Wiltshire was put to death for his Gratitude and Loyalty to his lawful Sovereign and kind Master Richard the Second by Henry the Fourth against whom he conspir'd with the Earl of Northumberland and others His Declaration against the said Henry giving his Reasons why he cannot submit to his Government has been lately Publish'd as is likewise Clement Maydestone's History of his Martyrdom Cardinal Wolsey's purple will give him a rank with the greatest of our Prelates how mean soever the Circumstances of his Birth and Parentage may have been and the Figure that he made in the State as well as the Church during his Rule and Government rather than Ministry in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth very justly challeng'd the pains of a special Historian Such was Cavendish his menial Servant who was also in good esteem with that King He has left us an impartial Account of his Master's Life which has had several Editions Dr. Burnet quotes a MS. Copy different from what we have in Print And so does the Lord Herbert but whether this be not the same with the former I know not We have another History of his Life and Death in elegant Verse by Tho. Storer who was a Student of Christ-Church and dy'd a famous Poet in the Year 1604. They that know how many of our Bishops before the Reformation not to mention other inferiour Dignitaries of the Church bore the grand Offices of Chancellours Treasurers Judges c. will readily believe that most of those left such Memoirs as might easily have been fram'd into very exquisite Histories of their Lives And yet our Monks to whom the Trust of writing all our Historis was usually committed were so much Strangers to Affairs of this Nature that we rarely find any thing among them that looks this way Their Business was to pick up or invent as many amazing Stories as they could of the Exemplary Courage of some choice Prelates in asserting the Papal Usurpations of their extraordinary Sanctity of their Benefactons to some Church or Monastery of their Miracles c. And with such Narratives as these we shall find the Lives of most of the following Prelates are Stuff'd and Glutted That of Gundulf Bishop of Rochester by a Monk of that Church his intimate Acquaintance is the earliest of these and the rebuilding of the Cathedral the Enlargement of the Monastery and the Foundation of the Hospital at Chatham were Acts of Piety that very well deserv'd such a Respect The like was done for Robert de Betun Bishop of Hereford by his Chaplain and Successor in the Priory of Lanthony William de Wycumb who had a very noble Subject for the two Books he has left us if we may believe William of Malmesbury He pretends to have known this Robert very well and assures us that he was the most familiarly entertain'd at the Court of Rome of any of our Bishops of that Age. We have only a Fragment of Gyraldus Cambrensis's Life of Hugh Nonant of Norwich and such as is hardly worth the mentioning He is somewhat more copious in his History of the Six chief Bishops of his own Age to which we may add the Three Books he wrote De rebus a se gestisâ— since he was at least Bishop Elect of St. David's Robert Grostest of Lincoln was a Prelate of great Worth a mighty Stickler against the prevailing Crime of Symony and the modish Appeals to Rome and we have a full History of his Life by Richard a Monk of Barden or Burton in Hartfordshire and another Anonymous Writer We have also a Letter from the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's for his Canonization But it appears from many of his own Writings that his Request was not like to be granted notwithstanding the fair Caresses that he had from the Pope who fear'd him more than he lov'd him in his Life-time William of Wickham the great Founder of two famous Colleges in Oxford and Winchester could not avoid the having his Benefits carefully Register'd by some of those that daily tasted of the Sweets of them And indeed there have been several of those who have thus paid their grateful Acknowledgments to his Memory The first of 'em I think was Tho. Chaundler sometime Warden of New-College who wrote the Founder's Life by way of Dialogue in a florid and good Stile This is contracted by the Author himself as is suppos'd into a Couple of Pages together with which is publish'd a piece of his larger Colloquy wherein he touches upon the Life of his Patron Tho. Bekinton Bishop of Bath and Wells He commends this latter Prelate's Skill in the Civil Law but says nothing of what won the Heart of King Henry the Sixth his writing against the Salic Law of France The next Writer of Wickham's Life was Dr. Martyn Chancellour of Winchester under Bishop Gardiner who had the greatest part of his Materials out of Chaundler's Book After him Dr. Johnson sometime Fellow of New-College as well as the two former and afterwards Master of Winchester-School gave a short view of their Founder in Latin Verse which being a small thing of it self has been several times Printed with other Tracts Bishop Godwine is censur'd for having a little unfairly borrow'd the Account he gives us of this Prelate's Life one of the best in his Book from Mr. Josseline without taking any notice of his Benefactor Henry Spencer Bishop of Norwich a more proper Officer for a Camp than a Cathedral had his active Life written by John Capgrave who takes occasion to state the Case how far a Prelate may engage in Military Affairs There 's no doubt but there may be some Junctures wherein 't is not only allowable but a Duty in every Man that is able to bear Arms and this Bishop's Suppressing the Rebellious Insurrection in his own Diocess was so far from being a Crime that 't was highly commendable and becomingly Brave But his Atchievements in Flanders and other Foreign Parts against the express Command of his Sovereign were such extraordinary Efforts of Lay-Gallantry as are not easily to be defended Nor do I see that honest John ever thought of Apologizing for them William of Wainfleet Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellour of England was bred in Wickham's Colleges and did his Founder the Honour to Write very fairly after his Copy His Magdalene may vye with the other 's two St. Maries being Modestly one of the richest Seminaries of Learning in the whole World And his magnificent Charity has been celebrated by the eloquent Pen of Dr. Budden the Writer of Arch-bishop Morton's Life who was a while Reader of Philosophy in that College His Book bears the Title of Guilielmi Pateni cui Waynfleti Agnomen fuit Wintoniensis Ecclesiae Praesulis Coll. Beatae Mariae Magd. apud Oxon. Fundatoris Vita Obitusque A Treatise much applauded by Godwine who nevertheless seems not to have
frequently publish'd by his Son Morgan Godwin LL. D. Sir Robert Cotton had drawn together some Notes and Collections as Materials for a future History of this King's Reign But these fell unfinish'd into the hands of John Speed who has taken Care to preserve them as orderly as he could in his Chronicle I suppose that which was written in Greek Verse by George Etheridge sometime Regius Professor of that Language in Oxford and by him presented to Queen Elizabeth was intended only for the Use of Her Majesty and its Author and for that reason has ever continu'd in Manuscript sub Noctibus Atticis Above all Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury may be truly said to have written the Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth having acquitted himself with the like Reputation as the Lord Chancellor Bacon gain'd by that of Henry the Seventh For in the Politick and Martial Part this Honourable Author has been admirably Particular and Exact from the best Records that were Extant Tho' as to the Ecclesiastical he seems to have look'd upon it as a Thing out of his Province and an Undertaking more proper for Men of another Profession The Oxford Antiquary tells us That he had seen four thick Volumes in Folio of Collections which this Lord has furnish'd himself withal as Materials necessary for the firm erecting of so noble a Structure Out of these and other Helps he at last finish'd his excellent History the Original Manuscript whereof he was pleas'd to bestow on the University of Oxford in whose Archives it still remains It has been frequently Printed and the several Impressions as greedily bought up But the last Edition is indeed what is always Pretended the Best and most Correct Edward the Sixth The most Considerable Transactions of this Reign are it may be as well Register'd by the Young King himself as any other Historian in the Diary written with his own hand and still preserv'd in Sir John Cotton's Famous Library from whence our Learned Bishop Burnet transcrib'd and publish'd it There was a Notable Discourse touching the State of the Times in this King's Reign written by a Person admirably well Skill'd in the Antiquities and Laws of England Dr. Gerard Langbaine Provost of Queen's College in Oxford which he publish'd by way of Preface to Sir John Cheek's True Subject to the Rebel As for Sir John Hayward He is the same Man in his Life of Edward the Sixth that we have already observ'd him to be in that of Henry the Fourth Only his Style is here sometimes too Sharp and Pungent especially when he comes to give Characters of the Nobility Ministers of State c. where an Intelligent Historian ought no more to be Clownish than he needs turn Courtier when he Converses with Plowmen Queen Mary's Reign had Blemishes in it which have discourag'd some sort of Writers from attempting its Story tho' I cannot but wonder that others have not thought themselves oblig'd to endeavour to Represent it as Advantageously to Posterity as Art can do it Queen Elizabeth in a long and Prosperous Reign gave the World very ample Proofs of her Sex's being Capable of Government and the most gallant Aâ—chievements Her blasting the longing Hopes of Spain after an Universal Monarchy in Temporals and putting a final Period to that of Rome in Spirituals together with her Personal Endowments were such Extraordinary Glories as tempted a great many Artists to try how fairly they were able to take the Features of such an Original in all Points of Soveraignty Her Establishment of the Reformation and Executing the Laws upon some few Turbulent Persons of the Romish Communion whetted the Style of that Party against her and particularly provok'd Tho. Bourchier a Franciscan Doctor of the Sorbon to write a History of the Martyrdom as he terms it of the Men of his Order The Life and Martyrdom of Mary Queen of Scots was also written by Rob. Turner sometime Scholar to Ed. Campian who was afterwards Doctor of Divinity at Rome and Secretary to Ferdinand Arch-duke of Austria Some of her better Subjects have furnish'd us with more agreeable Accounts of the chief Passages in her Reign Sir Henry Vnton has drawn up a Journal of his Embassy in France giving a full Register of his Commission Instructions Expences c. a Manuscript Copy whereof is now in the Publick Library at Oxford Heyward Towneshend an Eminent Member of the House of Commons preserv'd the Debates in Parliament of her last fourteen Years which long after the Author's Death were publish'd under the Title of Historical Collections c. But this as vast an Undertaking as it seems to be is only a part of that more Comprehensive one of Sir Symonds d'Ewes whose Journal of Both Houses during her whole Reign was soon after given us in Print Her Wars with Spain the several Engagements of her Fleets at Sea with their many Successful Expeditions c. have been well described by Sir William Monson who bore a high Command in most of them and has shewn such a Judgment in Maritime Affairs as well qualify'd him for such Posts of Honour His Book bears the Title of A Particular and Exact Account of the last Seventeen Years of Queen Elizabeth 's Reign both Military and Civil The former kind being the Work of Sir William and the latter Mr. Towneshend's Out of all these and many other good Helps Mr. Camden compos'd his most Exquisite History of this Queen which as Dr. Smith shews in his Life was undertaken by the special Directions and Command of the great Lord Cecil It has had many Editions and in several Languages tho' 't is pity it should be read in any other than its Author 's Polite Original Latin Dr. Fuller observes that one of its English Translations for it had several was done out of French by Abraham Darcy who understood not the Latin and has therefore committed many Mistakes Hugh Holland one of Camden's Scholars at Westminster and a Papist is said to have written this Queen's Life as well as his Master 's But 't is only if it be at all an English Manuscript and very probably not worth the seeking Sir Robert Naunton's Character of her Court and Favourites has been lately publish'd with Sir Francis Walsingham's Arcana Aulica and a short System of her Policies hath been offer'd to our present Soveraign and the late excellent Queen by the Ingenious Edmund Bohun Esq Author of many other Treatises of good Value The End of the First Part. AN INDEX OF THE AUTHORS c. A ABingdon Pag. 67 Adams 16 Aelfred King 100 118 of Beverly 147 Aelfric 103 Agard 21 Albanus 190 Aldhelm 101 Aleyn 223 Anonymi 199 202 Antoninus 2 Aras 136 Asamal 131 Asserius 121 Ashmole 22 25 Aubrey 65 102 B. Bacon 223 Baker 196 Baldoc 165 Bale 46 213 Barcham 193 205 209 Bards 78 Bartholin 146 Basset 217
been translated into the old English-Saxon Tongue that took the Story higher The like says Pits was penn'd by Wolstan the same famous Monk of Winchester who about the Year 1000 did as much for St. Ethelwald but I can hear of this piece no where else St. Wilfrid's uneasie Life and Sufferings were first regester'd by Eddius or Heddius a noted Monk of Canterbury whence he was brought by Wilfrid himself to instruct his Quire-men of the Kingdom of Northumberland in the Art of Singing Out of this which is lately publish'd by Dr. Gale there was a second Account taken in Latin Rhime by Fridegod another Monk of the same Church who was put upon the Employment by Odo Archbishop of Canterbury The Arch-bishop himself wrote a Preface to the Book which was omitted by Mabillon but is since published by another and for this Mr. Pits makes him a distinct Writer of St. Wilfrid's Life A Third was written in Prose by Eadmerus and a fourth by Petrus Blesensis dedicated to Jeofrey A. B. of York So that this Petrus Blesensis and Mr. Pit's Petrus Ripponensis tho' he makes them two several Authors are the same Person There is now in my Possession a Latin Manuscript Life of this Saint which perhaps may be the same with the last mention'd It is certainly different from the three first and seems not to have Length enough for that tedious Discourse on this Subject which is said to have been written by one Stephen a Priest and Epitomiz'd by William of Malmesbury It begins Anâ—â— igitur ab Incar natione Verbi Dei Sexceiâ—â—esimo tricesimo quarto and ends with St. Wilfrid's Epitaph in twenty Hexameters St. Wulstan as two of his immediate Predecessors held the Arch-bishoprick of York together with the Bishoprick of Worcester and was Sainted for the same Reasons as St. Oswald There 's a double Account of his Life already publish'd a short one by Hemming a Monk of Worcester and another more at large by the famous Will. of Malmesbury But what 's become of those by Bravonius and M. Paris we know not These are they that make the most considerable Figure in the Saxon Calendar and whose Lives being most amply treated on will afford some Passages that may be of use to our English Historian Nor are the little inferior Saints of those times to be wholly despised by him He 'll meet with abundance of such in the several Voluminous Collections to which we sometimes referr him And I dare promise that in most of 'em he shall frequently discover some hidden Treasure even in the midst of the most drossy Miracles CHAP. III. Of our Church-Historians from the Conquest to the Reformation THE Subject of this Chapter is in a great measure dispatch'd already The general Historians of the Kingdom during this whole Period were mostly Monks and other Church-men who have taken care to Register our Ecclesiastical Transactions as accurately as the Civil and to carry along with them the Affairs of our Church and State together Canon-Law and Appeals to Rome were first brought into England in King Stephen's Reign upon the Debates that arose betwixt the Bishop of Winchester the Pope's Legate and the AB of Canterbury And these soon introduced that Exaltation of the Clergy that they were necessarily in at every thing no Intriegue either of the Court or Camp being to be manag'd without them So that 't is no wonder if after that time our Histories are generally cramm'd with Disputes and other Matters of a purely Ecclesiastical Nature and the main Body of 'em look like the Annals of Saint Peter's Patrimony Odericus or Ordericus Vitalis ends his Ecclesiastical History at the Year 1121. some time before these Alterations happen'd in England He was Monk of St. Eurole's Vtici in Normandy where he lived 56 Years The most of his Thirteen Books are spent in Affairs of the Church within his own Native Country But towards the latter end he has intermix'd a great many Passages that relate to us There are in his Writings two Faults and they are great ones which Lucian of old condemn'd in History For 1. He 's immoderate in the Praise of his Friends and the Dispraise of his Enemies either all Panegyrick or all Satyr Now such Discourses are rightly observed to be strangely monstrous and unnatural Productions They want Meeter to become Poems and Truth to make them just Histories 2. He 's too large in his Descriptions of little petit Matters and on the contrary passes too cursorily over some things of such weight as would well endure Reflection and a second Thought We are told of one Richard Pluto who was Monk of Canterbury A. D. 1181. a Writer of the Ecclesiastical History of England which he dedicated to Richard Duke of Normandy Where or what it is I know not But what is hop'd for in that Book may possibly be found in the Burtonenses Annales written I suppose by some Monk of Burton in Staffordshire For it begins with the Foundation of that Monastery A. D. 1004. and ends at the Year 1263. Many Passages in it are borrow'd from Roger Hoveden whom the Author calls Hugh and not a few from M. Paris The latter of these was certainly Cotemporary with this Author whoever he was and they may be to good purpose read together The Reader will meet with a great many remarkable Stories in it that are hardly to be had elsewhere none perhaps having a better Collection of Letters Memorials c. of the Church-History of those Times The Defects of these Annals will be in part supply'd by W. Linwood's Provinciale being a Collection of Canons and Ecclesiastical Constitutions enacted and publish'd by no less than Fourteen Arch-bishops of Canterbury from Stephen Langton inclusively down to Henry Chicheley These give us a View of what Points were chiefly under Debate in the Church for about 200 Years and are rank'd after the Example of the Decretals under several distinct Titles or Common Places having annex'd to them a large Commentary or Gloss of the Learn'd Collector's own composure This Writer was Dr. of Laws Official of Canterbury and at last Bishop of St. Davids after he had been imploy'd by King Henry the Fifth in several Embassies and entrusted with his Privy-Seal The Book was first publish'd by Jodocus Badius and dedicated to Arch-bishop Warham but the Abbreviations in the Original MS. being retain'd in this and two following Editions it was lately reprinted at Oxford much more accurately and correct The Legatine Constitutions of the two Cardinals Otho and Othobon in the Years 1236 and 1268. have been always added to these in the Prints together with the like Commentaries of John Acton or Athon sometime Prebendary of Lincoln The Oxford Edition gives us the Canons of the several Arch-bishops entire and apart as well as in that confusion to which Linwood's Method had reduced them
without his Vouchers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first that attempted a formal History of our Reformation was Dr. Peter Heylyn who upon the return of Monarchy and Episcopacy publish'd his Book entitl'd Ecclesia Restaurata wherein he pretends to give a punctual account of the rise and progress of that great Work But the first Agitations in Religion as he calls them are very slenderly touch'd his Story beginning at the Year 1537. What he chiefly design'd by it I cannot well apprehend unless 't was to shew K. Charles the Second the Errors and Mistakes of our first Reformers and to direct him how to settle the Church on a better Foundation For he falls foul on all the Princes of those Times without any regard to their good or ill Wishes to the Protestant Interest He represents K. Edward the Sixth as one of ill Principles and Soft and Censures his Mother's Relations with a more than ordinary Freedom He intimates as if the Zwinglian Gospellers would have carri'd all before them had that Prince Liv'd and observes they were far too rife in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reformation when many were rais'd to great Preferments who were too much inclin'd to the Platform of Geneva On the other hand Queen Mary's Bloodiness is no where set off in so lively a Paint as where he tells us She admitted of a Consultation for burning the Body of her Father and cutting off the Head of her Sister 'T is a good Rule which a modern Critick gives his Historian That he should have a Regard to his own Birth and not forget the Respect due to the Memory of those Princes that have Govern'd his native Country As this should restrain a Man from exposing the Failures of such Governours in their own Persons so it ought to caution him against making too free with the Frailties of their Kindred and Councellors He concludes with the Act of Establishing the Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops in the Eighth Year of Queen Elizabeth whose famous Court of High Commission he calls the Principal Bulwark and Preservative of the Church of England If the Reader desires any further Character of this Writer and his History 't is given him by one who should be best acquainted with it He wrote says he Smoothly and Handsomly His Method and Style are good and his Work was generally more read than any thing that had appear'd before him But either he was very ill inform'd or very much led by his Passions and being wrought on by some Violent Prejudices against some that were concern'd in that Time he delivers many things in such a manner and so strangely that one would think he had been secretly set on to it by those of the Church of Rome Tho' I doubt not but he was a sincere Protestant but violently carri'd away by some particular Conceits In one thing he is not to be excused That he never vouch'd any Authority for what he wrote which is not to be forgiven any who write of Transactions beyond their own Time and deliver new things not known before The most of his Materials I guess were had from the Transcript which AB Laud caus'd to be made of all that related to the Story of the Reformation out of those eight large Volumes of Collections that are still in the Cottonian Library So that upon what Grounds he wrote a great deal of his Book we can only conjecture and many in their Guesses are not apt to be very favourable to him I know endeavours have been used to blunt the Edge of this Censure by one who has done all that a true Friend could do to place the Doctor and his Writings in a better Light But what would that kind Gentleman have said to a sharper Sentence pass'd by another Learn'd Prelate on this Book How would he have resented the telling the World that Dr. Heylin's representing our first Reformers as Fanaticks was an Angry and Scandalous injury to Truth and our Church This I confess is very hard Language but perhaps it may more easily be digested than refused The Defects of the foremention'd Author were abundantly supply'd in the more compleat History of our Reformation by Dr. Burnet the present Bishop of Salisbury whose first Volume was publish'd in the Year 1679. by Secretary Coventry's Order and Dedicated to K. Charles the Second In the Months of December and January in the Year following 1680. The Historian had the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament for what he had already done and was desired to proceed to the finishing of the whole Work which was done accordingly This History gives a punctual Account of all the Affairs of the Reformation from it 's first beginnings in the Reign of Henry the Eighth till it was finally compleated and setled by Queen Elizabeth A. D. 1559. And the whole is penn'd in such a Masculine Style as becomes an Historian and such as is this Author's Property in all his Writings The Collection of Records which he gives in the conclusion of each Volume are good Vouchers of the Truth of all he delivers as such in the Body of his History and are much more perfect than could reasonably be expected after the Pains taken in Q. Maries days to suppress every thing that carry'd the Marks of the Reformation upon it The Work has had so much Justice done it as to meet with a general Acceptance abroad and to be translated into most of the European Languages insomuch that even the most Picquant of the Author's Enemies allow it to have a Reputation firmly and deservedly establish'd Indeed some of the French Writers have cavill'd at it But the most eminent of them Mr. Varillas and Mr. Le Grand have receiv'd due correction from the Author himself It was no wonder to see some Members of the Roman Communion laying out their best endeavours to raise themselves a Name by so glorious a Service to their Church as the disparagement of this Writer and the disgracing his History might justly have been reckon'd But 't was a little unaccountable that the same Rancour should possess Men within the Pale of our Reform'd English Church and such as desired to be looked upon as Zealous maintainers of Her Honour and the Justice and Honesty of her Reformation The first of these was S. Lowth who pretended only to batter the Erastian Tenets in Mr. Hobbes's Leviathan But took occasion in the conclusion of his Book to Censure the Account Dr. Burnet had given of some of Arch-bishop Cranmer's singular Opinions This Gentleman had the confidence to assert That both our Historian and Dr. Stillingfleet had impos'd upon the World in that Particular and had unfaithfully joyn'd together in their endeavours to lessen Episcopal Ordination I am not now concern'd with his Charge against Dr. Stillingfleet who did him the Honour which he ought not to have hoped for to expose his Folly in a
to Malmesbury's and 't is done with all the heartiness that becomes a familiar Epistle and a Freedom inclining to Satyr Ralph de Diceto follow'd these with a Catalogue of his own drawing from the coming in of Augustine the Monk to the beginning of King John's Reign But there 's little in it worth the publishing Joh. Eversden a Monk of Bury who dy'd says Pits about the Year 1636. is said to have written de Episcopis Anglìae as well as de Regibus But Mr. Wharton could never meet with any such Treatise He found he says some of Mr. Joceline's Collections out of Eversden's Chronicle So that perhaps he 's the same Man with that Johannes Buriensis whom we have mention'd in the First Part. We are also told of a like Book by one Nicolas Montacute or Manacutius who is believed to have been sometime Master of Eaton School because forsooth most of his Works were in the Library of that College What good Things were heretofore in that Library I know not But upon a late Search nothing could be found that bore this Author's Name save only a pitiful Treatise at Lambeth de Pontificibus Romanis not worth the reading I fancy somebody's quoting this under the Title de Pontificibus simply has given occasion to Bale and Pits who collected and wrote in haste to Naturalize all his Bishops Polydore Virgil's Book or Scrowl of our English Prelates is boasted of in our Seminaries beyond Seas And his great Antagonist John Leland assures us he had taken mighty care to collect their Remains Et majori cura propediem in ordinem redigam He had many other grand Projects in his Head which came to nothing John Pits likewise very gravely refers his Readers in many parts of his Book de Illustribus Angliae Scriptoribus to another of his own composure de Episcopis which we are credibly inform'd is only a poor and silly Abstract of the first and worst Edition of that which falls next under our Thoughts and deserves to be separately consider'd Francis Godwine Son of Tho. Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells was most fortunate in his Commentary as he calls it on this Subject being himself advanced to the Episcopal Order for the good Services that as Queen Elizabeth thought he had done the Church by that Book It was twice published in English equally full of the Authors and Printer's Mistakes The Faults of the latter Edition especially were so very gross that they put him upon the speedy dispatch of another in Latine which came out the next Year The Style of this is very neat and clean and he seems to have taken more Pains in polishing it than in gathering together all the Materials of his History He quotes no Authorities excepting belike that Posterity should acquiesce in his singly without enquiring any further He is particularly ungrateful to the Author of the Antiquitates Britannicae from whom he has borrow'd by the Great his Account of the See of Canterbury varying only the Phrase and that sometimes for the worse The like Carriage he is guilty of towards Bale Camden and others But what is most especially notorious is his transcribing out of Josseline and Mason what he pretends to have had immediately from the Archives and Registraries from the Year 1559 to his own Time He is also frequently guilty of Chronological Mistakes a too confident Reliance on the Authorities of counterfeit Charters in Ingulfus and others an uncertain Calculation of Years beginning some at Michaelmas and others at Christmas c. as his Authors blindly led him and lastly a contenting himself with false and imperfect Catalogues of the Prelates in almost every Diocess These are the Failures where with he stands charg'd by Mr. Wharton who modestly assures us that a better Progress had been made in these Matters by himself within the compass of Eighteen Months than by this Bishop in Twenty Years Our Oxford Antiquary further complains that he Puritanically vilified Popish Bishops with a Design thereby to advance the Credit of those since the Reformation whereby he had given unlucky Advantages to William Prynne the profess'd Enemy of Episcopacy who made ill use of his Book I will not say that either of these Censurers are mistaken but I must observe to the Reader that each of them intended to have furnish'd us with a View of this part of our Ecclesiastical History of his own drawing and therefore like all new Builders they must be allow'd to spy more Faults in the old Fabrick than others can The former has help'd us to a noble Stock of old Writers upon the Affairs of a great many of our Sees from their Foundation in his Anglia Sacra and the latter has given us almost an entire History of our Bishops for the two last Centuries in his Athenae Oxonienses These are good Materials and such as will direct to more of the same kind whereof there are good store in the Bodleian and Cottonian Libraries We long only for a skilful Architect to put them into the Figure we desire And I hear the Work is at last put into the Hands of a Person who wants none of those Helps or Qualifications that are necessary to the Undertaking Hitherto we have mention'd only such as have written the History of our Prelacy with an honest Intent to represent it to the World in its proper and true Colours we have others that have made it their Business to daub it with false Paint endeavouring to give such Pourtraictures of our Bishops as might most effectually defame and prostitute the sacred Order The first of these was one Thomas Gibson a Fanatical Physitian in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign who entitl'done of his Treatises A History of the Treasons of the Bishops since the Norman Conquest Whether this was ever Printed my Author cannot inform me The next was Sir John Harring ton of Kelweston who soon after K. James the First 's arrival in England began to draw together some malicious Remarks upon the Bishops of his Time which he at last finish'd under the Title of A brief view of the state of the Church of England as it stood in Queen Elizabeth 's and King Jame 's Reign to the Year 1608. It was presented by the Author in Manuscript to Prince Henry from whom the Presbyterian Faction expected great Alterations in Church-Government After the downfal of Episcopacy it fell into such Hands as brought it to the Press believing it to be a proper Antidote against the return of the plaguy Hierarchis The last of this Gang was that eternal Scribler Will. Prynne who rak'd together all the Dirt that had been thrown at any of our Bishops by the most inveterate and implacable of all their Enemies and hap'd it into a large Dunghil-Book inscrib'd The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy both to legal Monarchy and civil Vnity Wherein he pretends to give
an Historical Collection of I know not how many Hundreds of exercrable Treasons Conspiracies c. of the British English French Scotch and Irish Bishops against our Kings and Kingdom But 't is time to rid our Hands of this Filth and Nastiness The most ancient Register Books and Records of our several Dioceses and Cathedral Churches will less sully our Fingers S. ASAPH The History of the Bishops and Deans of this Place was composed by the late learned and industrious Mr. Wharton whose Book was publish'd soon after his Death as a Specimen of what his general Work of all the Dioceses in England would have been if he had liv'd to have finish'd it To this Treatise as well as to the other that is prefix'd to it there is an Appendix of Authentic Instruments out of the Register Books c. According to the Method first taught him by Dr. Burnet In the Lives of the Bishops he frequently quotes the Liber ruber Assavensis an old Cartulary of that Church of good Value BANGOR Godwine mentions a Catalogue of the Bishops of this See in the Archives of the Church of Bangor which I suppose was a very Empty one since upon the two first Editions of his Book he had not any thing to say of this Diocese BATH and WELLS What has been lately done for this Diocese is already taken notice of by Mr. Tanner whose Collections and References let it be here observ'd once for all I shall not repeat but shall wish the Reader himself to consult his very useful Book saving only that some of those Authors he barely quotes where I am able to do it shall be set in the truest Light I can give them Let it be here also noted that when ever he refers his Readers as he does in this place to one or the other Volume of Anglia Sacra they are there sure to meet with a good view of such old Writers as have treated of the ancient History of this or that Diocess or else they have at least a composure of Mr. Wharton's very valuable for the Pains that Author took in adjusting the true Chronological succession of our Bishops Dr. Thomas Chandler sometime Warden of New College in Oxford and Chancellour of this Church wrote a Treatise de Laudibus Bathoniae Welliae which I suppose would afford us some such Light as the same learn'd Person has given in those Lives that have been gratefully penn'd by him and will be taken notice of in another place I guess the Historia de tempore Primaevae inchoationis Sedis Episcopalis Wellensis c. which was made ready for the Press by the noble Publishers of the Decem Scriptores is part of what we have had since from Mr. Wharton who also must be thought to have enrich'd his own Notes out of the great Treasure of Collections which was gather'd and communicated to him by the Reverend and Learn'd Dr. Matt. Hutton BRISTOL This See having only been erected by King Henry the Eighth can have no Records of any great Antiquity but 't is hop'd its entire Story may be had out of such Registers as are in the Hands either of the Bishop or Dean and Chapter of the Church CANTERBVRY as in Justice it ought has had the most and best learn'd Preservers of its History and Antiquities of any Diocess in England The first of these was Arch-bishop Deusdedit or Adeodatus who is said to have recorded the Acts of all his Predecessors which was no mighty Undertaking since himself was only the Sixth from Augustine The eldest of those Writers whose Works are now Extant is Gotseline the Monk who besides the Life of Augustine publish'd by Mr. Wharton wrote also those of the Six following Arch-bishops These are now in MS. in Sir Joh. Cotton's Library but being only Collections out of Bede with the enlargement of a few Romantic Miracles they have not hitherto been thought worth the Printing About the same time Osbern was Precentor of Christ-Church and upon the unhappy Fire which destroy'd most of their Records A. D. 1070. took a deal of Pains in recovering the Histories of the Arch-bishops several of whose Lives were written by him besides those we have in Print Gervasius Dorobernensis that is Monk of Canterbury has left three good Treatises on this Subject which bear the following Titles 1. Tractatus de Combustione Reparatione Dorobernensis Ecclesiae 2. Imaginationes de Discordiis inter Monachos Cantuarienses Archiepiscopum Baldewinum 3. Vitae Dorobernensium Archiepiscoporum R. de Diceto's History of these Primates was discover'd in the Norfolk Library after some others amongst whom he should have been rank'd were publish'd And 't would not have been any great loss if we had still wanted it being very short and mostly stuff'd with Matters foreign to the Purpose Mr. Pits sends us to the Library at Bennet College to enquire after a Manuscript Copy of Arch-bishop Langton's Annals of his Predecessors But he that runs on his Errand will find himself mistaken There are indeed in that Library some Collections out of the last mention'd Author's History of our Kings which relate chiefly to the Affairs of this See the transcriber whereof had some thoughts of Copying out St. Langton's History of Richard the First and so prefaced his Work with the Title of Annales Stephani Archiepiscopi But he soon quits that Subject and so imposes upon a careless Catalogue-monger The next in Order of time was Tho. Spott Spottey or Sprott a Benedictine Monk of Canterbury in the Year 1274. whose Book has been vainly enquired after by some of our most Industrious Antiquaries and particularly by one whom hardly any thing on this Subject could escape The Truth is Mr. Somner seems to think 't was rather a Chronicle of the City of Canterbury than of the Arch-bishops and if W. Thorn who was a Monk of the same House in the Year 1380. either Epitomiz'd or Enlarged it it may probably prove only the same with his History of the Abbots of St. Augustines St. Birchington's Performance is largely accounted for by his late Publisher who has assur'd us that nothing that either this Writer or any of the former can afford us has been omitted by the diligent Author of the Antiquitates Britannicae Archbishop Parker was generally reputed the Author of this admired Book till Mr. Selden transferr'd the Honour of it to His Grace's Chaplain Mr. Josseline who has since enjoy'd it I confess I am far from being of AB Bramhal's Opinion That the conclusion of the Preface proves the Acrhbishop himself to have been the Author of that Book But it does fairly intimate that the Composer of it whoever he was did desire the World should believe that most of his Materials were handed to him by that Learn'd Metropolitan who was also he saies the Directer and Overseer of the
of greatest note since the Reformation were penn'd by Tho. White alias Woodhop a Monk of Doway where he dy'd of the Plague in 1654. A Manuscript Copy of this was in Mr. Wood's possession and I suppose is now among those Books that he Bequeath'd to the University in the Musaeum at Oxford But the chief of our Historians of this Order was Clement Reyner whose elaborate Book is Entitl'd Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia sive Decerptatio Historica de Antiquitate Ordinis Congregationisque Monachorum Nigrorum in Anglia His Business is to prove that the Order was brought hither by Augustine Arch-bishop of Canterbury and he is thought by some of our best Antiquaries to have effectually prov'd his Point and to have fairly Answer'd all the Objections against it He is said to have had great helps from the Collections made by John Jones or Leander de Sancto Martino as he nam'd himself Prior of St. Gregory's and Publick Professor of Divinity at Doway who sojourning sometime in England with his heretofore Chamber-fellow Arch-bishop Laud had frequent access to the Cotton-Library where he transcrib'd whatever he could find that related to the History aâ—d Antiquities of his own Order Others say that the most of the Collections out of this Library which were used by our Author Reyner were made by Augustine Baker another Monk of Doway who left several Volumes in Folio of Select Matters very serviceable towards the Illustrating of this and other parts of our English History However it was Sir Thomas Bodley's Library was thought the most proper Magazine to furnish out Artillery against the Man that had already seiz'd on that of Sir Robert Cotton and to this purpose Father John Barnes a Brother Benedictine but of different Sentiments with Reyner betakes himself to Oxford and there Composes a sharp Refutation of the Apostolatus This was very ill resented by those of the Fraternity and other Members of the Roman Church And they had some reason to be Angry at one of their own Body's using the Book more Scurvily than any of the Protestant Writers had done There are several Learn'd Foreigners in France and Flanders that have lately made very Voluminous Collections of the Acta Benedictinorum in General wherein are some Tracts written by English-Men and such as wholly treat on our own Historical Matters These have been occasionally mention'd in other parts of this Work And my Design will not allow me to consider them any further The Cistercians may be reckon'd one of our own Orders For tho' they came not into this Kingdom 'till almost a Hundred Years after their first Formation they were founded by Robert Harding an English-Man Hugh Kirkstede or rather Kirkstall was a Monk of this Order about the Year 1220. and collected the Memoirs of all the English that had been of it which he Dedicated to John Abbot of Fountains This is attested by Leland who acquaints us further that in the Library at Rippon he saw his Book entitl'd Historia rerum a Monachis Cisterciensibus gestarum Bale tells us that he was greatly assisted in this Work by Serlo Abbat of Fountains about the Year 1160. And because there appears to be a good distance betwixt the reputed Times of these two Writers he assures us that Hugh liv'd very near a hundred Year I am apt to believe that Serlo was the sole Author of another Treatise ascrib'd to this Monk De Origine Fontani Coenobij and that this is the true bottom of Bale's fine Contrivance The Canons Regular of St. Augustine pretend to be Founded by that famous Father and Bishop of Hippo whose Name they bear But they are of no great Antiquity Here all our Historians agreeing in this tho' they disagree about the precise time that they came into England since the Conquest The first of their Historiographers was Jeoffrey Hardib Canon of Leicester and Privy Councellour to King Edward the Third in the Year 1360. who was an eminent Preacher a great Divine and amongst many other things wrote De rebus gestis Ordinis sui The next and the last that I know of was John Capgrave who was sometime Provincial of the Order and he alotted one his many Volumes the Subject De Illustribus Viris Ordinis S. Augustini The Dominicans Franciscans and other Mendicant Friers having had no Lands had no occasion for Leiger-Books But I know not why we should not have better Remains of their History Penn'd by themselves since 't was no part of their Vow that they should so far renounce the World as not to have their good Works had in remembrance The Story of the settlement of the Order of St. Francis in England being confirm'd by Henry the Third in the Year 1224 is written by Tho. Ecleston whose Book De adventu Minorum in Angliam is in several of our Libraries Mr. Pits says he wrote also another Book De Ordinis impugnatione per Dominicanos Which I am afraid is only a part of the former for they had Battail given soon after their first Landing Their History afterwards is pretty well accounted for by Fran. a Sancta Clara and we have a formal Register of that Colony of them that was seated in London with some Fragments of those of other Places The Records of the University of Oxford with those in the Neighbourhood have afforded us a diverting View of their frequent Bickerings with the Dominicans in our publick Schools which for an Age or two make up a good share of the Annals of that Place The Carmelites have likewise had some few of their Fraternity who have taken the pains to enquire into the History of that Order of whom William of Coventry about the Year 1360. wrote de Adventu Carmelitarum in Angliam Bale quotes some of his Words and Writes as if he had seen his Book About a Hundred Years after this Will. Green a Cambridg-Man collected out of the most of the Libraries in England the noted Exploits of the great Men of this Order which he afterwards published under the Title of Hagiologium Carmelitarum And lastly Robert Bale a Carmelite Fryar at Norwich and afterwards Prior of Burnham where he dy'd A. D. 1503. wrote Annales Breves Ordinis sui 'T is much that this Gentleman's name-sake the famous Mr. John Bale never penn'd any thing of this kind For he was also a Carmelite of Norwich and assures us in the Account he gives of his own dear Self in the Tail of his Writers that the Libraries of that Order were the chief Treasury out of which he had his Riches Perhaps he did Write some such Thing but did not afterwards think fit to own the Respects he once had for those Antichristian Locusts as he there most greatefully calls them CHAP. VIII Of the Histories of our Vniversities and Writers WHAT Sir John Marsham says of the old
p. 20. g Athen. Oxon. p. 319. a Dr. Patrick's Supplement to History of Peterburg p. 337. Rochester b Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 329. c Vid. H. Spelman Gols in voce Excommunicatio a Iid. ibid. voce Ordale apud E. Brown in Append ad Fascic Rerum Expetend c. p. 903. b Orig. juridic passim c Sub hoc Titulo citatur Saepius in Monast. Angl. Salisbury d Bibl. Cott. Otho D. 7. e Vid. Vsserii Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 73. a Citat ab H. Wharton in Hist. Episc. London Winchester b Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 179. c. c Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 380. Worcester a Vid. Catal. Libb Sept. ad finem Gram. Anglo Sax. p. 169 170 171. 177. b Praefat ad Angl. Sacr. vol. 1. p. 37. c Bibl. Cott. Tiberius A. 13. d J. pits p. 683. a Hist. Nat. Stafford p. 407. b Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 88. c Praef. ad Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 52. York a Inter 15 Script p. 703. b Bibl. Cott. Otho D 7. Coll. Ben. Eborac c. a Antiq. Eccles. p. 25. b Titus A. 19. Cleopatra C. 4. Vitellius A. 2. c Claudius A. 3. d Galba E. 9. e Inter Cod. MSS. D. Com. Clarendon f Apud H. Wharton Hist. Episc. Lond. g Monast. Ang. Tom. 2. p. 57. Tom. 3. p. 164. a Vide Praefat. ad Angl. Sacr. vol. 1. p. 52. a Vid. I. Pits p. 142. H. Spelm. Gloss. p. 245. voce Fossa c. b Monast. Angl. Tom. 3. c Th. Fuller's Holy War ch 8. pag. 11. Archbishops of Canterbury a Angl. Sacr. vol. 1. p. 49. a 4 to Lond. 1681. b 8 vo Lond. 1607. c Of the Consecration of Bishops in the Church of England Fol. Lond. 1613. Latine Fol. Ibid. 1625 1646. a Consecration and Succession of Protestant Bishops 8vo Lond. 1664. b 4to Cantabr 1688. c De Praesul p. 223. Archbishops of York a MS. in Bibl. Cott. Ben. b Angl. Sacr. vol. â— p. 445. a Ibid. p. 362 369. b 4to Lond. 1590 c. c Hist. of Reform par 1. p. 8. d Hist. of Hen. 8. p. 78. Bishops a Vid. Chronic. Seriem Cancellar c. Eâ—it a D. Guil. Dugdale a Angl. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 273. b Ibid. p. 299 c. c Ibid. p. 351. d Ibid. p. 420 c. a Ibid. p. 457. Praefat. p. 22. b Ibid. p. 325. a MS. in Coll Novo Oxon. b Angl. Sac. vol. 2. p. 355. c 4to Lond. 1597. Oxon. 1690. a Vid. Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 251. b Praef. ad Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 19. c Angl. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 359. a 4to Oxon. 1602. Lond. 1681. inter Collect D. Bates a Joh. Pits p. 803. b Hist. of Cambr. p. 94. 99. c H. Wharton Angl. Sacr. vol. 1. p. 382. d 4to Lond. 1573. e 8vo Lond. 1685. Inferiour Clergy a Bibl. Cott. Tiberius A. 8. b Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 34. a 4to Lond. 1628. inter Collect. Dr. Bates a See the Pref. to Tanners Notitia p. 22 23. a Vol. I. De Archiepiscopis Episcopis Ecclesiarum quas Monachi possiderunt a Critic Hist. of N. Test. par 1. p. 20. a In Notis ad Beda Hist. Eccles p. 260. Saxon. b Bibl. Cott. Otho B. 11. After the Conquest a Vid. Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. ad ann 1381 1391. lib. 2. p. 61. a See Mr. 〈◊〉 Pref. to his Notitia pag. 8 9. b J. â—itâ— p 393. c Id. pag. 649 8â—1 8â—1 a Bibl. Cott. Cleopatra E. 4. a Hist. Synops. Bibl. Cott. p. 39 40. b T. Tanner in Praefat ad Notit Monast. pag. 5 6 20 21. a 8vo Lond. 1655. Monasticon Anglicanum b Fol. Lond. 1661 1673. a In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad vol. 1. b Ath. Oxon vol. 2. p. a Ath. Oxon. vol. 2. p. 700. b Fol. Lond. 1693. See Mr. Tanner's Praef. p. 7 8. T. Tanner a 8vo Oxon. 1695. a D. Smith in Hist. Synops. Bibl. Cott. p. 38. Benedictines b Reynerâ— Apostolat Bened. p. 11. a J. Pits p. 552. b 8vo Rem 1619. c Vid. Vss. rij Hist. Eccles. Brit. p. 216. a Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 415. C. Reyner b Fol. Duac 1626. c W. Semner Antiq. Canterb. p. 153. d Hist. Spnops Synops. Bibl. Cott p. 38. a Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 515. vol. 2. p. 388. b Ibid. vol. 1. p. 473. Cistercians a V. J. Pits p. 297. a Cent. 3. cap. 81. b Vid. Monast. Angl. Tom. 1. p. 854. b. Canons of S. Augustine a J. Pits p. 492. b Id. p. 672. Mendicants c MS. in Bibl. Dec. Capit. Ebor. alibi d pag. 442. a Inter Opera ejus Tom. 1. Duac 1665. b Vid. Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 68. 71 c. Carmelites c J. Pits p. 493. a Id. p. 662. b Id. p. 686. c Mr. Tanner says he has seen his Collections for such a purpose a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Monast. Angl. in fine a Vid. J. Caii de Antiq. Cantab. lib. 1. in princip b Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 3. Both the Vniversities a Id. ibid. lib. 2. pag. 77. b J. Pits pag. 743 744. c Comment in Cyg Cant. voce Granta Vid. ibid. voc Isidis vadum d Tho Key Assert Antiq Oxon. p. m. 5. a John Caii De Antiq. Cantab. lib. 1. b Pits p. 817. c Fuller's Hist. of Cambr. p. 15. a Vid. Hist. Antiq. Oxon. Lib. 2. p. 386 390. Lib. 1. p. 83. b Fol. Lond. 1632. c Hist. Ox. lib. 1. p. 42. a Bibl. Cott. Faustina C. 7. b Vid. Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 203 alibi c In princip Assert Antiq. Oxon. Thomas Key Hist. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 4. c. a Comment in Cygn Cant. voc Isidis vadum b J. Pits p. 683. a See his Apolog. lib. 2. §. 144. b 8vo Lond. 1568. 4to Ibid. 1574. a Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 137. b Ibid. p. 293. c 8vo Hanov. 1605. a 4to Oxon. 1607. 8vo Ibid. Saepius b 4to Oxon. 1608. c T. Fuler's Hist of Cambr. p. 14. a Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 241. b 8vo Oxon. 1608. c 8vo Rome 1602. d Vid. Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 498. a 4to Oxon 1668. b 4to Oxon. 1665. Lond. 1675. a Fol. Oxon. 1674. a Bp. Barlow's Rem p. 181 183 184. b Athen. Oxon. vol. 2. p. 605. c Ibid. p. 28. Cambridge a Vid. Joh. Caii Antiq. Cantab. lib. 1. p. 〈…〉 b Comment ad Cygn Cant. voce Granta c Hist. et Antiq. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 390. a J. Pits p. 635. b Antiq Eccles. Brit. p. 69 112 268. c Hist. et Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 36. a Hist. of Cambr. p. 65. 66. b Comment in Cygn Cant. voce Granâ—a a J. Pits p. 756. Fuller's Worthies p. 275. 276. in Norwich b 8vo Lond. 1568. 4to Ibid. 1574. c Edit 1586. a Bibl. Cott. Fâ—ustina C. 3. b 8vo Lond. 1568. c Impress Cantabr per Thâ—m Thomasium a 4to Lond. 1641. Vid. Hist. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 30. b Fol. Lond. 1655. c Cent. 7. lib. 2. ad An. 631. d Hist. Antiq. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 35 36 c. e Citat a Tho. Fuller in Hist. Cantab. p. 31 c. a Ibid. p. 139. And in his Worthies frequently Writers J. Boston a J. Pits p. 593. a T. Gale in Praesat ad 15. Script p. 1. b Th. Fuller's Worthies p. 166. in Lancaâ— Vide etiam ipsum Vsher. de Script Vernac p. 124. c Hist. Antiq Oxon. vol. 1. p. 58. d Vid. J. Pits p. 603. e Bale Edit Wesal fol. 185. J. Leland a J. Pits p. 743. b Vid. Ath. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 69. J. Bale a Cent 8. cap. 100. b Puller's Worthies p. 60. 61. in Suffolk c 4 to Ipsw Wesal 1549. d Fol. Basil. 1559. a H. Wharton in Praefat. ad Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 31. 47. b H. Spelm. Concil Tom. 1. p. 210. c 4 to Paris 1619. J. Pits a Athen. Oxon. vol. 1. p. 345 346 c. Hen. Wharton Praefat ad Angl. Sac. vol. 1. p. 15. b Pag. 775. c 4 to Lond. 1573. A. Wood. a Fol. Lond. 1691. 1692. T. Tanner
whole Work In the same place the Hannow Edition is blam'd for omitting Parker's own Life which perhaps was no fault in those that had the care of it There were only a few Copies of the First Edition such as were design'd for public Libraries and the accomodation of a few choise Friends that had the 29 Pages which make up that Life so that 't was not to be expected that the Foreign Publishers should Print it otherwise than as 't was commonly sold by our English Booksellers Mr. Wharton every where gives this Writer more respect than any other he 's pleased to cite and yet he observes a great many of his mistakes and I do not doubt but any skilful Antiquarie will easily take notice of many and many more So imperfect will always be the most compleat Works of any single Man CARLILE This remote and small Diocese has been heretofore so much expos'd to the continual Incursions of the Scots before the Kingdoms were happily united in King James the First that there are not many of it's ancient Records any where now to be had The only pieces of Antiquity in the Bishops possession are two Register Books of four successive Prelates Halton Rosse Kirkby and Welton and these will furnish us with little more than the History of one Century The Records of the Dean and Chapter go not much higher than their new Denomination given them by Henry the Eighth and are very broken and imperfect since that Epoche Out of these and what other helps could be had from some Neighbouring and Distant Libraries Dr. Hugh Todd Prebendary of this Church has made a Volume of Collections which is lately placed in the Dean and Chapter 's Library under the Title of An History of the Diocese of Carlile containing an Account of the Parishes Abbies Nunneries Churches Monuments Epitaphs Coats of Arms Founders Benefactors c. with a perfect Catalogue of the Bishops Priors Deans Chancellours Arch-deacons Prebendaries and of all Rectors and Vicars of the several Parishes in the said Diocese My worthy Brother hopes that the Additions which will hereafter be made to this Work will at last make it answer its Title and I heartily wish I could do so too But to me the prospect is so discouraging that I know not which way to look for such Helps as would be necessary for the compleating of so full and ample an Account of our Church and Diocess Our Sufferings in the days of Rapine and Rebellion equal'd or exceeded those of any other Cathedral of England and after our Chapter-House and Treasury had been turn'd into a Magazine for the Garrison and our very Charter sold to make a Taylor 's Measures it can hardly be expected that so many of our Records will ever be retriev'd as are requisite to finish out such a History CHESTER being another of King Henry the Eighth's Foundations cannot have any great stock of Records Some notice may possibly be taken of its most early Times by Mr. Vrmston who wrote an Account of the State of Religion in Lancashire part of this Diocess in the beginning of King James the First 's Reign CHICHESTER Most of the antient Records of this Church were squander'd and lost upon the City's being taken and plunder'd by Sir William Waller in our late Civil Wars and after the Restauration they never recover'd more than three Books belonging to the Chapter and a Register or two of the Bishops These do not reach above 230 Years backwards so that the prime Antiquities of this See before the Episcopal Throne was removed from Selsey to this Place and for some Ages afterwards are either wholly lost or in such private Hands as have hitherto very injuriously detain'd them from their right Owners 'Till a Restitution is made we must content our selves with such poor Fragments as Bede Malmesbury and others will afford us of the first Foundation of the Diocess by our Nothern Saint Wilfrid who with his Successors in the same Order that Godwine has given them stands yet pictur'd on the backside of the Quire Here are the chief Remains of their History as far as they are now to be had within the Verge of their own Cathedral to which if more shall be added by such Foreigners as are Masters of their dispersed Records 't will be a very gratefull as well as just service to the present Members of that Church St. DAVID'S We have already noted the Disputes there are about Abbot Dinoth's Remonstrance against the pretensions of Augustine the Monk and we are told that he did not only leave behind him his thoughts of that Matter in the foremention'd Protestation but that he also wrote another Treatise entitl'd Defensorinm Jurisdictionis Sedis Menevensis Bishop Godwine quotes a Catalogue of the Bishops of St. David's not taken notice of either by Gyraldus or the Annales Menevenses which he says is in the Archives of that Church There 's also an Anonymous Manuscript in the Library at Magdalen College in Oxford which treats de Gestis Ritibus Cler ' Cambrensis and may probably afford some discoveries of the ancient State of this Diocess DVRHAM The first Collecter of the History and Antiquities of this Ancient and Noble Church was Turgot who was Prior Arch-deacon and Vicar General of that Diocess He was afterwards Bishop of St. David's But upon the death of Queen Margaret return'd to Durham where he dy'd A. D. 1115. and lyes bury'd in the Chapter-House His Book bears the Title De Exordio progressu Ecclesiae Dunelmensis that is from K. Oswald's Time to the Year 1097. This was transcrib'd by Sim. Dunelm mention'd in the former part of this Work who also continu'd it to the Year 1129. from whence it has been drawn downwards by Jeoffery de Coldingham R. de Greystanes c. There are still some latent Manuscript Histories of this Church which if discover'd would undoubtedly supply a great many defects in those that are already publish'd Prior Laurence who dy'd in the Year 1154. wrote a Treatise in Meeter De Civitate Episcopatu Dunelmensi There are several MS. Tracts of that Author's Composure in the Libraries at Lambeth Durham and elsewhere and yet we cannot hitherto learn where this is to be had Tho. Rudburn in the very heart of his Historia Major has a large History of the Bishops of this See from the first Foundation at Lindisfarn to the Year 1083. which tho' mostly taken out of Turgot and Simeon has some remarkable passages never yet Printed John Wessington who dy'd Prior of Durham A. D. 1446. wrote a Book De Juribus Possessionibus Ecclesiae Dunelmensis wherein amongst other choice Matters 't is prov'd that the Priors of that Church were always invested with the Dignity and Priviledges of Abbots Sir H. Spelman quotes some Synodical or rather Consistorial Constitutions made by Bishop Lewis in the
Year 1319. which certainly must be very learn'd ones if they answer the Account Godwine gives of that Prelate The Cotton Library is hardly better stock'd with the Records of any Cathedral Church in England than that of Durham whereof the chief is a large Catalogue of their Benefactors from King Edwine down to the Reign of King Henry VIII The beginning of the Book is in an old Saxon Character as ancient as the time of K. Aethelstane in whose Possession 't is very probable from his Name in the Title Page supposed to be written with his own Hand it sometime was There is also a Miscellany Collection of a great many curious Particulars relating to St. Cuthbert and his Successors in that See the Contests of the Prior and Convent with their own Bishops and the Archbishops of York about the Visitatorial Power an entire History of that Church from its Foundation at Lindistarn through all its changes of Fortune and Place as low as the death of Bishop Hugh A. D. 1194. with many other remarkable Fragments of its History There 's also in the Bishops Library at Durham a MS. Collection of the Antiquities of this Church transcribed by the Directions of Bishop Cosin wherein there 's a different Account of some Particulars from what we have in the Rites and Monuments published by Mr. Davies Nor is this last mention'd Piece such an ignorant and pitiful Legend as a very worthy Person has represented it since there 's no where extant so full and exact an Account of the State of this Cathedral at the suppression of Monasteries The Author seems to have been an Eye-witness of all that pass'd at that time and his Descriptions of such Matters as are still remaining appear to be so nicely true that we have great Reason to credit him in the rest Besides these there are now in the Possession of the Dean and Chapter a great many Authentick Records Original Charters Endowments c. which will enable one to furnish out a much more compleat History of this Church than has yet appear'd And I hope the Ingenious and Learn'd Dr. Iohn Smith now Prebendary of that Cathedral will think the Undertaking most proper for himself ELY That History of the Church of Ely which was partly publish'd by Sir William Dugdale and wholly by Mr. Wharton is not the Work of Thomas and Richard whose Names it carries but an Abstract by a nameless Author out of their much larger Volumes which still remain in Manuscript Some parts of the former have been printed out of other Copies by L. D' Achery and Dr. Gale if those Learn'd Gentlemen be not mistaken as I suspect they are in their Conjectures Dr. Brady quotes a Survey of all the Mannors belonging to this Bishoprick taken in the Year 1248. but does not direct us where to find it That S. Birchington or Brickington as he calls him wrote a Catalogue of the Bishops of Ely Mr. Pits is very positive But how he fell into that Mistake wherein he is follow'd by Vossius has been discover'd by a late Writer of much better Credit He probably conjectures that staging over the Margin of one of our Learn'd Church-Historians he met with this Quotation Steph. Birch Catal. Episc. Eliens and thence presently concluded that Stephen must be the Author of the Catalogue there cited Whereas the Historian referr'd his Readers to two several Manuscripts Birchington's History of the Archbishops of Canterbury and an anoâ—ymous Catalogue of the Bishops of Ely for the proof of what he had there advanced EXETER There is in Bodley's Library an old Latin Mass-Book in Saxon Characters in the end whereof we have many Particulars of the Life of Bishop Leofric who gave the Book to his Cathedral as his settling the Episcopal See at Exeter A. D. 1050. c. It gives us also a Catalogue of the Reliques that Church was possess'd of at the time when this Book was written John Grandeson who dy'd Bishop of this See A. D. 1369. is said to have written Martyrologium Exoniense for a Manuscript whereof we are advised to consult the Library at Bennet College John Hooker or Vowel Chamberlain of Exeter where he dy'd A. D. 1601. wrote a lean Catalogue of the Bishops of that See first publish'd by him in Quarto and afterwards inserted into Ralph Holinshead's Chronicle It begins with Eadulph whom he unaccountably calls Werstant and ends at Bishop Woolton who was consecrated in the Year 1579. There 's no want of Materials for the composure of a much fuller History Since the Registers of a good many of the Bishops Stapleton Brantingham Stafford c. are cited by Mr. Wharton and many more pointed at by Mr. Taâ—â—er GLOCESTER being a Diocess of Henry VIIIth's Erection cannot have any Records relating to the See it self more authentick than that which acquaints us with the Erection of St. Peter's Church into a Cathedral But there are many Venerable Remains of Ecclesiastical History which are to be had in the Register-books of those Religious Houses and Parochial Churches which were then brought within that Jurisdiction Out of these Dr. R. Parsons the present worthy Chancellor of that Diocess has collected two MS. Volumes which are also digested into so good a Method that they well deserve the Title of a Compleat History The first of these he stiles Memoirs of the ancient Abbey and present Cathedral of Gloucester wherein he gives an Account of the Foundation of the Great Abbey of St. Peter's in this City and the Succession of its Abbots down to the Dissolution with the History and Succession of the Bishops Deans Chancellors Archdeacons and Prebendaries ever since the dismembering of it from the See of Worcester This Work was happily undertaken at the Request of the late Mr. Wharton who design'd to have oblig'd the Publick with it in some future Volume of his Anglia Sacra We are not in despair of seeing the good Services that were intended our Church by that Learn'd Person fully finish'd and brought to Perfection by some other able Hand So that 't is to be hop'd we shall not long want the Benefit of such successful Labours His other Volume bears the Inscription of A Parochial Visitation of the Diocess of Gloucester wherein the Matters treated on are chiefly Ecclesiastical tho' some Affairs of a Civil Nature are also intermix'd The Observations that occur in this are partly owing to the Author 's own View and Enquiries made in the several Parishes and partly to such Helps as could be had out of the Registry at Worcester and his own at Gloucester HEREFORD That there were anciently several good old Register-books belonging to this Cathedral is beyond dispute Sir H. Spelman quotes one of 'em and we have heard of several others besides that of Bishop Booth The Library and Archives here fell under the like Misfortunes during the