was this counsell els but the mouthe of the beast speakyng blasphemyes Daniel vij Apocal. xiij Though these matters were first proponed at Cleremount in Fraunce and after enacted at Baren in Apulia yet were they not so strayghtly knyttt vp tyll they came to Rome Marke the good conueyaunce ☞ Anselmus made Pope of Englande for hys practyses FOr the wyttie inuencyons forecastynges polecyes dysputacyons other laboryouse affayres of Anselme about the ouerthrowe of pryncely autoryte and vprearynge of Antichristes tyranny and for hys earnest prouocacyons to haue them perfourmed in the crafty wurkynges of Sathan to se hym horrybly honourably I shulde saye rewarded for hys paynes Pope Vrbanus appoynted both hym and them that shulde afterwarde succede in the patryarcall seate of Canterbury to sytt at hys ryght fote in euery generall counsell and that he also ratifyed by a specyal decre And thus was it proclamed whan that place was gyuen hym in the opē synode Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquā alterius orbis Papan◠Lete vs include or admyt thys man in our worlde here as the Pope of an other worlde meanynge great Brytayne or England whych the old cosmographers and famouse hystoryanes called an other worlde for so much as it semed from the great worlde by sea dyuyded as Virgyll also sheweth in his Bucolyckes Neuer was there any place peculyarly appoynted to the archebyshoppes of Canterbury afore that daye All this hath Thomas Rudborne in medulla chronicorū Iohan Capgraue in a maner confirmyng the same where as he calleth him the Apostle and patryarke of the other worlde I haue alwayes bene of thys opynyon that S. Iohans Apocalyps hath as wele hys fulfyllynge in the partycular nacyons as in the vnyversall churche I speake it here for Anselme whych was the great Pope or Antichrist of Englande Marke it hardely in hym and a great sort more of hys wycked successours ☞ The chastyte of Anselme and death of kynge Wyllyam ANselme anon after departed frō hys holy father Vrbanus as he myghte wele spare him whan his turne was ones serued and so came to Lyons where as he remayned tyll the death of kyng Wyllyam Rufus In the meane tyme for hys recreacyon Iohan Cagraue sayth he sumtyme resorted to Hugh the abbot of Clunyake and to hys praty nōnes at Marceniacum I thynke not the cōtrary but it was to ease hym of some great burdene For Roger Hourden Mathew Paris other writers affirmeth that he had a nephewe called Iunior Anselmus whych after the rule of the Romane prelates is as muche to saye as a sonne He behelde it in a visyon at Lyons they saye how S. Albone and other Englysh sayntes sent fourth an euyll sprete to slee the seyd kyng Wyllyā for oppressynge their abbeyes But I beshrewe their cruell hartes their preuy legerdemaynes were not muche to be trusted that kynge so sodenly slayne They feyne in an other fable that he tare with his tethe Christes fleshe from hys bones as he hyng on the roode for witholdynge the landes of certen byshopryckes and abbeyes Polydorus not beynge ashamed to rehearce it Some where they call hym a reade dragon some where a fyery serpent and a bloudy tyraunt for occupyenge the fruites of their vacaunt benefyces about hys pryncely buyldynges Thus rayle they of their kynges wythout eyther reason or shame in their legendes of abhomynable lyes Loke Eadmerus Helinandus Vincentius Mathew of Westmynstre Rudborne Capgraue Wyllyam Caxton Polydore and others Wher euer hearde ye afore that their superfluouse ydell and slowe belly liuynges were Christes fleshe eyther yet that an olde paynted roode had fleshe Lete not thys be forgotten ☞ Kyng Henry marryeth a votary without dyspensacyon HEnry the first of that name constytute kynge Anselmus returned into England agayne marryed hym to a professed nonne of Wynchestre called Maude whych was the doughter of Malcolme the kyng of Scottes Much a do had her father and mother cōfessour and abbesse Mathew Paris sayth to perswade her to thys marryage and to obtayne her consent in the ende by reason of her former professyon and vowe Yet cursed she the fruite that shulde come of her body whyche afterward turned her chyldren to great mysfortune Polydorus sayth for therupon were her two sonnes Wyllyam and Richarde drowned in the sea and her doughter Maude the empresse an infortunate mother in bryngynge forth Henry the seconde whyche put vnto death holy Thomas Becket Here was I trowe no bad iudgement As scrupulose as Anselme was in other causes yet founde he no faulte in thys marryage whan he coupled them togyther neyther sought he to haue that vowe dyspensed with If Ranulphus and Treuisa he brought in to proue her vowe a dissymulacyō and that the seyd Anselme so founde it I haue Mathew Paris Rudborne Polydore and other autours more to confound them which largely hath declared it a full vowe professyon But of one thynge I sumwhat maruele why they and Wyllyā of Malmesbury shulde iudge it an vnwor thie marriage cōmende her for spending her substaūce so prodigally vpō syngars mynstrels poetes delyghtynge in their balettes and vayne praysynges oppressynge her tenauntes to maynteyne them Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. v. de regibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. xvi ☞ Anselme wurketh wyles and Randolfe playne treason SOme writers haue thought specyally Mathew of Westminstre that Anselmus bare with kynge Henry in thys matter concernynge hys marryage to wynne hym in an other muche more wayghtie profytable purpose For in that generacion they are more wyly Christ sayth than are the chyldren of lyghte Luce. xvi But he fayled of hys purpose at that present For immedyatly after the kynge made Reinalmus the quenes chaūcellour byshopp of Herforde without the clergyes eleccyon and put hym in possessyon without the Popes autoryte contrary to the othe of hys coronacyon as testyfyeth Radulphus de Diceto Mathew Parts and Roger Honeden But whan Randolfe the byshop of Durham whome the kynge put in the Tower of London for oppressyon and yll rule kepynge had ones broken out of the pryson in the dronkēnesse of his kepers and fledde into Normandy persuadynge duke Robert Courtoys to subdue the kynge hys brother and so to vsurpe hys crowne promysynge also that he had made hym fryndes within the lande by hys secrete counsell and letters In hys commynge as the seyd duke toke it ones vpon hym a great commocion was within the realme the prelates freshly reioycynge therat and causynge it to be noysed a broade that thys soden inuasyon was for that kynge Henry had dysobeyed their holy father of Rome defeated hys eldar brother and marryed Christes professed spowse And al this they subtylye had practysed to take the peoples hartes from him that he myght the more easely haue bene subdued as they thought to their commodyte Yet God of hys great mercye gaue hym than as he hed
William Cowper Esqr. Clerk of the Parliaments FAX MENTIS HONESTAE GLORIA The first two partes of the Actes or vnchast examples of the Englysh votaryes gathered out of their owne legenades and Chronycles by Iohan Bale and dedycated to our most edoubted soueraigne kynge Edward the syxte â–ª ¶ Beware of the leuen of the pharisees which is hypocrisye But there is nothing hyd that shall not be dyscouered neyther secrete that shall not be knowne Therfor what so euer they haue done in darkenesse that same â—â—all be known in the light Lu. xiâ— To the most vertuouse myghtye and excellent prynce kynge Edwarde the. vi by the grace of God kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendar of the faythe and in earthe vndre Christe of the churches of the seyde England and Ireland the supreme heade his most humble subiect Iohan Bale wisheth all honour helthe and felycyte LIke as man was of ij substaunces constytuted most worthie and excellente prynce that is to say of sowle and of bodye so were there for his specyall coÌ„modyte in them both for hys wholsome continuaunce in longe successyon ordayned of God ij necessary functyous or administracyons from the worldes begynnynge Neyther myghte the one of them without the other at any time be nomore than the bodie without the sowle but anon after a deadly decaye therupon folowed in that common welthe In the bokes of kynges and of Paralipomenoâ— is this so playnely declared â—or the diuided kingdomes of Israel and Iuda that at no hand it can be denyed The fyrste of them was the explanacion of the heauenly doctryne whom we now cal the godly office of a preacher The other we vnderstande to be the publique or politique regimet which is in the high gouernauÌ„ce autorite power oâ— a king The first of these ij most necessary offices the eternal soÌ„ne of God instituted in paradise The other toke beginning of god the father which held an euerlasting monarchy befor the worldes constitucioÌ„ and on the earth by his speciall gifte it toke successe in man Through me do kinges reigne sayth he through me do princes make iust lawes Prouer. viij In the Godhed are they here alone but in person diuerse The one gouerneth the other teacheth The seid sonne of God as an euerlastinge prest bishop first called Adam Eua to repentaunce by the voyce of such a lawe as both detected and rebuked their synne Furthermor he published the promise coÌ„cerning the holy seed of the womaÌ„ which shuld breake the head of the wicked serpeÌ„t Thus preached he than the fyrste Gospell of saluacyon whyche is a ioyfull massage declarynge full remyssyon to be gyuen frelye in Chryste or for Christes only sake a righteousnesse in the holy ghost folowing therupon â–ª with the life euerlastinge As Adam was confyrmed the ymage of God appointed to rule the whol earth Gen. i. He succeded him his eternall sonne in these ij hygh offices of Gouernaunce and of doctryne through the gydaunce of hys holye sprete so be comminge to the one a vicegerent or liefe tenaunt and to the other an hygh vycar general He instructed his posteryte in the ryght rules of fayth for that age and prudently vsed theyr politique regyment In thys perfyghte trade succeded the fathers Enos Cainan Malalehel Iared Henoch Mathusalah and Lamech one after an other tyll the dayes of Noe. Whyche gouerned most godly and preached repentaunce for an hondred and. xx yeaâ—es space After the generall floude stode Noe vp agayne and executed these ij offyces more earnestly than afore Melchysedech hys sonne was both a kynge and a preste so was faythfull Abraham and hys chyldren after hym as apereth both by their warres and sacryfyces And all though Moyses at tymes executed but one of these ij offyces and Aaron hys brother the other yet were they afterwardes agayne both vnyted in Iosue and hys successours assysted by the byshoppes and Leuytes tyll the Iewes despred a kynge Than helde Saul the temporall domynyon and Samuel the hygh presthode Dauid and Abiathaâ— SalomoÌ„ and Sadoch in the same trade folowyng tyll the realme was deuyded into Israell and Iuda for the wyckednesse of rulars And as the false worshyppynges or execrable ydolatryes began to increase by the deuylyshnesse of false prestes God raysed vp the prophetes with an earnestnesse to rebuke them and agayne to renewe the heauenly doctryne and gouernaunce And as their course was out by a myserable mutacyon through warres and captyuyte that lyuely doctryne of saluacyon by the sectes of pharysees Saducees Esseanes was yet ones agayne obscured and the hygh gouernaunce clerely decayed and also remoued from the chosen flocke of God the scepture traÌ„slated to Herode a cruel strauÌ„ger The sonne of God the eternall father called Iesus Christe than entered into the fleshe at hys tyme appoynted and became our hygh kyng and preste euerlastynge by hys tryumphaunt passyon and ascensyon restorynge these ij offyces and reseruynge them in hys gloryfyed humanyte to a sempyternall monarchye To hys Apostles and dyscyples he appoynted the admynystracyon of hys heauenly word leauynge to the worldely rulars the hygh gouernaunce of peoples Thys hath bene breuely the very ordre course and processe concernynge these ij most hygh offyces sens the worldes begynnynge How the great aduersary of God Antichrist hath sens Christes ascensyoÌ„ wrought in hys wycked course to depraue these ij mynystracyons of God and to cause them to serue his moste blasphemouse and fylthie affectes the fyrste ij partes of my Englyshe votaryes here presente dothe plenteously shewe And my hope is that the ij lattre partes whyche wyll God wyllynge most spedylye folowe shall declare it yet muche more at large I haue therin decreed for difference of the bokes and apt argumentes of the matters contayned in them to gyue them iiij seuerall tytles of rysynge buyldynge holdynge and falling For the fyrst part treateth of theyr vp ryspng to myschefe by the olde ydolatours in the reygne of perdycyon The seconde parte sheweth of theyr hastye buildynge by the hypocrytyshe monkes to establish the wicked kingedome of Antichrist The thirde part wil declare the crafty vpholdinge of their prowde degrees possessyons by the wilye and subtile slayghtes of the. iiij orders of frires And the fort part shal manifest their horrible fall in this lattre age by that grouÌ„ded doctrines of the true preachers writers These votaries do I take for those instrumeÌ„tes of SathaÌ„ which coÌ„tinually from time to time haue destroied these ij hygh mynistracions by darkenynge the doctryne of God and peruerting iustyce in the rulars Next to the scriptures I take their moste wicked examples for witnesses in that matter If your learned maiestye in thys second part do marke theyr wycked procedynges in takynge from princes the inuestynge of prelates and from the churches minysters theyr marryed wyues ye shall fynde them the greattest traytours that euer were on thys earthe both to God and to man For by takynge from prynces
other Saynt Augustyne both blacke which came in wyth Byrinus the Archebyshop of Dorcestre in the yeare of our Lord. DC xxxvi from Pope Honorus the fyrste to deceyue the west Saxons For yche Pope and byshopp preferred euermore the secte he was of These ij wrought so their wycked feates in those dayes with lyenge sygnes in hypocresy that they caused the afore named starres Regnum et Sacerdocium Regalite and presthode to fall clerely from heauen Iohan Capgraue Ranulphus et Polidorus ¶ The fall of kingdoms and rayse of the Papacy MArke in the Chronicles and ye shall fynde thys moste true That lyke as the Papacye had hys fyrste rayse in and of the fall of the Empyre so had those kingdomes whiche fyrste obeyed it their orygynall begynninges of the ouerthrowe of the inferyour kingdomes As Englande vndre King Inas by the fall of the Brytaynes and Fraunce vnder Kinge Pypyne by the puttinge a sydy of the Merouyngeanes Sens these lecherouse locustes crepte first into Englande neuer throne that kingedome of the auncyent Brytaynes whose spyrituall heade was God alone but euerye daye more and more decayed tyll it was fullye ended Marke it hardelye from the fyrste comminge hither of the seyd Augustyne tyll the yeare of our Lord. DC lxxxix wherin Cadwallader their last Kyng dyed a most desolate pilgrime at Rome offeringe hymselfe vp there moste myserablye to the Pope Euer sens hath yt bene to hym obediente in all blasphemouse errours and doctrynes of Deuilles by the space of DCCC and. xliiij yeares tyll the yeare of our Lord. M. CCCCC and. xxxiij wherin at our noble kynges moste wholsome request we vtterlye by othe renounced that odyouse monstre Nowe is it Gods owne kingdome agayne and our King his immedyate ministre That Lorde graunte of hys infynyte mercye that lyke as we haue put a syde hys name we maye euen frome the harte also cast ouer hys Idolatrouse yokes folowing from henceforth the vncorrupt rules of the Gospell A like comparison hath Paulus Orosius lib. 2. Cap. 4. Historiarum mundi of Babilon and Rome Very like begynnynges sayth he had Babilon and Rome like powers like prides like continuaunces like fortunes and like ruynes sauynge only that Rome arose of the fall of Babilon and so fourth ¶ An olde prophecy of Merlyne disclosed AS I was in wrytynge this matter an old Prophecy of Merline came vnto my remembraunce That after the manyfolde irrupcions of straungers the kinges of thys realme shuld be ones agayn crowned wyth the Dyademe of Brute and beare his auncyent name the new name of straungers so vanishinge awaye He that applyeth vnto this a right vnderstandinge shall fynde it very true The Diademe of Brute is the pryncely power of thys whole region immediatly geuen of God without any other meane mastry worker to Antichristes behoue Fre was that power from the great whores domynyon which is the Rome churche tyll the violent conquest of the English Saxons which they had of the Brytaynes for their iniquities sake And now prayse be vnto that Lorde it is in good waye to that fredome agayne and would fullye attayne therunto were here heythnysh yokes in religion ones throwne a syde as I doubt it not but they will be within short space As well may ye geue credeÌ„ce to this Merlyne whan he vttereth the verite as vnto olde Balaam the sothsayer whiche at a tyme prophecyed the commynge of Christ. Num. xxiiij And as coÌ„cernyng the returne of the name marke in thys age the wrytynges of lerned meÌ„ ye shall wel perceyue the change for now commonly do they wryte vs for Englyshemen Brytaynes ¶ The whores fleshe eaten of the. x. hornes THE. x. hornes of the first Beast whiche were kyngdomes maynteynyge that whore now ioyned all into one doth mortallye hate her at this present instaunt is makynge her desolate and maked in Englande In the ende they shall eate her fleshe and clerely consume her with the fyre appointed Englande was sumtyme into vij kyngdomes deuyded by the consent of al writers and wales into ij called Venedotia Demetia or north wales South wales Ireland makyng vp the truth Or if ye holde wales but for one let Scotland supplye that rowme whiche oweth vnto Englande perpetuall homage â–ª As all these are now in one moste worthye and victoryouse Kyng but one so wyll God put into all their hartes one consent to fulfyll hys will and to geue her kyngdome vnto the beast or to sende it agayn to the deuell from whens it fyrst came Apoca. xvij Consydre with your selues the late ouerthrowe of the monasteries couentes collegis and chaunteries alleages of vncleane spretes and holdes of moste hatefull byrdes by the manifest worde of God And thynke not but the fyltye habitacions of the great mastre deuyls wyll folowe sone after Apoca. xviij Let the gogle eyed Gardyner of wyncestre gyrde at it tyll his rybbes ake and an hondred dyggynge deuyls vpon his syde yet shall not one Iote of the lordes promes be vnfulfylled at the tyme appoynted for that blasphemouse whores ouerthrowe hys moste holye mother Praye in the meane season good christen readers praye praye praye that hys heauenly wyll be done in earth and not mannys and fashyon your lyues to the fourme of his moste dere sonne Iesus Christes doctryne Amen ¶ Actes of vowed virginite for that age NOw to returne agayne to their spiâ—ituall actes of chastyte for that age WhaÌ„ one Sedia the father of saynt Aidus perceyued that he by no meanes could haue a chyld by his wyfe he brought her to these continent fathers for remedy of her barrennesse she was spede the next nyght after by a miracle for all were miracles they dyd IoaÌ„ Cap. Guenhera a Cornysh woman whoÌ„ som writers call fayre Elyne that made king Arthure a cuckolde was after his death deuoutely receiued into Ambesbury non drye as a penitent to their spirituall vse Guilhelmus Malmesbury Saynt Oswalde sayd his wyfâ— Bebla in bed with a relygiouse hermyte And wheÌ„ the great heate came vpoÌ„ him as the spiritual fathers are hasty she found the meanes that he was cast in cold water to abate his hote corage This is one of the holy actes wherupon the pope hath made the sayd Oswald a saint IohaÌ„ hardyng Saint Ebba whiche was in those dayes the mother of all noÌ„nes was generate of an whore as were al her fathers childreÌ„ besides her ij of theÌ„ only excepted This Ebba had in the monastery of Coldyngham not farre â—â—om Barwyck both men womeÌ„ dwellyng togyther fell by fell as the maner was than of all Nondryes in England which exercysed the battayles of chastyte so longe that in their nyght metynges they went to bed togyther by couples theyr religiouse loue was then so great tyll God sent a wylde fyre vpon them for that contempt of
all his successours kinges after him In the thyrd yeare after his deathe was he proclamed a saynt by the popes autoritie and his daye triumphasitly celebrated ouer all Englande hys masse beginnynge with Gaudeamus The king came in all naked sauynge that he hadde a liuen breche about hys nether partes He receyued of the monkes a discipline wyth roddes and was so absolued of them in theyr chaptre howse He resygned his power vpon their hygh aultre consented to their vsurped lybertees and professed him selfe a perpetuall subiect to Antichrist and the serpent Apo. xiij O blasphemers of God and shamelesse mockers of men But Cesarius sayth in the. viij boke of hys dyaloges ca. lxix that in the. xlvij yeare after hys deathe a questyon was moued in the open scholes at Parys whether he were saued or dampned Where as Roger Norman proued hym wurthie to be dampned for obstynate rebellyon against his kinge whiche was Gods appoynted mynyster Peter the great chauntre of Paris hauing nothinge to obiect in the churches quarell to the contrary but his miracles whiche were most manifest lyes and illusions ☞ Kynge Henry smelleth out Antichrist and is agayne blynded SVmwhat must I saye here of the kynge called Henry the seconde whyche was a verye wyse well learned and godly prince Petrus Blesensis sayth in epistola ad Gualterum archiepiscopum Panorimtunum Though he in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and. lxvi permitted at the popes request a grote to be giuen of euery plough lande within all his dominions for ayde of the christen warres agaynst the Turkes yet perceyuinge â— yeares after the crafty bestowynge therof and how the seide pope had mayteined the treason of Becket agaynste him he caused all hys people to forswere his obedience from the childe of xij yeares to them of extreme age Loke Mathew of Westminstre li. ij de floribus historiarum In the next yeare after to please hym agayne pope Alexandre confirmed vnto him the bulle of Adriane the. iiij for the conquest of Irelande and made him the hygh lorde of that region vndre him the Peter pens for euerye chymney that smoked alwayes to hys fatherhede reserued And thys was Iohan hardynge sayth in hys chronycle for an errour whiche the Iryshe men helde against the spyrytualte and for certen heresyes wherwyth they hadde bene long infected In the yeare therfor of our lorde a. M.a. C. and. lxxi were bothe the nobylyte and clergye of the lande sworne vnto hym to take the kynges of Englande for their lordes euer after Rogerus Houeden A lyke chaunce hadde the Scottes in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxxviij Pope Clement the thyrde in hys hyghe dyspleasure subiectynge that whole realme to the crowne of Englande wyllynge their kinges nobylyte and clergye to gyue alwayes to the kynges of Englande theyr othe of obedyence as to theyr superioure lordes Nicolaus Treueth ☞ A patronage proued lawfull by v. marryed prestes NOwe wyll I brynge a matter whyche Barnes rehearseth in his boke of prestes marryage bicause it fell in thys age In the tyme of pope Alexandre the. iij. sayth he there was a controuersye for the patronage of a benefyce betwene the priour of Plympton in Deuenshyre and one Iohan de Valletorda Iudges were deputed to heare the master Rycharde the archebyshoppe of Canterbury and Roger the byshoppe of Wynchestre Before whome the priour of Plimpton proued his personage by reason that he was in possession therof had gyuen it out afore to dyuerse persones Fyrste he sayde there was a preste of Plympton called Alphege whych hadde by the gyft of the seyd pryour of Plympton the benefyce of Sutton nowe called Plymmouth Thys Alphege hadde a sonne called Cedda whyche hadde also the benefyce after hys father And after thys Cedda was there an other preste called Alnodus whyche hadde the benefyce lyke wyse Thys Almodus hadde a sonne called Robert Dunpruste which after the decease of hys father had also the seyd benefyce And after thys Robert Dunâ—rust William Bakon hys sonne enioyed the benefyce lyke wyse â–ª Ex monumentis eiusdem coenobij Thys is a wytnesse suffycyente to proue that it is no newe learnynge nor yet so longe a go sens prestes hadde lawfull wyues as the ydell headed papystes do make the ignoraunt multytude beleue And thys was in those dayes an vse throughe oute the realme that the sonne shulde in benefyces succede the father eyther els the next of his kinne that was learned tyll the monkes hypocresye procured the alteracyon for theyr bellye 's sake ☞ Examples dyuerse that prestes in that age hadde wyues FVrthermore the seyde pope Alexandre in hys epistles decretall sheweth manye of the â—yke examples And in one to Iohan of Oxforde than byshop of Norwyche he commaundeth that Wyllyam the newe person of Dysse for claymynge the benefyce by inheritaunce after the decease of his father person Wulkerell whyche begate him in his presthode shulde be dyspossessed no appellacyon admitted The deane and chaptre of Salisbury in an other place he chargeth not to admyt Hughe Howet to the prebende of Baphorde whyche was hys fathers afore hym least it so shulde growe agayne into a custome The lyke he wrote to the Archedeacon of Lyncolne and to other diuerse prelates of the realme specyallye to the byshoppe of Excestre of one Iohan a prestes sonne whyche after lyke sorte wolde haue succeded hys father To the byshop of Wyncestre he sheweth there also that the monkes of Lenton abbeye by Notyngham molested one Oliuer a prest whiche had peceably holden the benefyce of Mapleshalle by the space of xxx yeares The greattest matter they hadde agaynste hym was that he hadde bene that prestes sonne whyche had bene curate of the same parryshe afore hym But in thys he defeated the monkes and shewed hym fauer bicause he hadde there contynued so longe The exampels of thys kynde are so manye that I leaue them for tedyousnesse Lete those lewde papystes be ashamed than whyche folowynge the lowsye learninge of that bawdye dronkarde Iohan Eckius in hys folyshe Enchiridyon reporteth wyth hym and wyth doctour Coole in theyr ignoraunt frenesye that it hath not bene heard sens Christes ascensyon that a preste euer marryed or had a wyfe Questyonlesse theyr brutysh heades are to blockysh ☞ Remedyes taughte of S. Godrycke for vowes kepynge SAynte Godrycke borne at Walpole in Northfolke went firste abroade with pedlary wares and afterwardes on pilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem In hys returne he professed the chast life of an hermyte at Fynkale by Durham and bicame the great fouÌ„der of dyspersed Hermytes here in Englande Muche was he tempted wyth the sprete of fornycacyon and had no small a do to kepe hys vowe of chastyte To abate the great heates of hys fleshe he soughte dyuerse remedyes but marryage was none of them for that was
occasion as all writers agre Gregory the first of that name now called Saynt Gregory behelde in the open market at Rome Englysh boyes to be solde Marke this ghostly mistery for the prelates had than no wiues And women in those dayes might sore haue distained their newely rysin opinion of holynesse if they had chaunced to haue bene with chylde by them and therfor other spirituall remedies were sought out for them by their good prouiders and proctours ye may if ye will call them applesquires And at this Gregory behelde them fayre skinned and bewtifully fared with heare vpon their heades most comely anon he axed of what region they were And answere was made him that they were of an yle called Englande We le may they be called Angly sayth he for they haue very Aâ—gelyck vysages Se how curyouse these fathers were in the we le eyenge of their wares Here was no circumstaunce vnloked to perteining to the sale Yet haue this Bishopp bene of all writers reckened the best sens his time This story mencïoneth Iacobus de Voragine Vincencius Antoninus Ioannes Capgraue Maior Polydorus an hondred autours more ¶ More English boyes sold at Rome AN other example like vnto this telleth theseyde Iohan Capgraue in his Cataloge That at one Macutus an English Brytayne and Byshop of Aleth in Irelande beynge at Rome about the yeare of our Lorde CCCCC perceyued serten Englysh boyes to be solde there openly He gaue the pryce of them and sent them home agayne Of a likelyhode he smelled the spyrytuall occupyeng there and pytyed the most dampnable castynge away of those poore innocentes whome Christ had so derely redemed with his blood Suche an other acte of christen pity wrought king Etelwolphus there after diuerse writers whan he in the yeare of our Lord. DCCC xlvij made sute to Pope Leo the fort to be clerely dispensed with forthe ordre of Subdeacon which he had in his yowthe receyued wholsome ware I warande yow of Helmestane than Bishop of wynchestre For by that time they had crepte into the seate of the Serpent Apoca. 13. and obtayned full autoryte to dyspense wyth all pactes professions promyses vowes athes oblygacyons and sealynges to the Beastes holy seruyce Marke alwayes the tymes This story hath Vuyllyam of Malmesburye li. 2. De regibus a Raulphe Hardyng Fabyan and Polidorus with other And that the one wanteth the other alwayes habundauntly supplieth Possession was taken of that seate of the Beast vndre phocas the emperour in the yeare of our Lord. DC and vij wean the papacy first begonne ¶ Augustine entreth with his Monkes NOw to returne agayne vnto Gregory He sent vpon the aforesayd occasyon into England in the yeare from Christes in carnacion CCCCC xcvi a Romysh monke called Augustyne not of the ordre of Christ as was Peter but of the supersticiouse secte of Beuet there to sprede abrode the Romishe faythe and religion for Christes fayth was there long afore With him entered Melitus Iustus Laurencius IoaÌ„nes Petrus Rufinianus Paulinus and a great sort more to the nombre of xl all monkes and Italyanes We le armed were they with Aristotles artilery as wyth logyck Philosophy and other crafty sciences but of the sacred scripturs they knewe lytle or nothyng If ye beleue not me reade in Iohan Capgraues Cataloge Inuita Augustini his interrogacions Ad Gregorium per laurencium Petrum ye shall find them voyd of all christen learnynge eyther of law or Gospell yea most insypient and folishe Yet was the seyd Augustine the best learned among theÌ„ These toke with them a great nombre of frenche interpretours bycause they were all ignoraunte of the language there Here was a noble christianite towardes whan the preachers knewe neyther the scrypturs nor yet the speache of the people Well yet they ded miracles Yea so sayd Christ they shuld do whan he bad vs in any wise to be ware of theÌ„ Math. 24. For this story marke specyally Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie Sigebertus VinceÌ„cius Antoninus Tritemius Christianus Masseus and the churche legendary Dyuersly were they of women intreated ANd as concerning women greuously were they vexed with them commynge hytherward specyallye at a vyllage called Saye wythin the couÌ„tye of Angeuin fraunce In the whych was buylded immedyatly after a churche they say in the honour of the seyd Augustine where as no women come but are plaged with most sodayne death for the dyspleasure there shewed them than yet ded thy but laugh vpon theÌ„ This sheweth AlexaÌ„drethe prior of Esseby in hys Annuall of Sayntes by these verses Cetus aput Saye uexauit eos mulierum Quas peccasse probat lux noua foÌ„sque nouus Plebs parat ecclesiaÌ„ mulieribus haud reseraÌ„daÌ„ IntroituÌ„tentat una sed inde perit This story hath also Iohan Capgraue and the olde Englysh Festyuall of Sayntes whych was somtime the only taught Gospell of Englande Notwythstandinge thys dyspleasure of women abrode yet founde they women fauorable within England For Bertha the quene of Kent than beynge a Frenche woman caused Kynge Ethelbert to admit them wyth al theyr tyrlery trashe Yet for the small trust he had vnto them at their fyrst metynge he wolde in nowyse commen with them within any howse the story sayth least they shuld after any sorcerouse sort bywytche hym The fyrst poynt of Religyon they shewed was this They spred fourth a banner wyth a paynted crucyfyre and a syluer crosse thervpon and so come to the kynge in processyon synging the Letany We le myght thys be called a new chrystyanyte for neyther was it knowne of Christ nor of hys Apostles nor yet euerseane in Englande afore It came altogyther from the dust heape of their monkery ☞ Their fyrst spiriituall prouysyons here AS the kynge admytted their enteraunce he couenaunted thus wyth them and very wysely That hys people shuld alwayes be at lyberte and no man constrayned to their newe founde Relygyon sacrifices and worshyppynges But alac that fredome contynued not long wyth them as ye shall wele perceyue hereafter Then dyd Augustine get him into Fraunce agayn and caused one Etherius than Archebyshop of Arelas to consecrate hym the great byshop of all Englande without eleccion or consent of the people that we reade of And in the yeare of our Lorde euen DC dyd Gregorye sende vnto hym from Rome hys prymates pall with super altares chalyces copes candelstyckes vestymentes surplices alter clothes syngynge bokes rellyckes and the blessynges of Peter and Paule And so admytted hym for the fyrst metropolitane of all the whole realme appointing hys seate from thens fourth at Canterburye than called Doroberna the worthye cytie of London euer after depriued of her former tytle and so made an vnderlynge But the spirituall fathers knewe well ynough what they dyd beholdyng afore hande
for their marriage the scripturs and substancially proued themselues the maynteyners of vertu therin and not of aduouterye as they were there vncharitably noted But that wolde not serue them The holy Ghost might in no wise preuayle the popes bawdye bulles beynge in place but they must nedes haue the preferment no remedy An other sort were there which accused Dunstane of yll rule in the darke For Petrus Equilinus sayth in Catalogo Sanctorum li 8 Ca 49. that he was put to hys purgacyon of many things there layed agaynst him Of a likelyhode therfore they had smelled oute sumwhat that was not all to his spirituall honesty Neyther wolde these accusacions helpe the popes Power ones so largely published The King durst vtter nothynge that was against hym for feare of newe penaunce and for as muche as it was wele knowne that in the time of his olde penaunce he had occupied one minion at Wynchestre an other at Andouer besides alfrede whome he at the lattre gote to wife by the crafty mouther of her husbande Ethelwolde an earle ¶ The king defendeth Dunstane destroyeth wolues BVt to pacyfy and please this Dunstane Kinge Edgare in his oracion there to the clergy rebuked the prestes very sore for banketinge with their wiues for slacknesse of their masse saynges for pretermytting their canonicall houres for their crownes shauinges with their vnprestly aparellinges and suche other like More ouer he alleged vnto them in the seid oracion the lamentable complayntes good knauery I warande yow of his fathers sowle aperynge to Dunstane and reprouing the wanton behauer of the prestes with their wiues He also tolde them in repressing their former accusementes that hys sayd dead father in that vysyon reported Dunstane to be the pastoure byshop and keper of hys sowle Christ was nothynge makynge hym styll to beleue that the buyldynge of monasteryes was alwayes the moste helthsome good worke expedyent helpe pryce remedye redempcion and deliueraunce of the sowle from dampnacion Ex oratione regis Edgari ad clerum Anglie Loke the boke of both iurisdiccions Of this kinge Edgare ys it veryfied by Ranulphe that by a yearlye trybute of C C C. wolues out of Wales he destroyed all the wolues in that lande But within hys owne lande the fearce gredye wolues that deuoured Christes flocke Acto 20. and the wylye foxes that destroyed the swete vyneyardes of the Lord. Can. 2. he left vntouched yea rather he set them vp maynteyned them and fedde them at hys owne table wyth most wicked Iesabel 3. Reg. 18. For in hys tyme they obtayned more than xl great monasteryes As were Glastenburye Abindon Thorneye Ramseye Peterborowe Wenton Wylton Shaftesburye Sherborne Worcestre Wynchestre Hyde Helye Saynt Albons Beanflede and such other besides innumerable giftes and promocions els ¶ Ethelwolde with his lewde commission FRom thys afore named generall counsell went fyrste Ethelwolde with his commission whych had bene abbot of Abyndon and was than Byshopp of Wynchestre beynge hastye headye subtyle wytted learned in Prophane letters as the hystoryanes wryteth of hym Thys busye whelpe of antichirst leauynge Christes pure wayes to folowe the fote steppes of the Esseanes Tacyanes Priscyllyanystes Marcyanystes and other heretykes more beganne fyrst hys feates at Wynchestre in the old college And there droue out the prestes with their wiues and poore children and put in monkes of Abyndone for them And thys was hys suggestyon abrode to coloure the matter They kepte verye yll rule there he sayd they wolde not do their masses in due ordre and they semed no holier then the other laye people But Polydorus reporteth li. 4. Anglice historie that they were men of an honeste lyfe From thens he went vnto other townes and cytyes and there ded lyke wyse and bare the name to be a vygylaunt father ouer Nonnes and relygyouse women Thys same one Byshop ded more sayth Vincent than could the King of the realme wyth all hys whole power In the ende he wrote to pope Iohā the. xiij which was the bastarde of pope Iohan the. xij by his peramoure Stephana of his dreames and vysyons for the tyme of hys progresse desyering his power against the prestes also with many other wōders Iohānen Capgraue in Catalo Guilhelmus Malmesbury Vincēcius Antoninus Ranulphus Guido de colūna et Polidorus ¶ Oswalde wyth hys Beastly autorite ON the other syde went Oswalde wyth hys autoryte from that wycked counsell whych had stodied necromancye wyth other vnpure scyences at Floryake besydes Orleaunce in france where he was fyrst made monke and afterward in England bycame Byshop of Worcestre Thys fellawe so wel armed with deceytes as euer were Pharaoes sorcerers was thought a man mete to deceyue wyth lyenge sygnes the common sort So trudged he fourth wyth hys craftye calkynges and fyrst expelled the Canons of the cathedrall churche of worcestre wyth their carefull wyues and children and out of vij other churches more within that hys dyoces and there placed for them the laysy leaue locustes which not long afore had leaped out of the bottomlesse pyt Apoca. 9. the monkes which at that tyme were bare and nedy Than went he farther abrode and wrought there lyke masteryes wherof England hath depely felt euer sens His suggestions were lyke the other as that the prestes liued wantonly and wolde not masse in due forme For his trauayle in this was he made Archebishop of Yorke by the laboure of Dunstane To tell his other feates it wolde are to muche time and therfore I passe it ouer These ij promoted the seyd Dunstane aboue all other as men hauinge most wily craftes to assiste him in his businesse These iij. Monkes brought the Kinges so vndre that they had than all the realme at their pleasures Ioānes Capgraue Malmesburye Vincencius Antoninus Ranulphus Guido de Columna et Polidorus ¶ Dunstane maketh a king at his pleasure AFter the decease of King Edgare in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. lxxv was a wonderfull varyete and scisme through out the whole realme partly for him that next shuld succede King and partly for the great iniury done to the marryed prestes The quene Alfrede with Alpherus the duke of Mercia and other great lordes fauorynge her quarell wolde nedes haue Ethelrede Kynge which was her sonne by Edgare on the one syde Dunstane and his monkish Bishoppes with the earle of East sexe and serten other Lordes suborned by them on the other syde wolde nedes haue Edwarde whome some reported to be Edgares bastarde Anon as Dunstane perceyued the quenes part to preuayle for she had the most of the lordes he called for hys metropolytanes crosse and there lyke a bolde yeman and a tall shewed himselfe amonge them as the popes high legate from hys owne ryghte syde For he had by that tyme procured