and 〈…〉 was for integritie euen admirable and so was his learning as his works â—et exâ—ant do testifie Now because his Epitaph is either worne out or was euer wanting I will be so bold as borrow one for him from one of his owne name which I haue read vpon a Monument in Parma in Italie Hic iacet Anselmus post mortem viuere certus Cantuar. Archiepus que omni bonitate refertus Vir sobrius castus vir vitans vndique fastus Vir gremijs plenis largus largitor egenis Vir bene politus sagax doctus ernditus Dogmata maturusque inter contagia purus An Domini Mil. cent que nono que die quoque meâ—sis April vicesimo vno Mortis hunc enecat ensis In the south part of Saint Thomas Chappell in a marble Tombe ioyning to the wall lieth the body of Theobald Archbishop of this See Who was chosen to that Grace by the Suffragan Bishops of his owne Prouince in a Conuocation held at London he was a Benedictine Monke and Abbot of Becco a man of no great learning but of so gentle and sweet behauiour being very wise withall as hee was greatly esteemed of high and low Kings Nobles and Commons yet howsoeuer he was of an affable milde nature and faire demeanure his patience was so greatly moned vpon good occasion that he interposed the Popes authoritie with whom the King was made a partie so farre as that his goods and Temporalties were twice confiscate seised into the Kingâ— hands and himselfe once banished the kingdome which so netled him that like a tall fellow Nam laesa patientia fit furor he interdicted King Stephen and the whole Realme and taking aduantage of the time which was wondrous troublesome came home and liued in Norfolke till by the intercession of certaine Bishops hee was restored After which hee grew into great fauour with the said King and was the chiefe meanes of concluding that finall peace at Wallingford betweene him and Maud the Empresse Shortly after which King Stephen died and Henry surnamed Fitz empresse sonne of Geffrey Plantaginet and Maud the Empresse succeeded him in the Regalitie vnder whom this Bishop passed the rest of his dayes quietly in great fauour and estimation and died Ann. 1160. when he had sat Archbishop 22. yeares Perceiuing his end to approach he made his Will and gaue all his goods to the poore or other like good vses Of whom this Epitaph was made Hic iacet Theobaldus Cantuar. Archiepiscopus ob morum placabilitatem at que constantiam Hen. 2. valde gratiosus affabilis veridicus prudens amicus sirmus in omnes liberalis in pauperes munificus Qui sue tandem senectut is languide vite pertesus anteactam vitam morti persoluit Ann. Dom. 1160. cum 22. annis sedisset Anima eius requiescat in pace Amen I finde one Richard for I finde no further of his name Archbishop of this chaire to be here interred in our Ladies Chappell sometime a Benedictine Monkâ— Prior of the Monasterie of Saint Martins in Douer a man very liberaâ—l gentle and wise for hee so handled the matter that in all his time he neuer was at odds or out either with the Pope or King The Pope he entertained with often gifts and money the Kings fauour he retained by yeelding and conforming himselfe to his pleasure This man continued in his gouernment about the space of ten or eleuen yeares In all which time there happened not any thing of him worthie of memorie except the controuersie stirre and tumult betweene him and the Archbishop of Yorke for primacie and the ordaining of three Archdeacons for his Diocesse which euer before his time was content with one An ill husband hee was for his Church if wee may beleeue this my old Authour This Richard saith he was a man of great Religion and also of great wit in his temporall gouernance but in defending of his freedome of holy Church and punishment of excesse and misbeleeuers to simple and slow which is partly approued by the sequele if the report of his end and death may passe for current truth how that being a sleepe at his Manor of Wrotham there seemed to come vnto him a certaine terrible Personage demanding of him who he was whereunto when for feare the Archbishop answered nothing Thou art he said the other that hast destroyed the goods of the Church and I will destroy thee from off the face of the earth which hauing said he vanished away In the morning the Bishop taking his iourney toward Rochester related this fearfull vision unto a friend of his by the way which he had no sooner told then that hee was taken suddenly with a great cold and stiffenesse in his limbes so that they had much adoe to get him so farre as Halling a house belonging to the Bishop of Rochester where he tooke his bed and being horribly tormented with the Chollick and other griefes gaue vp the ghost the next night following saue one the 16. of Feb. Ann. 1184. obijs saith one 14. Kal. Martij feria sexta necte Ann. 11. ab electione sua cuius corpus in Ecclesia Christi Cant. in oratorio sancte Marie 22. Kal. Martij die Sabbati est honorifice Sepultus In the South wall of this Church lieth the body of Hubert Walter or Walter Hubert for such a transmutation of the name I finde to bee vsed who was borne at West-Derham in Norfolke and brought vp vnder Raynulph de Glanfeld chiefe Iustice of England The first preferment hee obtained was the Deanrie of Yorke thence hee was called by King Richard the first vnto the Bishopricke of Salisbury Whom he attended in all that long and dangerous voyage into the holy Land as a Commander or Colonell of some English forces by whose valour and his owne he performed admirable seruice at the siege and surrender of Acon and other fortified places for which and for his discreete handling the matter in procuring 250000. Markes of the Clergie for the ransome of his Master King Richard the said King knew not how to heape honours sufficient vpon him so that at one time he was Archbishop the Popes Legate Lord Chancelor Lord chiefe Iustice and high immediate Gouernour vnder him of all his Dominions both in Wales and England he was much blamed and peraduenture not vnworthily for vndertaking so many great offices For Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus howsoeuer neuer any man vsed his authoritie and power more moderately faithfull and loyall he was euer to his Prince louing and very careâ—uâ—l of his countrey in which he caused many excellent Decrees and Lawes to be established His house keeping was such as the expence thereof was thought to be little inferiour to the Kings hee built a Monasterie at Durham the place of his birth began another at Wulferhampton encompâ—ssed the Tower of
and Crispinians Tombe whom they report to haue beene cast vpon this Shore by shipwracke and from hence called into the glorious company of Saints Looke Iacobus de voragine in the Legend of their liues and you may beleeue perhaps as much as is here spoken they were Shoomakers and suffered martyrdome the tenth of the Kalends of Nouember Which day is kept holiday to this day by all our Shoomakers in London and elsewhere Begebury Hic iacet Iohannes filius Iohannis Begebure qui obijt die Sancti Briâ—ij Ann. Dom. 1424. This Iohn was the last Begebury of this house whose daughter and heire was married to Culpepper Orate pro animabus Walteri Culpeper Ar. et Agnetis vxoris sue qui quidem Walterus erat filius Thome Culpeper militis et predicta Agnes erat filia Edmundi Robar iuxta Cantuar. et predicta Agnes obiit 2. die Decemb. Ann. Dom. 1457. et predictus Walt. obiit 24. Nouemb. 1462. quorum animabus Orate ... Iohannis Culpeper militis et Agnes vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obiit 22. Decemb. 1480. quorum Sir Thomas Culpeper is remembred in our English Chronicles for siding with Thomas the great Earle of Lancaster against his Soueraigne Lord King Edward the second and Thomas Culpeper a gentlemen of the priuie-Chamber is not forgotten for being ouer familiar with his Lord and Master King Henry the eighth the one hanged drawne and quartered at Winchelsey the other beheaded at Tyborne The place fatall to both was Pontefract a familie of exemplarie note both here and sometime in the County of Rutland by the marriage of Sir Tho. Colepeper knight to Eleanor daughter and heire of Nicholas Greene of Rutlandshire The Church of Hedâ—orne sounded by one of the Culpepers â—uechurch Orate pro anima Henrici Atte Capella militis et Iacobi Atte Capella militis in fenestra Now Capells an ancient name and familie in old Latine records written De Capella The Priory neare Rumney The Priory of Regular Canons neare Rumney was founded by Iohn Mansell Prouost of Beuerley in the yeare that God tooke vpon him the forme of a Seruant 1257. the 41. of king Henry the third of the which foundation as also of the Founder reade if you please these words out of Mathew Paris In the same yeare saith he Sir Iohn Mansell Prouost of Beuerley the Kings Chaplaine and of his especiall Councell a man prudent circumspect and rich wisely considering that the fauour of a king is not hereditarie nor the prosperitie of the world alwayes permanent founded a Religious house of Regular Canons neare by Rumney two miles from the sea and endowed it with very ample reuenues which he replenished with Canons by the example of Peter Chareport who as hee was enformed not many dayes before had piously and prosperously founded an house of the same order that so passing by temporall goods they might not loose eternall Bilsington A Priory likewise built by the said Iohn Maunsell for King Henry the third and Eleanor his wife and dedicated to the blessed Virgine Mary wherein he placed blacke Canons which was valued amongst the rest of the suppressed houses at 8. l. 1. s. 6. d. of yearely commings in This house was surrendred 19. Ianuar. 36. Hâ—n 8. But to proceed a little further with this Iohn Maunsell his Ecclesiasticall and Temporall dignities who besides being Prouost of Beuerley was Treasurer of Yorke Parson of Maidstone in this County and Parson of Wigan in Lanchishire to whom king Henry the third did grant that his Towne of Wigan should be a Burrow Hee was chiefe Iustice of England one of the priuie Councell to the said King his Chaplaine his Embassador into Spaine a worthy Souldier In armis strenuus animo imperterritus who with his owne hands in a battell betwixt the English and the French neare to Tailborge in France tooke Prisoner one Peter Orige a gentleman of eminent place and qualitie He was crossed to go to Ierusalem He feasted at his house in Tole-hill field at one time two kings two Queenes with their dependances 700. messe of meate scarce seruing for the first dinner About the 31. yeare of King Henry the third at the instance of the said king he was first made keeper of the great Seale as Vicechancellour For saith Paris Custodiam Sigilli regij accepit Cancellarij vices acturus et officium and afterwards Lord keeper in plenarie office and authoritie yet for all this glorious pompe and great promotions I finde his end to be poore wretched and miserable beyond Seas but I finde no place of his death nor buriall of all which may it please you to reade thus much out of an old Manuscript in the fame language it was to me deliuered Ann. 1268. obijt Iohannes Mansel in partibus transmarinis in paupertate et dolore maximo Hic miser tot obtentus Ecclesiasticos habuit vt annuatim ex illis XVIII millia Marcarum poterat expendere vnde maiores Episco Anglie recusauit tum quia in pluralitate permultarum preditissimarum EcclesiaruÌ„ habundauit tum quia lubricus erat Hic ait de vna Ecclesia modici census scilicet 20. librarum Ad canes nostros valet ista Ecclesia innuens per hoc quod surfures et farina et alia canibus necessaria ex prouentu istius Ecclesie deberent comparari Hic autem cum esset Simonis aduersarius scilicet Mounteforti et consiliarius precipuus suaset Regi vt iuramentum quod fecerat cum Baronibus pro fidelitate Anglie seruanda omnino dimitteret factumque est ita Mittitur igitur ad curiam summi Pontificis pro absolutione petenda ne Rex teneretur prestito Baronibus iuramento obtinuitque mox regia supplicatio absolutionem petitam vnde bellum de quo dictum est accepit post illius absolutionis obtentum c. Of this man so many times double beneficed Mathew Paris doth thus descant Admirabantur autem cum stupore qui ea quae Dei sunt sapiunt hominem tam circumspectum tot animarum curam suscepisse non formidare cum de omnibus coram summo Iudice vt reddat rationem sihi se constiterit obligatum sed vt verificetur Multi multa sciunt seipsos penitus nescientes I haue seene a pedigree of the Mansels from Philip de Mansel who came in with the Conquerour vntill these our times Of this name and familie is that orthodoxall sound Diuine and worthy Master of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge Iohn Mansel Doctor of Diuinitie and a generall Scholler in all good literature Boughton vnder Bleane Orate pro anima Iohannis Colkin Ar obijt 18. April 1405. Orate pro anima Willelmi Colkin de Colkin et pro anima Agnetis vxoris eius qui obierunt 1460. Pray for the soule of Iohn Best and Ioane his wife who deceased the 20. day of Iuly 1408. Swynfeeld
aged 94. yeares The Hermitage Hospitall and Free-Schoole at Highgate-hill In ancient times vpon the top of this hill was an Hermitage one of the Hermites whereof caused to bee made the Causway betweene Highgate and Islington taking the grauell from the top of the hill where now is a standing pond of water One William Poole Yeoman of the Crowne founded the Hospitall below on the hill in the raigne of King Edward the fourth The free Schoole was built by Sir Roger Cholmundely or Cholmeley knight sometime Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench about the yeare 1564. the sixth of Queene Elizabeth The Pencion of the Master is vncertaine saith Norden there is no Vsher and the Schoole is in the disposition of sixe Gouernours or Ouerseers Our Ladies Chappell of Muswell or Mousewell hill Here was in ancient times a Chappell bearing the name of our Lady of Muswell in the place whereof Alderman Roe erected a faire house The place taketh name of the Well and of the Hill for there is on the hill a spring of faire water which is now within the compasse of Sir Nicholas Roes Cellar in the said house Here was sometime an Image of our Lady of Muswell whereunto was a continuall resort in the way of pilgrimage growing as it goes by tradition from father to the sonne in regard of a great cure which was performed by this water vpon a king of Scots who being strangely diseased was by some diuine intelligence aduised to take the water of a Well in England called Muswell which after long scrutation and inquisition this Well was found and performed the cure Absolutely to deny the cure saith Norden I dare not for that the high God hath giuen vertue vnto waters to heale infirmities as may appeare by the cure of Naaman the Leper by washing himselfe seuen times in Iordan and by the Poole Bethesda which healed the next that stepped thereinto after the water was moued by the Angell The Hermitage at Kilbourne In the time of King Henry the first Herbert Abbot of Westminster by permission of Gilbert Bishop of London and by consent of the Couent granted to three Maides the Hermitage of Kilbourne with all the land of that place which Hermitage one Gorbone had builded long before The Hospitall of S. Giles in the Fields for Leprous people This Hospitall was founded by Queene Maude wife to king Henry the first in the yeare 1117. and was a Cell belonging to Burton Lazers of Ierusalem in the County of Leicester as may appeare by a deed dated the 24. of Hen. 7. in these words Thomas Norton knight Master of Burton Lazers of Ierusalem in England and the brethren of the same place keepers of the Hospitall of Saint Giles without the Barres of the old Temple of London haue sold to Geffrey Kent Citizen and Draper of London a messuage or house with two Sollars aboue edified in the Parish of Alhallowes Hony-Jane in Westcheape adioyning to the West part of a Tenement called the Goate on the Hope pertaining to the Drapers of London for 31. l. At this Hospitall the prisoners conueyed from the Citie of London towards Teyborne there to be executed were presented with a great Bowle of Ale thereof to drinke at their pleasure The Hospitall of Saint Mary Bethlem commonly called Bedlam In the yeare 1247. Simon Fitzmary one of the Sheriffes of London founded this Hospitall for lame and indigent people which afterwards was conuerted to that vse which the Citie now makes of it vpon this occasion In the Parish of Saint Martins in the field there was an house wherein sometime were distraught and Lunaticke people of what antiquitie founded by whom or what time suppressed saith Stow I haue not read But it was said that a King of England not liking such a kinde of people to remaine so neare his Pallace caused them to be remoued further off to Bethlem without Bishopsgate of London and to that Hospitall the said house by â—haring-crosse doth yet remaine S. Peters Chappell within the Tower Here lie interred the headlesse remaines of Iohn Fisher Doctor of Diuinitie sometime Bishop of Rochester brought vp a Scholler in Cambridge Master of our Colledge I meane Queenes Colledge in Cambridge and Chancellour of that Vniuersitie He was made Cardinall t t. S. Vitalis the one and twentieth of May which honour was to him parum vitalis for the Cardinals hat and his head neuer met together he being beheaded on the Tower-hill the 22. of Iune following Ann. Dom. 1535. His bodie was first buried in Barking Church-yard and afterwards vpon occasion as followeth remoued to this place He was a man in great estimation with Margaret Countesse of Richmond by whose exhortation shee built and endowed two Colledges in Cambridge S. Iohns and Christ Colledge she made him one of her executours He liued likewise a long time in great fauour with her Grandchild King Henry the eight euen vntill his marriage with Anne Bullein which he euer seemed to disallow Whereupon he was suspected and accused to be of councell with Elizabeth Barton commonly called the holy Maide of Kent a Nunne of Saint Sepulchres in Canterbury who by sundrie suggestiue reuelations gaue out that if the King proceeded in diuorce and second marriage he should not raigne in his realme seuen moneths after nor rest in Gods fauour the space of an houre The story is frequent Of which imputation he thus excused himselfe by his letters to the Kings Maiestie To the Kings most gracious Highnes Please it your graciouse Highenes benignely to heare this my most humble sute which I haue to make vnto your grace at this time and to pardon me that I come not my selfe vnto your grace for the same For in good faith I haue had so many periculouse diseases oone after another which began with me before Advent and so by long continuance hath now brought my body into that weakenesse that withouten perill of destruction of the same which I darr saye your grace for your soueraigne goodnes wold not I may not as yet take any traueyling vpon me And soo I wrote to Maister Cromwell your moost trustie Councellor beseeching him to obtayne your graciouse licence for me to be absent from this Parliament for that same cause and he put me in comforthe soo to doo Now thus it is most graciouse soueraygne Lord that in your most high Court of Parliament is put in a bill against me concerning the Nunne of Canterbury and intending my condempnation for not reuelyng of such wordes as she hadde vnto me towchyng your Highnes Wherein I moost humblie beseech your grace that without displeasor I maye shew vnto you the consideration that moued me so to doo which when your moost exâ—cellent wisdome hath deaplye considered I trust assuredlie that your charitable goodnes will not impute any blame to me therfore A trowth it is this Nunne was with me thries in commyng from London by Rochester as I wrote to Master
sic mecum vixit sic altera viuit Charior incertum est hec sit an hec fuerit O simul O iuncti poteramus viuere nos tros Quam bene si factum Religioque sinant Et societ tumulus societ nos obsecro celum Sic mors non potuit quod dare vita dabit The Character of this ingenious and learned Lord Chancellour is deliuered at large by all our late English Historiographers as also by many forraine writers To whom and to that which I haue spoken of him before I referre my Reader Of your charitie pray for the soul of Edward Bray knight Lord Bray cosin and heire to Sir Reignold Bray knight of the Garter ...... His brother Reignold Bray Esquire lieth buried by him but their Monuments are so defaced that I can finde no further remembrance neither of their liues nor of the time of their death Kensington Maud de Berford gist icy Deiu de sâ—alme eit mercy Amen Here vndyr lyeth Phelip Meawtis the sonn and heir of Iohn Meawtis oone of ye Secretaryes to the kyngs Hen. the seuenth and Hen. the eight Clerk of hys Counsel and oone of the knyghts of Wyndsor Whych Phelip decessyd the eight of Nouembre M. D. X. on whoe 's soul Iesu have mercy Amen Hic iacent Robertus Rote Elisab ........ Richardus Scardebrugh Elisabetha vxor eius ac Robertus Scardebrugh filius eorundem Richardi et Elisabethe qui quidem Richardus obiji xi die Decemb. M. CCCC.liij quorum animabus propitietur Altissimus Here lyes Adwin Lauerocke of Calis Cosin to Iohn Mewtas of Kensington and the French Secretary to Kyng Henry the seuenth Which decessyd on Seynt Stephens dey M. CCCC.lxxxxiii on whos soul God have mercy Amen In the worschip of God and our Ladie Say for al Cristen souls a Pater Noster and an Avie Hic iacet Thomas Essex Armiger filius heres Gulielmi Essex Armigeri Rememoratoris Domini Regis Edwardi quarti in Scaccario ac Vice thesarar Anglie qui obijt 10. Nouemb. 1500. Que sola virgineo nata laudamus honore Me protegens Nato fundito vota tuo Of the Office of Remembrancers whereof William the father of this Thomas Essex here entombed was one and the chiefe giue mee leaue to speake a little out of the Interpreter Remembrancers of the Exchequer Rememoratores bee three Officers or Clerks One called the Kings Remembrancer Ann. 35. Eli. cap. 5. The other the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer Vpon whose charge it seemeth to lye that they put all Iustices of that Court as the Lord Treasurer and the rest in remembrance of such things as are to be called on and dealt in for the Princes behoofe The third is called the Remembrancer of the first-fruits Of these you may reade something Ann. 5. Ric. 2. Stat. 1. cap. 14. and 15. to the effect aboue specified These An 37. Ed. 3. cap. 4. be called Clerkes of the Remembrance It seemeth that the name of the Officer is borrowed from the Civilians who haue their Memoriales qui sunt notarij Cancellariae in regno subiecti officio Quaestoris Lucas de Penna C. lib. 10 tit 12. num 7. The Kings Remembrancer entreth into his Office all Recognisances taken before the Barons for any the Kings debts for apparences or for obseruing of orders He taketh all bonds for any of the Kings debts or for appearance or for obseruing of orders and maketh proces vpon them for the breach of them He writeth proces against the Collectours of Customes Subsedies and Fiueteenths for their accounts All informations vpon penall Statutes are entred in his Office And all matters vpon English Bills in the Exchequer Chamber are remaining in his Office Hee maketh the Bills of compositions vpon penall Lawes taketh the stalments debts maketh a Record of a Certificate deliuered to him by the Clerkes of the Starre-Chamber of the Fines there set and sendeth them to the Pipe Hee hath deliuered to his Office all manner of Indentures fines and other Euidences whatsoeuer that concerne the assuring of any lands to the Crowne He yearely in Crastino Animarum readeth in open Court the Statute for election of Sheriffes and giueth those that choose them their oath He readeth in open Court the oath of all the Officers of the Court when they are admitted The Treasurers Remembrancer maketh Proces against all Sheriffes Escheators Receiuers and Bayliffes for their accounts He maketh Proces of Fieri Facias and extent for any debts due to the King either in the Pipe or with the Auditors He maketh Proces for all such reuenue as is due to the King by reason of his tenures He maketh a Record whereby it appeareth whether Sheriffes and other accountants keepe their dayes of prefixion All extreats of fines issues and amerciaments set in any Courts of Westminster or at the Assises or Sessions are certified into his Office and are by him deliuered to the Clerke of Extreats to write Proces vpon them He hath also brought into his Office all the accounts of Customers Controullers and other accomptants to make thereof an entrie of Record The Remembrancer of the first-fruits taketh all Compositions for first-fruits and Tenths and maketh Proces against such as pay not the same Now to returne these Essexes were Lords of this Towne as I haue it by relation which Towne at this day is much honoured by the Lord thereof that noble Gentleman Sir Henry Rich Captaine of his Maiesties Gaurd and knight of the Garter Baron Kensington of Kensington Earle of Holland and one of his Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell Fulham Hic iacet Iohannes Fischer quondam Thesaurarius Domini Cardinalis Sancte Balbine et postea Hostiensis et Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi qui obijt 27. Aug. 1463. Here lyeth buryed the body of Syr Raufe Buts knight and Phisitian to our Soueraigne Lord Henry the viii Who decessyd 1545. on whos sowl Quid Medicina valet quid honos quid gratia Regum Quid popularis amor mors vbi seua venit Sola valet Pietas que structa est auspice Christo Sola in morte valet cetera cuncta fluunt Ergo mihi in vita fuerit quando omnia Christus Mors mihi nunc lucrum vitaque Christus erit Pray for the sowls of Iohn Long gentylman Katherin and Alice his wyfs Who died the x. of March on thowsand fyve hundryd and three On whos sowls and all Christen sowls Iesu haue mercy Fili redemptor mundi Deus miserere nobis Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miserere nobis Spiritus Sanctus Deus miserere nobis Hic iacet Iohannes Sherburne Bachalaureus vtriusque Legis quondam Archidiaconus Essex qui ob 1434. Of yowr cherite pray for the soul of Sir Sampson Norton knyght late Master of the Ordinance of warre with kyng Henry the eyght and for the soul of Dame Elysabyth hys wyff Whyche Syr Sampson decessyd the eyght day of February on
Ewes Dynastarum ditionis de Kessel in ducatu Gelriae oriundi Aliciae Rauenscroft coniugis suae viri singularis sub hoc marmore tumulati qui obiit die xii Aprilis Anno Domini CIâ—DXCI Vnico relicto sui ipsius Graciae Hind primae suae coniugis Filio haeredae Paulo D'Ewes Armigero qui duxit in vxorem Sissiliam Filiam vnicam Haeredem Richardi Simonds de Coxden in Pago Dorsetensi Armigeri vnicâ filiâ Aliciâ nupta Gulielmo Lathum de Vpmenster in Comitatu Essex Armigero Egregiâ natus Geerardt de stirpe propinquûm Gueldrorum hic foelix ossa regenda tegit Sciliceâ— invidia fatorum ipse ante sepultus Quam vitâ orbatus mors ita sacra quies Stémata namque Deus modo deprimit et modo Ne nobis coeli gaudia terra ferat Fundamenta tamen proli struxisse regaudec ditat PrimaevuÌ„ ut poterint coÌ„memorare DECVS Hinc proavos superans claros virtute ferendi Non fit ONVS sed erit posteritatis HONOS Arkesden Here lieth Anne the daughter and heire of Richard Fox and the wife of Thamas Langley Esquire ..... 1467. Orate pro anima Willi Cook generosi filij Thome Cook militis Elizabethe uxoris ejus qui obijt 1500. et Elizabetha 1503. Pray for the sowls of Thomas Alderton Stockfishmonger of London and Alis his wyff which Alis decessyd on Saint George his Eue 1513. This Inscription following is vpon the North Wall of this Church Thomas Alderton was a goodd benefactor to this Chirch as by his last Wil and Testament remeyning in this Chirch mor pleynly it doth appere He gave certeyne lands towards the sustentatyon of a Chantre Prest to sing at the Awter and to help devyn Servis at the sam on the Holiday He built this Isle from the north dor hitherto on whos sowl Iesu haue mercy Amen Stansted Mont-fichet The habitation in times past of the familie de Monte Fixo commonly Mont-fitchet whereupon the towne had that denomination In the Church lieth buried Roger of Lancaster who married Philip daughter and heire of Hugh de Bulbeck the second saith Norden and lieth crosse legged in an ancient tombe of white stone vpon which no inscription remaineth He was in her right Lord of Stansted the said mannor afterward came vnto Hugo de Playze by marriage of the yongest daughter of Richard Mont-fitchet of whom came Elizabeth Countesse of Oxford who was daughter to Iohn Howard knight by whom the land came to the Earle of Oxford South Church In this Church are some old Monuments of the Bruins which haue beene old inhabitants there and descended saith Norden as hee thinks from Iordan le Brune a knight Lord of Hacwell in Henry the thirds time Here is an old mannor wherein the old knights which surnamed themselues of the towne Chirche inhabited whereof one Sir Richard in Henry the thirds time was one of the kings Iustices for Gaole deliuery He gaue the greatest part of his land to Christs Church in Canterbury mooued thereunto for want of heires males Shopland In Shopland is an ancient mannor called Butlers of a race of knights and gentlemen that dwelt there and gaue three couered Cups as appeareth in the Church window there is one most beautifull Monument in the Church made to the memory of one Staple a Sergeant at Armes to King Ed. the third which gaue in his Shield a Salter mixt with Staples which in colours with other Scutcheons remaine in the North windowes His tombe is thus inscribed Tho. Stapel iadis Seriant d'armes nostre Seigneus le Roi qi morust le secunde iour de Mars l'an de Gras Mil. ccclxxi gist ici Dieu de s'alme eit mercy Amen Canewdon A great parish so called from King Canutus the Dane who kept his Court here unde Canuti domus The Mannor house hath beene double trenched and fensed after the oldest fashion In the same are other Mannors exceeding ancient as that of Clarendon Hall the old seat of the Chanceux many of them were knights as Sir Giles Chanceux in Edward the first his time many of them lie buryed in the Church with their Pictures Scutcheons and French Poesies all defaced Another Mannor called Breamstons or rather Beanstons honoured by knights descended of Bartholomew a yonger sonne to the Earle of Ewe in Normandy it hath beene inhabited by a knight or more of the name of Scot. Another Mannor called Apton Hall and another called Piuersey Hall whereof Sir Iohn Greyton was Lord in Edward the first his time One of the best called Lamberne Hall whereof one Lamberne vnder Swaine was Lord in the Conquest time and so continued till Richard the second at which time his daughter Thamasin carried all to Toteham and from thence to Barington and from thence to Lumsford a Squire of Sussex that being better planted in his natiue Country vseth this for a Farme as I thinke it was in Lambernes time So many Lordships in the parish haue caused so many of their owners to honour this Church with their Sepultures but to whose memory in particular any one of these monuments were erected cannot bee discerned they are all so shamefully abused Great Stanbridge Here was the inheritance and sepulture of a wariike crew of Knights called Tanye or Thanye one of which named Lucas Tanye a knight and an expert warriour at the taking of the Isle of Anglesey and Castle of Oxe in Wales was with Sir William Lindsey William de Audley Roger Clifford and twelue other of the Kings chiefest Captaines and Knights besides seuenteene young Gentlemen and two hundred common souldiers slaine by Dauid Lord of Denbigh brother to Lhewelin Prince of Wales and his band of fierce Welshmen in the tenth yeare of the raigne of King Edward the first This famous knight was Steward of Gascoyn Writle Hic iacet Thomasia filia et heres Tho. Heueningham iunioris Ar. filij heredis Tho. Heueningham senioris Ar. Tomasie consortis sue que quidem Thomasia dicta filia heres primo nupta suit Tho. Berdefield secundo Iohanni Bedel vltimo Waltero Thomas gen et obiit die Martis 21. Iunij 1513 et qui Tho. Heueningham senior Thomasia Consors eius ac Tho. Heueningham iunior iacent partem sub isto lapide partem magis directe coram imagine S. Trinitatis Quorum animabus propitietur Altissimus Here lieth Thomas Fige and Margaret his wife one of the two daughters and heires of Raffe Toppesfeld Esquire He deceased in April 1513. and had issue one sonne and two daughters Here lieth Iohane somtym wyff of William Wyborne daughter and heire of Thomas Hyde Who died .... 1487. Here lieth Iohn Pinchon Esquire who died .... with Ione his wyff daughter to Sir Richard Empson beheaded Of whom I haue spoken before Out of the collections of the right honourable Thomas Lord
Berwike obijt Henry Fellow Guynes obijt Pursuiuants created in the time of Edward the Sixt. Robert Fayery Portcullis obijt Simond Newbald Rougecroix obijt Martin Marolfe Rougedragon Yorke Nicholas Tubman Rougecroix Lancaster Richard Withers Portcullis Nicholas Narboone Blewmantle Richmond Vlster In the raigne of Queene Mary these Phelip Butler Attelon obijt Hugh Cotgraue Rougecroix Richmond Iohn Cocke Portcullis William Colborne Rouge Dragon Yorke Iohn Hollinsworth Risebanke Blewmantle obijt Pursuiuant created in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory at whose Coronation these Pursuiuants Heraulds and Kings were Officers Hugh Cotgraue Rougecroix Pursuiuants Iohn Cock Portcullis Pursuiuants William Colborne Rougedragon Pursuiuants Iohn Hollinsworth Blewmantle Pursuiuants Charles Wriothesley Windsor Heralds William Flower Chester Heralds Edmund Atkinson Somerset Heralds Martin Marolfe Yorke Heralds Nicholas Tubman Lancaster Heralds Nicholas Narboone Richmond Heralds Sir William Dethick Garter Kings William Haruey Clarentieux Kings Laurence Dalton Norroy Kings Bartholomew Butler Vlster Kings Edward Merlin Portcullis obijt Richard Turpin first Blewmantle secondly Windsor Raph Langman Portcullis Yorke Robert Cooke Rose blanch Chester Clarencieux Iohn Hart Chester Nicholas Dethicke Blewmantle Windsore obijt Ian. 1596. Edmund Knight Rouge Dragon Chester Norroy William Dethick Rougecroix Yorke Garter Robert Glouer Portcullis Somerset Thomas Dawes Rougecroix obijt Richard Lee Portcullis Richmond Clarencieux Nicholas Paddy Rougedragon Lancaster Rafe Brooke Rougecroix Yorke Humfrey Hales Blewmantle Yorke William Segar Portcullis Somerset Norroy Garter and Knight This Sir William Segar being Portcullis Pursuiuant of Armes in the yeare 1586. was imployed by Queene Elizabeth to attend the Earle of Leicester being her Lieuetenant and gouernour Generall of her forces in the Low Countries And being Somerset Herald was imploied to attend the Embassage sent by the Earle of Shrewesbury to the French King Henry the Fourth to receiue his Oath and to inuest him with the order of the Garter And afterwards being Norroy was ioynd Embassador with Roger Earle of Rutland to carry the Garter to Christian the fourth King of Denmarke As also being Garter he was imploied in the like seruice to Morice the last Prince of Orenge deceased And lately ioynd Embassadour with the now Viscount Dorchester to carry the Garter to Henry Prince of Orenge In all which seruices he hath worthily demeaned himselfe Iames Thomas Blewmantle Chester Iohn Rauen Rouge Dragon Richmond Thomas Lant Portcullis Windsor Robert Treswell Blewmantle Somerset Thomas Knight Rougecroix Chester William Smith Rougedragon Samuel Thompson Portcullis Windsor Mercury Patten Blewmantle Philip Holland Rose extraordinary Portcullis Pursuiuants of Armes created in the raigne of our late dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames viz. Philip Holland Portcullis Iohn Guillam Portesmouth extr Secondly Rougecroix This man is best knowne by an excellent Booke which he writ called The Display of Heraldrie Henry Saint George Rougerose ext Blewmantle Richmond Sampson Leonard Rougecroix Blewmantle Iohn Philpot Blanchlion extr Rougedragon Somerset Augustine Vincent Rougerose Extr. Rougedragon Windsore Iohn Bradshawe Rougerose Extr. Rougecroix Windsore Iohn Hamlâ—ne Blanchlion extr Thomas Thompson Rougedragon In the raigne of our Soueraigne Lord and King now liuing these Thomas Preston Portcullis Who in the yeare 1630. vpon the birth of the right excellent Prince Charles was by his Maiestie imployed to the Lords Iustices of the kingdome of Ireland with his Maiesties most gracious letters according to the ancient custome signifying to that Realme that most happy newes Vpon whose arriuall the State there made great and large expressions of their ioyfull hearts for such welcome tidings worthily receiuing and bountifully rewarding the said Officer of Armes George Owen Rougecroix William Ryley Rouge-Rose extr Created 31. Iulij 1630. Noblemen and Peeres of this Land in ancient time had their Heralds peculiar vnto themselues saith Milles. For Chester the Herauld and Falco the Pursuiuant liued at the command of the Prince of Wales and serued him Humfrey Duke of Glocester and Earle of Penbroke had the Herald Penbrooke his domesticall Seruant Richard also Duke of Glocester hauing now obtained the kingdome would needs haue his Herauld Glocester to be called King of Armes for all Wales Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke retained Suffolke Herauld and Marleon Pursuiuant The Marquesse of Dorcester kept Groby Herauld The Earle of Northumberland Northumberland Herauld and Esperance Pursuiuant Arthur Plantaginet Viscount Lisle tooke vnto himselfe Lisle Pursuiuant and Baron Hastings Hasting Pursuiuant But the condition of the Seruant is made better by the dignitie of his Lord and Master so these forenamed Heraulds liued not with like authoritie or priuiledges with the Kings And here now giue me leaue to speake a little more of the Aetymologie Antiquitie and dignitie of Heraulds in generall Herald Herold or Herault dicitur quasi Herus altus a high Maister For this Officer was of great authoritie amongst the Romanes who plurally called them Feciales a faciendo quod belli pacisque faciendae penes cos ius erat or Fediales a faedere faciendo And so with vs the word signifieth an Officer at Armes whose function is to denounce warre to proclaime peace or otherwise to be employed by the King in martiall messages or other businesse and so they are called Internuncij vel pacis vel belli ferendi Messengers to carrie and offer either warre or peace Heralt saith Verstegan in the Title of Honours and Offices is meerely a Teutonic or Duytch word and in that tongue and no other the true Aetymologie thereof is onely to be found To begin then with the first syllable thereof which is Here though in composition abridged to Her it is the true and ancient Teutonic word for an Armie the same that Exercitus is in Latine and in that sence it is yet vsed in Germany And whereas the Germanes doe now vse Here also for Lord yet anciently they so vsed it not And although the Teutonic be more mixed with other strange languages yet this word Here as they vse it for Lord or master hath crept into their language from Herus in Latine after that the Latine tongue became knowne vnto them A Healt in the Teutonick is a most couragious person a champion or an especiall challenger to a fight or combat of the weapon that such sometime most vsed called a Healtbard because it was borne by a Healt we yet though corruptly retaine the name of Holbard and the Netherlands make it Heilbard Here-healt by abbreuiation Heralt as also Herald doth rightly signifie the Champion of the armie And growing to be a name of Office he that hath in the armie the especiall charge to challenge vnto battell or combat in which sense our name of Herald doth nearest approach vnto Fecialis in Latine as I haue touched before The Feciales amongst the Romanes saith one were Priests For Numa Pompilius who flourished circa ann mundi 3283. the second King of the Romanes diuided the institution of diuine honour into eight parts and so instituted and ordained eight seuerall orders of Priests and
Office will it please reade thus much out of the Interpreter as followeth Master of the Court of Wards and Liueries saith he is the chiefe and principall Officer of the Court of Wards and Liueries named and assigned by the King to whose custody the Seale of Court is committed He at the entring vpon his Office taketh an Oath before the Lord Chancellour of England well and truly to serue the king in his Office to minister equall Iustice to rich and to poore to the best of his cunning wit and power diligently to procure all things which may honestly and iustly be to the kings aduantage and profit and to the augmentation of the right and prerogatiue of the Crowne truly to vse the Kings Seale appointed to his office to endeuour to the vttermost of his power to see the King iustly answered of all such profits rents reuenues and issues as shall yearely rise grow or be due to the King in his office from time to time to deliuer with speed such as haue to doe before him not to take or receiue of any person any gift or reward in any case or matter depending before him or wherein the King shall be partie whereby any preiudice losse hinderance or disherison shall be or grow to the King Ann. 33. Hen. 8. cap. 33. Buers Hic iacet Andreas de Buers Robertus de Buers filius eiusdem Andree militis qui Andreas obijt 12. die Aprilis Anno Dom. 1360. et dictus Robertus obijt 7. die mens Octob. Ann. Dom. 1361. quorum animabus Hic iacet Richardus Waldegraue miles qui obijt 2. die Maij Anno Dom. 1400. Ioanna vxor eius que obijt 10. Iunij 1406. Quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen Qui pro alijs oras pro se laborat Hic iacet Richardus Waldegraue miles qui obijt 2. Maij An. Dom. 1434. Iohanna vxor eius filia Thome de Montecamisij militis que obijt in festo Sancti Dionisij Anno Dom. 1450. Quorum animabus Amen Hic iacet Thomas Waldergraue miles Elisabetha vxor eius prima filia vna beredum Iohannis Fraye militis nuper capitalis Baronis Scaccarij qui quidem Thomas obijt 28. die 1500. Of your cherite prey for the souls of Edward Waldergraue and Mabell his wyff doughter and heyre of Iohn Cheney of Pynehoo in Deuonshyre and one of the heyres of Iohn Hill of Spaxton in the County of Somerset The which Edward decessyd the yere of our Lord God 1506. and the said Mabell ..... on whose souls Iesu haue mercy Amen Orate pro animabus Willelmi Waldegraue militis Margerie consortis sue qui quidem Willelmus obijt ... This Church of Buers is very neatly kept Out of the pedegree of the Waldegraues this story following was collected by Iohn Rauen Richmond Herald On a time a Gentleman of Northampton being at the signe of the Growne in Sudbury and hauing conference with master Edward Waldgraue of Bilston in Com. Suss. Esquire did make vnto him a very credible report of one Waldegraue in Northamptonshire affirming that he heard it reported of old time that these Waldgraues were of a very ancient antiquitie before William the Conquerours raigne and that his name should be Iohn who hauing one onely daughter and meeting with one Waldgraue which came out of Germany and was employed in the Conquerors seruices the said Germane Waldgraue related with Waldgraue of Northamptonshire concerning the marriage of his said daughter told him that if he would giue his consent that he might haue his daughter in marriage that then he would procure him a pardon from the Conquerour for the quiet enioying of his lands and liuings By which meanes he obtained the Conquerours grant with his owne hand and Seale for confirmation of all his lands vnto him and his posterity The which Pardon and grant remayneth to be seene at this day 1612. in the French tongue and is in the possession of the Lords of that Mannour Iohn Rauen Richmond Herald Thebarton Hic iacet Willelmus Iermey miles vnus Iusticiar Domini Regis de Banco suo et Elisabeth vxor eius qui quidem Willelmus obijt xxiij die Decembris Anno Domini M. cccclxxxiij Quorum animabus propitietur Deus Amen Wingfield Here sometimes stood a Colledge or Chantrie by whom founded I haue not yet found out But the de la Poles Earles of Suffolke were the Patrons of it Valued it was at the dissolution to amount to fifty pounds three shillings fiue pence halfe penny of yearely reuenues Surrendred 36 H. 8. In this Colledge was buried the body of William de la Pole Lord Wingfield Earle Marquesse and Duke of Suffolke as also Earle of Penbroke After all these honours giuen him he was banished England for fiue yeares for being too familiar with Queene Margaret priuy and consenting to the yeelding and losse of Aniou and Mayne as also to appease the murmuring of the people for the murthering of the Duke of Glocester and as he was â—aking of ship to passe for France he was surprised and taken on the sea by a ship of warre called the Nicholas belonging to the Duke of Exceter then Constable of the Tower of London and there presently beheaded and his body cast into the sea which was after found and taken vp againe at Douer brought to this Colledge and here honourably interred saith Hall as also the Catalogue of Honour by Brooke This happened in the yeare 1450. Iohn de la Pole sonne and heire of William aforesaid after the death of his Father Duke of Suffolke was likewise buried here at Wingfield Of which he was Lord and owner He died in the yeare 1491. In the Parish Church are these Inscriptions or Epitaphs Hic iacet Richardus de la Pole filius Domini Michaelis de la Pole nuper Comitus Suff. qui obijt 18. die Decembris Ann. Dom. 1403. Cuius anime propritietur Deus Hic iacet Magister Iohannes de la Pole silius Domini Michaelis de la Pole quondam Comitis Suffolcie Baccalaureus vtriusque iuris Canonicus in Ecclesia Cathedrali Ebor. ac in Ecclesia Collegiata de Beuerley qui ob 4. die mens Februarij Anno Dom. 1415. Hen. 54. These two were the sonne of Michaell de la Pole the first Earle of Suffolke of that surname Hic iacet Dominus Wingfild de Letheringham ....... Cuius anime This towne of Wingfield hath giuen name to a familie in this tract that is spread into a number of branches and is besides for knighthood and ancient gentilitie renowned and thereof it was the principall seat Donnington Hic iacet tumulatus Dominus Willelmus Wingfeld miles Dominus istius ville ac patronus istius Ecclesie qui obijt 1 Iunij Ann. Dom. 1398. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Hic iacet Willelmus Wingfeld Armiger Katherina vxor eius Dominus et Patronus istius
was a Priory dedicated to the honour of Saint Austin the first Archbishop of Canterbury founded by one Theobald de Vallencia as some say others by William de Albeny the second of that name Earle of Arundell valued at one hundred thirty seuen pounds pennie halfe penny qua Wallpoole ... Radulphus Rochford miles .... Willelmus filius Domini Iohannis de Rochford Constabularii castri de VVisbiche .... Tirrington Hic iacet Thomas Sutton filius Thome Sutton nuper de Milton filii Domini Iohannis Sutton Domini de Dudley ..... Hic iacet Elizabeth Sutton filia Roberti Goddard ..... que obiit ..... Hic iacet Robertus Goddard armiger qui obiit anno Dom. M. cccc.xlviii Hic iacet Ricardus Zorke quondam Burgeni ville Berwic super Tweed ...... I reade in Hackluits first volume of Voyages that Sir Fredericke Tilney a great Commander in the holy warres was interred in this Church of Tirrington take it as he sets it downe A note out of a Booke in the hands of Thomas Tilney Esquire touching Sir Fredericke Tilney his ancestor knighted at Acon in the Holy Land by King Richard the first Pertinuit iste liber prius Frederico Tylney de Boston in Com. Lincoln militi facto apud Acon in terra sancta anno Regis Richardi primi tertio Vir erat iste magnae staturae et potens corpore qui cum patribus suis dormit apud Tirrington iuxta villam sui nominis Tylney in Mershland cuius altitudo in salua custodia permanet ibidem vsque in hunc diem Et post eius obitum sexdecem Militibus eius nominis Tylney haereditas illa successiue obuenit quorum vnus post alium semper habitabat apud Boston praedict dum fratris senioris haereditas haeredi generali deuoluta est quae nupta est Thome Duci Norsolciae Eorum miles vltimus suit Philippus Tylney nuper de Shelleigh in Com. Suff pater et genitor Thomae Tylney de Hadleigh in Com. praedict Armigeri cui modo attinet iste liber anno aetatis 64.1556 Fincham S. Martins Orate pro anima Iohannis filii et heredis Iohannis Fincham filii Symonis Fincham qui obiit vltimo die Aprilis M. cccc lxxxxix Orate pro anima Elizabethe quondam vxoris Symonis Fincham Armigeri et vnius filiarum et heredum Iohannis Tendering de Brokedyn in Com. Suff. Ar. que quidem Elizabetha obiit ... M. cccc.lxiiii Orate pro anima Iohannis Fincham filii et heredis Symonis Fincham de Fincham Ar. qui obiit vi die Septembris anno Domini M. cccc.lxxxxvi Saint Benets in the Holme The foundation of this religious structure is thus set downe by learned Camden in his chorographicall description of this County Then passeth the riuer Thirn saith hee neere the great decayed Abbey called Saint Benet in the Holme which Knute the Dane built the Monks afterward so strengthened with most strong wals and bulwarkes that it seemed rather a castell then a Cloister In so much that William the Conquerour could not winne it by assault vntill a Monke betraied it into his hands vpon this condition that himselfe might be made Abbot thereof which was done accordingly but forth with this new Abbot for being a traitour as the inhabitants make report was hanged vp by the Kings commandement and so iustly punished for his treason After the first foundation of this Abbey by King Knute her reuenues were greatly augmented and her building enlarged by Edward the Confessor and Editha his Queene with the consent of fiue Dukes and of all or the most of the Lords spirituall and temporall within his kingdome as it appeares by his Charter in Arch Turris Lond. Cart. Ant. It was dedicated to the honour of Christ and Saint Benedict replenished with blacke Monkes Benedictines and valued in the Exchequer at sixe hundred seuenty seuen pounds nine shillings eight pence qua Clipesby Not farre from the foresaid Abbey is the Parish and Lordship of Clipesby which gaue name saith Camden to a familie of ancient note in this tract whereof there hath beene diuers Knights where after it had passed in the names of Algar Elfled and Odberd all sirnamed de Clipesby as appeareth by many vndated Deedes which I haue seene it came about the first of King Iohn to Iohn de Clipesby and from him lineally to the last Iohn heire male of that line On whose Monument in this Church of Clipesby are empaled the Armes of Ierningham Woodhouse Spelman Paston all Knightly families of that countrey with whom the Clipesbies had formerly matched By Iulian a daughter and coheire of this last Iohn married to Sir Randall Crewe of Crewe in the County of Chester Knight after Lord chiefe Iustice of England the old surname of the Lord of this Mannor was changed but not the bloud For she left besides a daughter two sonnes the eldest her heire christened with the name of her paternall familie Clipesby now Sir Clipesby Crew Knight She the said Iulian died at Kewe in the County of Surrey in the yeare 1603. and was in the Chancell of the Church of Richmond decently interred with this Inscription vpon her Monument Antiqua fuit orta domo pia viuit iniuit Virgo pudica Thorum Sponsa pudica polum In this Church are diuers other Funerall Monuments for the Clipesbies but so defaced as neither Inscription nor coate-armes are remaining vpon them to giue me any further light Oby Orate pro anima Katerine filie Iohannis Spelman Armigeri quondam vxoris Clipesby Armigeri postea vxoris Edmundi Paston Armigeri que obijt xviii die Aprilis anno Domini M. cccclxxxxi Cuius anime propitietur Deus Amen Elingham Orate pro anima Henrici Spelman Armigeri filij et heredis Thome Spelman Armigeri qui obiit primo die mensis Martii anno Dom M. cccccxxv Cuius anime propitietur Deus Amen The Armes of Spelman and Mortimer of Attilborough Narborough Orate pro animabus Henrici Spelman Legis periti ac Recordatoris ciuitatis Norw Ele vxoris eius qui quidem Henricus obiit xxiii die Septembris anno Domini M. cccclxxxxvi Vpon this Monument are his Armes and his two wiues Christian daughter and coheire of Thomas Manning Esquire and of Elisabeth his wife daughter and coheire of Sir Thomas Ienny Knight The second Ela daughter and coheire of William Narburgh of Narburgh Esquire a family of great antiquitie that bare gules a chiefe Ermin Here vndre lieth buried the body of Sir Iohn Spelman knyght and Secundary Iustice of the Kyngs Bench and Dame Elis. his wyffe whych had xiii sonnes and vii doughters of theire bodyes betwene them begottyn The which Sir Iohn decessed the xxvi day of February in the yere of our Lord God M. cccccxliv and the said Dame Elizabeth decessed the v day of Nouembre the yere of our Lord M. ccccclvi on whos
the Monthaults and the Mowbrays which now after long languishing as it were by reason of old age hath giuen vp the ghost In the Porch of this Parish Church is a Grauestone vnder which say the inhabitants which I haue heard sworne by others Isabell Queene of England the wife of Edward the Second lieth interred vpon the Grauestone are two words onely remaining which make the country people so thinke of the matter which are .... Isabelle Regine .... now by these the case is made plaine to any than can distinguish between the Cases Nominatiue and Genitiue that this stone was laid to perpetuate the remembrance of some one of that Queenes seruants Flytham This was a Nunnery and a Cell to Walsingham of yearely value threescore and two pound ten shillings sixe pence halfe penny Yngham This was a Priory of blacke Monkes Benedictines a Cell to Saint Albans founded by the Ancestours of Sir Oliuer Yngham knight consecrated to the honour of the blessed Virgin Mary valued at seuenty foure pounds two shillings seuen pence halfe penny Herein lay buried Sir Miles Stapleton and Ione his wife the daughter and heire of Sir Oliuer Yngham Sir Miles sonne of the said Miles and Ela his wife the daughter of Vfford Sir Brian Stapleton sonne of the second sir Miles and his wife daughter of the Lord Bardolfe Sir Miles sonne of sir Brian and Dame Katherin his wife daughter of sir Pots and after married to sir Thomas Sackuile which are likewise here buried Dame Ione Plase daughter of sir Miles Stapleton Dame Ela Perpoint which had two husbands .... Edmond Stapleton and his wife daughter of Clyfton Sir Roger Boys and his wife Linne Linne saith Leland sometimes a famous Hauen there as the Church stands now was anciently without faile an Abbey for the graues of many religious persons as yet appeare in the Church and the lodgings of the Abbey are now conuerted into the Archdeacons house This Monastery I imagine to haue beene the house of the Carmelites founded by the Lord Bardolfe Lord Scales and Sir Iohn Wingenhall Anno 1269. the dedication nor the value thereof I doe not finde The blacke Friers was founded by Thomas Gedney and the white Friers by Thomas de Feltsham and thus much is the little of them which I haue learned Here was an Hospitall dedicated to Saint Iohn valued at seuen pounds sixe shillings and eleuen pence Here I haue no Inscriptions of antiquitie Loddon This Church was built by Iames Hobart knight one of the priuie Councell to King Henry the Seuenth who lieth here buried as I haue it by relation of whom and of the Familie will it please you reade what learned Camden writes The riuer Yare saith he receiueth a brooke which passeth by nothing memorable but Halles-hall and that onely memorable for his ancient owner Sir Iames Hobart Atturney generall and of the priâ—ie Councell to King Henry the seuenth by him dubbed knight at such time as he created Henry his sonne Prince of Wales who by building from the ground the faire Church at Loddon being his parish Church Saint Oliues bridge ouer Waueney that diuideth Norfolke and Suffolke the Cawsey thereby and other workes of piety deserued well of the Church his country and the common weale and planted three houses of his owne issue out of the second wherof Sir Henry Hobart likewise Atturney Generall to King Iames is lineally descended The foresaid Sir Henry Hobart knight and Baronet was aduanced by the said King the sixteenth of October in the eleuenth yeare of his raigne to be Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common pleas in which office hee died the twenty sixt day of December the first yeare of the raigne of our gracious Soueraigne King Charles magna Reipub. iactura a great losse to the weale publike as Sir Henry Spelman writes Here lieth Margaret the wife of Sir Iames Hobart who died Anno 1494. as I haue it out of certaine funerall Notes Yarmouth This Towne is beautified with a spatious faire Church hauing a wondrous high Spire Steeple built by Herbert the first Bishop of Norwich in the raigne of William Rufus All the funerall Monuments of antiquitie in this Church are vtterly defaced Inscription nor Epitaph now remaining except that this may passe current for one Elyn Benaker mercy dooth craue God on her Sowl mercy more haue In the three and twentieth yeare of King Edward the Third happened a most grieuous and lamentable Plague in this Towne which brought within the compasse of one yeare seauen thousand fiftie and two persons to their graues the which is witnessed by an ancient Latin Chronographicall Table hanging vp in the Church The Parsonage which was yearely worth before the sicknesse seuen hundred Markes was afterwards scarse worth forty pound by yeare The bodies of all the dead were buried in the Church and Church-yard and in such and such places of the same as the Townesmen can shew you at this day The Priory of Carmelites or white Friers Was Founded by King Edward the first Anno Domini 1278. herein lay buried Dame Maud wife of Sir Laurence Huntingdon who died 1300. Sir Iohn de Monte Acuto obijt 1392. Nicholas Castle Esquire who died 1309. and Elisabeth his wife these are all I finde here to haue beene buried and this is all that I can speake of this religious house The blacke Friers was founded by Godfrey Pelegren and Thomas Falstolfe The Grey Friers by William Gerbrigge Neare to this Towne was a Colledge of Saint Iohn Baptist first founded by Robert de Castre after by Iohn Falstolfe Esquire Father to Sir Iohn Falstolfe that Martiall Knight who had a faire seat at Caster and who was Knight of the Garter in the raigne of Henry the sixth Thomas Talbot sometimees keeper of the Records in the Tower did collect out of an old Calender in a Missale the names of certaine eminent persons for the soules of whom the Religious Votaries in and about Yarmouth were bound to pray the most of which number were buried in the Parish Church and in their Monasteries as followeth Margaret the wife of Sir Iohn Falstolfe daughter of Sir Iohn Holbroke knight Iohn Fastolfe and Ione his wife Richard Alexander William Thomas Robert Fastolfs Clarence Fastolfe the wife of Sir Robert Ilketishale Knight who dyed 1393. William Ilketishale their sonne Parson of Hesingham who dyed the Ides of December 1412. Iohn Falstolfe Doctor of Diuinitie a Frier Preacher Richard Falstolfe an Augustine Frier with many more of that ancient and noble Familie Godfrey Pelegren aforesaid and his wife Thomas the sonne of Sir Thomas Bowet Knight Ione the daughter of Iohn Wilshire wife to Robert Cromer Registred and buried in the Augustine Friers these William de Vfford Earle of Suffolke who dyed 15. Feb. 1382. Michaell and Michaell de la Pole Earles of Suffolke Sir Thomas Hengraue Knight of
VERA EFFIGIES IOHANNIS WEEVER AETATIS SVAE 55. ANNO 1631. Lanchashire gaue him breath And Cambridge education His studies are of Death Of Heauen his meditation Stipendium peccati Mors. Gratia Dei vita aeterna per Dm. N. I. Chr. Primus Adam de terra terrenus Secundus Adam Dominus de Coelo Vt in Adamo omnes moriuntur Ita in Christo omnes viuificabuntur Hic iacet Sunt nisi praemissi quos perijsse putas Mors haec reparatio vitae est ANCIENT FVNERALL MONVMENTS WITH IN THE vnited Monarchie of Great Britaine Ireland and the Ilands adiacent with the dissolued Monasteries therein contained their Founders and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred As also the Death and buriall of certaine of the Bloud Roiall the Nobilitie and Gentrie of these Kingdomes entombed in forraine Nations with other matters mentioned in the insuing Title Composed by the Trauels and Studie of Iohn Weeuer Spe labor leuis London Printed by Tho HARPER M.DC.XXXI And are to be sold in Little Britayne by Laurence Sadler at the signe of the Golden Lion T. Cecill sculp ANCIENT FVNERALL MONVMENTS WITHIN THE VNITED MONARCHIE OF GREAT Britaine Ireland and the Islands adiacent with the dissolued Monasteries therein contained their Founders and what eminent Persons haue beene in the same interred AS ALSO THE DEATH AND BVRIALL OF CERTAINE OF THE Bloud Royall the Nobilitie and Gentrie of these Kingdomes entombed in forraine Nations A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the Royall Progenie the Nobilitie Gentrie and Communaltie of these his Maiesties Dominions Intermixed and illustrated with variety of Historicall obseruations annotations and briefe notes extracted out of approued Authors infallible Records Lieger Bookes Charters Rolls old Manuscripts and the Collections of iudicious Antiquaries Whereunto is prefixed a Discourse of Funerall Monuments Of the Foundation and fall of Religious Houses Of Religious Orders Of the Ecclesiasticall estate of England And of other occurrences touched vpon by the way in the whole passage of these intended labours Composed by the Studie and Trauels of IOHN WEEVER Spe labor leuis LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER 1631. And are to be sold by Laurence Sadler at the signe of the Golden Lion in little Britaine TO THE SACRED AND IMPERIALL MAIESTIE OF OVR DREAD SOVERAIGNE THE MOST MAGNIFICENT ILLVSTRIOVS AND PVISSANT MONARCH CHARLES BY THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE IRELAND AND MANY ILANDS KING THE MOST POWERFVLL PROTECTOR OF THE FAITH THE MOST ROYALL PATRON PRESERVER AND FOSTERER OF THE VNDOVBTED RELIGION OF IESVS CHRIST THE PATTERNE OF TRVE PIETIE AND IVSTICE AND THE PRESIDENT OF ALL PRINCELY VERTVES HIS HIGHNESSE MOST LOWLY AND MOST LOYALL SVBIECT IOHN WEEVER IN ALL HVMILITY CONSECRATETH THESE HIS LABOVRS THOVGH FARRE VNWORTHY THE VIEW OF SO RESPLENDANT A GREATNESSE THE AVTHOR TO THE READER HAuing seene iudicious Reader how carefully in other Kingdomes the Monuments of the dead are preserued and their Inscriptions or Epitaphs registred in their Church-Bookes and hauing read the Epitaphs of Italy France Germany and other Nations collected and put in print by the paines of Schraderus Chytraeus Swertius and other forraine Writers And also knowing withall how barbarously within these his Maiesties Dominions they are to the shame of our time broken downe and vtterly almost all ruinated their brasen Inscriptions erazed torne away and pilfered by which inhumane deformidable act the honourable memory of many vertuous and noble persons deceased is extinguished and the true vnderstanding of diuers Families in these Realmes who haue descended of these worthy persons aforesaid is so darkened as the true course of their inheritance is thereby partly interrupted grieuing at this vnsufferable iniurie offered as well to the liuing as the dead out of the respect I bore to venerable Antiquity and the due regard to continue the remembrance of the defunct to future posteritie I determined with my selfe to collect such memorials of the deceased as were remaining as yet vndefaced as also to reuiue the memories of eminent worthy persons entombed or interred either in Parish or in Abbey Churches howsoeuer some of their Sepulchres are at this day no where to be discerned neither their bones and ashie remaines in any place to bee gathered Whereupon with painefull expences which might haue beene well spared perhaps you will say I trauailed ouer the most parts of all England and some part of Scotland I collected the Funerall Inscriptions of all the Cathedrall Churches of the one and in some of the other and euer by the way gathered such as I found in Parochiall Churches I likewise tooke view of many ancient Monuments not inscribed demanding of the Church officers or others the inhabitants for whom such and such Tombes or Sepulchres were made and erected which was told me according to that truth which was deliuered vnto them by tradition after all this scrutinie finding so few or none at all in many Churches time the malignitie of wicked people and our English profane tenacitie hauing quite taken them away for lucre sake I was altogether discouraged to proceede any further in this my laborious and expencefull enterprise vntill I came casually into the acquaintance of my deare deceased friend Augustine Vincent Esquire Windsor Herald keeper of the Records in the Tower who perswaded me to goe forward as I had begun and withall gaue me many Church-Collections with diuers memorable Notes and Copies of Records gathered by himselfe and others and by his meanes I had free accesse to the Heralds Office to write out such antiquities as I could there finde for my purpose But aboue all I am most bound to loue the foresaid Vincents memory for that he made me knowne to that honourable Gentleman Sir Robert Cotton Knight and Baronet who forthwith apprehending the scope and drift of this my Argument his generous disposition being alwaies ready to afford his best furtherance to other mens industrious labours gaue me his able directions and withall lent me out of his inestimable Librarie such Bookes and Manuscripts as were most fitting for my vse But alas this worthy repairer of eating-times ruines this Philadelphus in preseruing old Monuments and ancient Records this Magazin this Treasurie this Store-house of Antiquities Sir Robert Cotton is now lately deceased whose excellent good parts are well conceiued in a Funerall Elegie which hath happily come into my hands and which I thinke fitting here to be inserted Viro clarissimo Roberto Cottono ab antiqua Regum prosapia oriundo Epicedium Qualis Homerus erat cuius de fonte furores Sacros hauserunt veteresque nouique Poetae Talis eras nostros inter Cottone Britannos Rerum explorator veterum Ciuilia iura Regni Magnatum molimina munia Regum Et populi nexus faustos diuortia saeua Nauigia et merces castra artes religiones Nummos structuras chartas solennia verba Et quic quid bello faceret vel pace triumphos Callebat dextrè nemo magis omnis ab illo Et tua
in their Pontificals with Tapers burning denounced the senâ—tence of Excommunication in this forme By the authoritie of Almighty God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the glorious mother of God and perpetuall Virgin Mary of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and of all Apostles and of all Martyrs of blessed Edward king of England and of all the Saints of heauen we excommunicate accurse and from the benefits of our holy mother the Church we sequester all those that hereafter willingly and maliciously depraue or spoile the Church of her right And all those that by any craâ—t or wilinesse do violate breake diminish or change the Church liberties and free customes contained in the Charters of the common liberties c. But I speake here of such sacrilegious persons as do rob and bereaue the Church of her treasure and sacred ornaments a sinne of such onely which do misprise and contemne Religion a sinne which hath beene by the very Pagans obserued neuer to escape vnpunished Cum oppidum Tolosanum in terra Gallia Quintus Cepio Consul diripuâ—sset multumque auri in eius oppidi templis furisset quisquis ex ea direptione aurum attigit misero cruciabilique exitu perijt Quintus Cepio with his company hauing taken and spoiled the Towne or Citie of Tholouse in France entred forcibly into the holy Temples out of which sacrilegiously hee tooke to the quantitie of one hundred and ten thousand markes in gold and fiue hundred millions of marks in siluer but euery man of them which were guilty of that robbery with all their kindred and families died within that yeare and not aboue one of them did carry so much as one piece thereof home to his owne house This treasure of Tholouse was a part of the Delphian riches For Brennus the brother of Belinus king of great Britaine Captaine of the Gaules brake open the Temple of Apollo at Delphos for the riches and the gold therein which had beene offered to the Gods which hee committed to publike spoile The most part whereof was conuaid by the Tectosages a people of the West part of Narbon to this city of Tholouse but presently vpon this sacriledge and contempt of the Gods the most of his armie which consisted of one hundred and fifty thousand footmen and fifteene thousand horsemen were discomfited and slaine and hee so furiously possessed that hee slue himselfe with his owne hands quis enim laesos impune putaret Esse deos For who could thinke the Gods thus wronged Their punishment would be prolonged Virgil makes these Church-robbers these contemners of Religion to bee more miserably then others tormented in hell Phlegyas miserrimus omnes Admonet magna testatur voce per vmbras Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere Diuos Phlegyas most of misers all Amongst those caytiues darke and loud with voice to them doth rore Learne Iustice now by this and Gods aboue despise no more This Phlegyas king of the Lapithes a people dwelling in a part of Thessalie hauing done infinite dammages in Greece surprizing many Townes and Cities became in the end so ouer weening and foolish bold that hee sacked the foresaid Temple of Apollo in Delphos and slue Philamon that cunning Harper the sonne of Apollo who brought an armed power to rescue his fathers oracle Vpon which sacriledge and contempt of the gods all the countrey of the Phlegyans was vtterly ruinated with an earthquake and flaming arrowes shot from heauen which killed most of the people and the few that remained died of the plague and for this high handed offence their foresaid king is still plagued in hell Which verses of Virgil to that purpose thus paraphrastically translated will it please you to reade ouer againe Phlegias king most wretched in that place Forewarneth all of his great misery And as sad witnesse of his pitious case In those dimme shades he cries out wofully Learne to doe Iustice and by my contempt Of the high Gods do you like fate preuent Histories affoard infinite examples of this kinde in all sorts of Religions yea Christian kings and other Potentates in all ages haue misprised the true onely all-sauing God by the sacrilegious taking away of the rights riches and ornaments of holy Church yet it hath beene obserued that they seldome or neuer escaped scotfree as the sequele of this worke will shew Seuere punishments haue formerly beene inflicted vpon Church robbers of the meaner ranke by the strictnesse of our Lawes here in England For an instance in the twentieth yeare of Edward the fourth on the 22. day of February fiue notable malefactors were put to death at London for robbing of Churches and other places especially the collegiate Church of Saint Martins le grand in London for the which three of them were drawne to the Tower-hill and there hanged and burnt the other two were pressed to death Wee haue not heard of the hanging of any such Church robbers in these our dayes for Sublata causa tollitur effectus the cause taken or if you will stolne away the effect will consequently cease For what man will venture a turne at the Gallows for a little small siluer chalice a beaten-out pulpit cushion an ore-worne Communion-cloth and a course Surplisse these are all the riches and ornaments of the most of our Churches and these are more by the Surplisse then by some of the Parishioners may bee thought perhaps fitting to be allowed such is now the sleight regard we haue of the decent setting forth of sacred Religion Of which a late writer Sacred Religion mother of forme and feare How gorgeously sometimes dost thou sit deckt What pompous vestments do we make thee weare What stately piles we prodigall erect How sweet perfum'd thou art how shining cleare How solemnly obseru'd with what respect Another time all plaine and quite threed-bare Thou must haue all within and nought without Sit poorely without light disrobd no care Of outward grace to amuze the poore deuout Powerlesse vnfollowed scarcely men can spare Three necessarie rites to set thee out Either truth goodnesse vertue are not still The selfe same which they are and alwayes one But alter to the proiect of our will Or we our actions make them wait vpon Putting them in the liuery of our skill And cast them off againe when we haue done CHAP. X. Of the rooting vp taking away erazing and defacing of Funerall Monuments in the reignes of King Henry the eighth and Edward the sixth Of the care Queene Elizabeth of famous memory had for the preseruation of the same Her Proclamation in the second of her raigne against defacing of Monuments TOward the latter end of the raigne of Henry the eight and throughout the whole raigne of Edward the sixth and in the beginning of Queene Elizabeth certaine persons of euery County were put in authority to pull downe and cast out of all Churches Roodes grauen Images Shrines with their
repaire to â—ee instructed in good literature and in the Catholicke faith lest that any thing in the English Church might be sinâ—steâ—ly expounded contrary to the vniuersall vnitie and so being established in the orthodoxall and right receiued Faith they might returne backe againe into their owne countrey For the doctrine and Schooles of the English Nation since the time of Archbishop Austin had beene interdicted by diuers Romish Bishops for certaine heresies which daily appeared after the comming in of the Saxons into Britaine by reason of the commixture of the misbeleeuing wicked Pagans with the Christians of holy conuersation Hee also caused a Church to be erected neare to the foresaid house or Colledge which he dedicated to the honour of the blessed Virgine Mary in which such of the English as came to Rome might celebrate dâ—uine Seruice and that therein if any of the said English there happened to depart this world they might be inâ—erred And all these that they might for euer be more firmly corroborated it was ordained by a generall decree throughout all the kingdome of the West-Saxons that in euerie familie one pennie should be yearely collected and sent ouer to blessed Saint Peter and the Church of Rome which in English Saxons was called Romescot that the English there abiding migâ—t by that meane haue sufficient to liue vpon Thus â—aâ—re Mathew of Westminsteâ— surnamed the Flower-gatherer The which in substance is thus deliuerâ—d by a late writer yet in a different manner He meaning Ina instituted also a certaine yearely payment to the See of Rome enioyning euery one of his Subiects that possesâ—ed in his house of one kinde of goods to the value of twentie pence that he should pay a pâ—ny to the Pope yearely vpon Lammas day which at that time was contributed vnder the name of the Kings Almes but afterwards was called and challenged by the name of Peter-pence Another of the same gift by the said King hath these times He gaue to Rome eche yere The Rome pence thorrow West sex all about Perpetually to be well payd and clere For vnto Rome he went without all doubt After the example and with the like zeale of Ina Offa the most magnificent king of the Mercias in great deuotion went also to Rome and made euery house within his territories subiect to this payment of Romescot Ossa gaue through Mers the Rome penny Vnto the Church of Rome Afterwards about the yeare eight hundred and fiftie this tribute was confirmed and made further payable throughout all England For Ethelwolfe as then being sole Monarch of the Englishmen hauing beene sometimes for certaine yeares as Haneden and Brampton write Bishop of Winchester remembring his Ecclesiasticke profession and ordaining first that tithes and lands due to holy Church should be free from all tributes and Regall seruices in the nineteenth yeare of his raigne with the like deuotion of the two former kings went in pilgrimage taking with him his youngest sonne Alfred or Elfred to the foresaid chiefe Citie of the Romanes where he was both honourablie receiued and entertained by the Bishop of Rome and the whole Senate for the space of one yeare and vpwards in which time he rebuilt the English Schoole before remembred which lately had beene almost quite consumed with fire And in lieu of his kinde entertainment confirmed the former grant of Peter-pence causing it to bee payed throughout all his Dominions and further couenanted to pay yearely to Rome three hundred Markes thus to be employed one hundred to Saint Peters Church another hundred to Saint Pauls light and the third to the Pope a Saint that euermore will haue his share to the entent saith one that no Englishmen should doe penance in bounds as he saw some do before his face This Athilwolfe to Rome toke his way In pilgramage with him his sonne Aelfrede To Peter and Pole he graunted infenitife The Rome pence of all Englond As Flores saith as I con vnderstond Saith Harding cap. 105. And further to confirme the premisses may it please you to trouble your patience in the reading of these following hard rimes transcribed out of a namelesse old Author Adelwolfe his sonne att Chester his cite For al hys kyngs and Barons of estate Sent forth anone at hys parlament to be Whycheatte Chester was than preordynate To whyche al cam both Kyngs Duks and Prelat And odar al of honor or Empryse Hym for to do obeysaunce and servysse anon to Roome he went In pylgrymage wythe hooly good entent Wher he was so abydyng full too yer In hooly lyff and full perfactyon In ryall wyse as to a pryns afer And to the Pope wythe ful affectyon Hys comonyng ay had at hys electyon He gaue to Peter lyght And to Sent Poule whaâ— is ful gret repayr Too thowsand mark of Venyse gold ful ryght For sustenaunce of the Chyrches ryght He Busschopp was in hys Fadars day And for defaut of heyr was crownyd kyng Wharfor whan he hys lond in good aray Fre of servysse had set above all thyng He grauntyd tythe of all hys lond ofspryng Tyll thre persones dwelling in vnyte Why charr on God dwellyng in Trynite And Roome pens he graunte vnto the Pope Perpetuelly to haue of al Englond So perfytt was hys mynd who couth hit grope In al goodnes growndyd I vndyrstond Thrugh al hys myght in al hys noble lond The Pece he kepte and in his Se iudicyall The common Law among hys peple all Edgar king of England made sharpe constitutions for the payment of this Tribute And it was one of the lawes of Edward the Confessour that euery householder which had triginta denariatas viuae pecuniae in domo sua de proprio suo Thirtie pence of ready money or of any kinde of cattell in his house of his owne proper should by the Law of the English giue a pennie to Saint Peter and by the Law of the Danes halfe a marke which pennie was to be demanded at or vpon the feast of Saint Peter and Paul and to be collected before the feast of Saint Peter ad vincula and not to be deferred to any further day And if any withheld the payment thereof any longer time complaint was to be made to the Kings Officers for that this penny was the Kings Almes And that the partie so offending should hee constrained by iustice to make payment thereof on paine of forfeiting his goods Now if any man had more dwelling houses then one hee was to pay onely for that house where he should happen to be resiant at the said feast of Saint Peter and Paul Henry the second vpon his conquest of Ireland imposed this tribute vpon that kingdome onely to curry fauour with the Pope who as then was Adrian the fourth called before his inthronization Nicholas Breakespeare borne at Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire For hee saith Speed in the life of the said Henry knowing how great and dangerous tumults the Popes had
non est mihi crede tacendum Anglorum Primas sub primo culmine primas Qui tennit sedes melius dum sperat in edes Hunc Rex compellit eum de sede repellit Dum Simon Rome supplantat federa Thome Hic Thomas natus Comitis fuit intitulatus Clericus aptatus Doctor de iure creatus Legibus ornatus facundus moringeratus Cam Christo gratus in plebe que magnisicatus O quam preclarus tam purus immaculatus Ad Regale latus tandem fuit illaqueatus Tramite subtili latitans plus vulpe senili Rex studet in sine Thomam prostrare ruine De tribus audistis cum Rex scelus intulit istis Presul adiutor fuit hijs quodammodo tutor Non contra legem sed ab ira flectere Regem Nomine pastoris temptauerat omnibus horis Semper erat talis restat dum spes aliqualis Sicanira mortem poterat saluasse cohortem Rex â—â—lit hoc triste quod Cancellarius iste Tempore quo stabat hos tres constanter amabat Sic procurator pius extitit Mediator Cartas quod Regis habuerunt munere legis Pontificis more summi pro Regis amore Sic pacem mittit mortis gladiumque remittit Hec ita fecisset pactum si Rex tenuisset Sed que iurauit hodie cras verba negauit Cernite pro quali culpa magis in speciali Pontiâ—ici tali sine causa materiali Rex fuit iratus sed altera causa reatus Est plus secreta tunc Rome quando moneta Simonis ex parte Papam concludit in aâ—tâ— Ecce per has causas sub Regis pectore clausas Hec scelus obiecit Thome qui nil male secit Regis fautores super hoc tunc anteriores Fraudibus obtentum concludunt Parliamentum Sic de finali Rex pondere iudiciali Exilio demit Thomam nee amore redemit Sic Pater absque pare quem Rex spoliauit auare Partes ignotas tunc querit habere remotas Sic pius Antistes casus pro tempore tristes Sustinet curam sperat reuocare futuram Christus eum ducat saluet que salute reducat Si vt vterque status sit ei cum laude beatus Vpon his restauration to this his Bishopricke by Henry the fourth Duke of Lancaster the same Author thus writes Iustos laudauit iniustos vituperauit Hos confirmauit hos deprimit hos releuauis Regni primatem crudelem per feritatem Quem Rex explantat Dux ex pietate replantat Henry Chichley Bishop of this See lies here on the North side of the Presbitery in a Tombe built by himselfe in his life time hee was borne at Highamâ—errys in Northamptonshire where he began the foundation of a goodly Colledge and an Hospitall which were finished by his two brethren his Executours Hee was brought vp in New Colledge in Oxford where he proceeded Doctor of Law and where he founded two Colledges one called Bernard Colledge renewed by Sir Thomas White and named Saint Iohns Colledge and all Soules Colledge which yet continueth in the same estate he left it one of the fairest in that Vniuersitie Hee was employed much in embassages by King Henry the fourth who preferred him to the Bishopricke of Saint Dauids where he sate fiue yeares and was then translated hither by his sonne King Henry the fifth He was a man happie enioying alwayes his Princes fauour wealth honour and all kinde of prosperity many yeares wise in gouerning his See worthily bountifull in bestowing his goods to the behoofe of the common-wealth And lastly stout and seuere in due administration of iustice When hee had gouerned this Sec. 29. yeares a longer time then euer any did in fiue hundred yeares before him he died April 12. Ann. 1443. Vpon whose Monument I finde this Epitaph Hic iacet Hen Chicheley L. Doctor quondam Cancellarius Sarum â—ui anno 7. Hen. 4. Regis ad Gregorium Papam 12. in Ambassiata transmissus in Ciuitate Senensi per manus eiusdem Pape in Episcopum Meneuensâ—m consecratus est Hic etiam Henricus anno 2. Hen. 5. Regis in hac sancta Ecclesia in Archiepiscopum postulatus à Ioanne Papa 23. ad eandem translatus qui obijâ— anno Dom. 1443. Mensâ—â— Apr. deâ— 12. Cetus sanctorâ—m 〈…〉 iste precetur Vt Deus ipsorum merâ—â—â—s â—â—bâ— propictetur I finde another more vnlearned Epitaph of him by which he is but little honoured being such an especiall furtherer of learning Pauper eram natus post Primas hic â—â—euatus â—am sum prostratus vermiâ—â—◠〈◊〉 paraius Ecce meum tumulum M. CCCC.XLIII Here lies interred in the Martyrdome an Archbishop very noble and no lesse learned one of the honourable familie of the Staffords sonne saith the Catalogue of Bishops vnto the Earle of Stafford but I finde no such thing in all the Catalogues of Honour a man much fauoured by King Henry the fifth wo preferred him first to the Deanrie of Wells gaue him a Prebend in the Church of Salisbury made him one of his priuie Councell and in the end Treasurer of England And then although this renowned King was taken away by vntimely death yet hee still went forward in the way of promotion and obtained the Bishopricke of Bath and Welles which with great wisedome hee gouerned eighteene yeares from whence he was remoued to this of Canterbury in which he sate almost nine yeares and in the meane time was made Lord Chancellour of England which office hee held eighteene yeares which you shall hardly finde any other man to haue done vntill waxing wearie of so painfull a place he voluntarily resigned it ouer into the Kings hands And about three yeares after that died at Maidstone Iuly 6. Ann. 1452. Vpon a flat marble stone ouer him I finde this consabulatorie Epitaph Quis fuit enuclees quem celas saxeâ— moles Stafford Antistes fuerat dictusque Iohannes Qua sedit sede marmor queso simul ede Pridem Bathonie Regni totius inde Primas egregius Pro presule funde precatus Aureolam gratus huic det de Virgine natus Much more may be read of this Bishop in the booke called Antiquitates Britannicae penned by Mathew Parker Archbishop of this place and in the Catalogue of Bishops by Francis Godwin Bishop of Hereford as also in the Catalogues of the Lords Chancellours and Treasurers of England collected by Francis Thinne In a decent Monument on the South side of the Presbitery Iohn Kempe Archbishop of this See lieth interred who was borne at Wye in this County of Kent brought vp at Oxford in Merton Colledge where hee proceeded Doctor of Law Hee was made first Archdeacon of Durham then Deane of the Arches and Vicar generall vnto the Archbishop Stafford Not long after he was aduanced to the Bishopricke of Rochester remoued thence to Chichester from Chichester to London from London to Yorke from Yorke to Canterbury he was first Cardinall of the title of Saint Balbine
Gulielmo de Owre Radulpho de Sauage militibus Thus haue you partly seene the honours and honourable marriages the height and downfall of an eminent and right ancient family Of which no more vntill I come to Lingfield and the Parish Church of Sterborrow in Surrey Hic iacet Iohannes Smith Marioria vxor eius qui ob 20. Feb. 1457. Another of one Iohn Smith qui ob 18. Marcii 1427. Hic iacet Thomas Sharp legis peritus qui ob 20. die Aprilis Ann. 9. H. 7. Ann. Dom. 1493. Cuius Of your charitie pray for the soule of Iohn Herueden who dyed on Saint Nicholas day Ann. 1527. who had one daughter Elenor married to Edmond Page of Shorne Heigham Stephen king of England erected here in this Towne a Religious house wherein he placed blacke veyled Nunnes the valuation and dedication whereof I cannot learne East-Malling Hic iacet Robertus Ereby olim ciuis et Aurifaber de London Ioanna Ioanna vxores sui qui quidem Robertus obiit 15. Aug. An. Dom. 1477. Hic iacet Tho. Ereby filius Roberti Ereby Isodia vxor eius qui ob 1. Sept. 1478. Mepham Simon de Mepham Archbishop of Canterbury who had both his name and natiuitie of this Towne built this Church for the vse of the poore which William Courtney one of his Successours repaired fourescore yeares after and annexed thereunto foure new houses for the same end and purpose Shorham Orate pro bono statu Thome Buckland istius Capelle fundatoris ..... vxoris Codham Here lyeth beryed Alyes Walleys somtym wyff vnto Waltyr Walleys of this Parysh and syster vnto Iohn Alegh of Adyngton in Surrey Squyer Iustice of Quorum Whych Alyes decessyd the second dey of Iuly M. CCCCC.III Who 's sowl swete Iesu pardon Downe Hic iacet Richardus Downe Armiger Margeria consors eius Quorum animabus propitietur Altissimus Hic iacet Iohannes Bederenden quondam ciuis Pannarius Camerarius London qui obiit 27. Septemb. 1445. Hic iacent Thomas Petle Isabella vxor eius Quorum animabus .... Orate pro animabus Iohannis Petle Christiane vxoris eius et Iohannis Petle et Alicie et Thome Philipot ac parentum meorum ...... Aynsford Hic iacet Iohannes Donat generosus et Alicia vxor eius ille obiit ..... 1455. illa obiit .... S. Donate ora pro nobis I neuer heard of such a Saint sauing at S. Donats Castle in Glamorganshire the faire habitation of the ancient and notable family of the Stradlings Ici gis ..... la famme de la Roberg de Eckisford This is enrauen in the North Chappell of this Church in a wondrous antique character Snothland Here in the Church porch lyeth buried William Alisander who gaue a weekly stipend of bread to the poore for euer and dyeth 1469. Here lyeth Iohn Pole sonne of Henry Pole of Hartington in the County of Darby who deceased 1487. Here lyeth .... Palmer of Otford Esquire ..... this Epitaph ensuing I haue by relation of one of that surname Palmers al owr faders were I a Palmer liuyd here And trauyld still till worne wyth age I endyd this worlds pylgramage On the blyst Assention day In the cherful month of May A thowsand wyth fowre hundryd seuen And took my iorney hense to Heuen Northfleete Hic in tumba requiescit corpus Richardi Dauy Ar. et Margeria vxor eius quondam cuslos Iocalium Domini Regis Hen sexti obiit 15. Marcii 1491. Pray for the sowl of Mawd Dauy Who 's corps here vndyr do ly She was dawter of William Dauy On whos soul Iesu haue mercy I pray yow al for cherite Say a Pater-noster and an Aue. Hic iacet Alicia quondam vxor Willelmi Wangdesord que obiit die Lune prox post diem dominicam in ramis Palmarum 1421. Hic sub pede anre altaâ—e iacent Willelmus Rikhill Ar. filius Willelmi Rikhill militis primogenitus et Katherina vxor cius que obiit 27. Aug. 1433. qui quidem Willelmus obiit .... die .... 1400. quorum Rikell the father was one of the kings Iustices an Irishman borne the vehement vrger of accusations against Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester and Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury Ann. Reg. Regis Ric. 2.21 1397. Hic iacet Dominus Petrus Lacy quondam Rector istius Ecclesie prebend Preb. de Swerdes in Ecclesia Cathedrali Dublin ...... 18. Octob. 1375 via vite mors Hic iacet Willelmus Lye Rector de Northfleete 9. Ian. 1391. Here lyes Thomas Bredon and Ioane his wife ... 1511. Here lyeth Richard Hunt late seruant to my Lord of Canterbury William Warham and Ioane his wife which Richard dyed ... 1518. and Ioane 1531. Hic iacet Willelmus Hesilt vnus Baronum de Scaccario Domini Regis qui obiit 9. April 1425. et Agnes vxor eius quorum c. Chalk Hic iacet Willelmus Martyn Ar. et Isabella vxor eius qui quidem Willelmus obiit 26. Maii Ann. 1416. This Martyn was a good Benefactour to this Church as appeares in diuers places in the glasse as also in the structure Here are two very ancient Monuments in the wall but to whose memory they were made I cannot learne Swanescombe This Church in times past was much haunted by a mad company of Pilgrimes who came hither for Saint Hildeferths helpe a Bishop by coniecture of his picture yet standing in the vpper window of the South Isle to whom such as were distracted ranne for restitution of their wits Which cure was performed by warmth close keeping and strict dyet A cure no more miraculous saith Lambard then is at this day the keepers of Bedlem Pray for the soul of Nicholas Boneuant and Agnes his wife which Nicholas decessyd 20. Octob. 1516. Hic iacet Reginaldus Thomas in Legibus Bacalareus Rector istius Ecclesie qui .... 1494. Stone The whole Fabricke of this Church is vpholden in wondrous good repaire her inside is neatly polisht and the Monuments of the dead which are ancient and many very faire and carefully preserued Preyeth for the sowl in wey of cheritie Of Richard Bontfant late Mercer of London For the Brethren and Sisters of this Fraternitie Owner of the plas callyd Castle of the Ston Remembyr hym that is leyd vnder Ston For hys sowl and al Christian to prey To the merciful Iesew a Pater noster anon An Aue to hys Moder and mak no deley In March whych decessyd the xix dey In the yer of owr Lord God who kepe hym fro pyne A thowsand fowr hundryd fyfty and nyne Hic iacet magister Iohannes Sorewell in Decretis honoratus Rector istius Ecclesie qui ob penult Decemb. 1439. Hic iacet Dominus Iohannes Lumbard quondam Rector istius Ecclesie qui obijt 12. Maij 1408. Vpon a crosse of brasse layed in the marble
seruiens Abbati et Conuentui de Lesnes qui obiit primo die mensis Ianuarij 1425. Cuius anime Lesnes Abbey In the yeare of our Lord 1178. the third of the Ides of Iune Richard Lucie a Councellour of State and chiefe Iustice of the Realme began the foundation of an Abbey at Lesnes or Westwood neare vnto this Towne of Eâ—â—th The extent of whose yearely reuenue as it was prized by the Commissioners at the suppression amounted to one hundred eighty sixe pounds and nine shillings When this his goodly fabricke was in all parts finished he presently forsooke and surrendred into the kings hands all both his offices and honours And betooke himselfe to the habite and profession of a Canon Regular in this house of his owne foundation where within a short while after euen in the same yeare to wit the fourteenth of Iuly 1479. he exchanged his Conuentuall blacke coole for a glorious bright heauenly crowne And here in the Quire of his Church hee was sumptuously entombed vpon whose Monument this Epitaph was engrauen Rapitur in tenebras Richardus lux Luciorum Iusticie pacis dilector vrbis honorum Christe sibi requies tecum sit sede piorum Iulia tunc orbi lux bis septena nitebat Mille annos C. nouem et septuaginta mouebat Now giue me leaue to go a little further with him and his heires as I finde the words in the Collection of Englands Protectours by Francis Thinne Lancaster Herald Sir Richard Lucie knight chiefe Iustice of England saith he was Protectour of England in the twelfth yeare of the raigne of king Henry the second in the absence of the king when hee was in Normandie and in the parts beyond the Seas Which Lucie in the thirteenth yeare of the same King did valiantly resist and politikely driue backe the Earle of Bolloigne inuading this kingdome He built the Abbey of Leosnes or Westwood in the Parish of Erith in Kent and not in Southfleet as some haue written in the yeare of Christ 1178. and the Castle of Chipping Augre in Essex He had issue Godfrey Bishop of Winchester and three daughters who after the death of Godfrey their brother were his heires Maude the eldest daughter was married to Robert the first called Fitzwater Aueline the second daughter was married to Richard Riuers of Stanford Riuers in Essex Rose the third daughter was married to Richard de Warren the naturall sonne of king Iohn as appeareth by a deed belonging to my selfe who had the Rectory of Leosnes beginning thus Rosa de Douer quondam vxor venerabilis viri Richardi filij Regis de Chillam And king Iohn by his Charter grants to another Rose her grandfathers lands in these words Rex reddidit Roesie de Douerita totam terram suam cum pertenenc qua eam contingit de heredit Richardi de Lucy avi sui tenend sibi hered c. Cart. 24. Reg. Iohannis numero 37. in Archi. Turris London The foresaid Godfrey de Lucy was consecrated Bishop of Winchester the first of Nouember 1189. And died Ann. 1204 hauing gouerned that See fifteene yeares He purchased of king Richard the first the Mannors of Wergraue and Menes which in times past had belonged to his Bishopricke he was a great Benefactour to this Religious house of Leosnes founded by his father wherein according to his will hee was enterred To whose memory this Epitaph was engrauen vpon his Tombe Lux mea lux Christi si terre ventre quiesco Attamen in celo sanctorum luce lucesco Presul de Winton fueram quondam Cathedratus Multum resplendens alto sanguine natus Nunc id sum quod eris puluis rota non retinenda Voluitur inuigila prudens nec differ agenda M. C. bis quatuorque annos his insuper addas Carnis vincla dies soluit secunda Decembris Vos qui transitis ancillam poscite Christi Sit Dominus mitis pulso purgamine tristi Wolwich Orate pro anima Iohannis Colin et Mathilde vxoris eius qui Iohannes obiit 27. Ianuar ..... Mathilda 25. Octob. 1397. Hic tacet Dominus Will. Prene quondam Rector huius Ecclesie viz. tempore Regis Edwardi quarti et postea Rector Ecclesie de Lymming qui fieri fecit istam Capellam et Campanile huius Ecclesie et in uita sua multa alia bona .... ob I. die Decemb. 1464. Willelmus Prene me fecit in honorem sancte Trinitatis Eltham Pray for the sowl of Dame Margerie Roper late wyff of Iohn Roper Suier daughter and one of the heires of Iohn Tattersall Suier who dyed 2. Februar 1518 Roper a name of eminent respect in this County honoured with the title of Baron Roper of Tenham by our Soueraigne Lord Iames late King of England giuen to Iohn Lord Roper now liuing Pray for the sowl of Iohn Morton sonne and heire of Margaret Morton of Asheby de la Zouch in the County of Leicester late wife to Tho. Squier who dyed 23. Aug. Prier pur l'alme Thomas Pierle qi morust le primer iour de Iuyl l'an de Grace Mil. ccc.lxix ..... Here lyeth Iohn Pasley yeoman Porter to king Henry the eighth and Agnes his wife which Iohn dyed .... 1509. Hen. 8.1 West Peckham Iohn Culpeper one of the Iustices of the Common Pleas in the raigne of king Henry the fourth founded here a Preceptorie or free-Schoole which he endowed with threescore and three pounds sixe shillings eight pence of yearely allowance Bromley In the Church wall lyeth the pourtraiture as I learne by tradition of Richard Wendouer Bishop of Rochester and Parson of this Towne He was consecrated 1238. and dyed 1250. yet it is said that his body was buried in Westminster by the kings speciall commandement for that he was accounted a very holy and vertuous man which I cannot much contradict Icy gist Mestre Water de Henche Qi fut Persone de Bromleghe 1360. Lewsham Hic iacet Georgius Hatecliffe Ar. Thesaurarius Domini Regis in Hibernia ac vnus clericorum compoti Hospitii regis obiit 1. Aug. 1514. Iohn Norbury founded a Priory in this Towne of Lewsham which hee replenished with blacke Monkes Aliens belonging to the Abbey of Gaunt in Flanders and thereupon called Aliens because they were Celles to some Monastery or other beyond the Seas The first foundation of these houses I do not finde but in the raigne of king Edward the third they were encreased to the number of one hundred and ten in England besides them in Ireland Aquitane and Normandy The goods of all which Priories the said king Ann. Reg. 12. because of his warres with France caused to be confiscated to his owne vse letting out their houses to farme with all their lands and tenements for the space of three and twenty yeares At the end of which Terme Peace being concluded betweene the two Nations he restored to the Priors Aliens their
in hac ipsa Ecclesia archa marmorea que ad nostra vsque tempora permanet sepultus est Idem Erconwaldus celeberrimum hoc S. Pauli templum nouis edificijs auxit prouentibus locupletauit et eidem immunitates nonnullas à Regibus impetrauit Tandem circiter annum Domini 685. spiritum Deo reddidit postquam annis vndecim in pontificatu sedisset Et magnifico sepulchro hic conditus est quod nostra memoria circiter annum Domini 1533. hoc loco visebatur This carefull holy Bishop Erconwald not onely bestowed great paines and charges vpon the beautifying and enlarging his Church with faire new buildings which he enricht with more ample reuenues and many immunities obtained from diuers kings and Princes but also procured from Pope Agatho the first sundry important priuiledges for the good of his Canons Habetur ergo Erkenwaldus saith Malmesbury Londonie maxime sanctus pro exauditionis celeritate fauorem Canonicorum nonnihil emeritus Venerable Bede and the Annals of this Church from whom the most of this Inscription is borrowed do attribute many miracles to the holinesse of this man in regard of which he was canonized and his Reliques translated Anno salutis millesimo centesimo quadragesimo and the fourteenth day of Nouember appointed to be kept sacred to his memory As in our Kalender may be seene Hic iacet Eustachius de Fauconberg quondam Episcopus huius Ecclesie qui multa bona contulit ministris Ecclesie S. Pauli This Bishop as appeares by an Inscription annexed to his Tombe had beene one of the Kings Iustices Lord Treasurer of England and twice Embassadour into France And dyed Octob. 31. 1228. hauing gouerned this See seuen yeares and sixe moneths Of whom I haue read this Epitaph in an old Manuscript Hic iacet Eustachius redolens vt Asyria nardus Virtutum multis floribus meritis Vir fuit hic magnus Episcopus ..... vt Agnus Vita conspicuus dogmate precipuus Pro quo qui transis supplex orare memor sis Vt sit ei saties alma Dei facies The like Inscription and Table is to the memory of Henry de Wingham so named of Wingham in Kent the place of his birth he had been Chamberlaine of Gascoigne Deane of Totenhall and Saint Martins twice Embassadour into France and Lord Chancellour of England Rex enim de fidelitate Domini Henrici de Vuengham experta confisus qui clericus eius et consiliarius extitisset specialis commisit eidem custodiam Sigilli He enioyed this Bishopricke but a short time being taken away by death Iuly 13. 1262. as appeares by this Epitaph De Wengham natus Henricus ad astra leuatus Hic nece prostratus iacet anno Pontificatus Ter vix Domini Mil. Sexagint bis que bis C. Huic sis saluamen Deus O te deprecor Amen Hic requiescit in Domino Rogerus cognomento Niger quondam Canonicus huius Ecclesie S. Pauli ac deinde in Londinens Episcopum consecratus Anno salutis 1228. vir in literatura profundus moribus honestus ac per omnia laudabilis Christiane Religionis amator ac defensor strenuus Qui cum pastorale officium vigilanter studiose rexisset Annis 14. diem suum clausit extremum apud Manerium suum de Stebunheath 3. Calend. Octob. Ann. Christi 1241. regnante Rege Hen. 3. Contigit his diebus dum Episcopus iste Rogerus in hac Ecclesia ante maius Altare staret infulatus ad celebrandum diuina quod tanta in aere facta est nubium densitas vt vix alterum discernere possit quam confestim sequnta est Tonitrui horribilis concussio cum tanta fulminis coruscatione ac fetore intollerabili vt omnes qui aderant rapide fugientes nihil verius quam mortem expectarent Solus Episcopus cum vno Diacono remansit intrepidus Aere tandem purgato Episcopus residuum rei Diuine expleuit You may reade more of him in Mathew Paris how stoutly hee withstood the Popes Nuntio comming here into England with a proling deuise to scrape vp money for his Master How this good Bishop cried out vpon the vnreasonable and shamelesse couetousnesse of the Court of Rome and how hee was the onely meanes of staying the course of such grieuous exactions There you may also reade the fearfull story of this Cymerian darknesse and horrible thunderclap which happened vpon the day of S. Pauls conuersion in this Cathedrall Church the Bishop being then at Masse Many miracles saith the same Author were wrought at his Tombe But let vs heare his Epitaph Ecclesie quondam Presul presentis in anno M. bis C. quater X. iacet hic Rogerus humatus Huius erat manibus Domino locus iste dicatus Christe suis precibus veniam des tolle reatus It was this Bishop Roger who excommunicated the Caursini a dangerous stout attempt in those dayes called the Popes Merchants but they were indeed most execrable Romane Vsurers who had entangled the king himselfe most of the Nobilitie and all others that had to do with the Court of Rome in their cunning snares They were called Caursini saith Paris quasi capientes vrsi deuouring Beares Orate pro anima Roberti Brabroke ..... quondam Episcopi huius Ecclesie cuius corpus hic tumulatur qui obijt 27. Augusti 1405. cum sedisset Ann. 20. This Bishop was aduanced to the honour of being Lord Chancellour vpon Saint Mathewes Eue in the sixth yeare of king Richard the second which office he enioyed no longer then the March following vpon some disagreement betwixt him and Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Of which you may reade more at large in Tho. Walsingham Hist. Angl. Here lieth interred the body of Robert Fitz-Hugh Bishop of London Doctor of Law and sometimes Archdeacon of Northampton who had beene twice Embassadour once into Germany and another time to Rome Hee was elected Bishop of Ely but died before his intended translation could be perfected Septemb. 22. Ann. 1435. To which effect thus speakes his Epitaph Nobilis Antistes Robertus Londoniensis Filius Hugonis his requiescit honor Doctorum flos Pontificij quem contulit Ely Rome Basilie Regia facta refert Plangite eum Rex grex tria natio tota Extera gens si qua nouerat vlla pium Gemma pudicitie spectrum bonitatis honoris Famaque Iusticie formula iuris erat Mors violenta rapit viuentem vnde cui mors Extitit et moritur vita beata tulit Mille quadragentis triginta quinque sub annis In festo Mauri celica regna petit Infra capellam istam requiescit corpus Domini Thome Kemp quondam Episcopi London fundatoris eiusdem et vnius Cantarie perpetue in eadem qui multa bona tempore vite sue Ecclesie Sancti Pauli et stetit 39. annis 84. diebus Episcopus London ac obijt 28. die mens Martij Ann. Dom. 1489. Cuius anime propitietur Deus
T.R. apud Douer 24. Ian 2. Pars. Pat. Ann. 7. Ric. 2. Per versus patet hos Anglorum quod iacet hic flos Legum qui tata dictauit vera statuta Ex Hengham dictus Radulphus vir benedictus This flower of our English Garden this learned father of the Law this blessed man as this Epitaph would make him was no better then a bribing Iudge for being a chiefe Commissioner for the gouernment of the kingdome in the absence of Edward the first he with many others of his profession were at the kings returne found guiltie by act of Parliament of manifest corruption in their administration of Iustice and deeply fined for such their intolerable extortions First this Sir Raph Hengham chiefe Iustice of the higher Bench was fined to pay to the king seuen thousand Markes Sir Iohn Loueton Iustice of the lower Bench 3000. Markes Sir William Brompton Iustice 6000. Markes Sir Salomon Rochester 4000. Markes Sir Richard Boyland 4000. Markes Sir Thomas Sodington 2000. Markes Sir Walter Hopton 2000. Markes These foure last were Iustices Itinerants Sir William Saham 3000. Markes Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls 1000. Markes Roger Leicester 1000. Markes Henry Bray Escheater and Iudge for the Iewes 1000. Markes Robert Preston 1000. Markes But Sir Adam Stratton chiefe Baron of the Exchequer was fined in thirty foure thousand Markes And Thomas Weyland found the greatest delinquent and of greatest substance had all his goods and whole estate confiscated to the king and withall banished the kingdome This Sir Raph Hengham was a Norfolke man borne as I haue it out of an old Record these are the words Radulphus de Hengham ex eadem ortus esse videtur familia ex qua Willielmus filius Ade de Hengham et Richardus de Hengham in Pago Norfolciens plerumque Thetfordie Iusticiarij ad Assisas capiendas et ad Gaolam deliberandam sub initijs Hen. 3. in Archiuis sepe memorantur Rot. Parl. He flourished in the raignes of Henry the third and Edward the first and died in the first yeare of Edward the second 1308. Hic iacet Magister Fulco Louel quondam Archidiaconus Colcestrie floruit sub Hen. 3. Rege I finde no more of this man then what I reade in this Inscription but much more of his name being both ancient and honourable Orate pro animabus Iohannis de Boys in Com. Essex Ar. Nicholai Rikkil Ar. Domine Isabelle quondam vxor eorum que Isabella obiit 28. Iulij Ann. 1443. quorum animabus propitietur altissimus It seemes by his armes vpon the pillars that this Boys was a great repairer of this Chappell sacred to S George wherein he lyeth interred Orate pro anima Magistri Williel Worsley legum doctoris istius Ecclesie Sancti Pauli London Decani dum vixit .... qui obiit 15. die mens Augusti 1488. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Vermibus hic ponor sic ostendere conor Hic veluti ponor ponitur omnis honor And vpon the pillar adioyning to this Monument these verses following are engrauen in brasse Vnde superbis Homo cuius conceptio culpa Nasci pena labor vita necesse mori Vana salus hominum vanus labor omnia vana Inter vana nichil vanius est homine Post hominem vermis post vermem setor horror Sic in non hominem vertitur omnis homo Mors venit absque mora nescis cum venerit hora Esto paratus ei cum venerit hora diei Orate pro .... Domini Rogeri Brabazon de O devy Iuris Canonici Doctoris huius Ecclesie Cathedralis Residentarij qui obiit tertio die mens Augusti 1498. Cuius anime propitietur Deus Nunc Christe te petimus Miserere quesumus qui venisti redimere perditos noli damnare redemptos In memoriam venerabilis viri Iohannis Coleti sacre Theologiae Doctoris ad Dinum Paulum Decani Scholae ibidem fundatoris Inclyta Ioannes Londini gloria gentis Is tibi qui quondam Paule Decanus erat Qui toties magno resonabat pectore Christum Doctor interpres fidus Euangelij Qui mores hominum multum sermone diserto Formarat vitae sed probitate magis Quique scholam struxit celebrem cognomine Ihesu Hac dormit tectus membra Coletus humo Floruit sub Henrico 7. Hen. 8. Regibus obijt Ann. Dom. 1519. Disce mori mundo vinere disce Deo Vnder his liuely pourtraiture alluding to his artificiall Askelliton these words Istuc recidit gloria carnis Loue and liue His Monument is lately reuiued by the Companie of the mystery of Mercers to whose charge he committed the ouersight of S. Pauls Schoole with lands worth an hundred and twenty pounds or better of yearely value for the maintenance of a Master an Vsher and a Chaplaine to teach and instruct one hundred fiftie and three poore mens children freely without any reward And as I am told Vijs modis more comes to the Schoolemaster at this day then the whole endowment Iohn Bale saith that of twenty and two children which his father Henry Collet Mercer and Lord Maior of London had by Christian his wife he was the onely childe liuing at his fathers death that he died of the sweating sicknesse aged sixtie three yeares that he was brought vp in Oxford that he trauelled into France and Italie that he disputed with the Sorbonists in Paris from whose Tenets hee much dissented that hee inuayed against Monkes which did not leade an Euangelicall life and Bishops Qui pro Pastoribus lupos agebant that he was eruditione facundus that he writ many Treatises left in loose papers which but by himselfe could not bee made perfect That hee taught in his Sermons that it was vnlawfull for a Clergie-man to accumulate riches and for any man to worship Images that by Richard Fitz-Iames then Bishop of London and two Minorites Bricot and Standish he was accused of heresie and that his corps had beene cast out of his Tombe and burnt if an vnexpected accident had not preuented his enemies designes Gulielmo Lilio Paulinae Scholae olim perceptorio primario Agnetae Coniugi in sacratissimo huius templi Coemiterio hinc a tergo nunc destructo consepultis Georgius Lillius huius Ecclesie canonicus Parentum memoriae pie consulens Tabellam hanc ab amicis conseruatam hic reponendam curauit Obijt ille G. L. Ann. Dom. 1522. V. Calend. Mart. vixit annos 54. This man integer vitae scelerisque purus as Bale saith liued for a certaine time in the Isle of Rhodes and some yeares in Italie where hee instructed himselfe in all good literature and made himselfe perfect in many languages withall he was quicke apprehensiue and ingenious and therefore entirely beloued of Sir Thomas Moore He writ diuers bookes but he is best knowne by his Grammer Hee was borne in the Towne of Odiham in Hampshire The Epitaph of Agnes the wife of William Lily as
the very Prime and flower of his age inured to many a warre and exercised in most dangerous troubles of the state whiles she framed and fitted him for the Empire of Britaine which he being once crowned King mannaged and gouerned in such wise that hauing subdued the Welsh and vanquished the Scots hee may most iustly bee counted a chiefe ornament and honour of Britaine Amongst other admonitions and precepts which he gaue to his sonne Edward after him king of England vpon his death bed he charged him that he should carry his Fathers bones about with him in some Coffin till he had marched through all Scotland and subdued all his enemies for that none should bee able to ouercome him while his Skeleton marched with him thinking belike that the care to preserue them from enemies would make a Sonne fight nobly Moreouer he commanded the said Prince That whereas himselfe by the continuall new attempts of Bruce king of Scotland could not in person according to his vow make warre in the Holy-land therefore he should send his Heart thither accompanied with seuenscore knights and their retinues for whose support he had prouided thirty and two thousand pounds of siluer That his Heart being so by them conuayed he did hope in God that all things there would prosper with them Lastly That vpon paine of eternall damnation the said money should not be expended vpon any other vses Sed filius immorigerus patris mandata negligit But the disobedient Sonne little regarded the commandement of his Father He died the seuenth of Iuly the yeare aforesaid his body was conuayed to this Abbey and accompanied most of the way with the Popes Legate the reuerend Bishops and most of the English Nobilitie where it was interred with that state as became the person of so potent a Prince And such was the care of his Successours to keepe his body from corruption as that the Searecloth wherein his embalmed body was enwrapt was often renewed as doth appeare vpon Record thus Rex Thesaurario Camerarijs suis Salutem Mandamus vobis quod Ceram existentem circa corpus celebris memorie Domini Edwardi nuper Regis Anglie progenitoris nostri filij Regis Henrici in Ecclesia beati Petri Westm. humatum de denarijs nostris renovari facietis prout hactenus fieri constituit Teste Rege apud Westm. xi die Iulij Claus. 1. Ric. 2. Memb. 41 Certaine rimes or verses are annexed to his Tombe as followeth Mors est inesta nimis magnos que iungit in imis Maxima mors minimis coniungens vltima primis Nullus in orbe fuit homo viuens nec valet esse Qui non morte ruit est hinc exire necesse Nobilis fortis tibi tu considere noli Omnia sunt mortis sibi subdit singula soli De mundi medio magnum mors impia mouit Anglia pre tedio satis anxia plangere novit Corruit Edwardus vario veneratus honore Rex nuper vt Nardus fragrans virtutis odore Corde Leopardus invictus absque pauore Ad rixam tardus discretus eucharis ore Viribus armorum quasi Gigas ardua gessit Colla superborum prudens per prelia pressit Inter Flandrenses fortuna sibi bene fauit Vt quoque Wallenses Scotos suppeditauit Rex bonus absque pari strenue sua regna regebat Quod natura dari potuit bonitatis habebat Actio iustitie pax regni sanctio legis Et fuga nequitie premunt precordia Regis Gloria tota ruit Regem capit hec modo fossa Rex quandoque fuit nunc nil nisi puluis et ossa Filius ipse Dei quem corde colebat et ore Gaudia fecit ei nullo permista dolore The which verses saith Fabian to the entent that they should be had in minde and also that the reader might haue the more desire to ouer-reade them I haue therefore set them out in Baladde Royall after my rude making as followeth This sorrowfull deth which bryngeth great full low And moost and leest he ioyneth into one Thys man to whome his pere was not y knowe Hath now subdued nat sparyng hym alone Whyche of all order thys world to ouergone None was to be spared of so great equyte As he yf any for noblesse spared shuld be Therfore thou noble or myghty trust none oder grace But thou shalt pay to deth thy naturall dette And lyke as he from thys world did chace Thys mighty Prynce and from his frendys fette For whome all Englond loude mourned and grette So shalt thou and oder in deths snare fall None shall escape to reckyn kyndes all Edward wyth many and dyuers graces endowed And like as Nardus most sweetest of odoure In smellynge passyth and moost he is allowed Of all swete odours so dyd this knyghtly floure By vertuous artes surmounte in honoure All oder Prynces whose hert was Lybar delyke And without fere were he hole or syke Thys Prynce was slowe to all maner of stryfe Discrete and wise and trewe of his worde In armys a Geaunt terme of all his lyfe Excelling actes doing by dynte of the sworde Subduyd the proud of prudence he bore the horde Of Flaunders by fate he had great amyte And Walshe and Scottes by strength subduyd he This good King perelesse his landes firmly gyded What nature might giue he failed in nothynge No parte of bounte from his was discided He was iustice and peace and of lawe stablishyng And chaser of iniquyte by his vertuous liuyng In whome these graces with innumerable mo Fermly were roted that deth hath tane vs fro That whylom was a Kyng now is but duste and bone All glory is fallen and this pitte kepeth the kynge But he that yeldeth all thing by his one The Sonne of God to whom aboue all thynge With herte and mouth he did all worsshyppyng That Lord of his ioy perdurable to laste Graunt him sorrowlesse euermore to taste All Kings haue long hands alluding to the extensure of their Regall gouernement of which Ouid in one of his Epistles thus An nescis longas Regibus esse manus This King had also long legges and a longis tibijs surnamed hee was Longshankes But I stray beyond my limits his vertues haue taken me prisoner and detained me much longer then I expected let me take liberty to conclude with these verses in commendation of his valour out of the fore-remembred additions to Robert of Glocester Edward the furst reguyd than truly The son he was of Kyng Harry He conquered than all Scotlond Ano toke Irlond into hys hond And was callyd that tym Conqueror God yiue hys soul mych honor In hys tym he made subiecte Alwalys and put them vndre yecke He behedyd thilke sam tym The Prynce of UUalys Lewellyn Iewes that tym withouten doute Of this lond wer clere put oute Atte Westmynstre he had hy burying xxxv yere he reguyd kyng Here lieth entombed Eleanor his first wife Queene
whencesoeuer he come or for what offence or cause it be either for his refuge into the said holy place he be assured of his life liberty and limbes And ouer this I forbid vnder the paine of euerlasting damnation that no Minister of mine or of my Successours intermeddle them with any the goods lands or possessions of the said persons taking the said Sanctuary for I haue taken their goods and liuelode into my speciall protection and therefore I grant to euery each of them in as much as my terrestriall power may suffice all manner freedome of ioyous liberty and whosoeuer presumes or doth contrary to this my Grant I will he lose his name worship dignitie and power And that with the great traytor Iudas that betrayed our Sauiour he be in the euerlasting fire of hell And I will and ordaine that this my grant endure as long as there remaineth in England either loue or dread of Christian name King Edward the third built in the little Sanctuarie a Clochard of stone and timber and placed therein three bells for the vse of Saint Stephens Chappell About the biggest Bell was engrauen or cast in the mettall these words King Edward made mee thirtie thousand weight and three Take mee downe and wey mee and more you shall fynd mee But these Bells being to be taken downe in the raigne of King Henry the eight one writes vnderneath with a coale But Henry the eight will bait me of my weight In the Steeple of the great Church in the Citie of Roane in Normandy is one great Bell with the like Inscription Ie suis George de Ambios Qui trente cinque mille pois Mes lui qui me pesera Trente six mill me trouera I am George of Ambois Thirtie five thousand in pois But he that shall weigh me Thirtie six thousand shall find mee One lately hauing taken view of the Sepulchres of so many Kings Nobles and other eminent persons interred in this Abbey of Westminster made these rimes following which he called A Memento for Mortalitie Mortalitie behold and feare What a change of flesh is here Thinke how many royall bones Sleepe within this heape of stones Hence remou'd from beds of ease Daintie â—are and what might please Fretted roofes and costlie showes To a roofe that flats the nose Which proclaimes all flesh is grasse How the worlds faire Glories passe That there is no trust in Health In youth in age in Greatnesse wealth For if such could haue repriu'd Those had beene immortall liu'd Know from this the worlds a snare How that greatnesse is but care How all pleasures are but paine And how short they do remaine For here they lye had Realmes and Lands That now want strength to stirre their hands Where from their pulpits seel'd with dust They preach In Greatnesse is no trust Here 's an Aker sowne indeed With the richest royall seed That the earth did ere sucke in Since the first man dy'd for sin Here the bones of birth haue cry'd Though Gods they were as men haue dy'd Here are sands ignoble things Dropt from the ruin'd sides of Kings With whom the poore mans earth being showne The difference is not easily knowne Her 's a world of pompe and state Forgotten dead disconsolate Thinke then this Sithe that mowes downe kings Exempts no meaner mortall things Then bid the wanton Lady tread Amid these mazes of the dead And these truly vnderstood More shall coole and quench the blood Then her many sports a day And her nightly wanton play Bid her paint till day of doome To this fauour she must come Bid the Merchant gather wealth The vsurer exact by stealth The proud man beate it from his thought Yet to this shape all must be brought Chappell of our Lady in the Piew Neare vnto the Chappell of Saint Stephen was sometime a smaller Chappell called our Lady of the Piew but by whom first founded I cannot finde To this Lady great offerings were vsed to be made Richard the second after the ouerthrow of Wat. Tilar as I haue read and other the Rebels in the fourth of his raigne went to Westminster and there giuing thankes to God for his victory made his offering in this Chappell By the negligence of a Scholler forgetting to put forth the Lights of this Chappell the Image of our Lady richly decked with Iewels precious stones Pearles and Rings more then any Ieweller saith he could iudge the price was with all the apparell and ornaments belonging thereunto as also the Chappell it selfe burnt to ashes It was againe reedified by Antony Widâ—uile Earle Riuers Lord Scales Vncle and Gouernour to the Prince of Wales that should haue beene King Edward the fifth Who was vniustly beheaded at Pomfret by the procurement of Richard Crook-backe Duke of Glocester then Lord Protectour the 13. of Iune 1483. Saint Margaret in Westminster Adioyning on the North side of the Abbey standeth Saint Margarets the Parish Church of the Citie of Westminster reedified for the most in the raigne of King Edward the fourth especially the South Isle from the piety of the Lady Marye Billing and her second husband Sir Thomas Billing chief Iustice of England in that Kings time Whose Monument with that to the memorie of her first husband William Cotton Esquire I haue here expressed Here lieth Dame Mary Bylling late wife to Sir Thomas Bylling Knight chiefe Iustice of England and to William Coton and Thomas Lacy which Mary died the 14 day of March in the yeare of our Lord God 1499. Blessed Lady c. haue mercy c. Ant Mary gratia plena on me haue mercy on me haue mercy Ecce ancila dom Fiat 〈…〉 secund uerbu tuuÌ„ 〈…〉 〈…〉 The inheritance of this Lady was the Lordship of Connington in Huntingtonshire The seate once of Turketell the Dane Earle of the East Angles who inuited ouer Swain King of Denmarke to inuade this kingdome He exiâ—'d with most of his Nation by Saint Edmond the Confessor This his seate with other his large possessions were giuen by the same King to Walthâ—oâ— Earle of Northumberland and Huntington to whom the first William gaue in marriage the Lady Iudithe his sisters daughter This Lordship with the Earledome of Huntington by the marriage of Mary that Earles daughter to Dauid the sonne of the first Malcolme King of Scots and the holy Margaret his wife Neece to Edward the King Confessor Grandchilde to Edmond surnamed Ironside King of the English Saxons and sister and heire to Edgar surnamed Ethelinge by which marriage the Stemme Royall of the Saxons became vnited into the bloud Royall of the Scottish Kings in whose male lyne that Earldome and this Lordship continued vntill Isabell the daughter and heire of Dauid Earle of Huntington and brother to Malcome William and Alexander successiue Kings of that kingdome brought them both by her marriage to Robert de Brus into that family She leauing the iust clayme of the Crowne of Scotland to Robert her eldest sonne whose sonne
God and then after vnto me Vpon which religious and Princely lesson he grounds a reason and pleads a libertie to vse his owne proper conscience in the Kings most weightie affaires as you may perceiue by this part of a letter following written to Cromwell Right worshipfull c. it pleased the Kyngs highnes to send me in the companie of my Lord of London now of Duresme in embassiate aboute the Peace that at our being there was concluded at Cameray betwene his highnes and themperour and the French Kyng And after my comyng home his highnes of his onely goodnes as far my vnworthy I was thereto made me as you well knowe his Chauncelor of this Realme sone after which time his grace moued me agayne yit-eftsonys to loke and considre his great matter and well and indifferently to pondre such things as I should fynde therin And if it so were that therevpon it shoulde happen me to se such things as sholde persuade me to that parte hee wolde gladly vse me among other of his Counsailors in that matter neuerthelesse gracyousely declared vnto me that he wolde in no wise that I sholde other thing do or say therin than vpon that that I shold perceiue myn owne conscience shold serue me and that I sholde fyrst loke vnto God and after God vnto hym Which moost gratiouse wordys was the fyrst lesson also that euer his grace gaue me at my fyrst comyng into his noble servyce c. This learned Chancellour with much labour and earnest suite to the King got leaue to leaue his office before hee had continued therein fully three yeares Vpon his last speech to his three daughters and to the people present at his decollation thus one writes Ne lugete meo confusae funere natae Ipse ego mutari non mea fata velim Truncum terra teget si Rex non abnuet vrnam Et mea iam terris nomina nota volant Libera mens superos repetet neque seruiet vnquam In partem hanc quod agat nulla securis habet Tu quoque spectator tranquillum si cupis aeâ—um Exigere letho fortior esse tuo Qui tibi membra cadanâ— nullo in discrimine pone Quum sint naturae lege caduca suae Another of his death by way of Dialogue thus Hospes Quis iacet hic truncus cuius caput ense rescissum est Quae natat in tetro sanguine canities Ciuis Hic est ille Thomas Morus sic fata rependunt Tristia multa bonis bona multa malis Hospes Quae circumsistunt Diuae lugubre cadauer Diua tenax veri sancta Fides Nemesis Ciuis Harum prima odij caussa fuit altera mortis Vltrix iniustae tertia caedis erat Anno Domini M. D.XXXV.vi Non. Iulij Thus much of Sir Thomas More in this place you may know more of him hereafter by his Epitaph in Chelsey Church Cromwell surnamed the great whom Wolsey first raised from the forge to eminent good fortunes whom Henry the eight vsed as his instrument to suppresse the Popes supremacie and to dissolue religious Structures whom he aduanced to the highest pitch of honour and authoritie whom he cast downe suddenly and bereft both of life and dignitie lies here interred He followed the same steps to the same Stage vpon the said Tower-hill and acted there the same part which his two friends More and Fisher had done before him and that within fiue yeares after This Cromwell this pillar of the State was borne in Putney a Village in Surrey by Thames side foure miles distant from London hee was sonne to a Blacksmith in his later dayes a Bruer Whose mother after his fathers decease was remarried to a Shereman Of whose birth a late writer thus sings Putney the place made blessed by my birth Whose meanest cottage simply me did shrowd To me as dearest of the English Earth So of my bringing that poore village proud Though in a time when neuer lesse the dearth Of happie wits yet mine so well allow'd That with the best she boldlie durst prefer Me that my breath acknowledged from her He was a man of an actiue and forward ripenesse of nature ready and pregnant of wit discreet and well aduised in iudgement eloquent of tongue faithfull and diligent in seruice of an incomparable memory of a reaching politicke head and of a noble and vndaunted spirit Whose good parts being perceiued by Cardinal Wolsey he took him straight into his seruice made him his Sollicitor and emploied him in matters of great importance after whose fall hee was presently aduanced to the Kings seruice wherein he so industriously and wisely demeaned himselfe as that he was thought worthie by the said King to haue the ordering of all weightie affaires Whereupon at seuerall times he heaped these seuerall offices and honours vpon him he made him Master of his Iewell-house Baron Cromwell of Okeham principall Secretarie Master of the Rolles Chancellour of the Exchequer Keeper of the priuie Seale Iustice of the Forrests and Chases from the Riuer of Trent Northward great Chamberlaine of England Earle of Essex Knight of the Garter Vicegerent or Vicar generall Of which my fore remembred friend thus writes For first from knighthood rising in degree The Office of the Iewell-house my lot After the Rolles he frankly gaue to me From whence a priuie Counsellor I got Then of the Garter and then Earle to be Of Essex yet sufficient these were not But to the great Vicegerencie I grew Being a title as supreme as new Thus Fortune raised him a short time for a sudden fall For vpon the eighteenth day of Aprill 1540. hee was inuested with the honour of the Earledome of Essex and high Chamberlainship of England vpon which day the King also made his sonne Gregory Lord Cromwell Vpon the ninth of Iuly next and immediately following being enuied of many for his honour and authoritie he was suddenly arrested in the Councell-chamber and committed to the Tower vpon the nineteenth of the said moneth he was attainted by Parliament of heresie and high Treason and vpon the 28. of the said moneth hee was beheaded on the Tower-hill More succinctly thus his precipitate downfall is versified The Councell-chamber place of my arrest Where chiefe I was when greatest was the store And had my speeches noted of the best That did them as high Oracles adore A Parliament was lastly my Enquest That was my selfe a Parliament before The Tower hill Scaffold last I did ascend Thus the great'st man of England made his end And such bloudie ends most men haue who are busie managers of the greatest matters He was condemned to death and yet neuer came to his answere by an act as it is said which he himselfe caused to be made of which my fore-remembred Author M. Drayton Those lawes I made my selfe alone to please To giue me power more freely to my will Euen to my equals hurtfull sundrie waies Forced
to things that most doe say were ill Vpon me now as violently seize By which I lastly perish by my skill On mine owne necke returning as my due That heauie yoke wherein by me they drew Thus whilst we striue too suddenly to rise By flatt'ring Princes with a seruile tong And being soothers to their tirannies Worke our much woes by what doth many wrong And vnto others tending iniuries Vnto our selues it hapning oft among In our owne snares vnluckily are caught Whilst our attempts fall instantly to naught Many lamented this great mans fall but more reioiced especially such as had beene religious men or fauoured religious persons of the Clergie he was much hated for that he was an enemy to Poperie and could neuer indure the snuffing pride of the Prelates Thankefull hee was and liberall neuer forgetting former benefits as appeares by his requitall of the kindenesse he had receiued from Friscolald the Italian Merchant carefull he was of his seruants for whom hee had prouided a competencie of liuing notwithstanding his sodaine fall faithfull and forward hee was to doe his friends good and amongst them More and Fisher if we may beleeue their owne letters of which some part Right worshipfull after my moost hartie commendations it may please you to vnderstand that I haue perceiued by the relation of my Sonne Rooper for which I beseche almightie God reward yow your moost cheritable labour taken for me toward the Kings graciouse highnesse in the procuring at his moost graciouse hand the reliefe and comfort of this wofull heuinesse in which myn harte standeth c. concluding in these words And thus good Master Cromwell I make an end of my long troublouse processe beseching the blessed Trinitie for the great goodnesse ye shew me and the great cumfort ye do me both bodelie and ghostlie to prospere yow and in heauen to reward yow At Chelcith the v. day of March by Your deepely bounden Tho. More Knight Bishop Fisher acknowledgeth the like kindenesse from him in many of his letters And howsoeuer these two famous schollers after some hard imprisonment lost both their liues yet was hee not wanting by his best endeuours and his all-potencie with the King to haue saued their neckes from the stroke of the Axe which we may verily beleeue when we consider that King Henries command was a Law of which Cromwell had a triall being conuicted and executed without triall Seruices done by the foresaid Cromwell vnto King Henry the eight within a few yeares after his first comming into the fauour and seruice of the said King copied out of the Originall written with his owne hand and now remaining in the Treasury of the Exchequer Imprimis the King purchased Hampton Court Item the King purchased the Manore of Moye Item the King purchased Saint Iameses in the fields and all the grounds whereof the new Parke of Westminster is made Item his highnesse hath purchased all the old Tenements in Westminstre whereas now is builded the new garden the Tenesplaies and Cock-fights Item his highnesse hath purchased the Manore of Pisowe of the Lord Scroope Item his highnesse hath purchased the Manore of Weston Baldock Item his highnesse hath purchased the Manore and Parke of Copped-hall Item his Maiestie hath purchased lands to a great value of the Earle of Northumberland Item his Maiestie hath purchased certaine lands of Thomas Robarts the Auditore lying besides Waltham Item his Highnesse hath purchased of the Lord Audley the Mannor of Lanamuerye and Keymes in Walles Item his Highnesse hath purchased the Mannor and certaine other lands in Chombham whereof a Parke is made of the Abbot of Chensey Item his Highnesse hath purchased the Mannor of Alderbrooke in the Forrest of Waltham of one Monoke Item the King hath purchased the Mannor of Edmonton in the Country of Middlesex Item his Highnesse hath repaired the Tower of London to his great charges Item his Highnesse hath newly made the Ship called the Mary Rose the Peter Pomgarnete the Lyon the Katherine Galley the Barke the Minione the Sweepestake Item his Highnesse hath purchased the Mannor of Cogeshall and Estorford of master Southwell Item his highnesse hath purchased the woods besides Portesmouthe in Hampshire sufficient for the new making of Henry-grace a dieu and the great Galley Item his Highnesse hath bought and made within the Tower of new Bowes for a M. l. Item his Highnesse with a great and chargeable traine passed the Seas in his owne person to Callis and Bullen Item his Highnesse hath newly builded Hampton Court Item his Highnesse hath newly builded the place at Westminstre with all the Tenesplaies and Cockfights and walled in the Parke there with a sumptuous wall Item he hath new builded Saint Iameses in the fields a magnificent and goodly house Item his Highnesse hath purchased the Mannors of Dunmington Ewelme Hookenorton and others of the Duke of Suffolke Item his Highnesse hath made a great deale of new Ordenance of brasse here in England Item his Highnesse hath newly edified a great part of the walls of Calles Item his Highnesse hath made a great quantitie of new Ordenance within the Towne of Calles Item his Highnesse hath most costly warres in Scotland Item he hath most costly warres in Ireland Item he hath been at a most costly charge for the Coronation of Queen Anne Item his Highnesse hath maintained the great and sumptuous house of the Lady Katherine Dowager Besides these he did many other seruices for the King his master but I will insist onely vpon two by which he greatly enriched his Coffers The one was vpon the Coronation of Queene Anne Bullen against which solemnitie the King sent writings to all Sheriffes to certifie the names of men of fortie pounds lands to receiue the order of Knighthood or else to make fine for the same The asseasement of which saith my Author was appointed to Thomas Cromwell then master of the Kings Iewell-house who so vsed the matter that a great summe of money was leuied to the Kings vse by those fines The other was his paines and pollicie in the suppressing of Religious Foundations This great man gaue great reliefe to the poore two hundred poore people were serued at his gates twise euery day with bread meat and drinke sufficient He had 220. men and aboue in checke roll he gaue liueries garded with veluet to his Getlemen and garded with the same cloth to his Yeomen saith Iohn Stow in the Suruay of London in the chapter of orders and customes Within the Quire of this Chappell lieth buried the body of Anne Bollein Marchionesse of Penbroke eldest daughter and coheire of Thomas Bollein Viscount Rochford Earle of Wiltshire and Ormond second wife to King Henry the eight to whom shee bare into the world that most renowned Princesse Elizabeth our late Queene who proued not onely the mirrour of the world for vertue wisedome piety and iustice but also a patterne for gouernment to all the Princes in
of the pot There hath also beene found in the same field diuers coffins of stone containing the bones of men these I suppose to be the burials of some speciall persons in time of the Brittaines or Saxons Moreouer there were also found the sculls and bones of men without coffins or rather whose coffines being of great timber were consumed Diuers great Nailes of Iron were there found such as are vsed in the wheeles of shod carts being each of them as bigge as a mans finger and a quarter of a yard the heads two inches ouer Those Nailes were more wondred at then the rest of the things there found and many opinions of men were there vttered of them namely that the men there buried were murthered by driuing those Nailes into their heads a thing vnlikely for a smaller Naile would more aptly serue to so bad a purpose and a more secret place would lightly be imployed for such buriall But to set downe what I obserued concerning this matter I there beheld the bones of a man lying as I noted the head North the feet South and round about him as thwart his head along both his sides and thwart his feet such Nailes were found Wherefore I coniectured them to be Nailes of his coffin Which had beene a trough cut out of some great tree and the same couered with a planke of a great thicknesse fastened with such Nailes and therefore I caused some of the Nailes to be reached vp to 〈◊〉 found vnder the broad heads of them the old wood â—eane turned into earth but still retaining both the graine and proper colour Of these Nailes with the wood vnder the head thereof I reserued one as also the 〈◊〉 bone of the man the teeth being great sound and fixed which amongst many other Monuments there found I haue yet to shew but the nayle lying dry is by scaling greatly wasted And thus much of ancient Funerall Monuments in the fields Certaine Burials of British Kings in and about London the places of their interments vncertaine And first to begin with Guentoline the sonne of Gurgunstus King of Britaine who flourished about the yeare of the world 3614. Who was a wise Prince graue in counsell and sober in behauiour and studied with great care and diligence to reforme anew and to adorne with iustice lawes and good orders the British commonwealth by other Kings not so framed as stood with the greatnesse thereof But as he was busie in hand herewith death tooke him away from these worldly employments when hee had raigned 27. yeares He had a wife named Martia Proba a woman of perfect beautie and wisedome incomparable as by her prudent gouernment and equall administration of iustice after her husbands decease during her sonnes minoritie it most manifestly appeared She was a woman expert and skilfull in diuers sciences but chiefely being admitted to the gouernment of the Realme she studied to preserue the common wealth in good quiet and decent order and therefore deuised established and writ a booke in the British tongue of profitable and conuenient Lawes the which after her name were called Martian Lawes These Lawes afterwards Gildas Cambrius the Historicall Welch Poet translated into Latine and a long time after him Alured King of the West Saxons holding these lawes necessarie for the preseruation of the common wealth put them into English Saxon speech and then they were called after that translation Marchenclagh that is to meane the Lawes of Martia adding thereunto a Booke of his owne writing of the Lawes of England which he called A certaine Breuiarie extracted out of diuers Lawes of the Troians Grecians Britaines Saxons and Danes She flourished before the birth of our Lord and Sauiour 348. yeares or thereabouts Her sonnes name was Sicilius who vpon the death of his Father was but young for I reade that Martia his mother deliuered vp the gouernment of the kingdome to her sonne when he came to lawfull age which she had right politiquely guided and highly for her perpetuall renowne and commendation the space of fourteene yeares He died when hee had raigned seuen yeares some say fifteene yeares Of Bladud king of Britaine the sonne of Lud hurdibras many incredible passages are deliuered by our old British writers and followed by sundrie Authors of succeeding ages which say that he was so well seene in the Sciences of Astronomie and Necromancie that thereby hee made the hote springs in the Citie of Bathe that he built the Citie of Bathe that he went to Athens and brought with him foure Philosophers and by them instituted an Vniuersitie at Stanford in Lincolnshire And further to shew his Art and cunning that he tooke vpon him to flie into the aire and that hee broke his necke by a fall from the Temple of Apollo in Troynouant before the incarnation of Christ 852. yeares in the twentieth yeare of his raigne Geffrey of Monmouth and Mathew of Westminster would approue as much as here is spoken of him And learned Selden in his Illustrations vpon Draytons Polyolbion sets downe an ancient fragment of rimes wherein these strange things of him are exprest But of him here in this place will it please you take a peece out of Harding and you shall haue more hereafter Bladud his sonne after him did succede And reigned after then full xx yere Cair Bladud so that now is Bath I rede He made anone the hote bathes there infere When at Athens he had studied clere He brought with hym iiii Philosophers wise Schole to hold in Brytaine and exercyse Stanforde he made that Stanforde hight this daye In which he made an Vniuersitee His Philosophers as Merlin doth saye Had scholers fele of grete habilitee Studyng euer alwaye in vnitee In all the seuen liberall science For to purchase wysedome and sapience In Cair Bladim he made a temple right And sette a Flamyne therein to gouerne And afterward a Fetherham he dight To flye with winges as he could best discerne Aboue the aire nothyng him to werne He flyed on high to the temple Apoline And ther brake his necke for all his grete doctrine Likewise the vncertaine buriall of Vortimer that victorious British king was in some part of this Citie he was the eldest sonne of Vortigern king of the Britaines and raigned as king in his fathers dayes who demeaned himselfe towards his sonne then his Soueraigne in all dutifull obedience and faithfull counsell for the space of foure yeares euen vntill Vortimer was poysoned by the subtiltie of Rowena the heathen daughter of Hengist the Saxon the wife or concubine of his Brother and the mother of the Britaines mischiefe which happened about the yeare of Grace 464. This Vortimer was a man of great valour which altogether he employed for the redresse of his countrey according to the testimonie of William Malmesbury whose words are these Vortimer saith he thinking not good to dissemble the matter for that he saw himselfe and countrey daily
procured his lands and reuenues backe againe from the Conquerour and by himselfe and his forcible perswasions with others he did further enrich his Abbey with many faire possessions 15 Richard succeeded him who solemnly magnificently did consecrate the Church which his predecessour Paul had finished and built a Chappell of himselfe to the honour of Saint Cuthbert in which hee was entombed with this Epitaph Abbas Richardus iacet hic vt pistica nardus Redolens virtutum floribus et merit is A quo fundatus locus est hic edisicatus Ingenti studio nec modico precio Quem nonas decimas Februo promente Kalendas Abslulit vltima sors et rapuit cita mors 16 Geffrey the Abbot gaue many rich ornaments to this his Monastery with a Challice and a couer all of massie pure gold which afterwards hee sent to Pope Celestine the second vt ipsius sedaret auaritiam volent is hanc Ecclesiam appropriare that he might appease or mitigate the couetousnesse of his holy father of Rome who was willing and went about to impropriate this Abbey Abbas Galfridus Papa cui fuit ipse molestus Hic iacet innocuus prudens pius atque modeslus 17 Raph his successor built anew the lodgings for the Abbots and gaue diuers rich Copes and Vestments for the ornament of his Church 18 Robert was the next Abbot who procured the Church of Luton to be annexed to this and deliuered his Monastery from the seruitude of the Bishop of Lincolne which was a controuersie of long continuance and in the end agreed vpon by composition which agreement was confirmed by Alexander the third Bishop of Rome about the yeare 1178. as by his Bull to that purpose appearent Bulla de compositione facta inter Lincoln Ecclesiam et Ecclesiam beati Albani Alexander Episcopus seruus seruoruÌ„ Dei. Dilecto filio Roberto Abbati monasterij Sancti Albani Salutem et apostolicam ben Ea que compositione seu concordia mediante rationabili prouidentia statuuntur in sua debent stabilitate consistere Et ne alicuius temeritate in posterum valeant immutari Apostolice sedis ea conuenit auctoritate muniri Ea propter dilecte in Domino fili Roberte tuis postulationibus grato concurrentes assensu compositionem que inter Lincoln Ecclesiam et monasterium beati Albani super Processionibus de Herfordshira de quibus inter vtramque Ecclesiam controuersia fuerat sicut in instrumento exinde facto continetur vtriusque partis assensu rationabiliter facta est tibi et prefate Ecclesie tue auctoritate Apostolica confirmamus Statuentes vt nulli omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire Si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit indignationem omnipotentis dei et beatorum Petrie et Pauli Apostolorum eius se neuerit incursurum Dat. Auagn xi Kal. Feb. pontificatus nostri anno vij About twenty yeares afterwards vpon some new quarrels belike arising betweene the two foresaid Churches this composition and transaction was againe confirmed by Clemens the third in these words Clemens Episcopus seruus seruorum dei dilectis filijs Abbati et conuentui Sancti Albani Salutem et Apostolâ—cam ben Cum inter vos ex vna parte et Ecclesiam Lincolnien et Capitulum eius ex altera controuersia verteretur super eo quod Capitulum ipsum Ecclesiam vestram proponebat Ecclesie Lincolnien de iure esse subiectam inter vos concordia de assensu partium intercesserit Nos itaque volentes que super causarum litigijs concordia vel iuditio rationabiliter statuuntur firmitatem perpetuam optinere et ne processu temporis in scrupulum recidue contentionis deueniaâ—t literarum amminutulis memorie commendare concordiamillam sicut rationabiliter facta est et ab vtraque parte recepta et in scripto autentico continetur auctoritate Apostolica conâ—irmamus et presentis Scripti patrocinio communuimus Statuentes vt nulli as before Dat. Lateran Id. Martij Pontisicatus nostri Anno secundo 19 Symon Abbot caused many bookes to be written for the vse of the Couent in his time one Adam Steward of the monastery made the Kitchin much more large and gaue both money and lands to the Couent and Monastery ideo saith my Author ob preclara eius merita inter Abbates in capitulo sepulturam meruit optinere therefore for his good deserts hee deserued to be buried in the Chapter-house amongst the Abbots 20 Carine caused a coffin and a Shrine to be new made wherein he put the reliques of Saint Amphibalus Richard Cordelion King of England being taken prisoner by Leopold Duke of Austria and his ransome set at one hundred thousand pound commandement was directed from his Iustices that all Bishops Prelates Earles Barons Abbots and Priors should bring in the fourth part of their reuenues towards his deliuerance at which time the shrines in the Churches were fleeced and their Chalices coined into ready money yet this Abbot quia Regi erat amicissimus redeemed the Chalices and all other the rich offerings to the glorious shrines within his Church for two hundred markes This Carine was the first Abbot of this house that was dignified with Miter and Croisier 21 Iohn de Cella did many workes of piety and purchased the Church of Saint Stephen with certaine lands thereunto adioyning for one hundred and twenty markes which he did assigne to the Officers of his Kitchin 22 William amongst many of his pious acts reedified Saint Cuthberts Chappell being as then ruinous and ready to fall downe which hee new made in the honour of Saint Cuthbert Saint Iohn the Baptist and Saint Agnes the Virgine vpon which dedication he caused these verses to be insculped ouer the high Altar Confessor Cuthberte Dei Baptista Iohannes Agnes virgo tribus vobis hec ara sacratur 23 Iohn of Hertford was a great benefactor to this Abbey 24 His successor Roger did wondrously loue the beautie of the house of God which he euidently did demonstrate by the great cost and charges he bestowed vpon this his owne Church besides he caused to be made three tunable Bels for the Steeple two to the honour of Saint Alban and the third to Saint Amphibalus which he appointed to be rung at nine a clocke euery night whereupon it was called the Corfue or couer fire bell 25 After Roger succeeded Iohn of Berkamstede of whom because hee did nothing memorable in his life time nothing shall be spoken in this present page Sed taman Lectorem monemus saith the Booke vt conuertatur ad pietatis opera et omnipotenti deo pro eius anima preces fundat 26 Iohn Marines gaue a Censer to his church of a great price besides many other necessaries 27 Hugh his successor inlarged the reuenues of his church with many faire possessions and obtained of Edward the second diuers great gifts with a crucifixe of gold beset with precious stones a cup of
Cauendish late wife of William Cauendish which William was one of the sonnes of the aboue named Alice Cauendish Which Margaret dyed the xvi day of Iune in the yeare of our Lord God M. cccccxl whossoul Iesu pardon Amen Heuen blis be here mede Yat for the sing prey or rede Cauendish is a Towne or Village in Suffolke wherein that valiant Gentleman Iohn Cauendish Esquire who slew that Arch-Rebell Watt Tyler Anno Reg. Regis Ric 2.4 was borne which fact was not long vnreuenged for in the same yeare the Rebels of Norfolke and Suffolke vnder the conduct of their Captaine Sir Iohn Wraw a detestable Priest tooke Sir Iohn Cauendish knight cosin to the foresaid Iohn chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench and beheaded him together with Sir Iohn of Cambridge Prior of Saint Edmundsbury whose heads they set on the Pillory in the Market place Here restyth the body of William Burd Esquyr late Clark of the Pipe and Priuy Seale whych payd the generall tribute of Nature deuyded from the mundane vexations by naturall death the xv day of August the xxi yere of kyng Henry the eyght Clarke of the Pipe saith the Interpreter is an Officer in the Kings Exchequer who hauing all accounts and debts due vnto the king deliuered and drawne downe out of the Remembrancers Offices chargeth them downe into the great Roll. Who also writeth summons vnto the Shiriffe to leuie the said debts vpon the goods and chattels of the said debtors and if they haue no goods then doth he draw them downe to the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer to write Extreats against their Land The ancient Reuenew of the Crowne remayneth in charge before him and he seeth the same answered by the Fermers and Shiriffes to the king He maketh a charge to all Shiriffes of their summons of the Pipe and Greenewax and seeth it answered vpon their accounts He hath the ingrossing of all Leasses of the Kings lands and it is likely that it was at the first called and still hath denomination of Pipe and Clarke of the Pipe and Pipe Office because their Records that are registred in their smallest Rolles are altogether like Organe Pipes but their great Roll called the Great Roll Ann. 37. Ed. 3. ca. 4. is of another forme Clericus Priuati Sigilii or Clarke of the priuie Seale is an Officer whereof there be foure in number that attendeth the Lord Keeper of the priuie Seale or if there be none such vpon the principall Secretarie writing and making out all things that be sent by warrant from the Signet to the Priuie Seale and are to be passed to the Great Seale as also to make out as they are tearmed Priuie Seales vpon any especiall occasion of his Maiesties affaires for loane or lending of money or such like Of this Officer and his function you may reade the Statute Ann. 27. Hen. 8. cap. 11. Hic iacet Iohannes Hartishorne quondam Seruiens Domini Regis ad Arma qui obijt viij die Martij Ann. Dom. M. ccccxxix Agnes vxor eius que obiit ..... M. cccc The office of Sergeants at Armes is to attend the person of the King to arrest Traitors or great men that do or are like to contemne messengers of ordinarie condition for other causes and to attend the Lord high Steward of England sitting in Iudgement vpon any Traitor and such like Of these by the Statute Ann. 13. Ric. 2. cap. 6. there may not be aboue thirtie in the Realme There be also two of these Sergeants of the Parliament one of the vpper and another of the lower house whose office seemeth for the execution of such commandements especially touching the apprehension of any offender as either house shall thinke good to enioyne them There is one Sergeant at Armes that belongeth to the Chancerie who is called Sergeant of the Mace as the rest may be because they carrie Maces by their office He of the Chancerie attendeth the Lord Chancellour or Lord Keeper in that Court Another in like manner attends the Lord Treasurer Of your cherite prey for the souls of George ... Maior of London and Iohan and Margaret his wyffs which .... decessyd M. ccccc.xxxvi on whos sowls ..... By the computation of yeares I finde no such man by the Christian name of George to haue beene Lord Maior about this time excepting George Monox who lieth buried at Waltham Stow. Hic iacet Iohannes Kirkham nuper Ciuis Attornatus London Elisabetha vxor eius qui quidem Iohannes obijt primo die Septembris .... M. cccc.xxvij quorum animabus ... Here lyeth Iohn Mynne Esquyr late mastyr of the Kyngs wooddys of his new granted Court of Generall Surueyours of his Londes and Auditour of diuers and sundry Reuenews of the same Courts which desessyd the xv dey of Decemb. M. ccccc.xlii on whos soul Iesu haue mercy Diuers other Inscriptions hee collected of persons here interred about the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne which are not as now visible In this Church was sometime saith Stow a Brotherhood of Saint Fabian and Sebastian founded in the yeare 1377. the 51. of Edward the third and confirmed by Henry the fourth in the sixt of his raigne Henry the sixt in the 24. of his raigne to the honour of the Trinitie gaue licence to Dame Ioan Astley sometime his Nurse to Robert Cawood Clarke of the Pipe who lieth buried in this Church but of whom no remembrance is remaining and Thomas Smith to found the same a Fraternitie perpetually to haue a Master and two Custos with Brethren and Sisters c. This Botherhood was endowed with lands more then thirtie pound by the yeere and was suppressed Edward the sixt Saint Mary Magdalens Milkestreete Of your charity pray for the soul of Edward Murell ... and Martha his wyff which Edward decessyd the ... day of ... Of your cherite prey for the souls of William Campion Citizen and Grocer of London sometime one of the Masters of the Bridghouse and Alys and Anne his wyffes The which William decessyd the xvii of December M. ccccc.xxxi Anne the .... day of M. ccccc.xx on whos souls Iesu haue pitte Amen Prey for the soul of Henry Cantlow Mercer Merchant of the Staple at Callys the builder of this Chappell wherein hee lyeth buried M. cccc.lxxxxv Here lieth also buried in this Church Sir William Cantlow Knight and Sheriffe of London in the yeare 1448. who died in the yeare 1462. Cantlow siue de Cantelupo an ancient Familie of great repute in many places of this Kingdome of which hereafter Hic iacet Iohannes Olney quondam ciuis et Mercerus Aldermannus Maior Ciuitatis London qui obijt die Martis xxiiij die octobris M cccc liiij cuius anime propitietur Deus This Iohn was the sonne of Iohn Olney of the Citie of Couentrie saith Stowes Suruay Orate pro animabus Thome Muschampe ........ This Thomas Muschampe was Sheriffe
Ipswich and reedified diuers houses which were by fire decaied He was chaplaine to King Henry the second and with him in especiall fauour euer firmely adhering to his partie against Thomas Becket who had stubbornely opposed himselfe against his said Soueraigne Lord and Master He was employed in diuers Embasies as to Rome to Seines in France and to Sicily about the marriage of Ioane the third and yongest daughter of the said King Henry to William the second of that name King of Sicill Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua In the soliditie of good doctrine in the maturitie of iudgement and in all the graces of rhetoricall speech hee did wondrously abound He was quicke and dexterous in the managing and prosperous in the dispatching of waightie affaires He writ a History of the Kings of Britaine as also a Booke Pro Rege Henrico contra S. Tho mam Cantuariensem for King Henry against S. Thomas of Canterbury besides a treatise of his iourney into Sicily and certaine Orations and Epistles to Richard Archbishop of Canterbury He died the 26 yeare of his consecration the second of Iune in the second yeare of King Iohn Iohn de Grey entirely beloued of King Iohn who preferred him to this Bishopricke was here entombed in whose commendations Bale and Pitseus doe in effect thus agree Vir erat foelici et faceto ingenio eruditione insignis consilio expeditus et quantumuis in dictis facetus in factis tamen vbi res postulabat senerus virtutum omnium amator et cultor omnium vitiorum osor et exterminator Iohanni Anglorum Regi gratissimus in magna semper authoritate apud ipsum remansit splendidis functionibus ornatus A man he was of a pleasant and facetious wit in the knowledge of all good literature excellent in counsell ready and intelligent and howsoeuer in his words merrie and iocond yet in his actions as occasion did require he was seuere and rigorous a louer and reuerencer hee was of all vertues and a despiser and rooter out of all vices He was a gracious Fauourite to King Iohn euer vnder him in great authoritie and honoured with offices of especiall trust and confidence Naâ—â— cum Rex rebelles Hibernos compescuisset eorumque vires fregisset hunc Graâ—ium tanquam virum strenuum magnae prudentiae fidelitatis exploratae reliquit ibi supremum Presidem vt eos auctoritate sua in officio contineret For when the King had repressed the rebellious Irish broken dispersed then forces he left this Grey as an hardie able man of singular wisedome and tried fidelitie Prorex or Lord Deputie of Ireland that by such his power and commission he might keepe that stiffe-necked nation in obedience He was well seene in the lawes of the Realme saith Godwin wise and of great integritie in regard whereof the King was very desirous to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury of which I haue spoken somewhat before to which Grace indeed he was solemnly elected and his election published in the Church before the King and an infinite number of people But by the exorbitant authoritie of the Pope this election was disanulled whereupon much mischiefe ensued He built that goodly Hall at Gay wood neare Linne in Norfolke and the rest of the Fabricke adioyning Hauing sate about fourteene yeares hee died neare Poytiers in his returne from Rome Obijt eodem anno quo Rex Iohannes saith Bale in the same yeare in which King Iohn deceased the first of Nouember Whose body was conueyed to this his owne Church He was an Historiographer and writ a booke which he called Schalecronicon as also other workes mentioned by Bale in his Centuries Die vero Sancti Vlstani decimo tertio Calendas Iunij obijt Episcopus Norwicensis Vualterus cognomento de Sufeld apud Colecestriam delâ—tum est corpus eius ad Norwicensem Ecclesiam suam Cathedralem honorificè tumulandus ad cuius tumbam miracula dicebantur coruscate Hic namque in vsus pauperum instante tempore famis omnia vasa sua coclearia cum toto thesauro suo pauperibus erogauerat Mat. Paris Ann. 1257. Vpon the Feast day of Saint Wolstan the thirteenth of the Calends of Iune Walter surnamed de Sufield Bishop of Norwich departed this world at Colchester from whence his body was conueyed to this Cathedrall Church here to be honourably interred At whose Tombe many miracles are reported to be wrought which are ascribed to his holinesse For it is remembred of him that in a time of extreme famine hee sold all his plate and distributed it to the poore euery pennyworth He lieth buried in our Ladies Chappell which was of his owne building He founded the Hospitall of Saint Giles here in the Citie endowing it with faire possessions insomuch that it was valued at the suppression to be yearely worth fourescore and ten pounds twelue shillings Simon de Wanton sometimes the Kings Chaplaine one of his Iustices and Bishop of this Diocesse was here interred by his predecessour Walter de Sufield He died about the yeare 1265. hauing sate eight yeares and obtained of the Pope licence to hold all his former liuings in Commendam for foure yeares In the same Chappell as I take it Roger de Sherwyng was entombed who died about Michaelmas 1278. hauing sate thirteene yeares Of whom I finde little remarkable yet he is memorable for that in his time by an incendiarie outrage the Citizens set fire on the Priorie Church The story is thus deliuered by our late writers taken out of Rishanger the Continuer of Mathew Paris his History in the last yeare of King Henry the third About the moneth of Iune in a Faire that was kept before the gates of the Priory there fell great debate and discord betwixt the Monkes of Norwich and the Citizens there which increased so farre that at length the Citizens with great violence assaulted the Monastery fired the gates and forced the fire so with reed and drie wood that the Church with the books and all other ornaments of the same and all houses of Office belonging to that Abbey were cleane burned wasted and destroyed so that nothing was preserued except one little Chappell The King hearing of this detestable and sacrilegious deuastation rode to Norwich where beholding the deformed ruines he could hardly refraine from teares and caused enquirie to be made of the fact whereupon thirty young men of the Citie as also a woman that first carried fire to the gates were condemned hanged and burnt It is thought saith Hollinshead that the Prior of the house whose name was William de Brunham was the occasion of all this mischiefe who had got together armed men and tooke vpon to keepe the Belfray and Church by force of armes but the Prior was well enough borne out and defended by this his Bishop The Monkes for their part appealed to Rome and so handled the matter that they not onely escaped punishment but also forced the
ther was an Insurrection in the Northe by whom the Erle of Northombrelond was sleyne in the feld and also the Citee of Yorke wonâ—e with a sawâ—e by force And for the subduyng of those Rebells the kynge assembled a grete hoste of hys subgettis and toke his iourney towards them from the Castell of Hertford and the seid Erle of Surrey made chief captayn of his voward and apoynted vnder him in the seid voward the Erle of Shrewesbury the Lord Hastyngs Sir William Stanley than beyng the kyngs Chambrelayn Sir Rice ap Thomas Sir Thomas Bowser Sir Iohn Sauage Sir Iohn Ryseley and dyvers other And whan this Iorney was doon the Capiteynes of these Rebelles and many other of them were put to execucion And for the syngulâ—r truste that the kynge had to the seid Erle and the activyte that he saw in hym he lefte hym in the North and made hym hys Lyveâ—enaunt generall from Trent Northward and Warden of the Est and myddle Marches of Englond ageynst Scotlond and Iustice of the Forests from Trent Northward and there he contynued x yeres and kepte the countrey in peace with policy and many paynes takyng withoute which yt wold nat have been for that the countrey had ben so lately ponyssâ—ed and nat withoute desert And thus he dide the hoole tyme of x yere savyng in the second yere of his beyng ther was an Insurrexion in the West part of the countrey with whome the seid Erle with the helpe of the kyngs true subgetts fought in the feld and subdued them at Akworth besides Pomfrett And besides dyvers of them that were sâ—ayne in the feld he toke the Capytaynes and put them to execucion and the residue he sued to the kyngs highnes for ther Pardones whiche he obteyned and wanne therby the fauor of the countrey And in the same yere the kyng went ouer the see and laid seege to Bolayn the seid Erle than remaynyng ther not withstondyng that he was apoynted to have gone with the kyng and hâ—d gone but for the lightnes of the pepule ther wherfor he was left behynd both for the sauegard of the countrey and for defendyng of the Realme for the synguler truste that he had vnto hym And sone after ther was warre with the Scottis and for that the seid Erle wold be in a redynes to defende them he went to Annwyke and ther laye to the defence of the borders And in his own persone made a wynter Rood into Tyvydale and ther brent ther howsses and ther corne to the greatest losse and empouerysshement of the countrey that was doon ther in an hundreth yere before And after that the kyng of Scott's in his owne person and one Parâ—yn with hym invaded this Realme of Englond with a greatre power and laid seege to Northam Castell And assone as he â—erde that the seid Erle was comyng towardis hym he deperted and fled into Scotlond with all the spede he myght And in the same Somer after the seid Erle made another Rood in to Scotlond and laid seege to the Castell of Heyton and dide race and pull downe the seid Castell the kyng of Scottis with the puyssaunce of his Realme lokyng vpon it and the Erle had nat than past viii or ix thowsand men with hym And than the kyng of Scottis sent vnto the seid Erle Lyon his Herrold for to requyre batayle which was graunted by the seid Erle saying vnto the seid Herrold that forasmoche as he was an Officer of Armes sent from the kyng his Master to requyre bataile and he Lyvetenaunt to the kyng his Master graunted thervnto And said it was a contracte and a full bargayn whiche cowde not be brokyn but in the defawte of oon of them And promysed by the faith that he bare to God and to Seynt George and to the kyng his Master he wold fulfill his promesse And yf the kyng hys Master brake yt shuld be asmoche to his dishonor and reproche as euer had Prynce And whan the Harrold had herd this answere and sawe weall the said Erle was clerely determined to fight he said vnto hym Sir the kyng my master sendeth you word that for eschewyng of effusion of Gristen blode he wil be contented to fight with you hande to hande for the Towne of Berwike and the Fisshegarthis on the West marches yf he wynne you in bataile and yf ye wynne hym in bataile you to have a kyngis Raunsom Whervnto the said Erle made answere that he thanked his Grace that he wolde put hym to so moche honour that he beyng a kyng anoynted wold fight hande to hande with so poore a man as he how be yt he seid he wold nat dysceyve his Grace for he said though he wanne hym in in bataile he was neuer the nerer Berwike ner of Fisshegarthys for he had no suche comyssyon so to do his Comyssyon was to do the kyng of Scottis his Master all the harme he coude and so he had don and wold do c. And bad hym shewe vnto the kyng hys Master that whan the Iorney was don he wolde fyght wyth hym on Horsback or on fote at hys plesur at any place he wold indifferently appoynt yf the kyng hys Master wold gyff hym leue c. And whan the warre was doon and â—ended witthe Scottis and the North part of Englond in good reste and peace than the kyngs Highnes sent for the seid Erle to be agayn about his parson and made hym Tresourar of Englond and of his priuye Counsayll And after that the kyng sent hym into Scotland as chief Comâ—myssyoner withe Lady Margarett hys doughter to be maryed to the foresaid kyng of Scottis whiche kyng att the tyme of the seid Erlys beyng ther entreteyned hym as thankfully and fauourably as coude be thought Notwithstondyng anye dyspleasures doon to hym by the seid Erle in the warres before And also the seid kyng said than vn to hym that he loued hym the better for suche servyce as he had doon before to the kyng his father kyng of Englond thoughe the hurte war doon to hym and to his Realme and he gave to hym then at his depertyng greatt gyfts And at the comyng home agayn of the seid Erle for the truste that the kyng our souerayn Lord had to hym hys Grace made hym one of hys Executours And after the dethe of kyng Henry the vii kyng Henry theyght made hym lyke wyse of hys prevay counsayll and styll contynued Tresourer of Englond and made hym highe Marshall of the same And for the syngler truste that the kyng had aswell to his truthe as to hys wysdome and actyvytte at his goyng in to Fraunce with his puyssaunce havyng with hys hyghnes the moste parte of his Nobles of this Realme lefte the said Erle with a certeyn power in the Northe partys and made hym Lyvetenaunte generall from Trent Northward to defend the Realme agaynste the kyng of Scottys whom his hyghnes had no truste vnto for cause of the leeg betwyxt Fraunce
and them in case the sâ—â—d kyng wold invade thys hys Realme whiche he dide in deede contrary to hys oth and promyse with the hoole power of the Realme of Scotlond Whiche when the seid Erle hard of he made as greatt haste towardis hym as he coude with the kyngs power of the North partys And toke hys lodgyng in the Campe or playn caâ—â—yd Wollar haugh in the Countie of Northumbrelond which was in the â—ight of the kyng of Scottis and of all hys army then â—ying on Floddon hyll a ground more lyke a campe or forteres than any meete ground to gyve batayle on contrary to hys promes made to Rogeâ—ras Purseuaunte at armys before sent vnto hym from the seid Erle with message that the said Erle with the Lord Howard then Admerall of Englond hys Son And the no 〈◊〉 men of the North partis with other the kyngs Subgettis of the same North partis was come thedir to represse and resiste hys Invasyons of hys souerayn Lordis Realme desyryng the said kyng of Scottis to gyve hym bataile which his message the same kyng of Scottis toke very thankfully and ioyusly promysyng hym to abide ther on the same grounde wher he than was whiche hys promys he brake as is aforesaid and tooke Floddon hilâ—ys a ground unprengnable and shot at hym hys great Ordenaunce where as he lay like one mynded to kepe it like a forteres And whan the said Erle dide perceyve that he had brokyn hys promys and takyn so stronge â— grounde as Floddon hillys he than the said Erle remoued all his Batail vnto a playn besydis Barmer wood to thentente to get betwene hym and hys owne Realme of Scotlond and ther leygeed but one nyght and on the next mornyng toâ—e hys passage ouer the water of at Twyfull forthe and than he marched the said kyng and hys oste in suche maner as he gat betwene hym and hys aune reame of Scotlond be force wherof the said kyng was fayn to leue his Campe and to prepare hymself to bataile witthe seid Erle on a hyll besydis Bramston in Northumbrelond very neer vnto Sandyford Wher the said Erle witthe good assistauns of the Nobull men and the power of the said North partys fought witthe said kyng and hym â—anquâ—sshed and slewe in playn bataile derectely before his owne Standard In which bataile ware slayne on the Scottysshe parte ii Bysshoppes xi Eâ—lys xvii Barons CCCC knyghtis besydys other Gentilmen with xvii M in nombre which ware nombred asweel by Scottysshe men as by them that dyd bury the moste parte of them And of trouth dyvers Gentylmen and others aswell of the said Erlys servantys as of the North partyes and of Chesshir and Lankasshir war ther slayne for hard it ys and half impossible in suche a conflicte and bataile to be wonne without losse of men whoys deth may be ioyed among ther frendis to dye in so hygh a servys doon to ther Prynce And this noble acte was don by the helpe of almyghty God to the highe honour of the kyngis hyghnes Honor and prays to the said Erle and to all other Noble men and otheres the kyngs Subgettis that war ther with hym at the bataile the ix daye of Septembir in the v yeer of our souerayn Lord kyng Henry the viii And this doon the said Erle went to Barwyke to establysshe all thyngys well and in good order And sent for the dede body of the kyng of Scottis to Barwyke And whan the Ordenaunce of the kyng of Scottis was brouth of the feld and put in good suertie and all other thyngys in good order Than the seid Erle toke hys Iorney toward Yorke and ther abode duryng the kyngis pleasur and caryed with hym the dede body of thafforesaid kyng of Scottis And ther laye vnto suche tyme as the kyngis hyghâ—es cam from beyond the See after his wynnyng of Tyrwyn and Tomey And than hys highnes sent for the seid Erle to mete hym at Rychemond and so he dide and ther delyvered vnto his highnes the dede body of the kyng of Scottis whiche deâ—â— bodye was delyuered in to the Charter hous ther and ther to abide duryng the kyngs plesur And for the servyce that the seid Erle dide he was honorably restored vnto his right name of Duke of Norffolk and also had geuen vnto hym greatt possessyons by the kyngis highnes And whan the warre betwixt the kyng our souerayn Lord and the Frenche Kyng was eended than the said Duke was sent into Fraunce as chieff Commyssyoner with Lady Marye the Kyngis Suster to be maryed vnto the Frenche Kyng Lewes And after when the kyng and the Quene were both out of the Reame to mete witthe Frenche kyng Frauncys at Guynes and the Prynces remaynyng in the Reame beyng a childe the said Duke was left behynde as protector and defender to mynyster Iustice and to see good Rule and Gouernaunce in the Reame in the absence of the kyngis highnes and so contynued aboute the kyng and of his preuye Counsayle tyll he wâ—s of age of fourescore yeeris and then the kyngis highnes was content that the said Duke shulde go home in to hys owne countrey vnto the Castell of Framlyngham wher he contynued and kepte an honorable howse vnto the houre of his deth And ther he dyed lyke a good Cristen Prynce I now to wytnes Whose sowle Iesu pardon And at his depertyng out of Framlyngham Castell toward hys buryall he coude nat be asked one grote for his dette nor for restitucion to any person and so was had to this present Abbay of Thetford with moche honor Accompanyed with many greatt Lordis and the Noble men of both Schires of Norffolk and Suffolk Leuyng then lyuyng these his children herafter named that is to seye his son and heyre the Lord Thomas Duke of Norffolk the Lord Edmond Howard the Lord Willyam Howard and the Lord Thomas Howard witthe Ladye Elysabeth wiffe to the Uicount Rocheford the Lady Agnes Countes of Oxenford the Lady Kateryne espoused to the heyre of Sir Rice app Thomas of Walys the Lady Elysabeth espoused vnto the Uicount Fitzwaters son and heyr And the Lady Dorathie then beyng not maryed but lefte for hir Right good substance to marry hyrwyth Henry Fitz-Roy the naturall sonne of King Henry the eight begotten of the Lady Talboys daughter of Sir Iohn Blount knight Duke of Richmond was here interred as Graston Stow Hollinshed and other writers affirme howsoeuer some will haue him to bee buried at Framingham in Suffolke Hee married Mary daughter of the foreremembred Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and Lord high Treasurer of England with whom he liued not long but dyed at Saint Iames by Westminster the 22. of Iuly in the yeare of Christ Iesus 1536. He was a Prince very forward in Martiall actiuities of good literature and knowledge in the tongues vnto whom the learned Antiquarie Leland dedicated a booke as appeareth by this Hexastichon following which is
obedience and iurisdiction either of the said Bisshop of Rome or of any other Potentate We late yow witt that prependyng and consideryng the charge and commission in this behalfe geuen vnto vs by almighty God togedre with the great quietnes rest and tranquillity that hereby may ensue to owr faithfull Subgiects both in their conscience and otherwise to the pleasure of almighty God in cace the sayd Bisshops and Clergie of this our realme shuld sincerely truly and faithfully sett furth declare and preche vnto our sayd Subgiects the veray true word of God and without all maner color dissimulacion and hipocrisie manifest publishe and declare the great and innumerable enormities and abuses which the said Bisshop of Rome as well in title and stile as also in auctorite and iurisdiction of long time vnlawfully and iniustly hath vsurped vpon vs our Progenitors and all other Christen Princes haue not onely addressed our letters generall to all and euerye the same Bisshops straitely charging and commaundyng them not only in their propre persons to declare teche and preche vnto the people the true mere and sincere word of God and how the said title stile and iurisdiction of supreme hed apperteyneth to vs our Crowne and dignitie royall and to gyve like warnyng monicion and charge to all Abbots Priors Deanes Archdeacons Prouosts Parsons Vicars Curats Scolemasters and all other Ecclesiasticall persons within their Diocesses to do the semblable in their Churches euery Sunday and solempne feast and also in their scoles And to cause all maner prayers orysons Rubricks and Canons in Massebokes and all other bokes vsed in Churches wherein the sayd Bisshop is named vtterly to be abolished eradicated and rased in soche wise as the said Bisshop of Rome his name and memory for euermore except to his contumely and reproche may be extinct suppressed and obscured But also to the Iustices of our Peace that they in euery place within the precinct of their Commissions do make and cause to be made diligent serche wayte and espiall whedder the sayd Bisshops and Clergie doo truly and sincerely without any manner cloke or dissimulacyon execute accomplish their said charge to them committed in this behalf And to certifye vs and our Councail of such of them as shuld omytt or leaue vndone any parte of the premises or ells in the execucyon thereof shuld coldely or faynedly vse any maner synistre addicyon interpretacion or cloke as more plainly is expressed in our said letters We consideryng the great good and furtheraunce that ye may doo in thise matiers in the parties about yow and specially at your being at Sises and Sessions in the declaracion of the premisses haue thought it good necessary and expedient to write thise letters vnto yow whom wee esteme to be of soch singler zeale and affection towards the glory of Almighty God and of so faithfull and louing harte towards vs as ye woll not only with all your wisdoms diligences and labors accomplishe all soche things as might be to the preferment and setting forwards of Gods word and the amplification defence and maintenance of our said interesse right title stile iurisdiction and auctorite apperteyning vnto vs our dignitie prerogatiue and Corone imperiall of this our realme will and desire you and neuerthelesse straitely charge and command you that laying aparte all vayn affections respects and carnall consideracions and setting before your ees the mirror of truth the glory of God the right and dignitie of your Soueraigne Lord thus sounding to the inestimable vnitie and commoditie both of your selfes and all other our louing and faithfull Subgiects ye doo not only make diligent serche within the precinct of your Commission and auctorite whedder the said Bisshops and Clergie doo truly and sincerly as before preche teche and declare to the people the premisses according to their dutyes but also at your said sitting in Sises and Sessions ye doo perswade shew and declare vnto the said people the veray tenor effect and purpose of the premisses in soch wise as the said Bisshops and Clergie may the better not only doo therby and execute their said duties but also the parents and rulers of families may declare teche and informe their childer and servaunts in the specialties of the same to the vtter extirpacion of the said Bisshops vsurped auctoritie name and iurisdiction for euer Shewing and declaring also to the people at your said Sessions the treasons treacherously committed against vs and our lawes by the late Bisshop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More knight who therby and by diuerse secrete practises of their maliciouse mynds against vs entended to seminate engender and brede amongst our people and subgiects a most mischieuous and sediciouse opynyon not only to their own confusion but also of diuers others who lately haue condignely suffered execucion according to their demerites And in soche wise dilating the same with persuacions to the same our people as they may be the better rixed established and satisfyed in the truth and consequently that all our faythfull and true subgiects may therby detest and abhorre in their hartes and heads the most recreaunt and trayterouse abuses and behaviors of the said maliciouse malefactors as they be most worthy And finding any defaulte negligence or dissimulacion in any maner of person or persons not doing his duty in this partie Ye immediatly doo advertise vs and our Counsail of the defaulte maner and facion of the same Lating you witt that considering the great moment weight and importaunce of this matter as wherevpon dependeth the vnitie rest and quietnes of this our Realme yf ye shuld contrary to your duties and our expectation and trust neglect be slake or omytte to doo diligently your duties in the true performaunce and execucion of our mynde pleasure and commaundement as before or wold haulte stumble at any parte or specialtie of the same Be ye assured that we like a Prince of Iustice will so punyshe and correct your defaulte and negligence therin as it shal be an example to all others how contrary to their allegiance othes and duties they doo frustrate deceiue and disobey the iust and lawfull commaundement of their soueraigne Lord in such things as by the true harty and faithfull execucion whereof they shall not only prefer the honor and glory of God and sett forth the maiestie and imperiall dignitie of their soueraign Lord but also importe and bring an inestimable vnitie concord and tranquillitie of the publike and common state of this Realme whereunto both by the lawes of God and nature and man they be vtterly obliged and bounden And therfore faile ye not most effectually ernestly and entierly to see the premises done and executed vpon paine of your allegeance as ye well advoyd our high indignacion and displeasure at your vtmost perils Y euen vndre our Signet at our Manor besids Westminster the xxv day of Iune Henry R. By the King TRusty and welbeloued we grete yow well And whereas we chiefly and
principally regarding and tendring the quiet rest prosperite and tranquillite of our Nobles and Commons and their conservacion no lesse then our own directed lately our letters vnto you and other Iustices of our Peace throughout this our Realme conteyning our admonicion and gentill warenyng to haue such speciall regard to the dewties of your offices accordyng to the trust we haue in yow that not only for thymportance it is both vnto vs and our common welth ye shuld see our high dignite of Supremacie of our Church wherwith it hath pleased almighty God by his most certain and vndoubted word to endowe and adorne our auchtorite and Corone imperiall of this our Realme to be set forth and impressed in all our Subiects harts and mynds and to forsee that the mayntenors of the Bisshop of Roomes vsurped and fayned auctorite with all his Papisticall supersticions and abuses wherwith he hath in times past abused the multitud of our subgiects of whose yoke tyranny and skornefull illusion we haue by Gods porveiaunce deliuered this our realme and of other his Satellites whiche secretly did vphold his faction shuld be by yow diligently serched enqwired and tried owt and so broughte to our Iustices to receaue condigne punyshement according to their demerits but also that tale tellers about the cuntriee and spraders of rumours and false inventors of newes to put owr people to feare and stirr them to sedicyon shulde be apprehended and punyshed to the terrible example of others Also that vagabonds and valiant Beggers shal be avoyded and haue worthy corrections And for the same purpose to kepe watches and to see commen Iustice with indifferency and without corrupcion to be obserued and ministred vnto all owr Subgiects like as by the porporte and contents of our said Letters ye may more amplie perceiue We haue thervpon ben credably enformed that sondry of yow haue for a time so well done yowr dewties and endeuoired your selues in fulfilling our admonitions and caused the euill doers to be punyshed according to their demerites that our louing Subgiects haue not ben disquieted of a long season vntill now of late that sum vngracious cankred and maliciouse persons haue taken boldnes to attempt with sondry diuelish persuasions to moue and seduce our trewe subgiects vsing false lies and most vntrewe rumors And amonst them we vnderstand sondry Parsons Vicars and Curats of this our Realme to be chieffe which to bring our people to darkenes of their own perverse mynde not only to blynde our Commons do rede so confusely hemming and hacking the word of God and soche our Iniunctions as we haue lately set forthe that almost no man can vnderstand the trewe meanyng of the said Iniunctions but also secretly haue suborned certeyne spreders of Rumors and false tales in corners which doo interpreat and wrast our trewe meanyng and intention of owr said Iniunctions to an vntrewe sense For wheras we haue ordeyned by owr said Iniunctions for thavoyding of sondry striues processis and contentions risyng vpon aege vpon lineall discents vpon title of Inheritances vpon legittimation or Bastardie and for knowlege whither any person is our subiect borne or no Also for sondry other causes that the names of all childer christened from hensforth with ther birth ther fathers and mothers names and likewise all mariages and burialls with the time and date thereof shuld be registred from time to time in a boke in euery Parish Church surely and safeâ—y to be kept They haue bruted and blowen abrode most falsely and vntrewely that we doo entende to make some new exactions at all christenyngs weddings and burials The whiche in no wise we euer meaned or thought vpon aâ—leging for to fortefy and color there false and manifâ—st lies that therin we go abowt to take away the liberties of the realme For conservacion wherof they fayne that Bisshop Beckett of Canterbury which they haue to fore called Saynt Thomas died for where in dede there was neuer soch thing done nor ment in that time nor sithens For the said Beckett neuer swarved nor contended with owr progenitor Kyng Henry the second but only to lett that those of the Clergie shuld not be punyshed for their offences nor iustyfyed by the Courts and lawes of this Realme but only at the Bisshops pleaser and after the decrees of Roome And the causes why he died was vpon a wilfull reskewe and a fray by him made and begon at Canterbury Which was neuerthelesse afterward alleged to be for soche liberties of the Churche which he contendyd for during his life with tharchbisshop of Yorke chiefly to haue soche priuiledge that no Kyng of England ought euer to be crowned by any other Bisshop but oonly by the Bishops of Canterbury Yea and in case he shuld be absent or fugitiue out of the Realme the Kyng shuld neuer be coroned by any other but constrayned to abide his retorne These and soche other detestable and vnlawfull liberties of the Church nothing concerning the common weale but only the partie of the Clergie the said Thomas Becket most arrogantly desyred and trayterouslye sewyd to haue contrary to the law of this our Realme To the which most false interpretacions and wrasting of our trewe meanyng they haue ioyned such myscheuous lyes and false tales for markyng of catals and like seditious devises wherevpon owr people were lately stirred to sedition and insurrection to ther vtter ruyne and destruction onles almighty God who by his diuine prouidence gaue vnto vs habundance of force as he alwaies dothe vnto rightfull Princes had so with clemencie illumyned vs that where as we with th edge of the swerde and by our lawes might haue ouerthrowen and destroyed them there wyues children and posterite for euer we neuerthelesse as ye can right well remember extended vpon them at that time our benigne and mercifull pardon These miserable and Papisticall superstitious wretches nothing regarding the same nor caring what danger and myschiefe our people shuld incurre haue both raysed the said olde rumors and forged new sedicious tales intendyng asmoche as in them lyeth a new commotion and all to satisfye there cankred harts Wherfore and for the imminent daunger to yow and all our good subgiects and the troble that might ensewe onlesse good and ernest prouision to represse them be taken thervpon We desyre and pray yow and neuerthelesse straytly charge and commaund yow that within the Precinct and lymyts of yowr charge ye shall not only endeuor your self and employ your most diligence to inquyre and fynd owt such cankerd Parsons Vicars and Curats which doo not trewly and substancially declare our said Iniunctions and the very worde of God but momble confusely seying that they be compelled to rede them and bydd ther Parishens neuerthelesse to doo as they did in times past to lyue as ther fathers and that the olde fashion is the best and other crafty sedicious parables But also with your most effectuall vigilancy doo enserche and trie owt such sedicious tale tellers