than to Henauld for a wife A Bishop and other Lordes temporall Wher in Chaumbre prevy and secretife At discouerit dischenely also in all As semyng was to estate Virginall Emong theim selfes our lordes for hie prudence Of the Bishop asked counsaill and sentence Whiche daughter of fiue should be the Queene Who counsailled thus with sad auisement Wee will haue hir with good hippis I mene For she will bere good soonnes at myne entent To which thei all accorded by one assent And chase Philip that was full feminine As the Bishop moost wise did determine But then emong theim selfes thei laugh fast ay The lordes than saied the Bishop couth Full mekill skill of a woman al way That so couth chese a lady that was vncouth And for the mery woordes that came of his mouth Thei trowed he had right great experience Of womanes rule and hir conuenience Now what experience this Bishop had in womens conueniency of bringing forth children I know not but it so fell out that she had issue by her said husband King Edward seuen sonnes and fiue daughters borne for the glory of our Nation 1. Edward Prince of Wales borne at Woodstocke 2. William borne at Hatfield in the County of Hertford 3. Lionell borne at the Citie of Antwerpe Duke of Clarence 4. Iohn borne at Gaunt the chiefe Towne of Flanders Duke of Lancaster 5. Edmond surnamed of Langley Duke of Yorke 6. William another of their Sonnes surnamed of Windsore where he was borne 7. Thomas the youngest sonne of King Edward and Queene Philip surnamed of Woodstocke the place of his birth Duke of Glocester Daughters 1. Isabell the eldest Daughter was married with great pompe at Windsore to Ingelram of Guisnes Lord of Coucy Earle of Soissoms and after Archduke of Austria whom king Edward his Father in law created also Earle of Bedford 2. Ioane desired in marriage by solemne Embassage from Alphons king of Castile and Leon sonne of king Ferdinando the fourth was espoused by Proxie intituled Queene of Spaine conueyed into that countrey where she presently deceased of a great plague that then raigned 3. Blanch the third daughter died young and lieth buried in this Abbey Church 4. Mary the fourth daughter was married to Iohn Montford Duke of Britaine 5. Margaret their youngest daughter was the first wife of Iohn de Hastings Earle of Penbroke It is reported of this Queene saith Milles that when she perceiued her life would enâ— she requested to speake with the King her husband who accordingly came to her in great heauinesse being come she tooke him by the hand and after a few words of induction shee prayed him that hee would in no wise deny her in three requests First that all Merchants and others to whom she ought any debt whether on this side or beyond the seas might be payd and discharged Secondly that all such promises as she had made to Churches as well within the realme as without might be performed Thirdly that hee would be pleased whensoeuer God should call him to chuse none other Sepulchre but that wherein her body should be layed all which were performed and so I leaue them both lying in one Graue expecting a ioyfull resurrection Richard the second King of England and France Lord of Ireland sonne to Edward Prince of Wales by Ioane daughter to the Earle of Kent being depriued both of liuing and life by that popular vsurper Henry the 〈…〉 by his commandement obscurely buried at Langley in Hertfortshire in the Church of the Friers Predicants was by the appointment of Henry the fift remoued from thence with great honour in a Chaire royall himselfe and his nobilitie attending the sacred reliques of this annointed King which he solemnly here enterred amongst his ancestors and founded perpetually one day euery weeke a Dirge with nine Lessons and a morning masse to be celebrated for the soule of the said King Richard and vpon each of those daies sixe shillings eight pence to be giuen to the poore people and once euery yeare vpon the same day of his Anniuerse twentie pounds in pence to be distributed to the most needfull He made for him a glorious Tombe and this glosing Epitaph deciphering the lineaments of his body and qualities of mind which to any who knowes vpon what points he was put out of Maiestie and State may seeme strange if not ridiculous thus it runnes Prudens et mundus Richardus iure secundus Per fatum victus iacet hic sub marmore pictus Verax sermone prudens suit et ratione Corpore procerus animo prudens vt Homerus Ecclesie fauit elatos suppeditauit Quemuis prostrauit Regalia qui violauit O bruit hereticos et eorum strauit amicos O clemens christe tibi deuotus suit iste Votis Baptiste salues quem protulit iste Hic iacet immiti consumptus morte Richardus fuisse felicem miserrimum Fabian who translated this Epitaph into English desirous as it seemes to extenuate the force of such palpable grosse flattery annexeth this stanza But yet alas although this meter or ryme Thus doth embellish this noble Princes fame And that some Clerke which fauored him somtyme Lâ—st by his cunnyng thus to enhanse his name Yet by his story appereth in him some blame Wherfore to Princes is surest memory Their lyues to exercyse in vertuous constancy But Iohn Harding speaking of the greatnesse of his houshold and the pride and whoredome therein as well amongst the Clergie as Laitie is more inuectiue in his rimes which to reade I hope will not be troublesome thus he begins Truly I herd Robert Ireleffe saye Clerke of the Grenecloth and that to the Houshold Came euery daye forthe most partie alwaye Ten thousand folke by his messis told That folowed the hous aye as thei wold And in the Kechin three hundred Seruitours And in eche office many occupiours And Ladies faire with their gentlewomen Chamberers also and lauenders Three hundred of theim were occupied then There was greate pride emong the Officers And of all men far passyng their compeers Of rich araye and much more costious Then was before or sith and more pretious In his Chappell were Bishoppes then of Beame Some of Irelond and some also of France Some of Englond and clerkes of many a realme That litill connyng had or conisance In musike honorably God his seruice to auance In the Chappell or in holy Scripture On mater of Goddis to refigure Lewed menne thei were in clerkes clothyng Disguysed faire in fourme of clerkes wise Their Perishyns full litill enfourmyng In Lawe diuine or else in God his seruise But right practyfe they were in couetise Eche yere to make full greate collection At home in stede of soules correction Greate Lechery and fornication Was in that house and also greate aduoutree Of Paramours was great consolacion Of ech degre well more of Prelacie Then of the temporall or of the chiualrie Greate taxe ay the kyng tooke through all the lond
For the foundation of these Friers I will vse the words of the famous Antiquary Iohn Leyland in his Commentaries who flourished in the raigne of King Henry the eighth Cui à Bibliothecis erat who died in the raigne of Edward the sixth of a Phrenesie to the great griefe of all such as then did or â—ow do take delight in the abstruse studie of reuerend Antiquitie Hee lieth buried in Saint Michaels Church in Pater Noster Row London The Priorie of Knasborough saith hee is three quarters of a mile beneath Maâ—ch Bridge which goes ouer Nid one Robert Flower sonne of one Tork Flower that had beene twice Maior of Yorke was the first beginner of this Priory he had beene a little while before a Monke in New minster Abbey in Morpeth within the County of Northumberland forsaking the lands and goods of his father to whom hee was heire and first-borne sonne and desiring a solitarie life as an Hermit resorted to the Rockes by the riuer of Nid and thither vpon opinion of his sanctitie others resorted for whom and himselfe he built a little Monasterie got institution and confirmation of an Order about the yeare 1137 which after his owne name he called Robertins Howsoeuer his companie of Friers were instituted of the order De redemptione captiuorum alias S. Trinitatis King Iohn as he saith was of an ill will to this Robert Flower at the first yet afterwards very beneficiall both to him and his Some of the Flowers lands at Yorke were giuen to this Priory and the name of the Flowers of late dayes remained in that Citie Many miracles as it is said were wrought at the Tombe in his owne Priory wherein he was interred Eodem anno claruâ—t fama Roberti Heremitae apud Knaresburgh cuius 〈◊〉 oleum medicinale fertur abundanter emisisse In the same yeare the same of Robert the Hermite of Knarsborrow spread it selfe clearely abroad whose Tombe as the report went cast forth abundantly medicinable oyle saith Mat. Paris the Monke of Saint Albonâ— who liued in those dayes This Order as I take it was abolished before the dissolution These Friers challenge and deriue their first institution from Saint Antonie who liued about the yeare of our redemption 345. howsoeuer they obsâ—rae and follow the rule of Saint Augustine but whosoeuer was their first Patron it skills not much Vpon this occasion following they came first into England Edmund the sonne and heire of Richard Earle of Cornwall who was second sonne to King Iohn being with his father in Germany where beholding the reliques and other precious monuments of the ancient Emperours he espied a boxe of Gold by the Inscription whereof hee perceiued as the opinion of men then gaue that therein was contained a portion of the bloud of our blessed Sauiour He therefore being desirous to haue some part thereof by faire intreatie and money obtained his desire and brought the Boxe ouer with him into England bestowing a third part thereof in the Abbey of Hales which his father had founded and wherein his father and mother were both buried thereby to enrich the said Monasterie and reseruing the other two parts in his owne custodie till at length moued vpon such deuotion as was then vsed he founded an Abbey at Ashrugge in Hertfordshire a little from his Manor of Berkamsted in which hee placed Monkes of this order Bonhommes Good men and assigned to them and their Abbey the other two parts of the said sacred bloud Whereupon followed great resort of people to those two places induced thereunto by a certaine blinde deuotion to the great emolument and profit of these Good-men the religious Votaries The superiour of this Order was called a Rector or a Father Guardian About the yeare 1257. the Bethlemit Friers had their dwelling in Cambridge who should be the first institutor I do not reade their rule and habite was much what like that of the Dominicans sauing that they wore a starre in their breast wrought vpon their habite in memoriall of the starre which appeared at the time that our Sauiour was borne in Bethlem This Order was extinct before the suppression This religious Order was first instituted in the yeare of our Lord God 1080. vpon this occasion the story is frequent a Doctor of Paris famous both for his learning and godly life being dead and carried to the Church to be buried when as they sung ouer his bodie the lesson which begins Responde mihi quot habes iniquitates Answer me how many iniquities thou hast the bodie sitting vp in the coffin answered with a terrible voice Iusto Dei iudicio accusatus sum I am accused by the iust iudgement of God at which voice all the companie being much amazed they defeâ—red the interment vntill the next day at which time vpon the rehearsall of the same words the body did rise in like manner and said Iusto Dei iudicio iudicatus sum I am iudged by the iust iudgement of God The third day hee raised himselfe vp as before saying Iusto Dei iudicio condemnatus sum I am condemned by the iust iudgement of God Amongst many Doctors which assisted these Funeralls one Bruno a German borne at Colleyn of a rich and noble familie Chanon of the Cathedrall Church of Rheimes in Champaigne being strucken and fearfully affrighted at this strange and neuer-heard of spectacle began to consider with himselfe and to reuolue and iâ—erate very often these words following Si iustus vix salvabitur impius peccator vbi erit If such a pious man as hee was in the opinion of the world be damned by the iust iudgement of God thinkes hee what will become of me and many thousands more farre worse and more wicked in the eye of the world then this man was Vpon this deepe consideration Bruno departed from Paris and tooke his iourney together with sixe of his Schollers to liue solitarily in some wildernesse and not long after came to the Prouince of Dolphine in France neare to the Citie of Grenoble where hee obtained of Hugh Bishop of that Citie a place to build him a Monasterie on the top of an high stupendious hill called Carthusia from whence the Order tooke the name They gaue themselues to silence and reading and separated themselues by little Cels one from another lest they should interrupt one anothers quiet They spent some houres in the labour of their hands and some in the writing of godly books both to relieue their wants and to do seruice to the Church of God Many workes of theirs are still extant out of which tending to mortification the Iesuite Parsons collected the Resolution They did macerate their bodies by fasting and discipline and in the end resolued to eat no flesh during their liues This donation of Bishop Hugh who became himselfe one of their order was confirmed by Hugh Bishop of Lions and afterwards by Pope Vrban the second The said Pope Vrban as the story
Primates of all Britaine Legates to the Pope and as Vrbane the second said The Patriarkes as it were of another world And thus the Archbishops of Canterbury by the fauour which Austin had with Gregory the Great by the power of Lanfranke and by the industrie of Anselme were much exalted but how much that was to the grieuous displeasure and pining enuie of the Archbishops of Yorke you shall perceiue by that which followeth King Henry the first kept vpon a time his stately Christmas at Windsore where the manner of our kings then being at certaine solemne times to weare their Crownes Thurstine of Yorke hauing his Crosse borne vp before him offered to set the Crowne vpon the kings head But William of Canterbury withstood it stoutly and so preuailed by the fauour of the King and the helpe of the standers by that Thurstine was not onely disappointed of his purpose but he and his Crosse also thrust quite out of the doores William of Yorke the next in succession after Thurstine both in the See and Quarrell perceiuing that the force of his Predecessour preuailed nothing attempted by his owne humble meanes first made to the king and after to the Pope to winne the Coronation of king Henry the second from Theobald the next Archbishop of Canterbury But when he had receiued repulse in that sort of suite also and found no way left to make auengement vpon his enemy he returned home all wroth and as it was suspected wreaked the anger vpon himselfe After this another hurly burly hapned in a Synode assembled at Westminster in the time of King Henry the second before Cardinall Hugo Pope Alexanders Legate betweene Richard and Roger then Archbishops of these two Sees vpon occasion that Roger of Yorke comming of purpose as it should seeme first to the assembly had taken vp the place on the right hand of the Cardinall Which when Richard of Canterbury had espied hee refused to sit downe in the second roome complaining greatly of this preiudice done to his See Whereupon after sundrie replyes of speech the weaker in disputation after the manner of Schoole-boyes in the streets descended from hote words to hastie blowes in which encounter the Archbishop of Canterbury through the multitude of his attendants obtained the better So that he not onely plucked the other out of his place and all to rent his casule Chimer and Rochet but also disturbed the holy Synode therewithall in such wise that the Cardinall for feare betooke him to his feete the company departed their businesse vndone and the Bishops themselues moued suite at Rome for the finishing of their controuersie By these and such other successes on the one side the Bishops of Canterbury following tooke such courage that from thenceforth they would not permit the Bishops of Yorke to beare vp the Crosse either in their presence or Prouince And on the other side the Bishops of Yorke conceiued such griefe of heart disdaine and offence that from time to time they spared no occasion to attempt both the one and the other Whereupon in the time of a Parliament holden at London in the raigne of King Henry the third Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury interdicted the Londiners because they had suffered the Bishop of Yorke to beare vp his Crosse whiles he was in the Citie And much adoe there was within a few yeares after betweene Robert Kilwarby of Canterby and William Giffard of Yorke because he of Yorke aduanced his Crosse as hee passed through Kent towards the generall Councell The like happened also at two other seuerall times betweene Frier Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury and William Wickwane and Iohn de Roma Archbishops of Yorke in the dayes of King Edward the first At the length the matter being yet once more set on foote betweene Simon Islip the Archbishop of this Prouince and his aduersarie the incumbent of Yorke for that time King Edward the third in whose raigne that variance was reuiued resumed the matter into his owne hand and made a finall composition betweene them The which hee published vnder his broade Seale to this effect First that each of them should freely and without impeachment of the other beare vp his Crosse in the others Prouince but yet so that he of Yorke and his Successours for euer in signe of subiection should within two moneths after their inthronization either bring or send to Canterbury the image of an Archbishop bearing a Crosse or some other Iewell wrought in fine gold to the value of fourty pounds and offer it openly there vpon Saint Thomas Beckets Shryne then that in all Synodes of the Clergie and assemblies where the King should happen to bee present hee of Canterbury should haue the right hand and the other the left Finally that in broad streets and high-wayes their Crosse-bearers should go together but that in narrow lanes and in the entries of doores and gates the Crosier of Canterbury should go before and the other follow and come behinde Thus as you see the Bishops of Canterbury euermore preuailing by fauour or other meanes they of Yorke were driuen in the end to giue ouer in the plaine field Here endeth the Diocesse of Canterbury ANCIENT FVNERALL MONVMENTS WITHIN THE Diocesse of ROCHESTER THis Bishopricke is so ouershadowed by the nearnesse and greatnesse of the See of Canterbury that it lookes but like a good Benefice for one of his Graces Chaplaines yet for antiquitie and dignitie of a long succession of reuerend Lord Bishops it may equally compare with its neighbour of Canterbury For they had both one Founder to wit Ethelbert king of Kent who built this Church to the honour of Saint Andrew and endowed it with certaine lands which he called Priestfield in token that Priests should bee sustained therewithall Vnto which Iustus a Romane of whom before was consecrated Bishop by Saint Augustine Ethelbert assenting thereto by his presence Austin then made Clerke full well grounded Iusto that hight of Rochester full well bounded The Bishop then to preache and helpe Austin And to baptise the folke by his doctrine This Citie pent within so straight a roome was called in the time of the Saxon Kings the Kentishmens Castle and at this day shee and her little Diocesse may make their vaunt of their impregnable fortification by the Name Royall the maine defence of Britaines great Monarchie of the prowesse of their ancient Inhabitants of the pleasant scituation of so many countrey townes and of the profits arising from the fruitfulnesse of the soile Of all which reade if you please this Hexasticon Vrbs antiqua ferox bella est Rocestria situ Arx finitimis imperiosa locis Hic Deus è ligno fabricauit maenia firma Quae sibi quaeque suis sunt modo tuta salus Laeta racemiferos passimque per oppida colles Continet ac culti iugera multa Soli. This Diocesse for the most part is seuered from that of Canterbury by the riuer of Medway it consists onely of
sticke these words following are very faire written Per hoc lignum oblata est terra Roberti filij Gousberti super altare Sancti Pauli in festo omnium Sanctorum Testibus c. But to make an end of this discourse Primitiua Ecclosie Sancti Pauli London fundatio saith the Lieger booke consistit in Episcopo triginta maioribus Canonicis duodecim minoribus et triginta vicarijs which differs from her present state hauing at this time for her gouernours a Bishop a Deane a Precentor a Chancellour a Treasurer and fiue Archdeacons viz of London Middlesex Essex Colchester and S. Albons and thirty Prebendaries and besides to furnish the Quire in diuine seruice Pety-Canons twelue Vicars Chorall six and ten Queristers c. This Bishopricke comprehends the Citie of London with the counties of Middlesex and Essex and the Deanries of Saint Albans and Braughing in Hertfordshire And is valued in the kings bookes at 1119. l. 8. s. 4. d. and yeelded the Pope from euery Bishop at his first entrance 3000. Florins besides sixteene pounds ten shillings for Rome-scot or Peter-pence But now to the Monuments Hic iacet Sebba Rex Orientalium Saxonum qui conuersus fuit ad fidem per S. Erkenwaldum Londinens Episcopum anno Christi 677. Vir multum Deo deuotus actibus religiosis crebris precibus pijs eleemosynarum fructibus plurimum intentus vitam priuatam et monasticam cunctis regni diuitijs honoribus preferens Qui cùm regnasset annis 30. habitum religiosum accepit per benedictionem Waltheri Londinens Antistitis qui prefato Erkenwaldo successit de quo venerabilis Beda in Historia gentis Anglorum The same Author further affirmes that he not onely relinquished his Princely robes and put on the habite of a Monke a thing vsuall as you haue heard before with the Saxon kings in the infancie of Christian Religion but also instigated his wife to leaue the momentanie pleasures of Courtly estate and to follow him in his vertuous deuotions which with much ado he obtained Here he continued a Monke in this Monastery for in his time saith Radulphus de Diceto were Monkes in this Church vntill the day of his death which happened in the yeare 693. Of this king Sebba thus much out of a late writer Mich. Draiton Polyol Cant. 11. Then Sebba of his seed that did them all surpasse Who fitter for a Shrine then for a Scepter was Aboue the power of flesh his appetite to sterue That his desired Christ he strictly might obserue Euen in the height of life in health and body strong Perswaded with his Queene a Lady faire and young To separate themselues and in a sole estate After religious sort themselues to dedicate Hic iacet Etheldredus Anglorum Rex filius Edgari Regis cui in die consecrationis post impositam Coronam fertur S. Dunstanus Cantuar. Archiepiscopus dira predixisse his verbis Quoniam aspirasti ad Regnum per mortem fratris tui in cuius sanguine conspirauerunt Angli cum ignominiosa matre tua non deficiet gladius de domo tua seuiens in te omnibus diebus vite tue interficiens de semine tuo quousque regnum tuam transferatur in regnum alienum cuius ritum et linguam gens cui presides non nouit nec expiabitur nisi longa vindicta peccatum tuum et peccatum matris tue peccata virorum qui interfuere concilio illius nequam Que sicut à viro sancto predicta erant euenerunt Nam Etheldredus varijs prelijs per Swanum Danorum Regem filium que suum Canutum fatigatus fugatus ac tandem Londini arcta obsidione conclusus misere diem obijt anno dominice incarnationis 1017. postquam annis 36. in magna tribulatione regnasset This Etheldred being neither forward in action nor fortunate in his proceedings was commonly called The vnready an oppressour rather then a ruler of this kingdome cruell in the beginning wretched in the middle and shamefull in the end Of the calamities of these times by the Danish inuasion will it please you heare my old Author Swan with his power to Engelond com In the xxv yer of Etheldreds kingdom And in the yer of grace a thowsand and thre He cam and dude sorrow inogh no mor myght be So thilke hii come that this londe they gan ouerfulle As hit wer Emettes creeping fro hur hulle Hii ne sparyd Prest ne Clerk that hii ne slaw to grounde Ne wemen wyth child wher so hii hem found Besides the prophesie of Dunstan here set downe in this Inscription and thus ratified by the euent the transferring of this kingdome to other Nations was further likewise prophetically foretold by an holy Anchorite saith Hen. Hunting Englished in these words by the Translatour of Ranulph Monke of Chester But among all Englyshemen medled togydres is so grete changyng and diuersyte of clothyng and array and so many manner of diuerse shappes that well nigh is ther ony man knowen by his clothyng and his array of whatsoeuer degre that he be Therof prophezyed an holy Anker in K. Egelfreds time in this manner Englyshmen for as much as they vse to dronkelewnes to Treason and to rechlesnes of Goddes hous first by Danes and then by Normans and atte thirde time by Scottes they shall be ouercome Suauis victoria Amor populi The loue of the people was a pleasant sweet Conquest a Motto which I saw depicted vnder the Armes of our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames ouer one of the gates at Yorke vpon his first auspicious entrance into that ancient Citie Ann. 1603. die Aprilis 16. Thus for a king to ouercome was but to come and to be welcome to bee receiued of his Subiects in all places with shouts and acclamations of ioy demonstrations of truest loyaltie loue and obedience and to be conducted and guarded with an admirable confluence of his Nobilitie Gentrie and Commons vnto the Throne of his lawfull inheritance Hoc in loco requiescit in domino Erconwaldus tertius post Anglosaxonum in Britannia ingressam Episcopus Londinensis cuius in Episcopatu ante Episcopatum vita fuit sanctissima ex nobili prosapia oriundus Offe orientalium Saxonum Regis erat filius ad fidem Christianam à Mellito primo Londini Episcopo An. Dom. 642. conuersus Is priusquam Episcopus factus esset duo preclara construxit Monasteria sumptibus suis de bonis que ture hereditario sibi obuenerunt Vnum sibi in finibus Australium Saxonum loco qui Certesey vocatur alterum Edelburge sorori sue femine laudatissime ad Berching in ditione Orientalium Saxonum In Episcopatum vero anno salutis 675. à Theodoro Dâ—robernensium siue Cantuarie Archiepiscopo sacratus est Sebbam Orientalium Saxonum Regem ad Christi sidem conuertit et salutari Baptismatis vnda suis manibus per fudit qui statim mundo renuncians se totum Deo addixit
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
many Townes and Cities the bodies of the Christians haue wanted the rites and ceremonies of buriall it was neither fault in the liuing that could not performe them nor hurt to the dead that could not feele them Yet notwithstanding all this which I haue spoken the bodies of the dead are not to be contemned and cast away especially of the righteous and faithfull which the holy Ghost hath vsed as Organs and instruments vnto all good works for if the garment or ring of ones father be so much the more esteemed of his posterity by how much they held him dearer in their affection then are not our bodies to bee despised being wee weare them more neare vnto our selues then any attire whatsoeuer CHAP. VII Of Cenotaphs Honorarie and religious Of the reuerence attributed to these emptie Monuments A Cenotaph is an emptie Funerall Monument or Tombe erected for the honour of the dead wherein neither the corps nor reliques of any defunct are deposited in imitation of which our Hearses here in England are set vp in Churches during the continuance of a yeare or for the space of certaine moneths Octauia the sister of Augustus buried her sonne young Marcellus that should haue beene heire in the Empire with sixe hundred Cenotaphs or hearses and gaue to Virgil more then fiue thousand French crownes in reward for the writing of sixe and twentie Hexameters in her sonnes commendation all which you may haue for nothing in the latter end of the sixth booke of his Aeneidos These Cenotaphs were of two sorts they were made either to the memory of such as were buried in some other remote funerall monument or to such which had no buriall at all The first kinde of these Cenotaphs are called by Suetonius in the life of Claudius Honorarie tombes erected Honoris vel memoriae gratia Such as the souldiers made to the memorie of Drusus neare vpon the riuer of Rhine howsoeuer his body was carried to Rome and there interred in Campo Martio Alexander Seuerus slaine by the treacherie of certaine seditious French souldiers about the yeare of grace 238 An Emperour saith Sir Thomas Eliot who translated his story out of Greeke whose death all Rome lamented all good men bewailed all the world repented whom the Senate deified noble fame renowned all wise men honoured noble writers commended had his Cenotaph erected in France neare vnto the place where he was slaine but his body was carried to Rome and there interred vnder a most rich magnificent sepulchre as Lampridius affirmes Septimius Seuerus the Romane Emperour died in Yorke in the yeare of mans saluation 212. out of which Citie his corps were carried forth to the funerall fire by the sixth Legion of his souldiers called Victrix after the militarie fashion committed to the flames and honoured with iusts and Turneaments in a place neare beneath the Citie Westward where is to be seene a great mount of earth raised vp as for his Cenotaph But his ashes being bestowed in a little golden pot or vessell of the Porpherite-stone were carried to Rome and shrined there in the Monument of the Antonines Constantine or Constantius the younger sonne to Constantine the Great who is supposed to be the builder of Silcester in Hampshire died at Mopsuestia in Cilicia and was interred in Constantinople in the Sepulchre of his Ancestours Yet he had a Cenotaph or emptie monument built to his memory in the said now-ruined Citie of Silcester And many there were that in honour and remembrance of them had such monuments built about which the souldiers were wont yearely to iust and keepe solemne Turneaments in honour of the dead The second kinde of Cenotaphs were made Religionis causa to the memory of such whose carcases or dispersed reliques were in no wise to bee found for example of such as perished by shipwracke of such as were slaine cut mangled and hew'd apeeces in battell or of such that died in forraine nations whose burials were vnknowne For in ancient times it was thought that the Ghost of the defunct could not rest in any place quietly before the body had decent buriall or the performance thereof in as ample manner as could possibly be imagined Aeneas as it is fained by the helpe of Sibylla Cumea descending into hell found Palinurus his shipmaster drownd not long before among many more wandring about the lake of Styx because his body was vnburied which kinde of punishment is thus related by the Prophetesse Phaers translation This prease that here thou seest beene people dead not laid in graue A pitious rable poore that no reliefe nor comfort haue This Boate-man Charon is And those whom now this water beares Are bodies put in ground with worship due of weeping teares Nor from these fearfull bankes nor riuers hoarce they passage get Till vnder earth in graues their bodies bones at rest are set An hundred yeares they walke and round about these shores they houe And then at last full glad to further pooles they do remoue Then after this she puts him in comfort with hope of Exequies and honorable buriall thus Since whan O Palinure both all this madnesse come on thee Wouldst thou the Limbo-lake and dolefull flouds vntombed see Vnbidden from this banke doest thou indeed to scape intend Seeke neuer Gods eternall doome with speech to thinke to bend Yet take with thee Aeneas word and comfort thus thy fall For they that border next vnto that mount and Cities all By tâ—kens great from heauen shall be compelld thy bones to take And tombe they shall thee build and solemne seruice shall thee make And Palinurus name for euermore the place shall keepe This spoken from his heauy heart his cares abating creepe And sorrowes partly shranke and glad on earth his name he knew Vlysses at the commandement of Circes went downe into the lower shades where he met with his companion or fellow-traueller Elpenor who desired of him buriall with the ceremonies thereof as also a Sepulchre which Vlysses granted and erected to his memory a Cenotaph Doe not depart from hence and leaue me thus Vnmournd vnburied lest neglected I Bring on thy selfe th incensed Deitie I know that saiâ—d from hence thy ship must touch On th' Isle Aeaea where vouchsafe thus much Good King that landed thou wilt instantly Bestow on me thy royall memory And on the foamie shore a Sepulchre Erect to me that after times may heare Of one so haplesse Let me these implore And fixe vpon my Sepulchre the Ore With which aliue I shooke the aged Seas And had of friends the deare societies To these inania busta or vacua Sepulchra the friends of the defunct would yearely repaire and there offer sacrifice vpon Altars erected neare to the Cenotaph for that purpose calling vpon the spirit ghost or Manes of him to whose memory the Cenotaph was made by which ceremony they imagined that the body of the party deceased would lie some where or other at reâ—â— and his
themselues being reuerently esteemed and accounted sacred their assertions or asseuerations were alwayes holden the better to be beleeued I reade in the Stoâ—ehouse of Times lib. 8. cap. 12. Part. 1. that a Master bearing his Slaue neere to the Temple of Apollo the Slaue fled from him and knowing that the Temple afforded refuge ranne thereinto and mounting vp to the Altar embraced the image His Lord pursued him and hauing forcibly recouered him from the Statue without any reuerence of the place began againe to giue him many Bastonadoes The seruant fled from him once more and ranne to saue himselfe at the Tombe of his Lords deceased Father but then in meere paternall dutie he left punishing him any more and pardoned him the fault which hee had committed In such reuerend and religious regard the very Pagans had the Tombes of their Ancestours But with vs in these dayes I see no such reuerence that sonnes haue to their fathers hands or to their Sepulchres I heare no swearing by Kirkes Crosses or Sepulchres I heare sometimes I must confesse for swearing to build Churches swearing to pull downe crosses and to deface or quite demolish all Funerall Monuments swearing and protesting that all these are remaines of Antichrist papisticall and damnable Now to come to the other part of this Chapter All men in generall are taken with an earnest desire to see ancient great Cities yea and the very tract where such cities were in former times scituated howsoeuer they bee destroyed laid leuell with the ground and their very ruines altogether ruined I will instance with the glory of Asia Troy So rich so powerfull that so proudly stood That could for ten yeares space spare so much bloud Now prostrate onely her old ruines showes And Tombes that famous Ancestours enclose Now although these ruines and ruined Tombes are at this day no more but coniecturally extant as Sandys writes who viewed the circuit of ground whereupon it once stood And that Iam seges est vbi Troia fuit Corne now growes where Troy once stood Yet like him we daily know many Trauellers sailing neare thereunto to be desirous to see those celebrated fields that affoorded to rarest wits so plentifull an argument And so we reade how that in former times many tooke the like paines to behold this Citie so renowned throughout the whole Vniuerse For example the great Alexander Earths fatall mischiefe and a cloud of thunder Rending the world a starr that strucke asunder The Nations as Lucan calls him hauing read many heroicall actions performed at the besieging of this Citie made it in his Iourny to see it and finding it laid desert caused it to be reedified gaue great immunities and priuiledges to the inhabitants whom hee exempted from ordinarie Tributes and instituted their Free-martes or Markets for al such as would dwell there or negotiate with them That blasing Comet Iulius Caesar who darted his raies ouer so many regions Who did the habitable earth command And stretcht his Empire ouer sea and land goes in person to behold that farre-famed Citie where treading vpon Hectors graue-stone hid with rubish and growne ouer with grasse hee is found fault withall by a Phrygian thus Respect you not great Hectors Tombe quoth he but for all this reprehension Sack'd Troyes yet honour'd name he goes about To finde th' old wall of great Apollo out Now fruitlesse trees old oakes with putrifi'd And rotten roots the Troian houses hide And Temples of their Gods all Troy's orespread With bushes thick her ruines ruined He sees the bridall groue c. And being pleased with the sight of these Antiquities he offers sacrifice to the ghost of Hector and to the rest of those magesticke Heroes or halfe-gods there interred promising withall conditionally to build vp anew this City of Troy Then Caesar pleas'd with sight of these so prais'd Antiquities a greene turffe altar rais'd And by the Frankincense-fed fire prepar'd These orizons not vaine you Gods that guard These Heroes dust and in Troyes ruines reigne Aeneas houshold gods that still maintaine In Alba and Lauinia your shrines Vpon whose altars fire yet Troian shines Thou sacred Temple clos'd Palladium That in the sight of man didst neuer come The greatest heire of all Iulus race Here in your former seat implores your grace And pious vses on your altars layes Prosper my course and thankfull Rome shall raise Troyes walls againe your people I le restore And build a Romane Troy Marcus Aurelius Dioclesian and Claudius Romane Emperours potent and mightie took paines to trauell from Rome to this City of Troy onely to take suruay of what venerable antiquities were as then remaining and to leaue memory to posterity of their being there they caused a goodly columne of white marble to be therein erected whereupon were engrauen these words following Imperator Caesar. Mar. Aur. Pius Foelix Parthicus Maximus Trib. Pleb Imp. P.X.V. Cons. III. Prouinciam Asiam per viam flumina pontibus subiugauit And on the other side of the said pillar was likewise engrauen Imperator Caesar Augustus Dioclesiano P. Cos. 11. regnante Tribunicia vicit potestate M.F.T. Claudius C. VIII P.R. But to come nearer home who hath euer read or credibly heard of the magnificencie of that capacious City of Verulam of which I haue spoken before so much renowned for so many memorable exploits but more especially for the inuincible constancie and resolute suffering of our Protomartyr Saint Alban that would not desire to see the place where it sometimes stood howsoeuer Of it there now remaines no memory Nor any little monument to see By which the Traueller that fares that way This once was she may warned be to say Who would not see if hee could with conueniencie the scituation of Silcester in Hampshire hauing read in our ancient Historiographers how famous it was in the time of Constantius the sonne of great Constantine and how that our first Christian worthy king Arthur was there inuested with the royall Diadem howsoeuer no markes are at this day remaining to shew that euer it was a Citie saue a wall of two miles in compasse containing within fourescore Acres of ground diuided into certaine cornfields The seeing of places wee know to haue beene frequented or inhabited by men whose memory is esteemed or mentioned in stories doth moue and stirre vs vp as much or more then the hearing of their noble deeds or reading of their compositions With the like desire or more then they haue to see these old Cities entombed in their owne ruines many men take paines with farre trauell to view strange cities famous and flourishing in their owne countrey or in forraine Nations What stranger or home-bred countrey-man would not ardently long to see our rich powerfull and imperiall Citie of London when hee reades or heares how spatious how populous how plenteous and how faire builded it is And who would not couet to see Paris hearing that it is the capitall Citie of
in their Pontificals with Tapers burning denounced the senâ—tence of Excommunication in this forme By the authoritie of Almighty God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the glorious mother of God and perpetuall Virgin Mary of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of all Apostles and of all Martyrs of blessed Edward king of England and of all the Saints of heauen we excommunicate accurse and from the benefits of our holy mother the Church we sequester all those that hereafter willingly and maliciously depraue or spoile the Church of her right And all those that by any craâ—t or wilinesse do violate breake diminish or change the Church liberties and free customes contained in the Charters of the common liberties c. But I speake here of such sacrilegious persons as do rob and bereaue the Church of her treasure and sacred ornaments a sinne of such onely which do misprise and contemne Religion a sinne which hath beene by the very Pagans obserued neuer to escape vnpunished Cum oppidum Tolosanum in terra Gallia Quintus Cepio Consul diripuâ—sset multumque auri in eius oppidi templis furisset quisquis ex ea direptione aurum attigit misero cruciabilique exitu perijt Quintus Cepio with his company hauing taken and spoiled the Towne or Citie of Tholouse in France entred forcibly into the holy Temples out of which sacrilegiously hee tooke to the quantitie of one hundred and ten thousand markes in gold and fiue hundred millions of marks in siluer but euery man of them which were guilty of that robbery with all their kindred and families died within that yeare and not aboue one of them did carry so much as one piece thereof home to his owne house This treasure of Tholouse was a part of the Delphian riches For Brennus the brother of Belinus king of great Britaine Captaine of the Gaules brake open the Temple of Apollo at Delphos for the riches and the gold therein which had beene offered to the Gods which hee committed to publike spoile The most part whereof was conuaid by the Tectosages a people of the West part of Narbon to this city of Tholouse but presently vpon this sacriledge and contempt of the Gods the most of his armie which consisted of one hundred and fifty thousand footmen and fifteene thousand horsemen were discomfited and slaine and hee so furiously possessed that hee slue himselfe with his owne hands quis enim laesos impune putaret Esse deos For who could thinke the Gods thus wronged Their punishment would be prolonged Virgil makes these Church-robbers these contemners of Religion to bee more miserably then others tormented in hell Phlegyas miserrimus omnes Admonet magna testatur voce per vmbras Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere Diuos Phlegyas most of misers all Amongst those caytiues darke and loud with voice to them doth rore Learne Iustice now by this and Gods aboue despise no more This Phlegyas king of the Lapithes a people dwelling in a part of Thessalie hauing done infinite dammages in Greece surprizing many Townes and Cities became in the end so ouer weening and foolish bold that hee sacked the foresaid Temple of Apollo in Delphos and slue Philamon that cunning Harper the sonne of Apollo who brought an armed power to rescue his fathers oracle Vpon which sacriledge and contempt of the gods all the countrey of the Phlegyans was vtterly ruinated with an earthquake and flaming arrowes shot from heauen which killed most of the people and the few that remained died of the plague and for this high handed offence their foresaid king is still plagued in hell Which verses of Virgil to that purpose thus paraphrastically translated will it please you to reade ouer againe Phlegias king most wretched in that place Forewarneth all of his great misery And as sad witnesse of his pitious case In those dimme shades he cries out wofully Learne to doe Iustice and by my contempt Of the high Gods do you like fate preuent Histories affoard infinite examples of this kinde in all sorts of Religions yea Christian kings and other Potentates in all ages haue misprised the true onely all-sauing God by the sacrilegious taking away of the rights riches and ornaments of holy Church yet it hath beene obserued that they seldome or neuer escaped scotfree as the sequele of this worke will shew Seuere punishments haue formerly beene inflicted vpon Church robbers of the meaner ranke by the strictnesse of our Lawes here in England For an instance in the twentieth yeare of Edward the fourth on the 22. day of February fiue notable malefactors were put to death at London for robbing of Churches and other places especially the collegiate Church of Saint Martins le grand in London for the which three of them were drawne to the Tower-hill and there hanged and burnt the other two were pressed to death Wee haue not heard of the hanging of any such Church robbers in these our dayes for Sublata causa tollitur effectus the cause taken or if you will stolne away the effect will consequently cease For what man will venture a turne at the Gallows for a little small siluer chalice a beaten-out pulpit cushion an ore-worne Communion-cloth and a course Surplisse these are all the riches and ornaments of the most of our Churches and these are more by the Surplisse then by some of the Parishioners may bee thought perhaps fitting to be allowed such is now the sleight regard we haue of the decent setting forth of sacred Religion Of which a late writer Sacred Religion mother of forme and feare How gorgeously sometimes dost thou sit deckt What pompous vestments do we make thee weare What stately piles we prodigall erect How sweet perfum'd thou art how shining cleare How solemnly obseru'd with what respect Another time all plaine and quite threed-bare Thou must haue all within and nought without Sit poorely without light disrobd no care Of outward grace to amuze the poore deuout Powerlesse vnfollowed scarcely men can spare Three necessarie rites to set thee out Either truth goodnesse vertue are not still The selfe same which they are and alwayes one But alter to the proiect of our will Or we our actions make them wait vpon Putting them in the liuery of our skill And cast them off againe when we haue done CHAP. X. Of the rooting vp taking away erazing and defacing of Funerall Monuments in the reignes of King Henry the eighth and Edward the sixth Of the care Queene Elizabeth of famous memory had for the preseruation of the same Her Proclamation in the second of her raigne against defacing of Monuments TOward the latter end of the raigne of Henry the eight and throughout the whole raigne of Edward the sixth and in the beginning of Queene Elizabeth certaine persons of euery County were put in authority to pull downe and cast out of all Churches Roodes grauen Images Shrines with their
reedification of the thing broken as to the said Iustices shall seeme meete vsing therein the aduise of the Ordinary and if neede shall bee the aduise also of her Maiesties Councell in her Starre-chamber And for such as bee already spoiled in any Church or Chappell now standing Her Maiestie chargeth and commandeth all Archbishops Bishops and other Ordinaries or Ecclesiasticall persons which haue authoritie to visit the Churches or Chappels to inquire by presentments of the Curates Churchwardens and certaine of the Parishoners what manner of spoiles haue beene made sithens the beginning of her Maiesties raigne of such Monuments and by whom and if the persons be liuing how able they be to repaire and reedifie the same and thereupon to conuent the same persons and to enioyne them vnder paine of Excommunication to repaire the same by a conuenient day or otherwise as the cause shall further require to notifie the same to her Maiesties Councell in the Starre-chamber at Westminster And if any such shall be found and conuicted thereof noâ— able to repaire the same that then they bee enioyned to doe open peâ—ance two or three times in the Church as to the qualitie of the crime and partâ—â— belongeth vnder like paine of Excommunication And if the partie that offended bee dead and the executours of the Will left hauing sufficient in their hands vnadministred and the offence notorious The Ordinary of the place shall also enioyne them to repaire or reedifie the same vpon like or any other conuenient paine to bee deuised by the said Ordinary And when the offendour cannot be presented if it be in any Cathedrall or Collegiate Church which hath any reuenue belonging to it that is not particularly allotted to the sustentation of any person certaine or otherwise but that it may remaine in discretion of the gouernour thereof to bestow the same vpon any other charitable deed as mending of high-wayes or such like her Maiestie enioyneth and straightly chargeth the gouernours and companies of euery such Church to employ such parcels of the said sums of any as any wise may be spared vpon the speedy repaire or reedification of money such Monuments so defaced or spoiled as agreeable to the originall as the same conueniently may be And where the couetousnesse of certaine persons is such that as Patrons of Churches or owners of the personages impropriated or by some other colour or pretence they do perswade with the Parson and Parishioners to take or throw downe the Bels of Churches and Chappels and the lead of the same conuerting the same to their priuate gaine and to the spoiles of the said places and make such like alterations as thereby they seeke a slanderous desolation of the places of prayer Her Maiestie to whom in the right of the Crowne by the ordinance of Almighty God and by the Lawes of this Realme the defence and protection of the Church 〈◊〉 this Realme belongeth doth expresly forbid any manner of person to taâ—e away any Bels or lead of any Church or Chappell vnder paine of imprisonment during her Maiesties pleasure and such further fine for the contempt as shall be thought meete And her Maiestie chargeth all Bishops and Ordinaries to enquire of all such contempts done from the beginning of her Maiesties raigne and to enioyne the persons offending to repaire the same within a conuenient time And of their doings in this behalfe to certifie her Maiesties priuie Councell or the Councell in the Starre-chamber at Westminster that order may be taken herein Yeuen at Windsor the xix of September the second yeare of her Maiesties raigne God saue the Queene Imprinted at London in Pauls Churchyard by Richard Iugge and Iohn Cawood Printers to the Queenes Maiestie Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis This Proclamation was seconded by another to the same purpose in the fourteenth yeare of her Maiesties raigne charging the Iustices of her Assise to prouide seuere remedie both for the punishment and reformation thereof But these Proclamations tooke small effect for much what about this time there sprung vp a contagious broode of Scismatickes who if they might haue had their wills would not onely haue robbed our Churches of all their ornaments and riches but also haue laid them lâ—uell with the ground choosing rather to exercise their deuotions and publish their erronious doctrines in some emptie barne in the woods or common fields then in these Churches which they held to be polluted with the abhominations of the whore of Babylon Besides about that time these foresaid wilfull Sectaries did penne print and spread abroad certaine seditious Pamphlets as still they doe against our booke of Common Prayer against all Ecclesiasticall gouernment and against all the rites and ceremonies vsed in this our orthodoxall Church of England inuenting out of their owne corkie braines a new certaine noâ—orme of Liturgie to themselues thereby to bring into the Church all disorder and confusion These Renegadoes are at this day diuided and subdiuided into as many seuerall Sects as there be seuerall Trades in the greatest Market-towne As into Brownists Barowists Martinists Prophesiers Solifidians Famelists rigid Precisians Disciplinarians Iudaicall Thraskists c. and into a rable numberlesse In the three and thirtieth yeare of Queene Elizabeth the sixteenth day of Iuly in the morning Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington repaired to one Walkers house neare vnto Broken warfe of London where conferring with one of their Sect named William Hacket of Owndale in the County of Northampton Yeoman they offered to anoint him king But Hacket taking Coppinger by the hand said You shall not need for I haue beene already anointed in heauen by the holy Ghost himselfe Then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done Go your way both said he and tell them in the citie that Christ Iesus is come with his fanne in his hand to iudge the earth And if any man aske you where he is tell them he lies at Walkers house by Broken-wharfe and if they will not beleeue it let them come and kill me if they can for as truely as Christ Iesus is in heauen so truely is he come to iudge the world Then Coppinger said it should be done forthwith and thereupon went forward and Arthington followed but ere he could get downe the staires Coppinger â—ad begun below in the house to proclaime newes from heauen of exceeding great mercy that Christ Iesus was come c. with whom Arthiâ—â—â—on also cried the same words aloude following him along the streets from thence by Warling-street and Old Change toward Cheape they both adding beyond their commission Repent England repent After they had both thus come with a mightie concourse of common multituâ—e with an vniforme cry into Cheape neare vnto the Grosse and there finding the throng and prease of people to increase about them in such sort aâ— they could not well passe further nor be conueniently heard of them all as they desired they got them vp into an emptie pease cart
therto Caerlyon The King and other hely men destruyde hem alle yfere And eyghte and twenty Bishops in hure stede dude rere And the Erchbishopes ther c. A little more in another place to the same purpose if you be not already weary of reading thus much The Pape Eleutherie that sende huder furst Chrestendom Was the XIII Pape that aftur Peter com The descyples yat he huder sende xpendom to bring By lefte in wildernesse aftur hure prechyng That me clupeth Glastyngbury that desert was tho And ther by come Monckes and nome to hem mo Phagan and Damian chief of hem wer And othur mo that loued best to liue and dwelle ther Becaus that Ioseph of Arimathic and hys felowes twelue Thulk plas chosen had to wonne ther by hem selue And ther wyth hure own honds had rerde a Church Of hurdles and of yerds as hij coud worche And held ther by hem self the law of xpendom And yat was longe er xpendom to kyng Lucie com The foundation of the famous Colledge of Bangor in Wales is ascribed to this king Lucius in which so many hundreds of Monkes liued deuoutly and religiously by the labour of their owne hands according to this peece of my foresaid Author In the Citie of Bangor a gret hous tho was And ther vndyr vij cellens and ther of ther nas That CCC Monckes hadde othur mo And alle by hure trauayle lyuede loke now if they do so From the time of king Lucius vntill the entrance of Austin the Monke called the Englishmens Apostle which was foure hundred and some few yeares the Christan faith was alwayes both taught and embraced in this Island notwithstanding the continuall persecutions of the Romanes Huns Picts and Saxons which last made such desolation in the outward face of the Church that they droue the Christian Bishops into the desarts of Cornwall and Wales by whose labours the Gospell was plentifully propagated amongst those vast mountaines and those parts aboue all other made glorious by the multitudes of their holy Saints and learned Teachers Of which a namelesse Author mentioned by Speed Hist. cap 9. Sicut erat celebris cultu numeroque Deorum Cum Iouis imperium staret Britannica tellus Sic vbi terrestres coelo descendit ad oras Expectata salus patribus fuit inclyta sanctis Qui Neptunicolum campos Canibrica rura Coryneasque casas loca desolata colebant As were the Britaines famous for their zeale To Gentile Gods whiles such they did adore So when the Heau'ns to Earth did Truth reueale Bless'd was that Land with Truth and Learning store Whence British plaines and Cambrias desert ground And Cornewalls crags with glorious Saints abound About the yeare six hundred Christian Religion in this Island being almost totally eclipsed by seuerall persecutions Pope Gregory the first being zealously moued for the reconuersion of this English Nation sent hither Austin the Monke with other his associates to kindle anew the sparkes of Christianity which were couered in the cinders of Pagans desolation The story is frequent and I shall often touch vpon it Ethelbert being as then king of Kent receiued holy Baptisme by the said Austin being principally induced thereunto by Berta his wife and Queene a Christian daughter to Chilperuk king of France Christianity being thus receiued by him the most potent king of the Saxons Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis The good example of the King His people all to Christ did bring The succeeding Saxon kings followed his heauenly steps endeauouring in all they might to ouerthrow the Synagogue of Satan by breaking downe the abhominable idols throughout the whole Island Edwyne king of Northumberland Carpenwald king of the East-English Sebert king of the East-Saxons Kynigilds king of the West-Saxons Peda king of the Merciâ—â—s Ethâ—â—ulphe king of the South-Saxons in the space of not much aboue threescore yeares after the conuersion of King Ethelbert were conuerted 〈◊〉 God so wrought with them from Paganisme and Idolatrie vnto the beleefe and worship of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Christian faith was publikely preached in all their dominions These and other the Saxon kings for sanâ—tâ—ty of life are ranked before all the Kings and Potentates of the world For such was their feruent zeale in Religion that he thought himselfe most happie who in pious acts hard penance wearie pilgrimages and retired solitude spent the various course of life which moued many of them to exchange a pallace royall and a Scepter imperiall for a poore cell and a Monâ—â—â—h stâ—â—fe to forsake their owne kingdome and to liue as pilgrimes in a forraine countrey to lose their owne lines in warlike opposition against Pagans and Infidels thereby to liue in heauen amongst the noble army of Martyrs and lastly it moued them and other great personageâ— so â—oâ—vâ—ng their pious examples to erect and amplie endow religious 〈…〉 as Churches Chappels Schooles Colledges and Monasteâ—â—e 〈◊〉 the preaching and further propagating of the Christian faith As you may see in the sequell of these intended labours Whose charters did 〈◊〉 end with an execrable curse to all those which by any manner of meanes should demolish or ouerthrow any of such their sacred structures or infringe alienate or diminish any of their immunities or yearely reuenewes Likewise fearefull comminations and excommunications were threatned and thundred out against those which should scorne abuse deceiue or craftily entrap any one either of the secular or Monasticall orders and a benediction diuulged and granted to all those by whom they should bee honoured reuerenced rewarded and haue their liuelihoods further enricht concluding with a promise to defend these religious Votaries from the persecution of all humane enemies and to maintaine their liâ—eâ—â—ies freedomes and priuiledges from the vsurpation of any secular power Their donations were sometime in meeter or rime with the names of a number of witnesses whereunto the signe of the crosse was euer added the forme of which you may reade hereafter but the most of these their important writings were in prose and many of them wondrous short For example King Athelston giues a certaine plow-land and other profits to the Priest of the Church of high Bickington in Denshire in these words which I had from my friend Master Tristram Risdon that countrey man Ich Athelston Konyng Grome of hys home Y if and grant to ye Prestes of thus chyrche On Yok of my lond freliche to hold wodd in My holt hous to build bit gras for alle hys beastes vewel for hys herth pannage For Sow and Puggis World out end To the gouernment of these foresaid holy Fabricks and their reuenues such men were chosen as were the best learned and most eminent for integritie of life The Priests consecrated by the imposition of hands and appointed to say prayers administer the Sacraments instruct the Christians which daily increased and to execute all such offices as belonged to a
of Rome vnto the generall Councell may also be transumed impressed published and set vp on euery Church-doore in England to the intent that if any censures should be fulminate against the king or his realme that then it may appeare to all the world that the censures be of none effect considering that the king hath already and also before any censures promulged both prouoked and appealed Item like transumpts to bee made and sent into all other realmes and dominions and specially into Flanders concerning the kings said prouocations and appellations to the intent falsehood iniquitie malice and iniustice of the Bishop of Rome may thereby appeare to all the world And also to the intent that all the world may know that the Kings highnes standing vnder those appeales no censures can preuaile neither take any effect against him and his realme Item a letter to be conceiued from all the Nobles as well Spirituall as Temporall of this Realme vnto the Bishop of Rome declaring the wrongs iniuries and vsurpations vsed against the kings highnes and this realme Item to send exploratours and espies into Scotland and to see and perceiue their practises and what they intend there And whether they will confederate themselues with any other outward Princes Item to send letters for that purpose to the Earle of Northumberland my Lord Daves and Sir Thomas Clyfford Item certaine discreete and graue persons to bee appointed to repaire into the parts of Germany to practise and conclude some lege or amitie with the Princes and Potentates of Germany that is to say the King of Pole Iohn of Hungary the Duke of Saxony the Duke of Bauyere Duke Fredericke the Landegraue Van Hesse the Bishop of Magous Bishop of Treuers the Bishop of Collene and other the Potentates of Germany and also to ensearch of what inclination the said Princes and Potentates be of towards the King and this realme Item like practise to be made and practised with the Cities of Lubeke Danske Hambourgh Bromeswicke and all other the steads of the Haunse Tuâ—onyk and to ensearch of what inclination they bee towards the King and this realme Item like practise to be made and practised with the Cities of Norimbourgh and Aughsbrough Item to remember the Merchants aduenturers haunting the dominions of Braband and to speake with them Item to set order and establishment of the Princes Dowagers house with all celeritie and also of my Lady Maryes house To these or some of these purposes the King dispatched messengers to all his Embassadours and Agents beyond seas hauing before that sent the Duke of Norfolke Viscount Rocheford Sir William Pawlet afterwards Marquesse of Winchester and others to the Pope the Emperour and the French King being all three together at Nice He also caused his Secretarie to write in this manner to Iames the fifth King of Scotland Moste excellent myghtye and victorious Prynce Pleâ—sâ—th your Magestie that by the commaundment of my most dread Lord and Soueraigne Kyng of England your graces moste dere Vncle I haue in charge vndre commyssion certeyn specyall maters concernyng his highnes pleasure secreatly to be signyfyed vnto your grace wherein not only as a naturall Cousyne of your royall consanguinity but as a moste loueing Father entierly tendryng your worthye honor no lesse desirous hereof then regardyng his owne peculyer prosperyte vnfaynedly accomptyng your graces aduancement his moste conformable consolacion In consideracyon whereof sith it hath so pleasyd God of his infynyte fauour to revele vnto his highnes as well by studyous endeuor of good letters as by erudyte consultacyon of famous estemyde Clerke Also by long attempted experience ensearchyng truyth chyeflye in Christs doctryne who saith Iohn the fourteenth Ego sum veritas now clerely to perceive the thrall captyvyte vndre the vsurpyd power of the Busshop of Rome and his vngodly lawes Wherein his highnes and other many of his noble progenitors were moste wyckedly abusyde to their intollerable calamity and excedyng molestacion of their Subiects ouer whom God had yeuon them auctoryte and gouernaunce to rule as by all storyes of the olde testament and informacyon of the new playnely apperith Which groundly knowen to his highnes wisshith lykewise the same to be persuadyd vnto your grace wherby your honorable renoune and royall auctoryte shuld be moche enlargyd with no lesse felycitye of soule pryncipally to be regardyd then with aboundant comoditie of riches and vnfayned obeysaunce of faythfull Subiects ferr from the comeberous calamyte of the Popysshe myserable molestacyon What more intollerable calamyte may ther be to a Christian Prynce than vniustlye to be defeatyd of his righteous iurisdiction within his realme to be a King by name and not indede to be a ruler without regyment ouer his owne liege people what more greuous molestacion can chaunce to true harted Subiects than to be seuerâ—d from the alliegiaunce due to their naturall Soueraigne ther annoyntyd King grauntyd by Gods lawes and to become servile slaues to a foreyn Potentat vsurpyng to reigne ouer them agaynste the lawe of God as by the violent tyrannye of the Bushop of Rome hathe many yeres hitherto bene practysed throughout all regions to the ruynous desolacyon of the hole Christentie what Realme is ther but that the Busâ—shop of Rome hath planted therein his kingdome and established his regiment after soche a subtiell way that he and his craâ—tye creatures were obeyd of Prynces to whome of dutye they ought to haue bene subiect 1. Pet. 2. siue Regi tanquam praecellenti c. of whome all Romayn Busshops haue presumyd to be successors but not folowers contrarye to his example Qui non venit ministrari sed ministrare In all Realmes the Popisshe practise hath had soche confederacye of false forsworne factious and trayterous Titinylks vntrue to ther Soueraigne that nothyng was so secreatly in counsaill of any Prynce but forthwith it was caried by relacion to the Popes care And if ought were attemptyd agaynste his owne person or any crookyd creature of his creation in restraynyng of ther extortionate claymes as ther was nothyng but they claymed to haue auctoryte vpon incontynent they bouncyd out their thunderbolts and currsyng fulminations with soche intollerable force of vnmercyfull crudelyte that they made the greatiste personages of the world to trymble and quake for feare For by the negligente soufferaunce of Prynces thrughe dâ—faute of knowlege of Goddes worde the Popisshe pride was so haught his auctoryte so preemynent his power so puisaunte his strengthe so myghtye his displeasure so daungerous his Tyrrannye so terrible that scarse any durst resiste to coutrevaill none was able Example of many excellente Prynces as Iohn the furst and Henry the second of gracyous memory Kings of England here in their liffe times moste cruelly vexyd and after there disseas by forged leasyngs and slaunderous ympechements mysreportyd and faulselye belied with dispitfull dishonor of ther excellent progenye After like fasshion the victorious Emperor Lodovicus enterprysing
Parish Priest hauing his hand vpon his halfepennie makes this request to the bed-rid man lying vpon his couch Yeue me then of thy gold to make our cloister Quod he for many a muskle and many an oister When other men have been full well at ease Hath been our food our cloister for to rease And yet God wot vnneath the foundament Performed is ne of our pauement Is not a tile yet within our wones By God we owen fourty pound for stones The same Author in the Prologues to his Canterbury tales and in the character of the Frier thus speakes of the absolution and easie penance they gaue to men in health where they thought some commoditie would thereby accrew to themselues and their Couent Full sweetly heard he confession And pleasant was his absolution He was an easie man to giue penaunce There as he wist to have a good pitaunce For vnto a poore Order for to give Is a signe that a man is well yshryve For if he gaue ought he durst make avaunt He wist well that a man was repentant For many a man is so hard of hert That he may not weepe although him smert Therefore in stede of weeping and prayeres Men mote giue siluer to the poore Freeres The Priests likewise in general as well of Cathedrall Parochiall as of these Conuentuall Churches got much by saying of Masses as it is intimated to vs by Plowman in these few lines following If pryestes were perfite they would no siluer take For Masses ne for Mattens ne her meates of vsurers Ne nether kirtle ne cote though thei for cold shold die But that which brought most riches to all the foresaid Churches was the Shrines Images and Reliques of this or that Saint in this or that Church especially honoured and preserued to the Visiters whereof who with great cost and labour did vndertake so holy and deuout resolution great Indulgences and Pardons were granted by seuerall Popes as will appeare by the sequele and so semblablie to their sacred Altars and other holy places and such like Indulgences and Pardons they were as were anciently granted to the Churches in Rome which will not seeme impertinent I hope here to set downe as I haue them out of an old booke in broken English which crept into the world in the minoritie of Printing and is commonly called The Customes of London But before I go any further let me tell you that Reliques were euer holden in most reuerend regard amongst all sorts of people insomuch that in the taking of any solemne oath they vsed to lay their hand vpon certaine Reliques as they did vpon the holy Euangelists For I heard that King Henrie the second being to cleare himselfe of Archbishop Beckets death at a generall assemblie holden within the Citie of Auranches in the Church of the Apostle Saint Andrew before the two Cardinals Theodinus and Albertus the Popes Legates and a great number of Bishops and other people made his purgation in receiuing an oath vpon the holy reliques of the Saints and vpon the sacred Euangelists that he neither willed nor commanded the said Archbishop to be murdered The hoole Pardon of Rome graunted by diuers Popes In the cite of Rome ben iiii chirches in which is Masse daily don but ther ben vii of the same priuileged aboue all the other with gret holines and Pardon as is here aftir shewid The furst is called Saint Peters Chirch th'appostell and is set vpon the fot of an hill and men goo vpward thertoo a steyer of xxix steppes high and as oft as a man gooth vp and downe that steyer he is relesid of the seuenth part of penaunce inioyned and graunted by Pope Alysander Item as ye come before the Chirch ther the well sporingeth so may ye see aboue the dore an Image of our Lord and betwene his feete stondith oun of the pence that God was sold for and as ofte as ye looke vpon that peny ye haue xiiii C. yerys of Pardon Item in the same Chirche on the ryght side is a pilour that was sometyme off Salamons temple at whiche pilour our Lord was wonte to rest him whan he preched to the people at which pylour if ther any be frentyk or madd or trobled with spyritts they be deliueryd and made hoole And in that Chirge be xi aulters and at euery aulter is xlviii yere of Pardon and as many Lentes or Karynes and vii of thoo aulters ben seuerally priuelegyth with grace and Pardon At the furst aulter is the vysage of our Lord who loketh vpon that hath vii c. yere of Pardon Item at the same aulter is the spere that Crist was parced with whych was broght from Constantynenople sent from the gret Turke to Pope Innocent the Viii. The second aulter is of saint Andrew there ye haue V. C. yere of Pardon The forth aulter is of owr Lady there is Vii C. yere of Pardon The v. aulter is of Saint Leoo there he receyuid the absolucion in his Masse fro hevyn and there is Vii C. yere of Pardon The vi aulter of all Souls and there is V. C. yere of Pardon and euery hygh fest an soul out of Purgatory The vii aulter is of Saint Simond and Iude there is Vi. C. yere of Pardon And befor the Quyer dore stond two yruen crosses who kysseth thoo crosses hath V. C. yere of Pardon Item vpon our Lady day in Lente is hanged afore the quyer a cloth that our Lady made her self and it hangeth still till our Lady day assumpcion and as many tymes as a man beholdith it he hath iiii C. yere of Pardon Alsoo as many tymes as a man gothe thorow the Croudes at Saint Peters Chirche he hathe iiii c yere of pardon And as often as a man folowith the Sacrament to the syke bodyes he hath xiiii c. yere of Pardon Also Pope Siluester grauntid to all thym that dayly gothe to the Chirch of saint Peter the iii parte of all his synnes relesyd and all advowes and promyse relesyd and all synnes forgeten relesyd and forgeuen except leynge hondes vpon fader and moder vyolently and aboue this is grauntid xxviii c yere of pardon and the merytis of as many Lentis or Karyns The knowlege of a karyn ye shall fynd in the end of this boâ—ke And in the fest of Saint Peter a M. yere of pardon and as many Karyns and the threddendell of penaunce enioyned relesyd And from thassencion day of our Lorde into the assumpcion of our Lady ye haue xiiii yere of pardon and as many karyns and foryefenes of the iii parte of all Synnes And vpon the one syde of saint Peters Chirch lyeth a Chirchyard and that is callyd Godys felde and there be the beryed poore Pylgryms and none other and it is the lande that was bought with xxx pens that our Lord was solde fore as oft as a man gothe vpon that grounde he hath xv c. yere of Pardon Item in the
doth lie Another Lest Alexanders noble name my friend should thee beguile Away for here both treachery doth lurke and mischiefe vile Another Though Alexander after death did vomit matter blacke Yet maruell not he dranke the same and could not cause it packe Vpon the yeare of Iubelie aforesayd kept by this Pope Alexander The Romane Priest that promised both heauen and starres to sell By treacherie and murtherings hath made a gap to hell This Alexander before by deuillish meanes he obtained the Papacie was called Rodericus Borgia a Spaniard borne in Valentia But of him enough except it tended more to the matter Now may it please you reade certaine blanke verses taken out of my fore remembred Author Piers Plow man who speakes in his language of the Pope and Cardinals Pardons and pilgrimages effectually to this purpose Passus 19. God amend the Pope that pilleth holy Kirke And claymeth before the Kyng to be kept of Christen And counteth not though cristen be killed and robbed And fynd folke to fight and christen folk to spill Agayne the old law and new law as Paule therof wytnesseth Non occides mihi vindictam c. I ne knew neuer Cardinall that he ne come fro the Pope And we Clarks when they come for her Commens payen For her pelures and palfreis and pilors that hem folow The Commune clamat quotidie eche a man to other The contrey is the curseder that Cardinals commen in And there they lig and leng more lechery there raigneth Therfor quod this victory by very god I would That no Cardinals ne come among the commen peple But in her holines helden hem styl At Avion among the Iewes cum sancto sanctus eris Or in Rome as their rule wyl the relikes to kepe In the seuenth passage he deliuers his opinion of the Popes Pardons in these words The Prieste preued no pardon to do well And demed that Dowell Indulgence passed Biennales and Triennales and Byshops letters And how Dowell at the day of dome is dignely vndersongen And passed all the Pardon of S. Peters Church A little after in the same passage thus Soules that haue sinned seuen sythes deadly And to trust to these Trentals truely me thynketh Is not so siker for the soule as to do well Therfore I red you renkes that rich be on this erth Apon trust of treasure Trientales to have Be ye neuer the bolder to breake the ten hestes And namely ye Maisters Mayres and Iudges That haue the welth of this world and for wise men be holden To purchase you Pardons and the Popes Buls At the dreadfull dome whan the dead shall arise And commen all tofore Christ accounts for to yeue How thou leadest thy lyfe here and his lawes kepest And how thou didest day by day the dome wil reherse A poke full of Pardons there ne prouinciall letters Though ye be founden in the fraternitie of the iiii Orders And haue Indulgence an hundryd fold but if Dowell you helpe I beset your patents and your pardons at a pyes hele Therfore I counsell all christen to crye god mercy And make Christ our meane that hath made amends That God give vs grace here or we go hence Such workes to worke while we ben here That after our deathes day Dowell reherse At the day of Dome we did as he highte The same Author shewing what true pilgrimage is breathes forth these blanke verses following Nay by my soule health quoth Piers and gan for to sweare I nolde fang a ferthyng for Saynt Thomas shryne Truth wold loue me the lesse long tyme therfor after And if ye wyll to wend well this his the way thither Ye must go thorow mekenes both men and wyues Tyll ye come into conscience that Christ wit soch That ye louen our Lord God leuest of all thynges And that your neighbours next In no wyâ—e appeire Otherwise than thou woldist he wrought to thy selfe In the same passage Ye that seke S. Iames and Saintes at Rome Seke saint Truth for he may saue you all In another place Pass 12. He doth well withoute doute that doth as beuti techeth That is if thou be man maryed thy make thou loue And lyue forth as law wyll whyle ye lyuen both Right so if thou be religious ren thou neuerfurther To Rome nor Roch Madon but as thy rule techeth And hold the vnder obedience that high way is to heuen And yf thou be mayden to mary and myght well continewe Seke neuer no saint further for thy soules health Pilgrimage is called of the Latines Peregrinatio quasi peregre abitio a going into a strange countrey for a short pilgramage is not worth a pin neither is that Image in so much honour or respect in that countrey where it is as in farre countries For example the Italians yea those that dwell neare Rome will mocke and scoffe at our English and other pilgrims that go to Rome to see the Popes holinesse and Saint Peters chaire and yet they themselues will runne to see the Reliques of Saint Iames of Compostella in the kingdome of Galicia in Spaine which is aboue twelue hundred English miles And so the Spaniards hold Rome to be a very holy place and therefore spare no cost or labour to go thither And so of other pilgrimages Pilgrimage was also called Romeria quia Romam vt plurimum peregrinationes because pilgrimages forth most part were made to Rome Now hauing acquainted my Reader omitting many particulars I confesse which will more plainly appeare in the sequele by what deuises and meanes the Religious Votaries and others of the Clergie within this kingdome as also the Bishop of Rome who most commonly went away with the best share augmented their reuenues and deceiued the poore Commons I am here to speake of a yearely tribute paied onely to the See of Rome which many times I obuiously meete withall from the payment whereof neither the King nor the Clergie nor any housholder 〈◊〉 in England or Ireland were priuiledged and this was called 〈◊〉 which is a Saxon word compounded of Rome and Scot as you wouâ—d say the 〈◊〉 bute due to Rome or an Apostolicall custome or the see of 〈…〉 penning or Denarij Sancti Petri Peter pence From which payment 〈◊〉 Mathew the Monke of Westminster neither the King nor the Archbishop Bishop Abbot nor Prior were exempted I he first â—ounder of 〈◊〉 Tribute was Inas or Ina king of the West-saxons Of which the foresaid Mathew thus writes Ina the pious and potent king of the West Saxons leaâ—ing his temporall kingdome thereby to gaine an eternall to the gouernment of his kinsman Ethelard trauelâ—ed on pilgrimage to Rome where in the said Citie by the permission of Gregory the second hee built an house which he called The English Schoole vnto which the kings of England and the Regall Image as also Bishops Priests Clerkes and others might
repaire to â—ee instructed in good literature and in the Catholicke faith lest that any thing in the English Church might be sinâ—steâ—ly expounded contrary to the vniuersall vnitie and so being established in the orthodoxall and right receiued Faith they might returne backe againe into their owne countrey For the doctrine and Schooles of the English Nation since the time of Archbishop Austin had beene interdicted by diuers Romish Bishops for certaine heresies which daily appeared after the comming in of the Saxons into Britaine by reason of the commixture of the misbeleeuing wicked Pagans with the Christians of holy conuersation Hee also caused a Church to be erected neare to the foresaid house or Colledge which he dedicated to the honour of the blessed Virgine Mary in which such of the English as came to Rome might celebrate dâ—uine Seruice and that therein if any of the said English there happened to depart this world they might be inâ—erred And all these that they might for euer be more firmly corroborated it was ordained by a generall decree throughout all the kingdome of the West-Saxons that in euerie familie one pennie should be yearely collected and sent ouer to blessed Saint Peter and the Church of Rome which in English Saxons was called Romescot that the English there abiding migâ—t by that meane haue sufficient to liue vpon Thus â—aâ—re Mathew of Westminsteâ— surnamed the Flower-gatherer The which in substance is thus deliuerâ—d by a late writer yet in a different manner He meaning Ina instituted also a certaine yearely payment to the See of Rome enioyning euery one of his Subiects that possesâ—ed in his house of one kinde of goods to the value of twentie pence that he should pay a pâ—ny to the Pope yearely vpon Lammas day which at that time was contributed vnder the name of the Kings Almes but afterwards was called and challenged by the name of Peter-pence Another of the same gift by the said King hath these times He gaue to Rome eche yere The Rome pence thorrow West sex all about Perpetually to be well payd and clere For vnto Rome he went without all doubt After the example and with the like zeale of Ina Offa the most magnificent king of the Mercias in great deuotion went also to Rome and made euery house within his territories subiect to this payment of Romescot Ossa gaue through Mers the Rome penny Vnto the Church of Rome Afterwards about the yeare eight hundred and fiftie this tribute was confirmed and made further payable throughout all England For Ethelwolfe as then being sole Monarch of the Englishmen hauing beene sometimes for certaine yeares as Haneden and Brampton write Bishop of Winchester remembring his Ecclesiasticke profession and ordaining first that tithes and lands due to holy Church should be free from all tributes and Regall seruices in the nineteenth yeare of his raigne with the like deuotion of the two former kings went in pilgrimage taking with him his youngest sonne Alfred or Elfred to the foresaid chiefe Citie of the Romanes where he was both honourablie receiued and entertained by the Bishop of Rome and the whole Senate for the space of one yeare and vpwards in which time he rebuilt the English Schoole before remembred which lately had beene almost quite consumed with fire And in lieu of his kinde entertainment confirmed the former grant of Peter-pence causing it to bee payed throughout all his Dominions and further couenanted to pay yearely to Rome three hundred Markes thus to be employed one hundred to Saint Peters Church another hundred to Saint Pauls light and the third to the Pope a Saint that euermore will haue his share to the entent saith one that no Englishmen should doe penance in bounds as he saw some do before his face This Athilwolfe to Rome toke his way In pilgramage with him his sonne Aelfrede To Peter and Pole he graunted infenitife The Rome pence of all Englond As Flores saith as I con vnderstond Saith Harding cap. 105. And further to confirme the premisses may it please you to trouble your patience in the reading of these following hard rimes transcribed out of a namelesse old Author Adelwolfe his sonne att Chester his cite For al hys kyngs and Barons of estate Sent forth anone at hys parlament to be Whycheatte Chester was than preordynate To whyche al cam both Kyngs Duks and Prelat And odar al of honor or Empryse Hym for to do obeysaunce and servysse anon to Roome he went In pylgrymage wythe hooly good entent Wher he was so abydyng full too yer In hooly lyff and full perfactyon In ryall wyse as to a pryns afer And to the Pope wythe ful affectyon Hys comonyng ay had at hys electyon He gaue to Peter lyght And to Sent Poule whaâ— is ful gret repayr Too thowsand mark of Venyse gold ful ryght For sustenaunce of the Chyrches ryght He Busschopp was in hys Fadars day And for defaut of heyr was crownyd kyng Wharfor whan he hys lond in good aray Fre of servysse had set above all thyng He grauntyd tythe of all hys lond ofspryng Tyll thre persones dwelling in vnyte Why charr on God dwellyng in Trynite And Roome pens he graunte vnto the Pope Perpetuelly to haue of al Englond So perfytt was hys mynd who couth hit grope In al goodnes growndyd I vndyrstond Thrugh al hys myght in al hys noble lond The Pece he kepte and in his Se iudicyall The common Law among hys peple all Edgar king of England made sharpe constitutions for the payment of this Tribute And it was one of the lawes of Edward the Confessour that euery householder which had triginta denariatas viuae pecuniae in domo sua de proprio suo Thirtie pence of ready money or of any kinde of cattell in his house of his owne proper should by the Law of the English giue a pennie to Saint Peter and by the Law of the Danes halfe a marke which pennie was to be demanded at or vpon the feast of Saint Peter and Paul and to be collected before the feast of Saint Peter ad vincula and not to be deferred to any further day And if any withheld the payment thereof any longer time complaint was to be made to the Kings Officers for that this penny was the Kings Almes And that the partie so offending should hee constrained by iustice to make payment thereof on paine of forfeiting his goods Now if any man had more dwelling houses then one hee was to pay onely for that house where he should happen to be resiant at the said feast of Saint Peter and Paul Henry the second vpon his conquest of Ireland imposed this tribute vpon that kingdome onely to curry fauour with the Pope who as then was Adrian the fourth called before his inthronization Nicholas Breakespeare borne at Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire For hee saith Speed in the life of the said Henry knowing how great and dangerous tumults the Popes had
aboue mentioned is 8803. Here ends the Discourse ANCIENT FVNERALL MONVMENTS WITHIN THE Diocesse of Canterbury The Foundation of Christ-Church in Canterbury CHristian Religion of which I haue spoken before which presently after our blessed Sauiours passion was both preached and planted in this Island by Ioseph of Arimathea and his associates and after that aduanced and increased by Lucius King of the Britaines and his famous Clerkes being darkened ouerclouded and almost totally eclipsed with the contagious smoke arising from such abhominable sacrifices as were offered here vnto strange Idols was againe illumined and recomforted with the glorious beames of religious light by Augustine the Monke and his fellow-labourers in Christs vineyard Which Augustine sent hither from Rome by Gregory the great when he had found such fauour in the sight of King Ethelbert that he might freely preach the Gospell in this his countrey hee chose for assemblie and prayer an old Church in the East part of this Citie which was a long time before builded by the Romanes and hee made thereof by licence of the King a Church for himselfe and his successours dedicating the same to the name of our blessed Sauiour Christ whereof it was alwayes afterward called Christ-Church And by the meanes of the said Pope Gregory hee translated the Metropolitan See from London the Cathedrall Church being then at Saint Peters in Cornhill to this his newly consecrated Church here in Canterbury whereof he was the first Archbishop By these proceedings the prophesie of Merlin was fulfilled which foretold that Christianity should faile and then reuiue againe when the See of London did adorne Canterbury Of which out of an old Manuscript these following Rimes Erchebysshop furste of alle Seynt Austyn was ther But ye Erchcbysshops Se at London was er Tho camme Merlynes word to sothe atten ende Yat ye dignyte of London to Canterbery sholde wende Anothur chyrche in Cantyrbery he lete rere Yat is clupyd Christ Chyrche and now the Se is there Since which time this sacred structure by the pious and exceeding charges of succeeding Archbishops by the deuotion of those dayes made willing to disburse great summes is so raised aloft saith learned Camden to that maiestie and statelinesse that it striketh a sensible impression of Religion in the hearts and mindes of the beholders of which as also of the Citie will it please you reade this Ogdoasticon out of a Manuscript penned by Iohn Iohnston of Aberden sometimes the Kings professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of S. Andrewes in Scotland Quae minima in paruo regno pars ante fuisti Facta es Cantiadum regia prima Ducum Quae modica in magno imperio pars ante fuisti Maiorem fecit Pontificalis honor Alterius cum iura locitecum inde tulisti Facta es finitimis imperiosa locis Sponsa tibi Christi si tot cumulauit honores Non iterum huic par sit reddere velle suos To this his Church Austine adioyned a Monastery and dedicated the same to the blessed Trinitie into which Laurence his next Successour brought Benedictine Monkes the head whereof was called a Prior. Which word saith Lambard in his perambulation of Kent howsoeuer it soundeth was indeed but the name of a second Officer because the Bishop himselfe was accounted the very Abbot for in old time the Bishops were for the most part chosen out of such Monasteries and therefore most commonly had their palaces neare adioyning and gouerned there as Abbots By meanes whereof it came to passe that such Abbeyes were greatly enriched and endowed with wealth and possessions insomuch that this Priory at the dissolution being valued at Robin Hoods peniworths was found to be yearly worth besides iurisdiction ouer diueâ—s hundreds as you may finde in the Exchequer booke called Nomina Villarum two thousand foure hundred eightie nine pounds foure shillings nine pence But Henry the eighth saith Camden scattered this wealth heaped vp together in so many ages and dispersed these Monks in lieu of whom he placed in this Church a Deane an Archdeacon Prebendaries twelue and sixe Preachers who in places adioyning round about should teach and preach the word of God The Archbishoprick at this day whose Prouince containeth twentie two Bishoprickes and Diocesse the greatest part of Kent being but valued in the Kings bookes at two thousand eight hundred sixteene pounds seuenteene shillings nine pence Howsoeuer in former times the Archbishop was wont to pay to the Pope at euery income for his first-fruits ten thousand Ducats or Florens and for his Pall fiue thousand euery Ducate being of our Sterling money foure shillings sixe pence And as I finde it in an old Manuscript for Rom-scot or Peter-pence seuen pounds seuenteene shillings Seuentie three Archbishops in a continued traine of Succession haue sitten in this glorious chaire which at this present doth adde grace and honour to George Abbot Doctor of Diuinity sometime Deane of Winchester Master of the Vniuersitie Colledge in Oxford Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield from whence hee was remoued to London and from thence translated to this Metropoliticall seate of Canterbury Who hath bestowed great summes of money in building and endowing of an Hospitall at Guildford in Surrey the Towne wherein he was borne But now to come within the Cathedrall Church which hath beene and still is honoured with the funerall Monuments of many renowned Princes of which although it may iustly vaunt yet was it for nothing else so famous as for the life death sepulcure and Shrine of Thomas Beckâ—t Archbishop of this See by which her estimation was aduanced beyond all reason measure and wonder This Thomas Becket was borne in London his fathers name was Gilbert a Merchant his mothers Mâ—tilda a stranger borne in Syria He was first taught and brought vp by the Prior of Mercon Abbey in Surrey and from thence sent to the Vniuersities of Oxford Paris and Bononia to study the Canon Law vpon his returne he proceeded Doctor of that faculty in Oxford after which as you may haue it in the History of his life written by the right reuerend Father in God Francis Godwin now Bishop of Hereford in short time he was preferred by Theobald Archbishop of this See vnto the Archdeaconry of Canterbury the Prouostship of Beuerley and the Parsonages of Bromfeeld and Saint Mary Hill a Prebend in Paules and another in the Church of Lincolne and withall commended by him so effectually to King Henry the second that he receiued him into the number of his Chaplaines aduanced him to the honour of Lord Chancellour of England and after the death of the said Theobald to this Grace and Primaâ—ie of Canterbury presently after his consecration being yet scarcely warme in his seate vnder colour of defending the rights of his Church hee stubbornly opposed himselfe against his Lord and Soueraigne in all his royall proceedings insomuch that he was constrained to exile him the kingdome Of which you shall
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
with Sir Raph Ioccline and Sir Henry Weeuer and after that with other Aldermen was knighted in the field Ann. 1471. Hic iacet Wilhelmus Fineux sil et heres Iohannis Fineux militis qui obijt Regis Henrici 7. Others of that name lye here entombed but without any inscription to preserue their memorie Braborne Hic iacet Wilhelmus Scot de Braborne Aâ— qui obijt 5. Febr. 1433. cuius anime Sis testis Christe quod non tacet hic Lapis iste Corpus vt ornetur sed spiritus vt memoretur Quisquis eris qui transieris sic perlege plora Sum quod eris sucramque quod es pro me precor ora Hic iacet magnificus ac insignis miles Iohannes Scot quondam Regis domus inuictissimi Principis Edwardi quarti Controll et nobilissima integerrimaque Agnes vxor eius Qui quidem Iohannes obijt Ann. 1485. die mens Octob. 17. This Sir Iohn Scot was also of the priuy Councell and knight Marshall of Caleis who with others was sent vpon an Embasie Ann. Reg. Ed. 4.12 to the Dukes of Burgundy and Britaine to bring backe againe the Earles of Pembroke and Richmund whose escape did much perplexe their kings suspitious thoughts Iohannes Scot miles cum CC. soldariis ex mandato Domini Regis apud Sandwicum pro salua custodia eiusdem inter Bund Indent de Guerra apud pelles West Hic ... Wilhelmus Scot myles ob 1350. I take this man to be that William Scot who with others of eminent degree and qualitie was knighted by Edward the third the tenth of his raigne vpon the creation of Edward his sonne Earle of Chester and Duke of Cornwall Of your ... Dame Elisabeth Poynings late wife of Sir Edward Poynings which Dame Elisabeth deceased Aug. 12. 1524. This Elisabeth was the daughter of Sir Iohn Scot of Scots Hall where the family of these Scots haue so long flourished in worshipfull estimation Hac necis in cella iacet hic prudens Isabella Que nulli nocuit sed Domino placuit Sponsa fuit fata venerabilis et peramata Clifton Geruasij militis egregij Ante fuit dicta Wilhelmi Scotti relicta Harbard vocata vel Fynche certe scies Dicitur hic alias .... mille quater centum Petit L. cum septem ... monumentum Nouembris deca bis hijs numerando dabis Geruasium Clifton istam genuisse Iohannam Sta lege cui Iohn Digge sociatus erat Morte .... cadit corpus sequitur cito mater Filia preuenit hanc cui solet esse sequax Christetuas famulas fac post te scandere celos Et post coniugia regna tenere tua Subiacet hac Petra Dionisia nunc caro tetra Que fuerat nata Fynche aut Harbard vocitata Vincent Armigeri cui parce Iesu mulieri Dormit non moritur licet hic terra sepelitur Qui bene pensetur qui credit non morietur Anno milleno C. quater .... cape pleno Bis quater appone .... celi iunge corone .......... Cui sit saluamen Deus omnipotens precor Amen Hic iacet expertus sub marmore miles opertus Gower Robertus anime sis Christe misertus From this familie Iohn Gower the Poet was descended One of the Pasheleis lyeth here interred the Lord of Halle and Mote in Sussex From whom the Scots deriue a descent Iohanna Pashlee filia Iohannis de sole secunda vxor Edmundi Pashlee Folkston A Towne famous in times past and much frequented by the English Saxons for religion sake by reason of a Monastery which Eauswide the daughter of Eadbald king of Kent erected for religious women of which she became the first Prioresse She dedicated her Church to the honour of Saint Peter and replenished her house with blacke Nunnes she continued herein Abbesse a long time and so dyed a vailed Virgin about the yeare 673. This foundation was long ago swallowed vp with the sea and another built by Iohn Segraue and Iulian his wife the daughter and heire of Iohn Sandwich who was Lord of this Towne together with Iohn Clinton in the raigne of king Henry the third who consecrated this their holy fabricke to the honour of Saint Peter and S. Eauswid Whose reliques they translated into their new built Church there they were gloriously enâ—â—â—rined and she honoured for a Saint Of whom the credulous common people did report many strange wonders As that shee lengthened a beanâ—â— of this her religious building three foot when the Carpenters missing their measure had made it so much too short That shee haled and drew water ouer the hills against nature That shee forbad certaine rauenous birds the countrey which before did much hurt thereabouts That she restored the blinde cast out the deuill and healed innumerable folkes of their infirmities And therefore after her death she was by the policie of the Church of Rome and the Popish Priests canonized and by the folly of the common people saith Lambard honoured for a Saint And no maruell at all saith hee for it was vsuall amongst the Clergie-men in those dayes not onely to magnifie their Benefactours of all sorts but to deifie also so many of them at the least as were of noble parentage knowing that thereby triple commoditie ensued the first for as much as by that meanes they assured many great Personages vnto them secondly they drew by the awe of their example infinite numbers of the common people after them and lastly they aduentured the more boldly vnder those honourable and glorious names and titles to publish their fained miracles And this surely was the cause that Sexburga in Shepie Mildred in Tanet Etheldred at Elye Edith at Wilton and sundrie other such women of royall bloud in each quarter were canonized Saints for generally the Religious of those times were as thankfull to their Benefactours as euer were the heathen nations to their first Kings and Founders The one for sanctifying such as did either build them houses or deuise them Orders and the other deifying such as had made them Cities or prescribed them lawes and gouernment This was it that made Saturne Hercules Romulus and others moe to haue place in common opinion with the Gods aboue the starres and this caused Dunstan Edgar Ethelwold and others first to bee shrined here in earth and then to sit amongst the Saints in heauen This Nunnery was valued at the fatall ouerthrow of all such edifices at 63. l. 7. s. per annum It was surrendred 15. Nouemb. 27. H. 8. Lidde In this Church are the pictures of a man and his wife inlayed in brasse vpon a goodly Monument thus inscribed Hic iacet Thomas Godfray quondam de veteri Rumney qui obijt 5. dic mens Aug. Ann. Dom. 1430. a familie of knights not farre from Iâ—dde and neare vnto Stonend In the beach is to bee seene an heape of great stones which the neighbour inhabitants call S. Crispins
Pope as you haue heard from a poore Baker to a blessed Martyr Here as they say he shewed miracles very plentifully which made people of all sorts offer vnto him wondrous liberally euen vntill these latter times insomuch that with two yeares oblations at his Shrine one William de Hoo a Sacrist or keeper of the holy treasures of this Church built the whole Quire as it now stands Richard Walden a Monke and sacrist built the South Isle Richard East-gate a Monke and Sacrist began the North Isle of the new worke towards Saint Williams gate which Frier William de Axenham almost finished Geffery de Hadenham Prior payed thirteene hundred pounds in one day to certaine creditours to whom this Church stood indebted since the time of her troubles the same man bought certaine lands in Banerkin and Darent which he gaue to this House and bequeathed to the same 300. l. in money vpon his decease He built the Dorter in the Priory and the Altar of Saint Edmund in the Church To which or rather to the high Altar Haymo Bishop of this Diocesse offered vp a pretious Miter which sometime belonged to Archbishop Becket and which hee bought of the Executours of Iohn Bishop of Norwich Thus by the gaines of William the Bakers Shrine and by the pious endeauours and bounteous donations of diuers well disposed persons this Monastery was in short time reedified adorned and aduanced to her former height glory wealth and estimation So that it was valued by the Commissioners of the late suppression at foure hundred eightie sixe pounds eleuen shillings fiue pence by yeare Gillingham In this Church are diuers faire Monuments fairely kept of the Beaufits an ancient family whose chiefe seate was at Grauch-court within this Parish as I was enformed Ici gist Iehan Beaufits qi morust 25 iour Nouemb. l'an de dieu 1427. et Isabella sa feme que morust la 30. iour de Decemb. 1419. Iesu noster saueor de la grand pite De lor almes eit mercie Amen Hic iacet Iohannes Beaufits filius Iohannis Beaufits Ar. et Alicia vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit 25. Nouemb. Ann. Dom. 1433. quorum c. Hic iacet Robertus Beaufits qui ob 1381. et Sara vxor eius que obiit 1395 Cur nunc in puluere dormio Hic iacet Willelmus Beaufits qui ob 19. Marcii 1433. Cuius Here lyeth Ioane Bamme sometime the wife of Master Richard Bamme Esquire daughter of Iohn Marten sometime chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas and mother of Iohn Bamme who lyeth on the North side of this Chappell Which said Ioane deceased in the yeare of grace 1431. Here was a pilgrimage to our Lady of Gillingham Ailesford Richard Lord Grey of Codnor in Darbishire in the yeare 1240. founded here a religious house of white Friers Carmelites where now is seene saith Camden the faire habitation of Sir William Sidley a learned knight painefully and expensfully studious of the common good of his countrey as both his endowed house for the poore and the bridge here with the common voice dotestifie Not farre from this Towne of Ailesford lye interred the bodies of Catigern and Horsa who hand to hand killed one the other in a set battell Catigern was the brother of Vortimer king of the Britaines and Horsa brother of Hengist the Saxon. But this battell as also their buriall are the best set downe by Camden out of Lambards perambulation This Towne saith hee was named in the British tongue Saissenaeg haibail of the Saxons there vanquished like as others in the very same sense tearmed it Anglesford For Guortimer the Britaine Guortigerus sonne did here set vpon Hengist and the English Saxons whom being disrayed and not able to abide a second charge he put all to flight so as they had beene vtterly defeited for euer but that Hengist skilfull and prouident to preuent and diuert danger withdrew himselfe into the Isle of Tenet vntill that the inuincible vigour and heate of the Britanes was allayed and fresh supplies came to his succour out of Germany In this battell were slaine the Generalls of both sides Catigern the Britaine and Horsa the Saxon of whom the one buried at Horsted not farre from hence gaue name to the place and Catigern honoured with a stately and solemne funerall is thought to haue beene interred neare vnto Ailisford where vnder the side of an hill I saw foure huge rude hard stones erected two for the sides one transuersall in the middest betweene them and the hugest of all piled and layed ouer them in manner of the British Monument which is called Stonehenge but not so artificially with Mortis and tenents Verily the vnskilfull common people call it at this day of the same Catigern Keiths or Kits Coty house The like Monument was of Horsa at Horsted which stormes and time haue now deuoured This battell was smitten in the yeare of Grace 457. Addington Hic iacent Richardus Charles et Alicia vxor qui quidem Ric. obiit An. Dom. 1370. facile contemnit omnia ...... Hic iacet Willelmus Suayth Ar. dominus de Addington ac vicecomes Cantie et Alicia vxor eius ob Marcii Ann. 1464. Bonis et mors et vita dulcis Hic iacet Robertus Watton Dominus et Patronus istius Ecclesie qui obiit die Ascentionis Anno 1444. Hic iacent Willelmus Watton Ar. Dominus istius ville Benedicta et Anna vxores eius qui Willelmus obiit 29. Decemb. 1464. Hic iacet Robertus Watton Ar. filius et heres Willelmi Watton Armigeri et Alicia vxor eius filia Iohannis Clark vnius Baronum Scaccarii Regis qui Robertus istius ville Dominus et Ecclesie verus Patronus ob 4. Nouemb. anno 1470. Hic iacet Iohannes Northwood Arm. filius et heres ..... Northwood ..... obiit 30. April 1416. Of this man and of his Mannor of Northwood or Norwood thus much out of Lambard In the dayes of King Edward the Confessour saith hee one hundred Burgesses of the Citie of Canterbury ought their suite to the Mannor of Norwood the buildings are now demolished but the Mannor was long time in the possession of certaine gentlemen of the same name of which race one was buried in the body of the Church at Addington in the yeare 1416. Otteham Hic iacet Iohannes Constenton Ar. qui ob 2. April 1426. et Sara Conghurst vxor eius I finde by ancient deedes sans Date that one Raph de Dene was the founder of a Religious house here at Otteham of Canons regular confirmed in these words by the gifts of certaine lands from one Raph de Iclesham and some little rent William de Marci and Ela his wife Sciant c. quod ego Radulphus de Iclesham dedi et confirmaui Deo Ecclesie Sancti Laurencij de Oteham terram in Oteham c. pro
And besides Geruasius Dorobernens or Geruis a Monke in Canterbury who flourished in the raigne of king Henry the first affirmeth that the fore-ward in all battels belongeth to them by a certaine preheminence in right of their manhood And it is agreed by all men that there were neuer any bondmen or villaines as the law calleth them in Kent Neither bee they here so much bounden to the Gentrie by Copyhold or customarie tenures as the Inhabitants of the westerne Countries of the Realme be nor at all indangered by the feeble hold of Tenant Right which is but a descent of a tenancie at will as the Common people in the Northerne parts be for Copyhold tenure is rare in Kent and Tenant Right not heard of at all But in place of these the custome of Gauelkinde that is Giue all Kinne preuailing euery where in manner euery man is a Free-holder and hath some part of his owne to liue vpon And in this their estate they please themselues and ioy exceedingly in so much as a man may finde sundrie Yeomen although otherwise for wealth comparable with many of the gentile sort that will not yet for all that change their condition nor desire to be apparrelled with the titles of Gentrie Neither is this any cause of disdaine or of alienation of the good minds of the one sort from the other For no where else in all this Realme is the common people more willingly gouerned To be short they be most commonly ciuill iust and bountifull so that the estate of the old Franklyns and Yeomen of England either yet liueth in Kent or else it is quite dead and departed out of the Realme for altogether Thus farre in effect out of Lambard Briefly saith Selden it had the first English King in it was the first Christianity among the English and Canterbury then honoured with the Metropolitique See all which giue note of Honourable Prerogatiue But I will conclude this commendation of Kent with these verses following taken out of the foresaid Author of Polyolbion in the same Song When as the pliant Muse straight turning her about And comming to the Land as Medway goeth out Saluting the deare soyle O famous Kent quoth she What countrey hath this Isle that can compare with thee Which hast within thy selfe as much as thou canst wish Thy conies Venson Fruit thy sorts of Fowle and Fish And what with strength comports thy hay thy corne thy wood Nor any thing doth want that any where is good Now here before I take my leaue of this little See of Rochester it shall not seeme impertinent I hope to shew with what great courage and happinesse this Church hath euer vpholden her rights and priuiledges not onely against the Monkes of Canterbury which laboured much to bring it vnder but also against the See it selfe of the Archbishops For example in the raigne of king Henry the third and after the death of Benedict the Bishop of Rochester the Monkes made choise of one Henry Sanford that great wise Clerke which preached at Sittingbourne that such a day the soules of king Richard the first Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury and another Priest were deliuered out of Purgatory and no more soules that day but onely they three as God had reuealed it vnto him three seuerall times whereof when the Monkes of Christ-Church had intelligence they resisted the election challenging that the Pastorall staffe or Crosyer of Rochester ought of very right to be brought to their house after the decease of the Bishop and that the election ought to be made in their Chapiter The Monkes of Rochester maintained their owne choise and so the matter waxing warme betweene them it was at the length referred to the determination of the Archbishop he againe posted it ouer to certaine Delegates who hearing the parties and weighing the proofes gaue sentence with the Monkes of Rochester and yet lost as they thought good loue and amity among them But as the Poet saith Male sarta gratia nequicquam coit sed rescinditur Fauour that is euill peeced will not ioyne close but falleth asunder And therefore this their opinion failed them and their cure proued but to be patched for soone after the sore brake out anew and the Canterbury Monkes reuiued their displeasure with such a heat that Hubert of Burgh Earle of Kent and chiefe Iustice of England was driuen to come into the Chapter house and coole it and to worke a second reconciliation betweene them Neither for all that as it may seeme was that flame quite extinguished For not long after viz. Ann. 1238. the Monkes of Christ-Church seeing that they themselues could not preuaile intituled their Archbishop Edmund with whom also the Rochester Monkes waged law at Rome before the holy Father as touching the election of Richard Wendeouer whom they would haue had Bishop by the space of three whole yeares together and at the length either through the equitie of the cause or the weight of their purse saith my Author ouerthrew him vpon Saint Cuthberts day in ioy whereof they returned home with all hast and enacted in their Chapter house that from thenceforth for euer Saint Cuthberts feast as a Trophey of their victory should be holden double both in their Church and Kitchin And not thus onely but otherwise also hath the See at Rochester well holden her owne for during the whole succession of fourescore Bishops and one as I haue said before which in right line haue followed Iustus she hath continually maintained her chaire at this one place whereas in most parts of the Realme besides the Sees of the Bishops haue suffered sundrie translations by reason that in the Conquerours time order was taken that such Bishops as before had their Churches in countrey Townes and Villages should forthwith remoue and from thenceforth remaine in walled Townes and Cities which ordinance could not by any meanes touch Rochester that was a walled Citie long time before king Williams gouernment Here endeth the Diocesse of Rochester ANCIENT FVNERALL MONVMENTS WITHIN THE Diocesse of LONDON AS before I haue said somewhat of the Cities of Canterbury and Rochester so giue me leaue to speak a little of this great Citie of London collected out of as well ancient as moderne writers And first I will borrow a few lines from Iohn Iohnston before remembred sometimes Professour of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of S. Andrewes in Scotland who in a graue note and serious stile compiled certaine Latine verses in praise of this our Metropolis or soueraigne Citie of this Island Which I finde to be translated by Philemon Holland thus This Citie well Augusta call'd to which a truth to say Aire Land Sea and all Elements shew fauour euery way The weather no where milder is the ground most rich to see Doth yeeld all fruits of fertile soile that neuer spent will be And Ocean that with Tams streame his flowing tide doth blend Conueyes to it commodities all that
the world can send The noble seat of Kings it is for port and royalty Of all the Realme the fence the heart the life and lightsome â—y The people ancient valourous expert in chiualry Enriched with all sorts and meanes of Art and Mystery Take heedfull view of euery thing and then say thus in briefe This either is a world it selfe or of the world the chiefe Sir Robert Dallington knight in his view of France comparing the City of Paris with London saith That Paris is the greater the fairer built and the better scituate London is the richer the more populous the more ancient which is an honour as well to great Cities as to great families And more ancient it is then any true Record beareth witnesse saith Speed Fabuled from Brute Troynouant from Lud Ludstone but by more credible writers Tacitus Ptolemy and Antonine Londinium by Amianus Marcellinus for her successiue prosperitie Augusta the greatest title that can be giuen to any It was the first built Citie questionlesse of all in the kingdome Of which my old Rimer Robert of Glocester Ye furste lordes and maistres that in yis londe wer And ye chyff tounes furst yey leâ—e arer London and Euerwyk Lyncolne and Leycestre Colchestre and Canterbery Bristoâ— and Wercestre And many oyer tounes mo in Engelond and in Walis This Citie in respect of all other Cities of this Island doth shew as the Cedars among other trees being the seat of the British kings the Chamber of the English the modell of the land and the Mart of the world for thither are brought the silke of Asia the spices from Africa the Balmes from Grecia and the riches of both the Indies East and West No citie standing so long in fame nor any for diuine and politike gouernment may with her be compared It would ask saith Camd. a long time to discourse particularly of the good Lawes and orders of the laudable gouernment of the port and dignitie of the Maior and Aldermen of their forward seruice and loyaltie to their Prince of the Citizens curtesie the faire building and costly furniture the breed of excellent and choice wits their gardens in the suburbs full of daintie Arbours and banqueting roomes stored also with strange herbes from forraine countries of the multitude strength and furniture of their ships the incredible store of all sorts of merchandise and of the superabundance of all things which belong to the furniture or necessitie of mans life According as Hadrianus Iunius writes in his Philippeis thus turned into English Thicke built with houses London is with riches stuffed full Proud if we may so say of men that therein liue and dwell Where in most plenteous wise abound all things that tongue can tel Will. Warner writing of the foundation and Founder of this renowned Citie giues it the like attributes Now if the Conquerour this Isle had Brutaine vnto name And with his Troians Brute began manurage of the same For razed Troy to reare a Troy fit place he searched then And viewes the mounting Northerne parts These fit quoth hee for men That trust as much to flight as fight our bulwarkes are our brests The next Arriuals here perchance will gladlier build their nests A Troians courage is to him a Fortresse of defence And leauing so where Scots be now he South-ward maketh thence Whereas the earth more plenty gaue and aire more temperature And nothing wanted that by wealth or pleasure might allure And more the Lady Floud of Flouds the Riuer Thamis it Did seeme to Brute against the foe and with himselfe to fit Vpon whose fruitfull banks therefore whose bounds are chiefly said The wantlesse Counties Essex Kent Surrey and wealthy Glayde Of Hartfordshire for Cities store participating ayde Did Brute build vp his Troy-nouant in closing it with wall Which Lud did after beautifie and Luds-towne it did call That now is London euermore to rightfull Princes trew Yea Prince and people still to it as to their store house drew For plenty and for populous the like we no where view Howbeit many neighbour-Townes as much ere now could say But place for people people place and all for sinne decay But of this matter many haue spoken much and it is needlesse for me to say any more especially considering that I shall haue occasion to say somewhat hereafter vpon the said subiect when I come to the buriall of king Brutus In the meane time I will conclude with a Rime Dogerell in commendation of London as the Authour himselfe calls it who was Robert Fabian Alderman and Sheriffe of this honourable Citie in the ninth yeare of king Henry the seuenth which you may reade in the Prologue to the second volume of his Chronicle of England and France Now woulde I fayne In wordes playne Some Honour sayne And brynge to mynde Of that auncyent Cytye That so goodly is to se And full trewe euer hath be And also full kynde To Prince and kynge That hath borne iust rulynge Syn the fyrste winnynge Of this Iland by Brute So that in great honour By passynge of many a showre It hath euer borne the flowre And laudable brute Of euery Cytye and towne To serche the world rowne Neuer yet caste downe As other many haue be As Rome and Carthage Hierusalem the sage With many other of age In storye as ye may see Thys so oldely founded Is so surely grounded That no man may confounde yt It is so sure a stone That yt is vpon sette For though some haue yt thrette With Manasses grym and great Yet hurte had yt none Cryste is the very stone That the Cytye is sette vpon Whyche from all hys foon Hath euer preserued yt By meane of dyvyne seruyce That in contynuall wyse Is kept in deuout guyse UUythin the mure of yt As houses of Relygyon In diuerse places of thys towne Whyche in great deuocyon Ben euer occupyed When one hath done another begyn So that of prayer they neuer blyn Such order is these houses wythin Wyth all vertue allyed The Paryshe Chyrches to reken Of whyche nomber I shall speken Wherein speke many preste and deken And Eryste dayly they serue By meane of whyche sacryfyce I truste that he in all wyse Thys Cytye for her servyce Doth euer more preserue This Cytye I meane ys Troynouaunt Where honour and worschipp doth haunt UUyth vertue and ryches accordaunt No Cytye to yt lyke To speke of euery commodity Fleshe and fishe and all dentye Cloth and sylke wyth wyne plenty That ys for hole and syke Brede and ale wyth spyces fyne Wyth houses fayre to soupe and dyne Nothyng lackynke that is condygne For man that ys on molde UUyth riuers freshe and holsome ayer Wyth women that be good and fayre And to thys Cytye done repayre Of straungers many folde The vytayle that herein is spente In thre housholdes dayly tente Betwene Rome and ryche Kent Are none may theym compare As of the Mayre and Shriues twayne
What myght I of the iustyce sayne Kept wythyn this Cytye playne It were long to declare For though I shuld all day tell Or that wyth my ryme dogerell Myght I not yet halfe do spell This townes great honour Therfore shortly as I began Pray for yt both chyld and man That yt may continue and To bere of all the floure To his Reader of these rymes Who so hym lyketh these versys to rede Wyth fauour I pray he will theym spell Let not the rudenes of theym hym lede For to despraue thys ryme dogerell Some part of the honour it doth you tell Of thys olde Cytye Troynouant But not thereof the halfe dell Connyng in the maker is so adaunt But though he hadde the eloquence Of Tully and the moralytye Of Senek and the influence Of the swyte sugred Armony Or that fayre Ladye Caliope Yet hadde he not connyng perfyght Thys Cytye to prayse in eche degre As yt shulde duely aske by ryght Saint Pauls Church As of the Cathedrall Churches in Canterbury and Rochester so I finde Ethelbert king of Kent to be the Founder of this here in London dedicated to the honour of the euerliuing God and Saint Paul Doctor of the Gentiles These are the words of his Charter preserued here in the Church In Christi nomine Aedelbertus Rex Deo inspirante pro anime sue remedio dedit Episcopo Melito terram que appellatur Tillingeham ad Monasterij sui solatium scilicet Sancti Pauli Apostoli Doctoris Gentium Et ego Aedelbertus ita firmiter concedo tibi Presuli Melito potestatem eius habendi possidendi vt in perpetuum in Monasterij vtilitate permaneat Si quis vero contradicere temptauerit hanc donationem Anathema excomunicatus sit ab omni societate Christiana vsque ad satisfactionem Qua de re ego Episcopus Melitus vna cum Rege Aedeberto Humfredum Episcopum subscribere rogaui Signum manus Humfredi Episcopi Signum manus Letharij Episcopi Signum manus Abbane Signum manus Aethelpaldi Signum manus Aespine aliorum multorum Besides this his gift of Tillingham in Essex dedit viginti quatuor Hidas terre iuxta Londoniam as the Lieger booke of this Church speakes the greatest part of which was afterwards diuided into Prebends as More Finnesbury Oldstreet Wenlocksborne Hoxton Newington S. Pancrace Kentishtowne Totenhall Ragener Holborne Portpole Iseldon and there onely remained to the Deane and Chapter Norton Folgate King Athelstan at the request of Bishop Theodred surnamed the good gaue Monasterio Sancti Pauli in Londonia Ciuitate c. decem Mansas ad Sandonam cum Rode octo ad Eardlage now Yerdley cum Luffenhede et decem ad Bylchampe cum Picham et octo ad Lidwolditon nunc Heybridge et duodecim ad Runwellam et triginta ad Edelfesnesam now Pauls soken in Essex et decem ad Breytane et octo ad Berne et decem ad Neoldune cum Pislesdune King Edgar at the request of Bishop Dunstan and his third sonne beautifull young Ethelred pro sexaginta Mancis auri puri which is threescore Markes of our English money dedit ad Monasterium Sancti Pauli viginti quinque Mansiones in loco qui vocatur Nasinstocke Which were confirmed by Etheldred and diuers succeeding kings Canutus or Knute the Dane king of England not onely confirmes his predecessours gifts but also founds and endowes the dignitie of the Deanry with the Church of Lamborne in Barkshire pro victu decani qui pro tempore fuerit The first Deane whereof was Leuegarus as appeares by an ancient Catalogue of the Deanes amongst the Antiquities of this Church whom succeeded Godwynus Syredus Gulielmus Elfwynus Luiredus and in the Conquerours time Wolfmannus after him Radulphus de Diceto that great and iudicious Antiquarie Qui velut alter Iosephus aut Philo saith Bale Cent. 2. suae gentis vetera Monumenta atque inclita facta perpetuare studens multa retroactis seculis incognita produxit in lucem Edward the Confessour confirmes the gift of Wygaley now West Lee in Essex which one Ediua a religious woman gaue Fratribus Sancti Pauli and also giues himselfe Monasterio Sancti Pauli octo Mansas ad Berling et quinque ad Cynford now Chyngford in Essex Kensworth and Caddington and diuers other lands were giuen to this Church before the Conquest all which the Conquerour confirmes by his Charter remaining amongst the Records in the Tower adding thereunto many ample priuiledges and immunities Quia volo saith he vt ista Ecclesia ita sit libera in omnibus sicut volo esse animam meam in die iudicij Moreouer besides this confirmation he gaue vnto this Church and Mauritius the Bishop the Castle of Stortford or Storford in Hertfordshire with all the appurtenances belonging thereunto for euer and namely the land which William the Deacon and Raph his brother held of the king William Rufus by his deed sealed freeth the Canons of Pauls from all works to the walls and Tower of London and withall confirmes all his fathers donations and priuiledges This deed was dated at Hereford Since which time one Peter Newport of which name and family many lie entombed in burnt Pelham within Hertfordshire gaue vnto this Church two hundred acres of wood in Hadley and Thundersey in Essex and fourescore Acres of arable land with a Brewhouse out of which the Deane and Chapter were to pay a certaine summe of money to a Priest to say Masse for his soule Sir Philip Basset knight gaue Drayton to the Deane and Chapter to the entent that they should pay 15. l. for euer to three Chapleynes for the like seruice of saying Masse and his Executours gaue Hayrstead out of which there was yearely spent fiue pounds for an Obit The Executors of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster gaue to this Church the Mannors of Bowes and Pecleshouse in Midlesex for the maintenance of certaine Priests to sing Masse for his soule And of these Mannors the Church was possest vntill the latter end of king Henry the eight The Churches of Willesdon Sunbury Brickesley Rickling and Aueley were impropriated to the Deane and Chapter by diuers Bishops the Impropriations whereof were theirs at that time Besides their lands and reuenues in the countrey these Churchmen had diuers houses in the Citie which were granted sometime Deo et Sancto Paulo sometime Deo et Sancti Pauli seruientibus sometime Sancto Paulo et Canonicis Of these I haue seene many deeds among which one is most remarkable dated in the yeare 1141. the sixth of king Stephen and fastened with a labell to the end of a sticke of what wood I know not howsoeuer it remaines to this day free from worme-holes or any the least corruption not so much as in the barke Whereby one Robert Fitz-Gousbert for his soules health giues vnto this Church a certaine parcell of land or an house containing eight foot in breadth and sixe in length Vpon which wood or
Amen This Thomas Kempe was Nephew to Iohn Kempe Archbishop of Canterbury at whose hands hee receiued Consecration at Yorke place now called White hall Ann. 1449. Febr. 8. his Vnkle being as then Archbishop of Yorke This Bishop and not Duke Vmphrey as it is commonly beleeued by report built for the most part the Diuinitie Schooles in Oxford as they stood before Bodleyes foundation with walls Arches Vaults doores towers and pinnacles all of square smooth polisht stone and artificially depainted the Doctors Chaire to the liuely representation of the glorious frame of the celestiall globle He built also Pauls Crosse in forme as as it now standeth Here lieth Iohn Stokesley Bishop of this Church brought vp at Magdelene Colledge in Oxford and here enthronized Iuly 19. 1530. Who died Septemb. 8. 1539. A part of his Epitaph as yet remaines inlaid in brasse which approues him to haue beene a good Linguist and a great Schollar Huius in obscuro tumuli interiore recessit Stokesley cineres ossaque tecta iacent Cuius fama patens vite decus ingenijque Dexteritas ..... luce tamen Iste Deo Regique suo populoque fideli Viueret vt charus perpetuo studuit Exterius siquidem potuit regionibus .... .................... Qui Latias lustrauit opes intrauit hebreas Huic grecorum palma parata fuit Artes quid memorem vanas ad quas penetrauit Quum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auctus honore fuit .............. Virginis matris cultori certa supremum Natalem Marie fata dedere diem I reade in the Catalogue of Bishops and other writers for all the Inscriptions of any Antiquitie made to the memory of other Bishops here interred are altogether erazed or stolne away that William a Norman who enioyed this Bishopricke in the Conquerours time lieth here interred in the body of the Church Vnto whom the City of London acknowledgeth it selfe greatly beholding for that the king by his meanes and instant suite granted vnto them all kinde of liberties in as ample manner as they enioyed them in the time of his predecessour Ed. the Confessour These are the words of the Conquerours grant written in the Saxon tongue and sealed with greene waxe Williem king grets Williem Bisceop and Godfred Porterefan and ealle ya Burghwarn binnen London Frencisce and Englise frendlice and ickiden eoy yeet ic wille yeet git ben ealra weera lagay weore ye get weeran on Eadwards daege kings And ic will yeet aelc child by his fader yrfnume aefter his faders daege And i◠nelle ge wolian yeet aenig man coy aenis wrang beode God coy heald Which in English is to this effect following William king greetes William Bishop and Godfrey Portgraue and all the Burrow of London French and English friendly And I make knowne to you that ye be worthy to enioy all that Law and priuiledge which ye did in the dayes of King Edward And I will that euery childe bee his fathers heire after his fathers decease And I will not suffer that any man doe vnto you any iniurie God you keepe In thankfulnesse hereof the Citizens caused to bee engrauen an Epitaph vpon his Tombe in Latine thus Englished by Iohn Stow. To William a man famous in wisedome and holinesse of life who first with Saint Edward the king and Confessour being familiar of late preferred to be Bishop of London and not long after for his prudencie and sincere fidelitie admitted to be of Councell with the most victorious Prince William king of England of that name the first who obtained of the same great and large priuiledges to this famous City The Senate and Citizens of London to him hauing well deserued haue made this Hee continued Bishop twenty yeares and dyed in the yeare after Christ his natiuitie 1070. These marble Monuments to thee thy Citizens assigne Rewards O father farre vnfit to those deserts of thine Thee vnto them a faithfull friend thy London people found And to this Towne of no small weight a stay both sure and sound Their liberties restorde to them by meanes of thee haue beene Their publike weale by meanes of thee large gifts haue felt and seene Thy riches stocke and beauty braue one houre hath them supprest Yet these thy vertues and good deeds with vs for euer rest But this Tombe was long since either destroyed by time or taken away vpon some occasion yet howsoeuer the Lord Maior of London and the Aldermen his brethren vpon those solemne dayes of their resort to Pauls do still vse to walke to the grauestone where this Bishop lyeth buried in remembrance of their priuiledges by him obtained And now of late yeares an Inscription fastened to the pillar next adioyning to his graue called The reuiuall of a most worthy Prelates remembrance erected at the sole cost and charges of the right honourable and nobly affected Sir Edward Barkham knight Lord Maior of the Citie of London Ann. 1622. thus speakes to the walkers in Pauls Walkers whosoere you be If it proue your chance to see Vpon a solemnes skarlet day The Citie Senate passe this way Their gratefull memory for to show Which they the reuerend ashes owe Of Bishop Norman here inhum'd By whom this Citie hath assum'd Large priuiledges Those obtain'd By him when Conquerour William raign'd This being by thankfull Barkhams mynd renewd Call it the Monument of Gratitude Here lieth buried Fulk Basset Bishop of this Church preferred hither from the Deanrie of Yorke a Gentleman of an ancient great family second brother of that Gilbert Basset who through the stumbling of his horse fell in a certaine wood as hee went a hunting in the haruest time Ann. 1241. and brake so his bones and sinewes that within a few dayes after he dyed and shortly after euen in the same moneth the onely sonne of this Gilbert being a childe died whereby that lordlie inheritance came to this Fulk Basset who as he was a man of great linage and also of ample both temporall and Ecclesiasticall possessions so was hee a Prelate of an inuincible high spirit stout and couragious to resist those insupportable exactions which the Popes Legate Rustandus went about to lay vpon the Clergie and at such a time when the Pope and the king like the Shepheard and the Woolfe ioyned both together to destroy the Sheepfold Much what about which time to the same effect certaine rimes were scattered abroad as I haue before set downe in the Diocesse of Canterbury Such were the Popes rapines and enormous proceedings in those dayes all which this stout Bishop withstood to the vttermost of his power Hee died of the plague here in London Ann. 1258. hauing gouerned this See 14. yeares odde moneths A Monument was made to his eternall memory whereupon this Distich was inlaid in brasse Prudens fortis iacet hac Episcopus arca Bone Iesu. Bassettis ortus cui parcas summe Hierarcha Bone Iesu. Here lieth entombed in the
Noster and an Aue. The pictures of Robert Agnes and Ioan inlaid in brasse seeme thus to speake Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miserere nobis Et Ancillis tuis sperantibus in te O mater Dei memento mei Iesu mercy Lady help Robert Traps died the yeare 1526. this Robert had a daughter by Ioan his second wife married to one Frankland whose name was Iodoca I thinke Ioice an especiall Benefactour to Brasen-nose Colledge in Oxford as the principall the Fellowes and Schollars of that house do thankfully acknowledge by a faire Monument in the Northwall of the Chancell of this Church thus inscribed Felici piae et munificentissimae foeminae Iodocae Frankland viduatae filiae Roberti et Ioannae Trappes Londinensium Gratitudinis hoc officij et pietatis Monumentum adoptione filij Principalis et Scholares Collegij de Brasennose apud Oxoniens exhibuere Dilecti cineres non sic requiescitis vrnae In tenui vt vobis sola haec monumenta parantur Quae tandem vel sera dies pessundare possit Aenea vos monumenta â—egunt viuumque Trophaeum Aeternum meruistis enim viuumque Trophaeum Vobis vestra dedit Iodoca paerennius aere Nos etenim aeternumque omnes quos postera nobis Secla dabunt voces sumus immortale Sepulchrum Nomen Elisa tuum fama super aethera notum Aeâ—ternum magis atque magis post funera floret Vt Mater Patriae vicinis gentibus hospes Hostibus infestis terror pietatis Asylum Mitrati mastix Papae celebraris vbique Semper erit Britones inter clarissima Elisa Gloria dum Britonum atque Gens Angla vigebit Without this Church on the East end is engrauen this name Iohn Brokeitwell an especiall founder or new builder of the same and these rimes following Al yat wil gud warks wurch Prey for yem yat help thys Church Geuyng almys for cherite Pater Noster and Aue Saint Margaret Moses Prey for ye sowlygs of Michiel Forlace and Mary his wyf and in ye worschypp of God and our Lady for theyr Faders and Moders wyth ye sowlygs of al Christen of yowr cherite sey a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria Body I Mary Pawson ly below slepyng Soule I Mary Pawson sit aboue waking Both. Wee hope to meete againe wyth glory clothed Then Mary Pawson for euer blessed Saint Albons Woodstreet Here lyeth marmorate vndyr thys hepe of stoan Syr Harry Weuer Aldyrman and his Lady Dame Ioan. Thus worldly worschypp and honor wyth Fauour and fortun passyth day by day Who may wythstand deathys schorne when rych and por sche closyth in clay Wherfor to God hertelie we pray To pardon vs of our misdeed And help vs now in our most need Hic iacet in requie Woodcock Ion vir generosus Maior Londonie Mercerus valde morosus Miles qui fuerat ............. M. Domini mille centum quater ruit ille Cum x bis This Iohn Woodcock was Lord Maior Ann. Dom. 1405. in which his office he caused all the Weres in the Riuer of Thames from Stanes to the Riuer of Medway to be destroyed and the Trinks to be burned Saint Michaels Woodstreet Here lieth buried saith Stow the head of Iames the fourth King of Scots whose body bowelled rebollowed embalmed and inclosed in lead was conuayed from Flodden Field where he was slaine in battell the ninth of September being Friday 1513. by Thomas Howard Earle of Surry Lieutenant Generall of the English Army to this Citie of London presented to Queene Katherine and from hence sent to the Monastery of Shine in Surrey where it was regally interred Since the dissolution of which house in the dayes of king Edward the sixth I haue beene shewed saith hee the same body so wrapped in lead throwne into a waste roome amongst old timber stone lead and other rubble and further to shew the occasion of the buriall of his head here in this Church he declareth that the seruants of Lancelot Young Glasier to the late Queene Elizabeth being at Shine in new glasing the windowes either vpon a foolish pleasure or desire of the lead cut the head from the rest but smelling the sweete perfumes of the balmes gaue it to their Master who opening the head found therein the head of a man retaining fauour though the moysture were cleane dried vp whose haire both of Head and Beard was red which after he had well viewed and a while kept he caused to bee buried in Saint Michaels Woodstreet London the Church of the Parish wherein himselfe dwelled That the Head of this valorous King lieth here inhumed wee must beleeue the words of the Relator for I finde no Monument or outward apparance of it in the Church That his body not found till the day after the battell and then not knowne or descried because of his many wounds saue onely by the Lord Dacres was interred amongst the Carthusians in the Priory of Shine at Richmond I haue out of an old Manuscript the testimony of a man which saw his Sepulchre the same yeare of his death in the said religious house these are his words out of the Lieger booke of Whalley Abbey Anno Domini M. VC.XIII Hoc anno Iacobus Scotie Rex in Borea triumphaliter ab Anglis Rege Henrico valido exercitu contra Gallos vltra Mare debellante interemptus est Cuius corpus quom hec scripserim quoniam membrum ab Ecclesia euulsum de hoc mundo abcesserit huc vsque in domo Cartusiensium apud Rychmund mortalibus miserandum spectaculum inhumatum iacet Qui vidit testimonium perhibuit Et verum est testimonium eius Yet notwithstanding all this Iohn Lesley Bishop of Rosse affirmeth that it was held for certaine that the body thus found by the Lord Dacres was the body of the Laird Bonehard then slaine in the battell and that King Iames was seene aliue the same night at Kelso whence he passed to Ierusalem and there spent the rest of his dayes in holy contemplation And another of later times also affirmeth the place of this kings buriall to bee as yet vnknowne King Henry the eight saith hee who subuerted so many Churches Monuments and Tombes lyeth inglorious at Windsor and neuer had the honour either of the Tombe which hee had prepared or of any Epitaph that I now remember But his Brother in law King Iames the fourth of Scotland slaine at Flodden though the place of his buriall is vnknowne yet had this honourable Epitaph Fama orbem replet mortem sors occulit at tu Desine scrutari quod tegit ossa solum Si mihi dent animo non impar fata Sepulchrum Augusta est tumulo terra Britanna meo And Iohn Ionston in his Historicall Inscriptions of the Scottish Kings confirmes the same opinion of the vncertaintie of the place of this Kings interrement Reade if you please the verses of that worthy man Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Saint
by King Henry the second remoued into Ireland who supposed that he should disburden himselfe of the worlds hatred for that fact in case hee aduanced the Kinsfolke and Allies of the said Thomas to rich reuenues and high honours The first Earle of Ormond saith he in this familie was Iames sonne to Edmund Earle of Caricke who wedded the daughter of Humphrey Bohun Earle of Hereford whom he had by a daughter of King Edward the first And here was his first step vnto this honour hereupon Iames his sonne by this marriage came to be commonly named among the people The noble Earle The fifth Earle of these named Iames that I may not stand particularly vpon euere one receiued at the hands of King Henry the sixth the title and honour of Earle of Wiltshire to him and to the heires of his body who being Lord Deputie of Ireland as diuers others of this race and Lord Treasurer of England standing attainted by King Edward the fourth was streight waies apprehended and beheaded but his brethren Iohn and Thomas likewise proclaimed Traitors kept themselues close out of the way Iohn died at Ierusalem without issue Thomas here entombed through the speciall fauour of King Henry the seuenth was in the end restored to his bloud who departed this life as before in his Epitaph An. 1515. leauing behinde him two daughters Anne married to Sir Iames de Sancto Leodegario called commonly Sellenger and Margaret vnto Sir William Bullein who bare vnto him Sir Thomas Bollein whom King Henry the eight created first Viscount Rochford afterwards Earle of Wiltshire and Ormund the father of Anne Bollein as I haue written before Here lyeth ..... Iohn Riche .... the sonne of Richard Riche Sheriffe .... 1469. Respice quid prodest presentis temporis euum Omne quod est nihil est preter amare deum Richard Rich one of the Sheriffes of London Anno 1442. and the father of this Iohn founded certaine Almes-houses at Hodsdon in Hertfordshire He lieth buried in Saint Laurence Church old Iewrie with the like Distich vpon his monument Vndyr this ston lyeth in the holy plas Ambros Cressacre ...... he was Late of Dedington in Huntington shyre Passyd fro this world worshcipfull Esquyre The yere of our Lord God M. cccc.lxxvii it is Iesu for his mercy grant his sowl bliss Iohn Peris and Margaret his wyf The whych late departyd fro this present lyf Here beryed and ther sonn vndyr this ston And ther soulys to God ben passyd and gon To thee for help of mercy thou blessyd Saint Ion And to Saint Margarite also I mak my mon. Here lieth Raph Tilney Grocer sometyme Alderman and Sheriffe of this City and Ioan his wyff who dyed 1503 and Ioan died 1500 .... on whos soulys Clausa sub bac fossa pacis hic Yerford pronus ossa ............... Prudens pacificus in omnes pacis amicus Vixit Mercerus in promissis cuique verus Mors properata nimis dum floruit impia primis Annis vanescit et à nobis sicque recessit Anno milleno quater cccc octuagenâ— Migrat ab hac vita sua spes succurre Maria. Siste precorque legas Alleyneia et eâ—ce Iohannes Londini quondam Pretor erat celebris Confilio Regis summa probitate probatus Inclytus et miles nobilitate valens Quem Deus omnipotens secum dignetur Olympo Et precor eternam donet ei requiem obijt An. 1544. This Lord Maior who for his singular wisedome was made a Priuie Councellour to King Henry the eight built a beautifull Chappell here wherein he was first buried but since his Tombe is remoued thence into the body of the Hospitall Church and his Chappell diuided into Shops He gaue to the city a rich coller of gold to be worne by the Maior he gaue a stocke of 500 markes to be employed for the vse of the poore of London besides the rents of certaine lands by him purchased of the King To Prisons Hospitals and Lazer houses within and two miles without the Citie he was abundantly charitable Saint Mary Bow Magnificus sed iustificus misâ—ris et amicus Vir speciosus vir generosus virque pudicus Et peramabilis et venerabilis atque piarum Vis dux lex lampas flos Maior Londoniarum In terre ventre iacet hic Iohn rite Couentre Dictus quem necuit veluti decuit lue plenus Bis septingenus tricenus citra his et vnus Martius in sole triceno si trahis vnum Virginis a partu carnis modo mortuus artu Viuus erit celis tuba clanxerit vt Gabrielis Amen This Iohn was the sonne of William Couentrie of the Citie of Couentrie in Warwickshire He was Lord Maior of this Citie An. 1425 a man much commended he is in our English Chronicles for his discreet carriage in the debate betwixt Humphrey Duke of Glocester and Henry Beaufort that wealthy Bishop of Winchester One William Copeland Church-warden gaue the great Bell which is rung nightly at nine of the clocke which had this inscription cast in the mettall An. 1515. Dudum fundabar Bowbel campana vocabar Sexta sonat bis sexta sonat ter tertia pulsat No maruaile death in childhood tooke from men This roiall Prince he was a father then Three Hospitalls erected this rate gem And ended praising God for ending them Saint Anthonies commonly called Saint Antlins Here lyth grauyn vndyr this ston Thomas Knowles both flesh and bon Grocer and Alderman yeres fortye Sheriff and twis Maior truly And for he shold not ly alone Here lyth wyth him his good wyff Ione They weren togeder sixty yere And nineteen chyldren they had in feer Now ben they gon wee them miss Christ haue here sowlys to heuen bliss Amen ob Ann. 14 ...... This Lord Maior with the Aldermen his brethren began to new build the Guild Hall he reedified this Church gaue to the Grocers his house neare vnto the same for reliefe of the poore for euer and caused water to be conuayed to the gate of Newgate and Ludgate for reliefe of the prisoners He was Lord Maior Ann. 1. of Hen. the fourth and againe An. 12. eiusdem Regis Thomas Knowles sonne of the foresaid Thomas a great benefactour to this Church was buried here in the North Isle by his father vnder a faire marble stone thus sometimes engrauen but now quite taken away for the gaine of the brasse Thomas Knolles lyeth vndre this ston And his wyff Isabell flesh and bon They weren togeder nyntene yere And x. chyldren they had in fere His Fader and he to this Chyrch Many good dedys they did wyrch Example by him ye may see That this world is but vanitie For wheder he be smal or gret All sall turne to wormys mete This seyd Thomas was leyd on Bere The eighth dey the moneth Fevrer The date of Iesu Crist truly An. M. CCCC fiue and forty Wee mey not prey hertely
prey yee For owr soulys Pater Noster and Aue The sooner of owr peyne lessid to be Grant vs thy holy Trinite Amen Here vndyr rests this marble ston Ione Spenser both flesh and bon Wyff to Ion Spenser certen Taylor of London and Citizen Dawter she was whylst she was here Vnto Richard Wetiuen Squier And to Elisabeth his wyf Whych Ione departyd this lif The tweluth dey of September As many one do yet remember In the yere of owr Lord God ful euen A thowsand four hundryd and seuen Vnder this black marbl ston lyth the body of Master Walter Lempster Doctor of Phisick and also Phisition to the high and mighty Prince Hen. the vii whych Master Lempster gayve vnto this Chyrch too cheynes of fyne gold weying xiiii ounces and a quarter for to make a certeyn ornament to put on the blessyd body of our Sauiour Iesu. He died the ix of March M. cccc.lxxx.vii Who 's soul god pardon Such as I am such sall ye be Grocer of London somtym was I The kings Weigher mor then yeres twenty Simon Street callyd in my plas And good Fellowshyp fayn wold tras Therfor in heuen euerlastyng lif Iesu send me and Agnes my wyf Kerli Merli my words were tho And Deo gratias I added therto I passyd to God in the yere of Grase A thousand four hundryd iust hit was ................. Here lyth vndyr this litle spas The body of William Goldhirst who somtym was Skinner of London and citinure Worshcipful til his endure And his wyf Margaret also God haue mercy on theyr sowlys both two And departyd fro hence the xxv day Of the Month of Septembyr withoutyn nay The yere of our Lord Iesu On thowsand fyue hundryd eleuen ful true Vpon whos sowlys Iesu haue mercy That for vs say a Pater Noster and an Aue. Saint Michaels at Queene-Hithe The Monuments in this Church are all defaced onely I finde that Stephen Spilman or Spelman as appeareth by his Will was here buried directly against the high Altar vnder a faire Monument no Inscription thereupon now remaining This Stephens Armes are amongst the Maiors and Sheriffes of London vpon a field sables six besants 2.1.1.2 betweene two slayks argent Sometimes Mercer Chamberlaine of London then one of the Sheriffes and Alderman of the said Citie in the yeare 1404. He deceased without issue gaue his lands to his Familie the Spilmans and his goods to the making or repairing of Bridges and other like godly vses He repaired this Church and therein founded a Chantry He died about the last yeare of the raigne of king Henry the fifth Richard Grey Iron-monger one of the Sheriffes likewise of this Citie in the yeare 1515. lieth here buried He gaue 40. pound to the repairing of this Church Orate pro animabus Richardi Marloi quondam venerabilis Maioris Ciuitatis London Agnetis consortis sue Qui ....... ob ..... This Marlow was Lord Maior in the yeare 1409. in whose Maioraltie there was a Play at Skinners Hall which lasted eight dayes saith Stow to heare which most of the greatest Estates of England were present The Subiect of the play was the sacred Scriptures from the creation of the world They call this Corpus Christi Play in my countrey which I haue seene acted at Preston and Lancaster and last of all at Kendall in the beginning of the raigne of King Iames for which the Townesmen were sore troubled and vpon good reasons the play finally supprest not onely there but in all other Townes of the kingdome Richardo Hill potentissimi Regis Henrici octaui celle vinarie Prefectus Elisabetha coniux mestissima facta iam vndecimorum liberorum mater Marito optimo immatura tandem morte sublato Quod solum potuit posteritati commendaturum cupiens hoc Monumentum posuit Obijt An. Dom. 1539. die mens Maij 12. Saint Mary Aldermary Here lieth buried Sir Charles Blount or Blunt Baron Mountioy who died 1544. With this Epitaph made by himselfe a little before his death Wilingly haue I sought and willingly haue I found The fatall end that wrought thither as dutie bound Discharg'd I am of that I ought to my countrey by honest wound My soule departyd Christ hath bought the end of man is ground This familie of the Blunts is noble and ancient surnamed so at the first of the yellow haire of their head Blunt signifying so in the Norman language they greatly flourished at Kinlet in Shropshire and by Elwaston in Darbishire where Sir Raph Mountioy had lands in the time of Edward the first from whence came Sir Walter Blunt whom King Edward the fourth aduanced to the honour of Baron Mountioy with a pension Whose posteritie haue equalled the Nobilitie of their birth with the ornaments of learning and principally amongst them Charles late Earle of Deuonshire deceased Baron Mountioy Lord Lieutenant generall of Ireland and knight of the honourable order of the Garter whose sonne Mountioy Blunt enioyeth his lands who by the speciall fauour of our late Soueraigne King Iames was created Baron of Montioy in the North of Ireland Here also lieth buried William Blunt Lord Mountioy who died but of later times Saint Martius Vintrie Many faire marble stones inlaid with brasse and well preserued are in this Church most of their inscriptions being perfectly to bee read And the most of which are set downe in the Suruay of this Citie I will onely touch some few of them As flowers in feeld thus passyth lif Nakyd then clothyd feble in the end If sheweth by Robart Daluss and Alyson his wyf Chryst yem saue fro the power of the Fiend ob 1469. Hic .... Micolt quondam ciuis vinitarius London Ioanna vxor eius ac pueri eorundem qui quidem Iohannes obijt 17. die Aprilis Ann. Dom. 1424. Quorum anime per Dei immensam miserecordiam in pace perpetua permaneant ac requiem possideant Es testis Christe quod non iacet hic lapis iste Corpus vt ornetur sed spiritus vt memoretur Heus tu qui transis magnus medius puer an sis Pro me funde preces quia sic mihi fit venie spes ...... honorabilis viri Radulphi Astry militis nuper Maioris ac Aldermanni Piscenarij Ciuitatis London et preclarissimarum Domine Margarie ac Margarete vxorum eius Qui quidem Radulphus obijt 18. die Nouembris Ann. Dom. 1494. predicta Margeria obijt .... die dicta Margarita ab hoc seculo migrauit 10. die Marcij Ann. Dom. 1492. Quorum animabus Hic iacet Radulphus Astry generosus vnus filiorum Radulphi Astri militis quondam maioris Ciuitatis London Qui quidem Radulphus filius in sua florida iuuentute ab hoc seculo migrauit Ann. Dom. 1501. 19. die mens Septemb. This Raph Astrie Maior was sonne to Geffery Astrie or Ostrich of Hitchin in the County of Hertford He new roofed this
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
whencesoeuer he come or for what offence or cause it be either for his refuge into the said holy place he be assured of his life liberty and limbes And ouer this I forbid vnder the paine of euerlasting damnation that no Minister of mine or of my Successours intermeddle them with any the goods lands or possessions of the said persons taking the said Sanctuary for I haue taken their goods and liuelode into my speciall protection and therefore I grant to euery each of them in as much as my terrestriall power may suffice all manner freedome of ioyous liberty and whosoeuer presumes or doth contrary to this my Grant I will he lose his name worship dignitie and power And that with the great traytor Iudas that betrayed our Sauiour he be in the euerlasting fire of hell And I will and ordaine that this my grant endure as long as there remaineth in England either loue or dread of Christian name King Edward the third built in the little Sanctuarie a Clochard of stone and timber and placed therein three bells for the vse of Saint Stephens Chappell About the biggest Bell was engrauen or cast in the mettall these words King Edward made mee thirtie thousand weight and three Take mee downe and wey mee and more you shall fynd mee But these Bells being to be taken downe in the raigne of King Henry the eight one writes vnderneath with a coale But Henry the eight will bait me of my weight In the Steeple of the great Church in the Citie of Roane in Normandy is one great Bell with the like Inscription Ie suis George de Ambios Qui trente cinque mille pois Mes lui qui me pesera Trente six mill me trouera I am George of Ambois Thirtie five thousand in pois But he that shall weigh me Thirtie six thousand shall find mee One lately hauing taken view of the Sepulchres of so many Kings Nobles and other eminent persons interred in this Abbey of Westminster made these rimes following which he called A Memento for Mortalitie Mortalitie behold and feare What a change of flesh is here Thinke how many royall bones Sleepe within this heape of stones Hence remou'd from beds of ease Daintie â—are and what might please Fretted roofes and costlie showes To a roofe that flats the nose Which proclaimes all flesh is grasse How the worlds faire Glories passe That there is no trust in Health In youth in age in Greatnesse wealth For if such could haue repriu'd Those had beene immortall liu'd Know from this the worlds a snare How that greatnesse is but care How all pleasures are but paine And how short they do remaine For here they lye had Realmes and Lands That now want strength to stirre their hands Where from their pulpits seel'd with dust They preach In Greatnesse is no trust Here 's an Aker sowne indeed With the richest royall seed That the earth did ere sucke in Since the first man dy'd for sin Here the bones of birth haue cry'd Though Gods they were as men haue dy'd Here are sands ignoble things Dropt from the ruin'd sides of Kings With whom the poore mans earth being showne The difference is not easily knowne Her 's a world of pompe and state Forgotten dead disconsolate Thinke then this Sithe that mowes downe kings Exempts no meaner mortall things Then bid the wanton Lady tread Amid these mazes of the dead And these truly vnderstood More shall coole and quench the blood Then her many sports a day And her nightly wanton play Bid her paint till day of doome To this fauour she must come Bid the Merchant gather wealth The vsurer exact by stealth The proud man beate it from his thought Yet to this shape all must be brought Chappell of our Lady in the Piew Neare vnto the Chappell of Saint Stephen was sometime a smaller Chappell called our Lady of the Piew but by whom first founded I cannot finde To this Lady great offerings were vsed to be made Richard the second after the ouerthrow of Wat. Tilar as I haue read and other the Rebels in the fourth of his raigne went to Westminster and there giuing thankes to God for his victory made his offering in this Chappell By the negligence of a Scholler forgetting to put forth the Lights of this Chappell the Image of our Lady richly decked with Iewels precious stones Pearles and Rings more then any Ieweller saith he could iudge the price was with all the apparell and ornaments belonging thereunto as also the Chappell it selfe burnt to ashes It was againe reedified by Antony Widâ—uile Earle Riuers Lord Scales Vncle and Gouernour to the Prince of Wales that should haue beene King Edward the fifth Who was vniustly beheaded at Pomfret by the procurement of Richard Crook-backe Duke of Glocester then Lord Protectour the 13. of Iune 1483. Saint Margaret in Westminster Adioyning on the North side of the Abbey standeth Saint Margarets the Parish Church of the Citie of Westminster reedified for the most in the raigne of King Edward the fourth especially the South Isle from the piety of the Lady Marye Billing and her second husband Sir Thomas Billing chief Iustice of England in that Kings time Whose Monument with that to the memorie of her first husband William Cotton Esquire I haue here expressed Here lieth Dame Mary Bylling late wife to Sir Thomas Bylling Knight chiefe Iustice of England and to William Coton and Thomas Lacy which Mary died the 14 day of March in the yeare of our Lord God 1499. Blessed Lady c. haue mercy c. Ant Mary gratia plena on me haue mercy on me haue mercy Ecce ancila dom Fiat 〈…〉 secund uerbu tuuÌ„ 〈…〉 〈…〉 The inheritance of this Lady was the Lordship of Connington in Huntingtonshire The seate once of Turketell the Dane Earle of the East Angles who inuited ouer Swain King of Denmarke to inuade this kingdome He exiâ—'d with most of his Nation by Saint Edmond the Confessor This his seate with other his large possessions were giuen by the same King to Walthâ—oâ— Earle of Northumberland and Huntington to whom the first William gaue in marriage the Lady Iudithe his sisters daughter This Lordship with the Earledome of Huntington by the marriage of Mary that Earles daughter to Dauid the sonne of the first Malcolme King of Scots and the holy Margaret his wife Neece to Edward the King Confessor Grandchilde to Edmond surnamed Ironside King of the English Saxons and sister and heire to Edgar surnamed Ethelinge by which marriage the Stemme Royall of the Saxons became vnited into the bloud Royall of the Scottish Kings in whose male lyne that Earldome and this Lordship continued vntill Isabell the daughter and heire of Dauid Earle of Huntington and brother to Malcome William and Alexander successiue Kings of that kingdome brought them both by her marriage to Robert de Brus into that family She leauing the iust clayme of the Crowne of Scotland to Robert her eldest sonne whose sonne
of the pot There hath also beene found in the same field diuers coffins of stone containing the bones of men these I suppose to be the burials of some speciall persons in time of the Brittaines or Saxons Moreouer there were also found the sculls and bones of men without coffins or rather whose coffines being of great timber were consumed Diuers great Nailes of Iron were there found such as are vsed in the wheeles of shod carts being each of them as bigge as a mans finger and a quarter of a yard the heads two inches ouer Those Nailes were more wondred at then the rest of the things there found and many opinions of men were there vttered of them namely that the men there buried were murthered by driuing those Nailes into their heads a thing vnlikely for a smaller Naile would more aptly serue to so bad a purpose and a more secret place would lightly be imployed for such buriall But to set downe what I obserued concerning this matter I there beheld the bones of a man lying as I noted the head North the feet South and round about him as thwart his head along both his sides and thwart his feet such Nailes were found Wherefore I coniectured them to be Nailes of his coffin Which had beene a trough cut out of some great tree and the same couered with a planke of a great thicknesse fastened with such Nailes and therefore I caused some of the Nailes to be reached vp to 〈◊〉 found vnder the broad heads of them the old wood â—eane turned into earth but still retaining both the graine and proper colour Of these Nailes with the wood vnder the head thereof I reserued one as also the 〈◊〉 bone of the man the teeth being great sound and fixed which amongst many other Monuments there found I haue yet to shew but the nayle lying dry is by scaling greatly wasted And thus much of ancient Funerall Monuments in the fields Certaine Burials of British Kings in and about London the places of their interments vncertaine And first to begin with Guentoline the sonne of Gurgunstus King of Britaine who flourished about the yeare of the world 3614. Who was a wise Prince graue in counsell and sober in behauiour and studied with great care and diligence to reforme anew and to adorne with iustice lawes and good orders the British commonwealth by other Kings not so framed as stood with the greatnesse thereof But as he was busie in hand herewith death tooke him away from these worldly employments when hee had raigned 27. yeares He had a wife named Martia Proba a woman of perfect beautie and wisedome incomparable as by her prudent gouernment and equall administration of iustice after her husbands decease during her sonnes minoritie it most manifestly appeared She was a woman expert and skilfull in diuers sciences but chiefely being admitted to the gouernment of the Realme she studied to preserue the common wealth in good quiet and decent order and therefore deuised established and writ a booke in the British tongue of profitable and conuenient Lawes the which after her name were called Martian Lawes These Lawes afterwards Gildas Cambrius the Historicall Welch Poet translated into Latine and a long time after him Alured King of the West Saxons holding these lawes necessarie for the preseruation of the common wealth put them into English Saxon speech and then they were called after that translation Marchenclagh that is to meane the Lawes of Martia adding thereunto a Booke of his owne writing of the Lawes of England which he called A certaine Breuiarie extracted out of diuers Lawes of the Troians Grecians Britaines Saxons and Danes She flourished before the birth of our Lord and Sauiour 348. yeares or thereabouts Her sonnes name was Sicilius who vpon the death of his Father was but young for I reade that Martia his mother deliuered vp the gouernment of the kingdome to her sonne when he came to lawfull age which she had right politiquely guided and highly for her perpetuall renowne and commendation the space of fourteene yeares He died when hee had raigned seuen yeares some say fifteene yeares Of Bladud king of Britaine the sonne of Lud hurdibras many incredible passages are deliuered by our old British writers and followed by sundrie Authors of succeeding ages which say that he was so well seene in the Sciences of Astronomie and Necromancie that thereby hee made the hote springs in the Citie of Bathe that he built the Citie of Bathe that he went to Athens and brought with him foure Philosophers and by them instituted an Vniuersitie at Stanford in Lincolnshire And further to shew his Art and cunning that he tooke vpon him to flie into the aire and that hee broke his necke by a fall from the Temple of Apollo in Troynouant before the incarnation of Christ 852. yeares in the twentieth yeare of his raigne Geffrey of Monmouth and Mathew of Westminster would approue as much as here is spoken of him And learned Selden in his Illustrations vpon Draytons Polyolbion sets downe an ancient fragment of rimes wherein these strange things of him are exprest But of him here in this place will it please you take a peece out of Harding and you shall haue more hereafter Bladud his sonne after him did succede And reigned after then full xx yere Cair Bladud so that now is Bath I rede He made anone the hote bathes there infere When at Athens he had studied clere He brought with hym iiii Philosophers wise Schole to hold in Brytaine and exercyse Stanforde he made that Stanforde hight this daye In which he made an Vniuersitee His Philosophers as Merlin doth saye Had scholers fele of grete habilitee Studyng euer alwaye in vnitee In all the seuen liberall science For to purchase wysedome and sapience In Cair Bladim he made a temple right And sette a Flamyne therein to gouerne And afterward a Fetherham he dight To flye with winges as he could best discerne Aboue the aire nothyng him to werne He flyed on high to the temple Apoline And ther brake his necke for all his grete doctrine Likewise the vncertaine buriall of Vortimer that victorious British king was in some part of this Citie he was the eldest sonne of Vortigern king of the Britaines and raigned as king in his fathers dayes who demeaned himselfe towards his sonne then his Soueraigne in all dutifull obedience and faithfull counsell for the space of foure yeares euen vntill Vortimer was poysoned by the subtiltie of Rowena the heathen daughter of Hengist the Saxon the wife or concubine of his Brother and the mother of the Britaines mischiefe which happened about the yeare of Grace 464. This Vortimer was a man of great valour which altogether he employed for the redresse of his countrey according to the testimonie of William Malmesbury whose words are these Vortimer saith he thinking not good to dissemble the matter for that he saw himselfe and countrey daily
difference betweene their receits and their allowances commonly called Allocations as namely the Auditors of the Exchequer take the account of those Receiuers which receiue the reuenues of the augmentation as also of the Sheriffes Escheators and customers and set them downe and perfect them He that will know more hereof may looke Stat. An. 33. Hen. 8. cap. 33. Of your cherite prey for the soul of Iohn Ienyngs who dyed ....... M. cccc.xxiii Pray for the soul of Iohn Elryngton Fylycer of London and keeper of the Records of the Common pleas who departed .... 1504. Fylycer or Filazer deriued from the French word Filace id est silum is an Officer in the Common pleas whereof there be fourteene in number They make all originall Processe as well reall as personall and mixt and in actions meerely personall where the defendants be returned or summoned there goeth out the distresse infinitè vntill appearance if he be returned nihil then Processe of Capias infinitè if the plaintiffe will or after the third Capias the Plaintiffe may goe to the Exigenter of the Shire where his originall is grounded and haue an Exigent and Proclamation made And also the Filazer maketh forth all writs in view in causes where the view is placed He is also allowed to enter the Imparlance or the generall issue in common actions where appearance is made with him and also iudgement by confession in any of them before issue be ioyned and to make out writs of Execution thereupon But although they entred the issue yet the Protonotarie must enter the iudgement if it be after verdict They also make Writs of Supersedeas in case where the Defendant appeareth in their Officers after the Capias awarded Here lyeth ..... William Lowthe Goldsmith of London .... 1528. Prey for the soul of Robert Walsingham Clarke of the Spicery to King Henry the eight who dyed ..... 1522. Here lieth vnder a faire monument the body of Christopher Vrswicke the Kings Almoner his picture in brasse with this subscription Christopherus Vrswicus Regis Henrici septimi Eleemosinarius vir sua etate clarus summatibus atque insimatibus iuxta charus Ad exteros Reges vndecies pro patria Legatus Deconatum Eboracensem Archidiaconatum Richmundie Decanatum Windesorie habitos viuens reliquit Episcopatum Norwicensem oblatum recusauit Magnos honores tota vita spreuit frugali vita contentus hic vinere hic mori malnit plenus annis obijt ab omnibus desideratus funeris pompam etiam Testamento vetuit hic sepultus carnis resurrectionem in aduentum Christi expectat obijt Anno Domini 1521. 24 Octob. I haue not heard of many Clergie men neither in his nor these dayes that would relinquish and refuse thus many ecclesiasticall honours and preferments and content himselfe with a priuate Parsonage but here let him rest as an example for all our great Prelates to admire and for few or none to imitate Islington Here .... Iohn Fowler ... 1538. on whos soule ... Here lieth Alis Fowler the wyff of Robart Fowler Esquire who died .... 1540. Behold and se thus as I am so sal ye be When ye be dead and laid in graue As ye haue done so sal ye haue Diuers of this familie lie here interred the ancestors of Sir Thomas Fowler Knight and Baronet now liuing 1630. Hic sepelitur Thomas Sauil silius et heres apparens Iohannis Sauil Armig et Margarete vxoris eius qui in primo limine vite immature mortis celeritate matrem preueniens ex hac luce migrauit 14 die etatis sue Anno Dom. 1546. I preye the Christen man that hasts go to se this To preye for the soulys of thos that here beryed is And remember that in Chryst we be brether The which hath commanded erye man to preyer for other This seyth Robart Midleton and his wyf here wrapped in cley Abyding the mercy of Almighty God till Doomys dey Which was seruant somtym to Sir George Hastings Erle of Huntington And passed this transitory lyff as t is written hereupon In the yere of owr Lord God on thowsand fyue hundryd and ten On whos soulys Almighty God haue mercy Amen Orate pro Wilielmo Mistelbroke Auditore qui in seruitio Regis itinerans deo disponente apud Denby in Marchia Wallie An. Dom. M. cccc.lxxxxij Corpus suum sacre sepulture reddidit pro Catherina vxore sua cuius corpus sub isâ—o marmore tumulatum suit Quorum anime in pace lesu Christi requiescant Amen Saint Pancras In this old weather-beaten Church standing all alone as vtterly forsaken which for antiquitie will not yeeld to Saint Pauls in London I finde a wondrous ancient Monument which by tradition was made to the memorie of one of the right honourable familie of the Greyes and his Lady whose pourtraitures are vpon the Tombe Whose mansion house say the Inhabitants was in Port-Poole or Greyes-Inne-lane now an Inne of Court But these are but suppositions for by whom Greyes-Inne was first possessed builded or begun I haue not yet learned Yet it seemeth saith Stow to bee since Edward the third his time These following are all the words left vndefaced Holy Trinite on God have mercy on vs. Hic iacent Robertus Eve et Lawrentia soror eius filia Francisci Eve filii Thome Eve clerici corone Cancellarie Anglie .... Quorum ....... Hospitall of Saint Giles in the Field This Hospitall was founded by Mawde the Queene wife to King Henry the first about the yeare one thousand one hundred and seaventeene it was a Cell to Burton Lazars so called of Leprous persons in Leicestershire At this Hospitall the prisoners conueyed from the Citie of London to Tyborne there to bee executed were presented with a great Bowle of Ale thereof to drinke at their pleasure as to be their last refreshing in this life Stepney Here lieth Henry Steward Lord Darle of the age of three quarters of a yeere late sonne and heire of Mathew Steward Erle of Lennoux and Lady Margaret his wife Which Henry deceased the xxviii day of Nouember in the yeere of our Lord God M. ccccc.xlv Whose soule Iesus pardon This Henryes second brother was likewise christened Henry and stiled Lord Darle or Dernley a noble Prince and reputed for person one of the goodliest Gentlemen of Europe who married Mary Queene of Scotland the royall parents of our late Soueraigne Lord Iames the first king of great Britaine father of our most magnificent Monarch Charles the first now happily raigning Vndyr this ston closyde and marmorate Lyeth Iohn Kitte Londoner natyffe Encreasyng in vertues rose to high estate In the fourth Edwards Chappell by his yong lyffe Sith whych the sevinth Henryes servyce primatyffe Proceding stil in vertuous â—fficase To be in fauour wiâ—h this our kings Grase With witt endewyd chosen to be Legate Sent into Spayne where he ryght ioyfully Combyned both
die mensis Iunii Ann. M. ccccc xxii Here lyth Robert Newport Esqwyr founder of this Chapel and Mary his wyff Whych Robert dyed xvii of Nouember M. ccccc.xviii Orate pro anima Georgii Newport Ar. et Margarete vxoris eius que Margareta obiit xx lanurii M. cccc.lxvii et Georgius obiit xxviii Octob. M. cccc lxxxiiii These Newports here very faire entombed were gentlemen as I was enformed of ample reuenues in these parts whose inheritance came by marriage to the Parkers the Ancestors of the Lord Morley .... Iohannes de Lee et Iohanna vxor .... The armes and date gone .... Sir Waltar at Lea alias Sir Walter at clay ... His wife lieth by him the Monument is ancient but fouly defaced Hic iacent Iohannes Barloe et Iohanna vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit .... M. cccc.xx et predicta Ioanna obiit xv Februar M. cccc xix Hic iacent Henricus Barloe Ar. qui obiit v. die Ianuarii M. cccc lxxv et Katherina vxor eius que ob .... M. cccc lxiiii An ancient and well allied familie one of which house namely William was in especiall fauour and trust with King Henry the seuenth Burnt Pelham In the wall of this Church lieth a most ancient Monument A stone wherein is figured a man and about him an Eagle a Lion and a Bull hauing all wings and a fourth of the shape of an Angell as if they should represent the foure Euangelists vnder the feet of the man is a crosse Flourie and vnder the Crosse a Serpent He is thought to haue beene sometime the Lord of an ancient decaied House well moated not farre from this place called O Piers Shoonkes He flourished Ann. Ã conquestu vicesimo primo Sabridgworth vulgarly Sabsworth Hic iacent Iohannes Leuenthorp Ar. qui obijt xxvii mens Maij M. cccc.xxxiii Katherina vx eius que obiit v. die Octob. M. cccc.xxxi quorum ... This Iohn was one of the Executours of the last Will and Testament of King Henry the fifth Hic iacent Iohannes Leuenthorp Ar. qui obiit vltimo die mensis Maij M. cccc.lxxxiiii Ioanna vxor eius que obiit xxix Augusti M. cccc.xl viii En iacet hic puluis putredo vermis et esca Et Famulus mortis nam vita iam caret ista Hic nil scit nil habet nec virtus inde relucet Cerne luto vilius horror terror fetor orbis Opprobrium cunctis ac est abiectio plebis Hic frater aspice te spira suffragia pro me Hic iacet Isabella vxor Iohannis Leuenthorp de Sabridgworth in Com. Hart. quondam vxor Roberti Southwel de Thachint in eodem Com. et filia Iohannis Boys .... in Com. Lincolne que obiit xx Iulij M. cccc.lxxxi Cuius Hic iacet Agnes soror Iohannis Leuenthorp Ar. que obiit x die Decemb. M. cccc.xliiii In this Church are diuers other Monuments of later times to the memorie of the Leuenthorps whose habitation is neare at Shingle-hall which is honoured by her owners being of such worth and ancient gentrie Hic iacent Iohannes Chancy Ar. filius et heres Iohannis Chancy Ar. filii heredis Willelmi Chancy militis quondam Baronis de Shorpenbek in Com. Ebor. et Anna vxor eius vna filiarum Iohannis Leuenthorp Ar. qui quidem Iohannes obiit vii Maii M. cccc.lxxix et Anna ii Decembris M cccc lxxvii quorum animabus Of yowr cherite sey a Pater Noster and an Ave For the sowl of William Chancy On whos sowl Iesu hav mercy Hic iacent Galfredus Ioslyne Katherina ac Ioanna vxor eius qui obiit ii Ianuar. M. cccc lxx Orate pro anima Radulphi Ioslyne quondam militis et bis Maioratus Ciuitatis London qui obiit xxv Octob. M. cccc.lxxviii This Sir Raph Ioslyne or Iosceline was the sonne of the foresaid Geffrey Iosceline here interred He was inuested knight of the Bath with Sir Thomas Cooke Sir Mathew Philip and Sir Henry Weeuer Citizens at the Coronation of Queene Elizabeth the wife of King Edward the fourth in the yeare 1465. The first time of his Maioraltie was in the yeare 1464. the other not long before his death He was a carefull corrector of the abuses vsed by Bakers and Victuallers of the Citie of London and by his diligence the walls of the said Citie were repaired This name as I was told doth still flourish in this tract Bishops Stortford So called because it belongs to the See of London giuen vnto it by William the Conquerour in the time of Mauritius Bishop of this Diocesse Hic iacent Thomas Fleming .... 1436. Hic iacet Ioanna Fleming vx Tho. Fleming .... 1411. A familie whose numerous branches haue spread themselues through England Scotland and Wales euer since the time of Sir Iohn le Fleming knight who flourished in the raigne of king William Rufus Hic iacent Iohannes Algar Matilda vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit Ann. M. cccc lxxxiiii ... Matilda M. cccc lxxx Brawghing Orate pro anima Nicholai Coton filii et heredis Iohannis Coton quondma de Pantfeeld in Com. Essex qui ob 25. Aug. 1500. For whos sowl I pray yow of yowr cheritie say a Pater Noster and an Ave. Here lyeth Thomas Greene the soonne of Nicholas Greene who dyed 2. March 1484. Here lyth Ioan lat wyff of Thomas Rustwyne and dawter of Nicholas Greene who dyed .... 1400. Here are many Monuments of the Greenes quite defaced Saint Margarets by Hodsden Hic .... Iohannes de Goldington Ar. filius Iohannis de Goldington Ar. filii Iohannis de Goldington militis filii .... M. cccc xix Here are many other funerall Monuments in this little Church which haue beene inlayd and inscribed in brasse with the pourtraitures armes and Epitaphs of this ancient familie of the Goldingtons now all defaced and gone Brocksbourne Here lyth Dame Elisabyth somtym wyff to Syr Iohn Say knyght dawter to Lawrence Cheyne Esqwyr of Cambridg Shyre A woman of nobyl blode and most nobyl in grace and mannors She dyed xxv Septem M. cccc.lxxiii and was enterryd in this parysh Church abyding the body of her said Husband whos sowls God bring to euerlastyng lyff Of yowr cheritie prey for the sowl of Sir William Say knight deceased late Lord of the Mannour of Base his fader and moder Geneuese and Elisabyth his wyffs who died iiii Decemb. M. ccccc.xxix.xxi Hen. oclaui This Sir William Say built the north Isle of this Church as by an inscription in the glasse window may be gathered This familie flourished here for many descents euen vntill the death of this Sir William whose inheritance for want of heires male was diuided amongst his daughters of which hereafter Here lyeth Iohn Borrell Sergeant at Armes to Henry the eight and Elizabyth his wyff who
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
it descending to William Clopton his sonne and heire and he dying without issue as did also Sir William Clopton the sonne of the aboue mentioned Sir William The said Mannor of Newenham passed by Conueyance dated at Ashdon 6. die Iunij an 13. Hen. 4. as did most of all the other large possessions of the Cloptons in Suffolke and Cambridgeshire to William Clopton of Melford the sonne and heire of Sir Thomas Clopton Knight who lyeth buried with his wife the daughter and heire of Mylde vnder a faire Tombe in the north Isle of the said Church of Melford called the Cloptons Isle as doth also the said William Clopton his sonne lie buried vnder the same Tombe and Margery his wife the daughter and heire of Elias Francis Esquire in the same Isle whose Epitaph is there found on her Graue-stone as followeth Hic iacet Margeria Clopton nuper vxor Willielmi Clopton Armig. filia et heres Elie Francis Armigeri que obijt ....... Iunij Anno Dom. M. cccciiii euius anime propitietur Deus And on this grauestone is there an Escutcheon of Clopton with an Ermine on the bend empaled with the Armes of Francis being gules a Salteire betweene foure crosses formie Patees Or from which said William and Margerie haue the three seuerall Families of Cloptons of Kentwell Castelins and Liston descended and the first beene much enobled by the marriage of the daughter and heire of Roydon descended likewise from the seuerall heires or coheires of Knyuet Belhous Fitz-warren Basset of Welledon and diuers other ancient families as was that familie of Lyston by the marriage of the daughter and heire of Say whose ancestors had beene long owners of that mannor and held it in Capite as Clopton now doth by the seruice of making Wafers at the Kings Coronation And because these foresaid three Families of Clopton did descend as I haue alreadie noted and were at once branched forth from Sir William Clopton of Lutons in the Countie of Suffolke Knight it shall not be impertinent to set downe his Epitaph as it is now to bee seene on his grauestone in the North Isle of the said Chappell of Melford Church amongst diuers others of his Ancestors being as followeth Orate pro animabus Willielmi Clopton militis et Iohanne Consortis sue Qui quidem Willielmus obijt vicesimo die Febrarij Anno Dom. millesimo quingentesimo tricesimo quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen And on the grauestone aboue this Epitaph is the Cloptons coate before mentioned empaled with Marrow which is Azure a fesse nebulee inter three Maydens heads coupes by the Shoulders Ar the periwiggs Or. Thus much of the Cloptons I had from that studious learned gentleman Sir Simond D'Ewes Knight of which much more when I come to Melford and Tallo-wratting Church in Suffolke Here lyth Nicholas Inglefield Esquyr sometime Controler of the hous to King Rychard the second who dyed the first of April in the yere of Grase M. cccc.xv whos soul Iesu perdon Amen Amen Amen Here end the Monuments in the Countie of Essex Additions or certaine Epitaphs and Inscriptions vpon Tombes and Grauestones within certaine Churches in the Citie of London Collected by my selfe and others not many yeares agoe of which few or none of any Antiquity are remaining in the said Churches at this present day such is the despight not so much of Time as of maleuolent people to all Antiquities especially of this kind In Saint Pauls IN this Cathedrall Church and neere vnto Sir Iohn Beauchamps Tomb commonly called Duke Vmfreys vpon a faire marble stone inlaid all ouer with brasse of all which nothing but the heads of a few brazen nailes are at this day visible and engrauen with the representation and cote-Armes of the party defunct Thus much of a mangled funerall Inscription was of late time perspicuous to be read as followeth Hic iacet Paganus Roet miles Guyenne Rex Armorum Pater Catherine Ducisse Lancastrie ...... This Sir Payne Roet had issue the aforesaid Dutchesse and Anne who was married to Geffrey Chaucer our famous English Poet who by her had issue Sir Thomas Chaucer whose daughter Alice was married to Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury by whom she had no issue and after to William de la Pole Duke of Suffolke and by him had Iohn Duke of Suffolke and others The abouesaid Katherine eldest daughter of this King of Armes was first married to Sir Otes Swynford Knight and after to Iohn of Gaunt the great Duke of Lancaster of whose issue by her is obserued to be descended a most royall and illustrious of spring videlicet Eight Kings foure Queenes and fiue Princes of England Sixe Kings and three Queenes of Scotland two Cardinals aboue twenty Dukes and almost as many Dutches of the kingdome of England diuers Dukes of Scotland and most of all the now ancient Nobilitie of both these Kingdomes besides many other potent Princes and eminent nobility of forraigne parts Saint Giles Criplegate Here vnder a large marble stone whereupon no Inscription is at this day remaining neither any Effigies of the deceased left both of which were inlaid and engrauen vpon the monument as I was credibly informed lieth interred the body of Sir Iohn Wriothesley Knight alias Garter principall King at Armes Father of William Wriothesley Yorke Herald who had issue Thomas Wriothesley Knight of the Garter Lord Chancellor of England and the first of that sirname Earle of Southampton His creation was the eighteenth yeare of the raigne of King Ed. 4. as appeares by this his Patent following Pat. 18. Ed. 4. m. 28. part 2. Rex omnnibus ad quos c. Salutem Sciatis quod cum non sit noâ—uÌ„ set iam diu ab antiquis teÌ„poribus vsitatuÌ„ quod inter ceteros Officiales Ministros quos PrincipuÌ„ lateribus pro coruÌ„ magnificencia atque gloria adherere decet eoruÌ„ officij ArmoruÌ„ cura coÌ„mittitur copiaÌ„ habere debeat vt nec teÌ„pus belloruÌ„ quibus neque pacis sine coÌ„uenientibus aptis Ministris debeat preteriri Nos igitur coÌ„siderationis acteÌ„ in laudabilia seruicia que delectus nobis Iohannes Wrythe alias nuper dictus Norrey Rex ArmoruÌ„ parciuÌ„ BorialiuÌ„ Regni nostri Anglie in hijs que ad officium illud spectare intelliguntur exercuit dirigentes eund propterea non minus ob solerciam et sagacitatem quas in eo satis habemus exploratas in principalem Haraldum Officiarium incliti nostri Ordinis Garterij Armorumque Regem Anglicorum ex gracia nostra speciali ereximus fecimus constituimus ordinauimus creauimus et coronauimus ac per presentes erigimus facimus constituimus ordinamus creamus coronamus ac ei officium illud nec non nomen le Garter Stilum titulum libertates preeminencias huiusmodi officio conueniencia et concordancia ac ab antiquo consueta damus et concedimus ac ipsum in eisdem realiter
peicked after a strange fashion and a paire of Challices of course mettall lying vpon his breast the which was thought to be one of the Bishops of Donwiche but when they touched and stirred the same dead body it fell and went all to powder and dust And although these aforesaid three old Churches were not sumptuous great very faire after the manner fashion of Cathedral Churches now vsed yet it seemeth they might serue in those daies very well for it plainely appeareth in the book of the description of England and in the title of Bishoprickes and their Sees the thirteenth chapter whereas these words following are said Take heede for in the beginning of holy Church in England Bishops ordained and had their Sees in low places and simple that were conueniable and meete for contemplation and deuotion c. But in King William the Conquerours time by doome of Law Canon it was otherwise ordained that Bishops should remoue and come out of small townes and to haue their Sees in great Cities By meanes whereof it seemeth that the towne of Donwiche being then greatly decayed and also then likely more and more to decay as it hath done indeed from a great citie as some doe say or at the least from a very great ancient Towne to a little small Towne the Bishops seat of Donwich was remoued from Donwich to Elmham and Thetford and afterward to the Citie of Norwich whereas it yet remaineth There was a Mint in Dunwich for one Master Holliday told mee that he had a grote whose superscription on the one side was Ciuitas Donwic Diuers other things he told me of to make it a citie The Treatise is much longer but enough is already deliuered The succession of the Bishops of Dunwich is set downe by Bishop Godwin to which I refer my Reader The foundation of the Blacke Friers in Dunwich This religious Structure was founded by Sir Roger de Holishe Knight of the order you haue heard before of the time dedication value or surrender I finde not any thing Persons of note buried in the Church of this Monastery were as followeth Sir Roger de Holishe Knight the foresaid founder Sir Raufe Vfford and Dame Ione his wife Sir Henry Laxiffeld Knight Dame Ione de Harâ—ile Dame Ada Crauene Dame Ione Weyland Sister of the Earle of Suffolke Iohn Weyland and Ione his wife Thomas sonne of Richard Brews Knight Dame Alice wife of Sir Walter Hardishall Sir Walkin Hardesfield Austin Valeyus Raph Wingfeld Knight Richard Bokyll of Leston and Alice and Alice his wiues Sir Henry Harnold Knight and Fryer The grey Friers of Dunwich was founded first by Richard Fitz-Iohn and Alice his wife and after by King Henry the third of which I haue no further knowledge Herein lay interred the bodies of Sir Robert Valence the Heart of Dame Hawise Ponyngs Dame Ideu of Ylketishall Sir Peter Mellis and Dame Anne his wife Dame Dunne his mother Iohn Francans and Margaret his wife Dame Bert of Furniuall .... Austin of Cales and Ione his wife Iohn Falleyâ— and Beatrix his wife Augustine his sonne .... Wilexâ—es Sir Hubert Dernford Katherine wife of William Phellip Margaret wife of Richard Phellip Peter Codum I had the notes of these buried in these Monasteries as also of diuers other Monasteries in Suffolke and Norfolke out of the painefull collections of William le Neue Esquire Yorke Herauld truely copied out of the ancient originals thereof remaining in his custody Bury Saint Edmunds or Saint Edmundsbury This Town seemeth saith Camden to haue been of famous memory considering that when Christian Religion began to spring vp in this tract king Sigebert here founded a Church and it was called Villam Regiam that is a royall towne But after that the people had translated hither the body of Edmund that most christian King whom the Danes with exquisite torments had put to death and built in honour of him a very great Church wrought with a wonderfull frame of timber it began to be called Edmundi Burgus commonly Saint Edmundsbury and more shortly Bury But especially since that King Canutus for to expiate the sacrilegious impietie of his Father Suenus against this Church being often affrighted with a vision of the seeming-ghost of Saint Edmund built it againe of a new worke enriched it offered his owne Crowne vnto the holy Martyr brought vnto it Monkes with their Abbot and gaue vnto it many faire and large Mannors and among other things the Towne it selfe full and whole ouer which the Monkes themselues by their Seneschall had rule and iurisdiction Thus Knuts Charter began In nomine Poliarchie Iesu Christi saluatoris Ego Knut Rex totius Albionis Insule aliarumque nationum plurimarum in Cathedra regali promotus cum concilio decreto Archiepiscoporum Episcoporum Abbatum Comitum aliorumque omnium fidelium meorum elegisanciendum perpeti stabilimento ab omnibus confirmandum vt Monasterium quod Budrices Yurthe nuncupatur sit per omne euum Monachorum gregibus deputatum ad inhabitandum c. After a long recitall of his many donations corroborations priuiledges and confirmations of former grants he ends with an Additament of fish and fishing Huic libertati concedo additamentum scilicet maritimos pisces qui mihi contingere debent annualiter per Thelonei lucrum et Piscationem quam Vlskitel habuit in Pilla et omnia iura c. These gifts to this Abbey as to the most of all others were finally concluded with a fearefull curse to the infringers thereof and a blessing to all such that did any way better her ample endowments the Charter is signed with the marke which is the crosse and the consent of thirty and fiue witnesses of which a few as followeth ✚ Ego Knut Rex c. hoc priuilegium iussi componere compositum cum signo Dominice crucis confirmando impressi ✚ Ego Aelgifa Regina omni alacritate mentis hoc confirmaui ✚ Ego Wulsâ—anus Archiepiscopus consensi ✚ Ego Adelnodus confirmaâ—i c. After Knut one Haruey the Sacrist comming of the Norman bloud compassed the Burgh round about with a wall whereof there remaine still some few reliques and Abbot Newport walled the Abbey The Bishop of Rome endowed it with very great immunities and among other things granted That the said place should be subiect to no Bishop in any matter and in matters lawfull to depend vpon the pleasure and direction of the Archbishop which is yet obserued at this day And now by this time the Monkes abounding in wealth erected a new Church of a sumptuous and stately building enlarging it euery day more then other with new workes and whiles they laid the Foundation of a new Chappell in the raigne of Edward the first There were found as Euersden a Monke of this place writeth the walles of a certaine old Church built round so as that the Altar stood as it were in the mids
so A. The Countes of Hereford and Mauld hight she Whiche whan deth the knotte had vndoo Of temporal spousaile bitwixt hem twoo With diuers parcels encresâ—d our fundatioun Liche as our Monumentys make declaratioun Q. Of the furst Gilbert who was the wyff A. Dame Mauld a Ladye ful honourable Borne of the Ulsters as she with ryff Hir aarmes of glas in the Est gable And for to God thei wolde ben acceptable Her Lord and she with an holy entent Made vp our Chirche fro the fundament Now to Dame Iohan turne we ageyn Latter Gilbertis wyff as to forne seyd is Which lyeth here Q. was she baryn A. Nay sir. Q. Sey me what fruite was this A. A brawnshe of right grete ioye I wis Q. Man or woman A. A Lady bright Q. What was hir name A. Elisabeth she hight Q. Who was her husband A. Sir Iohn of Burgh Eire of the Ulstris so conioyned be Ulstris armes and Gloucestris thurgh and thurgh As shewith our wyndowes in housis thre Dortour chapiter hous and Fraitour which she Made oute the ground both plauncher and wal Q. And who the rofe A. she alone did al. Q. Had she ony Issue A. Yea sir sikerly Q. What A. a doughtur Q. what name had she A. Liche hir modir Elisabeth sothely Q. Who euir the husbonde of hir might be A. King Edwards Son the third was he Sir Lionel which buried is hir by As for such a Prince too sympilly Q. Left he onye frute this Prince mighty A. Sir yea a doughtur and Philip she hight Whom Sir Edmond Mortimer wedded truly First Erle of the Marche a manly knight Who 's Son sir Roger by title of right Lefte heire anothir Edmonde ageyn Edmonde lefte noone but deid bareyn Right thus did cese of the Marchis blode The heire male Q Whider passid the right Of the Marchis Londis and in whome it stode I wold fayne lerne if that I might A. Sir Roger myddil Erle that noble Knight Tweyn doughtris lefte of his blode roial That ones issue deide that othris hath al. Q. What hight that Lady whose issue had grase This Lordeschip to atteyne A. Dame Anne I wys To the Erle of Cambrigge and she wyff was Which both be dede God graunte hem blys But hir Son Richard which yet liueth ys Duke of Yorke by discent of his fadir And hath Marchis londis by right of his modir Q. Is he sole or maried this Prynce mighty A. Sole God forbede it were grete pite Q. Who hath he wedded A. A gracious Lady Q. What is hir name I the prey telle me A. Dame Cecile Sir Q. Who 's doughter was she A. Of the Erle of UUestmrelonde I trowe the yengest And yet grase her fortuned to be the hyest Q. Is ther ony frute betwix hem twoo A. Yea sir thonks be God ful glorious Q. Male or female A. Sir bothe too Q. The nombir of this progeny gracious And the names to know I am desyrous The ordre eke of byrth telle yf thou kan And I wil euir be euen thyn owen man A. Sir aftir the tyme of long bareynes God first sent Anne which signyfyeth grase In token that al her hertis heuynes He as for bareynes wold from hem chase Harry Edward and Edmond ech in his plase Succedid and aftir tweyn doughtris cam Elisabeth and Margarete and afterwards William Iohn aftir UUilliam nexte borne was UUhiche be passid to goddis grase George was nexte and aftir Thomas Borne was which sone aftir did pase By the path of deth to the heuenly plase Richard liueth yit but the laste of all Was Ursula to hym whom God liste calle To the Duke of Excestre Anne maried is In hir tendre youthe but my Lord Herry God chosen hath to enherite heuen blis And lefte Edward to succede temporally Now Erle of Marche Edmond of Rutlond sotheley Conute by th fortunabil to right hygh mariage The othir foure stond yit in their pupillage Longe mote he liuen to goddis pleasaunce This hygh and myghty Prynce in prosperite With vertue and vyctory god him auaunce Of al hys enemyes and graunte that he And the noble Princes his wyff may see Hir childres children or thei hens wende And aftir this outelary the ioye that neuer shal ende Amen The body of Ioan of Acres was here entombed as you haue already read She was the second daughter of king Edward the first and Queene Eleanor borne in the first yeare of her fathers raigne at a City in the Holy Land sometime named Ptolomais commonly called Acon Aker or Acres where her mother remained during the warres that her father had with the Saracens She was married at eighteene yeares of age and outliuing her first husband nominated in the Roll she degenerated so farre in the election of another as that she made choise of one Raph de Monte-hermer sometimes her husbands and her seruant She died here at her Mannour of Clare the tenth of May in the yeare 1305. Here likewise in the Austine Friars by his mother was interred the body of Edward Mont-hermer eldest sonne of the foresaid Raph Mount-hermer who hauing obtained the kings fauour had the title of Earle of Glocester and Hertford and Ioan of Acres Hee died without issue the time vncertaine Lionell or Leonell Duke of Clarence and Earle of Vlster in Ireland was buried in the Chancell of this Priorie Church together with his first wife Elisabeth daughter and heire of William de Burgh Earle of Vlster aforesaid as appeareth in the parchment Roll. She departed this world in the yeare 1363. And hee about fiue yeares afterwards as I shall hereafter shew This Lionell surnamed of Antwerpe the place of his birth was the third sonne of king Edward the third In all the world was then no Prince hym like Of hie stature and of all semelinesse Aboue all men within his hole kyngrike By the shulders he might be seene doutlesse As a mayde in halle of gentilnesse And in all places sonne to Retorike And in the feld a Lyon marmorike Not long after the death of his wife Elisabeth hee was remarried vnto Violenta the sister of Iohn Galeas Duke of Milain with whom hee was to receiue a wondrous great Dowrie and in that regard he made a iourney to Millain attended with a chosen companie of the English Nobilitie where in most royall manner he espoused the said Lady Of which his iourney and marriage may it please you reade these following measures The kyng his soonne sir Leonell create Duke of Clarence and to Melayn him sent With chiualrie of fame well ordinate And squyers fresh galaunt and sufficient With officers and yomen as appent This Duke royall of Clarence excellent At Melayne wedded was then in royall wise With that lady faire and beneuolent Full royally as to such a Prince should suffice And all the rule he had by councell wise Fro mount Godard vnto the citee of Florence And well beloued was
Ipswich and reedified diuers houses which were by fire decaied He was chaplaine to King Henry the second and with him in especiall fauour euer firmely adhering to his partie against Thomas Becket who had stubbornely opposed himselfe against his said Soueraigne Lord and Master He was employed in diuers Embasies as to Rome to Seines in France and to Sicily about the marriage of Ioane the third and yongest daughter of the said King Henry to William the second of that name King of Sicill Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua In the soliditie of good doctrine in the maturitie of iudgement and in all the graces of rhetoricall speech hee did wondrously abound He was quicke and dexterous in the managing and prosperous in the dispatching of waightie affaires He writ a History of the Kings of Britaine as also a Booke Pro Rege Henrico contra S. Tho mam Cantuariensem for King Henry against S. Thomas of Canterbury besides a treatise of his iourney into Sicily and certaine Orations and Epistles to Richard Archbishop of Canterbury He died the 26 yeare of his consecration the second of Iune in the second yeare of King Iohn Iohn de Grey entirely beloued of King Iohn who preferred him to this Bishopricke was here entombed in whose commendations Bale and Pitseus doe in effect thus agree Vir erat foelici et faceto ingenio eruditione insignis consilio expeditus et quantumuis in dictis facetus in factis tamen vbi res postulabat senerus virtutum omnium amator et cultor omnium vitiorum osor et exterminator Iohanni Anglorum Regi gratissimus in magna semper authoritate apud ipsum remansit splendidis functionibus ornatus A man he was of a pleasant and facetious wit in the knowledge of all good literature excellent in counsell ready and intelligent and howsoeuer in his words merrie and iocond yet in his actions as occasion did require he was seuere and rigorous a louer and reuerencer hee was of all vertues and a despiser and rooter out of all vices He was a gracious Fauourite to King Iohn euer vnder him in great authoritie and honoured with offices of especiall trust and confidence Naâ—â— cum Rex rebelles Hibernos compescuisset eorumque vires fregisset hunc Graâ—ium tanquam virum strenuum magnae prudentiae fidelitatis exploratae reliquit ibi supremum Presidem vt eos auctoritate sua in officio contineret For when the King had repressed the rebellious Irish broken dispersed then forces he left this Grey as an hardie able man of singular wisedome and tried fidelitie Prorex or Lord Deputie of Ireland that by such his power and commission he might keepe that stiffe-necked nation in obedience He was well seene in the lawes of the Realme saith Godwin wise and of great integritie in regard whereof the King was very desirous to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury of which I haue spoken somewhat before to which Grace indeed he was solemnly elected and his election published in the Church before the King and an infinite number of people But by the exorbitant authoritie of the Pope this election was disanulled whereupon much mischiefe ensued He built that goodly Hall at Gay wood neare Linne in Norfolke and the rest of the Fabricke adioyning Hauing sate about fourteene yeares hee died neare Poytiers in his returne from Rome Obijt eodem anno quo Rex Iohannes saith Bale in the same yeare in which King Iohn deceased the first of Nouember Whose body was conueyed to this his owne Church He was an Historiographer and writ a booke which he called Schalecronicon as also other workes mentioned by Bale in his Centuries Die vero Sancti Vlstani decimo tertio Calendas Iunij obijt Episcopus Norwicensis Vualterus cognomento de Sufeld apud Colecestriam delâ—tum est corpus eius ad Norwicensem Ecclesiam suam Cathedralem honorificè tumulandus ad cuius tumbam miracula dicebantur coruscate Hic namque in vsus pauperum instante tempore famis omnia vasa sua coclearia cum toto thesauro suo pauperibus erogauerat Mat. Paris Ann. 1257. Vpon the Feast day of Saint Wolstan the thirteenth of the Calends of Iune Walter surnamed de Sufield Bishop of Norwich departed this world at Colchester from whence his body was conueyed to this Cathedrall Church here to be honourably interred At whose Tombe many miracles are reported to be wrought which are ascribed to his holinesse For it is remembred of him that in a time of extreme famine hee sold all his plate and distributed it to the poore euery pennyworth He lieth buried in our Ladies Chappell which was of his owne building He founded the Hospitall of Saint Giles here in the Citie endowing it with faire possessions insomuch that it was valued at the suppression to be yearely worth fourescore and ten pounds twelue shillings Simon de Wanton sometimes the Kings Chaplaine one of his Iustices and Bishop of this Diocesse was here interred by his predecessour Walter de Sufield He died about the yeare 1265. hauing sate eight yeares and obtained of the Pope licence to hold all his former liuings in Commendam for foure yeares In the same Chappell as I take it Roger de Sherwyng was entombed who died about Michaelmas 1278. hauing sate thirteene yeares Of whom I finde little remarkable yet he is memorable for that in his time by an incendiarie outrage the Citizens set fire on the Priorie Church The story is thus deliuered by our late writers taken out of Rishanger the Continuer of Mathew Paris his History in the last yeare of King Henry the third About the moneth of Iune in a Faire that was kept before the gates of the Priory there fell great debate and discord betwixt the Monkes of Norwich and the Citizens there which increased so farre that at length the Citizens with great violence assaulted the Monastery fired the gates and forced the fire so with reed and drie wood that the Church with the books and all other ornaments of the same and all houses of Office belonging to that Abbey were cleane burned wasted and destroyed so that nothing was preserued except one little Chappell The King hearing of this detestable and sacrilegious deuastation rode to Norwich where beholding the deformed ruines he could hardly refraine from teares and caused enquirie to be made of the fact whereupon thirty young men of the Citie as also a woman that first carried fire to the gates were condemned hanged and burnt It is thought saith Hollinshead that the Prior of the house whose name was William de Brunham was the occasion of all this mischiefe who had got together armed men and tooke vpon to keepe the Belfray and Church by force of armes but the Prior was well enough borne out and defended by this his Bishop The Monkes for their part appealed to Rome and so handled the matter that they not onely escaped punishment but also forced the
released to the Monkes of Castell-acre the lands granted by his Ancestours in the three and thirtieth of King Henry the third and of his owne good will to the increasing of it he gaue the Sand pits and for the confirmation of the same grant he put to the Seale of his armes hanging at the parchment by a silke string which manner of sealing was vsuall in those dayes Castell-acre In the raigne of King William Rufus William Warren the second Earle of Surrey founded here a Monastery of blacke Monkes Cluniakes to the honour of God and our blessed Lady Saint Mary of Acre and the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and for the Monkes of Saint Pancrace there seruing Which Abbey afterwards his sonne and his sonnes sonne both named Williams and Earles of Surrey confirmed ratified and augmented Witnesses to the first Charter Will. Braunch Waukelin de Rosew Robert de Mortuo mare or Mortimer c. To the second Charter Raph de Pauliaco c. To the third William Bishop of Norwich who dedicated the Church and many others Of which Charters take a little touch out of authenticall Records 〈…〉 am presentibus quam futuris quod ego Willelmus comes de 〈…〉 pro salute anime mee et patris mei et matris mee et heredum meâ—â—â— dedi et presenti Charta confirmaui deo et Sancte Marie de Acra et Moâ—â—â—â—is ibidem Deo seruientibus Ecclesiam de Acra Nouerint c. concedo Deo et sancte Marie de Acra et sanctis Apostolis Peâ—â—o et Paulo et Monachis de sancto Pancratio ibidem deo seruientibus in ipsa Accra duas carucatas terre quas eidem Ecclesie pater meus et mater mea dederunt c. Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego Willelmus c. quando feci dedicare Ecclesiam Sancte Marie de Acra dedi Monachis ibidem c. omnes donatioâ—es quas antecessores mei scilicet Auus meus et pater meus et Barones sui eidem Ecclesie dederunt c. et duas solidatas terre c. Hijs Tesâ—ibus Will. Norwicen Episcopo qui eandem Ecclesiam dedicauit c. This foundation was valued at the suppression at three hundred twenty foure pounds seuenteene shillings fiue pence halfe penny qua surrendred the 2â— of Nouember 29 Hen. 8. West-acre Radulphe de Torneio founded the Monastery of Canons in Westacre which did professe to lead a godly life after the example of the Apostles as 〈◊〉 mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that the number of â—heâ—â—hat did beleeue were all of one heart and one minde and none of them said that any thing which he had was his owne but they had all things in common and because as in the Charter of his gift he declareth that the holy Fathers did call this the canonicall rule affirming that whosoeuer did leade such a life was thereby made a companion and Citizen with the Apostles Therefore hee pronounceth in his said Charter that whosoeuer did infringe this his donation or alter or change it into Monkes or into any other Order or Rule should be held accursed c. Oliuet Sacerdos de Acra Galterusque suus filius cum magna sanctitate 〈◊〉 Wâ—slacram huic canonice norme cum omnibus â—uis rebus se tradiderunt 〈◊〉 territorio Radulphi de Torneio Ego Radulphus de Torneio cum vxore mea Aclit omnibus que meis pueris Rogerio Radulpho pro nobis et animabus anâ—â—cessorum nostrorum concedimus et confirmamus Ecclesie omnium Sanctorum de Acra et Oliueti Sacerdoti et Gualterio suo filio omnibus canonicis ibi manenâ—ibus suisque posteris deo ibidem seruientibus Feodum quod Oliuet Saceâ—dos sub me tenuit c. Huius confirmationis sunt testes Gislebertus Blondus Willel de Portis Willel de Lira Rogerus Gros. Galterus Capellanus c. The valuation of this religious structure at the suppression was three hundred eight pounds nineteene shillings eleuen pence halfe penny qua Catton Pray for the soul of Iohn Bronde and Agnes his wyffe which Iohn dyeâ— 26 Ianuary 1542. Orate pro anima Agnet is Wrongey .... Reuerendus in Christo Pater Robertus Bronde Prior Norwicen Ecclesie me vitriari fecit anno Christi 1538. Frettenham or Frekenham Hic iacet Margareta filia Iohannes White filij secundi Iohannis White militis vxor Egidij Seyntlowe aâ—mig domini de Mayston filij Alicie filie et heredis Roberti Burnham de Lynne et vxoris Iohannis White secundi predicti Que obijt in vigilia Natalis Domini anno Dom. M.D.xxxii O Crist Iesu pity and mercy haue On Alis Burnham that whylom was the wyff Of Gyles Thorndon which lyeth here in graue And her defend from wars of Fendish stryff Make her pertaker of eternall lyff By the merits of thy passioun Whych with thy blood madest our redemptioun Snitterton or Snisterton Orate pro anima Iohannis Bokenham Armigeri nuper filij Hugonis Bokenham de Lyuermer magna nec non Nepotis et heredis Edmundi Bokenham de Snisterton qui obijt xv die Mensis octobris anno Domini M. cccc.lxxxiiii et pro animabus Anne et Iohanne .... quorum animabus .... Orate pro anima Georgij Bokenham armigeri de Snisterton filii et heredis Iohannis Bokenham qui obiit xxi die octobris anno M.D.xxiii Cuius anime ... Ingham or Hyngham Vnder a faire Tombe of free-stone very curiously wrought lieth the body of Sir Oliuer Ingham with his resemblance in his coate Armour his belt gilt spurs and the blew Garter about his leg his Creast the Owle out of the Iuie bush with a crowne on the head thereof He being a great trauailer lyeth vpon a Rocke beholding the Sunne and Moone and starres all very siueâ—y set forth in mettall beholding the face of the earth about the Tombe twenty and foure mourneâ—s Sir Oliuer Ingham knight whom the yong Duke Edward had made keeper of Aquitaine gathered a great army and inuaded the Prince of Aniou which the French King contrary to couenants did with hold and brought it wholly to the dominion of England anno Reg. Regis Ed. secundi 19. Burdeaux the capitall citie of Aquitaine and then English gaue an excellent testimony of her loyalty nor lesse of martiall wit and valour For the French Army comming before her she to abuse their hope set open her gates and displayed vpon her Powers the golden Lillies as if shee were theirs but the French which securely entred found little good hospitality Sir Oliuer de Ingham was Captaine and Lord Warden there for King Edward who with his Garrison-Souldiers and aide of the Inhabitants slew of them great multitudes and preserued Burdeaux anno Reg. Regis Ed. 3.13 Hickeling The buriall place of the worthy familie of the Woodhouses wherein a monument remaineth to the memory of Sir William Woodhouse knight Here sometime