and lastly put out the Almesmen from their houses appointing them xii d. the weeke to each person The Church of this Hospitall is now a preaching place for the French Nation Saint Martins Outwich Ecclesie Rector huius Iohn Breux tumulatus Artibus doctor vermibus esca datus Prebendam quondam cicestrensem retinebat Quem Petronille lux tulit e medio M. C. quater quinquageno nono sociato Sic predotatus vertitur in cinerem Augustine Fryers This religious house was founded in the well meaning deuotion of former times by Humphrey Bohun the fift of that name Earle of Hereford and Essex 1253. and was afterward reedified by Humphrey Bohun the ninth of that name Earle of Hereford and Essex Lord of Brecknocke and Constable of England who died Anno 1361. and was buried in the Quire of this Church This Frierie dedicated to the honour of Saint Augustine was valued vpon the surrender to King Henry the eight to 57 l. 4 s. per annum Here sometime did lie entombed the body of Richard Fitz-Alan the fourth of that name Earle of Arundell and Surrey who with Thomas Duke of Glocester Thomas Earle of Warwicke Henry Earle of Derby afterwards King of England and others combined and sware each to other against Robert Vere Duke of Ireland and Michael de la Pole Duke of Suffolke for abusing and misleading the King for which and some other causes which Richard the second obiected against them some of them were banished others condemned to perpetuall imprisonment and this Richard beheaded on the Tower hill Septemb. Anno 1397. the constancie of whose carriage at his arraignement passage and execution in all which he did not once discolour the honour of his bloud with any degenerous word looke or action encreased the enuy of his death vpon his prosecutors Here likewise lay sumptuously interred Iohn Vere the xii Earle of Oxford and Aubrey his eldest sonne who with Sir Thomas Tudensa knight who was also here buried and others their Councellors either through malice of their enemies or some offence conceiued by King Edward the fourth were attainted by Act of Parliament anno primo Edward 4 and put to Execution vpon the Tower hill the 26 of February 1461. William Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Castle honoured with the tâ—tâ—es of Viscount and Marquesse Berkely Earle of Nottingham and Earle Marshall of England was here inhumed who died Ann. 1492. This William as I had it from my deceased friend Aug. Vincent by his deed dated the third of Nouember Ann. 6. Hen. 7 gaue one hundreâ— pounds to the Prior of this house for two Masses to be said presently and for euer at the Altar of our Lady and Saint Iames. Betweene which Altars the body of his wife Ioan who liued but a few dayes with him and is not at all mentioned in the Catalogues of Honour was buried who was the widow of Sir William Willoughbie before the marriage with the Marquesse And to pray for the prosperous estate of the said Marquesse and of Anne his then wife and of Edward Willoughby Richard Willoughby Anne Beauchampe and Elisabeth Willoughbie with all the issue of the said William and Ioane and especially for the soules health of the said Ioane and of Katherine her mother Duchesse of Norfolke Here sometime lay sumptuously entombed the body of Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham who by the sleights and practises of Cardinall Wolsey fell into displeasure with king Henry the eight and being condemned of high Treason for that among other matters hee had consulted with a Monke or wizard about succession of the Crowne was beheaded on the Tower hill May the 17. 1521. He was a noble Gentleman exceedingly much lamented of good men Of whose death when the Emperour Charles the fifth heard he said that a Butchers dogge meaning the Cardinall a Butchers sonne had deuoured the fairest Buck alluding to the name of Buckingham in all England Here was interred the bodie of Edward the eldest sonne of Edward the blacke Prince by Ioan his wife surnamed the faire Maide of Kent who was borne at Angolesme Ann. 1375. and died at 7. yeares of age Many of the Barons slaine at Barnet-field vpon Easterday 1471. were buried here in the bodie of the Church but now their bodies with these before remembred and the bodies of an hundred more mentioned by Stow of exemplarie note and knights degree are not onely despoiled of all outward funerall ornaments but digged vp out of their Requietories and dwelling houses raised in the place which was appointed for their eternall rest Some part of this Church is at this day yet standing but in that no monument of this kinde is remaining for it is conuerted into a Church for the Duch-Inhabitants of this Citie who in that kinde can hardly brooke any reuerend Antiquitie Saint Botolphs Bishopsgate Hic iacet Cardina vxor Richardi Shoder militis Iohanna filia eorundem ...... 14. April 1471. Sub hoc marmore iacet corpus Iohannis Redman quondam huius Ecclesie Rectoris benemerentissimi qui ab hac luce migrauit tertio die Iulij Ann. Dom. 1523. Neare to this gate if wee giue credit to our owne ancient Chronicles Nennius the sonne of Hely and brother of Lud and Cassibelane kings ouer the warlike Britaines was interred A man of a magnanimous spirit heroicall and valiant Who in the warres betweene Iulius Cesar and the Britaines sought couragiously in defence of his countrey causing Cesar to flie backe with the losse of his sword which Nennius tooke from him in single encounter and with which he slew Labienus Tribune of the Romane Nobilitie But the fifteenth day after this single opposition hee died of a wound receiued at the hands of Cesar in the same conflict the yeare of the worlds creation 3913. before the birth of our alone Sauiour 51. And here as I haue said was entombed with all funerall state and solemnitie and with him the sword which he tooke from Cesar the Emperour as he himselfe commanded Which sword was called Reddeath or rather Readie-death wherewith if any one had beene neuer so little wounded he could neuer escape with life Which you shall haue in such old verse as came to my hands At the north yate of London hii buriede this gud knyght And buriede in hys chest the swerd that was so bryght That he wan of the Emperor wythe grete honor enough That Reddedeth was ycluped whar with he hym slough I buriede wyth hym hit was as in tokneyinge Of hys Proesse that he hit wan of on so heigh a kyng I haue some other of the same subiect but of later times if you will reade them But Neminus brother of Cassybalayne Full manly fought on Iulius tymes twayne With strokes sore ayther on other bette But at the last this Prince syr Iulius Crosea mors his swerde in shelde sette Of the manly worthy Sir Neminus Whiche of manly
England should not be named or called from henceforth Prior of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem in England but by his proper name of William Weston Knight without further addition touching the said Religion And that likewise Sir Iohn Rauson knight being then Prior of Kilmainam in Ireland should not bee called or named from thenceforth Prior of Kilmainam in Ireland but onely by his proper name of Iohn Rauson knight without farther addition And that none of the Brethren or Confriers of the said Religion within this Realme of England and Land of Ireland should bee called Knights of the Rhodes or knights of Saint Iohns but by their owne proper Christian names and surnames of their parents without any other additions And furthermore it was enacted vnder a great penaltie that they should not weare about their necks in or vpon any apparell of their bodies any chaine with a Ierusalem Crosse or any other signe marke or token theretoâ—fore vsed and deuised for the knowledge of the said Religion and that they should not make any congregations chapiters or assemblies touching the same Religion or maintaine support vse or defend any liberties franchises or priuiledges theretofore granted to the said Religion by the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome or of the See of the same Lastly it was granted by the authoritie of the said Parliament that the Kings Maiestie his heires and successors should haue and enioy their said mansion house in the Parish aforesaid within the County of Midlesex and also the Hospitall of Kilmainam in Ireland with all their appurtenances for euer Yet it was prouided by the said Act that Sir William Weston and Sir Iohn Rauson Priors as also some other of the Confriers should haue a certaine annuall pension during their liues with some reasonable proportion of their owne proper goods And this was done saith the words in the statute by the agreement and assent of the Kings most excellent goodnes Sir William Weston had giuen vnto him one thousand pound of annuall rent or pension Sir Iohn Rauson fiue hundred Markes Clement West Confrier two hundred pound Thomas Pemberton fourescore pound Gyles Russell one hundred pound George Ailmer one hundred pound Iohn Sutton two hundred pound Edward Bellingham an hundred pound Edward Browne fifty pound Edmund Husse an hundred Markes Ambrose Caue an hundred Markes Thomas Copledyke fifty pound Cuthbert Leighton threescore pound Richard Broke an hundred Markes Henry Poole two hundred Markes William Tyrell thirty pound Iohn Rauson Confrier two hundred Markes To Anthony Rogers Oswald Massingberd Iames Husse Thomas Thornell Nicholas Hopton Philip Babington Henry Gerard Dunstan Nudegate Nicholas Lambert and Dauid Gonson being Confriers professed and hauing no certaine liuing was giuen ten pound a peece of yearely pension And if any proâ—esâ—ed in the said Religion were negligently forgotten or omitted out of that present Act for lacke of knowledge of their names yet it was ordered by the same that they should haue such honest conuenient and reasonable yearly pension and portion of goods as should please the Kings Maiestie to limit and appoint And by the said Act Ioâ—n Mableston Subprior of this Hospitall in England William Ermested Master of the Temple of London Walter Lymsey and Iohn Winter Chapleines were authorized to receiue and enioy during their naturaâ—l liues all such mansion houses stipends and wages in as large and ample manner as euer they did before the sitting of that Parliament What other pensions were giuen or how much the value in money was of the yearely profits of these foure last remembred I do not reade But the annuities or pensions appointed to the said two knights and the Confriers amounted to the summe of two thousand eight hundred and seuenty pound the yeare issuing out of the lands to this Hospitall appertaining And I finde that at the very same time of the dissolution of this Fraternitie certaine lusts and Tourneaments being holden at Westminster wherein the challengers against all commers were Sir Iohn Dudley Sir Thomas Seymor Sir Thomas Poinings Sir George Carew knights Antony Kingston and Richard Cromwell Esquires To each one of which for a reward of their valiantnesse the King gaue an hundred Markes of yearely reuenues and an house to dwell in and both of them to them and their heires for euer out of the lands and liuings belonging to this Hospitall Of such a large extensure were her possessions And much what after this manner the rest of the Manors honors lands tenements rents and reuersions were bestowed and likewise at that time vpon small considerations the scite and lands of all other Monasteries were begged bought and alienated by such who respected their owne profit aboue the seruice of Almighty God Albeit it was then declared saith Camden that such religious places being of most pious intent consecrated to the glory of God might haue beene according to the Canons of the Church bestowed in exhibition and almes for Gods Ministers reliefe of the poore redemption of captiues and repairing of Churches All Monasteries being thus suppressed it followed that vnder a faire pretence of rooting out of superstition all Chanteries Colledges and Hospitals were likewise by Act of Parliament left to the dispose and pleasure of the King And all these Monuments aforesaid of our forefathers pietie and deuotion to the honour of God the propagation of Christian saith and good learning and also for the reliefe and maintenance of the poore and impotent if without offence I may speake the truth All these I say for the most part were shortly after to wit within the remainder of his raigne and the short time of his Sonnes King Edward the sixth euery where pulled downe their reuenues sold and made a way and those goods and riches which the Christian pietie of our English Nation had consecrated vnto God since they first professed Christianity were in a moment as it were dispersed and to the displeasure of no man be it spoken profaned Thus haue you seene by degrees the fatall and finall period of Abbeyes Priories and such like religious Structures with the casting out to the wide world of aâ—l their religious Votaries chiefly occasioned by their owne abhominable crying sinnes more then by any other secondarie meanes as plainly doth appeare by the premisses All which Queene Mary attempted to haue restored to their pristine estate and former glory But all in vaine for these religious Ediâ—ices with the lands and possessions thereunto belonging were so infringed alienated and transferred that neither the power of Maiestie nor the force of Parliament could reduce them againe to the proper vse for which by the Founders they were intended Howsoeuer she being a Prince more zealous then poliâ—â—keâ— resigned and confirmed by Parliament to God and holy Church all those Ecclesiasticall reuenues which by the authoritie of that high Court in the time of her father King Henry had beene annexed to the Crowne to the great diminution and impouerishing of the same And
which you may reade more at large in Camden his diuision of Britaine and know more by Speed in his Type of this flourishing kingdome The Ecclesiasticall state of England is diuided into two Prouinces or Archbishopricks viz. of Canterbury and of Yorke The Archbishop of Canterbury â—s stiled Metropolitanus et Primas totius Angliae and the Archbishop of Yorke Primas Angliae The Archbishop of Canterbury hath vnder him within his Prouince of ancient and late foundations Rochester his principall Chaplaine London his Deane Winchester his Chancellour and all the rest of the Bishopricks foure excepted viz. Chester Durham Carlile and the I le of Man which are annexed to the Archbishopricke of Yorke Euery Diocesse is diuided into Archdeaconries and the Archdeacon is called Oculus Episcopi The eye of the Bishop And euery Archdeaconrie is parted into Deanries and Deanries againe into Parishes Townes and Hamlets The Bishop is called the Ordinarie in the Ecclesiasticall Law Quia habet ordinariam iurisdictionem in iure proprio et non per deputationem for that he hath ordinarie iurisdiction in his owne proper right and not by deputation in causes Ecclesiasticall All the Archbishops and Bishops of England haue beene founded by the Kings of England and do hold of the King by Baronie and haue been all called by writ to the Court of Parliament and are Lords of Parliament And the Bishopricks in Wales were founded by the Princes of Wales and the Principalitie of Wales was holden of the King of England as of his Crowne And the Bishops of Wales are also called by Writ to Parliament and are Lords of Parliament as Bishops of England be There were within the Realme of England one hundred and eightâ—ene Monasteries founded by the Kings of England whereof such Abbots and Priors as were founded to hold of the King per Baroniam and were called to the Parliament by Writ were Lords of Parliament and had places and voices there And of them were twenty sixe Abbots and two Priors as by the Rolles of Parliament appeare yet if you reckon the Abbot of Feuersham in Kent founded by King Stephen there were twentie and seuen which some do saith my learned Author warranted by these words in the Cartularie Et dedit Abbati et Monachis et successoribusâ—s is Minerium de Feuersham Com. Kane simul cum Hundredo c. tenend per Baroniam But saith he albeit this Abbot held by a Baronie yet because he was neuer that I finde called by Writ he neuer sat in Parliament Bishopricks in England with that of the Isle of Man are 37. whose extents I set downe in the passage of this worke Deanries 26. whereof thirteene were ordained by Henrie the eighth in the greater Cathedral Churches after the Monkes were thrust out Archdeacouries threescoâ—â— Dignities and Prebends fiue hundred fourty foure Numbred also there are Parish churches vnder Bishops 9284 of which 3845. be Appropriat as I finde in a Catalogue saith he exhibited to King Iames. Now Appropriat Churches those are called which by the Popes authoritie comming betweene with consent of the King and the Bishop of the Diocesse were vpon certaine conditions tyed or Instruments vnited annexed and incorporate for euer vnto Monasteries Bishopricks Colledges and Hospitals endowed with small lands either for that the said Churches were built their Lordships and Lands or graunted by the Lords of the said Lands Which Churches afterwards when the Abbeyes and Monasteries were suppressed became Laye Fees to the great damage of the Church Henry the eighth presently vpon the suppression of Monasteries and his ordination of certaine Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches set dâ—wne by the aduice of his Counsell a number of Rules and Statutes to be obserued by the Officers and Ministers residing in the same As appeares by this Record following which I thought to transcribe Henricus Octauus Dei gracia Anglie Francie et Hibernie Rex Fidei Defensor ac in terra supremum Ecclesie Anglicane et Hibernie caput Vniuersis sancte matris Ecclesie silijs ad quorum noticiam presens Scriptum peruenerit Salutem Cumet nobis et Regni nostri Preceribus vniuer soque Senatui quâ—m Parliamentum vocamus visum sit Deo et confidimus nos huc mouente Monasteria que passim in regno nostro extabant tum propter graues et multiplices illorum enormitates tum ob alias iustas rationabilesque causas supprimere â—â—olere et in meliores vsus convertere Nos et diuine voluntati conformius â—â—mâ—ius â—re Christiana esseducentes vt vbi ignorantia et superstitio regnabant ibi sincerus Dei cultus vigeat et sanctum Christi Euangelium assidue et pure annuncietur Et preteria vt ad Christiane fidei ac pietatis incrementum iuuentus Regni nostri in bonis literis instituatur et pauperes perpetuo sustententur in ipsorum Monasteriorum loco Ecclesias ereximus et consâ—ituimus Quarum alias Cathedrales alias Collegiatas vocari volumus pro quarum Ecclesiarum ac Collegiorum gubernaecione et regimine leges et statuta que sequntur prescribend curauimus quibus tam Decani et vtriusque ordinis Canonici quam ceteri omnes ministri pueri et pauperes qui in ipsis Ecclesijs commoraturi sunt pareant et ebsequantur eisque vt à nobis conditis et perfect is regantur et gubernentur Id quod si fecerint ingens sine pictatis incrementum in hoc regno nostro peruenturum esse confidemus Et nos expectatione 〈◊〉 voto nostro qui ad Dei optumi maximi gloriam ac fidei Christiane augmentum has Ecclesias ereximus et varijs ministrorum ordinibus enornauimus haâ—d quaquam fraudabimus Dat. c. The Statutes rules and orders were annexed hereunto which were very many and more then can conueniently be included in this short Treatise and more I thinke then were well performed As may partly be proued by an Inâ—unction from the Queenes Maiestie to the Archbishop of Canterbury Mathew Parker in these words By the Queene The Queenes Maiesty considering how the pallaces and houses of Cathedrall Churches and Colledges of this Realme haue ben both of ancyent and late tyme buylded and inclosed in seuerall to susteyne and kepe Socyeties of learned men professing Study and prayer for the edification of the Church of God and so consequently to serue the Common-weale And vnderstanding of late that within the houses hereof as well the chiefe Gouernours as the Prebendaries Students and members thereof being married do keepe particular housholds with their wiues children and Nurses whereof no small offence groweth to th entent of the Founders and to the quiet and orderly profession of studie and learning within the same hath thought meete to prouide remedie herein lest by sufferance thereof the rest of the Colledges specially such as be replenished with young Students as the very roomes and buildings be not answerable for such families of women and young children should follow the like example And
fiue thousand pounds and one Herbert Prior of Fiscane in Normandy bought for his father whose name was Losinge the Abbacie of Winchester and for himselfe the Bishopricke of Norwich Whereupon a versiâ—ier of that age made these rythmes Surgit in Ecclesia monstrum genitore Losinga Symonidum secta Canonum virtute resecta Petre nimis tardas nam Symon ad ardua tentat Si praesens esses non Symon ad alta volaret Proh dolor Ecclesiae nummis venduntur aere Filius est Praesul pater Abbas Symon vterque Quid non speremus si nummos possideamus Omnia nummus habet quid vult facit addit aufert Res nimis iniusta nummis sit Praesul Abba Thus translated by Bale in his Votaries A monster is vp the sonne of Losinga Whiles the law seeketh Simony to flea Peter thou sleepest whiles Simon taketh time If thou wert present Simon should not clime Churches are prised for syluer and gold The sonne a Bishop the father an Abbot old What is not gotten if we haue richesse Money obteineth in euery businesse In Herberts way yet it is a foule blot That he by Simony is Bishop and Abbot But Simonie was not so common now as other sinnes for the Clergie in generall gaue themselues strangely to worldly pleasures and pompous vanities they wore gay rich garments gilt spurres embroidered girdles and bushie locks The Monkes of Canterbury as well nigh all other Monkes in England were not vnlike to secular men they vsed hawking and hunting playing at dice and great drinking thou wouldest haue taken them to haue beene great Magnificoes rather then Monkes they had so many seruants and attendance of goodly aray and dignity Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury by the permission of King Henry the first assembled a great Councell of the Clergie at Westminster wherein he depriued many great Prelates of their promotions for their seuerall offences and many Abbots for other enormities forbidding the farming out of Church dignities In the raigne of King Henry the second the abuses of Church-men were growne to a dangerous height saith well the Monke of Newborough lib. 2. cap. 16. for it was declared saith he in the Kings presence that Clergie men had committed aboue an hundred murthers in his raigne Of which nine yeares were as then scarcely expired And in the 23 of his raigne the Nunnes of Amesbury were thrust out of their house because of their incontinent liuing Rog. Houed Richard Cordelion king of England being told by a certaine Priest called Fulco a Frenchman that he kept with him three daughters namely pride couetousnesse and lechery which would procure him the wrath of God if he did not shortly rid himselfe of them answered That he would presently bestow his three daughters in marriage the Knights Templers said he shall haue my eldest daughter Pride the white Monkes of the Cisâ—â—ux order Couetousnesse and my third daughter Lechery I commit to the Prelates of the Church who therein take most pleasure and felicitie And there you haue my daughters bestowed among you In the raigne of Henry the third the Templars in London being in great glory entertained the Nobilitie forraine Embassadours and the Prince himselfe very often insomuch that Matthew Paris Monke of Saint Albans who liued in those dayes cried out vpon them for their pride who being at the first so poore as they had but one horse to serue two of them in token whereof they gaue in their seales two men vpon one horsebacke yet suddenly they waxed so insolent that they disdained other orders and sorted themselues with Noblemen But this their insulting pride had a quicke period for shortly after to wit in the beginning of King Edward the seconds raigne in the Councell at Vienna this their so highly esteemed order was vpon cleare proofe of their generall odious abhominable sins and incredible Atheisticall impieties by them practised vtterly abolished throughout all Christendome And by the consent of all Christian Kings depoâ—ed all in one day taken all and committed to safe custody And thus being politâ—kely apprehended their lands and goods were seised vpon the heires of the Donours here in England and such as had endowed these Templars with lands entred vpon those parts of their ancient patrimonies after this dissolution and detained them vntill not long after they were by Parliament wholly transferred vnto the Knights of the Rhodes or of S. Iohn of Ierusalem A littâ—e before the vniuersall extinguishment of this order of the Templars Philip the French King caused 54. of that Order with their great Master to be burnt at Paris for their hainous vngodlinesse In the raigne of Edward the third the Clergie of England exceeded all other Nations in the heaping vp together of many Benefices and other spirituall promotions besides at that time they held the principall places both of trust and command in the kingdome Some of them had twenty Benefices with cure and some more and some of them had twenty Prebends besides other great dignities William Wickham at the death of William Edington Bishop of Winchester was made generall Administratour of spirituall and temporall things pertaining to that Bishopricke and the next yeare was made Bishop of Winchester This Wickham besides the Archdeaconry of Lincolne and Prouostship of Welles and the Parsonage of Manihant in Deuonshire had twelue Prebends Simon Langham was Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancelour of England Iohn Barnet Bishop of Bath and Treasurer of England The foresaid Wickham Keeper of the priuie Seale Master of the Wards and Treasurer of the Kings reuenues in France Dauid Wellar Parson of Somersham Master of the Rolles seruing King Edward in the Chancery fortie yeares and more Ten beneficed Priests Ciuilians and Masters of the Chancery William Muâ—se Deane of S. Martins le Grand chiefe Chamberlaine of the Exchequer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings Treasure and Iewels William Ashby Archdeacon of Northampton Chancellour of the Exchequer William Dighton Prebendary of Saint Martins Clerke of the priuie Seale Richard Chesterfield Prebendary of S. Stephens Treasurer of the Kings house Henry Snatch Parson of Oundall Master of the Kings Wardrobe Iohn Newenham Parson of Fenistanton one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and keeper of the Kings Treasurie and Iewels Iohn Rouceby Parson of Hardwicke Surueior and Controuler of the Kings works Thomas Britingham Parson of Ashby Treasurer to the King for the parts of Guisnes and the marches of Caleis Iohn Troys Treasurer of Ireland diuers wayes beneficed in Ireland Pope Vrban the first made a decree against the heaping together of many Benefices or spirituall promotions by one man for the execution whereof he sent commandement to the Archbishop of Canterbury and by him to all his Suffragans to certifie in writing the names number and qualities of euery Clerke Benefices or liuings within their seuerall Diocesse Whereupon this or the like certificate was brought in I finde inter Breuiâ—
and established by the kings Highnesse our most gratious souereigne Lord and by the whole consent of the high Court of Parliament for the extirpation abolition and extinguishment out of this Realme and other his graces dominions seigniories and countries of the pretended power and vsurped authoritie of the Bishop of Rome by some called the Pope vsed within the same or elsewhere concerning the same realme dominions segniories or countries whiâ—h did obfuscat and wrest Gods holy word and Testament a long season from the spirituall and true meaning thereof to his worldly and carnall affections as pompe glory auarice ambition and tyrannie couering and shadowing the same with his humane and politike deuises traditions and inuentions set forth to promote and stablish his onely dominion both vpon the soules and also the bodies and goods of all Christian people excluding Christ out of his kingdome and rule of mans soule as much as hee may and all other temporall Kings and Princes out of their dominions which they ought to haue by Gods law vpon the bodies and goods of their subiects whereby he did not onely rob the Kings Maiestie being onely the supreme head of this his Realme of England immediately vnder God of his honour right and preheminence due vnto him by the law of God but spoiled his Realme yearely of innumerable treasure and with the losse of the same deceiued the Kings louing and obedient subiects perswading to them by his lawes buls and other his deceiuable meanes such dreames vanities and fantasies as by the same many of them were seduced and conâ—ueied vnto superstitious and erroneous opinions So that the Kings Maiestie the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this Realme being ouer-wearied and fatigated with the experience of the infinite abhominations and mischiefes proceeding of his impostures and craftily colouring of his deceits to the great dammages of soules bodies and goods were forced of necessitie for the publike weale of this Realme to exclude that forraine pretended iurisdiction and authoritie vsed and vsurped within this Realme and to deuise such remedies for their reliefe in the same as doth not onely redound to the honour of God the high praise and aduancement of the Kings Maiestie and of his Realme but also to the great and inestimable vtilitie of the same And notwithstanding the said wholesome lawes so made and heretofore established yet it is common to the knowledge of the Kings highnesse and also to diuerse and many his loâ—uing faithfull and obedient subiects how that diuers seditious and contentious persons being imps of the said Bishop of Rome and his See and in heart members of his pretended Monarchie doe in corners and elsewhere as they dare whisper inculke preach and perswade and from time to time instill into the eares and heads of the poore simple and vnlettered people the aduancement and continuance of the said Bishops feined and pretended authoritie pretending the same to haue his ground and originall of Gods law whereby the opinions of many bee suspended their iudgements corrupted and deceiued and diuersitie in opinions augmented and increased to the great displeasure of almighty God the high discontentation of our said most dread soueraigne Lord and the interruption of the vnitie loue charitie concord and agreement that ought to bee in a Christian Region and congregation For auoiding whereof and repression of the follies of such seditious persons as be the meanes and authours of such inconueniences Be it enacted ordained and established by the King our soueraigne Lord and the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the authoritie of the same that if any person or persons dwelling demurring inhabiting or resiant within this Realme or within any other the Kings dominions seigniories or countries or the marches of the same or elsewhere within or vnder his obeizance and power of what estate dignitie preheminence order degree or condition soeuer hee or they bee after the last day of Iuly which shall bee in the yeare of our Lord God 1536. shall by writiâ—g ciâ—ering printing preachâ—ing or teaching deed or act obstinately or maliciously hold or stâ—nd with to extoll set foorth maintaine or defend the authoritie iurisdiction or power of the Bishop of Rome or of his See heretofore claimed vsed or vsurped within this Realme or in any dominion or countrey being or within or vnder the Kings power or obeisance or by any presence obstinately or maliciously inuent any thing for the extolling aduancement setting forth maintenance or defence of the same or any part thereof or by any pretence obstinately or maliciously attribute any manner of iurisdiction authoritie or preheminence to the said See of Rome or to any Bishop of the same See for the time being within this Realme or in any the Kings dominions and countries That then euery such person or persons so doing or offending their aiders assistants comfortors abettors procurers maintainers fautors counsellours conceilours and euery of them being thereof lawfully conuicted according to the Lawes of this Realme for euery such default and offence shall incurre and runne into the dangers penalties paines and forfeitures ordeined and prouided by the statute of Prouision and Premunire made in the sixteenth yeare of the reigne of the noble and valiant Prince King Richard the second against such as attempt procure or make prouision to the See of Rome or elsewhere for any thing or things to the derogation or contrarie to the Prerogatiue royall or iurisdiction of the Crowne and dignitie of this Realme King Henry still hearing of the murmuring of his Subiects vpon the enacting of this Statute writes againe to his principall magistrates in euery countrey in this manner following Henry R. By the King TRusty and welbeloued we grete yow well And wheras heretofore as ye know both vpon most iust and vertuouse fowndacions grownded vpon the lawes of Almighty God and holy Scripture And also by the deliberate aduice consultacion consent and agreement aswell of the Bishops and Clergie as by the Nobles and Commons temporall of this owr realme assembled in owr high Court of Parliament and by auctorite of the same the abuses of the Bisshop of Rome his auctorite and iurisdiction of long time vsurped against vs haue been not onely vtterly extirped abolished and secluded but also the same owr Nobles and Commons both of the Clergie and Temporalty by an other seuerall Acte and vpon like fundacion for the publike weale of this our realme haue vnited knytte and annexed to vs and the Crowne imperiall of this our realme the title dignitie and stile of Supreme hed in erthe immediatly vndre God of the Church of England as vndoubtedly euermore we haue ben which thing also the said Bisshops and Clergie particularly in their Conuocacions haue holly and entyrely consented recognised ratifyed confirmed and approued authentiquely in wryting both by their speciall othes profession and wryting vnder their Signes and Seales so vtterly reuouncyng all other othes
the King And in case they shall by him or otherwise lerne and knowe that Melanchton is there arryued then his grace wold that the said Haynes and Mount shall in such sort as they be not moche noted resorte vnto him and for the disuading of his continuance there or alteration of his opinion and alluring of him hither to vse suche reasons and persuasions as be before written with suche other as they can further deuise for that purpose To the which Haynes and Mount the Kings pleasure is ye shall deliuer like copies of the said Deanes booke and Bishops Sermons to be shewed vnto the said Melanchton or otherwise vsed as may be most expedient for thachyeuement of the Kings purpose in that behaulfe Ye shall also vnderstande that the kings pleasure is ye shall write to Sir Iohn Wallop and send vnto him therwith like copies willing him in case he shall haue certain knowledge that tharticles be true written in these his letters concernyng the French Kings sending into Germany for the continuance of the Bishop of Romes pretended supremacie to repaire with the said copies to the French King and not only to set the same furth with such reasons as he can deuise in that part shewing how moche it shal be against his honour both to geue himselfe subiect to the said Bishop and moue other to doo the semblable but also to declare vnto him that the Kings highnes remembring his old frendly promises concernyng the mayntenance of his cause and of his procedyngs touching the same cannot thinke it a litle strange that the said French King seing his Maiestie hath in his doings touching the said Bishop of Rome moued neyther his nor any Princes subiects will mâ—ue and styr the Germayns to condescende vpon a contrary opinion both to themselfs and to his grace in this behalfe And that his Maiestie must nedes thinke this Amytie moche touched in that he shuld moue any state or cuntrie to doo that thing whiche is so moche against the Kings highnes and his owne promes vsing all the waies to disuade him from the dishonorable obedience of the said Bishops See mouing him to inclyne to the Kings iust opinion touching the same Finally the Kings pleasure is ye shall write an other letter to the Bishop of Aberden signifying that the Kings Maiestie taketh it very vnkindly that the King his Nephieu wold now embrace without his aduise or counsail being his derest frend and Vncle and now in liege and Amytie with him the mariage of Mounsieur de vandous daughter wherevnto he wold geue non eare at his graces ouerture hertofore made of the same In your seid letter imputing a great negligence therein to the said Bishop and other of his Masters counsail seing their Master sheweth not in the doing therof suche amytie towards the Kings highnes as the frendship betwene them doth require And to make an end his grace will in no wise that Barnes of Haynes shall tarry for any further instruction of the Bishop of Canterbury or any other his grace hauing determyned to sende the same after by Master Almoner and Heth but that he Master Haynes and Mount shal with all possible diligence departe immediatly in post without lenger tarying thenne for this their depeche shal be necessary soo as their abode empeche not the Kings purpose touching the said Melanchton And thus fare youe most hartly well From Langley in moche hast this Monday at iiii of the clocke at after none Your louyng Frends T. Norffolk George Rocâ—ford Also before the beginning of that Parliament wherin the Popes supreme authoritie here in England was abolished these remarkable Inductions following were set downe and commanded by the King and his Councell to be suddenly put in execution First to send for all the Bishops of this realme and speciallie for suche as be nerest to the Courte and to examine them a parte whether they by the law of God can proue and iustifie that he that now is called the Pope of Rome is aboue the generall Counsaile or the generall Counsail aboue him Or whether he hath gyuen vnto him by the law of God any more auctority within the realme then any other foreyn Bishop Item to deuise with all the Bishoppes of this realme to set furth preach and cause to be preched to the Kings people that the said Bishop of Rome called the Pope is not in auctoryte aboue the generall Counsell but the generall Counsell is aboue him and all Bishpos And that he hathe not by Goddes law any more iurisdiction within this realme then an other forraine Bishop being of any other realme hath And that such auctority as he before this hath vsurped within this realme is both against Gods law and also against the generall Counsalles Which vsurpation of auctoritie onely hath growen to him by the sufferance of Prynces of this realme and by none auctority from God Item therefore that order be taken for such as shall preach at Paules Crosse from henceforth shall continually from Sonday to Sonday preach there and also teach and declare to the people that hee that now calleth himselfe Pope nether any of his Predecessours is and were but onely the Bishops of Rome and hath no more authoritie and iurisdiction by Gods law within this realme then any other forraine Bishop hath which is nothing at all And that such authoritie as hee hath claimed heretofore hath been onely by vsurpation and sufferance of Princes of this realme And that the Bishop of London may bee bound to suffer none other to preach at Paules Crosse as hee will answer but such as will preach and set forth the same Item that all the Bishops within this realme bee bound and ordered in the same wise and cause the same to bee preached throughout all their Diocesses Item that a speciall practise be made and a straight commandement giuen to all Prouincialls Ministers and rulers of all the foure Orders of Friers within this realme commanding them to cause the same to be preached by all the Preachers of their religions and through the whole realme Item to practise with all the Friers Obseruants of this realme and to command them to preach likewise or else that they may be stayed and noâ— suffered to preach in no place of the realme Item that euery Abbot Prior and other heads of religious houses within this realme shall in like manner teach their Conuents and brethren to teach and declare the same Item that euery Bishop shall make speciall commandements to euerie Parson Vicar and Curate within his Diocesse to preach and declare to his Parishoners in likewise Item Proclamations to be made throughout the realme containing the whole Act of Appeales And that the same Act may bee impressed transumed and set vp on euery Church doore in England to the intent that no Parson Vicar Curate nor any other of the Kings subiects shall make themselues ignorant thereof Item the Kings prouocations and appellations made from the Bishop
the Prior and Couent of the White Friers Carmelites in Stanford the â—bboâ— and Couent of our blessed Lady of Bidlesden the Warden and brethren of the grey Friers of Couentrie Bedford and Alesbury surrendred vp them houses into the kings hands Battaile Abbey in Sussex Martine Abbey in Surrey Straâ—ford Abbey in Essex Lewis in Suffex Saint Austines in Canterbury the new Abbey at the Tower hill the Minories without Aldgate the Nunnery at Clerken well The Hospitall of Saint Thomas Akers the Blacke-Friers the White-Friers the grey Friers and the Charterhouse Monks in London with the most or all other were surrendred after the same manner In September the same yeare Viz. An. 30. Hen. 8. by the speciall motion of great Cromwell all the notable images vnto the which were made any especiall pilgrimages and offerings as the images of our Lady of Walsingham Ipswich Worcester the Lady of Wilsdon the rood of Grace of our Ladie of Boxley and the image of the rood of Saint Sauiour at Bermondsey with all the rest were brought vp to London and burnt at Chelsey at the commandement of the foresaid Cromwell all the Iewels and other rich offerings to these and to the Shrines which were all likewise taken away or beaten to peeces of other Saints throughout both England and Wales were brought into the Kings Treasurie In the same yeare also the Abbey of Westminster was surrendred being valued to dispend by the yeare three thousand foure hundred and seuenty pound or by some 3977. l. 6. s. 4. d. ob q. as in the Catalogue of religious houses the Monkes being expelled King Henry placed therein a Deane and Prebendaries and made the last Abbot whose name was Benson the first Deane in the time of Edward the sixth it was made a Bishops See shortly after the benefits of the Church being abridged it came againe to a Deane and Prebends Againe Queene Marie ordained there an Abbot and his Monkes who continued not many yeares but were againe cut off by Act of Parliament And lastly Queene Elizabeth that wonder of the world made it a collegiate Church or rather a Nursery for the Church saith Norden for there she ordained to the glory of God the propagation of true Religion and good literature a Deane twelue Prebendaries an vpper master and an Vsher for the Schoole fourtie Schollers called the Queenes or Kings Schollers who as they become worthie are preferred to the Vniuersities besides Ministers Singers and Organists ten Quiristers and twelue well deseruing Souldiers Thus you see the interchangeable vicissitude of her foundacion and if it had not beene for the reuerend regard they had of the Sepulchres inauguration and vnction here of their famous Ancestors these forenamed Kings if I may ground my reason vpon the passages of those times had taken her commings in to haue inrichâ— their owne coffers despoiled her oâ— her vnualuable wealth and ornaments and battered downe to the ground her sacred Edâ—fice The fifth of December â—n the soresaid yeare the Abbey of Saint Albaâ—s was surrendred by the Abbot and Monkes there by deliuering the Couent Seale into the hands of Tho. Pope D. Peter Master Canendish and others the Kings visiters Now all or the most of all the religious houses in England and Wales being thus surrendred the King summoned another Parliament at Westâ—minster for howsoeuer these forenamed religious orders and other more of their owne free and voluntary mindes good wills and assents without constraâ—â—t â—oactâ—on or compulsion as are the words in the Statute of any manner of person or persons by due order of law and by their sufficient writings of Record vnder their Couent and common Seales had alreadie gâ—uen granted and confirmed renounced left and forsaken all their religious hâ—uâ—â—s with their lands and all other the appurtenances to the same belongingâ— vnto the King his heires and successors for euer Yet it was thought necessarie by the King and his Councell that these their â—o uâ—taâ—ic donations should bee further ratified by authoritie of that high 〈◊〉 whereupon it was enacted that all Monasteries with their Scites circuits and precincts laâ—ds Lordships and all othâ—r franchises not onely those which were surrendred or dissolued before the session of this Parliament but also such as were to bee surrendred or dissolued hereafter shouâ—d bee vested deemed and adiudged to be in the very actuall and reall season and possession of the King his heires and successors for euer The religious Order of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem whose chiefe mansion house was in the precincts of Clerkenwell Parish within the Country of Middlesex consisting of gentlemen and souldiers of ancient families and high spirits could by no means be brought in to present to his Maiestie any of these puling petitions and publike recognitions of their errors thereby like the rest to giue a loafe and beg a shiue to turne themselues out of actuall possession and lie at the Kings mercie for some poore yearely pension But like stoâ—â—â— fellowes stood out against any that thought to enrich themselues with their ample reuenues vntill they were cast out of their glorious structures and all other their estates for these causes following alledged aâ—gainst them in open Parliament as appeares by the statute beginning thus The Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons of this present Parliament assembled hauing credible knowledge that diuers and sundrie the kings subiects called the Knights of the Rhodes otherwise called Knights of Saint Iohns otherwise called Friers of the religion of S. Iohn of Ierusalem in England and of a like house being in Ireland abiding in the parties of beyond the sea and hauing aswell out of this Realme as out of Ireland and other the Kings dominions yearely great summes of money for maintenance of their liuings Haue vnnaturally and contrary to the dutie of their alleageances sustained and maintained 〈…〉 power and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome lately vsed and 〈◊〉 within this Realme and other the Kings dominions and haue not onely adhered themselues to the said Bishop being common enemy to the King our soueraigne Lord and to this his Realme vntruely vpholding knowledging and affirming maliciously and traiterously the same Bishop to bee supreme and chiefe head of Christs Church by Gods holy word Entending thereby to subuert and ouerthrow the good and godly laws and statutes of this realme for the abolishing expulsing and vtter extincting of the said vsurped power and authoritie but also haue defamed and slandered as well the Kings Maiestie as the Noblemen Prelates and other the Kings true and louing subiects of this Realme for their good and godly proceeding in that behalfe Vpon these causes and other considerations it was enacted That the Corporation of the said Religion as well within this Realme as within the Kings dominion and Land of Ireland should be vtterly dissolued and void to all entents and purposes And that Sir William Weston Knight as then Prior of the said Religion of this Realme of
ordeyne and mak him my Executor of my Testament foreseyd kalling to him soche as him thinkyth in his discrecion that can and will labor to the sonrest spede of my will comprehended in this myn Testament And to fulfill trwly all things foresaid y charge my foreseyd Son vpon my blessyng Wetnessyng my welbelouyd Cousins Thomas Erchbyshop of Caunterbury foreseyde and Edward Duke of Yorke Thomas Bishchop of Duresme Richard the Lord Grey my Chamberlaine Iohn Tiptost myn Treasuror of Englond Iohn Prophete Wardeine of my priuie seale Thomas Erpingham Iohn Norbery Robert Waterton and meny oder being present In witnessyng wherof my priuy Seele be my commaundement is set to this my Testament I yeue at my manere of Grenwich the xxi dey of the moneth of Ianuer the yere of owr Lord M. CCCC.VIII and of our Reigne the tenth He departed this world the twentieth of March as aforesaid some three yeares and odde moneths after the making of this his last Will and Testament in a Chamber belonging to the Abbot of Westminster called Ierusalem hauing beene prophetically foretold that hee should die in Ierusalem The words saith Harding that the King said at his death were of high complaint but nought of repentance of vsurpement of the Realme ne of restorement of right heires to the Crowne Which he thus versifies O Lorde he sayd O God omnipotent Now se I well thy Godhede loueth me That suffered neuer my foes to haue their entent Of myne person in myne aduersitie Ne in myne sicknesse ne in myne infyrmyte But ay hast kept it fro theyr maleuolence And chastised me by thy beneuolence Lorde I thanke the with all my herte With all my soule and my spirites clere This wormes mete this caryon full vnquerte That some tyme thought in world it had no pere This face so foule that leprous doth appere That here afoâ—e I haue had such a pryde To purtray oft in many place full wide Of which right now the porest of this lande Except onâ—y of their benignite Wolde lothe to â—â—oke vpon I vnderstande Of which good Lorde that thou so visyte me A thousande tymes the Lord in Trinyte With all my herte I thanke the and commende Into thyne handes my soule withouten ende And dyed so in fayth and hole creance At Cauntorbury buryed with great reuerence As a kyng shulde be with all kynde of circumstance Besyde the Prynce Edward with grete expence His funerall Exequies were solemnised here in all pompe and state his Sonne Henry the fifth and his Nobilitie being present vpon Trinitie Sonday next following the day of his death The reason as I take it wherefore King Henry made choice of this Church for his buriall place was for that his first wife the Lady Mary one of the daughters and coheires of Vmphrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford Essex and Northampton was here entombed who died before hee came to the Crowne Ann. Dom. 1394. leauing behinde her a glorious and faire renowned issue of children to the comfort of her husband and good of the common-wealth viz. Henry afterwards King of England Thomas Duke of Clarence Iohn Duke of Bedford Humphrey Duke of Glocester Blanch married to William Duke of Bauaria and Emperour and Philip married to Iohn King of Denmarke and Norway Here in the same Sepulchre lies the body of Ioane his second wife daughter of Charles the fifth King of Nauarre who died without issue at Hauering in the bower in the County of Essex the tenth of Iuly Anno Dom. 1437. Reg. H. 6.15 hauing continued widow 24. yeares This Queene endured some troubles in the raigne of her Stepsonne King Henry the fift being charged that shee should by witchcraft or sorcerie seeke the Kings death a capitall offence indeed if the accusation was true vpon which furmise her goods and lands were forfeited by Act of Parliament and shee committed to safe keeping in the Castle of Leedes in Kent and from thence to Pemsey attended onely with nine of her seruants but belike her innocency within a little time deliuered her from imprisonment and she liued a long time after in all princely prosperitie Here betweene her two husbands Iohn Beaufort Marquesse Dorset and Thomas Plantaginet Duke of Clarence Margaret daughter of Thomas and sister and one of the heires to Edmond Holland Earles of Kent lieth gloriously entombed by her first husband she had issue Henry Earle of Somerset Thomas Earle of Perth Iohn and Edmund both Dukes of Somerset Ioane Queene of Scots and Margaret Countesse of Deuonshire she died full of yeares the last of December Ann. Dom. 1440. Iohn her first husband lieth on her left side as appeares by his armes and portraiture for I finde no inscription at all vpon the Monument who was the eldest sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by his last wife Katherine Swinford and surnamed Beaufort of Beaufort a Castle in Aniou where he was borne He was created first Earle of Somerset and after Marquesse Dorset by Richard the second being but of small meanes to support such a swelling title He made therle of Somerset Marques Of Dorset then Sir Iohn Beaufort that hight Of poore liuelode that was that tyme doubtles But hee was depriued of this title of Marquesse Dorset by Act of Parliament in the first of Henry the fourth his halfe brother for whom afterwards the Commons became earnest petitioners in Parliament for his restitution But he himselfe was altogether vnwilling to be restored to this kinde of newly inuented honour being but begun in the ninth yeare of this Kings raigne and giuen to Robert de Vere his mignion the first stiled Marquesse of England as it is obserued by that most learned Antiquarie and Lawyer Io. Selden Esquire I finde little of him remarkable being belike sore weakened both in power and spirit by the foresaid Parliament whereby with others of the Nobilitie he was reduced to the same estate of honour and fortune which was but weake in which he stood when first Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester was arrested and besides it was not lawfull for him nor any of the rest to giue liueries to retainers or keepe any about him but necessarie seruants Hee died on Palmesonday the 16. of March Ann. Dom. 1409. On her right side is the pourtraiture of her second husband Thomas Duke of Clarence second soune of King Henry the fourth Lord high Steward of England Constable of the Kings Host and Lieutenant Generall of his Armie in France who after his many fortunate euents in warre was the first man that was slaine in the battell of Baugy vpon Easter Eue An. Do. 1420. by one Iohn Swinton a Scot who wounded him in the face with his Launce as he was remounting hauing giuen singular demonstration of his great valour and so threw him to the ground And with him that day were slaine many of exemplarie note besides 4500. common Souldiers This Duke had borne forth his youth
his Master he entred into orders yet before he came to bee a Clergie man he serued in the warres which is not vnlikely saith mine Authour for after he was Bishop he was thrice in the field and did his Prince notable seruice He was first preferred to the Bishopricke of Wilshire whose See was then seated at Ramsbury by the speciall fauour of King Athelstan who being dead his brother Edmund who succeeded him in his kingdome louing him no lesse procured him to be chosen Archbishop In which pastorall charge hee continued many yeares in great fauour and authoritie vnder diuers Princes till towards the latter end of his time that Edwin a young King was sore exasperated against him for that this Bishop had caused him to be diuorced from his Queene for consanguinitie or some other reasons and excommunicated his Concubines causing one of them whom the king doted vpon to be fetcht out of the court by violence to bee burnt in the forehead with an hote iron and banished into Ireland But not long after he was taken away by death from the Kings displeasure in the yeare of our redemption 958. hauing sate Archbishop 25. yeares or thereabouts He writ diuers Tractates both in verse and prose mentioned by Bale and Capgraue will haue him in the Kalender of our English Saints and Confessours But to conclude such was his Epitaph Stemmate serenus iacet hic sacer Odo Seuerus Moribus excellens acriter peccata refellens Presul at indulgens omni pictate refulgens Ecclesie Christi Pugil inuictissimus isti O bone nunc Christe quia sic tibi seruijt iste Celi solamen sibi des te deprecor Amen The life and death of this Archbishop Lanfranck is set downe at large by William Malmsbury Io. Capgraue Nicholas Harpsfeild Archdeacon of Canterbury Mathew Parker Archbishop with others and out of them all by Francis Godwin now Bishop of Hereford Yet for method sake thus much because I find his body by a Table inscribed which hangs vpon his Tombe to be here interred He was borne in Italy at Pauia some twenty miles from Myllaine brought vp in the Monasterie of Becco in Normandie vnder Herlewin the learned Abbot of that house of which he became Prior from whence in regard of his singular wisedome and great knowledge in all good literature he was called by William the Duke of Normandie to be Abbot of Saint Stephens in Cane a Monasterie that the said Duke had founded And in the fifth yeare after his conquest of England he promoted him to this Archbishopricke which he laudablie gouerned the space of eighteene yeares It is said an action which much obscured all his former praises that he perswaded the Conquerour to leaue the kingdome of England to his younger sonne William Rufus which they said William thus requited the Bishop as the King thought being somewhat too busie in reprehending his manifold vices and exhorting him to godlinesse and vertue he so bitterly fell out with him that he banished him the Realme the poore old bishop trauelled to Rome and wandred vp and downe many countries till by intercession of friends hee was suffered to returne home and soone after died of an ague according to his owne desire Solebat enim Deum rogare vt velex dissenteria vel ex febri diem suum obiret propterea quod hi morbi nec memoriam nec loquelam auferant He would often desire God that he might take his end either by a fluxe or an ague for that in those kinde of infirmities men are wont to haue the vse both of speech and memorie to the last cast His death happened the 24. of May Ann. Dom. 1089. He bestowed much vpon the fabricke of this Church and the housing of the Monkes he built in a manner all the Archbishops pallace hee founded two Hospitals adioyning to this Citie hee gaue great summes of money and also a Mannor toward the building of the Cathedrall Church of Rochester and did much for the Abbey of Saint Albons Hee encreased the number of the Monkes of this Church from thirty to fourty restored the dignities and offices of old belonging to the Monasterie and recouered vnto the same 25. Manors that had beene taken from it wrongfully in times past by Odo Bishop of Bayon and Earle of Kent Hee was a profound Scholler for those times he writ the noble acts of the Conquerour he made learned Comments and Expositions of many parts of the Bible and tooke great paines in reforming the same the copies whereof were much corrupted throughout all England by the negligent ouer-sight of the writers To his memorie this Epitaph was composed Vixisti venerande Pater sapienter egens Vixisti vivens mors quoque vita tibi Inter diuitias pauper Lanfrance fuisti Diuitijs manans pauperum amator eras Per te florentes artes valuere latine Grecia sis nobis ecce triumphat ouans Tu Laios ortu Gallosque docendo leuasti Te sibi Primatem cardo Britannus habet In terra degens celestia regna petebas Exemptus terra sider a liber adis Sol geminos denis obsiderat igne diebus Promsit Luna diem nocte solutus abis Here is the Tombe of Archbishop Anselme borne in Augusta a Citie of Burgundie who followed his predecessours steps almost foot by foot First he came to Becco vpon the like errand as Lanfrank had done which was to obtaine knowledge in all good learning Lanfrancke being called away to Cane he was made Prior of Becco in his place and afterwards Abbot in which he continued 15. yeares vntill at the request of Hugh Earle of Chester he came ouer into England and had this Bishopricke bestowed vpon him some foure yeares after the decease of Lanfrancke for so long the king pursed vp the profits thereof by William Rufus who presently after his consecration fell out with his new Bishop and banished him the kingdome in which he trauelled vp and downe as an exile during the Kings life vntill by his brother King Henry the first he was called home and restored to all his former dignities But not long after he was likewise banished the Realme by the said Henry falling out with him concerning the disposing of Bishoprickes at the Kings pleasure giuing inuestiture and possession of them by the staffe and the ring within three yeares by the meanes and mediation of Adela or Alice Countesse of Blois the Kings sister he was restored not onely to his place but to all his goods and fruits gathered in the time of his absence Some two yeares after this his last returne falling sicke of a languishing disease hee died Aprill 21. Ann. Dom. 1109. in the sixteenth yeare of his gouernment Some 400. yeares after by the procurement of Iohn Morton one of his Successours he was canonized a Saint and one as worthy that honour as any that euer since his 〈◊〉 was canonized by the Pope for as his life
who inuaded his Territories in his absence whilst he was prosecuting the warres in Ireland and returned from that battell a triumphant Conquâ—rour Vnder another Monument lieth the body of Gilbert Marshall Earle of Penbroke and Marshall of England Lord of Longevile in Normandy Leinster in Ireland and of Chepstow Strighull and Caerwent in Wales This Potent Peere of the Realme saith Mathew Paris in Ann. 1241. proclaimed a Turnament in scorne of the kings authoritie whereby such disports were forbidden to be holden at Hertford in the County of Hertford to which place when many both of the Nobilitie and Gentrie were assembled it happened that himselfe running by the flinging of his horse was cast out of his sadle and the horse gaue him such a blow on the breast that he died the same day being the fifth of the Kalends of Iuly 1241. as aforesaid His bowels were interred in the Abbey Church in the Towne of Hertford with the bowels of one Sir Robert de Say knight a gallant gentleman slaine in the same exercise These kinde of Iusts or Turnaments were brought in with king Stephen and practised in many places of England in such an outragious manner and with such slaughter of Gentlemen that to suppresse such an heathenish disport it was decreed by Parliament that whosoeuer therein were slaine should want Christian buriall and their heires be disinherited Hic requiescit ..... R ... Ep .... Quondam Visitator generalis ordinis Milicie Templi in Anglia in Francia in Italia .... This was a fragment of a funeralâ— Inscription insculped vpon one of these crosse-legged Monuments as I found it amongst other Collections by one studious in Antiquities in Sir Robert Cottons voluminous Librarie which he proues by the pedegree of the said Lord Rosses to haue beene made to the memory of one Robert Rosse a Templer who died about the yeare 1245. and gaue to the Templars his Mannor of Ribston William Plantaginet the fifth sonne of king Henry the third lieth here interred who died in his childhood about the yeare 1256. En Iacobus templo Bayle requiescit in isto Qui fuerat gratus medio Templo sociatus Cui Deus esto pius eius miserando reatus Vitam mutauit in mensis fine secundi M. C. quater que dato Lxx quater annumerato Cui sit solamen Christus dic protinus Amen Robertus iacet hic Thorne quem Bristollia quondam Pretoris merito legit ad officium Huic etinim semper magne Respublica cure Charior cunctis Patria duitijs Ferre inopi auxilium tristes componere lites Dulce huic consilio quosque iuuare fuit Qui pius exaudis miserorum vota precesque Christe huic in celis des regione locum Orate pro anima Richardi Wye socij comititiui interioris Templi ob 9. Mar. 1519. Cuius anime Domine secundum delictum meum noli me iudicare Deprecor maiestatem tuam vt tu deleas iniquitatem meam Ecce quid eris Hic iacet Willelmus Langham quondam custos huius Templi qui obijt ......... 1437. Tu prope qui transis nec dicis aueto resiste Auribus et corde hec mea dicta tene Sum quod eris quod es ipse fui derisor amare Mortis dum licuit pace manente frui Sed veniente nece postquam sum raptus amicis Atque meis famulis orba ...... domus Me contexit humo deplorauit que iacentem Inque meos cineres vltima dona dedit Vnde mei vultus corrosit terra nitorem Queque fuit forme ......... Ergo Deum pro me cum pura mente precare Vt mihi perpetua pace frui tribuat Et quicunque rogat pro me comportet in vnum Vt mecum meneat in regione Poli. William Burgh iadis Clerk de Chancelleri Gist icy Dieu de s'alme eyt mercy Amen Saint Clement Danes So called because Harold surnamed Harefoot for his swift footmanship king of England of the Danish line and other Danes were here buried This Harold was the base sonne of king Canut by his concubine Alice of Woluerhampton in Staffordshire a Shoomakers daughter His body was first buried at Westminster but afterwards Hardicanut the lawfull sonne of Canut being king commanded his body to bee digged out of the earth and to be throwne into the Thames where it was by a Fisherman taken vp and buried in this Churchyard He died at Oxford 1040. hauing raigned three yeares and eight moneths Hic iacet .... Iohannes Arundell .... Episcopus Exon. qui ob die mens Maij 15 ... 1503. This maymed Inscription would tell vs thus much that Iohn Arundell descended of the ancient and most worshipfull house of the Arundels of Lanherne in Cornwall Bishop of Exceter lieth here vnder interred who died March 15. 1503. Hic iacet corpus venerabilis .... Io ..... Booth Legum Bacalaureus Episcopus Exon ..... ob primo April 1478. This Bishop gouerned his Church wondrous well and builded as some suppose the Bishops See in the Quire but being weary of the great troubles which were in his countrey betweene king Edward the fourth and the Earle of Warwicke he remoued from thence to his house of Horsleigh in Hampshire where he died Orate pro anima Willelmi Booth militis fratris Episcopi Exon. qui ob 6. April 1478. Hic iacet Edmundus Arnold postremus Aprilis Quem dolor heu rapuit tristis atroxque dies Istius Ecclesie Rector meritissimus olim Et summus Mâ—dice Doctor in arte fuit Non Ipocrate minor erat nec doctior vllus Non Opifex mirum vincit Apollo virum M. D. deme ter .x. semel v. Christi anno Cui vitam Medicus det sine sine Deus Sauoy So called of Peter Earle of Sauoy the first builder thereof which being ouerthrowne by the Rebels of Kent it was againe raised and beautifully rebuilded by king Henry the seuenth for an Hospitall and dedicated to the honour of Saint Iohn Baptist for which he purchased lands for the reliefe of an hundred poore people Of which you may reade this Inscription engrauen ouer the Gate towards the Street 1505. Hospitium hoc inopi Turbe Sauoia vocatum Septimus Henricus fundauit ab imo solo Henry the seuenth to his merite and honor This Hospitall foundyd pore people to socor Many officers ordinances orders and rules were appointed by the Founder for the better gouernment of this Hospitall some of which I haue read briefly extracted out of the Grand Charter viz. Per nomen Magistri et Capellanorum Hospitalis Henrici Regis Anglie septimi de Savoy Duo Presbiteri seculares conductitij Duo homines seculares honesti ac literati quorum alter Subsacrista alter Subhospitalarius Quatuor homines honesti qui Alteriste vocentur Quinque alij honesti homines viz. 1. Clericus Coquine 2. Panetarius 3. Coquus 4. Ortulanus 5. Ianitor Duo alij alter subcoquus
alter subianitor Vna femina Matrona sub eadem duodecim alie femine Habeat etiam Magister ad sumptus Hospitalis duos homines honestos ad nutum libitum suum in omnibus negotijs tam propriis quam etiam in negotiis hospitalis sibi seruituros In iuramento Magistri Nullam que dispensationem aduersus aliquod statutum siue ordinationem Hospitalis predicti siue aduersus hoc iuramentum meum aut aliquam eius particulam impetrabo aut impetrari curabo neque ab aliis impetratum vllo modo curabo c. Hec omnia et singula in me recipio hec iureiurando promitto me fideliter obseruaturum sicut me Deus adiuuet et hec sacrosancta eius Euangelia Que omnia singula N. Abbati Westmonast Visitatori predicti Hospitalis spondeo c. incentum libris sterlingorum ad vsum Hospitalis predicti meipsum firmiter obligo c. Regule quedam obseruande Sit Magister continue residens in Hospitali predicto nullumque officium administrationem quarumcunque rerum aut cuiuscunque rei vel sub aliqua persona spirituali aut temporali cuiuscunque dignitatis aut conditionis fuerit acceptabit aut geret neque eiusdem Seruitor Capellanus Officiariusve Nec absit in Hospitalis negotiis vltra quadraginta in aliquo anno Pro singulis diebus necessarie sue absentie in Hospitalis causis habeat pro se duobus sibi Servitoribus tantum tres solidos Magister Hospitalis pro tempore existens habeat sibi vltra vnam Togam siue liberatam suam Pro expensis oris sui siue victus proque vadijs suis quibuscunque alijs necessarijs habeat triginta libras annuatim soluendas per manus suas proprias ad quatuor anni terminos vsuales per equales portiones Nec Magister nec alij portabunt vestes exteriores alterius coloris quam blanei anglice blew interiores possunt esse alterius coloris dummodo non sunt rubei vel alterius leuis coloris Omnes Conductijs exceptis portabunt in dextra parte Pectoris vnam Rosam rubeam amplam ad sex polices in circuitu de filis cericis aureis bene contextam et compactam cum Capicio eiusdem coloris There are diuers other the like ordinances which I omit This Hospitall being valued to dispend 529. l. 15. s. 7. d. ob by yeare was suppressed the tenth of Iune the seuenth of Edward the sixth a little before his death the Beds bedding and other furniture belonging thereunto with seuen hundred Markes of the said Lands by yeare he gaue to the Citizens of London with his house of Bridewell to the furnishing thereof and towards the furnishing of the Hospitall of S. Thomas in Southwarke lately suppressed This Hospitall was againe new founded erected corporated and endowed with lands by Queene Mary the third of Nouember in the fourth of her raigne the Ladies of the Court and Maydens of Honor a thing saith Stow not to be forgotten stored the same of new with beds bedding and other furniture in very ample manner and so it continues The Chappell of this Hospitall serueth now as a Parish Church to the Tenements thereof neare adioyning and others In which are diuers funerall Monuments but few of any Antiquitie Hic iacet Tho. Halsal Leighuieng Episcopus in Basilica Sancti Petri Rome Nationis Anglicorum Penitenciarius summe probitatis vir qui hoc solum post se reliquit Vixit dum vixit bene cui leuus conditor Goannes Douglas Scotus Dunkelheng Presul Patria sua exul 1522. This Bishop translated Virgils Aeneiads into the Scottish language compiled the palace of Honor and diuers other Treatises he fled into England for feare of being questioned in Parliament Here lieth Humphrey Gosling of London Vintnor Of the whyt Hart of this Parish a neghbor Of vertuous behauiour a very good Archer And of honest mirch a good company keeper So well enclyned to poore and rich God send more Goslings to be siâ—h Saint Martins in the fields O ye our frends yat here pas by We beseche yow vs to haue in memory Somtym we were as now be ye In tym to come ye shall be as we Edward Norrys and Ioan his wyff These wer our names whyl we had lyff Of yowr charite for vs to pray A Pater Noster and an Aue to say Of your cherity pray for the soule of Sir Humfrey Forster Knight whos body lyeth buried here in earth vndyr this marblâ—ston which decessyâ— the xviij day of the moneth of September 1500 ......... on whâ—s soule Iesu haue mercy Amen Hic iacet Thomas Barret prenobilis Armiger qui quidem Thomas erat abstractus de Sanctuario beati Petri VVestmonasterij et erudeliter intersectus per manus improrum contra leges Anglie et totius vniuersalis Ecclesie priuilegia et iura Anno Domini 1461. Anno illustrissimi Regis Ed. Quarti post conquâ—stum primo Sub eodem queque maâ—moreo lapide Iohannes Barret eiusdem Thome primogenitus sepelitur qui quidem Iohannes obiit ...... die ...... An .... Of this eminent thrice noble Esquire thus drawne and puld out of the Sanctuarie and cruelly murthered by the hands of wicked people against the Lawes of the land and priuiledges of the holy Church as appeares by this Inscription I haue read thus much following out of a namelesse Manuscript Thomas Barryt Squyr to Kyng Harry the syxt oftentyms imâ—loyd in the French warrys vndre the command of Iohn Duc of Bedford as alsoo Iohn Duc of Norfok beyng aswâ—y trew â—â—ge man to hys Souereygne Lord the Kyng hauyng taken Sanctury at Westmynstre to â—hon the fury of hys and the Kyngs enemys was from thense hayld foorth and lamentably hewyâ— a pâ—ees Abut whilke rym or a lityll before the Lord Skales late in an euenyng entryng a wherry Bott wythe three persoons and wghyng toowards UUestmynstre ther lykwys too haue takyn Sanctury was descryed by a wooman wher anon the wherry men fell on hym murthered hym and cast hys mangyld corps aloud by Sâ—ynt Mary Ouerys The Surname of Barret is at this day of exemplarie note and doth greatly resflourish by that worthy Gentleman Sir Edward Barret Knight Lord Baron of Newburgh Chancelour of the Dutchie of Lancaster and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuy Councell Saint Mary Rounciuall This was an Hospitall by Charing Crosse and a cell to the Priorie and couent of Rounciuall in Nauar in Pampalone Diocesse where a Fraternitie was founded in the 15 of Edward the fourth Hospitall of Saint Iames. This Hospitall was anciently founded by the Citizens of London for fourteene Sisters maidens that were leprous liuing chastly and honestly This Hospitall was surrendred to Henry the eight the 23 of his raigne the Sisters being compounded withall were allowed Pensions for the terme of their liues and the King builded there a goodly mannor house annexing thereunto a Parke The Foundation of the religious
in health And as our Lord knoweth I haue nothing left vnto me for to prouyde any better but as my Brother of his owne purse layeth out for me to his great hynderance Wherfore gode Master Secretary estsones I byseche yow to haue som pittie vpon me and latt me haue such thyngs as are necessary for mee in myn age and especially for my health And also that itt may please yow by yowr high wysdom to moue the Kings highnesse to take me vnto his gracious fauor againe and to restor me vnto my liberty out of this cold and painfull imprisonment wherby ye shall bynd me to be yowr pore beadsman for euer vnto almighty God who euer haue yow in his protection and custody Other twayne things I must also desyer vpon yow first oon is that itt may please yow that I may take som Preest within the Tower by th' assignment of master Liuetenant to hear my confession against this hooly tym That other is that I may borrow some bookes to stir my deuocion mor effectually theis hooly dayes for the comfortte of my sowl This I byseche yow to grant me of yowr charite And thus our Lord send yow a mery Christenmas and a comfortable to yowr hearts desyer Att the Tower this xxii day of December Your poore Beadsman Iohn Roffe Thus he lay imprisoned in great misery hungrie cold and comfortlesse as the prisoners dittie in Newgate runs vntill the time of his arraignment during which time as also before being diuers times examined by the Lords of the priuie Councell as also examined and sworne in verbo Sacer docij by Thomas Bedyll and Richard Layton Clerkes of the Kings Councell in the presence of Sir Edmond Walfingham knight Lieuetenant of the Tower and others to many Interrogatories his answeres were euer agreeable in effect with his letters He was arraigned onely for denying of the Supremacie howsoeuer he was before attainted by Parliament of misprision of Treason for the matter of the holy Maid of Kent as by this his Indictment appeares of which so much as is materiall Quidem tamen Iohannes Fyssher nuper de ciuitate Roffen in Com. Kanc. Clericus alias dictus Iohannes Fyssher nuper de Rofen Episcopus deum pre oculis non habens sed instigatione diabolica seductus false maliciose et proditorie optans volens et desiderans ac arte imaginans inuentans practitans et attemptans serenissimum dominum nostrum Henricum octauum dei gratia Angl. et Franc. Regem fidei defensorem dominum Hibernie atque in terra supremum caput Ecclesie Anglicane de dignitate titulo nomine status sui Regalis videlicet de dignitate titulo et nomine eius in terra supremi capitis Anglicane Ecclesie dicte imperiali corone sue vt premittit annexis vnitis depriuare Septimo die Maij Anno regni eiusdem domini Regis vicessimo septimo apud Tarrim London in Com. Mid. contra legiancie sue debitum hec verba Anglicana sequent diuersis dicti domini Regis veris subditis false maliciose proditorie loquebatur et propalabat videlicet The Kyng owre Soueraigne Lord is not supreme hedd yn erthe of the Cherche of England In dicti domini Regis immund despect et vilipendium manifest ac in dictorum dignitatis tituli et nominis status sui Regalis derogationem et preiudic non modicum et contra formam dicti alterius Actus perdicti Anno xxvi edit ac contra pacem prefati domini Regis c. Of this Indictment being found guilty he had iudgement whereupon execution presently followed which the more was hastened as also his arraignement in regard of the rumour that a Cardinals hat was comming towards him from the Pope because he had stood so stoutly in his defence which newes was so vnwelcome vnto him that vpon the first report thereof comming to his eares he said in the presence of some of the Lieuetenants seruants that if the Cardinals hat were laid at his feet he would not stoupe to take it vp so little did he set by it but let vs leaue him to his eternall rest onely thus much out of the writers of his time who say that hee was omnium Episcopalium Virtutum genere suffarcinatissimus et singulari linguae gratia praeditus He was of many sore lamented being a man of a very good life and great learning as his writings in diuers bookes did testifie The common people had such a reuerend opinion of his holinesse that they beleeued certaine miracles to be wrought by his head put vpon a Pole and set vp vpon London Bridge Adrianus Iunius and Cornelius Musius two German writers of Fisher thus in opposition Iunius Te niuei mores celebrem et conscia virtus Eâ—exit coelo et relligionis amor Sed dum Romuleo nimium tibicine fultus Perstas nec causam Regis amare potes Mors properatatibi est ceruice cruenta rescissa Munus vbi inselix purpura missa venit Musius Non ego purpureos ambiâ—i indignus honores Nec potui humanis fidere praesidijs Vnica cura fidem intrepide veramque tueri Commissoque ouium pro grege cuncta pati Si quaeras ceruix igitur cur ense re scissa est Improba displicuit Regia caussa mihi Another Dum mihi martyrij donat Diadema securis Quaeso meum teneas o bone trunce caput Another Vim sine vi patior qualis qui carcere rupto Cogitur e vinclis liber abire suis. The sixt day of Iuly following the decollation of Bishop Fisher Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellor of England was likewise beheaded on the Tower hill for the like deniall of the Kings Supremacie he was first buried in this Chappell and the body of his deare friend Fisher was remoued out of Barking Church-yard and buried with him in the same graue for agreeing so vnanimously in their opinions liuing it was be like thought vnfitting to part them being dead but how long they lay together in this their house of rest I certainly know not yet this is certaine that Margaret the wife of Master Roper and daughter of the said Sir Thomas More remoted her fathers corps not long after to Chelsey and whether she honouued the Bishop by another remoue to the place of her fathers buriall or not I know not yet she might by all probabilitie They were both accused to be of the adherents to Elizabeth Barton in her counterfeite holinesse hypocrisie and traiterous intents but their innocencie and their often writing to the King and Cromwell in their owne excuse acquitted them of that imputation In the Act for the surety of the succession of the Crowne of England an oath was deuised for the maintenance and defence of the said Act which was to be taken by all the Kings subiects this oath being tendered to these two they were content to bee sworne to the maine point but not to the
Scripta ferunt post se que liquerat exposuisse Pro dilectoris anima tui dulciter ora Albani sancti conventus qualibet hora His next successor was Iohn Stoke of whom as also of all the rest in the Catalogue I haue already spoken and now I will returne backe againe to the rest of the Epitaphs and Inscriptions which I finde in the Church In a wall in the body of the Church ouer a vault Vir Domini verus iacet hic Heremita Rogerus Et sub eo clarus meritu Heremita Sigarus Memoriale Domini Thome Rutland quondam subprior is huius Monasterij qui ex luce migrauit M. ccccc.xxi cuius anime propitietur altissimus Amen Ecce sacerdos eram iam factus vile cadauer Et cito puluis erit queso memento mei Siste gradum qui ad me venit hic funde precator Me deus vt leuet ducat ad vsque polum Vpon his brest on the portraiture this English Distick is ingrauen Iesus Chryst Marys son Hav mercy on the sowl of Rychard Stondon This Towne vaunts her selfe very much of the birth and buriall of Sir Iohn Mandeuill Knight the famous Trauailer who writ in Latine French and in the English tongue his Itinerary of three and thirty yeares And that you may beleeue the report of the Inhabitants to bee true they haue lately pensild a rare piece of Poetry or an Epitaph for him vpon a piller neere to which they suppose his body to haue beene buried which I thinke not much amisse to set downe for although it will not bee worth the reading yet doe but set it to some lofty tune as to the Hunting of Antichrist or the like I know it will be well worth the singing marke how it runs All yee that passe on this pillar cast eye This Epitaph read if you can 'T will tell you a Tombe onâ—'t stood in this roome Of a braue spirited man Iohn Mandeuill by name a knight of great fame Borne in this honoured Towne Before him was none that euer was knowne For trauaile of so high renowne As the Knights in the Temple crosse-legged in marble In armour with sword and with sheeld So was this Knight grac't which time hath defac't That nothing but ruines doth yeeld His Trauailes being donne he shines like the Sun In heauenly Canaan To which blessed place O Lord of his grace Bring vs all man after man That he was borne here in this Towne I cannot much deny but I am sure that within these few yeares I saw his Tombe in the Citie of Leege within the Church of the religious house of the Guilliammits with this Inscription vpon it and the verses following hanging by on a table Hic iacet vir nobilis D. Ioannes de Mandevile Al D. ad Barbam miles Dominus de Campdi natus de Anglia Medicine professor deuotissimus orator bonorum largissimus pauperibus erogator qui toto quasi orbe lustrato Leo â—ij diem vite sue clausit extremum Ann. Dom. M.CCC.lxxi Mens Nouemb. die xvi Aliud Hoc iacet in tumulo cui totus patria viuo Orbis erat totum quem peragrasse ferunt Anglus Eques que fuit nunc ille Britannus Vlysses Dicatur Graio clarus Vlysse magis Moribus ingenio candore sanguine clarus Et vere cultor Relligionis erat Nomen si queras est Mandevil Indus Arabsque Sat notum dicet finibus esse suis. The Church-men will shew you here his kniues the furniture of his horse and his spurres which he vsed in his trauells Vndyr this Ston lyeth beryed here He that whylom was Balyff of this town Callyd somtym William Smyth Esqwyere To whom of his Sins God grant remission Elisabyth his wyff a woman of renown Here lyeth alsoo enterryd in this grav Cryst on her sowl hav compassion And grant them in heuen a plase to hav Vpon the same marble vnder the picture of the Crosse these words are engrauen which the foresaid Smith seemes to speake By this tokyn of the holy cross Good Lord sav owr sowls from loss Elisabeth his wife these Cryst who dyed for vs on the Rood tree Sav the sowl of my Husbond owr chyldren and mee Here lieth .... Raph Rowlat Citizen of London Merchant of the Staple and Ioan his wife Which Raph dyed M. cccccxix on whose This familie is now extinct and the inheritance diuolued by marriage vnto the Maynards as appeareth by an Epitaph vpon the wall not long since made for on of the Maynards who married one of the heires of Sir Raph Rowlat knight To the picture of Christ hanging on the Crosse this inscription was lately to be read vpon one of the pillars in the Church Fly the falshode of the fiend for he wil fownd the Dread not my dreadful doomes for I dyed for the. Cal on me thy Sauyour Chryst I can chere the My mercy is more than thy misse I may amend the See how my syde was perced for the and I shal help the. In this Abbey Church is a goodly Font of solid brasse wherein the kings children of Scotland were wont to be baptized which Font Sir Richard Lea knight Master of the Pioners brought as a spoile out of the Scottish warres and gaue it to this Church As may appeare by this loftie and arrogant inscription about the same as if the Font in it owne person did proclaime the knights act to all passengers in these words lately Englished When Leeth a Towne of good account among the Scots and Edinbrough their chiefe Citie were on a fire Sir Richard Lea knight saued mee from burning and brought mee into England And I being mindfull of this so great a benefit whereas before I was wont to serue for baptizing of none but Kings children haue now willingly offered my seruice euen to the meanest of the English Nation Lea the Victour would haue it so Farewell In the yeare of our Lord M.D.xliii and of the raigne of King Henry the eight xxxvi These already written are all the Epitaphs or inscriptions which I finde in this Abbey Church howsoeuer it doth retaine the ashes of many a worthie man conquered by death both before and since the Conquest As of Egfrid king of the Mercians sonne to great Offa the Founder who added to those twenty Lordships or Mannors wherewith his father at the first endowed this foundation Terram quinque Maneriorum in loco dicto Pynefeld cum terminis suis antiquis manerium de Sauntridge et Tirefeld Cartas que Patris sui benigne in suae serena concessione confirmauit pro confirmatione regni sui sua prosperitate nec non pro salute paterne sueque anime antecessorum suorum Ecclesiam suam per omnia salubriter protegendo saith the golden Register of this Abbey The first businesse that this King vndertooke after hee came to the Crowne was the restauration of ancient priuiledges to the Church and great hope
l. 10. s. 8. d. per annum Pleshy This Collegiate Church was founded by Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester for Canons regular which was valued in the Kings bookes to be yearely worth one hundred thirty nine pounds three shillings ten pence The vpper part of which Church within these few yeares was taken downe and as I was told in the Towne the Parishioners being either vnwilling or vnable to repaire the decayes carried away the materials which were employed to other vses This part of the Church was adorned and beautified with diuers rich funerall Monuments which were hammered a peeces bestowed and diuided according to the discretion of the Inhabitants Vpon one of the parts of a dismembred Monument carelesly cast here and there in the body of the Church I found these words Here lyeth Iohn Holland Erle of Exceter Erle of Huntington and Chamberleyne of England Who dyed ....... This Iohn was halfe brother to King Richard the second and Duke of Exceter From which dignitie he was deposed by Act of Parliament in the first yeare of King Henry the fourth whose sister he had married and in the same yeare beheaded in this Towne for a seditious conspiracie saith Camden and in the very place where the Duke of Glocester was arrested by King Richard which was in the base court of the Castle of Pleshie now quite ruined that he might seeme saith he to haue beene iustly punished by way of satisfaction for the foresaid Duke of Glocester of whose death he was thought to be the principall procurer He was beheaded the third day after the Epiphanie 1399. 1. Hen. 4. Vpon a broken peece of a faire marble stone reared to the side of a pillar whereupon were the pictures in brasse of an armed knight and his Lady this ensuing disticke was engrauen Militis o miserere tui miserere Parentum Alme deus regnis gaudeat ille tuis Vnder this stone if Tradition may go for truth Sir Edward Holland Earle of Mortaigne sonne of the foresaid Iohn Holland beheaded with his Lady were entombed Orate pro anima Iohannis Scot primi Magistri huius Collegij qui obijt primo die Ianuar. M. cccc.x Qui me psalmasti miserere mei Qui me pretioso tuo sanguine redimisti miserere mei Qui me ad Christianitatem vocasti miserere mei Here lyeth Robert Frevyt a man letterd sowndyt For hys sowl and for all christine sey a Pater Noster and an Ave. But I shall forget the Founder Thomas of Woodstocke the sixth sonne of King Edward the third and Vncle to King Richard who was taken by force from this his Castle of Plessy by Thomas Mowbray Earle Marshall and conuayed to Callis where he was smothered vnder a Featherbed 1397. His body was afterwards conueyed with all funerall pompe into England and buried here in this Church of his owne foundation in a goodly sepulchre prouided by himselfe in his life time Whose reliques were afterwards remoued and laid vnder a marble inlaid with brasse in the Kings Chappell at Westminster In which Church Elianor his wife of whom I haue spoken before lieth entombed with this French inscription who after the death of her husband became a Nunne in the Abbey of Barking within this County Cy gist Aleonore de Bohun aysue fille et vn des heirs l'hounrable seignour Mons. Humfrey de Bohun Counte de Hereford d'Essex et de Northampton et Constable d'Engleterre Femme a puissant et noble prince Tho. de Woodstock Fitz a tresexcellent et tre puisant seignour Edward Roi d'Engleterre puis le Conquest tiers Duc de Glocestre Counte d'Essexie et de Buchingham et Constable d'Engleterre quemorust le tierz iour a'October ban du grace 1399. de gi aisme Dieux face mercy Amen But againe to returne to the Duke her husband touching whose life and death with the manner thereof thus writeth Gower in his booke called Vox clamantis O quam Fortuna stabilis non permanet una Exemplum cujus stat in ordine carminis hujus Rex agit et Cygnus patitur de Corde benignus Ille prostratus non est de Rege levatus Ad Plessye captus tunc est velut Hostia raptus Rex jubet arma geri nec eo voluit misereri Cum Sponsa nati lugent quasi morti gravati Plusque Lupo sevit Rex dummodo Femina flevit Nil pietas munit quem tunc manus invida punit Rex stetit obliquus nec erat tunc unus amicus O Regale genus Princeps quasi pauper egenus Turpiter attractus jacet et sine iure subactus Sunt ibi Fautores Regis de sorte Priores Qui Cygnum pendent vbi captum ducere tendent Sic ducendo ducem perdit sine lumine lucem Anglia que tota tenebrescit luce remota Trans mare natavit regnum qui semper amavit Flent centum mille quia Cygnus preterit ille Calisij portus petit unde dolus latet ortus Error quem Regis genuit putredine legis Carcere conclusus subito fuit ille reclusus Nescit quo fine sit vite sive ruine Tunc Rex elatum sumpsit quasi Falco volatum Vnde suas gentes perdit Custode carentes A little after follow these verses touching the deniall of buriall to bee granted vnto him among the rest of his honourable and royall Ancestors Sic nece devictum sic corpus ab hoste relictum Clam de conclavi susceperat Anglia navi Per mare regreditur corpus nec adhuc sepelitur Namque sepulturam defendit Rex sibi puram Desuper a latere patris loca justa tenere Dummodo quesivit vix bassa sepulchra subivit Of the manner of his death these three verses following Hen quam tortorum quidam de sorte malorum Sic Ducis electi plumarum pondere lecti Corpus quassatum jugulant que necant jugulatum Such was the end of this royall Prince sonne to a King and vncle to a King who by our writers is discommended in this that he was euer repining against the King in all things whatsoeuer he wished to haue forward Erat enim vir ferocissimus precipitis ingenij as Polidor censures him a most fierce man and of an headlong wit who thinking still that those times wherein he had mastred the King were nothing changed though the King was aboue thirty yeeares old forbare not roughlie not so much to admonish as to check and schoole his Soueraigne Hatfield Peuerell So denominated of one Randolph Peuerell the owner thereof to whom Edward the Confessor was very munificent for that hee had married his kinswoman the daughter of Ingelrick a man of great Nobilitie among the English Saxons A Lady of that admirable beautie that with her lookes she conquered the Conquerour William who desired nothing more then to be her prisoner in Armes which to effect hee begins to expresse a kinde of loue to the remembrance of
husband Eleanor the second wife of the foresaid Sir Iohn Wriothesley Here lieth buried Ioan wyfe to Thomas Wriothesley sonne to the said Sir Iohn Wriothesley Here lyeth Iohn Wriothesley the younger sonne to Sir Iohn Wriothesly and Eleanor with others of that familie mentioned by Stow in his Suruay of London This Church is likewise much honoured by the Sepultures of Sir Henry Grey knight sonne and heire to George Grey Earle of Kent as also by Reginald Grey Earle of Kent Of which their Funeralls being so neare these times in another place S. Benet Pauls Wharfe In this Church lie entombed the bodyes of Sir William Cheyney knight and Dame Margaret his wife which Sir William Cheyney deceased Ann. 1422. In this Parish and partly as I take it in Saint Peters the little is a faire house sometime belonging to the Stanleys vpon the outward wall whereof are embossed the Armes or rather if you will the legges of the Isle of Man for that the Stanleys honoured with the title of Earles of Darby were commonly called Kings of Man This house was built by Thomas Stanley first of that sirname Earle of Darby and so for a long time it was called Darbie House but at length it being in the tenure of Sir Richard Sackuile knight fallen by morgage vnto him for which morgage Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke out of his affection to the office of Armes satisfied the said Sir Richard who thereupon past it ouer to Q. Mary and at the instant request of the said Duke she by her Charter granted it to Sir Gilbert Dethicke as then Garter principall King of Armes who lieth buried in this Church Thomas Hauley Clarencieux king of Armes of the south parts William Haruey Norroy king of Armes of the north parts and to the other Heralds and Pursuiuants of Armes expressing their titles and order qui pro tempore fuerint in perpetuum vt essent vnum corpus corporatum in re facto nomine habeantque successionem perpetuam nec non quoddam sigillum commune To the end that the said King of Armes Heralds and Pursuiuants of Armes and their successors might at their liking dwell together and at conuenient times meete together speake conferre and agree among themselues for the good gouernement of their faculty and their Records might be more safely kept c. Dated the 18. day of Iuly 1555. Philip and Mary the first and third yeare This Corporation consists of thirteene in number whose names and titles at this time viz. Anno 1631. are as followeth Sir William Segar Knight Garter Principall King of Armes Sir Richard S. George Knight Clarencieux Sir Iohn Borough Knight Norroy Prouinciall Kings William Penson Lancaster Sir Henry S. George Knight Richmond Henry Chitting Chester Iohn Philipot Somerset William le Neue Yorke Iohn Bradshaw Windsore Heralds These sixe Heralds non ab Officiorum praestantia sed è creationis cuiusque antiquitate locos obtinet not from the excellencie of their office but according to the prioritie of their creation take preheminence And to make vp the number there are foure Pursuiuants in this Colledge helpers and furtherers likewise in matters of Heraldry although of an inferiour Classe viz. Rouge-crosse so called of the red crosse by which Saint George the Tutelar Saint of all Englishmen is famozed Blewmantle so called of a skie-coloured coate of Armes Francica maiestatis of a French-like Maiesty assumed by K. Edward the third Rouge-Dragon of a red Dragon sustaining the Shield Roiall of the English instituted by King Henry the seuenth Port cullis of the Port cullis which the said Henry the seuenth vsed in his Cognisance If you would know more of this Colledge may it please you peruse Sir Henry Spilmans Glossarie litera H. Saint Michaels Querne Here lieth interred the body of Iohn Leland or Leyland Natiue of this honourable Citie of London brought vp in the Vniuersities of England and France where he greatly profited in all good learning and languages Keeper of the Libraries he was to King Henry the Eight in which Office he chiefly applied himselfe to the study of Antiquities wherein he was so laborious and exquisite that few or none either before or since may bee with him compared which will best appeare by his New yeares gift to the said King Henry written in Latine and translated into English by his contemporarie companion Iohn Bale and by him intituled The loboryouse Iourney and serche of Iohan Leylande for Englandes Antiquitees giuen of him as a New yeares gift to Kynge Henry the Eyghte in the thirty seuenth yeere of his Reygne Vbi tuae celsit udini visum fuit c. so it begins in Latine Where as it pleased youre hyghnesse vpon very iust consideratyons to encourage mee by the authoryte of youre moste graciouse Commyssion to peruse and dyligently to serche all the Libraries of Monasteries and Collegies of this youre noble Realme to the entent that the Monuments of auncyent Wryters as well of other Nacyons as of your owne Prouynce myghte be brought out of deadly darkenesse to lyuely lyght and to receiue lyke thankes of their posteryte as they hoped for at such time as they employed their long and great studies to the publique wealthe Yea and furthermore that the holy scripture of God might both be sincerely taught and learned all maner of supersticion and crafty coloured doctrine of a rowte of romane Bishops totally expelled oute of this your most Catholique realme I thinke it now no lesse than my very dewtie breuely to declare to your Maiestie what frutes haue spronge of my laboriouse iourney and costly enterprise both roted vpon your infinite goodnesse and liberalite qualitees right highly to be estemed in al Princes and most specially in yow as naturally your owne wele knowne proprietes First I haue conserued many good authors the which otherwise had ben like to haue perished to no small incommodite of good letters Of the which parte remaine in the most magnificent libraries of your royall Palaces Part also remaine in my custodie whereby I trust right shortly so to describe your most noble Realme and to publish the Maiestie of the excellent actes of youre progenitors hitherto sore obscured bothe for lacke of emprinting of such workes as lay secretly in corners And also because men of eloquence hath not enterprised to set them forth in a florishing stile in some times past not commonly vsed in England of Writers otherwise wele learned and now in such estimacion that except truth be delicately clothed in purpure her written veritees can scant finde a Reader That all the world shall euidently perceiue that no particular region may iustly be more extolled than yours for true nobilitie and vertues at all points renoumed Farther more part of the exemplaries curiously sought by me and fortunately found in sundry places of this your dominion hath bene emprinted in Germany and now be in the presses chefely
the worlde This done I haue matter of plenty already prepared for this purpose that is to say to write an History to the which I entend to ascribe this title De Antiquitate Britannica or else Civilis Historia And this worke I entend to diuide into so many bookes as there be Shyres in England and shires and great dominions in Wales So that I esteeme that this Volume will enclude a fifty bookes whereof each one seuerally shall containe the beginnings encreases and memorable acts of the chiefe Townes and Castles of the Prouince allotted to it Then I entend to distribute into sixe bookes such matter as I haue already collected concerning the Isles adiacent to your noble realme and vndre your subieccyon Wherof three shall be of these Isles Vecta Mona and Menavia somtime kyngedomes And to superadde a worke as an ornament and a right comely garlande to the enterprises aforesaid I haue selected stuffe to be distributed into three bookes the which I purpose thus to entitle De Nobilitate Britannica Wherof the first shall declare the names of Kynges and Quenes with their children Dukes Earles Lordes Capitaynes and rulers in this realme to the commynge of the Saxons and theyr Conquest The seconde shall be of the Saxons The thirde from the Normans to the reygne of your most noble grace descending lineally of the Brytayne Saxon and Norman kynges So that all noble men shall clerely perceyve their lyneall parentele Now if it shall be the pleasure of Almighty God that I may lyve to performe these things that be already begonne and in a great forwardnesse I trust that this your realme shall so we le be knowne ones paynted wyth his native colours that the renowne thereof shall geue place to the glory of no other region And my great labours and costes procedynge from the most habundant fountayne of your infinite goodnesse towards me your pore scholar and most humble servaunt shall be euydently seane to have not only pleased but also profyted the studyouse gentill and equall reders This is the briefe declaracyon of my laboriouse iourney taken by mocyon of your hyghnesse so much studying at all houres aboute the frutefull preferment of good letters and auncyent vertues Christ contynue your most royall estate and the prosperyte wyth successyon in kyngely dignite of your deere and worthylye beloued sonne Prynce Edward grauntynge you a numbre of Pryncely sonnes by the most gracyouse benygne and modest Lady your Quene Cataryne Iohannes Leylandus Antiquarius Iohn Bale in his declaration vpon this Treatise saith that the next yeare after that Leyland presented this New-yeares Gift to king Henry the said king deceased and Leyland by a most pitifull accident fell besides his wits which was the cause belike that these his workes were neuer imprinted howsoeuer at this day the written copies thereof are in some priuate mens custody which learned Camden saw as he himselfe acknowledgeth when hee compiled that matchlesse Chorographicall description of Great Britaine But those learned Authors which Leyland gathered together in his iourney and which hee conserued to augment the Kings Libraries and his owne are I doubt by the iniquitie of times quite lost and perished And here I might take occasion to speake of the great spoile of old Bookes and all other reuerend Antiquities at and vpon the suppression of Abbeyes and reformation of Religion As also of the due praise belonging to such men in these dayes who like Sir Robert Cotton with labour and charges collect and safely preserue these ancient Monuments of learning for the publique good and commodity of the whole kingdome But of this when I come to that inestimable rich Treasurie that famous and renowned Library in the Vniuersitie of Oxford whose principall Founder was Sir Thomas Bodley knight deceased To returne then to our Antiquarie Leyland Many other workes saith Bale in the foresaid declaration hath Leyland written of whom some are emprinted as the Assertion of king Arthure the Birth of Prince Edward the Song of the Swanne the decease of Sir Thomas Wiet the winning of Bullein and the commendation of Peace Some are not yet printed as his Colleccyons of the Byshoppes of Brytayne of the Vniuersytees of the same of the orygynoll and increase of good learnynges there Of his Epigrammes and Epitaphs and the lyfe of kynge Sygebert with many other more He died franticke the 18. day of Aprill Anno redemptionis humanae 1552. Of whom this Ogdoasticke following was composed either by himselfe as the stile sheweth or by some other in his name saith Pitseus Quantum Rhenano debet Germania docto Tantum debebit terra Britanna mihi Ille suae gentis ritus nomina prisca Aestiuo fecit lucidiora die Ipse antiquarum rerum quoque magnus amator Ornabo patriae lumina clara meae Quae cum prodierint niueis inscripta tabellis Tum testes nostrae sedulitatis erunt These verses were annexed to his Monument as I haue it by tradition This our Leland is called by writers Lelandus iunior in regard of another Iohn Leland who flourished in the time of king Henry the sixth taught a Schoole in Oxford and writ certaine Treatises of the Art of Grammer Which Leland saith Pits was tum in versu tum in prosa multo elegantior in omni Latinitate purior tersior nitidior quam ferebat illius at at is communis consuetudo As well in verse as prose much more elegant and in all the Latine tongue more pure polisht and neate then the custome of that age did commonly affoard Whereupon this riming Hexameter was made to his commendation Vt Rosa slos slorum sic Leland Grammaticorum But to take my leaue of both these Lelands and go forward to what ancient Inscriptions I haue sometime found in this Church Blessyd Lady moder and Virgyn have mercy and pety on ye soul of yowr powere mayd Elisabyth West yat here lyeth beryed ye whych decessyd ye yere of owr Lord M. ccccc.vii ye vii of Octobre O mater Dei miserere mei Amen Hic ..... Rogerus Woodcocke ciuis et Hat London Ioanna vxor eius .... M. ccccxxii Qui venisti redimere perditos noli dampnare redemptos Epitaphs and Inscriptions within certaine Churches of this Cittie colâ—â—cted about some thirtie seuen yeares since by Robert Treswell Esquire somerset Herald lately deceased Of which few or none are to be found at this present time Saint Botolphs Aldersgate Hic iacet Katherina Cauendish quondam vxor Thome Cauendishe nuper de Cauendish in Com. Suffolke Armig. que obijt xv die Septemb. Anno Dom. M. cccc.lxxxxix Cuius anima requiescat in pace Hic iacet Alicia nuper vxor Thome Cauendish de Cauendish et de Scaccario excellentissimi Principis Domini Henrici viij que quidem obijt xij Nouemb. Ann. Dom. M. ccccc.xv Cuius anime propitietur Altissimus Amen Here lyeth buried vnder this Stone Margaret
Cauendish late wife of William Cauendish which William was one of the sonnes of the aboue named Alice Cauendish Which Margaret dyed the xvi day of Iune in the yeare of our Lord God M. cccccxl whossoul Iesu pardon Amen Heuen blis be here mede Yat for the sing prey or rede Cauendish is a Towne or Village in Suffolke wherein that valiant Gentleman Iohn Cauendish Esquire who slew that Arch-Rebell Watt Tyler Anno Reg. Regis Ric 2.4 was borne which fact was not long vnreuenged for in the same yeare the Rebels of Norfolke and Suffolke vnder the conduct of their Captaine Sir Iohn Wraw a detestable Priest tooke Sir Iohn Cauendish knight cosin to the foresaid Iohn chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench and beheaded him together with Sir Iohn of Cambridge Prior of Saint Edmundsbury whose heads they set on the Pillory in the Market place Here restyth the body of William Burd Esquyr late Clark of the Pipe and Priuy Seale whych payd the generall tribute of Nature deuyded from the mundane vexations by naturall death the xv day of August the xxi yere of kyng Henry the eyght Clarke of the Pipe saith the Interpreter is an Officer in the Kings Exchequer who hauing all accounts and debts due vnto the king deliuered and drawne downe out of the Remembrancers Offices chargeth them downe into the great Roll. Who also writeth summons vnto the Shiriffe to leuie the said debts vpon the goods and chattels of the said debtors and if they haue no goods then doth he draw them downe to the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer to write Extreats against their Land The ancient Reuenew of the Crowne remayneth in charge before him and he seeth the same answered by the Fermers and Shiriffes to the king He maketh a charge to all Shiriffes of their summons of the Pipe and Greenewax and seeth it answered vpon their accounts He hath the ingrossing of all Leasses of the Kings lands and it is likely that it was at the first called and still hath denomination of Pipe and Clarke of the Pipe and Pipe Office because their Records that are registred in their smallest Rolles are altogether like Organe Pipes but their great Roll called the Great Roll Ann. 37. Ed. 3. ca. 4. is of another forme Clericus Priuati Sigilii or Clarke of the priuie Seale is an Officer whereof there be foure in number that attendeth the Lord Keeper of the priuie Seale or if there be none such vpon the principall Secretarie writing and making out all things that be sent by warrant from the Signet to the Priuie Seale and are to be passed to the Great Seale as also to make out as they are tearmed Priuie Seales vpon any especiall occasion of his Maiesties affaires for loane or lending of money or such like Of this Officer and his function you may reade the Statute Ann. 27. Hen. 8. cap. 11. Hic iacet Iohannes Hartishorne quondam Seruiens Domini Regis ad Arma qui obijt viij die Martij Ann. Dom. M. ccccxxix Agnes vxor eius que obiit ..... M. cccc The office of Sergeants at Armes is to attend the person of the King to arrest Traitors or great men that do or are like to contemne messengers of ordinarie condition for other causes and to attend the Lord high Steward of England sitting in Iudgement vpon any Traitor and such like Of these by the Statute Ann. 13. Ric. 2. cap. 6. there may not be aboue thirtie in the Realme There be also two of these Sergeants of the Parliament one of the vpper and another of the lower house whose office seemeth for the execution of such commandements especially touching the apprehension of any offender as either house shall thinke good to enioyne them There is one Sergeant at Armes that belongeth to the Chancerie who is called Sergeant of the Mace as the rest may be because they carrie Maces by their office He of the Chancerie attendeth the Lord Chancellour or Lord Keeper in that Court Another in like manner attends the Lord Treasurer Of your cherite prey for the souls of George ... Maior of London and Iohan and Margaret his wyffs which .... decessyd M. ccccc.xxxvi on whos sowls ..... By the computation of yeares I finde no such man by the Christian name of George to haue beene Lord Maior about this time excepting George Monox who lieth buried at Waltham Stow. Hic iacet Iohannes Kirkham nuper Ciuis Attornatus London Elisabetha vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obijt primo die Septembris .... M. cccc.xxvij quorum animabus ... Here lyeth Iohn Mynne Esquyr late mastyr of the Kyngs wooddys of his new granted Court of Generall Surueyours of his Londes and Auditour of diuers and sundry Reuenews of the same Courts which desessyd the xv dey of Decemb. M. ccccc.xlii on whos soul Iesu haue mercy Diuers other Inscriptions hee collected of persons here interred about the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne which are not as now visible In this Church was sometime saith Stow a Brotherhood of Saint Fabian and Sebastian founded in the yeare 1377. the 51. of Edward the third and confirmed by Henry the fourth in the sixt of his raigne Henry the sixt in the 24. of his raigne to the honour of the Trinitie gaue licence to Dame Ioan Astley sometime his Nurse to Robert Cawood Clarke of the Pipe who lieth buried in this Church but of whom no remembrance is remaining and Thomas Smith to found the same a Fraternitie perpetually to haue a Master and two Custos with Brethren and Sisters c. This Botherhood was endowed with lands more then thirtie pound by the yeere and was suppressed Edward the sixt Saint Mary Magdalens Milkestreete Of your charity pray for the soul of Edward Murell ... and Martha his wyff which Edward decessyd the ... day of ... Of your cherite prey for the souls of William Campion Citizen and Grocer of London sometime one of the Masters of the Bridghouse and Alys and Anne his wyffes The which William decessyd the xvii of December M. ccccc.xxxi Anne the .... day of M. ccccc.xx on whos souls Iesu haue pitte Amen Prey for the soul of Henry Cantlow Mercer Merchant of the Staple at Callys the builder of this Chappell wherein hee lyeth buried M. cccc.lxxxxv Here lieth also buried in this Church Sir William Cantlow Knight and Sheriffe of London in the yeare 1448. who died in the yeare 1462. Cantlow siue de Cantelupo an ancient Familie of great repute in many places of this Kingdome of which hereafter Hic iacet Iohannes Olney quondam ciuis et Mercerus Aldermannus Maior Ciuitatis London qui obijt die Martis xxiiij die octobris M cccc liiij cuius anime propitietur Deus This Iohn was the sonne of Iohn Olney of the Citie of Couentrie saith Stowes Suruay Orate pro animabus Thome Muschampe ........ This Thomas Muschampe was Sheriffe
and sea together wherein a Monastery was built by Furseus a holy Scot by whose perswasions Sigebert king of the East Angles became a Monke and resigned vp his kingdome who afterwards being drawne against his will out of this Monastery to encourage his people in battell against the Mercians together with his company lost his life In that place now there are onely ruinous walls in forme as it were foure square built of flint stone and British bricke But the story of the Foundation of this Abbey will best appeare in the life of Furseus written by Bede and followed by Capgraue Bede lib 3. cap. 19. Capgraue lit F. folio 153 as followeth In the time that Sigebert yet gouerned the East parts of England a holy man called Furseus came thither out of Ireland a man notable both for his sayings and doings of great vertue and much desiring to wander and trauell in Gods quarrell wheresoever occasion serued Comming therefore to the east coasts of England hee was reuerently receiued of the said King where pursuing his godly desire of Preaching the word of God hee both conuerted many Infidels and confirmed the faithfull in the faith and loue of Christ by his painefull Preaching and vertuous examples Where falling into sicknesses hee had from God a vision by the ministery of Angels wherein he was warned to goe forward cheerefully in his painefull Preaching of the Gospell and to perseuere in his accustomed watching and praying because his end and death was certaine though the houre thereof was most vncertaine according to the saying of our Lord. Watch therefore ye know not the day nor the houre With this vision being much confirmed and encouraged he hastened with all speed to build vp the Monasterie in the place king Sigebert had giuen vnto him and to instruct it with regular discipline This Monastery was pleasantly situated for the Woods and Sea adioyning being erected in the village of Gnobersburg and enriched afterwards by Anna King of that prouince and many other Noble men with sundry faire houses and other ornaments This Monastery was founded about the yeare of our Lord 636. and demolished long before the violent deluge of such buildings which happened in the raigne of King Henry the eight Gorlston Here I saw saith Camden the tower steeple of a small suppressed Friery which standeth the Sailers in good steed for a marke of which Friery I neuer marked further Lestoffe Here lieth buried the body of Thomas Scroope otherwise sirnamed Bradley of the towne wherein he was borne descended of the noble family of the Scroopes Qui claritatem generis literis et virtutibus plurimum illustrabat who very much adorned the honour of his birth by his learning and vertues He was first a Monke ordinis Sancti Benedicti of the order of Saint Benet after that ad maiorem aspirans perfectionem aspiring to a greater perfection of life hee tooke vpon him the profession and rule of a Dominican and after that he submitted himselfe to the discipline of the Carmelites of whose Institution he writ a learned Treatise and preached the Gospell in haire and sackcloth round about the Countrie Then hee withdrew himselfe againe to his house of Carmelites in Norwich and there remained twenty yeares leading the life of an Anchorite but yet after that time he came abroad and was aduanced by the Pope to a Bishopricke in Ireland called Dromorensis Episcopatus the said Pope which was Eugenius the fourth sent him in embassage to the I le of Rhodes of which he writ a booke from whence being returned he left Ireland and his Bishopricke came into the East countries wherein hee went vp and downe barefooted teaching in townes abroad the ten commandements and preaching the glad tidings of the Gospell Quicquid autem vel ex suis reditibus percepit vel alias a ditioribus lucrari poterat id totum aut pauperibus distribuit aut in alios pios vsus erogauit whatsoeuer hee tooke either of his owne yearely profits or what he could procure from the richer sort of people he distributed it all to the poore or employed it to pious vses At the length Anno aetatis suae plus minus centesimo in Leistoft Suffolciencis comitatus oppido viuendi finem fecit in the yeare of his age one hundred or thereabouts he died in this towne of Lestoffe the fifteenth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord 1491. the seuenth of Henry the seuenth Here he was buried cum Epitaphio Elegiaco with an Elegiacall or sorrowfull Epitaph engrauen vpon his monument two of the last verses of which are these two verses following Venit ad occasum morbo confectus amoro Spiritus alta petit pondere corpus humum If you would know more of this learned Irish Bishop reade Bale and Pitseus in his life Somerley The habitation in ancient times of Fitz-Osbert from whom it is come lineally to the worshipfull ancient Familie of the Iernegans Knights of high esteeme in these parts saith Camden in this tract Vpon an ancient Knight saith the same Author in his Remaines Sir Iernegan buried crosse legd at Somerley in Suffolke some hundred yeares since is written Iesus Christ both God and man Saue thy seruant Iernegan This Knight as I gather by computation of yeares was Sir Richard Ierningham or Iernegan who for his staid wisedome was chosen to be one of the priuie Chamber to King Henry the eight vpon this occasion following Certaine Gentlemen of the priuy Chamber which through the Kings lenitie in bearing with their lewdnesse forgetting themselues and their duty towards his grace in being too familiar with him not hauing due respect to his estate and degree were remoued by order taken from the Councell vnto whom the King had giuen authoritie to vse their discretions in that behalfe and then were foure sad and ancient Knights put into the Kings priuy Chamber whose names were Sir Richard Wingfield Sir Richard Ierningham Sir Richard Weston and Sir William Kingstone Or it may be Sir Robert Ierningham knighted by the Duke of Suffolke Charles Brandon at the battaile and yeelding vp of Mont de dier a towne in France But which of the Family soeuer he was the name hath beene of exemplarie note before the Conquest if you will beleeue thus much as followeth taken out of the Pedegree of the Ierninghams by a iudicious gentleman Anno M.xxx. Canute King of Denmarke and of England after his returne from Rome brought diuers Captaines and Souldiers from Denmarke whereof the greatest part were christened here in England and began to settle themselues here of whom Iernegan or Iernengham and Iennihingho now Iennings were of the most esteeme with Canute who gaue vnto the said Ierningham certaine royalties and at a Parliament held at Oxford the said King Canute did giue vnto the said Ierningham certaine Mannors in Norfolke and to Iennings certain Mannors lying vpon the sea-side neere Horwich in Suffolke in
dwarfe to death saith my foresaid Author Much more might bee said of this little-great man but I am called for my selfe to the Presse and to speake more then I haue done in the praise of little men I may be thought to flatter my selfe He died in the yeare 1346. in the twentieth of the raigne of King Edward the third I read in a booke of the order of Carmelites of which Fraternitie he was one as also Prouinciall of them all throughout all England penned by Iohn Bale before his conuersion a part of an Eulogium composed to the memory of this Baconthorpe which may serue for an Epitaph Thus. Iohannes de Bachonethorpe Doctor resolutus Carmelita Hic Bachone fuit Iohannes natus in vrbe Anglica quo felix terra priore fuit Parisio dulces hausit de fonte liquores Post tamenin patrio claruit ipse solo Exposuit libros Petri sed sanccius esse Est ratus in quartum peruigilare librum Fecit Aristotelem clarum inclitumque legenti Dans Testamentum clarius omne navum .......... Vpon a faire marble stone in the Quire this Inscription following is engrauen in brasse Hic iaces corpus Willelmi Boleyn militis qui obijt x. Octobris Anno Dom. M. ccccc.v Cuius anime propitietur Deus Amen Let it be the greatest honour to this noble deceased Knight for that he was great Grandfather to the most renowned and victorious Princesse Elizabeth late Queene of England which will best appeare by the Light of Great Britaine learned Camden in his Introduction to the History which he writ of her long and prosperous raigne beginning as followeth The Linage and descent of Elizabeth Queene of England saith he was by her Fathers side truly Royall for daughter she was to King Henry the eight grand daughter to Henry the seuenth and great grand-daughter to Ed the fourth By the Mothers side her descent was not so high howbeit noble it was and spread abroad by many and great Alliances throughout England and Ireland Her great grand-fathers father was Ieffrey Bolen a man of Noble birth in Norfolke Lord Maior of the Citie of London in the yeare 1457. and at the same time honoured with the dignitie of Knighthood An vpright honest man of such estimation that Thomas Lord Hoo and Hastings Knight of the Order of Saint George gaue him his daughter and one of his heires to wife and of such wealth as he matched his daughters into the Noble houses of the Cheineys Heydons and Fortescues left his sonne a goodly inheritance and bequeathed a thousand pounds of English money to bee bestowed vpon the poore in the Citie of London and two hundred in Norfolke This mans sonne William Bolen was chosen amongst eighteene most choice Knights of the Bath at the Coronation of King Richard the third to whom Thomas Earle of Ormond who was in such fauour with the Kings of England that hee alone of all the Nobleman of Ireland had his place and voice in the Parliaments of England and aboue the Barons of England also gaue his daughter and one of his heires in marriage By her besides daughters married to Shelton Calthorp Clere and Sackvill men of great wealth and noble descent and other children hee begat Thomas Bolen whom being a young man Thomas Howard Earle of Surry who was afterward Duke of Norfolke a man much renowned for his worthie seruice and atchiuements in the warres chose to be his sonne in law giuing vnto him his daughter Elizabeth in marriage and Henry the eight after he had performed one or two very honourable Embasies made him first Treasurer of his Houshold Knight of the Order of Saint George and Viscount Rochford and afterwards Earle of Wiltshire and Ormond and made him Lord Keeper of the priuie Seale This Thomas among other children begat Anne Bolen who in her tender yeares being sent into France attended on Mary of England wife to Lewis the twelfth and then on Claudia of Britaine wife to Francis the first and after she was dead on Margaret of Alencon who with the first fauoured the Protestants Religion springing vp in France Being returned into England and admitted amongst the Queenes Maides of Honour and being twenty two yeares of age King Henry in the thirtie eight yeare of his age did for her modestie â—empered with French pleasantnesse fall deeply in loue with and tooke her to wife by whom he had issue Elizabeth aforesaid Queene of England Thome Presbyteri ..... lapis iste retentum Funus habet .... qui sumptu dedit hoc pauimentum Anno milleno quater et C septuageno Octauo Stephani liquit terrestria festo Vt celi detur requies sibi quisque precetur En iacet hic stratus Helby Thomas vocitatus Saluet eum Christus tribuens sibi gaudia lucis Vnder this ston Ligs Iohn Knapton Who died iust The twenty eight of August M. ... xc and on Of thys Chyrch Peti-Canon Vnder the picture of Saint Peter is portraied the Sea a Ship Nets and Fishes with this distichon Ecclesiam pro naue rego mihi climata mundi Sunt mare Scripture Retia piscis homo The figures of the Sunne and Moone are painted here vpon the Frontispiece of the Clocke to whom the Clocke comparatiuely seemes to speake in this Hexastich vpon the same place likewise depicted Horas significo cunctas quas Phebe diebus Quas solet atque tua pallida nocte Soror Nec magis errarem Rector mihi si foret idem Vos qui et queque regit motibus astra suis. Tempora nam recte designo si mihi doctus Custos assiduam conferat artis opem In English Phoebus I tell all th' houres and all as right As thou or thy pale Sister day and night Nor I no more then you in ought should erre If he ruld mee who guides you and each starre For times I rightly tell to me of 's Art If my learnd keeper will his helpe impart In imitation of this it may bee that Thomas Scot in his Philomythie makes a Clocke to compare with a Diall and the difference to be partly decided by the Wethercocke of which a little although not much to the purpose I confesse Vpon a Church or steeples side neere hand A goodly Clocke of curious worke did stand Which ouerpaysde with lead or out of frame Did time miscall and euery houre misname The Diall hearing this aloud gan crye Kind neighbour Clocke your glib tongue tels a lye Reforme your errour for my Gnomon saith You gad too fast and misse an houres faith Foole quoth the Clocke reforme thy selfe by me The fault may rather in thy Gnomon be Had'st thou told euer truth to what end then Was I plac'd here by th' art of cunning men The Weathercocke vpon the steeple standing And with his sharpe eye all about commanding Heard their contention wild them to appeale To him the chiefe of all that common weale Told them that he was