Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	henry_n	king_n	stephen_n	5,689	5	11.2407	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00832	The lives of saints written in Spanish, by the learned and reuerend father Alfonso Villegas, diuine and preacher. ; Translated out of Italian into English, and conferred with the Spanish. By W. & E.K. B..; Flos sanctorum. English	Villegas, Alfonso de.; Ribadeneyra, Pedro de, 1526-1611.; Kinsman, Edward.; Kinsman, William.	1614 (1614)	STC 24731.5; ESTC S95676	392,335	715

of the plagues that he sent vpon them was when he slew all their first borne So also when IESVS CHRIST departed from Bethleem the Bethleemits remained also in lamentation For a sure thing it is that in the place frō whence God departeth there remaineth nothing but sorrow and wayling Let vs praie vnto his diuine majestie that he alwaies remaine in our compaine that we maie alwaies be glad and ioyfull in him and that our ioy may be true and perfect enjoying it in this world by grace after in heauen by glorie Amen The Catholique Church celebrateth the feast of the holie Innocents on the 28. of December and their Martyrdome was in the time of Octauian Augustus in the beginning of the second yeere of CHRISTE according to Ioannes Lucidus The life of S. Thomas Arche Bishop of Canterbury and Martyr THE lyfe of this holy Prelat and famous martyr collected out of foure Historiographers of his tyme Wilhelmus Cantuariensis Ioannes Carnotensis or Sarisbe●ens Alanus Abbot of Teukesbyrie Herbert of Hos●ham clerke Petrus Blessensis Archedeacon of Bathe and manie epistles of Popes kinges and Bisshops is in this manner SAINT Thomas vsually called of Canterbury B. and martyr was borne in London the head cittie and royall seate of great Britanie His father was one Gilbert surnamed Becket a man inferioure to none of his cittizens for kindred and riches and superioure to most for a singular good carriage and holie conuersation This Gilbert being in the flower of his youthe voluntariely receaued the holy cross an ensigne of suche as enrolled they re names to serue against Infidells and trauailed into the holie land where as he returned from visiting those sacred places of Hierusalem he together with others was taken by his enemies that lay in ambush made prisoner to an Admirall a Prince of great account amonghst the Infidells There he remained in captiuitie the space of one yeare and a halfe wherein the only daughter of the aforesaid Admirall was so wonne with the carriage and excellente good partes and qualities of Gilbert with his discreet and weighty reasoning of matters that concerned Christian Religion and also with his noble and stoute resolution to dye for Gods honoure that he afterwards by flight hauing obteined his libertie she wounded with his loue and led with desire of being a Christian forsooke all her wealth abandoned her fathers house her countrie followed him secretly into England There being first well instructed in Christian religion and baptized in the Churche of S. Paule by the Bisshop of London with greate solemnitie in the presence of sixe Prelats she was marryed to Gilbert all but especially the Bisshop of Cicester wondring at this heauenly vocation and admirable prouidence of God and prophecying that her wombe should beare a childe whose sanctitie and holie laboures would make Gods Churche renowned and glorious Not long after was Thomas borne and brought vp by his vertuous mother in all good manners and excercises But he learned of her especially the feare and loue of allmighty God with a greate deuocion to his B. virgen mother Marie next after Christe reposing in her his greatest confidence and making her Patron and Protectriss of all the wayes and steppes of his lyfe He was first brought vp in a religious howse of Merton after was instructed in liberall sciences then sent to studie in the vniuersitie of Paris from whence returninge home he discharged with honoure and great good satisfaction some publicke offices of the cittie of Londō And hauinge now for the space of three yeares attended vnto temporall affayres and followed courte-businesses shewing himselfe therein quicke discreete and well aduised and thereby attained greate creditt and learned much prudence and experience hauing also been carryed with affection to youthfull sportes of hawking hunting yett euer without staining or blemishing his good name with anie vice or imperfection led by the instinct of the holie Ghost more then by anie friends persuasion he retired weaned himselfe from secular affaires and betooke himselfe to Theobald Arche B. of Canterburie where his industrie diligence and well aduised managinge of matters wonne him a chiefe place and greate reputation amongst the Arche B● most familiar trustie friends After his admittance into the companie of Theobalds counseloures and chiefest followers he studied at Bolognia and at Al●isiodorum was greatly imployed in Church affaires of greatest importance oftentimes sent for decision of weightie controuersies to Rome from whence he euermore returned with good dispatche in his busines lastly he was made Archedeacon of Canterburie a place in those dayes of highest degree in the English cleargie next vnto Lord Abbots and Bissh Muche about that time Henry duke of Aquitaine and Normandie succeeded kinge Stephen in the crowne of England Theobald fearing least the kings good nature might be abused by some of his craftie counselours and by such as vnder the cloake and pretence of publicke autoritie thirsted after the Churches reuenues and the commons spoyle drawen to some ouer sharpe course and rough proceeding desirous also that the bond of loue and amitie might encrease betweene the Prince and his Prelats and the kings gracious fauoure shine vpon his cleargie a thing most necessarie for the good and well fare of all the kingdome and well assured of his Archeadeacons sufficiencie to doe all faithfull seruice to the kinge good offices to all manner of people brought him to the courte and wrought him into the fauoure of his Maiestie from whome he receaued the office of high Chanceloure of England It might seeme in outward shew and apparance that Thomas had now forgotten quite that euer he was an Archedeacon His retinue was greate his followers men of good account his housekeeping such as might compare with yf not surpasse the greatest Earles of the kingdome his stuffe verie costlie and full of brauerie so farre forth as bridles of beaten syluer his principall care to retaine his Princes fauoure and winne all mens good will which care did also compell him sometimes to shew himselfe plyant to this Maty in his fare his discourse in hauking in huntinge and sporting aswell as in his serious affaires A table that daylie and Honorably intertained Barons Earles a house that wellcomed all needie afflicted persons a hand that bountifully bestowed large gyfts in howsehold stuffe apparail prouision plate and coyne Finally fortune did seeme to haue made him her darling and all things so flowed according to his wish his desire that one would haue Iudged him to haue laide cleane aside the verie thought of a cleargie man But this was only the outside of Thomas for inwardly he was humble and abject in his owne eyes much addicted to praier and deuotion a greate tamer curber of his owne body in so muche that manie times he would chastize himselfe with a cruell discipline lashing himselfe vpon the bare backe his zeale was greate for the good of the churche and reliefe

of the Church Afterwards kneeling vpō his knees continuing his prayers his enemies crying out kill him kill him his head was clouen with many woundes all lighting in one place his braines were scattered about the ground his bodie did fall close besides the Aultar before which he had offered himselfe to God as a sacrifize The Monkes and cleargie men fearing to leese that precious treasure of their Prelats bodie assembling together did strippe him of his cloathes found all his bodie from the neck to the knees couered with a rough haire shirt and his breeches also made of hairecloth With this token of his santity the remēbrance of his vertues they did shed many teares saying one vnto another how farre was he from affecting the Crowne and seeking after earthly honour that did so despise and chastize his owne flesh as if it had bin his mortall enemies They apparailed him in his Pontificall roabes and buried him before the aultar of S. Iohn Baptist and of S. Augustine first Bishop of that citty God that is wonderful in his sainctes working manie miracles to witnesse his santity and glorie This renowned champion of IESVS CHRIST Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of England Legate of the Sea Apostolique and glorious martyr suffered in the yeare of our Lord 1171. in the 53 yeare of his age scarce a moneth after his exile after he had bin Prelate 12. yeares 5. whereof he liued peacebly in his chaire and 7. in banishment Of him Petrus Blesensis a Frenchman by birth a great fauourite of Henry the 2. King of England and a graue writer of those dayes hath these words Thomas was the publisher of Gods word trumpet of the Ghospell friend of the spouse pillar of the cleargie sight of the blinde tongūe of the dumbe foote of the lame salt of the earth ornament of his countrie minister of the highest Vicar of CHRIST the annoynted of our Lord. All his conuersation was a schoole of vertue the rule of good manners a patterne of saluation He was vpright in iudging industrious in executing discreet in commaunding modest in speaking circumspect in his counsaile most sparing in his dyet most liberall in giuing peaceable in wrath in flesh an Angell meeke in iniuries fearefull in prosperitie well-assured in aduersity allmost lauish in almes giuing and euen altogether mercie the glorie of religious men and the loue and greatest delight of the people with many other prayses to the same purpose Neither is it only hee but all the most famous men of those dayes who extoll S. Thomas as the only patterne and myrrhoure of good Prelats King Henry himselfe did plainely declare how much he did lament his death For he not only swoare that he neuer so much lamented the death of father nor mother nor would haue bin so sorrowfull for the death of his owne childe but he also of his owne accord ca●● vnto Canterbury and going barefooted from S. Dunstans Church presented himselfe before the shrine of S. Thomas and bathing the ground with his teares stripped himselfe out of his Princely roabes and vpon his naked backe receaued ● stripes of euerie Bishop and 3. of euerie monke that was present and afterwards fasted all that day and night with great deuotion A rare example of pietie humilitie and deuotion in a Christian Prince such as scarce hath his match and paragon in all Ecclesiasticall Histories And surely God did manifestly declare how acceptable this penance of the King was in his sight For the selfe same day he by his Captaines obtained a glorious victorie wherein the King of Scottes was taken prisoner And manie other prosperous successes ensued this act of humiliation the holy Saint euidently ayding him from Heauen that humbled himselfe so much vpon earth and helping him that subdued and conquered thus himselfe to conquer subdue and gloriously triumph ouer all his enemies Moreouer his murderers notwithstanding they were men of knowen nobilitie and great possessions and in high estimation for their valoure and cheualrie yet forsooke they all riches and voluntarily crossed all the hopes of their preferments going in pilgrimage to Hierusalem where they did publique penance All of them dyed within three yeares after the facte committed verie penitent for their offence calling vpon the sainct desiring his patronage and intercession whose death they acknowledged to haue bin wickedly contriued and executed by themselues yet pretious in the sight of God and glorious in the eye of all the world That time which they liued was alwayes with a perpetuall trembling of bodie and soule like men astonied and distracted hauing euermore winde and weather against them acknowledging all to be the iust Iudgement of Almightie God for their heynous offence But especially he that gaue the saincte his first wound dyed with a consumption and rotte of all his limmes he himselfe casting away the flesh which rotted off from the very boanes and calling vpon the most glorious martyr for pardon and forgiuenesse God of his mercie and by the intercession of this holie Prelate graunt vs pardon and grace to follow his steppes The life of S. Siluester Pope and Confessor SAINT Paule writing vnto Tymotheus his disciple said a Bishop ought to liue sincerely and it is fit that in him be not any thing to be iustly reprooued And for to showe what ought to be in him he setteth downe some properties that a good Bishop ought to haue among other things he saith that he ought to giue good example to them that be without the Church which be the Pagans left he fall into reproach and into the snare of the deuill S. Iohn Chrisostome saith that one of the things wherewith the Apostles spred their doctrine through all the world and the Ghospell was receiued of all men was because they liued without reprehension and gaue good example to euery one and submitted themselues to great paines and desired no reward at all They fled from honours riches pleasures and embraced troubles tribulations and afflictions They did not complaine nor sought reuenge but pardoned and did good to them that did them euill wherefore the pagans said it was not possible for the man that liued so to be in any errour for that God as they said would not haue suffered it and so thereby they iudged the doctrine they preached to be true and veritable and so holpen by god they receued it On the other side those who by their office and function they haue are bound to giue good example and liue euill do very much hurt by their wicked life And these as S. Paule saith Fall into reproach and snares of the deuill for with their euill and wicked life they giue others occasion to do euill and chiefly vnto the painimes who as S. Iohn Chrisostome saith seing the Christians to steale murder commit fornication and other sinnes say that their God cannot chastise them or els that he is like vnto them And so by their fault the holy name of God is