeare the eleuenth membrane Iohn Smert succeeded Sir William Brugge in the said Office Patent Ann. 39. Hen. 6. Member 14. In the fourteenth of Edward the fourth he was imployed with a defiance to the French King Lewis the eleuenth The which no little abashed the said King Yet neuerthelesse following the said Officer of Armes directions obtained by that meanes a Peace which he much coueted And Edward the fourth as willingly assented because he was deceiued by the Duke of Burgundy and the Constable of France who failed him in their promised aides The French King gaue vnto the said King of Armes vpon his returne three hundred French Crownes and a peece of Veluet of thirty yardâ— long The next was Sir Iohn Wrythe or Wriothesley here interred and created as aforesaid This Sir Iohn Wriothesley Ann. 23. Edwardi quarti was imployed into Scotland and with him Northumberland Herauld with letters of procuracie signed and sealed by the King his master to redemand diuers great summes of money which had beene disbursed to Iames the third King of Scots vpon a promise of marriage entended to haue beene made betweene the Prince of Scotland and Lady Cicily daughter of King Edw. the fourth who in that Treatie
Berwike obijt Henry Fellow Guynes obijt Pursuiuants created in the time of Edward the Sixt. Robert Fayery Portcullis obijt Simond Newbald Rougecroix obijt Martin Marolfe Rougedragon Yorke Nicholas Tubman Rougecroix Lancaster Richard Withers Portcullis Nicholas Narboone Blewmantle Richmond Vlster In the raigne of Queene Mary these Phelip Butler Attelon obijt Hugh Cotgraue Rougecroix Richmond Iohn Cocke Portcullis William Colborne Rouge Dragon Yorke Iohn Hollinsworth Risebanke Blewmantle obijt Pursuiuant created in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory at whose Coronation these Pursuiuants Heraulds and Kings were Officers Hugh Cotgraue Rougecroix Pursuiuants Iohn Cock Portcullis Pursuiuants William Colborne Rougedragon Pursuiuants Iohn Hollinsworth Blewmantle Pursuiuants Charles Wriothesley Windsor Heralds William Flower Chester Heralds Edmund Atkinson Somerset Heralds Martin Marolfe Yorke Heralds Nicholas Tubman Lancaster Heralds Nicholas Narboone Richmond Heralds Sir William Dethick Garter Kings William Haruey Clarentieux Kings Laurence Dalton Norroy Kings Bartholomew Butler Vlster Kings Edward Merlin Portcullis obijt Richard Turpin first Blewmantle secondly Windsor Raph Langman Portcullis Yorke Robert Cooke Rose blanch Chester Clarencieux Iohn Hart Chester Nicholas Dethicke Blewmantle Windsore obijt Ian. 1596. Edmund Knight Rouge Dragon Chester Norroy William Dethick Rougecroix Yorke Garter Robert Glouer Portcullis Somerset Thomas Dawes Rougecroix obijt Richard Lee Portcullis Richmond Clarencieux Nicholas Paddy Rougedragon Lancaster Rafe Brooke Rougecroix Yorke Humfrey Hales Blewmantle Yorke William Segar Portcullis Somerset Norroy Garter and Knight This Sir William Segar being Portcullis Pursuiuant of Armes in the yeare 1586. was imployed by Queene Elizabeth to attend the Earle of Leicester being her Lieuetenant and gouernour Generall of her forces in the Low Countries And being Somerset Herald was imploied to attend the Embassage sent by the Earle of Shrewesbury to the French King Henry the Fourth to receiue his Oath and to inuest him with the order of the Garter And afterwards being Norroy was ioynd Embassador with Roger Earle of Rutland to carry the Garter to Christian the fourth King of Denmarke As also being Garter he was imploied in the like seruice to Morice the last Prince of Orenge deceased And lately ioynd Embassadour with the now Viscount Dorchester to carry the Garter to Henry Prince of Orenge In all which seruices he hath worthily demeaned himselfe Iames Thomas Blewmantle Chester Iohn Rauen Rouge Dragon Richmond Thomas Lant Portcullis Windsor Robert Treswell Blewmantle Somerset Thomas Knight Rougecroix Chester William Smith Rougedragon Samuel Thompson Portcullis Windsor Mercury Patten Blewmantle Philip Holland Rose extraordinary Portcullis Pursuiuants of Armes created in the raigne of our late dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames viz. Philip Holland Portcullis Iohn Guillam Portesmouth extr Secondly Rougecroix This man is best knowne by an excellent Booke which he writ called The Display of Heraldrie Henry Saint George Rougerose ext Blewmantle Richmond Sampson Leonard Rougecroix Blewmantle Iohn Philpot Blanchlion extr Rougedragon Somerset Augustine Vincent Rougerose Extr. Rougedragon Windsore Iohn Bradshawe Rougerose Extr. Rougecroix Windsore Iohn Hamlâ—ne Blanchlion extr Thomas Thompson Rougedragon In the raigne of our Soueraigne Lord and King now liuing these Thomas Preston Portcullis Who in the yeare 1630. vpon the birth of the right excellent Prince Charles was by his Maiestie imployed to the Lords Iustices of the kingdome of Ireland with his Maiesties most gracious letters according to the ancient custome signifying to that Realme that most happy newes Vpon whose arriuall the State there made great and large expressions of their ioyfull hearts for such welcome tidings worthily receiuing and bountifully rewarding the said Officer of Armes George Owen Rougecroix William Ryley Rouge-Rose extr Created 31. Iulij 1630. Noblemen and Peeres of this Land in ancient time had their Heralds peculiar vnto themselues saith Milles. For Chester the Herauld and Falco the Pursuiuant liued at the command of the Prince of Wales and serued him Humfrey Duke of Glocester and Earle of Penbroke had the Herald Penbrooke his domesticall Seruant Richard also Duke of Glocester hauing now obtained the kingdome would needs haue his Herauld Glocester to be called King of Armes for all Wales Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke retained Suffolke Herauld and Marleon Pursuiuant The Marquesse of Dorcester kept Groby Herauld The Earle of Northumberland Northumberland Herauld and Esperance Pursuiuant Arthur Plantaginet Viscount Lisle tooke vnto himselfe Lisle Pursuiuant and Baron Hastings Hasting Pursuiuant But the condition of the Seruant is made better by the dignitie of his Lord and Master so these forenamed Heraulds liued not with like authoritie or priuiledges with the Kings And here now giue me leaue to speake a little more of the Aetymologie Antiquitie and dignitie of Heraulds in generall Herald Herold or Herault dicitur quasi Herus altus a high Maister For this Officer was of great authoritie amongst the Romanes who plurally called them Feciales a faciendo quod belli pacisque faciendae penes cos ius erat or Fediales a faedere faciendo And so with vs the word signifieth an Officer at Armes whose function is to denounce warre to proclaime peace or otherwise to be employed by the King in martiall messages or other businesse and so they are called Internuncij vel pacis vel belli ferendi Messengers to carrie and offer either warre or peace Heralt saith Verstegan in the Title of Honours and Offices is meerely a Teutonic or Duytch word and in that tongue and no other the true Aetymologie thereof is onely to be found To begin then with the first syllable thereof which is Here though in composition abridged to Her it is the true and ancient Teutonic word for an Armie the same that Exercitus is in Latine and in that sence it is yet vsed in Germany And whereas the Germanes doe now vse Here also for Lord yet anciently they so vsed it not And although the Teutonic be more mixed with other strange languages yet this word Here as they vse it for Lord or master hath crept into their language from Herus in Latine after that the Latine tongue became knowne vnto them A Healt in the Teutonick is a most couragious person a champion or an especiall challenger to a fight or combat of the weapon that such sometime most vsed called a Healtbard because it was borne by a Healt we yet though corruptly retaine the name of Holbard and the Netherlands make it Heilbard Here-healt by abbreuiation Heralt as also Herald doth rightly signifie the Champion of the armie And growing to be a name of Office he that hath in the armie the especiall charge to challenge vnto battell or combat in which sense our name of Herald doth nearest approach vnto Fecialis in Latine as I haue touched before The Feciales amongst the Romanes saith one were Priests For Numa Pompilius who flourished circa ann mundi 3283. the second King of the Romanes diuided the institution of diuine honour into eight parts and so instituted and ordained eight seuerall orders of Priests and
with inhabitants Famous also for a Mint therein some men of the towne can yet shew of the coines which are sterling pence with this inscription Ciuitatis Dunwic But now by a certaine peculiar spite and enuy of Nature that suffereth the greedy sea to haue what it will and encroch still without all end the greatest part thereof is violently carried away with the waues and it lieth as it were desolate The common fame and report of the Inhabitants is that before the towne came to decay there belonged thereunto two and fifty religious houses as parish Churches Priories Hospitals and Chappels as many Windmils and as many toppe Ships But certaine it is as appeareth by manifest and sound Record which I haue seene saith Stow that euen of late time there was within the said towne sixe parish Churches two houses of Friers an house which had beene of Templars two Hospitals and three Chappels foure of these parish Churches are now of late swallowed vp in the Sea and but two of them remaining on the land to wit Saint Peters and All Saints The Inhabitants of Dunwich desiring succour for their Towne against the rage of the Sea affirme that a great piece of a Forrest sometime thereby is deuoured and turned to the vse of the Sea In the raigne of William the Conquerour saith Camden Dunwich had in it two hundred and sixe and thirty Burgesses an hundred poore people it was valued at fiftie pounds and threescore thousand Herings of gift for so we reade in Domesday booke In the raigne of Henry the second as William of Newborough writeth It was a towne of good note and full stored with sundry kindes of riches At which time when England was all on a light fire with new stirres and broiles this towne was so fortified that it made Robert Earle of Leicester afraid who with his armie ouer-ranne all the parts thereabout at his pleasure But to draw neerer to these our times I haue read and copied out a large Treatise of Dunwich now in the custody of Sir Simonds D'Ewes Knight of which so much in this place as I finde to bee any way pertinent to the premisses and my purpose This treatise or relation of Dunwich was written in the raigne of Queene Mary and sent to one Master Dey from a friend of his whose name is there concealed Sir c. Sixe parish Churches were anciently in Dunwich the first was Saint Leonards now drowned in the sea the second Saint Peters now standing the third Saint Iohns likewise swallowed vp of the Sea the fourth Saint Martins now lying vnder the waues the fift Saint Nicholas now altogether shipwrackt and the sixt the Parish of All Saints now standing and remaining Also there was two houses of Friers very faire Churches and building walled round about with a stone wall with diuers faire gates as yet there may be seene the which grey Friers was of the order of Saint Francis and called the Friers Minors and the blacke Friers were of the order of Saint Dominicke and were called the Friers Preachers Also there was in the said Towne an ancient and very old Church called the Temple of our Lady the which Church by report was in the Iewes time and was valted ouer And the roofe of the same Church and also the Isles were leaded all ouer And it was a Church of great priuiledge and pardon in those daies and was indowed with diuers Rents Tenements Houses Lands and other profits and commodities both free and coppie as well in Donwiche Westelton Dyngle c. as also in diuers other places c. And commonly there was kept a Court called Donwiche Temple Court on the day of All Soules for the leuying and gathering vp of the yeerely reuenue of the same Also there is in the said Towne two Hospitals the one is called Saint Iames which Church is a great one and a faire large one after the old fashion and diuers tenements houses and lands to the same belonging to the vse of the poore sicke and impotent people there But now lately greatly decaied and hindred by euill Masters of the said Hospitall and other euilly disposed couetous persons which did sell away diuers lands and rents from the said Hospitall to the great hinderance of the poore people of the said Hospitall as plainely it is to be proued The other Hospitall was of the holy Trinitie and was and is called the Mason Dieu whereof the Church is now pulled downe and decaied by the meanes of such euill Masters and couetous persons as decayed the other Hospitall But there is yet diuers tenements houses lands and rents remaining to the vse of the poore of the same Hospitall The which Mason Dien was an house of great priuiledge and a place exempt and there was a very little proper house and a proper lodging for the Masters of the same for the time being to dwell in As there hath beene masters of the same Mason Dieu in times past that hath beene worshipfull viz. one there was of late daies a Master of Arte and another that was a Squyre and such like c. I would to God these iniuries and wrongs done to these two poore Hospitals might be restored and reformed againe to their former estate For surely whosoeuer shall doe it shall doe a good worke before God I pray God bring it to passe Amen Also there was in the said Towne of Donwiche three Chappels wherof one was of Saint Antony another of Saint Francis and a third was of Saint Katherine The which three Chappels were put downe when all the houses of Religion were put downe But you shall further vnderstand that the common fame of a great number of credible persons is and hath beene for a long time past that there hath beene in the Towne of Donwiche before any decay came vnto it fiftie and two parish Churches houses of Religion Hospitals and Chappels and other such like as many wind-mils and as many toppe Ships Also I thinke you doe remember the manner forme and fashion of the building and making of Saint Iohns Church and Saint Nicholas Church how they were close sled both North and south and the steeples in the middest like Cathedrall Churches now vsed and as it seemeth as the old manner of Cathedrall Churches then was And most likest so was the Church of Saint Felix for certainly one of these three Churches was the Bishops seat of Donwiche if one of them were not after another as the Sea drowned them And further you shall certainly vnderstand that when Saint Iohns Church was taken downe there lay a very plaine faire Grauestone in the Chancell and when it was raised and taken vp next vnder the same Grauestone was a great hollow stone hollowed after the fashion of a man for a man to lye in and therein a man lying with a paire of Bootes vpon his legges the forepart of the feete of them
the place where his Fathers house stood he founded a goodly Colledge which he furnished with secular Clarks and other Ministers which at the time of the suppression thereof was valued at one hundred twenty two pounds eighteene shillings lands by the yeare Thus writes Godwin in the life of this Archbishop And I finde in the Catalogue of Religious Houses collected by Speed that this Simon together with one Iohn Chartsey founded also the Priory of Augustine Friers in this Towne howsoeuer I haue a Manuscript tells me that one Baldwin de Shipling or Simperling and Chabill his wife were the sole Founders who lie buried in the Chancell of the Priory Church Besides in the said Church lie buried as I haue it in the notes of burials from William le Neue Yorke Heraldy the bodies of Robert the sonne of Sir William Simperling knight Sir Robert Carbonell and Sir Iohn his sonne Knights Sir William Grey Knight Sir Peter Giffard Knight and Iulian his wife Sir Thomas Giffard his sonne Knight Sir William Giffard Knight Sir William Cranuile Knight Sir Thomas sonne of Sir William Cranuile and Maude his wife Sir Gilbert of Greymonde and Gunnora his wife Dame Agnes de Bello Campo Dame Alice de Insula wife of Sir Robert Fitzwater Knight Dame Katherine Hengraue Sir Iohn Culthorp and Alice his wife The heart of Sir Thomas Weyland Sir Iohn Giffard Knight Robert Giffard William Giffard Sir Iohn Goldingham Knight and Dame Hillazia his wife Thomas Giffard de Finchingfeld Iohn Liggon Sir Thomas Lotun Knight Sir William Tendering Knight qui obijt 1375. and Margaret his wife que obijt 1394. Dame Ione Shelton Dame Ione Walgraue Iohn Cressenor Maud Cressenor Margaret Fuller daughter of Iohn Cressenor Iohn Walgraue William Cressenor Thomas Cressenor Maud Haukedon daughter of Sir Thomas Lacy Knight William Walgraue Iohn Drury sonne of William Drury Robert Cressenor and Christian his wife Walter Cressenor William Cressenor qui obijt 1454. and Margaret his wife que obijt 1461. William West Emme West Maud wife of Robert de Bello Campo Henry father of Robert Saint Quintyn Philip Saint Quintin Ione daughter of ... Cressenor wife of Richard Walgraue Alexander and Iohn Cressenor Thomas West This sacred structure was dedicated to the honour of our alone Sauiour and Saint Bartholomew valued at 222 l. 18 s. 3 d. and surrendred the 9. of December Anno Regni Regis Hen. octaui 36. But to returne backe againe to the supposed Founder of this Monasterie Simon Archbishop as aforesaid who from his childhood was euer brought vp at the Schoole and being yet very yong was sent by his father beyond the Seas to study the Canon Law and hauing proceeded Doctor of that faculty became houshold Chaplaine to Pope Innocent the sixt and one of the Iudges or Auditors of his Rota The said Pope by way of prouision thrust him into the Chancellorship of Salisbury and then afterward into the Bishopricke of London Thus Simon de Sudbury per Papam ad Episcopat London vacant per mortem Michaelis vltimi Episcopi prouisus c. habet c. Teste R apud West 15. Maij 1 pars pat Anno 36 Ed. 3. Memb. 9. hauing sate there Bishop about fifteene yeeres he was likewise by the Popes prouisorie Bulles translated to Canterbury Two Synods were held in his time at both which he preached in Latine in his owne person hauing laudably gouerned this See as I haue partly touched before sixe yeeres one moneth and ten daies he was most vnworthily slaine or rather wickedly murthered by a company of villanous Rebels whose death or martyrdome is comparatiuely set downe with that of Saint Thomas Becket by Iohn Gower in his booke called Vox Clamantis lib. 1. cap. 14. thus Quatuor in mortem spirarunt federa Thome Symonis et centum mille dedere necem De vita Thome Rex motus corde dolebat Symonis extremum Rex dolet atque diem Ira fuit Regis mors Thome mors set ab omni Vulgari furia Symonis acta fuit Disparilis causa manet et mors vna duobus Immerito patitur iustus vterque tamen Illeso collo gladijs perijt capud vnum Quod magis acceptum suscipit ara dei Alterius capite sano fert vulnera collum Cuius erat medio passio facta foro Miles precipue reus est in sanguine Thome Symonis inque necem rusticus arma dedit Ecclesiam Christi Proceres qui non timuerunt Martirij Thome causa fuere necis Iusticie Regni seruile genus que repugnans Symonis extremum causat in vrbe diem Corruit in gremio matris Thomas medioque Natorum turba Symon in ense cadiâ— Thomam Rex potuit saluasse sed illa potestas Symonis ad vitam regia posse caret Vlta fuit Thome mors et nunc vlcio mortis Symonis ante fores quotidiana grauat Qui fuerat Crucifer que patrum Primas in honore Hic magis abiectus et cruciatus erat Qui fuerat Doctor Legum sine lege peribat Cesus et atteritur pastor ab ore gregis O maledicta manus capud abscisum ferientis Culpa sit horribilis pena perbennis erit O qui tale Deo crimen prohibente patrasti Perfide qua pena que nece dignus eris O furor insane gens rustica plebs violenta Quam tua fraus sceleris est super omne scelus And so he goes on exclaiming against the sauage barbarousnesse of the Rebels and this their execrable horrid act Sir Robert Hales Lord Prior of Saint Iohns Ierusalem neere Clerkenwell and a great many of others that day tasted of the same cup and the Archbishop had done The chiefe leaders of this damned crew were Wat Tyler of Maidstone in Kent whom Wals. cals the Idoll of Clownes Iohn Wraw a Priest Iack Straw Iohn Littistar a Dier in Norwich who tooke vpon him at Norwalsham in Norfolke the name of the King of the Commons Robert Westborne who did the like in Suffolke c. and these had a Chaplaine as gracelesse as themselues one Iohn Ball an excommunicated Priest who with his wicked doctrine nourished in them their seditious furies This rebellious insurrection is exactly and to the life exprest by my forenamed Author Io. Gower in the foresaid booke the eleuenth chapter where in a vision he faignes to haue seene and heard certaine spirits of their Pseudo Prophet Ball personating hereby these and all other Rebels calling one vpon another to rise vp in commotion as followeth Watte vocat cui Thome venit neque Symme retardat Betteque Gibbe simul Hykke venire iubent Colle furit quem Gibbe iuuat nocumenta parantes Cum quibus ad dampnum Wille coire vouet Grigge rapit dum Dawe strepit comes est quibus Hobbe Lorkin et in medio non minor esse putat Hudde ferit quos Iudde terit dum Tebbe iuuatur Iakke domos que viros vellit
and sea together wherein a Monastery was built by Furseus a holy Scot by whose perswasions Sigebert king of the East Angles became a Monke and resigned vp his kingdome who afterwards being drawne against his will out of this Monastery to encourage his people in battell against the Mercians together with his company lost his life In that place now there are onely ruinous walls in forme as it were foure square built of flint stone and British bricke But the story of the Foundation of this Abbey will best appeare in the life of Furseus written by Bede and followed by Capgraue Bede lib 3. cap. 19. Capgraue lit F. folio 153 as followeth In the time that Sigebert yet gouerned the East parts of England a holy man called Furseus came thither out of Ireland a man notable both for his sayings and doings of great vertue and much desiring to wander and trauell in Gods quarrell wheresoever occasion serued Comming therefore to the east coasts of England hee was reuerently receiued of the said King where pursuing his godly desire of Preaching the word of God hee both conuerted many Infidels and confirmed the faithfull in the faith and loue of Christ by his painefull Preaching and vertuous examples Where falling into sicknesses hee had from God a vision by the ministery of Angels wherein he was warned to goe forward cheerefully in his painefull Preaching of the Gospell and to perseuere in his accustomed watching and praying because his end and death was certaine though the houre thereof was most vncertaine according to the saying of our Lord. Watch therefore ye know not the day nor the houre With this vision being much confirmed and encouraged he hastened with all speed to build vp the Monasterie in the place king Sigebert had giuen vnto him and to instruct it with regular discipline This Monastery was pleasantly situated for the Woods and Sea adioyning being erected in the village of Gnobersburg and enriched afterwards by Anna King of that prouince and many other Noble men with sundry faire houses and other ornaments This Monastery was founded about the yeare of our Lord 636. and demolished long before the violent deluge of such buildings which happened in the raigne of King Henry the eight Gorlston Here I saw saith Camden the tower steeple of a small suppressed Friery which standeth the Sailers in good steed for a marke of which Friery I neuer marked further Lestoffe Here lieth buried the body of Thomas Scroope otherwise sirnamed Bradley of the towne wherein he was borne descended of the noble family of the Scroopes Qui claritatem generis literis et virtutibus plurimum illustrabat who very much adorned the honour of his birth by his learning and vertues He was first a Monke ordinis Sancti Benedicti of the order of Saint Benet after that ad maiorem aspirans perfectionem aspiring to a greater perfection of life hee tooke vpon him the profession and rule of a Dominican and after that he submitted himselfe to the discipline of the Carmelites of whose Institution he writ a learned Treatise and preached the Gospell in haire and sackcloth round about the Countrie Then hee withdrew himselfe againe to his house of Carmelites in Norwich and there remained twenty yeares leading the life of an Anchorite but yet after that time he came abroad and was aduanced by the Pope to a Bishopricke in Ireland called Dromorensis Episcopatus the said Pope which was Eugenius the fourth sent him in embassage to the I le of Rhodes of which he writ a booke from whence being returned he left Ireland and his Bishopricke came into the East countries wherein hee went vp and downe barefooted teaching in townes abroad the ten commandements and preaching the glad tidings of the Gospell Quicquid autem vel ex suis reditibus percepit vel alias a ditioribus lucrari poterat id totum aut pauperibus distribuit aut in alios pios vsus erogauit whatsoeuer hee tooke either of his owne yearely profits or what he could procure from the richer sort of people he distributed it all to the poore or employed it to pious vses At the length Anno aetatis suae plus minus centesimo in Leistoft Suffolciencis comitatus oppido viuendi finem fecit in the yeare of his age one hundred or thereabouts he died in this towne of Lestoffe the fifteenth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord 1491. the seuenth of Henry the seuenth Here he was buried cum Epitaphio Elegiaco with an Elegiacall or sorrowfull Epitaph engrauen vpon his monument two of the last verses of which are these two verses following Venit ad occasum morbo confectus amoro Spiritus alta petit pondere corpus humum If you would know more of this learned Irish Bishop reade Bale and Pitseus in his life Somerley The habitation in ancient times of Fitz-Osbert from whom it is come lineally to the worshipfull ancient Familie of the Iernegans Knights of high esteeme in these parts saith Camden in this tract Vpon an ancient Knight saith the same Author in his Remaines Sir Iernegan buried crosse legd at Somerley in Suffolke some hundred yeares since is written Iesus Christ both God and man Saue thy seruant Iernegan This Knight as I gather by computation of yeares was Sir Richard Ierningham or Iernegan who for his staid wisedome was chosen to be one of the priuie Chamber to King Henry the eight vpon this occasion following Certaine Gentlemen of the priuy Chamber which through the Kings lenitie in bearing with their lewdnesse forgetting themselues and their duty towards his grace in being too familiar with him not hauing due respect to his estate and degree were remoued by order taken from the Councell vnto whom the King had giuen authoritie to vse their discretions in that behalfe and then were foure sad and ancient Knights put into the Kings priuy Chamber whose names were Sir Richard Wingfield Sir Richard Ierningham Sir Richard Weston and Sir William Kingstone Or it may be Sir Robert Ierningham knighted by the Duke of Suffolke Charles Brandon at the battaile and yeelding vp of Mont de dier a towne in France But which of the Family soeuer he was the name hath beene of exemplarie note before the Conquest if you will beleeue thus much as followeth taken out of the Pedegree of the Ierninghams by a iudicious gentleman Anno M.xxx. Canute King of Denmarke and of England after his returne from Rome brought diuers Captaines and Souldiers from Denmarke whereof the greatest part were christened here in England and began to settle themselues here of whom Iernegan or Iernengham and Iennihingho now Iennings were of the most esteeme with Canute who gaue vnto the said Ierningham certaine royalties and at a Parliament held at Oxford the said King Canute did giue vnto the said Ierningham certaine Mannors in Norfolke and to Iennings certain Mannors lying vpon the sea-side neere Horwich in Suffolke in
Orat ... Tho. Wyndham militis et Elisabethe vxoris eius ... vnus constabul ... Domini Regis Hen. 8. ac vn ... militum pro corpore ... This Knight with others went with Sir Edward Howard Admirall into Biâ—cay the fourth of King Henry the eight Here lieth Dame Elisabeth Calthrop wife of Sir Francis Calthrop and after of Iohn Culpeper Esquire ... Calâ—hrops sometime a familie of great account in these parts Here lieth buried the body of Ione the wise of Sir Thomas Erpingham Knight of the Garter as appeareth by her Will made by licence of her husband the last of May 1404 and proued 14 of Iuly next following Orate pro animabus Thome Windham militis Eleanore et domine Elisabethe vxorum eius Qui quidem Thomas fuit unus consiliariorum Domini Regis Heâ—rici octauâ— ac vnus militum pro corpore eiusdem Domini Regis 〈◊〉 non vice admirallus ........... ............... This Knight lieth buried in the Chapter house vnder a goodly faire monument if it were not so much defaced He receiued the order of knighthood from the hands of Sir Edward Howard Lord Admirall of England the fourth of King Henry the eight at Croiton Bay in France He did good seruice at the winning of Turney and Turwin as also in other places this hath beene a name of exemplarie note and knights degree at Cowtherke in this Tract for many descent Hic iacet Richardus Brome Armiger cuius anime propitietur Deus On the wall by him is a monument with his atchieuement cut with helme coate mantle and creast his Creast is a bonch of broome greene with golden flowers on a wreath Next him lies vnder an arched monument the body of one Bosuile or Boswell sometime Prior of this Church with this Inscription on the vpper part of the Arch. O tu qui transis vir aut mulier puer an sis Respice picturas apices lege cerne figuras Et memor esto tui sic bene disce mori Vnder it are three pictures of dead mens skuls one with teeth another without an vpper chappe and onely two teeth in the nether and the third without either chaps or teeth betweene each of which is written O morieris O morieris O morieris The Familie of Bosvile is very ancient farre branched and of knightly degree as it will appeare in many places of these my ensuing labours of which in this place and vpon this occasion I will onely giue a little touch In the Church of Seuenoke within the County of Kent remaine the achiuements and Funerall rights of Raphe Bosvile of Bradburne in the said Parish of Seuenok Esquire Clerk of her late Maiesties Court of Wards and Liueries Grandsier of Sir Raphe Bosvile now of Bradburne and Sir Henry Bosvile of Eynsford in the foresaid County Knights descended lineally from the Bosviles of Erdsley and Newhall in the County of Yorke The inhabitants of Seuenoke say that whilst the said Raph Boswell liued being employed vpon many occasions for the publique hee deserued and had the reputation of a most worthie Patriot and out of his particular to their Towne hee procured of Queene Elizabeth a Charter of Incorporation for the setling and gouernment of Lands formerly giuen for the maintenance of a Free-schoole and thirteene Almes-people in the said Parish For the more entire establishment whereof Sir Raph his Grand-childe cooperating with other noble friends in so charitable a suite obtained an Act of Parliament in the 39. of Queene Elizabeth besides other benefites procured by him in behalfe of this Corporation and Parish Whereupon a well wishing versifier alluding to the Creste of this Familie which is an Oxe comming out of a Groue of Oakes tooke occasion to expresse his affection in this Distich Dij tibi dent Bosville boues villasque Radulphe Nec Villâ careat Bosue vel Illa boùe Here lieth vnder a faire marble stone one of the ancient Familie of the Cleres and his wife as appeares by their Armes thereupon engrauen for the brasse is quite taken away Of which worthy Familie I speake hereafter Pray for the soule of Elisabeth Waters and Iohn Waters Alderman and for the soule of Iohn Waminge Alderman and Maior of Norwich and husbands vnto the said Elisabeth .... Vpon the wall of a Chappell next to the Chapter house this Inscription In honore beate Marie Virginis omnium Sanctorum Willelmus Beauchampe Capellam hanc ordinauit ex proprijs sumptibus construxit Herein he lies buried vnder the Arch in the wall richly gilt as also the roofe Orate pro anima Fratris Symonis Folkard nuper Prioris Lenne .... qui obijt ... M. ccccci Vnder a monument in the South Crosse Isle lieth one Baconthorp a Prior of this Church the Inscription is worne or torne out of the stone I will not say that this Prior was Iohn Baconthorp the Resolute Doctor who flourished in the raigne of King Edward the third For I finde that he was buried amongst the Carmelites at London howsoeuer he was borne at Blackney in this County brought vp at Oxford and Paris in France and so exceeding deeply learned he was as well in Diuinitie as in both the Ciuill and Canon Lawes that he proceeded Doctor in either faculty in both the said Vniuersities and got the surname Doctoris resoluti or Resolute or Resoluing Doctor Nemo doctius consundebat Iudaos nemo neruosius consutabat Turcos vel quoscunque infideles nemo falicius ex pugnabat haereticos nemo solidiùs Christi veritatem dilucidabat nemo manifestius Antichrists falsitatem imposturas detegebat suisque coloribus depingâ—bat nemo subtiliùs difficiles nodos soluebat nemo clariùs obscura sacrae scripturae loca explanabat sensus reconditos arcana mysteria dilucidius apperiebat No man more learnedly confounded the Iewes no man more pithilie confuted the Turkes or any other Infidels no man more prosperously conuinced the Heretickes no man more solidly declared the truth of Christ no man more manifestly discouered the deceits and iuglings of Antichrist nor so painted him out in his proper colours No man more subtilly resolued hard questions and neuer any man more clearly expounded explaned or laid more apertly open the hidden sense the secret mysteries and the obscure places of the sacred Scripture saith Pitseus He was like another Zacheus little of stature but immense in wit and vnderstanding insomuch as it was a wonder to know so many vertues inhabite together in so small a mansion He writ so many exact learned Volumes that his bodie could not beare what his wit brought forth Nam si moles librorum cius composita sarcina auctoris humeris imposita fuisset homulum sine dubio comprimere suffecisset For if the bulke or pile of the bookes which he writ had beene put into a bagge and laid vpon his shoulders questionlesse it would haue prest the slender short
and them in case the sâ—â—d kyng wold invade thys hys Realme whiche he dide in deede contrary to hys oth and promyse with the hoole power of the Realme of Scotlond Whiche when the seid Erle hard of he made as greatt haste towardis hym as he coude with the kyngs power of the North partys And toke hys lodgyng in the Campe or playn caâ—â—yd Wollar haugh in the Countie of Northumbrelond which was in the â—ight of the kyng of Scottis and of all hys army then â—ying on Floddon hyll a ground more lyke a campe or forteres than any meete ground to gyve batayle on contrary to hys promes made to Rogeâ—ras Purseuaunte at armys before sent vnto hym from the seid Erle with message that the said Erle with the Lord Howard then Admerall of Englond hys Son And the no 〈◊〉 men of the North partis with other the kyngs Subgettis of the same North partis was come thedir to represse and resiste hys Invasyons of hys souerayn Lordis Realme desyryng the said kyng of Scottis to gyve hym bataile which his message the same kyng of Scottis toke very thankfully and ioyusly promysyng hym to abide ther on the same grounde wher he than was whiche hys promys he brake as is aforesaid and tooke Floddon hilâ—ys a ground unprengnable and shot at hym hys great Ordenaunce where as he lay like one mynded to kepe it like a forteres And whan the said Erle dide perceyve that he had brokyn hys promys and takyn so stronge â— grounde as Floddon hillys he than the said Erle remoued all his Batail vnto a playn besydis Barmer wood to thentente to get betwene hym and hys owne Realme of Scotlond and ther leygeed but one nyght and on the next mornyng toâ—e hys passage ouer the water of at Twyfull forthe and than he marched the said kyng and hys oste in suche maner as he gat betwene hym and hys aune reame of Scotlond be force wherof the said kyng was fayn to leue his Campe and to prepare hymself to bataile witthe seid Erle on a hyll besydis Bramston in Northumbrelond very neer vnto Sandyford Wher the said Erle witthe good assistauns of the Nobull men and the power of the said North partys fought witthe said kyng and hym â—anquâ—sshed and slewe in playn bataile derectely before his owne Standard In which bataile ware slayne on the Scottysshe parte ii Bysshoppes xi Eâ—lys xvii Barons CCCC knyghtis besydys other Gentilmen with xvii M in nombre which ware nombred asweel by Scottysshe men as by them that dyd bury the moste parte of them And of trouth dyvers Gentylmen and others aswell of the said Erlys servantys as of the North partyes and of Chesshir and Lankasshir war ther slayne for hard it ys and half impossible in suche a conflicte and bataile to be wonne without losse of men whoys deth may be ioyed among ther frendis to dye in so hygh a servys doon to ther Prynce And this noble acte was don by the helpe of almyghty God to the highe honour of the kyngis hyghnes Honor and prays to the said Erle and to all other Noble men and otheres the kyngs Subgettis that war ther with hym at the bataile the ix daye of Septembir in the v yeer of our souerayn Lord kyng Henry the viii And this doon the said Erle went to Barwyke to establysshe all thyngys well and in good order And sent for the dede body of the kyng of Scottis to Barwyke And whan the Ordenaunce of the kyng of Scottis was brouth of the feld and put in good suertie and all other thyngys in good order Than the seid Erle toke hys Iorney toward Yorke and ther abode duryng the kyngis pleasur and caryed with hym the dede body of thafforesaid kyng of Scottis And ther laye vnto suche tyme as the kyngis hyghâ—es cam from beyond the See after his wynnyng of Tyrwyn and Tomey And than hys highnes sent for the seid Erle to mete hym at Rychemond and so he dide and ther delyvered vnto his highnes the dede body of the kyng of Scottis whiche deâ—â— bodye was delyuered in to the Charter hous ther and ther to abide duryng the kyngs plesur And for the servyce that the seid Erle dide he was honorably restored vnto his right name of Duke of Norffolk and also had geuen vnto hym greatt possessyons by the kyngis highnes And whan the warre betwixt the kyng our souerayn Lord and the Frenche Kyng was eended than the said Duke was sent into Fraunce as chieff Commyssyoner with Lady Marye the Kyngis Suster to be maryed vnto the Frenche Kyng Lewes And after when the kyng and the Quene were both out of the Reame to mete witthe Frenche kyng Frauncys at Guynes and the Prynces remaynyng in the Reame beyng a childe the said Duke was left behynde as protector and defender to mynyster Iustice and to see good Rule and Gouernaunce in the Reame in the absence of the kyngis highnes and so contynued aboute the kyng and of his preuye Counsayle tyll he wâ—s of age of fourescore yeeris and then the kyngis highnes was content that the said Duke shulde go home in to hys owne countrey vnto the Castell of Framlyngham wher he contynued and kepte an honorable howse vnto the houre of his deth And ther he dyed lyke a good Cristen Prynce I now to wytnes Whose sowle Iesu pardon And at his depertyng out of Framlyngham Castell toward hys buryall he coude nat be asked one grote for his dette nor for restitucion to any person and so was had to this present Abbay of Thetford with moche honor Accompanyed with many greatt Lordis and the Noble men of both Schires of Norffolk and Suffolk Leuyng then lyuyng these his children herafter named that is to seye his son and heyre the Lord Thomas Duke of Norffolk the Lord Edmond Howard the Lord Willyam Howard and the Lord Thomas Howard witthe Ladye Elysabeth wiffe to the Uicount Rocheford the Lady Agnes Countes of Oxenford the Lady Kateryne espoused to the heyre of Sir Rice app Thomas of Walys the Lady Elysabeth espoused vnto the Uicount Fitzwaters son and heyr And the Lady Dorathie then beyng not maryed but lefte for hir Right good substance to marry hyrwyth Henry Fitz-Roy the naturall sonne of King Henry the eight begotten of the Lady Talboys daughter of Sir Iohn Blount knight Duke of Richmond was here interred as Graston Stow Hollinshed and other writers affirme howsoeuer some will haue him to bee buried at Framingham in Suffolke Hee married Mary daughter of the foreremembred Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and Lord high Treasurer of England with whom he liued not long but dyed at Saint Iames by Westminster the 22. of Iuly in the yeare of Christ Iesus 1536. He was a Prince very forward in Martiall actiuities of good literature and knowledge in the tongues vnto whom the learned Antiquarie Leland dedicated a booke as appeareth by this Hexastichon following which is
to be found amongst the said Lelands written Epigrams Ad illustrissimum Henricum Ducem Richmontanum Quo Romana modo maiuscula littera pingi Pingi quo possit littera parua modo Hic liber ecce tibi signis monstrabit apertis Princeps Aonij spâ—s et alumne gregis Qui tibi si placeat quod certe spero futurum Maxima proparuo munere dona dabis Now for that I haue here found such ample relation of the worthy atchieuements of the Howards I will goe forwards with that illustrious family as I finde them in this tract either intombed or otherwise remembred in Churches Middleton Although no Subscription now remaineth vnder this portraiture yet by the impalement of the Armes of Howard and Scales on the side thereof it is manifest that this was made for Robert Lord Scales whose daughter and Co-heire Margaret was married vnto Sir Robert Howard Knight eldest sonne of Sir Iohn Howard Knight who in the one and twentieth of Edward the Third was made Admirall ab ore Aquae Thamesis versus partes Boriales quamdiu Regi placuerit And this Sir Robert was great Grandfather to Iohn Howard Duke of Norfolke East Winch. On the South side of the Chancell of East-Winch Church is an ancient Chappell called Howards Chappell in which are these Monuments following In the South Wall of the said Chappell this enarched Monument as it is here set forth diuers of the Escocheons being decaied which are left blanke and onely this inscription now remaining thereon ..... animabus Domini Roberti Howard militis et Margerie vxoris sue ..... On the Pauement of the said Chappell be these two stones as they are here defigured whose inscriptions through time are decayed or rather stolne away by some sacrilegious persons a crime as I haue said elsewhere too frequent and too little punished but without doubt these Monuments were here placed for some of the Ancestors of this most honourable family this being their peculiar Chappell and place of Buriall In the East Window of the foresaid Chappell this ancient effigies of late was perfectly to be seene the portraiture of the same being exactly taken by the learned Gent. Sir Henry Spelman the memory thereof as of diuers other Monuments an by him preserued in relation to which this worthy Knight writ these verses Creditur has sacris candentem ardoribus aedes Quas dicat hic supplex instituisse Deo This ancient Chappell of the Howards hath of late yeeres beene most irreligiously defaced by vncouering the same taking off the Lead and committing it to sale whereby these ancient Monuments haue layne open to ruine But now in repairing by the order of the most Honourable preseruer of Antiquities as well in generall as in his owne particular Thomas Earle of Arundell and Surrey Earle Marshall of England and the Chiefe of that most Honourable family To this I also offer in obseruation both that the Posture fashion of the Armour and coate of Armes wherwith it is habited denotes great antiquitie and it should seeme by the Banner-fashiond Shield that this was the portraiture of some Banneret Ancestor of this Illustrious family for that Banners and the manner of this bearing of Armes was onely proper to Bannerets Knights of the Garter Barons and higher nobility In this Church of East Winch is a very faire Font of ancient times erected by some of this family as appeareth by their Armes being disposed in diuers places of the same the which for the curiosity of the work considering the antiquity giues me occasion here to present the true forme of one part thereof vnto your view Weeting In the South Window of the Church of Weeting S. Maries is this portraiture following the which by the Armes doth seeme to be the picture of Sir Iohn Howard Knight made in the time that he was married to Margaret the daughter and heire of Sir Iohn Plays Farsfield In the East Window of the South part of this Church is the resemblance of one of the most noble Family of the Howards as appeareth by his Coate of Armes but the subscription being wanting obscures the meanes to discouer which of them he was Framlingham Howsoeuer this Towne stands in Suffolke yet I hope it comes not in impertinently in this place Vnder a goodly rich Monument in this Parish Church lye interred the honourable remaines of Henry Howard Earle of Surrey and knight of the Garter the sonne of Thomas Duke of Norfolke as also of Frances his wife the daughter of Iohn Vere Earle of Oxford as appeares by the Inscription thereupon engrauen as followeth Henrico Howardo Thomae secundi Ducis Norfolciae filio primogenito Thomae tertij Patri Comiti Surriae et Georgiani ordinis Equiti â—urato immature anno salutis 1546. abrepto Et Franciscae vxori eius filâ—ae Iohannis Comitis Oxoniae Henricus Howardus Comes Northamptoniae filius secundo genitus hoc supremum pietatis in Parentes monumentum posuit A.D. 1614. This Henry Earle of Surrey saith Camden was the first of our English Nobilitie that did illustrate his high birth with the beauty of learning and his learning with the knowledge of diuers languages which hee attained vnto by his trauells into forraine Nations He was a man elegantis ingenij politaeque doctrinae saith Pitseus He writ diuers workes both diuine and humane he was exquisite as well in Latine as in English verse Of his English take this Essay being an Epitaph which he made to the memory of Sir Anthony Denny Knight a Gentleman whom King Henry the eight greatly affected Vpon the death of Sir Anthony Denny Death and the King did as it were contend Which of them two bare Denny greatest loue The King to shew his loue gan farre extend Did him aduance his betters farre aboue Nere place much wealth great honour eke him gaue To make it knowne what power great Princes haue But when death came with his triumphant gift From worldly carke he quit his wearied ghost Free from the corpes and straight to heauen it lift Now deme that can who did for Denny most The King gaue welth but fading and vnsure Death brought him blisse that euer shall endure Leland our English Antiquary speaking much in the praise of Sir Thomas Wiat the elder as well for his learning as other his excellent qualities meete for a man of his calling calls this Nobleman the conscript enrolled heire of the said Sir Thomas Wiat being one delighted in the like Studies with the said Sir Thomas Wiat. As it is in his Naeniae or Funerall Songs as followeth Bella suum meritò iactet Florentia Dantem Regia Petrarchae carmina Roma probet Hiâ— non inferior patrio sermone Viattus Eloquij secum qui decus omne tulit Transtulit in nostram Dauidis carmina linguam Et numeros magna reddidit arte pares Non morietur opus tersum spectabile sacrum Clarior hac fama parte Viattus â—rit Vna dies geminos Phaenices