worke For so sone as he was gone with soche as yt pleased hys pontyfycall pleasure to call with hym sodenly sayth Fabyane Antonyne Vyncent and Iohan Capgraue the ioystes of the loft fayled and they that were vndre yt peryshed there ¶ Dunstanes prouysyon in Englande for Sathan THus haue thys most cruell and wycked generacyon contynuallye buylded their synnefull Syon in blood Michee 3. and are not yet ashamed of these their manyfest knaueryes For these belly founders theues and mourtherers of theirs yet aduaunce they for their princypall Sayntes And whaÌ„ their feastfull dayes come they are yet in the papystych churches of Englande with no small soleÌ„pnyte mattensed â—…assed candeled lyghted processyoned senseâ— smoked perfumed and worshypped the people brought in beleue that the latyne readynge of their wretched actes there in their legendes ys Gods dyuyne seruyce beyng without fayle the most dampnable seruyce of the deuyll Lyke as holye Iohan Baptyst by preachynge repentaunce prepared a playne pathwaye to Christ and hys kyngedome Luce. 3. So ded thys vnholye Dunstane by sowynge of all superstycyons make redye the waye to SathaÌ„ and hys fylthye kyngedome agaynst hys commynge fourth from the bottomlesse pytt after the full thousande of years from Christes incarnacyon Apoca. 20. which ys the sprete of Antichrist He raysed vp in EnglaÌ„de the pestylent ordre of monkes he buylded them monasteryes he procured them substaunce innumerable fynally he brought into their handes the cathedrall churches with the free eleccyon of byshoppes that nothyng shuld there be done within that realme but after their lust and pleasure ThaÌ„ was Chrystes kyngedome clerelye put a syde and hys immaculate spouse or churche vpon hys worde onlye dependynge compelled to flee into the desart Apoca. 12. Men and womeÌ„ that ryghtlye beleued durst not than confesse their faythe but kept all close within them For than was Sathan abrode these monkes euerye where assystynge hym in the fournyshynge out of that proude paynted churche of Antichrist Superstycyon hypocresye and vayne glorye were afore that tyme soche vyces as men were glad to hyde but now in their gaudyshe ceremonyes they were taken for Gods dyuyne seruyce ¶ Sygnes and plages folowynge these myschefes BVt now se what folowed of these afore rehersed myscheues In the yeare of our lorde DCCCC lxxxviij which was the .xij. yeare before that full thousande departed thys Dunstane a swarme of deuyls frequeÌ„tynge hys tumbe as I shall in the next boke she we more playnelye Within the same yeare appered a bloodye cloude in the skye which couered all EnglaÌ„de as witnesseth IohaÌ„ Hardinge with dyuerse other Chronyclers and yt rayned blood ouer all the lande After that entered the Danes so fast sayth Ranulphe at euerye porte that no where was the Englyshe nacyon able to withstande them And the monkes to helpe the matter wele forewarde by counsell of their Archebyshop Siricius gaue them .x. thousand pounde to begynne with that they myght lyue in rest and not be hyndered For lytle cared they what became of the reest so their precyouse bodyes were safe After thys by dyuerse compulsyons they augmented that summe from .x. to .xvi. to .xx. to .xxiiij. to .xxx. and so fourth tyll they came to the sharpe payment of .xl. thousande pounde and tyll they had nomore moneye to geue For the more the Danes had the more couetouse and cruell they were euermore Thus ded they to the lande innumerable harme in sekynge their owne pryuate commodyte and so brought their owne natyue people in most myserable thraldome For by that meanes were the Danes made stronge and the Englyshe nacyon bycame feble and weake yea so wretched at the last that they were fayne to call euerye vyle slaue amonge the seyde Danes their good lorde But now marke the ende coÌ„cernynge these monkes In the yeare of our lorde a thousande .xij whiche was the .xxiiij. yeare from Dunstanes departynge and the .xij. from the deuyls goynge fourth the Danes after manye great vyctoryes within the realme fyered the cytie of Caunterburye and enprisoned the Archebyshopp than Elphegus And as he and hys monkes were able to geue no more moneye they tythed theÌ„ after thys sort They slewe alwayes .ix. and reserued the tenth to perpetuall sorowe and seruytude tyll they had mourthered of them to the noÌ„bre of more thaÌ„ ix hondred there and in other quarters abrode And the moste part of them they hynge vp by the members which was a playne sygnyfycacyon that plage to come than vpon them for their Sodometrye and most vyolent contempt of christen marryage Ranulphus Cestrensis li. 6. Ca. 13. et 15. Fabianus Par. 1. Cap. 199. ¶ The Conclusyon of thys fyrst boke HEre haue I paynted oute before your eyes most derelye beloued contreye meÌ„ the chast holye consecrate and spirituall actes of your Englyshe votaryes prestes Monkes Byshoppes froÌ„ the worldes begynnynge to a full complete thousande years sens Christes incarnacyon Not all haue I here rehersed for that were a laboure without ende they beynge so innumerable but a serten of them for euerye age that ye maye by them perceyue what the rest hath bene In the next part or boke which shall begynne at Sathans goynge fourthe at large after hys thousande years tyenge vp Apoca. 20. and so contynue to thys yeare of our Lorde a MD. and .xlvi. that ye maye knowe what chere hath bene amonge them what occupyenge they haue had what masteryes they haue played aÌ„d what myracles they haue done for that tyme aÌ„d space also I thynke yt wyll apere an other maner of thynge than that which hath gone afore For so moche as Sathan their ghostlye gouernoure hath for that tyme wrought most strongelye Nomore wyll I be ashamed to reherse their fylthye factes lete them trust vpon yt than they haue bene to do them in effect and to sett them fourthe for holye spirytuall coÌ„secrate chast honorable and ghostlye good workes beynge abhomynable and most stynkynge knaueryes The worlde shall wele knowe what Sodomytes and Deuyls they are that haue all thys tyme contempned christen marryage instytuted of God and do not yet repent their most dampnable doynges in that behalf but contynue styll the saint leadynge their lyues in vnspekeable fleshlye fylthynesse Christ promysed ones to all soche as they are that all their hydden myscheues shuld come to lyght yf they wolde not at the call of hys most holye Gospell repent Nothynge sayth he ys so closelye hydden amonge those spirytual murtherers but wyl be clerely opened neyther yet so secretlye couered but shall apere manyfest and be knowne to the worlde Math. 10. Marci 4. Luce. 12. Christ suffered verye longe the Pharysees and Byshoppes the lewde predecessours of our proude spirytualte But whan he ones perceyued non other in theÌ„ but contempt of hys veryte with wylfull resystaunce of the
God that hys monkes had the best for they laye euer aloft Bycause that one of Saynt modweÌ„s maydes had layed her best beloues shoes at her beddes head the spretes of heauen that were wonte to vysyte her wolde not come there that nyght After she had bene at Rome and was comen home agayne she dwelt at Scalesclyf where as an holye hermyte ded oft tymes vysyte her and moche refreshe her with a legende boke of sayntes lyues But no tydynges was there amonge them of Christes holy gospell Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ Erkenwalde and Osith with their Nondryes SAynt Erkenwalde the sonne of Vffa the first Kynge of the east aÌ„gles abbot of Cherteseye aÌ„d Byshop of London buylded a Nondrye at Berkynge And bycause there were at that tyme in EnglaÌ„de no Nonnes to hys mynde for Hilda his kynswoman was to great a scripture woman in those dayes he seÌ„t ouer the see for an old acquayntaunce of his called Hildelitha lerned in arte but not in Christes dyuynyte Her made he there abbasse commyttynge vnto her gouernaunce hys systre Ethelburge and a great sort more of yonge maydes to be taught and made noÌ„nes there Soche rule was kepte amonge theÌ„ within a short space after that God sent vpon them a plage of pestyleÌ„ce which toke awaye all their chaplaynes the cruell Daâ—â—…s folowynge and burnynge vp that was left monasterye nonnes and all Saynt Osith was marryed to Sigher Kynge of the East Saxons But bycause she loued the spirytualte moche better thaÌ„ hym whyls he was on a tyme in huntynge she sent by a preuye lettre for Accas and Bedeuuinus Byshoppes of the East Angles contaynynge Northfolke and Sothfolke causynge theÌ„ to put vpoÌ„ her a nonnes aparell So made she him to beleue in his returne that she had professed the vowe of chastyte and gaue him therby a most wretched occasyon to lyue all the dayes of his lyfe after in most synnefull aduoutrie But a iust plage folowed For in the yeare of our Lorde DC.liii was she slayne of the Danes and her whore howse nondrye I shuld saye vtterlye destroyed Yet was she in the Popes churche allowed for a stynkynge martyr for contempnynge marryage Iohan Capgraue ¶ The perfyght age of the Beast THeodorus a Greke was of pope vptelianus constytute the sixt archebyshop of Caunterburye froÌ„ Augustyne or sens the Papacye began to make all sure here to Antichristes behoue in the sixtye and sixe yeare of hys age and in the yeare from Christes incarnacyon six hondred syxtie and sixe which is in saynt Iohans Apocalyps the full age of the Beast the full nombre of man Marke yt good reader For now of a Beast becometh he a kynge ye as Daniel calleth hym the vnshame fast Kynge of faces Daniel 8. Presumynge to sitt aboue God in euerye mannys conscyence 2. Thessa. 2. Named yt is there the nombre of man and the nombre of the Beast for so moche as yt was the tyme wherin maÌ„nys lernynge most stronglye withstode the lernynge of God to the prankynge vp of that odyouse aduersarye the verye man of synne and sonne of perdycyon all blasphemyes therupon folowynge Euydent is yt by all the Englysh Chronycles that than this Theodorus came hyther with the seale of that execrable Beast to marke vp all to that most blasphemouse kyngdoÌ„ For neuer afore wrought the sprete of Antichrist the mystery of iniquite so strongelye as at that tyme. For hyther than brought he all vayne craftye scyences of countinge calkynge measurynge syngynge rymynge reasonynge arguynge dyffynynge shauinge oylynge exorcysynge incantynge coniurynge Loke Iohan Capgraue in uitis Adriani et Theodori Besydes that Bedas wryteth li. 4. Capit 2. and Ranulphus li. 5. Ca â–ª 18. ¶ For the varyaunce had in supputacioÌ„s TO auoyde coÌ„trouersyes in the supputacyoÌ„ of years for so moche as some writeth hym to haue comeÌ„ hyther in the yeare afore rehersed some .ij years after Ye shall vnderstaÌ„de that Theodatus which was his predecessour departed in the yeare of our Lorde DC.lxv as witnesseth HermaÌ„nus CoÌ„tractus in Chronico de sexetatibus mundi In the yeare folowynge was this Theodorus admytted of Vâ—â—elianê° receyued his full autoryte of byndynge and losynge sayth Platina to holde the Englyshe nacyon styll in that faythe Marke yt But by reason of serten delayes yt was more than a yeare after ere he entered into EnglaÌ„de One cause of hys tarryaunce Iohan Capgraue sayth was the growynge of hys heare concernynge his crowne which was shaueÌ„ afore after a farre other sort he beynge a Greke Hys abydynge there for that only cause was more thaÌ„ .iiij. Monthes besydes other nedye matters So that yt was the yeare of our Lorde DClxviij the xxvi daye of Maye and the seconde yeare of hys consecracyon ere he came into KeÌ„t as wytnesseth both Bedas and Ranulphus With hym sent Vitelianê° a monke borne in Aphrica called AdriaÌ„ to loke to hys doctryne least he taught anye thynge in the Englyshe churche that were not agreable to the Romyshe faythe as the marriage of prestes and the howselynge with leuened breade for he ded not in all poyntes trust hym bycause he was a Greke borne Anon after he sett vp a Greak scole at Caunterburye of all maner scyences as Rhetoryck Logyck philosophie Mathesye Astrologie Geometrye Arithmetyck and Musyck and taught them there openly both in latyue aÌ„d Greke besydes the art Magyck Sortilege Physuomye Palmestrye Alcumye Necromancye ChyromaÌ„cye Geomancye aÌ„d witcherye that was taught there also Bedas Ranulphus and Iohan. Cap ¶ Sealynges to the Beastes obedyence THan constytute he the seyd Adriane both abbot and generall reader there whyls he coÌ„pased aboute all the whole regyon for the Eastre celebracyon other Romyshe rytes This is the first archebyshop sayth Iohan Capgraue that all the Englyshe churche was sworne to Marke here the Seale of the Beast Apo. 13. In the yeare of our Lorde DC.lxxij he helde a Synode at Thetforde in Northfolke where as he enquyred of euerye mannys faythe towardes the Churche of Rome Than constytute he byshoppes for euerye quarter aÌ„d deposed all them that were not confirmed by the popes auctoryte of whose nombre Ceddas the byshop of yorke was one More ouer he publyshed there a boke of the churches ordynaunces made by the forsayd Vitelianus with permyssion of organes to make them myrye commaundynge yt onlye to be obserued Christes ordre sett a part If this were not the departynge that Paule prophecyed to come .2 The .2 where shall we loke for any A sayinge hath Ioannes de Molinis in speculo carmel Ca. 6. which though he were a papyst I fynde here most true From the dayes of Heraclius the Emprour sayth he vnto our tymes the daye drawynge towardes nyght the churche sufferinge a sore eclippes is come to a downe goynge Yea she is almost at
whiche had bene the kynges coÌ„cubynes as Alfgyne wilfrith and soche other though he afore had put them to paynes By hys sorceryes he alwayes made the kynges fytt for hys ghostlye purpose as wyll apere herafter specyallye by kynge Edmonde that was Ethelstanes brother whom by hys necromancye he brought to the poynte inuysysyblye to haue bene torne in peces What he gote by hys Image makynge the scripture sheweth playne whiche curseth both the hande and the instrument of the Image maker Sapi. 14. and Deutro 27. Thys storye declareth more at large Osbertus monachus in uita Dunstani Vincencius li. 24. Ca. 74. Antoninus par 2. â—i 16. Ca. 6. Martanus Scotus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Cestrensis li. 6. Cap. 10. Volateranus Bergomas Nauclerus Iohan Capgraue Iohan hardynge Vuyllyam Caxton Iohan 1. yd gate and Robert Fabyane The relygyouse Occupyenge of Dunstane AS Dunstane in the howse of a wydowe was fashyonynge a prestes stoole hys harpe hangynge vpon the wall without towchynge sownded the note of Gaudent in celis Wherupon the wenches astoyned went out of the howse with the wydowe all her howsholde proclamynge yt a brode that he had moche more lernynge thaÌ„ was good For thys soche lyke feates serten men tolde I thynke thys playe sumwhat passed course legerdemayne After that was DuÌ„stane the hygh stewarde of hys howse had ouer all the realme a iurysdycyon Of Glastenburye was he put in perpetuall possessyon to make therof what he wolde And so bycame yt first of all Saynt Benettes patrymonye Antedicti Autores Lete all the Popes armye stande vp here and allowe thys styll for a myracle as they haue done hytherto in hys legende yet do not I doubt to proue yt agaynst them all abhomynable knauerye by the scripturs ¶ He vexeth kynge Edwyne retaynynge hys concubyne AS kynge Edwyne vpon the daye of hys coronacyon occupyed Alfgina hys concubyne hauynge thaÌ„ non other wyfe Dunstane beynge at that tyme but a moÌ„ke and abbot of Glastenburye plucked them both vyolentlye from the bedde and brought their before the Archebyshopp Odo threttenynge the woman suspensyon ye maye call yt hangynge yf ye wyll For the whyche the kynge after that exyled the seyd DuÌ„stane into Flanders wrought the monkes manye other dyspleasurs tyll they founde the meanes to depose hym by the vertu of eare confessyon Voleteranus li. 3 Geographic Osbertus Vincencius Antoninus Guilhelmus Ranulphus Ioannes Capgraue Yet in the conclusyon they saye he delyuered Kynge Edwynes sowle after he was dead from hell I praye God he kylled hym not afore and vanquyshed all the deuyls there by vertu of a Requiem masse so bryngynge hym into their purgatorye This was I trowe no badde ware As a serten noble womaÌ„ called Alfgina the Kynges former concubine I feare me possessynge great substaunce had ones commoned with Dunstane she so delyghted in hys fayre wordes for hys aduauntage that she wolde neuer after from hym but dwell with hym styll for terme of lyfe She left her owne howse and buylded her an habytacyon by the churche louynglye intertaynynge men of holye orders In conclusyon whan she departed the worlde she left her great coffers and treasure bagges with DuÌ„stane to dyspose for her soule she had hearde of Kynge Edwyne with the which he after that buylded fyne monasteryes Ioan. Cap. in Cat. saÌ„c An. ¶ Dunstane kepeth the Kynges of Englande vndre DVnstane was excedyngly beloued with Cadina Kynge Eldredes mother these are the playne wordes of the hystory he loued her excedynglye agayne And whaÌ„ he ones became lyke vnto the tyrannye of these spirituall Antichristes thus cruellye handelynge a man that ys dead This sheweth more at large Liuthprandus Ticinensis â–ª li. 2. Capi. 13. ac li. 3 Cap 12. rerum Europicarum Blondus Flauius Baptista Platina Ioannes Stella Abbas Vrspergensis Ptolomeus Lucensis Vincencius Antoninus Bergomas alij ¶ The chastyte of holye churche there THeodora a most execrable whore and aduonterouse mother to the forsayd Marozia aÌ„d theodora the yongar both vnshamefast whores also so burned in concupiscens of the bewtye of one Iohan Rauennas a prest than seÌ„t in massage to the pope by Peter the Archebyshop of Rauenna that she not only moued hym but also compelled hym to lye with her aÌ„d so become her peramoure dere This whore for hys lecherouse occupyenge of her made him first Byshop of Bononye than Archebyshop of hys owne natyue cytye RaueÌ„na and fynallye Saynt Peters vycar in Rome called Iohan the .x. pope of that name that she myght at all tymes haue hys companye nygher home This was done in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. xv and he gouerned the papacye there .xiij. years and more Liuthprandus Ticinensis li. 2. Dap. 13. rerum per Europam gestarum It is easye to se by this open experiment that she and her .ij. doughters myght do moche in the holye college of cardynalles He that iudgeth not that churche to be whoryshe which was so depelye vndre the rule of whores that they at their pleasure myght appoynt thervnto what head rulers they wolde hath lytle good iudgement in hym I thynke ¶ A popes bastarde ys made pope GVido the marques of Thuscia at the lattre marryed Pope Sergius whore Marozia Which wyllynge to preferre vnto Saynt Peters seate the bastarde whom she had by the seyd Pope caused hym to enpryson her mothers dere peramoure Iohan the .x. and to stoppe vp hys breathe with a pyllowe Immedyatlye after which was the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC aÌ„d xxix was he constytute pope and called IohaÌ„ the xi but the same self yeare he was deposed agayne Wherupon she clerly left all spirytuall occupyenge and in displeasure of the prelates marryed her self loue after her husbandes deathe to one hugh the Kynge of Italye which was her other husbandes brother by the mothers syde and made hym the monarke of Rome to recouer agayne this lost dignyte for her bastarde Thus shewed she her self to be a playne Herodias besydes her other vnshamefast whoredomes in the spityâ—â—â—… Thys holye successour of Peter and vyÌ„car of Christ as they call popes was accused of hys Cardynalles and Byshoppes vnto the Emprour Otho in the generall Synode at Rome that he wolde saye no seruyce he massed without consecracyon he gaue holye orders in hys stable he made boyes Byshoppes for moneye he wolde neuer blesse hymself he forced not to be periured and made the holye palace of Laternense a verye stewes For he kepte therin Raynerathe wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys owne bodye and gaue her great possessyons with benefyces goldeÌ„ chalyces and crosses He helde also Stephana and her systre which had bene hys fathers concubyne and had by her a bastarde not longe afore He occupyed at hys pleasure Anna a freshe wydowe her doughter also and