at all Soone after his returne thither the fower knights before mentioned arriued at Canterbury to wit vpon Innocents day They comming vnto the Archbishop told him the kings pleasure was he should goe to his sonne and reuerently make offer of doing homage and fealty vnto him for the Barony of his Archbishopricke secondly that he should cause all the strangers he brought into the realme with him to be sworne to his obedience and thirdly that he should retrcat those excommunications which he had caused to be denounced against the instruments of the yoong kings coronation To this 〈◊〉 he answered that neither the king nor any other mortall man should extort from him or any of his by his consent any 〈◊〉 or vnreasonable othe And as for the Bishops and other excommunicate concerning the coronation it was indeede quoth he a thing done in my behalfe and for an iniury offred to my church But it was the Act of the Pope If therefore they will sweare they shall be ready to make me amends at the Popes discretion I will absolue them otherwise not And whatsoeuer you say it was the kings pleasure I should take my best course for the redresse of this abuse by ecclestasticall authority Many other words passed betwéene them the same time they breathing out terrible threats and he continuing still the same man without 〈◊〉 one iotte At last the knights departed giuing the monkes charge in the kings name to see the Archbishop foorth comming and not to suffer him to escape away At euening prayer time the same day they came suddenly into the church with their swords drawen crying Where 's the Traytor Where 's the Traytor The Archbishop who was then going vp the steps toward the quire hearing the noyse turned backe vnto them and euery one of the fower striking mainely at him vpon the third or fourth greice of those stops was slaine His body these knights had determined to haue cast into the sea or else to haue hewen into a thousand pieces but the Prior and the monkes doubting some such thing buried it immediately in the vndercraft whence shortly it was taken vp and laid in a most sumptuous shrine in the East end of the church The Pope hearing of this massacre excommunicated immediately all that were either authors or consenters to the same The king was faine to purge himselfe by othe and yet could not be absolued before he had done certaine strange penance as first that he should pray deuoutly at the tombe of this new Martyr that he should be whipt in the chapter house receiuing of euery monke one lash that he should maintaine 200. soldiers for the space of one yeere at Jerusalem lastly reuoke the declaration published at Clarindon that originally gaue the occasion of this murther All this such were those times the king was faine to performe 39. Richard IN the moneth of February following the death of Thomas Becket which was December 28. 1170. one Robert Abbot of Becco was chosen Archbishop But he liking better a quiet life chose rather to sit 〈◊〉 where he was then to aduenture him selfe in a place subiect to the blasts of such terrible tempests as Thomas Becket was tossed withall The king then dealt earnestly with the Couent of Canterbury to choose some mild and soft spirited man to preuent such broiles as had béene raised by the last Archbishop They followed his direction 〈◊〉 elected one Richard a Benedictine Monke Prior of the Monastery of Saint Martins in Douer who was presently allowed of the king and the Pope and soone after consecrate He was a man very liberall gentle and passing wise So he handled the matter that in all his time he neuer was out either with the Pope or the king The Pope be entertained with often gifts and money the kings fauour he retained by yéelding and 〈◊〉 him selfe to his pleasure This man continued Archbishop about the space of ten or eleuen yeeres In all which time there happened not any thing concerning him woorthy memory except peraduenture the stir betwéen him and the Archbishop of Yorke Roger. The olde quarrell chaunced to be renued betwéene these two Archbishops concerning the Primacy And one Hugocio the Popes Legate comming into England both of them requested him to heare and iudge this controuersie betweene them Upon this and other occasions a Conuocation was summoned at Westminster where was a stately throne prouided for the Legate At the time appointed the Legate came and tooke his place and the Archbishop of Canterbury sate him downe next vnto the Legate vpon the right hand After this in came Roger Archbishop of Yorke and would néedes haue displaced 〈◊〉 to sit aboue him that when the other would not suffer he sate him 〈◊〉 in his lap The other Bishops present amased at this strange behautor of the Archbishop of Yorke cried out all vpon him the Archbishop of Canterburies men by violence drew the other out of his ill chosen place threw him dewne 〈◊〉 his robes almost from his backe trode vpon him beate him and vsed him so despitefully as the Legate whether for shame or for doubt what might happen to him selfe in such a 〈◊〉 got him out and went his way The Archbishop of Yorke all ragged as he was bloudy and 〈◊〉 went to the king who first was exceeding angry but when he heard the truth laught merily at it and said he was well ynough ferued Much adoo there was long after at Rome about this and the old controuersie the ende whereof at last was that much money was spent and neither party euer a whit the néerer The end of this man is thus reported how that being a sléepe at his mannor of Wrotham there séemed to come vnto him a certaine terrible personage demaunding of him who he was whereunto when for feare the Archbishop answered nothing Thou art he quoth the other that hast destroied the goods of the Church and I will destroy thée front of the earth This hauing said he vanished away In the morning betime the Archbishop got him vp and taking his iourney toward Rochester related this fearefull vision vnto a friend of his by the way He had no sooner told the tale but he was 〈◊〉 sodainly with a great cold stifnesse in his limmes so that they had much adoo to get him so farre as Halling a house belonging to the Bishop of Rochester There he tooke his bed and being horribly tormented with the cholike and other gréefes vntill the next day the night following the sixtéenth of February he gaue vp the Ghost ann 1183. His body was caried to Canterbury and honorably interred in the Lady Chappell 40. Baldwin AFter the death of Richard the Archbishop a controuersie grew betwéene the Couent of Christs Church in Canterbury and the Suffragan Bishops of the Prouince of Canterbury who of right ought to choose the Archbishop For it had béene often done by both as in that which I haue before deliuered you may perceiue The
Stigand being displaced in manner aboue rehearsed the conquerour well knowing how much it behooued him to the establishment of his new erected throne in England to haue a man wise and faithfull in that place made a speciall choice of him as one in all respects most fit and woorthy which being well knowne to all men the Couent at the kings first nomination readily chose him the nobilitie and courtiers willingly assented and receaued him with great applause and lastly the Pope affoorded him his pall with extraordinary fauour It is said at his first comming the Pope rose vp vnto him and mette him telling him he yeelded him that honour not of dutie but in regard of his excellent learning whereof he had heard great fame Thomas Archbishop of Yorke was present the same time together with 〈◊〉 Bishop of Dorchester This Thomas had béene lately consecrated vnto Yorke by Lanfrank and for a certaine time refused to make profession of obedience vnto the See of Canterbury euen vntill by the commandement of the king he was inforced thereunto Now whether it were discontentment and perswasion of a wrong or else enuie at Lanfranks either vertue or good fortune that mooued him hée presently began to make complaint vnto the Pope of a great miury offered vnto his Sée in the demaund of his profession Lanfrank pleaded prescription for his right and offred to make proofe of the same The Pope therefore not willing to trouble himselfe any more with the matter committed the hearing thereof vnto the king who in the yéere 1072. iudged it for Canterbury Sée more of this quarrell in Thomas of Yorke Lanfrank himselfe was consecrated very solemnly at Canterbury all the Bishops in England being present themselues or by their proctors August 29. 1070. Almost 18. yeres he continued Archbishop gouerning his charge laudably and happily till that about the end of his time one action obscured his former praises and furthermore was the cause of many great calamities vnto him It is thought that William the Conqueror left the kingdome of England vnto his yoonger sonne William Rufus at the perswasion especially of this Archbishop who the rather wisht well vnto the yoong prince because he had béene brought vp vnder him in his childhood He is blamed much for putting the eldest sonne Robert from that which might séeme in some sort due vnto him and surely God blessed him not in that action The king thus aduanced by him fel out with him and droue him out of the realme The cause of this displeasure is diuersly reported But most men agree it was none other then this that the king thought him a little too busie in exhorting him to vertue and godlinesse and reprehending his manifold vices Being thus banished he trauatled to Rome and wandred vp and downe many countries till at last by what intercession I finde not he was suffred to come home againe Soone after his return he fell sicke of an ague and so ended his daies Iune 4. 1088. or as Houeden hath May 24. 1089. He was buried at Canterbury in his owne church vnto which he was a great benefactor He bestowed much vpon the fabrike and reparation of the same built much housing for the monkes whose number he increased from 30. to 140. restored the dignities and offices of old belonging to the monastery and recouered vnto the same 25. Mannors that had béene taken from it wrongfully in times past by Odo Bishop of Bayon and earle of Rent Moreouer he built the Archbishops pallace at Canterbury in a manner all he founded two hospitals without the citie of Canterbury and endowed them with competent reuenewes Saint Iohns and Harbaldown He bestowed large mony toward the building of the cathedrall Church of Rochester or rather indéed built it all and did much the particulars I cannot set downe for the abbey of Saint Albons He was a great student writ many learned works and which deserueth especiall remembrance tooke great paines in reforming the Bible the copies whereof were much corrupted throughout England by the negligence of the writers 34. Anselm FOwer yéeres the Sée continued void after the death of Lanfranke and the king pursed the profits thereof In what good moode I knowe not he which was woont to sell all other ecclesiastical promotions as it were by the drum bestowed this Archbishopricke fréely vpon a most woorthy man Anselm abbot of Becco This Anselm was borne at Augusta a city of Burgundy standing at the foot of the Alpes His fathers name was Gundulfe a man of great account in his country and his mothers Hemeberg He came vnto Becco of the like errand as Lanfranke had done mooued thereunto by the great fame of the said Lanfranke and professed himselfe a monke there in the 27. yéere of his age Lanfranke being called away to Cane he was made Prior and soone after Abbot Eluyn the old Abbot being dead In that place he continued 15. yéeres and then was earnestly requested by Hugh Earle of Chester lying very sicke to come into England vnto him to conferre with him and to order certaine affairesof his Hither he came and had much honour done him euery where of all forts of people The king himselfe amongst the rest beside many verball fauours made offer vnto him of the Archbishopricke of Canterbury verily hoping belike that a man giuen to monasticall contemplation and not estéeming worldly pompe would vndoubtedly haue refused the same For it is certaine that after Anselm had accepted the offer pitying belike the spoile and desolation of the church for want of a pastor the king would faine haue retracted his gift and perswaded him with many reasons to leaue it shewing him how the burthen and trouble of the place was greater then he should be able to inoure a man that had spent his time within the wals of a monastery and not experienced in managing of great affaires But he lost his labour Anselm kept fast his hold and was soone after consecrated by Walkelm Bishop of Winchester or as I finde also recorded by Thomas Archbishop of Yorke Decemb. 4. 1093. all the Bishops of the land that could possibly come being present at that solemnity Presently after his consecration the king and he fel out Not long before the king had throwen downe thirty churches to make his new forest néere Winchester This 〈◊〉 reprehended him sharply for and besought him to amend that and other faults as namely his simony his extortion his cruelty c. wherein he daily offended God gréeuously and greatly dishonoured himselfe This admonition of his displeased the king very much but his quarrell in shew was none other then this that asking leaue to go to Rome to fetch his pall he had named Vrban Pope whom the king as yet had not acknowledged for Pope and for so doing accused him of no lesse then high treason After great stirre and much adoe betwéene them about this matter it was determined that all the abbots and Bishops of England should be
casting many doubts by reason of this méeting procéeded first vnto their election and chose Reginald Bishop of Bathe that was sonne to Ioceline Bishop of Salisbury but concealed it till the Bishops were come together at what time in the presence of them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their election and withall laid hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there present drew him vnto the Archiepiscopall throne and violently placed him in the same Albeit at that time he withstood them what he might and with teares 〈◊〉 besought them to make choice of some other yet being asked the next day by the Archbishop of Roan whether he assented vnto the election he answered that so farre he was from ambitious desire of that place as it was a great griefe vnto him to be chosen and that he would be very glad they would take some other in his roome Howbeit quoth he if they will néeds stand to their election though with griefe and hearty sorrow I must and will accept of the same Messengers were by and by dispatched vnto the Pope who presently affoorded the pall and other vsuall ceremonies vnto this 〈◊〉 elect But before newes could be brought of his confirmation or he take possession of his new honor he died at his house of Dogmersfield in Hamshire vpon Christmas day fiftéene daies or as other deliuer the nine and fortie after his election vnto Canterbury He was buried at Bathe Sée more of him in Bathe and Wels. 42. Hubert Walter KIng Richard the first surnamed Cueur de Lyon being taken prisoner in his returne from the holy land by Leopold 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at what time the Sée of Canterbury was yet void well knowing how notable a stay a good Archbishoppe might be vnto the whole realme in his 〈◊〉 and hauing experience of the great wisedome and other manifold vertues of 〈◊〉 Bishop of Salisbury that had attended 〈◊〉 in all that long and dangerous voyage he vsed what 〈◊〉 he might possibly to procure him to be translated thither This Hubert was borne at a place called West Derham in Norfolke and brought vp vnder Raynulph de Glandfeld chiefe Justice of England The first preferment he 〈◊〉 was the Deamy of Yorke 〈◊〉 he was called in the 〈◊〉 yéere of king Richard vnto the 〈◊〉 of Salisbury by the 〈◊〉 of Baldwyn the Archbishop who loued him 〈◊〉 in his life time and at his death trusted him with the disposition of all his goods Being yet Deane of Yorke he bought certaine land of Geoffry Fitz Geoffry in West Derham where he was borne and founded a monastery in the same for his owne soules health so himselfe speaketh in his foundation as also for the soules of his father mother Raynulphde Glandfeld and Berta his wife who brought him vp The manner of his election vnto Canterbury was this The king writ earnestly to the Couent to choose some wise quiet moderate man but refrayned to name any in regard of the former repulses taken by him and his father But his minde and particular desire could not be vnknowen vnto them He signified vnto Elianor his mother to the Archbishop of Roan and other what course he wished to be taken And so wisely they handled the matter as before any man looked for it the monkes who well saw how greatly it imported the realme in that dangerous time to haue some woorthy prelate in that place had elected him and published suddenly their election at Paules crosse to the great contentment of the Quéene and councell and no lesse ioy of all other sorts and states of people While his pall was fetching at Rome considering how odious Baldwyn had beene to his Monkes of Canterbury for not beeing a Monke as themselues were and in a manner all his predecessors had béene went to Merton and there professed him selfe a Monke in like maner as Regmald the last Archbishoppe had done Then he began to bestir him in leuiyng of money for the kings ransome So discretly he wrought as the Cleargy aud commonalty of the whole realme did very willingly yéeld a quarter of all their reuenues for one yéere which together with the plate and ornaments of Churches that were fame to be sold in this extrenuty amounted vnto 150000. marks the sum required by the Emperor The king returning made him presently Lord Chauncelor chiefe Justice of England and high gouernor of all his dominions immediately vnder him So that being already Archbishop and the Popes Logate he wanted no authority that was possible to be laid vpon him Neuer was there any Cleargy man either before or after him of so great power neuer any man vsed his authority more moderately He was blamed and much enuied for taking so many offices vpon him It is remembred that a Noble man said vnto him in scorne at what time he was made Chauncellor I haue heard of many Chauncellors made Bishops but of an Archbishop that would vouchsafe to stoup to the Chauncellorship till now I neuer heard of any With in two yéers after his first promotion to these high places the better to excuse his ambition he made a dissembling and counterfeit shew of being desirous to leaue these temporall offices in so much as he dealt effectually with the king by letters to giue him leaue to resigne them saying that the charge of his Church was worke ynough for one man whereunto onely he would hereafter gladly dedicate himselfe This he did assuring him selfe in his owne conceite that the king had no man about him so likely to manage those affaires as him selfe and not being able to want him would intreate him to retaine them still It fell out otherwise then he expected For though at first the king séemed and peraduenture was vnwilling to yéeld to this his request yet he found it so reasonable in the end as he could not any longer deny the same Here now this Archbishop manifestly bewrayed his insatiable desire of rule and gouernment Being thus taken tardy in his owne snare as though his mind and determination were sodainely altered he signified vnto the king by letters that notwithstanding his great desire of betaking himselfe onely to spirituall matters and the manifold infirmities of his age he would be content to afford his labor and diligence in his other offices yet a while longer if therein he might doo him any profitable seruice And that the king should not think it possible to prouide himselfe elsewhere of better officers he certified him withall that in these two yéeres since his preferment he had gathered for his vse 1100000. marks which he was ready to pay into his coffers augmenting it is like the summe and adding thereto out of his owne purse that so he might in cleanly sort buy a-againe those honorable and gainfull offices which his subtile dissimulation had almost lost him Setting this fault aside whereunto the greatest wits are most subiect I meane ambition he was an excellent and memorable man a bridle saith on vnto the king and an obstacle of tyranny the peace and
foorth as he would haue one Church allowed vnto them in the City in which with certaine restraints they should practise their ceremonies Unto double beneficed men and non residents he was very hard Diuers elected vnto Bishopricks he reiected hauing no other exception against them Many he compelled to reforme themselues according to the Canons in that behalfe and some that refused to be conformable he finally depriued Abultery he was woont to punish very seuerely He persecuted a Bishop terribly his name is not deliuered for keeping a concubine One Roger Ham a Priest he enioyned to thrée yéeres penance for fornication enioyining him to spend all that time in fasting prayer and pilgrimages to Rome Compostella and Colon and moreouer sequestred the fruites of his benefice during those thrée yéeres appointing them to be giuen vnto the poore Neither 〈◊〉 he thus with men of his owne coate onely There was a certaine knight of 〈◊〉 called Sir Osborn Gifford He had stollen two Nunnes out of the Nunry of Wilton which comming to the Archbishops eares he first excommunicated him and after absolued vpon these conditions first that he should neuer after come within any Nunry or in the company of a Nunne then that thrée Sundaies together he should be whipped in the parish Church of Wilton so likewise in the market and Church of Shaftsbury thrée other daies that he should fast a certaine number of moneths that he should not weare any shirt in thrée yéeres and lastly that he should not any more take vpon him the habite or title of a knight but weare apparrell of a russet colour vntill he had spent thrée yéers in the holy land All this he sware should be performed before he might haue absolution If some of our gentlemen were now and then thus serued they would not be so wanton as they are Thirtéene yéeres and almost a halfe this man continued Archbishop holding all this while his prebend he had first at Lyons which when diuers begged of him he would answere that he might not in any wise spare it for hée looked euery day when being drouen out of England by the king against whom indéede he often very boldly opposed him selfe he should haue no other home to take to For the same cause belike it was annexed vnto the Sée of Canterbury Many succéeding Archbishops enioyed the same a long time after He 〈◊〉 very rich and yet in his life time founded at Wingham a Colledge valued when it was suppressed at fower score and fower pounds of yéerely reuenues and aduanced diuers of his kinred to great possessions whose posterity haue continued in the state of Knightsand Esquiers euen vntill our time He was buried in his owne Church but in what particular place I find not 49. Robert Winchelsey VVHat countreyman Robert Winchelsey should be no man deliuereth But it is certaine he first went to schoole at Canterbury where he was so admired for his towardlinesse and loued for his gentle and modest behauiour being also a very welfauoured childe as euery man would take vpon him euen then to prophecie that he should one day be Archbish. of Canterbury Being ripe for the Uniuersity he was sent to Paris There he procéeded Master of art and before his departure thence was chosen Rector of that Uniuersity Hauing passed through that office which séemeth to be annuall with great commendation of integrity and wisedome he returned into England and comming to Oxford gaue such proofe there of his excellent knowledge in all good learning by preaching disputing c. as they thought good to honour him with the degrée of a Doctor and shortly after made him Chauncellor of their Uniuersity His gouernment there was such as all men easily discerned him fit for a much higher place He made many good and profitable statutes and tooke away diuers fond and pernicious customes to the great honor of the Uniuersity and no lesse aduauncement of good learning His first spirituall promotion was a prebend in Paules church and the Archdeaconry of Esser His Archdeacoury he visited himselfe in person duly euery yeere and did reside vpon his prebend preaching in that cathedral church or some other place almost euery day By reason hereof his manifold good parts he grew so famous as Peckham being dead he was straightway pointed out by the expectation of all men vnto the Archbishopricke The monkes therefore chose him with the kings very good liking great applause of all men It was his chāce to come to Rome while Coelestious was Pope a good vertuous man but so simple as Boniface that succéeded him could perswade him by counterfeiting the voice of an Angell through a trunke in the night to resigne his Papacy and become an Heremite againe as before his election he had beene Not onely this simple Heremite but euen all the prelates and Cardinals there were amased at his woonderfull rare learning the like whereof especially to be ioined with such discretion and wisedome they well assured themselues was no where to be found They were desirous therefore to haue made him a Cardinall so to haue retained him amongst them But he yéelding many reasons why he might not be spared at home obtained at last consecration and hasted him vnto his charge Upon the day of his inthronization it is said he consecrated Bishop of Landaffe one Iohn Monemouth Doctor of Diuinity and bestowed twenty benefices ten of very good value vpon ten Doctors and ten lesse vpon ten Batchelers of Diuinity The Sée being yet voide the king had caused a conuocation to be summoned in which he required one halfe of all ecclesiasticall reueneues for one yéere toward the charge of his wars This intollerable exaction the cleargy not intending to yéeld vnto sent the Deane of Paules William de Montfort with diuers other Prelates vnto the king to craue pardon and to shew how hard it were for them to yéeld to this demaund Being admitted vnto his presence the Deane began his spéech and after a few words fell downe suddenly starke dead Herewith the king nothing mooued sent a knight the next day vnto the conuocation to know whether any of them durst withstand the king in this demaund if there be any such quoth he let him come foorth that I may take order with him as a disturber of the kings peace So no man daring to gainesay it the graunt passed for good The Archbishop now comming home soone after called another Synode wherein his cleargy complained much of the last exaction The Archbishop told them it was more thē they could 〈◊〉 that they had done for that in the late Councell of Lyons it was decréed no cleargy man should pay any thing to any temporall magistrate without the Popes licence that therefore they now set downe for a canon to be kept hereafter inuiolably At that time the king that had had so liberall allowance very lately demaunded nothing But within a yéere or two after hauing spent an infinite deale of
called was consecrate Bishop an 1265. at Rome where it is said he paid vnto the Pope 6000. markes for his consecration and so much more vnto Iordanus the Popes Chauncellor Presently vpon his returne he was suspended by Ottobonus the Popes legate for taking part against the king in the Barons wars he enioyed a small time his honor so déerely bought the yéere 1268. he died in Italy and was buried there at Uiterbium 44. Nicholas de Ely RIchard Moore a Doctor of Diuinity was then chosen Bishop But Fryer Peckham at that time Archbishop of Canterbury tooke exception against him for holding of many benefices And said that a man of such conscience as were fit for that place would rather content himselfe with lesse liuing then load himselfe with the cure of so many soules He being refused Nicholas de Ely hauing béene scarcely one yere Bishop of Worcester was called to this church He sate 12. yéeres died an 1290. his body was buried at Wauerly his hart lieth entoombed in the South wall of the Presbytery with this inscription Intus est cor Nicholai Episcop cuius corpus est apud Wauerley One of his name was first Chauncellor then treasurer of England about the yéere 1260. I assure my selfe it was he 45. Iohn de Pontissara ABout this time the Pope began to take vpon him the bestowing of Bishoprickes for the most part euery where This Iohn de Pontissara was placed by him vpon his absolute authority He was a great enimy vnto the monkes of his church whose liuing he much diminished to encrease his owne He died the yéere 1304. hauing sate néere 24. yéeres and lyeth buried in the North wall of the Presbytery His toombe hath this Epitaphe engrauen Defuncti corpus tumulus tenet iste Ioannis Pountes Wintoniae presulis eximij Obijt anno Dom. 1304. 46. Henry Woodloke HEnry Woodloke succéeded him Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury being banished the realme by king Edward the first who charged him with treason this Bishop became an intercessor for him and in the request he made to the king in his behalfe chaunced to call him his good Lord which the king tooke so haynously as by and by he caused all the Bishops goods to be confiscate and renounced all protection of him How he recouered the kings fauour againe I finde not Not long after the said king dying by the permission of the foresaid Archbishop he crowned king Edward the second Ianuary 22. 1307. and died an 1316. the 13. yéere of his consecration 47. Iohn Sendall VVAlsingham called this man Iohn Kendall he was Chauncellor of England and died 1320. hauing scarcely sate fower yéeres 48. Reginaldus Asserius THe Pope then thrust in Reginald de Asser his legate the king being very angry that the Pope tooke so much vpon him in these things He was consecrate by the Bishop of London Walter the Archbishop refusing to afford it vnto him sate little aboue two yéeres and died an 1323. 49. Iohn de Stratford IOhn de Stratford Doctor of Law succéeded When he had continued in this seat 10. yeeres an 1333. He was translated to Canterbury Sée more of him in Canterbury 50. Adam Tarlton alias de Orlton ADam de Arlton Doctor of law borne in Hereford was consecrate Bishop of Hereford September 26. 1317. In a parliament holden at London an 1324. he was accused of treason as hauing aided the Mortimers with men and armor against the king When he should haue béene arraigned a thing till that time neuer heard of that a Bishop should be arraigned the Archbishops of Canterbury Yorke and Dublin with their Suffragan Bishops came vnto the barre and violently tooke him away Notwithstanding the accusation being found true his temporalties were seased into the kings hāds vntill such time as the king much deale by his machination and deuise was deposed of his kingdome If he which had béene a Traytor vnto his Prince before after deserued punishment for the same would soone be entreated to ioyne with other in the like attempt it is no maruell No man so forward as he in taking part with Isabel the Quéene against her husband king Edward the second Shée with her sonnes aud army being at Oxford this good Bishop stept vp into the pulpit and there taking for his text these words My head grieueth me he made a long discourse to prooue that an euill head not otherwise to be cured must be taken away Hauing gotten the king into their power he fearing least if the king at any time recouered his liberty and crowne againe they might receiue condigne punishment counselled the Quéene to make him away Whereunto she being as ready and willing as he to haue it done they writ certaine letters vnto the kéepers of the old king signifieng in couert termes what they desired They either not perfectly vnderstanding their meaning or desirous to haue somewhat to shew for their discharge pray them in expresse words to declare vnto them whether they would haue them put the king to death or no. To which question this subtill foxe framed this answere Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est If you set the point betwéene nolite and timere it forbiddeth if betwéene timere and bonum it exhorteth them to the committing of the fact whereupon the king was made away and most pitifully murthered by thrusting a hot spit into his fundament And who then so earnest a persecutor of the murtherers as this Bishop that when diuers of his letters were shewed against him eluded and auoyded them by sophisticall interpretation and vtterly denied that he was any way consenting to that haynous fact How cleanely he excused himselfe I know 〈◊〉 But sure I am he was so farre from receiuing punishment as within two moneths after viz. in Nouember 1327. he was preferred vnto the Bishopricke of Worcester sixe yéeres after that he was translated thence to winchester by the Pope December 1. 1333. at the request of the French king which king Edward taking in very ill part for that the French king and he were enimies deteined from 〈◊〉 his temporalties till that in a parliament at the sute of the whole cleargy he was content to yéeld them vnto him He sate Bishop of Winchester 11. yeeres 7. moneths and 17. daies and being a long time blind before his death departed this life July 18. 1345. 51. William Edendon THe same yeere William Edendon was consecrate Bishop a man in very great fauour with King Edward the third being treasurer of England he caused groats and halfe groats to be coyned the yeere 1350. coyne not séene in England before but they wanted some thing of the iust sterling waight which was the cause that the prices of all things rose then very much And where as many other times the like practise hath béene vsed in so much that fiue shillings hath now scarce so much siluer in it as fiue groats had 300. yéeres since no maruell if things be sold for treble the price
without the Isle to his soldiers After seuen yéeres resistance the Saxon gentlemen some vpon promise of pardon submitted them selues others betaking themselues to flight the place was deliuered into the possession of the Conqueror 〈◊〉 Reges plectuntur Achimi For the fault of these noble men the poore monkes must be punished to be restored to their lands and to enioy their Auncient priuileges quietly they were faine to giue the king 1000. marks For making which money they were constrained to sell all the platc and siluer that was in their Church The king also fearefull least from the same place the like trouble might happen vnto him hereafter appointed them to maintaine a garrison of 40. soldiers which they did vntill such time as himselfe called them away to imploy them else where which was fiue yéeres after Theodwinus was the eight Abbot Godfry the ninth and Simon the tenth After whose death the place stoode voide seuen yéeres Richard the sonne of the Earle Gilbert was then made Abbot 1. Heruaeus BY this time the reuenues of the monastery were growne to be very great Their yéerely receit was not so little as 1400. l. which summe contained then more mettall and would goe farther in those daies then 6000. l. of our money Of that 1400. l. the Abbot allowed scarce 300. vnto the monks conuerting the rest vnto his own vse This Richard therefore if his minde were any thing so great as his linage could not but disdaine to liue vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Lincolne to whose Dioces Cambridgeshire at that time appertained But he had reasonable pretences for his ambition He caused the king to be told that the Dioces of Lincolne was too large for one mans gouernment that Ely were a fit place for an Episcopall Sée c. These reasons amplified with golden Rhetoricke so perswaded the king as he not onely consented himselfe that this monastery should be conuerted into a Cathedrall Church and the Abbot made a Bishop but also procured the Pope to confirme and allow of the same After that Richard the Abbot had with great paines and more cost beaten this bush a great while the birde that he had so long and earnestly thirsted after fell to another mans share Himselfe was taken away by death when the matter was growen to good perfection and ready to be finished The Bishop of Lincolne a while hindred the procéeding of this businesse but his mouth was stopt with thrée Mannors which the king being liberall of another mans purse was content to bestow vpon him such as héeretofore belonged vnto the monastery of Ely viz. Spaldwich Bickleswoorth and Bokeden these were giuen to the Sée of Lyncolne in recompence of the losse the Bishop sustained by exempting of Cambridgshire from his iurisdiction And that the reuenues of the new Bishop might notwithstanding this gift be no lesse then the Abbots were but rather greater they diuised to diminish the number of monks which were then 70. and to draw them downe vnto 40. Richard the 11. and last Abbot being thus taken away when he would most gladly haue liued King Henry the first with the consent of the monks appointed this Bishopricke vnto one Heruaeus that had beene Bishop of Bangor and agréeing ill with the Welchmen was faine to leaue his Bishopricke there and séeke abroad for somewhat elsewhere He was translated the yeere 1109. sate 22. yéeres and died August the 30. 1131. 2. Nigellus THe Sée hauing béene voide then two yéere Nigellus Treasurer of England and Nephew vnto Roger Bishop of Salisbury was placed therein May the 28. 1133. He was receaued with such ioy into his city of Ely that all the stréete where he should passe was hanged with curtaines carpets and tapestry the monks and clergy of his Church meeting him with procession By reason of his imployment in matters of state and Counsell he could not attend his pastorall charge and therefore committed the managing gouernment of his Bishoprick vnto one Ranulphus somtime a monk of Glastonbury that had now cast away his cowle a couetous wicked man For his faithfulnes vnto his patrone and first preferrer king Henry this Nigellus is much to be commended When as Stephen Earle of Bloys contrary to his oath and promise to king Henry the first his vncle vsurped the crowne due to Maude the Empresse king Henries daughter This Bishop could neuer be induced to forsake her but most constantly stucke vnto her and endured much for her sake Sée more heereof in the life of Roger Bishop of Salisbury Notwithstanding those his great troubles he found meanes to erect an hospitall for Regular Cannons in that place where Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge now standeth the foundation of which house was afterwards twise altered first by Hugh Norwold his successor who placed therein a certaine number of schollers to cohabite with the Cannons giuing allowance for their maintenance and afterwards by Margaret Countesse of Richmond and Darby who new built it partly in her life time and partly by her executors after her death endowing it with in a manner all the reuenues it possesseth and raising it vnto that beautie and perfection which now it hath This man was Bishop 36. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 29. day of May 1169. hauing long before séene the issue of his Lord and first patrone King Henry restored to the crowne in Henry the 2. He is saide 〈◊〉 haue bene buried before the alter of Saint Crosse in his owne church Sée more of him in the discourse of Richard his sonne that was Bishop of London 3. Galfridus Rydall AFter his death the Dioces of Ely continued without a Bishop fiue yéeres The yéere 1174. Geoffry Rydell or Rydall Archdeacon of Canterbury was consecrate Bishop a very lofty and high minded man called therefore commonly the proud Bishop of Ely He bestowed great 〈◊〉 vpon the building of the new worke of his Cathedrall church toward the West and vpon the stéeple which he built 〈◊〉 vnto the battlements He died intestate at Winchester the 21. day of August 1189. a fower daies before the 〈◊〉 of king Richard the first leauing in his coffers great 〈◊〉 of ready money viz. 3060. marks of siluer and 205. marks of gold All which the king was content to take vnto 〈◊〉 tò helpe to beare the charges of his coronation He sate Bishop 14. yéeres 10. moneths and 14. daies 4. William Langchamp THe last day of December the same yéere William Langeshamp Chauncellor of England was consecrate Bishop of Ely One greatly fauoured by King Richard the first and a man very worthy of that fauour for many 〈◊〉 parts in him had not those his vertues béene matched and ouermatched with as many great and notorious 〈◊〉 When the king tooke that his famous voyage to 〈◊〉 he made this Bishop Chauncellor before chiefe Iustice of the South part of England and Protector of the Realme in his absence And least he should want any Authority that might be giuen him he procured
slaughter was committed May 14. 1080. The monkes of Yarrow came and fetched away the Bishops body which they found 〈◊〉 naked and coulde hardly know it for the multitude of woundes they caried it to their monastery from whence it was 〈◊〉 to Durham and there buried on the south side of the chapterhouse but secretly for feare of the 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 vp and downe the towne and once assaulted the castell when they could not preuaile there they dispersed themselues and for the most part came to euill and vnhappie endes The king in the meane time hearing of this tumult sent his brother Odo Bishop of Bayon with many of his nobles and a great armie to take punishment of this murther which while they sought to reuenge they brought the whole countrey to desolation Those that were guiltie preuented the danger toward them by 〈◊〉 so as 〈◊〉 of them could be taken Of the rest that staied at home some were vniustly executed and the rest compelled to raunsome themselues to their vtter impouerishing and vndooing This Odo tooke away from the church of Durham at that time certaine ornaments of great value amongst which is especially remembred a certaine crosyer of inestimable price In this Bishops time and by his endenour secular Clerkes were displaced and the church of Durham replenished with monkes the Pope the King and the Archbishop allowing this alteration 29. William Kairlipho THe Sée of Durham hauing béene voide 6 moneths after the death of Walter to wit Nouember 9. following William Kairlipho Abbot of Saint Uincente was elected and receiued consecration at the hands of Thomas Archbishop of Yorke Ianuary 3. following at Glocester the king and almost all the Bishops of the realme being present at that solemnitie The monkes whom he fauoured much for he expelled diuers married priests out of his church of Durham whom Walter was content to beare withall and suffered onely monkes there they praise him for a man of great wisedome learning and vertue Certaine it is that he was very subtile whereby as also by the volubilitie of his toong which he had passing readie at commandement he got very farre into the fauour of the king William the Conqueror and afterward of his sonne William Rufus vnder whom he did euen what he list Unto the later ende of these he prooued very vnthankfull ioyning himselfe with Odo Bishop of Bayon in a rebellious conspiracie against him The rebels being ouerthrowne he was saine for his safegard to shutte himselfe vp within the walles of Durham The king hasting thither by great iourneies besieged 〈◊〉 and after a thort time had the towne yeelded by composition wherein it was conditioned that the Bishop and his companie should depart in safety So he got him beyond the seas and liued in 〈◊〉 three yeeres viz. vntill September 11. 1090. at what time the king comming to Durham receaued him to grace and restored him to his former dignitie that verie day three yeeres that he had departed thence After that time he omitted nothing whereby he might curry fauour with the king euer applying himselfe that way whither he sawe him to 〈◊〉 In all the 〈◊〉 betweene the king and Anselm he was the 〈◊〉 stirrer against the Archbishop hoping belike so to assure himselfe of the kings fauour and if Anselm should be displaced which he endeuored he thought no man so likely then to succeed him as himselfe But he failed in both of these purposes for the kings displeasure was his death He was summoned to appeere before the king at Glocester at a day before which time for griefe as it is thought he fel sicke When he appeered not and it was told the king he was sick he sware by Lukes face 〈◊〉 was his vsuall oath he lied he did but counterfeit he would haue him fetcht with a vengeance It appeered the excuse was true ynough for seene after viz. Ianuary 2. 1095. he died hauing been Bishop fifteene yeeres This man pulling downe to the ground the Church that 〈◊〉 had first built began to erect another far more magnificent but liued not to finish it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Scots Turgot Prior of Durham 〈◊〉 the first 〈◊〉 stones July 30. or as some deliuer Aug. 11. 〈◊〉 It is said that lying vpon his death bed as was thought past memory if not dead diuers Prelates that were in his chamber conferred of the order of his 〈◊〉 and amongst other things appointed the place of his buriall to be in the 〈◊〉 vpon the building whereof he had bestowed so much The supposed dead man ouerheard them and gathering his forces together made shift to breath out these 〈◊〉 It shall not please God saith he that you preiudice the honor of Saint 〈◊〉 by my buriall for 〈◊〉 of wham neuer any of my predecessors would enduret o be laid there Bury you me therefore in the chapter house It was performed accordingly his body was conueighed from Glocester where he died vnto Durham and on the North part of the chapter house there solemnly enterred Within a yeere or two after his first being Bishop he trauelled to Rome and obtayned there licence of Pope Gregorie the seuenth to bring the monkes from Yarrow and Wermouth into the Cathedrall church of Durham He also bestowed vpon them not onely bookes and diuers ornaments for the furnishing of their church but lands and 〈◊〉 in sundry places for the confirmation of all which gifts he procured the charter of William the Conqueror vnder Seale 30. Ranulf Flambard AFter the death of William the Sée of Durham stoode voide thrée yeeres and fower monethes The king at last bestowed it vpon one Ranulf rather for the seruice he had done him then for any speciall seruice he could hope he would doo either to God or his church For he was a very wicked man but such a one as had serued his turne notably He was first Chaplaine vnto Maurice Bishop of London and well 〈◊〉 of him but not so well as that he would let him haue the Deanery falling voide which he taking very ill in a 〈◊〉 left him and by what meanes I know not woond himselfe into the court Being passing subtile and shrewd witted faire spoken and nothing scrupulous but ready to do any thing for preferment It was no hard matter for him to obtaiue any thing of the king William Rufus a very corrupt and vicious prince His first practise was to farme the vacacies of Abbotships and Bishopricks of the king whereby he not onely enriched himselfe but brought great sommes of mony into the kings coffers that neuer were acquainted with that kinde of profite before The king perceiuing him to be a fit instrument for his purposes imploied him daily more and more and at last made him chiefe gouernour of all his realme vnder him so as he had all that authority which now the Lord Treasurer Chauncellor and diuers other officers haue diuided amongst them For it séemes vnto me that few of those offices were
after This Richard was a very prodigall man and spent so liberally the goods of his church as the monks doubting he would vndoo them and himselfe also went about by course of law to stay him and force him to a moderation of expence But it fell out quite contrary to their expectation For he being wilfully set continued law with them appealing to Rome c. and continued his old course 〈◊〉 vntill his death The yéere 1226. in the beginning of Easter terme he rid vp to London with a troupe of Lawyers attending on him At Peterborough he was entertayned in the Abbey very honorably and going to bed there in very good health was found in the morning by his chamberlaines starke dead He deceased May the first leauing his church 40000. marks indebted A monke of Durham bestowed this ryming Epitaphe vpon him 〈◊〉 qui cupitis Est sedata sitis Qui populos regitis Quod mors immitis Vobis praepositis Quod sumvos eritis laudes pompasque 〈◊〉 si me pensare velitis memores super omnia sitis non parcit honore potitis similis fueram bene scitis ad me currendo venitis 36. Richard Poore THe king earnestly commended one Luke his Chaplaine vnto the Bishopricke of Durham now voide swearing vnto the monkes that were sent to craue a Congé d'lier they should haue no Bishop in 7. yéere after if they would not be content to elect him The couent thinking him vnwoorthy so high a preferment chose one William Scot Archdeacon of Worceter a graue learned man and the kings Chaplaine Howbeit the king offended that his desire was not satisfied refused in great displeasure to ratifie this election And vnderstanding that they sent vnto Rome to intreate the Pope to put him in possession of that Sée he sent likewise his Embassadors the Bishop of Lichfield and the Prior of Lanthony to crosse and hinder that designement which they easily performed within a yéere or two after they chose with the kings good liking Richard Poore Bishop of Salisbury a notable man He was first Deane of Salisburie consecrated Bishop of Chichester the yéere 1215. translated thence to Salisbury 1217. lastly to Durham 1228. Being Bishop of Chichester he purchased vnto that church Amport which he bought of the church of Winchester At 〈◊〉 he is famous for remoouing his Sée from old Salisbury to new Salisbury where he began the building of that stately church Sée more of him in Salisbury He founded a monasterie of Nunnes called the Charnell at Tharent in 〈◊〉 and gaue it vnto the Quéene who chose that for the place of her buriall He builded also a Hospitall for poore people néere the colledge of Uaulx in Salisburie Comming to Durham he had ynough to doe to pay the huge debt of 40000. markes that Richard de Marisco left the landes of his Sée bound for He was a man of rare learning in those times and of notable integritie for his life and conuersation A little before his death perceauing his end to draw neere he caused the people to be called together and going vp into the pulpit made a very godly spéech vnto them desiring them to marke well that his exhortation for he was now shortly to be taken from them The next day he did the like and bidding them farewell praied them if he had offended any to forgiue him and to pray for him The third day he sent for al his particular acquaintance called all his family and seruants before him and distributed vnto them presently by hand such summes of money as either he ought or was willing to bestow vpon them which done and hauing set euery thing in perfect order he tooke his leaue of his friends one after an other and then falling to his prayers when he came vnto these words saith M. Paris In pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dormiam requiescam he gaue vp the ghost He died Aprill 15. 1237. and was buried in the Nunnery of Tharent which he had founded 37. Nicholas de Farnham THomas Prior of Durham was chosen Bishop vpon the death of Poore Through the kings backwardnes and dislike that election was cassate and disannulled A long time the monkes had laboured this sute for their Prior and had spent much money in it At last 〈◊〉 they stroue against the streame they gaue it ouer the elect himselfe first yéelding Then chose they Nicholas de Fernham one greatly commended both for his manners and learning This man spent his yoonger yeeres in Oxford and hauing furnished himselfe there with the grounds of all good learning especially Logike and naturall Philosophie he 〈◊〉 beyond the seas and studied Phisicke at Paris and Bononia a great while Returning into his natiue countrey he gaue himselfe much vnto the study of Diuinitie profited therein so well as he was esteemed woorthie to be a Doctor By the counsell of Otto the Legate the Bishop of Carlile and other the king entertained this man into his seruice And first he was as it seemeth vnto me Esquire of his body then 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her instructer or directer in matters of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 When he had now a long time béene a Courtier it hapned the Sée of Lichfield being voide the monkes of 〈◊〉 very carefull of choosing a sufficient man because they knew their doings woulde be sifted the yéere 1239. elected him whom they knew to be a man learned graue vertuous discréete very wise well spoken which maketh a man somewhat the more gratious tal of stature personable of a goodly presence He thanked them for their good will but considering with himselfe that his title to that Bishopricke was like to prooue litigious for the Chapter of Lichfield pretended a right to the election that time as also the great burthen and charge of the office pastorall refused in any sort to accept of the same The Chapter of Lichfield who had chosen their Deane hearing of this refusall by the exhortation of the same their Deane who resigned his right for their part also elected him Which notwithstanding he persisted in his former determination telling them that he felt the burthen already so heauy of a Benefice or two which he had as he was resolued neuer to accept any greater charge of soules So they were enforced to choose another Understanding within two yeeres after how the Couent of Durham with one consent had also chosen him for their Pastor he likewise refused and that more earnestly now then the last time adding vnto the former reasons this also that if he should accept of this place men would say how the hypocrite had refused a poore Bishopricke vnder colour of conscience to stay for a better In this minde he continued till Robert Grosthead that famous Bishop of Lincolne reprehended him sharpely for this his backwardnesse Séest thou not quoth he how the monks of Durham destitute of that comfort which a good pastor should yéeld them intreate thée with teares to affoord the
euen til that time of his captiuity This man nothing regarding the danger might ensue not onely refused to forsake him when he had forsaken himself but desided him his cause the best he could when he might well perceaue his indeuor might hurt himselfe much without any possibility of helping the other When the 〈◊〉 and vnstable multitude not contented that king Richard had resigned his crowne to saue the head that ware it and their darling Henry 〈◊〉 fourth seated himselfe in his royall throne importuned the Parliament assembled to procéed yet farther against him 〈◊〉 no doubt that to make all sure his life might be taken from him This worthy and memorable Prelate stepping forth doubted not to tell them that there was none amongst them méete to giue iudgement vpon so noble a Prince as King Richard was whom they had taken for their Soueraigne and leige Lord by the space of 22. yéeres and more And procéeding further I assure you quoth he I report his words as I find them in our Chronicles there is not so ranke a traytor nor so errant a théefe nor yet so cruell a murtherer apprehended or detained in prison for his offence but he shall be brought before the Justice to heare iudgement and will you proceede to the iudgement of an annoynted King hearing neither his answere nor excuse I say and will auouch that the Duke of Lancaster whom ye call King hath more trespassed to king Richard and his Realme then king Richard hath done either to him or vs For it is manifest and well knowen that the Duke was banished the Realme by King Richard and his counsell and by the iudgement of his owne Father for the space of 10. yéeres for what cause ye remember well ynough This notwithstanding without licence of R. R. he is returned againe into the realme that is worse hath taken vpon him the name title and 〈◊〉 of R. And therfore I say that you haue done manifest wrong to procéed against R. Richard in any sort without calling him openly to his answere and defence This spéech scarcely ended he was attached by the Earle Marshall and for a time committed to ward in the Abbey of Saint Albones Continuing yet his loyall affection vnto his distressed Master soone after his inlargement he ioyned with the Hollands and other in a conspiracy against King Henry which being bewrayed to the destruction of all the rest he onely was pardoned peraduenture in regard of his calling for it had neuer beene séene hitherto that any Bishop was put to death by order of 〈◊〉 peraduenture in some kinde of fauour and admiration of his faithfull constancy for vertue will be honored euen of her enemies peraduenture also to this ende that by forcing him to liue miserably they might lay a punishment vpon him more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 death which they well saw he despised The Pope who seldome denied the king any request that he might affoord good cheape was easily intreated to translate forsooth this good Bishop from the Sée 〈◊〉 Carlile that yéelded him honorable maintenance vnto Samos in Greece whereof he knew he should neuer receiue one 〈◊〉 profit He was so happy as neither to take benefit of the gift of his enimy nor to be hurt by the masked malice of his counterfeit friend Disdaining as it were to take his life by his gift that tooke away from his Master both life and kingdome he died shortly after his deliuerance so deluding also the mockery of his translation whereby things so falling out he was nothing damnisted 16. William de Stirkland before mentioned was appointed his successor by the Pope at the request of king Henry and consecrate at Cawood by the Archbishop of Yorke August 24. 1400. He died August 30. 1419. 17. Roger Whelpdale Doctor of Diuinity was elected by the Chapter and consecrate at London by the Bishop of Winchester the yéere 1419. He was brought vp in Balioll colledge in Oxford Writ much in Logike Philosophy Diuinity in which as also the Mathematikes and other good learning he was very well séene died in his house at London February 4. 1422. and was buried there in the cathedrall church of Saint Paule His workes I heare remaine yet to be séene in Baylioll colledge library 18. William Barrow Bishop of Bangor was traslated to Carlile 1423. died at Rose castle September 4. 1429. and was buried at Carlile 19. Marmaduke Lumley was chosen by the Chapter consecrate 1430. and hauing sate twenty yéeres was translated to Lincolne 20. Nicolas Close consecrate 1450. sate two yéeres and was remoued to Lichfield 21. William Percy sonne to the Earle of Northumberland was consecrate 1452. and sate ten yéeres 22. Iohn Kyngscote Doctor of the Canon Law was consecrate 1462. and sate onely one yéere 23. Richard Scroope consecrate at Yorke by George Neuill Bishop of Exceter June 24. 1464. sate fower yeeres 24. Edward Storey Doctor of Diuinity consecrate at Westminster by the foresaid George Neuill now Archbishop of Yorke October 14. 1468. sate nine yéeres and was translated to Chichester 25. Richard Prior of Durham consecrate at the Popes commaundement without any election by the hands of his predecessor and sate 18. yeeres 26. William Seuer Abbot of Saint Maryes in Yorke consecrate 1496. was translated to Durham the yeere 1503. 27. Roger Layburne Doctor of Diuinity a gentleman of a very auncient house borne neere Carlile was consecrated in September 1503. and sate there eight yéeres 28. Iohn Penny Doctor of Law consecrate 1511. sate 9. yéeres 29. Iohn Kite a Londoner borne and somtimes the kings Ambassador into Spaine was first consecrate an Archbishop of a Sée in Greece and then made Bishop of Carlile the yéere 1520. He died June 19. 1537. was buried at Stepney beside London in the middle of the Chancell toward the North side where is to be seene a rude Epitaphe vpon the marble that couereth him 30. Robert Aldrich Doctor of Diuinity and Prouost of Kings Colledge in Cambridge was elected Bishop of Carlile July 18. 1537. and soone after consecrate He died at Horne-castle March 5. 1555. 31. Owen Oglethorp Doctor of Diuinity and President of Magdalene colledge in Oxford a gentleman well borne was consecrate 1556. He was so happy as to set the crowne of this realme vpon the head of her Maiesty that now doth long and happily may shee possesse the same He was depriued with diuers other Bishops for withstanding her Maiesties proceedings the yeere 1559. and soone 〈◊〉 died suddenly 32. Iohn Best Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate March 2. 1561 died May 22. 1570. and was buried at Carlile 33. Richard Barnes Bishop of Nottingham Suffragan vnto the Archbishop of Yorke was translated to Carlile July 23. 1570. 〈◊〉 the yéere 1577. was 〈◊〉 thence to Durham 34. Iohn Mey Doctor of 〈◊〉 Master of 〈◊〉 Hall in Cambridge was consecrate by Iohn Elmer Bishop of London 〈◊〉 thereunto by the Archbishop of Yorke September 29. an 1577. He died in the moneth of April 〈◊〉 1598. 35. Henry Robinson Doctor of Diuinity 〈◊〉 of Quéenes colledge in Oxford was consecrate before the ende of the same yéere Carlile paide for first fruits to the Pope 1000. ducats and is now valued to the Queene in 531 l. 4 s. 11 d. ob The Bishops of Chester IN the City of Chester there was of old a Nunry the Church whereof first built by that famous Earle Leofricus and dedicated vnto Saint Werburg being now become very ruinous Hugh Lupus the first Earle of Chester after the Conquest repaired the same the yéere 1094. and by the perswasion of Saint Anselme whom being dangerously sicke he had sent for into Normandy to be his ghostly father replenished it with monkes About the same time or a little before to wit the yéere 1075. Peter Bishop of Lichfield remooued his See thither But his next successor Robert de Lymesey forsaking Chester made choice of Couentry whence not long after the succéeding Bishops returned againe to Lichfield King Henry the eight restored vnto this City that honor and conuerting the Monastery aforesaid into a Cathedrall Church erected a new Bishopricke there appointed the Counties of Chester Lancaster and Richmond to be the Dioces of this new Sée and the same to be estéemed in the Prouince of the Archbishop of Yorke 1. Iohn Byrd THe first Bishop of Chester was Iohn Byrd borne in Couentry and brought vp in Oxford Being Doctor of Diuinity and Prouinciall of the 〈◊〉 he was preferred by King Henry the eight to the Bishopricke of Ossery in Ireland From thence soone after he was remooued first to Bangor and lastly vnto Chester Certaine Sermons preached before the King against the Popes Supremacy were the occasion of his aduauncement In Queene 〈◊〉 daies he was depriued for being maried 2. Iohn Coates BIshop Coates succéeded him His Christen name I take it was Iohn For certaine I can not affirme it He died soone after his preferment in Quéene Maries daies 3. Cutbert Scot. SHe then preferred vnto this Sée one Cutbert Scot who sitting not past two or thrée yéeres in the beginning of the happy raigne of her Maiesty that now is was displaced and for his disobedience committed to the Fléete Thence I know not by what meanes escaping he fled to 〈◊〉 and there died 4. William Downham VVIlliam Downham was Chaplaine vnto her Maiesty before her comming to the Crowne and being preferred by her vnto this Sée continued in the same about twenty yéeres 5. William Chaderton VVIiliam Chaderton Doctor of Diuinity succéeded and was translated to Lincolne the yéere 1595. 6. Hugh Billet HVgh Billet Doctor of Diuinity and Bishop of Bangor sate not fully one yéere He died about Whitsontide ann 1596. 7. Richard Vaughan RIchard Vaughan Doctor of Duinity succéeded Bishop Billet in both those places being translated hither in June 1597. He yet liueth This Bishopricke is valued at 420 l. 20 d. FINIS
they were it was said they were of Deira God grant saith he they may be De ira dei eruti deliuered from the wrath of God and made partaker of his mercies by Christ. Hée procéeded yet further and asked how the king of that countrey was called vnderstanding his name was Elle Alleluia quoth he must néedes be sung in those parts in praise of almightie God Not long after then this good man being made Pope hée tooke especiall care of sending preachers into this land for the conuersion of the same Yet it is not to be denied and it appéereth manifestly by the letters of Saint Gregory himselfe vnto the king and Quéene of France that this care of his was much stirred vp by the forwardnes of some good Saxons that complained vnto him of the negligence of the French priestes who being so néere would neuer take any course for the planting of Christianitie amongst them and therefore praied him that he would send preachers thither He did so made choice of one Augustine a monke of greater vertue then learning vnto whom he appointed fortie other that shoulde accompanie and aide him in this holy worke Being now well onward on their way they enquired of the state of the countrey and manners of the people vnto whom they went and vnderstoode so much of their barbarous and fierce rudenes as they in a manner all vtterly renounced procéeding any farther in the voyage and as it were compelled Augustine to poste backe to Rome there to craue licence of returne Saint Gregorie much grieued with this 〈◊〉 writ his letters vnto them wherein hé vsed many reasons to perswade them in any wise to goe forward whereunto at last they yéelded They arriued at the Iste of Thanet in Kent the yéere 596. nowe iust a thousand yéeres agoe The king of that countrie his name was Ethelbert intertained them with all curtesie the rather as it is to be supposed by the persuasion of his wife Berta that was a Christian There was néere vnto the citie of Canterburie a church built of old by the Romaines and dedicated vnto S. Martin in which the Quéene was woont to pray with Lethardus her Bishop There these men were allowed to preach pray baptise and vse all maner of exercise pertaining to Christian religion The king himselfe all this while gaue them maintenance came often to heare them and at last being throughly conuerted tooke on him the badge of Christ by baptisme all his people quickly following his example He then also appointed vnto Augustine and his companions a house at Stablegate and allotted competent reuenues vnto the same The matter being thus far forward Augustine stept into France and caused himselfe there to be consecrated Archbishop of England by Etherius Archbishop of Arles Presently vpon his returne thence he sent two of his companie vnto Rome Laurence and Peter to aduertise the Pope of their good successe By them when they returned he sent Augustine a pall bookes church-ornaments and other necessaries He sent also presently vnto the king and writ diuers letters some gratulatorie to the king some vnto Augustine exhorting him to diligence in his calling and to take héede least the miracles which God wrought by him for the conuersion of this people should make him proud and lastly others vnto the Archbishop of Arles to thanke him for his good aide and assistance yéelded to these men in this businesse In the meane time Augustine had obtained of the king another church in the midst of the citie built likewise heretofore by the Romaines and dedicated the same vnto our Sauiour Christ. Soone after this good king gaue vnto him also his owne palace and chiefe seate of his kingdome remoouing himselfe vnto Rheaculf called by the Romaines Regulbium now 〈◊〉 And lastly he laid the foundation of a goodly monasterie which he dedicated to S. Peter and S. Paule knowen afterwards by the name of S. Augustines These things being thus ordered he indeuoured to make a concord and agréement betwéene the Saxons and the Welchmen who differed from the Romane church in two things the manner of baptizing and the time of the obseruation of Easter Much paines he tooke to persuade them yea wrought a myracle by healing a blinde man for confirmation of his doctrine as you may read in Beda his Eccl. 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 2. But they woulde by no meanes consent to any such vnion much lesse yéeld any kinde of subiection to that authoritie which he claimed to haue ouer all this Island He gaue not ouer with one repulse but when at the first he could not preuaile he procured a second conference at what time there met him seuen Britaine Bishops and a great number of monks especially of that famous monasterie of Bannachor a place not farre from Chester wherein there liued by the labour of their owne hands 2000. monks These men before they came to the place of meeting appointed thought good to aske the counsell of a certaine Anehorite whom they reputed for a very holie and deuout man and to know of him whether he thought it best for them to yeeld to the directions of Saint Augustine He aduised them if hee were a man of God to take the course he shewed and to follow the same And when they asked how they should discerne whether he were such a one or no he pronounced this saying of our Sauiour Take my yoke vpon you and learne of me for I am meeke and humble of hart If therefore this same Augustine be a méeke and humble minded man it is a great presumption that he beareth the yoke of Christ and offereth the same vnto you But if he be stout and proud he is not of God you may be bold This therefore saith he is my aduire haue a care that he and his companie be first in the place where you meete If then you being the greater number he rise not to doe you reuerence but despise you despise you also him and his counsell Augustine therefore first entered the place with his banner and his crosse with singing procession and great pompe and when the Britayne Bishops came in neuer rose or saluted them at all This they taking verie ill gainsaid him in euery thing told him that as his opinions were allowed by Gregory so had theirs long since by Eleutherius both Bishops of Rome that they had an Archbishop then commorant at Caerlegion him they would obey and none other especially such a one as he was a man vnknowne and a stranger not onely for his person and language but much more for his opinions and strange conceits Augustine much displeased with this short answere prayed them to yéeld vnto him but in thrée things to minister Baptisme and obserue Easter according to the Roman maner to assist him in preaching Christ vnto the Saxons But when they vtterly denied to ioyne with them in any sort he denounced against them the iudgements of God for this 〈◊〉 and assured them
or other auoydance without any performance of vsuall ceremonies And whether it were that he mistrusted his title to Canterbury or inercusable couetousnesse I cannot tell certaine it is that he kept Winchester also together with Canterbury euen vntill a little before his death he was forced to forgoe them both Many times he was cited vnto Rome about it but by giftes delayes and one meanes or other he droue it off neuer being able to procure his pall thence so long as king Edward liued William the Conqueror hauing slaine king Harold in the field all England yéelded presently vnto his obedience except onely Kentishmen who following the counsell of Stigand and Egelsin the abbot of S. Augustines gathered al their forces togither at Swanscombe néere Grauesend and there attended the comming of the king who doubted of no such matter euery man holding a gréene bough in his hand whereby it came to passe that he was in the midst of them before he dreamed of any such businesse toward He was greatly amased at the first till he was giuen to vnderstande by Stigand there was no hurt meant vnto him so that he would graunt vnto that contrey their ancient liberties and suffer them to be gouerned by their former customes and lawes called then and til this day Gauelkind These things he easily yeelded vnto vpon this armed intercession and afterward very honourably performed But he conceiued so profound a displeasure against Stigand for it as he neuer ceased till he had reuenged it with the others destruction A while he gaue him very good countenance calling him father méeting him vpon the way when he vnderstood of his repaire toward him and affording him all kinde of gratious and fauourable vsage both in words and behauiour but it lasted not long The first signe of his hidden rancour and hatred towarde him was that he would not suffer himselfe to be crowned by him but made choise of Aldred Archbishop of Yorke for which he alleaged other reasons as that he had not yet receiued his pall c. But the matter was he was loth in that action to acknowledge him for Archbishop Soone after his coronation he departed into Normandy carrying with him Stigand and many English nobles vnder pretence to doe them honour But in truth he stood in doubt least in his absence they should practise somewhat against him And namely Stigand he knew to be a man of a haughty spirit subtile rich gracious and of great power in his countrey Presently vpon his returne certaine Cardinals arriued in England sent from the Pope as legates to redresse as they said certaine enormities and abuses of the English clergy Stigand by and by perceiuing himselfe to be the marke that was specially shot at hid himfelfe a while in Scotland with Alexander Bishop of Lincolne and after in the Isle of Ely At last perceiuing a conuocation to be called at Winchester he came thither and besought the king in regarde of his owne honour and the promise made vnto him at Swanscombe which was not to be offended with him or any other for their attempt at that time to saue him from the calamity he saw growing toward him which he could not impute vnto any thing so probably as his vndeserued displeasure The king answered him with very gentle words that he was so farre from endeuouring to take any reuenge of that or any other matter as he loued him and wished he knew how to protect him from the danger imminent But that which was to be done at that time must be done by the Popes authoritie which he might not countermaund So do what he could he was depriued of his liuings by these legates The causes alleaged against him were these First that he had held Canterbury and Winchester both together which was no very strange thing for Saint Oswald had long before held Worceter with Yorke and S. Dunstan Worceter with London Secondly that he had inuaded the Sée of Canterbury Robert the Archbishop being yet aliue vndepriued And lastly that he presumed to vse the pall of his predecessor Robert left at Canterbury and had neuer receiued any pall but of Pope Benedict at what time he stood excommunicate for simony and other like crimes In the same conuocation many other Prelates were depriued of their promotions as 〈◊〉 Bishop of Helmham brother vnto Stigand diuers abbots and men of meaner places All which was done by the procurement of the king that was desirous to place his countrymen in the roomes of the depriued for the establishment of his new gotten kingdome Poore Stigand being thus depriued as though he had not yet harme inough was also clapt vp presently in prison within the castell of Winchester and very hardly vsed there being scarcely allowed meate inough to hold life and soule together That was thought to be done to force him to confesse where his treasure lay whereof being demaunded he protested with great othes he had no mony at all hoping belike so to procure his liberty the rather and then to make himselfe mery with that he had laid vp against such a déere yéere He died soone after of sorrow and griefe of minde or as other report of voluntary famine 17. yéeres after he first obtained the Archbishopricke After his death a little key was found about his necke the locke whereof being carefully sought out shewed a note or direction of infinite treasures hid vnder ground in diuers places All that the king pursed in his owne coffers The bones of this archbishoply entoombed at this day vpon the top of the north wall of the Presbytery of the church of Winchester in a coffin of lead vpon the north side whereof are written these words Hic iacet Stigandus Archiepiscopus he was depriued ann 1069. and died within the compasse of the same yéere 33. Lanfrank STigand being yet aliue but depriued as is beforesaid Lanfranke was consecrate Archbishop This Lanfrank was borne at Papia in Lumbardy twenty myles from Millayn where being brought vp in learning and now come vnto mans state he determined to trauaile Through France he came into Normandy prouoked by the fame and great reports he had heard of Eluin abbot of Becco Upon the way thitherward it was his hap to be encountred with théeues that spoiled him of all he had bound him and threw him into a thicket where he might haue perished with cold and hunger had not God sent some extraordinary company that way that loosed him hauing laien there onely one night Thence he got him vnto the monastery of Becco and for very want and penury was faine to become a Reader of Logike there vntill he was admitted to the place of a monke Soone after that he was made Prior of Becco whence in regard of his singular wisedome and great knowledge in all good learning that those times could affoord he was called by Duke William to be abbot of S. Stephens in Cane a monastery that the said Duke had founded Now
called together to iudge of this controuersy They met at Rochingham castell and the matter being proposed by the king for feare or flattery they all assented vnto him and forsooke their Archbishop except onely Gundulphus Bishop of Rochester A while 〈◊〉 indured to liue in continuall seare and disgrace euen vntill he was commanded out of the realme by the king Being at Douer ready to take ship all his carriages were searcht his goodes there and elsewhere soeuer taken from him and sold to the kings vse his temporalties seased and himselfe set aland in France in a manner naked He trauailed presently to Lyons and was sent for thence by the Pope At his first comming to Rome he had all manner of fauour But by that time the king with golden eloquence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him of the cause his entertainment began to wax colder He determined therfore to haue returned to Lyons but was staied by the Pope whose pleasure while he was content to await a while longer the Pope died Soone after him the king died also being chaunceably slain by the glaunce of an arrow as he was hunting in that forest for the making whereof Anselm had reprehended him He was a very vitious man couetous in getting and prodigall in spending the most sacrilegious symonist that euer raigned in England Reioycing in the gain he made that way he would often say Panis Christi panis pinguis His death as some report was miraculously signified vnto Anselme in France A paper was put into the hand of one of his chaplaines no man knew how in which was found written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occisus est Within a few daies after certaine word was brought of the tyrants death and this notice taken as sent from heauen Henry the first succéeded William Rufus in the kingdome who presently called home Anselme and restored him to his former place The first thing he did at his returne he called a conuocation at London wherein he depriued many prelates of great place for their seuerall offences Guy abbot of 〈◊〉 Eldwyn of Ramsey for symony Geftry of Peterburgh Haymo of Cheswel Egelric of Middleton for not being in orders Richard of Ely Robert of S. Edmunds all abbots for other enormities Diuers canons were agréed vpon in the same conuocation too long to rehearse Some of them tended to the restraining of clergy men from mariage which notwithstanding many maried daily many that came for orders refused vtterly to make profession of chastity as we may sée reported by Girard Archbishop of Yorke in an epistle written by him vnto Anselm in the end of S. Anselmes Epistles The falling out also of Anselm with the king which happened presently after was a great weakning vnto these canons All the time that the Archbishop was absent which was three yéeres the king had disposed of all Bishopricks that fell at his pleasure giuing inuestiture and possession of them by deliuery of the staffe and the ring And in deed the princes in a maner of all christendom had taken this kind of authority vnto themselues euery where about this time Bishops thus appointed demanded consecration of Anselm which he vtterly denied vnto them professing withall that he would neuer receaue or repute them for Bishops that were already cōsecrated by other vpon such election aleaging how it was lately forbidden in a councel held by Pope Vrban 2. that any clerke should take inuestiture of any spiritual preferment at the hand of any king prince or other lay man The king vpon Anselms refusall required Gerard Archbishop of Yorke to giue these Bishops consecration whereunto he readily assented But William Gifford nominated to Winchester stoode so in awe of Anselm as that he durst not accept consecration at Gerards hands This incensed the king woonderfully so as presently he commanded Giffards goods to be confiscate and himselfe banished the Realme Great adoo now there was about this matter throughout the realm some defending the kings right others taking part with the Archbishop In the end the king doubting what might come of it and being loth to giue occasion of tumult considering that himselfe was a stranger borne and that his father by force and much bloudshed had not many yéeres since obtained the rule of this land he determined to send an Ambassador to the Pope togither with the Archbishop so to grow to some reasonable conclusion The Pope Palchalis 2. would not yéeld one iote vnto the king insomuch as when the kings Embassador William Warelwast after Bishop of Excester said he knew the king would rather loose his crowne then this priuilege he answered yea let him loose his head also if he will while I liue he shall neuer appoint Bishop but I will resist him what I may So without dooing any good homeward they came But the king vnderstanding before hand how the world went sent a messenger to forbid Anselm entrance into the realme and presently seised all his goods mooueable and unmooueable into his hands Thrée yéeres more this good man spent in exile all which time he liued with Hugh Archbishop of Lyons At last it pleased God to open this passage of his reconciliation to the king Adela Countesse of Bloys the kings sister fell dangerously sicke in those parts where it chanced the Archbishop to abide He went to visite her and yéelded so great comfort vnto her in that time of her distresse as recouering afterward she neuer ceased importuning her brother vntill she had wrought an agréement betwéene them the conditions whereof were these First that Anselm should be content to consecrate the Bishops alreadie nominated by the king And then that the king should renounce all right to such nomination or inuestiture for the time to come These conditions were allowed by the Pope and the Archbishop restored not onely to his place but to all his goods and fruites gathered in the time of his absence Two yeeres he liued after this his last returne in which time he persecuted married priests very extremely Dunstan Oswald Ethelwald and other enimies to the mariage of clergie men had onely expelled them that out of monasteries that had wiues But Anselm vtterly forbidding them mariage depriued them of their promotions that were maried confiscated their goods vnto the Bishop of the Dioces adiudged them and their wiues adulterers and forced al that entred into orders to vow chastity Halfe the clergy of England at this time were either maried men or the sonnes of maried priests The king therefore pitying the generality of this calamity sought to protect them a while from Anselms seuerity in this point But he I meane Anselm was a little to resolute in all his determinations in so much as he might neuer be perswaded to yéeld one iot in any thing he once intended So notwithstanding the kings inclination to succour so many distressed poore families the canons of the Conuocation before mentioned were generally put in execution throughout England About this time it hapned Gerard Archbishop of
his vtmost indeuor for the aduauncement of him T. Becket vnto the Archbishoppricke Being therefore at that time in Normandy he sent Richard Lucy a counsellor of speciall trust into England with charge to effect these two things first to procure all the Nobles and best of the comminalty to sweare fealty vnto yoong Prince Henry his sonne and then to cause the Monkes of Canterbury to elect Thomas his Chauncellor Archbishop The first he quickly brought to passe the rather by the helpe of the Chauncellor that was ioined in commission with him And in the second also he bestirred him selfe so well as he caused the whole conuocation of the Clergy a wost authenticall kind of election to choose Thomas Becket for their Archbishop no one man gainesaying it except Gilbert Foliot Bishop of London He was consecrate Archbishop vpon Whitsonday being made Priest but iust the day before by the Bishop of Wintchester ann 1162. being not yet full 44. yéeres of age Presently after his consecration he altered all the whole course of his life became so graue so austere and so deuout in all outward shewe as he séemed quite another man Also he resigned his Chauncellorship certifiyng the King by letters who was then in Normandy he could not serue the Church and the Court both at once The King that euer hitherto thought to vse Thomas Becket as a schoole master to instruct and inure his sonne in matters of state and policy was now very sory that he had made him Archbishop séeing he threw off all care of temporall gouernment and considering the hawtinesse of his spirits sore doubted wherunto this strange dealing would growe at the last Another thing the King greatly disliked in him was this that being yet scarcely warme in his seate he began to looke so narrowly into the state of the land belonging to his sée and to challenge withall extremity whatsouer might séeme to pertaine vnto him as he prouoked many of all sorts of people against him who euery where exclaimed with open mouth and made their complaints thicke and thréefold vnto the King saying that hauing some authority and more knowledge in the Lawe vnder colour of defending the rights of his Church he tooke violently from euery man what he list But the maine quarrell betwixt the King and him was this The Cleargy of those times bare them selues so bold vpon the priuileges of the Church whereby in crymes neuer so haynous they claymed to be exempted from the iudgement of temporall courts as dayly infinite outrages were committed by Cleargy men murthers robberies rapes c. which temporall Judges might not meddle withall and in the spirituall courtes they were either not punished or for the most part very lightly For the amendment and preuention of this inconuenience in 〈◊〉 to come the King intended to publish a certaine declaration of the customes of England set downe long since by King Henry the first his grandfather wherein this intollerable and licencious liberty of the Cleargy was somewhat restrained And that it might not be spurned at by any the Archbishop especially he doubted he deuised to send this declaracion vnto the Pope and to craue his allowance of the same But the Archbishop hauing some inkling of the Kings intent before hand had so dealt with the Pope as it was no sooner séene but it was streight reiected Herewith the King was so incensed as after that time he bent himselfe altogether to the diminishing and breaking of all immunities and liberties of the church And the Archbishop was so farre from séeking to pacifie the Kings displeasure as daily he prouoked him more and more The particularities thereof to passe ouer the King thought good to try whether he could put in execution the contents of the foresaid declaration euen in despite of the Archbishop or no. He offered the same vnto all the Clergy gathered togither in a synode who as if they had learned all one lesson told the King seuerally in the same words that they were content to allow it 〈◊〉 ordine 〈◊〉 so farre foorth as they might without 〈◊〉 of their owne coat and calling Onely one man Hilary Bishop of Chichester was content to yéeld vnto it simpliciter and without condition but was so bayted and reuiled for his labour as it is like he often repented it Yet so the matter was handled not long after as first diuers other Bishops were content to yeeld vnto the King in this demaund and at last euen the Archbishop himselfe with all his followers So at a time appointed they met at Clarindon and theresware vnto the obseruation of the articles comprised in that declaration This notwithstanding soone after they disliking that they had done got the Pope to assoile them of this oath But the Archbishop now well assuring himselfe he had so offended the king as there was no abiding for him heere he tooke ship at Kumney intending to auoid the 〈◊〉 but missed of his purpose for he was forced by a contrarie winde to returne to land againe Presently vpon his arriuall he was apprehended and carried prisoner to Northampton where the king then held a Councell and was there accused of extortion periury treason forgery and many other crimes His owne suffragan Bishops though he had appealed vnto the Pope gaue sentence against him and warranted the king they would make proofe of these accusations vnto the Pope The next night after his condemnation he scaped away and once more hasted vnto the sea committed himselfe very desperately vnto a little bad rotten fisher boat and accompanied onely with three seruitors crossedthe sea and got into the low Countries and thence posted to the Pope at Senon who placed him in the monastery of Pontiniac While he there rested himselfe he thundred out excommunications apace against all such as did obserue the articles contayned in the declaration set foorth at Clarindon whereunto himselfe had once sworne The King as fast bestird himselfe in seasing all the goods and temporalties of the Archbishop into his hand He sent also ambassadors vnto the Earle of Flaunders the French King and the Pope praying them in no wise to foster or suffer him in their dominions requesting moreouer of the Pope that he would confirme and allow of the declaration published at Clarindon The Pope made an answere though friuolous saying he would consider of the matter But the French with whom the King of England had amity and a league of friendship at that time he thinking that this agreement betweene him and the Archbishop would bréed some stirre in England presently fell to inuading the King of Englands dominions tooke by assault certaine holds of his in Normandy The Archbishop also about the same time sent out particular excommunications against all the suffragan Bishops of his Prouince The King mightily offended with this excéeding boldnesse of the Archbishop whereunto he well knew he was hartned and animated by the Pope and the French King bethough himselfe how by all
meanes possible he might vere and grieue him First because he knew he delighted much in the monastery of Pontiniac which was an Abbey of Cistercian monkes he signified to all the monkes of that order in his dominions that he would banish them euery one if they would not procure the Archbishop to be thrust out of that monastery which for feare of so great calamity to so many men was effected Then he also droue out of the realme all his kinsfolks friends and professed welwillers of whom he suspected him to be any way aided or comforted Alexander the Pope Thomas Beckets surest card was ferited in much like sort the same time by Friderike 〈◊〉 the Emperor as he himselfe was The King therefore by the counsell of Gilbert Bishop of London determined to ioyns in league with the Emperor if possibly he might that was a professed enimy both to the French King and the Pope To this purpose he sent two ambassadors vnto him perswading him to deals with the Cardinals Lucius the Antipope being then lately dead to set vp another in his roome to whom he promised all his dominions should yéelde obedience The Pope hauing notize of this practise began presentlyto quaile sent the King word he would order all things betwéene the Archbishop and him to his 〈◊〉 liking and that out of hand Now it had hapened a little before that the Pope had graunted vnto the Archbishop a very large licence of excommunicating whom he list in England the King the Queene and a very few other excepted This authority he abused very intemperately at that time when 〈◊〉 matters were thus in hammering betwéene the Pope and 〈◊〉 King in so much as he had marred all if the Pope had not spéedly yeelded a reason thereof to the King By this time the French King the Popes onely Protector against the Emperor began to spy that he was much more cold in the defence of the Archbishop then he had beene and reprehended him sharply for it The Pope therefore not knowing which way to turne him selfe for the satisfiyng of both these potentates neither of which he could safcly offend as things stoode he determined first to labour a reconciliation betweene them and then to make the French King a mediator for the Archbishop This he effected and brought the two Kings together at Paris Thither also came Thomas Becket And sute being made vnto the King in his behalfe that he might returne be restored to his goods and reuenues arising in the time of his absence and lastly vpon his humble submission to the Kings fauour The King answered that for the rest he was contented but faith he the profites of his Archbishopricke since his banishment I can not allow him for that I haue already giuen them to others Mary recompence I will make him for them to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the French King or the Senate of Paris or else of the 〈◊〉 of the Uniuersity Presently the Archbishop was called for who falling downe vpon his knees vsed these words My Lord and soueraigne I doo here commit vnto your owne iudgement the cause and controuersie betwéene vs so farre foorth as I may sauing the honor of 〈◊〉 God The King much offended with that last exception 〈◊〉 honore Dei turned him about vnto the French King and telling him how much he had doone for the Archbishop and how he had vsed him I am quoth he at last so well acquainted with the tricks of this fellow that I can not hope for any good dealing at his hands Sée you not how he goeth about to delude me with this clause sauing the honor of God For whatsoeuer shall displease him he will by and by alleage to be preiudiciall to the honor of Almighty God But this I will say vnto you whereas there haue béene Kings of England many before me whereof some were peraduenture of greater power than I the most part farre lesse and againe many Archbishops before this man holy and notable men Looke what duty was euer perfourmed by the greatest Archbishop that euer was to the weakest and simplest of my predecessours let him yéeld me but that and it shall abundantly content me Hereunto the Archbishop answered cunningly and stoutly ynough that the times were altered his predecessors which could not bring all things to passe at the first dash were content to beare with many things and that as men they fell and omitted their duty oftentimes that which the Church had gotten was by the constancy of good Prelates whose example he would follow thus farre foorth as though he could not augment the priuileges of the Church in his time yet he would neuer consent they should be diminished This answeare being heard all men cryed shame vpon him and generally imputed the fault of these sturs vnto him But this was the issue for that time that they parted without reconciliation The King doubting what might come of these broiles caused his sonne Henry that died soone after to be crowned King in his owne life time so to assure him of the succession Afterwards comming into Fraunce againe they were vpon the point of reconciliation when the casting out of some such word or another as before marred all At length the King and he were made friends but his full restitution deferred till he had behaued himselfe quietly a while at Canterbury which he promised to doo But he was so farre from perfourming that promise as he sent into England before him diuers excommunications which the Pope had graunted out long before and committed to his discretion Amongst other the Archbishop of Yorke the Bishop of London and Salisbury were named in them together with so many as had béene dooers in the coronation of the yoong King which the Archbishop said might not be performed of any but by his appointment The men thus strucken with this holy fire hasted them ouer into Normandy to make their complaint vnto the king who infinitely grieued at this kinde of dealing cursed the time that euer he made him Archbishop or restored him to his place againe adding it was his chaunce euer to do for vnthankefull men otherwise some or other would long ere this haue made this proud priest an example to all such troublesome perturbers of his realme and state It happened amongst other fower knights to be present at this spéech of the kings who gathered thereby they should do a deed very acceptable vnto him if they killed the Archbishop Their names were Reynald Fitz-Vrse Hugh de Mortuill William de Tracy and Richard Briton In this meane time the Archbishop was come to Canterbury and was receiued there with great ioy Thence he went to London and so to Woodstocke where the yoong king then lay But before he could get to the kings presence word was brought him the kings pleasure was he should first go to Canterbury and reuoke those excommunications before he the king would talke with him So he returned againe to Canterbury without seeing the king
many gentle intreaties large praises of the new Archbishop and seasoned now and then with some touches of doubtfull threatning if he should oppose himselfe against that was then done This notwithstanding the king in great indignation banished all the monkes of Canterbury seased vpon their goods and lands and forbid Stephen Langton entrance into the realme The Pope hearing of this sent his mandate vnto thrée Bishops William of London Eustach of Ely and Mauger of Worcester wherein he willed them first to admonish and perswade the king to restore the monkes to their goods and places and to giue the Archbishops possession of his temporalties by a day then if he refused so to do to interdict the whole realme They durst not but obey and finding the king resolute in his determination at the time appointed they published the Popes interdiction and as well foreséeing the great trouble to come as the present danger got them out of the land tegether with 〈◊〉 Bishop of Bathe and Gyles of Hereford The king immediately seased all their goods and temporalties into his hands and moreouer banished all the friends and 〈◊〉 of these Bishops that were likely to yéeld them any comfort or releife During the time of this interdict all seruice ceased throughout the realme except onely Baptisme of children auricular confession and the administration of the sacrament vnto such as lay vpon the point of death The Pope séeing this course preuailed not proceeded to a particular excommunication of the king and not long after depriued him by sentence of all regal authority a thing till that time in no age euer heard of All this while the king esteemed the Popes sword blunt and vnable to wound him till at last he perceiued the French king ready to take aduantage of this sentence and prouiding busily to inuade his dominions His owne people also began to fall from him and to doubt whom in conscience they ought rather to follow their owne 〈◊〉 Prince or a forreine intruder a strange and monstrous ignorance Séeing therefore no other remedy he was faine to yéeld receiued the Archbishop restored the other Bishops the monkes and all the rest banished vnto their goods and reueneues and moreouer was content to resigne his crowne into the Popes hands vpon restitution to assure him by his letters patents a yéerely pension of a thousand markes This done he thought all troubles at an end when the worst of all was yet behind For he bare himselfe so bold vpon the Popes fauour which he had bought deerely as he doubted not to oppresse diuers of his nobility with many and continuall wrongs reuoking all former graunts of priuiledges at his pleasure vpon this point that he had receiued his kingdome from the Pope absolutely free from all entanglement of any priuiledges deriued from the same Heereupon the Barons rebelled the Archb. taking their part and when they doubted least they should not make their party good against the king the Pope stucke so close vnto him they procured Lewis the French kings eldest sonne to inuade the realme Him together with the Archbishop and all the Barons the Pope excommunicated This great hurly burly was appeased suddenly by the kings death who died some say of care sorrow some of surfet and some say he was poysoned by a monke His sonne Henry a Prince often yéeres old was receiued to the kingdome Lewis forsaken the Barons vpon promise of obedience vnto their king absolued by the Popes legate Clergy men were debarred a while from 〈◊〉 absolution that they might compound for the same which they were glad to do All things being thus quieted this our Archbishop called a conuocation at Dsney wherein many things were decreed to be seene for the most part among the principall constitutions Thither came a certaine yoong man that shewing the marks of wounds in his hands feete and side professed himselfe to be no lesse man then Jesus Christ. He brought also two women with him whereof one tooke vpon her to be our Lady the other Mary Magdalen This counterfait Christ for his labour was woorthily crucified and forced to resemble him in the manner of his death whose life and person he had 〈◊〉 immitated and sought to expresse Soone after he translated the bones of S. Thomas Becket from the place where they were first buried in the vndercraft into a goodly sumptuous shrine This was done woonderfull solemnly the king and greatest part of the nobility of all the realme being present During the time of this ceremony all passengers from London to Canterbury were allowed horsemeat at the Arthbishops charge who also caused vessels of wine to runne continually in diuers parts of the city all the day of this translation that who so list might drinke of them This solemnity prooued so chargeable vnto him as neither he nor fower of his successors were able to recouer the debt he cast his Sée and Church into He was Archbishop in all two and twentie yéeres and died July 9. 1228. at his mannor of Slyndon in Sussex from whence his body was conueighed to Canterbury and there buried in the chappell of Saint Michaell This man was admirably learned and writ many notable workes the Catalogue whereof is to be séene in Bale Amongst the rest it is especially to be noted that he first diuided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them The Archbishops pallace at Canterbury is said to haue béene built in a manner all by this Stephen Langton Moreouer it is deliuered that he bestowed great cost in making a faire horologe in the South crosse isle of the church néere which he lieth buried his monument being situate in a manner iust vnder the altar 44. Richard Magnus VVIthin a fewe daies after the death of Stephen Langton the Monkes with the Kings licence procéeded to election made choice of one Walt. de Hempsham one of their own company presented him vnto the K. who by the aduice of diuers prelates refused to allow of him Which notwithstanding he got him to Rome hoping by one meanes or other to obtaine the Popes confirmation The king hauing notize of his intent sent thither the Bishop of Chester to signifie that he was a man very vnlearned and moreouer infamous for his life and conuersation as namely that he had gotten diuers children vpon a certaine Nunne that his father was hanged for theft and that himselfe had deserued it by taking the part of the rebellious Barons All this would not stay the Pope from giuing him confirmation vntill the kings Ambassadors had promised him a tenth of all spirituall promotions in England to aide him in his wars against the Emperor That being assigned him he straight way pronounced the election voide and by reason of the insufficiency of the elect the right of nomination to be deuolued vnto him selfe by vertue of which title he tooke vpon him at the kings request to name vnto that see Richard the Chauncellor of
money in the conquest of Scotland he summoned a Parliament at Berwicke wherein when the Temporalty contributed liberally toward the charge of that warre the cleargy alleaging the foresaid canon would graunt no thing The king would not take this for payment And therefore presently he tooke order that all barnes of cleargy men should be locked vp he also made proclamation that from that time forward all cleargy men were excluded from vnder his protection so that hereafter it should be lawfull for any man to sue them but they might not commence sute against any other This constrained them to yéeld and all submitted themselues to allowance of such a proportion as the king liked it was a fift part of their reuenewes except onely the Archv. who would make no other answere vnto the king but this vnder God our vniuersall Lord saith he we haue two other Lords a spirituall Lord the Pope and a temporall Lord the king and though we be to obey both yet rather the spirituall Lord then the temporall When therefore he sawe all the rest inclined to yéeld vsing no other words then this Saluet 〈◊〉 animam suam he rose vp and suddenly departed For this contumacy the king caused all his goods to be seased into his hands and made shew of greater displeasure Shortly after notwithstanding being to make warre in Fraunce before his departure he thought good to receiue the Archbishop to fauour againe but this grace indured for a very little while Presently vpon his returne he laid diuers treasons to his charge as that he had dehorted his subjects in his absence from payment of their subsidies that he had conspired with diuers of his nobility to depriue him of his kingdome and to crowne his sonne Edward c. Whether the Archbishop were guilty of all the crimes obiected against him or no I cannot tell But certaine it is that as guilty he submitted himselfe to the kings mercy and besought him for the same in most humble manner or rather in déede deiected himselfe more basely and lamented his cause more passionately then became a man that were guiltlesse much lesse a prelate that would be esteemed graue learned or wise Notwithstanding this his submission the king commenced a complaint against him at Rome banished him the realme and seased vpon all his goods mooueable and vnmooueable forbidding all his subiects vpon great paine to foster him or yéeld him any manner of intertainment He was in that case he must haue starued for want of sustenance had not the monkes of Canterbury secretly taken him in and aduentured to yéeld him things necessary till they found meanes to shift him beyond sea which the king afterwards vnderstanding seased vpon all their goods and lands turned them all euen fowerscore monks a begging forbid all men to harbour them and kept them in that miserable state till after a certaine space he was content to restore them againe These were the violent courses were taken by Princes in those daies how happy are we that in all peace liberty and assurance quietly enioy our owne without great desert to the contrary Two yéeres the Archbishop continued in exile In which time the king Edward the first died and his sonne Edward the second that was to succeed thinking it conuenient belike at his first entrance to shew all examples of clemency called him home by letters and restored him to all his goods euen euery peny of that which had béene receiued of his temporalties in his absence Hereby it came to passe that he was the richest Archbishop of many that were either before or after him so that his trouble turned him to great good In regard whereof he was woont to say Nihil nocebit aduersitas vbi nulla iniquitas dominatur so often as he talked of his trouble and banishment He was no sooner come home but a new danger encountred him occasioned by his owne woonted boldnesse The yoong king by the counsell of Piers Gaueston a wanton and vicious man banished into Ireland by king Edward the first for corrupting his sonne had committed the Bishop of Couentry to ward at Yorke A conuocation being gathered the Archbishop would not suffer any matter to be debated in the house till the Bishop were set at liberty This the king was content to beare with all at that time afterward he so behaued himselfe as there neuer grew any dislike betwéene them So the rest of his age after his returne from banishment which was sixe yéeres he passed in quietnes and great prosperity and died at last at Oxford May 11. 1313. hauing béene Archbishop about the space of ninetéene yéeres He was a stout prelate and a seuere punisher of sinne He opposed himselfe against Piers Gaueston the Spensers and other corrupters of the yoong king very boldly He enforced Iohn Warren Earle of Surrey to sorsweare the company of a certaine beautifull harlot with the loue of whom he was greatly bewitched And afterwards when notwithstanding his oath he returned to her company againe and got children vpon her he accused him to the Conuocation of adultery and periury both and at last made him to leaue her Such preferments as fell to his disposition he euer bestowed vpon men of excellent learning despising letters and requests of noble men which he estéemed not a rush Many poore schollers he maintained at the Uniuersities with liberall exhibition and vnto all kind of poore people was excéeding bountiful insomuch as therin I thinke he excelled all the Archbishops that euer were either before him or after him Beside the daily fragments of his house he gaue euery Friday and Sunday vnto euery begger that came to his doore a loase of bread of a farthing price which no doubt was bigger then our peny-loafe now And there were vsually euery such almes day in time of dearth to the number of 5000. but in a plentifull 4000. and seldome or neuer vnder which commumbus annis amounted vnto 500. pound a yéere Ouer and aboue this he vsed to giue euery great festiuall day 150. pence to so many poore people to send daily meate drinke and bread vnto such as by reason of age or sicknes were not able to fetch almes at his gate to send money meate apparel c. to such as he thought wanted the same and were ashamed to begge But of all other he was woont to take greatest compassion vpon those that by any misfortune were decaied and had fallen from wealth to poorer estate For these and other vertues the common people would needes estéeme him a Saint and frequented much the place of his buriall Therefore his tombe which was situate beside the altar of S Gregory néere the south wall was afterwards pulled downe His bookes apparell and other mooueables which were but of very small value he gaue all such as they were vnto his church of Canterbury Of all the Archbishops that possessed this Sée before this man which were 48. there was neuer any two that had
Embassadour vnto the Pope at what time the Bishop of Winchester died and he at the request of Walter the Archbishop bestowed that Bishopricke vpon this Iohn Stratford then present with him This was done without the kings priuity who desired to haue preferred vnto that place Robert Baldock his Chauncellor Therefore taking it very ill that either the one should giue or the other dare to take it without his knowledge he was content to giue eare vnto Robert Baldock who plotted many deuises a while how to kéepe him from it and after how to make him weary of it He was consecrate vpon the Sunday called then 〈◊〉 tribulat iustorū which he thought boaded vnto him how in the whole course of his life he should find nothing but continuall trouble It fell out according to that ominous prediction Neuer I thinke any Archb. either before or after him giuing so little cause dooing his indeuour to please was more encombred with vndeserued and often crosses He had no sooner set foote into this Bishopricke of Winchester but the king who at that time was altogether ruled by the said Robert Baldock caused all his goods to be seased and his liuings to be sequestred to his vse Moreouer he caused him to be summoned by certaine strange kind of writs to appeare I know not where and when for feare he was faine to hide himselfe proclamation was made that no man should dare to harbor him or giue him any kind of entertainment by meate lodging or otherwise Hauing endured these miseries the space of a yéere he intreated the Archbishop to be an intercessor vnto the king for him who relating vnto him how dishonorable a thing it was for him to persecute a true subiect so terribly both for an other mans fault and an other mans pleasure too he was soone woonne to receiue the poore Bishop to his grace and laid all the blame of that iniury vpon Robert Baldock Being thus restored he grew dayly more and more into the kings fauour whom he serued both diligently and faithfully to the last hower When all other forsooke him euen Walter the Archbishop of whom he had deserued so notably this good Bishop would neuer be allured vnto the contrary part by any meanes in so much as the Quéene and Roger Mortimer began to deuise how they might make him away This he being certified of hid him selfe and was faine so to hold him selfe close a long time In the ende the king being dead and all his fauourites or partakers either executed or otherwise consumed the Quéene and her sonne king Edward the third wel knowing they had nothing to lay against this man but that he was true and loyall to his Prince they were content not onely to receiue him to their fauour but also to make him Lord Chauncellor of England Simon Mepham the Archbishop being then dead soone after the king was also content to write earnestly vnto the Pope to preferre him vnto that Sée of Canterbury He did so as before I haue said And the monkes thinking it good to make a vertue of necessity they forsooth elected him also About this time it hapened that King Edward the third began to lay claime vnto the crowne of Fraunce and passing the seas with a great power to iustifie his claime he thought good to commit the gouernment of the realme here at home vnto the Archbishop He beside other generall promises of faithfulnes diligence c. In the charge deliuered vnto him assured the king he should want no money to expend in this exploit whereunto all kind of people shewed them selues so willing to yéelde what helpe they possibly might as he tooke vpon him to discerne the king might commaund of them what he list He was not deceiued in this coniecture For no sooner was the king ouer the seas but infinite summes of money were collected with the very good liking of all people This money which all men thought would haue maintained the charge of that warre two or thrée yéeres the king being yoong and so easie to be either mistaken or deceiued was spent in lesse then one yeere The Archbishop meruelling thereat 〈◊〉 the king by letters to remooue from him such as had had the disposing of his treasure for that without imbesilling and falsehood it was impossible so much money should be so soone consumed The king on the other side he put the Archbishop in minde of his promise and called vpon him continually for more money He well knowing how hard it would be to collect any reasonable summe so soone after so liberall contribution as had béene lately yéelded fell to perswading the king to accept reasonable conditions which he heard the French King had offred him and to come home The king either was or seemed to be excéeding angry with this motion yet knowing there was no remedy but he must get him home his money being now spent and his credite amongst the vsurers stretched to the highest pinne He tolde his souldiers on the one side that the Archbishop had betraied him vnto the French king who no doubt had hired him to detaine their pay in his hands and on the other side made his creditors beleeue that the Archbishop had taken vpon him the discharge of all his debt as hauing now gathered money sufficient for that purpose So the discontentment of these people being either alaied or cast vpon the Archbishop it was deuised that for the farther countenance of this plot the king should step ouer into England sodainly and cast into prison the Archbishop togither with the Bishop of Chichester the Chauncelour and the Bishop of Lichfield the Treasurer To London he came secretly in a night caught the two Bishops and sent them to the Tower but the Archbishop by meere chance was gone from Lambhith elsewhether the day before and hauing some inkling afterwards of that was meant vnto him got him to Canterbury and there stood vpon his guard A knight was sent vnto him to require him to make present paiment of a certaine huge sum of mony which the king said he had taken vp of outlandish merchants vpon his the Archbi credit or else to get him ouer the seas immediately vnto them and to yéeld them his body till the debt were satisfied for that so the king had vndertaken he should being animated thereunto by his owne promise Soone after there came certaine messengers from the duke of Brabant desiring to speake with the Archbishop and when he refused to conferre with them cited him by writings to make payment of certaine great summes of money which they alleaged he ought to the Duke for money the king of England had receaued This citation they fixed vpon the high crosse at Canterbury with many ceremonies Now the Archbishop perceauing what a terrible tempest was growing toward him for he was charged not onely with the debt of many thousand pounds more then euer he should be able to make but with horrible treason that might
had sent them but to be thankefull vnto him for them and to haue a care to vse them moderately Some there be that haue not doubted to ascribe that notable conquest rather to the vertue and holinesse of this man then to any other meanes either of prowesse or wisedome in other instruments of the same This man that might haue obtained of the king any preferment he would haue craued was so 〈◊〉 from ambitious desire of promotion as it was long besore he could be perswaded to take a prebend of Lincolne when it was offred him being before that Chauncelor of Paules in London It is certaine also that he was elected vnto the Archbishopricke without his owne séeking might easily haue made the king for him if he had indeuoured it When some men maruailed that the king should refuse him and preferre any other before him he answered he could very ill spare him he perceiued not he was desirous to be spard Iohn Vfford being sodainly taken away as before is declared the Couent of Canterbury once more chose him the king very willingly allowed of their choice and the Pope hauing not yet heard of this their second election of his owne accord before any request made cast vpon him this dignity Hardly shal you find any Archbishop in any age to haue attained his place in better sort He was consecrate at Auinion by one Bertrand a Cardinal in the church of the Frier minors there That ceremony once perfourmed he hasted him home into England where first doing his duety to the king he receiued of him immediately his temporalties with all fauour From the court he departed to Lambhith to rest himselfe after his long iourney Lying there a while with the Bishop of Rochester he fell sicke and within fiue weekes and fower daies after his consecration died so that he was neuer inthronized at all He was buried in the chappell of Saint Anselme toward the South wall 55. Simon Islip SImon Islip being doctor of law became canon of Paules then Deane of the Arches after that was chosen to be of the priuy counsell of king Edward the third first in the place of secretary and then kéeper of the priuy seale Iohn Stratford lying vpon his death bed foretold he should be Archbishoppe It came to passe within two yéeres after his death though two other were serued before him The monkes with the kings very good liking chose him and the Pope would not refuse him yet being loath to ratifie the monkes election he reiected the same and ex 〈◊〉 potestatis bestowed the Archbishopricke vpon him His bulles were published in Bowe church October 4. 1349. and in the moneth of December following he was consecrate by the Bishop of London in Paules church He was inthronized secretly to saue charge For he was a very frugal and sparing man neuer estéeming pompe or outward brauery He was also very seuere When he first visited his owne Dioces he depriued many cleargy men of their liuings He passed thorough the Diocesses of Kochester and Chichester without kéeping any great adoo So that euery one made account he was content to winke at the faults he espied But they found it otherwise For he afterward called home vnto him the offenders and there dealt so with them as all men might assure themselues he would prooue a very austere man in his gouernment Iohn Synwall Bishop of Lincolne standing in doubt of this asperity of his with great cost procured a priuiledge from Rome to exempt himselfe from his authority and iurisdiction But the Archbishop caused the same afterward to be reuoked The Uniuersity of Oxford had presented vnto him the said Bish. of Lincoln vnto whose iurisdiction Oxford then appertained one William Palmorâ—â— for their Chauncellour and prayed him to admit him The Bishop I know not for what cause delayed his admission from time to time and enforced the Uniuersity to complaine of this hard dealing vnto the Archbishop He presently set downe a day wherein he enioined the Bishop to admit this Chauncellor or else to render a reason of his refusall At that time appointed the proctors of the Uniuersity were ready together with this William Palmoâ—â—e to demaund admission And when the Bishop of Lincolne came not trusting belike to his priuiledge aforesaid the Archbishop caused his Chauncellor Iohn Carlton Deane of Wels to admit him write to the Uniuersity to receiue him and cited the Bishop to answere before him for his contempt He appealed to the Pope would not come and for his contumacy was interdicted Much money was spent in this sute after wards at Rome The ende was that the Archbishop preuailed and the others priueledge was by speciall order of the Pope reuoked who also graunted vnto the Uniuersity at the same time that the Chauncellor hereafter should onely be elected by the schollers them selues and so presently authorised to gouerne them without the admission of any other This conquest thus atchiued he entred yet into another combate in the same land I meane at Rome He serued Andrew Vfford Archbishop of Middlesex the Administrator of Iohn Vfford his predecessor for delapidations and recouered of him 1101. l. fiftéene shillings two pence halpeny farthing that money he imployed in repairing the pallace at Canterbury He pulled downe the manner house at Wrotham and imploied the stones and timber of the same in ending the building that Iohn Vfford his predecessor aforesaid had begun at Maidstone Toward this and other charges he obtained of the Pope leaue to craue a contribution of foure pence out of euery marke from all the Cleargy of his Prouince But his officers whether of purpose or peraduenture mistaking demaunded and had a whole tenth All this was within a yéere or two of his first comming to the Archbishopricke at which time also in a Parliament held at Westminster the yéere 1350. the old controuersie betwéen him and the Archbishop of Yorke about bearing vp his crosse in the prouince of Canterburybegan to be renewed was compromitted vnto the hearing and iudgement of the king who set downe a finall order for the same viz. that the Archbishop of Yorke should beare his crosse in the others prouince yéelding all preeminence otherwise vnto Canterbury but that in token of subiection euery Archbishop at his entrance should offer an image of gold to the value of forty pound at the shrine of Saint Thomas the same to be sent by some Knight or Doctor of the Law within the space of two monethes after his inthronization Amongst the rest of his actions I may not in any wise forget his Colledge of Canterbury which is now become a parcell of Christ Church in Oxford He built it and endowed it with good possessions appropriating vnto the same the parsonages of Pagham and Magfield He graunted also vnto the Couent of Canterbury the Churches of Monkton and Estrey It is worthy remembrance likewise that when a certaine Countesse of Kent after the Earle her husbands death had prosessed
yet depending the Archbishop died Iuly 31. 1396. at Maidstone when he had sate 12. yéers lacking one moneth The old worke at Maidstone first built by Boniface his predecessor for an Hospitall he pulled downe and building it after a more stately manner translated it into a Colledge of secular priests which at the time of the suppression was valued at one hundred thirty nine pounds seuen shillings fixe pence by the yéere The church of Mepham quite fallen downe he repaired againe and built certaine almes houses néere it for the vse of poore people Toward the reparation of the body of his Church and cloysters he gaue 1000. marks He gaue also vnto the same Church a certaine image of siluer waighing one hundred and thréescore pounds 〈◊〉 vestments thirtéene coapes of great value besides a number of bookes He lieth buried vpon the South side of Thomas Beckets shrine at the féete of the blacke Prince in a goodly toombe of Alabaster 60. Thomas Arundell BY the Popes prouision Thomas Arondell Archbishop of Yorke was remooued to Canterbury about Christmas after William Courtneyes death His bulles were published at Canterbury Ianuary 11. Soone after his crosse was deliuered vnto him at Westminster by Henry Chillinden the Prior of Canterbury with 〈◊〉 solemnity in the presence of the king and many nobles February 10. following he receiued his pall 〈◊〉 the 19. of the same moneth he was inthronised at Canterbury with great pomp He was sonne vnto Robert Earle of Arundell and Warren first Bishop of Ely then of Yorke Sée more of him there He was scarce warme in his seate when by the kings displeasure he was dispossessed of the same In the second yéere of his translation a parliament was held at London The king there accused the Duke of Glocester the Earle of Arundell that was the Archbishops brother and diuers other of high treason Now because cleargy men were forbidden by the Canons to be present at any triall or iudgement vpon life and death the matter being once proposed all the Bishops departed the house as their maner was in like cases The Archbishop being absent vpon this occasion was condemned togither with his brother of high treason for which his brother was presently executed and he commaunded within forty daies to depart the realme vpon paine of death He thus banished got him to Rome and found such fauour with the Pope as first he was content to write earnestly vnto the king for his restitution and when he could do no good that way he translated him to the Archbishopricke of Saint Andrewes in Scotland intending to heape so much ecclesiasticall liuing vpon him by benefices c. in England as he should be able to liue in state honorable ynough The king vnderstanding of his intent writ a maruellous sharpe letter vnto the Pope telling him plainly he must repute him for his enimy if he yéelded any maner of succour vnto him whom he knew too well to hate him deadly That letter so wrought with the Pope as after that time he neuer indeuoured to prefer him farther and moreouer at the kings request made Roger Walden Deane of Yorke and treasurer of England Archbishop He was consecrate inthronised c. held Synods and did all things belonging vnto that place the space of two yéeres It hapened in the meane time that the king Richard the second wos deposed or at least inforced to resigne his crowne vnto Henry Duke of Lancaster that after possessed the same by the name of king Henry the fourth Boniface the Pope vnderstanding then of the fall of king Richard pronounced the said Roger to be an intruder and vsurper of the Archbishopricke and by his omnipotent bulles restored Thomas Arundell vnto the same againe As for Roger Walden that was now a Bishop without a Bishopricke for it is Character indelebilis he liued so a while til at last by the kind endeuor of the Archb. his charitable aduersary he was promoted vnto the Bishopricke of London which he enioyed but a short time being taken away by death within one yere after About a twelue moneth after the Archbishops restitution a conuocation was held at London whether the king sent the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland that told the cleargy they came from the king but not of that errand that courtiers were woont to be sent for to that place they came not for money but onely to signifie the kings harty and fauorable goodwill vnto them and to request their daily prayers for him and the good estate of the realme This new broome with swéeping so cleane at the first was so worne out vnto the stumpes in a yéere or two as not contented with a bare tenth the next conuocation after he was very angry that a more liberall allowance was not made vnto him and began to hearken vnto the sacrilegious motions of certaine impious politicians that intending to cast the burthen of all subsidies and other kind of tributes vpon the cleargy letted not to say openly in the parliament house how the laity was not able to yéeld any thing vnto the kings coffers for that the cleargy had all the wealth of the land in their hands And therefore the king must either take from them their temporalties or else lay all the burthen vpon them that onely were able to beare it The Archbishop that was vndoubtedly a woorthy prelate wise and very stout rose vp and prooued by manifest arguments that the contributions of the Cleargy were after the proportion of their ability much more liberall then the subsidies or other paiments of the temporalty in many respects For saith he we pay the tenth of our liuings oftener then they pay fifteenths and though we serue not in the warres our selues our seruants and tenants do neither are we altogither idle in as much as we pray daily for the king and the realme as well in time of peace as war The prolocutor of the parliament house at that time was a knight called Sir Iohn Cleyn that hauing béene a cleargyman sometimes without any dispensation forsooke the calling became a soldier This prophane Apostata was not ashamed to say it was no matter for their praiers so the king might haue their mony I sée now quoth the Arch. whither the fortune of this realme tendeth the prayers of the church being despised which should appease the wrath of God iustly kindled against vs by the daily monstrous iniquities of our age Perceauing then that the king who at his first comming to the crowne had made many open and publike protestations of his loue to the church and his intent to defend and protect the same to the vtmost that he I say began to harken somewhat too patiently to these wicked motions he turned him toward him and making lowe obeisance humbly besought him it would please his maiesty to remember those gratious and most honorable spéeches wherein he had often signified his resolute determination of protecting the church from all iniury
his company out of all question the city was fired the greatest part thereof being burnt downe to the ground togither with the Nunnery the Monastery of Saint Grimbald and more then 20. other Churches some say 40. This hapned vpon the 2. day of August 1141. Soone after his men burnt and spoiled the Nunnery of Warwell and himselfe returning to Winch. tooke off from the crosse that was burnt in the new Monastery 500. l. of siluer 30. marke of gold thrée crownes with so many seates of fine Arabike gold set with precious stones All this he put in his owne purse Now to remember his good déedes also you shall vnderstand that he founded that woorthy Hospitall of Saint Crosse néere Winchester In which place some thing had beene built long before to some such good vse But it was destroied by the Danes and quite ruinated til this Bishop reedified it or rather laide new foundations in the same place ann 1132. and endowed it with the reuenew it now hath He also built the castell of Farnham destroied afterward by king Henry the 3. but reedified by the Bishops of Winch. He was a man as of great bloud so of a great and high minde He contended often with the Archbishop of Canterbury for superiority vnder colour that he was the Popes legate a latere and as some deliuer a Cardinall Matthew Westm. reporteth that he obtained of Pope Lucius the title of an Archbishop receauing from him a pall and authority ouer seuen churches But what or which they were I finde not In the 47. yéere of his consecration he fell sicke dangerously whereof the king Henry the 2. hearing came to visite him But he was so farre from yeelding the king thanks for this great grace as he gaue him no lookes but frowning nor spéeches but very sharpe and curst reprehending him with very bitter words as the causer of Thomas Beckets death Yet such was the great méekenesse of this prince as he not onely tooke very patiently this reproofe but long after thought much of the same And surely no great maruell The memory of a dying mans words abideth long How much more of a Bishop a graue wise and ancient prelate He departed this life August 6. 1171. where he was buried I know not 38. Richard Tocline alias More AFter the death of the former Bishop the Sée stood void thrée yéeres many other Churches likewise at the same time stoode long voide At last the yéere 1173. by the instance of two Cardinals the king granted licence of frée election vnto them all Unto Winchester was then chosen Richard Tocline Archdeacon of Poitiers by some called More by other Richard de Iuelcester He was consecrate at Lambhith the yéere following viz. 1174. togither with thrée other Bishops Geffery of Ely Robert of Herford and Iohn of Chichester He died December 22. 1187. or as his Epitaph hath 1189. He lieth entombed in the north wall of the Presbytery iust vnder Wina where is ingrauen this that followeth Obijt anno Dom. 1189. Presulis egregij pausant hic membra Ricardi Tocline cui summi gaudio sunto poli 39. Godfridus de Lucy HE was sonne vnto Richard Lucy chiefe Justice of England consecrate Bishop of Winchester Nouember 1. 1189. and died an 1204. so he sate 15. yéeres This man purchased of king Richard the first the mannors of Wergraue and Menes which in times past had belonged vnto his Sée of Winchester but I know not how had béene alienated from the same Moreouer he became a great benefactor vnto the Priory of Westwood in Kent founded by his father 40. Peter de la Roche THis man borne in Poytiers being a knight was consecrate Bishop of Winchester at Rome an 1204. A notable wise prelate and of such authority vnder king Iohn first and Henry the third after as none greater in those times He with two other Bishops viz. Philip his countreyman of Durham and Iohn Gray of Norwich animated king Iohn to withstand the Popes excommunication but they were all faine to cry peccaui at last The yéere 1214. king Iohn made him chiefe Justice of England the nobles of the realme grudging very much that a stranger borne should rule ouer them After the death of king Iohn king Henry being a childe the realme was long gouerned almost altogether by this Bishop For William Earle Marshall dying he was chosen in his roome Protector of the king and realme And afterwards the king being growen to yéeres of discretion relyed altogither vpon his counsell He had a nephew or as some say a sonne named Peter d' Orinall Treasurer of England in maruellous great fauour also with king Henry Yet as court fauours are variable so were they often disgraced and often restored againe to the height of worldly happines I meane the Princes great and entire fauour The yéere 1226 he tooke his voyage to the Holy land and being absent fiue yéeres at his returne was receiued with 〈◊〉 and all signes of great ioy He died June 9. 1238. at Faruham when he had sate Bishop the space of 24. yéeres and was buried according to his owne appointment very meanely and euen obscurely in his owne church In his death saith M. Paris the counsell of England receiued a great wound What good soeuer happened vnto the church either by peace or warre in the Holy land at the comming of the Emperour Fredericke it is specially to be ascribed vnto the wisedome of this Bishop Againe saith he when as discord betwéene the Pope and the Emperour threatned the destruction of the whole church he was the speciall meanes of compounding a peace betwéene them Now of the religious houses he built and being built enriched with reuenewes for their maintenance These be the names Hales of the order of Premonstratenses Tickford of the same order Saleburne of the order of Saint Augustine viz. Canons regular and a goodly hospitall at Portsmouth Againe he remooued the Church of S. Thomas the Martyr in the holy land from a very vnfit place vnto a more conuenient and reformed the statues of the company belonging to the Church causing the Patriark of Hierusalem to take order that whereas they were heretofore méere lay men now they should be vnder the Templers and of their society And lastly he bestowed great cost in fortifying and repayring the Towne of Joppa a notable succour and refuge of the Christians in those parts He made a worthy and memorable will giuing vnto euery of the foresaid places a huge summe of money for the least that he gaue was vnto the house of S. Thomas of Acon vnto which he beaqueathed 500. marks All this notwithstanding he left his Bishopricke very rich his houses furnished and his grounds ready Stocked for his successor Thus farre M. Paris 41. William de Raley THe Sée being thus voide by the death of Peter derupibus the king Henry the 3. dealt very earnestly with the monks of Winchester to choose in his place the Bishop elect of Ualentia
that they were 300. yéere agoe Hereof also it commeth to passe that the Prince and Nobility cannot possible maintaine their estates with their auncient rents and reuenewes which bring in though the wonted tale and number yet not the due waight and quantity of mettall But to returne to William Edendon he was also Chauncellor of England and once elect Archbishop of Canterbury but refused to accept it He founded a Monastery at Edendon where he was borne for a kinde of religious men called Bon-hommes he died ann 1366. when he had béene Bishop almost one and twenty yéeres and lyeth in a very faire toombe of Alabaster on the South side of the entrance into the quier whereon is engrauen this rude Epitaphe Edindon natus Willmus hic est tumulatus Praesul praegratus in Wintonia Cathedratus Qui pertransitis eius memorare velitis 〈◊〉 mitis ausit cum mille peritis Peruigil anglorum fuit adiutor populorum 〈◊〉 egenorum pater protector eorum M. C. tribus 〈◊〉 post LXV sit I. punctum His successor William Wickham sewed his Executors for dilapidations and recouered of them 1662. l. 10. s. besides 1556. head of neate 3876. weathers 4717. ewes 3521. lambes and 127. swyne all which stocke it séemeth belonged vnto the Bishopricke of Winchester at that time 52. William Wickham AT the Kings request William Wickham his Chaplaine principall Secretary and kéeper of the priuy seale soone after Edendons death was both elected by the Prior and couent of Winchester and allowed of by the Pope who now tooke vpon him to haue an interest in the disposition of all our Bishoprickes as elsewhere I haue more at large discoursed This man was the sonne of one Iohn Perot and Sibill his wife for whose place of buriall he erected a Chappell afterwards at Tichfield néere the towne of Wickham in Hampshire In that towne he was borne the yéere of our Lord 1324. and according to the manner of most cleargy men in those times of that towne the place of his birth tooke his sirname I finde also recorded that he was woont to be called sometimes by the name of Long and that as it is probably supposed for no other cause but in regard of his stature which they say was very tall He was brought vp first at Winchester and then at Oxford at the charge of a Gentleman called Nicholas Vnedall or Woodall In these places hauing first passed the rudiments of Grammer he studied Logicke Geometry Arithmetique and the French tongue but principally the Ciuill and Canon lawes In all which as he profited excéedingly for the time he spent in them so there is no doubt he would haue prooued so excellent as men are woont that doo long and painefully imploy good wits to such purposes had he not béene euen as it were violently drawne from them when his abode and continuance in the Uniuersity might séeme most requisite His Patrone and exhibitioner being appointed Constable of Winchester Castle an office of great importance in those daies he would imploy this his yoong scholler as his clarke or secretary and so tooke him from the Uniuersity when he had as yet continued there not fully sixe yéeres How long he liued so vnder him I finde not But certaine it is his seruice was very well liked of him For besides his personage which was tall and excéeding comely not to speake any thing of his learning whereof his Master could make no great vse he writ very faire penned excellently spake no man better By reason whereof he was often imployed in writing letters yea and sometimes in messages also to the Court not onely by his master but by the Bishop that a while vsed to borrow him of his master and at the last drew him to his seruice It happened then after a while king Edward the third to come to Winchester who taking speciall note of the behauiour other good partes of this yoong man would néedes haue him to serue him He imployed him much at the first in surueighing his buildings at Douer Duynborough Henly Windsor Yestanstead and elsewhere In which all other businesses committed to him he behaued himselfe so well as he soone grew into great fauour and high estimation with the king and quickly reaped those fruites that Princes fauours are woont to yéeld many rich and honorable preferments It shall not be amisse to remember how that hauing obtained diuers goodly promotions which he acknowledged to haue receiued rather as rewards of seruice then in regard of any extraordinary desert otherwise he caused to be engrauen in Winchester Tower at Windsor these words This made Wickham Whereof when some complained to the King as a thing derogating from his honor that another should seeme to beare the charge of his buildings and the king in great displeasure reprehended him for it He answered that his meaning was not to ascribe the honor of that building to himselfe but his owne honor of preferments vnto that building Not importing that Wickham made the Tower but that the Tower was the meanes of making Wickham and raising him from base estate vnto those great places of honor he then enioyed He was first Parson of Saint Martins in London then Deane of Saint Martin le graund Archdeacon successiuely of Lincolne Northampton and Buckingham all of the gift of his old acquaintance Iohn Bokingham Bishop of Lincolne with whom Simon Burleigh a knight afterwards of great honor he onely in a manner conuersed during his abode in Oxford Besides these ecclesiasticall preferments the Prouostship of Wels a number of benefices and twelue Prebends in seuerall Churches he held many temporall offices as the Secretaryship the kéeping of the priuy seale the Mastership of wardes the treasurership of the Kings reuenues in Fraunce and diuers other with whose stiles I am not acquainted But the yéerely reuenewes of his spirituall promotions onely according as they were then rated in the Kings bookes amounted vnto 876. l. 13. s. 4. d. He was consecrate Bishop of Winchester the yéere 1367. and was made soone after first treasurer then Chauncellor of England although whether he were treasurer or no I find some doubt made and I dare not 〈◊〉 it too confidently whether he were treasurer or no certaine it is that many yéeres after he was Bishop he was trusted with all the waighty affaires of the realme disposed of the kings treasure and gouerned all things at his will In this greatnesse of his authority the king found two notable commodities one that without his care all thinges were ordred so well as by a wise and trusty seruant they might the other that if any thing fell out amisse wheresoeuer the fault were the king had oportunity to cast all the blame vpon the Bishop of Winchester Now whereas long and continuall warre whereby lightly each party is a looser had consumed not that onely that many victories brought in by the raunsome of two kings and by the spoyle of diuers large
that height of tyranny that he not onely placed but displaced Bishops at his pleasure And his meanes to do it was by 〈◊〉 them to some other Bishopricke peraduenture of lesse value and peraduenture nothing woorth at all So was Alex. Neuill perforce translated from Yorke to S. Andrewes in Scotland whence wars being at that time betwéene England Scotland he was sure neuer to receiue peny And so he translated Iohn Buckingham from Lincolne to Lichfield a Bishopricke not halfe so good But he choosing rather to haue no bread then but halfe a loafe in a very malecontent humor and great chafe put on a monkes cowle at Canterbury and there liued priuately the rest of his life To his Bishopricke of Lincolne was then preferred Henry Beaufort sonne to Iohn of Gaunt by Katherine Swinford the yéere 1397. He was brought vp for the most part at Aken in Germany where he studied the ciuill and canon law many yéeres and comming home was preferred to Lincolne very yoong He continued there seuen yeres presently vpon the death of W. Wickham was translated to Winch. June 23. 1426. he was made cardinal of S. Eusebius receiued his hat with great solcÌ„nity at Calis the Lady day following A man of great frugality and therefore excéeding rich King Henry the fift in the latter ende of his raigne by great and continuall warres being waxen much behind hand and greatly indebted began to cast a couetous eye vpon the goods of the Church which at that time were growen to the full height and there wanted not many that incited him vnto the spoile of the same This wealthy Prelate best knowen by the name of the rich Cardinall supplyed his want out of his owne purse to diuert him from that sacrilegious course and lent him 20000. pound a great deale of money in those daies He was also valiant and very wise Pope Martin the fift determining to make warre vpon the Bohemians that had renounced al obedience vnto the Sée of Rome made this Cardinall his Legate into that Country and appointed such forces as he could make to be at his commandement Toward the charges of this voyage the Clergy of England gaue a tenth of all their promotions and furnished out 4000. men and more with this power he passed by Fraunce dooing there some seruice for his Prince and Countrey into Bothemia the yéere 1429. There he remained certaine moneths behauing himselfe very valiantly till by the Pope he was discharged In his youth he was wantonly giuen and gate a base daughter named Iane vpon Alice the daughter of Richard Earle of Arundell Her he maried after vnto Ed. Stradling or Easterlling a knight of Wales But this asdone before he entred into orders Toward his latter end he imployed his time altogether either in matters of Counsaile businesse of the common wealth or the seruice of God and the Church committed vnto him Amongst other good déedes it is remembred that he built an hospitall in Winchester which he presently endued with land to the value of 158. l. 13. s. 4. d. of yéerely rent He died Aprill 11. 1447. when he had beene Bishop of Winchester 43. yéeres and from the time of his first consecration 50. yéeres Except Thomas Bourchier that was Bishop 51. yéeres I read of no English man that euer enioyed that honor longer He lyeth buried in a reasonable stately toombe behind the high aulter of his Church at Winchester toward the South the inscription is much defaced of it remaineth onely this Tribularer si nescirem misericordias tuas 54. William Waynflet A Woorthy Prelate succéeded him William Waynflet Prouost of Eaton colledge then lately founded by king Henry the sixt who for his great wisedome and integrity was long Chauncellor of England He was sonne and heire vnto Richard Pattyn a gentleman of an ancient house brother vnto Iohn Pattyn Deane of Chichester and Richard Pattyn that liued at Basâ—o in Darbishire where he left as I haue heard a posterity behinde him It appéereth hereby that his name was not indéed Waynflet but Pattyn It was an ancient custome euen till those daies that cleargy men should take their surname according to the place where they were borne and amongst monkes and fryers it continued till the very suppression of monasteries This William whether Waynflet or Pattyn was brought vp first in Winchester schoole then in New colledge in Oxford His fellowship there he left to become schoolemaster of Winchester but was taken by king Henry the sixt to teach in his new college of Eaton whereof at last he made him as before is said Prouost He continued Bishop many yéeres and would haue done much more good then he did had he not béene hindred by those continuall warres betwéene the houses of Lancaster and Yorke in all which stormes he stucke alwaies vnto his patron and first preferrer king Henry the sixt And after his death king Edward the fourth knowing the faithfull affection and true hart he alwaies bore vnto Henry the sixt his enimy carried euer a hard hand vpon him Time notwithstanding and the reuenewes of that goodly Bishopricke enabled him to the foundation of that excellent and stately colledge in Oxford dedicated vnto Saint Mary Magdalene to the which I thinke the world hath not any one colledge in all perfections comparable He died as I haue béene told August 6. 1486. hauing first séene the house of Lancaster to his great ioy restored againe to the crowne in king Henry the seuenth So that betwéene the consecration of William Wickham and the death of William Waynflet his next successor sauing one it is 119 yéeres A strange thing that thrée men should hold one Bishopricke sixscore yéeres He lieth buried in the North part of the roome beyond the high Aulter ouer against the Cardinall in a very faire toombe the Epitaphe whereof is quite defaced 55. Peter Courtney IN the moneth of Nouember 1477. Peter Courtney the sonne of 〈◊〉 Philip Courtney of Powderham knight and Elizabeth his wife daughter to Walter Lord Hungerford was consecrate Bishop of Exeter whence he was translated to Winchester in the latter end of the yéere 1486. At Exeter he bestowed much money in finishing the North Tower vnto which he gaue a goodly bel called after his name Peter bell He died December the 20. 1491. hauing gouerned the Dioces of Winchester the space of fiue yéeres and was buried in his owne Church whereabouts I know not 56. Thomas Langton THe Bishopricke hauing béene voide somewhat more then one yéere Thomas Langton Bishop of Salisbury was preferred thereunto He was consecrate to Salisbury the yéere 1485 sate Bishop of Winchester seuen yéeres and was remooued to Canterbury but died of the plague an 1500. before his translation was perfited He built a very faire Chappell in the South side of the Lady Chappell in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester in the middle of which Chappell his body resteth in a very sumptuous toombe of Marble This Thomas Langton was some
the Pope to make him his Legate the obtaining whereof notwithstanding the Kings request cost him 1000. l. of ready money It is a true saying Magistratus indicat virum the man that in base fortune séemed to all men not onely wise but vertuous and humble ynough being raised vnto this height of power and authority as being either drunken and infatuate with too much and sodaine prosperity or amased with the brightnesse of his owne good fortune began presently to do many things not onely vntowardly and vndiscréetly but very arrogantly and insolently sauouring aswell of vnconscionable couetousnesse and cruelty as lacke of wisedome and policy in so great a gouernor requisite That which in our histories is most blamed and most odiously mentioned I finde no such great fault withall that calling a conuoctiou by vertue of his power Legantine at the suggestion and intreaty of Hugh Nouaunt Bishop of Chester he displaced the monkes of Couentrée put in secular Priests in their roomes Officers appointed by the king himselfe he discharged Geoffry Archbishop of Yorke the kings bastard brother at his first arriuall in England after his consecration he caused to be apprehended and drawne from the very Aulter of the Church of Saint Martins in Douer vnto prison Iohn the Kings brother and afterwards king him selfe he sought to kéepe vnder and disgrace by all meanes possible being iealous as he said least the king dying without issue he should defraude Arthur his elder brother of the kingdome and whether vnto his brother now king he would continue loyall hauing power to inuade his kingdome for certaine he wist not True it is that Iohn the kings brother began to take some what more vpon him then néeded and being 〈◊〉 a reason of some of his doings made no other answere but this I know not whether my brother Richard be aliue or not Whereunto the Chauncellor replied if he be liuing it were vntruth to take his kingdome from him if he be dead Arthur the eldest brother must enioy the same Now he that feared not to deale thus with the kings owne brother no maruell if he vsed such of the nobility farre worse that in any sort opposed themselues against him As for the commonalty he not onely gréeued them with continual and néedlesse exactions and tyrannised intollerably ouer them otherwise but offended them much also with his glorious pomp and vnreasonable proud behauiour His maner was to ride with no lesse then 1500. horse and in his trauaile to lodge for the most part at some Monastery or another to their great and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea there was not any Church in England either 〈◊〉 or Cathedrall vnto which he was not very burdensome some way or other And his officers were such prolling companions bearing themselues bold vpon their masters absolute Authority as there was no sort of people whom they gréeued not by some kinde of extortion Yea saith Matth. Paris all the wealth of the land was come into their hands in so much as scarce any ordinary person had left him a siluer belt to gird him withall any woman either brooche or bracelet any gentleman a ring to weare vpon his finger But the Chauncellor he purchased and bestowed aswell Abbotships benefices and spirituall preferment as temporall offices all that fell where him pleased whereby his sernants and kinred were all growen 〈◊〉 rich Among other his follies it is remembred that he built the outer wall about the Tower of London and spent an infinite deale of money in making a deepe ditch about the same thinking he could haue caused the Riuer of Thames 〈◊〉 go round about it But that coste was bestowed in vaine These and many other his misbehauiours incited the people and Nobility woonderfully against him In so much as he feared greatly least some sedition being raised force would be offered vnto him He thought it therefore no lesse then néedefull in all places of any publike assembly to render reasons openly of his doings which being considered I know not whether he may iustly be thought so blamewoorthy as our Histories for the most part make him Officers placed by the king he said he discharged least the people being gréeued with so many Gouernors would 〈◊〉 that instéede of one king they now were constrained too bey many What reason he yéelded of his dealing with Earle Iohn you heard before For his exactions he said they were but such as the maintenance and incredible charge of so great a warre as the king had then in hand required and lastly for a generall defence he protested he had not taken any course in these or any other matters of importance for which he had not some particular direction from the king These excuses satisfied not men so fully but that infinite complaints were daily made vnto the king against him so that he could doe no lesse then discharge him from his place of protectorship which he did and sent ouer William Archbishop of Roan to succéede him but ioyning some other in Commission with him as finding an inconuenience in giuing so much and absolute authoritie to one man At this newes his enimies greatly reioycing and thinking him a man now easie enough to deale withall they conspire against him and causing a Conuocation to be sommoued they procure him to be excommunicate for the violence done vnto the Archbishop of Yorke and with him all other that were his aiders and ministers in that enterprize As soone as he vnderstood of these things fearing greater dangers he bethought himselfe how he might do to get ouer the seas and knowing that his enimies if they should haue any inkling of his intent would assuredly 〈◊〉 the same or worke him some mischiefe by the way He deuised to disguise himselfe in womans apparell and so went vnto the sea side at Douer muffled with a metyard in his hand and a webbe of cloth vpon his arme There he sate vpon a rocke ready to take shippe when a certaine lewde marriner thinking him to be some strumpet began to dally wantonly with him whereby it came to passe that whereas he was a stranger borne and could speake no English being not able to answere this merry marriner either in words or deedes he supposed him to be a man and called a company of 〈◊〉 who pulling off his kerchiefe and muffler found his crowne and beard shauen and quickly knew him to be that hatefull Chancellour whom so many had so long cursed and feared In great despite they threw him to the ground spitting vpon him beate him sore and drew him along the sands Whereupon a great crie being made the Burgesses of the towne tooke him away from the 〈◊〉 and though his seruants endeuoured to rescue him thrust him into a seller there to kéepe him prisoner till notize might be giuen of this his departure It is a world to sée how he that was a few moneths before honored and reuerenced of all men like an halfe God attended by noble mens sonnes and
him Boniface the Archbishop of Canterbury hearing thereof although hauing diligently sisted and examined him he could take no exception against him yet to gratifie the king writ 〈◊〉 letters to his friends at Roome against him and set vp one Adam de 〈◊〉 to be a countersuter to the Pope for that Bishopricke This Adam was a man of great learning and had written diuers bookes much commended But he was a very aged man and moreouer a fryer minor and therefore one that had renounced the world and all medling in worldly matters which notwithstanding he followed gladly the directions of the Archbishop and was well content to haue béene a Bishop before he died As for Henry Wingham the Chauncellor it is said that he neuer stirred at all in the matter but confessed them both more woorthy of the place then himselfe It is said likewise that the sute in his behalfe was first commenced by the king without his knowledge and that when he saw the king so earnest and deale so violently in it he went vnto him and humbly besought him to let alone the monkes in the course they had begun and to cease farther solliciting of them by his armed and imperious requests for saith he after 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of God the grace and direction of his holy spirit they haue chosen a man more woorthy then my selfe And God forbid that I should as it were inuade by force that noble Bishopricke and vsurpe the ministery of the same with a 〈◊〉 or cauterised conscience The ende of this sute 〈◊〉 this Henry Wingham was afterward made Bishop of London Sée more of him there Hugh Balsam came home from Rome confirmed by the Pope and was consecrate March 10. 1257. He sate 28. yéeres and thrée moneths In which time he founded a colledge in Cambridge by the name of S. Peters colledge now commonly called Peter house He first began the same being yet Pryor of Ely and finished it in the yéere 1284. He departed this life June 16. 1286. at 〈◊〉 and was buried at Ely before the high Altar by Thomas Englethorp Bishop of Rochester 11. Iohn de Kyrkby AFter him succéeded Iohn de Kyrkby Deane of 〈◊〉 Archdeacon of Couentry and Treasurer of England He was once elected vnto the Sée of 〈◊〉 but the election was 〈◊〉 and disanulled by Fryer Iohn Peckham Archbishop of Canterbury who tooke exception against him for holding many seueral spirituall preferments saying that a man of so good conscience as a Bishop ought to be would rather content himselfe with a little liuing then 〈◊〉 himselfe with so many charges He was consecrate 〈◊〉 Ely at Paris the 26. or as other report the 29. of 〈◊〉 1286. And sitting Bishop of Ely but thrée yéeres and 〈◊〉 moneths died March 26. 1290. He was buried in his 〈◊〉 church by Ralph Walpoole Bishop of Norwich that 〈◊〉 succéeded him on the North part of the quier before the altar of Saint John Baptist. 12. William de Luda THe fourth day of May following was elected William 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deane of Saint Martins Archdeacon of Durham and Treasurer of the kings house He sate seuen yoeres and 〈◊〉 buried in the South part of the church betweene two pillers at the entrance into the old Lady chappell This Bishop gaue the mannor of Oldburne with the appurtenances vnto his Sée vpon condition that his next successor should 〈◊〉 1000. marks to prouide maintenance for thrée chaplaines to serue in the chappell there 13. Ralph Walpoole 〈◊〉 adoo there was now about the election of a new Bishop The couent could not agrée within themselues one part and the greater made choice of Iohn their Pryor the rest of Iohn Langton Chauncellor of England This election being examined before the Archbishop and iudgement by him giuen for the Pryor the Chauncellour appealed vnto the Pope trauelled to Rome in his own person The Pryor hearing of his iourney 〈◊〉 him after as fast as he might neither was he long behinde him although many blocks were cast in his way Being there they were 〈◊〉 to resigne all their interest into the Popes hand He then in fauour of the couent set downe this order that they should be at liberty Notwithstanding these elections to choose againe so they chose any one Abbot in England except thrée to wit of Westminster Bury and Saint Augustines they belike were not in the Popes fauour The Proctors of the couent they would not agrée to this order so fauourable for them Wherefore the Pope being very angry vpon his owne absolute authority remoued Ralph Walpoole from Norwich vnto Ely gaue Norwich vnto the Pryor and least the Chancellor should altogether loose his labor he made him Archdeacon of Canterbury in the place of Richard Feringes that was then appointed by him Archbishop of 〈◊〉 This Ralph Walpoole was consecrat Bishop of Norwich in the beginning of the yéere 1288. and sate there 11. yéeres At Ely he continued scarce 3. yéeres but died March 22. in the beginning of the yéere 1302. He was buried in the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 before the 〈◊〉 altar 14. Robert Orford THis time they agréed better and with one 〈◊〉 chose Robert 〈◊〉 their Prior vpon the 14. day of Aprill ensuing He sate somewhat more then 7. yéeres and ended his life at Dunham Ianuary 21. 1309. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buried in the pauement aforesaid néere R. Walpoole his predecessour 15. Iohn de Keeton AFter him followed Iohn de Keeton Almoner vnto the Church of Ely he sate likewise 7. yéeres and dying May the 14. 1316. was buried also in the same pauement 16. Iohn Hotham VVIthin the compasse of the same yéere a chapleyne of the kings named Iohn Hotham or Hothun was made Bishop of Ely and the next yéere viz. 1317. Chauncellour of England A man wise and vertuous 〈◊〉 very vnlearned He continued in that office two yéeres and 〈◊〉 giuing it ouer was made Treasurer That place also he resigned within a twelue moneth and betooke himselfe altogither to the gouernment of his church In his time the 〈◊〉 in a night fell downe vpon the quier making a most horrible and 〈◊〉 noise This stéeple now called the Lanterne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and built it in such order as now we sée it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of worke both for cost and workmanship singular It stoode him in 2406. l. 16. s. 11. d. The new building also of the Presbytery not so fully finished by Hugh Northwould but that somewhat might séeme to be wanting he 〈◊〉 in euery point bestowing vpon the same the summe of 2034. l. 12. s. 〈◊〉 d. ob as a writing yet to be séene vpon the north wall of the said Presbytery witnesseth So that vpon the very fabricke and building of the church he spent 4441. l. 9. s. 7. d. ob farthing Besides which this woorthy Benefactour gaue vnto his Couent the Mannour of Holbourne with sixe tenements belonging to the same and to his church a chalice and two crewets of pure gold very costly wrought He sate almost 20. yeeres
paine of death no man should héereafter be so hardy as to bring into the realme any kinde of writing from the Popes court Some notwithstanding contrary to this prohibition deliuered letters to the Bishop of Rochester then Treasurer of England from the Pope concerning this matter and fearing the woorst had armed themselues This 〈◊〉 they shrunke away and fled but were soone after 〈◊〉 and diuersly punished some dismembred other faire and well hanged The Pope hearing of this was so incensed that he wrote a very sharpe letter vnto the king breathing out terrible threats against him if he did not presently reconcile himselfe vnto the Bishop and cause full amends to be made him for all the losse he had sustained either by the Countesse or him in these troubles The king was too wise either to doe all he required or vtterly to despise his authority The 〈◊〉 he knew was not for his honor nor so farre had this tyrant incroched vpon the authority of princes the other for his 〈◊〉 Warned by the examples of king Iohn Henry the emperour and other he thought good not to exasperate him too 〈◊〉 and so was content to yéeld vnto somewhat But before the matter could grow to a full conclusion it was otherwise ended by God who tooke away the Bishop by death He deceased at Auinion June 23. 1361. and was there buried 〈◊〉 béen Bishop euen almost 17. yéeres 19. Simon Laugham INnocentius translated then Reginald Bryan Bishop of Worcester vnto Ely But he died before he could take benefit of the Popes gift Iohn Buckingham afterward Bishop of Lincolne was then chosen and was reiected by the Pope who preferred to this Sée Simon Laugham Abbot of Westminster He continued here but fiue yeeres being in that space first Treasurer then Chauncellor of England and was remooued to Canterbury Of his translation some merry fellow made these verses Laetentur 〈◊〉 quia Simon transit ab Ely Cuius in aduentum flent in Kent 〈◊〉 centum Sée more of him in Canterbury 20. Iohn Barnet AT what time Simon Laugham was translated to Canterbury Iohn Barnet was remooued from Bathe to succeede him in Ely He was first consecrate Bishop of Worcester 1362. and staying there but one yéere obtayned Bathe 1363. and lastly Ely 1366. He was Treasurer of England Being a very old man before his comming to Ely he liued there notwithstanding sixe yéeres in which tune he bestowed the making of fower windowes two in the South side and two in the North side of the Presbytery He died June 7. 1379. at Bishops 〈◊〉 lieth buried vpon the south side of the high altar in which place there is to be soone a goodly toombe monstrously defaced the head of the image being broken off I take that to be Barnets toombe 21. Thomas Arundell AFter the death of Iohn Barnet the king writ earnestly vnto the couent to choose Iohn Woodrone his confessor But they elected Henry Wakefield Treasurer of the kings house This election was made voide by the Pope who placed of his owne authority as I 〈◊〉 deliuered Thomas Arundell Archdeacon of Taunton sonne vnto Robert 〈◊〉 of Arundell and Warren being an aged gentleman of two and twenty yéeres old and as yet but a Subdeacon How be it some report that order being taken by parliament about this time for the ratifying of capitular elections and stopping the iniurious prouisions of the Pope that this Thomas 〈◊〉 was chosen orderly and consecrate at Otford by the Archbishop William Witlesey Aprill 6. 1375. Hauing 〈◊〉 there sowertéene yéeres thrée moneths and eightéene 〈◊〉 he was translated to Yorke and after to Canterbury He left for an implement of his house at Ely a woonderfull sumptuous and costly table decked with gold and precious stones It belonged first vnto the king of Spaine and was sold to this Bishop by the Blacke Prince for 300. markes He also bestowed the building of the great gate house in the house at Holburne Sée more of him in Yorke and Caterbury 22. Iohn Fordham THe Sée had béene void but fowertéene daies when Iohn Fordham Bishop of Durham was translated to Ely by the Pope He was first Deane of Wels consecrate Bishop of Durham May 29. 1381. and inthronized there in September 1382. He was Treasurer of England and to his great griefe was displaced from that office the yéere 1386. and Iohn Gilbert Bishop of Hereford made treasurer Seuen yéeres he continued at Durham and September 27. 1388. was by the authority of the Pope translated to Ely in which Sée he sate seuen and thirty yéeres two moneths and 24. daies He died Nouember 19. 1425. and lieth buried in the West part of the Lady chappell It appéereth by this reckoning that he was Bishop in all from the time of his first consecration 46. yéeres and vpward Sée more of him in Durham 23. Philip Morgan THe king then and manie noble men commended vnto the couent William 〈◊〉 doctor of law the kings confessor and kéeper of the priuie Seale who was after Bishop of Lincolne But they chose Peter their Prior. That election being disliked at home by the Archbishop he was fame to seeke vnto the Pope whose manner was litle or nothing to regard elections but to bestow any Bishoprick or other preferment that fell according to his owne pleasure if it were not filled before the auoidance might come to his knowledge According to this custome hauing no respect of the election of the couent of his owne authoritie he thrust in Phillip Morgan into this Bishopricke This man being doctor of law was consecrate Bishop of worcester 1419. and soone after 〈◊〉 death viz. before the end of the yeere 1425. remoued as is aforesaid vnto Ely He was a very wise man gouerned there with great commendation nine yeeres sixe moneths and fower daies And departed this life at Bishops 〈◊〉 October 25. 1434. He was buried at charter house in London 24. Lewes Lushborough PResently after his death the Monks elected Robert Fitz hugh Bishop of london who died before his translation could be perfected The king then writ for Thomas Rodburne Bishop of saint 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding they make choise of another to wit Thomas Bourchier Bishop of worcester whose election the Pope confirmed but the king vtterly refused to restore to him the temporalties of that see And so for feare of a premunire he durst not receiue the popes bulles of confirmation but renounced all his interest by this election The king then appointed this Bishopricke vnto Lewes Lushbrough Archbishoppe of Roan Cardinall and Chauncellor both of Fraunce and Normandy that was some way I know not how kinne vnto him By his meanes a dispensation was gotten of the Pope to hold Ely in commendam with his Archbishopricke He enioyed it sixe yéeres and sixe monethes and then died at Hatfild Septem 18. 1443. He is said to haue bene buried betwéene two marble pillers beside the altar of reliques 25. Thomas Bourchier THomas Bourchier being now once more chosen without
thereof vnto the poore No doubt but he that bestowed thus much in publike bestowed also very much in priuate that all the world knew not of 30. Iames Stanley IAmes Stanley Doctor of Duinity and brother vnto the Earle of Darby succeeded him Other good I finde none reported of him but rather much euill He was made Bishop the yeere 1506. and enioyed that preferment eight yeeres and a halfe of which time he spent very little or none at Ely But liued all the sommer time at Somer sham kéeping company much there with a certaine woman in very 〈◊〉 me 〈◊〉 and all the winter he would be with his brother in Darbyshire So drownd in pleasures he passed his time without doing any one thing woorthy commendation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 31. Nicholas West IN the moneth of October 1515. Nicholas West Doctor of Diuinity became Bishop of Ely He 〈◊〉 borne néere Fulham being the sonne of one Iohn West a baker This Bishop as I finde noted kept daily in his house an hundred seruants of which to the one halfe he gaue yéerely 〈◊〉 markes wages and the rest forty shillings euery one being allowed fower yards of cloath for his winter liuery to make him a gowne and three yards and a halfe for a coat to weare insommer Daily he gaue at his gate warme meate and drinke to two hundred poore folke and moreouer in 〈◊〉 of dearth distributed diuers summes of money vnto the poore He gouerned the Dioces of Ely seuentéene yéeres and sixe moneths At last falling into the kings displeasure for some matter concerning his first marriage the griefe 〈◊〉 as it is thought cast him into a disease which being the woorse able to sustaine because of a fistula that he had néere his fundament He yéelded vnto the necessity of Nature Aprill 6. 1533. He lieth buried in a chappell very sumptuously built by himselfe in the South east part of the Presbytery of Ely 32. Thomas Gooderich AYéere and 14. daies the Sée of Ely was voide after the death of B West In which time I finde that 〈◊〉 Nicholas Hawkins Doctor of Law was elect vnto the same It is like he died before he could be consecrate for he neuer enioyed it I am sure The 20. day of Aprill 1534. Thomas Gooderich Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate and sate 20. daies aboue 20. yéeres He built a faire gallery in the North side of the pallace of Ely and otherwise in that house bestowed much cost He died at Somersham of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tenth of May 1554. and lieth buried almost in the middle of the Presbytery More would be said of him but I had rather you should heare it in other mens words then mine For I now grow néere the time of which I meane to speake little as iudging it neither safe to reprehend nor séemely to praise though truely those men whose memoryare fresh and diuers their friends liuing This therefore that I finde written vpon his toombe I will impart vnto you and concerning hun no more Thomas Goodricus annis plus minus 20. huius 〈◊〉 Episcopus hocloco 〈◊〉 est Duobus Angliae 〈◊〉 regibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foris 〈◊〉 apud exteros principes saepe legatus 〈◊〉 quidem cum 〈◊〉 Edwardo eius nominis sexto aliquandiu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnus tandem factus Angliae Cancellarius Chariorne 〈◊〉 propter singularem prudentiam an 〈◊〉 populo propter integritatem abstmentiam fuerit ad 〈◊〉 est per quam difficile In English thus Thomas Goodrich for 20. yéeres Bishop of this Church 〈◊〉 buried in this place A man very acceptable vnto two noble kings of this realme in many actions both concerning the church and common wealth For abroad he was often imployed in embassages to forraine Princes and at home after he bad béene of the priuy Councell a while vnto king Edward the sixt of that name he was made at last high Chancellor of England Whether he were more déere vnto his Prince for his singular wisedome or more beloued of the commonalty for his integrity and abstinence it is euen very hard to say He died the 10. of May 1554. 33. Thomas Thirlby AT what time it pleased king Henry the eight to make the church of Westminster a cathedrall Sée he appointed for the first Bishop of the same who also was the last Thomas Thirlby Doctor of Diuinity The yéere 1550. he was 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 vnto the Bishopricke of Ely but also 〈◊〉 of her priuy Councell After her death 〈…〉 the reformation intended by our grand 〈…〉 Elizabeth he was committed to the tower 〈…〉 from his Bishoprick by act of parlilament Hauing 〈◊〉 a time of imprisonment neither very sharpe nor very long his friends easily obtayned licence for him and the late secretary Boxall to liue in the Archbishops house where they had also the company of Bishop Tonstall till such time as he died The Archbishop intreated them all most kindly as considering no doubt the variablenes of this mutable world how possible it was for God that so lately had set him vp to cast him downe as he had done those men He liued in this sort the space of 10. yeres and vpwards taking more pleasure I assure my selfe in this time of his imprisonment for so some men will needes estéeme it then euer heretofore in the middest and fullest streame of his highest honors He departed this life at Lambhith August 26. 1570. and lieth buried in the middle of the chauncell there at the head of Bishop Tunstall vnder a marble stone 34. Richard Coxe BIshop 〈◊〉 being remooued from his place by 〈◊〉 as is before said Richard Coxe Doctor of Diuinity was appointed thereunto by her Maiesty that now 〈◊〉 and was consecrate December 21. 1559. He was borne in Buckingham shire in king Edwards daies Chauncellor of the University of Oxford Deane of Westminster and Christchurch in Oxford 〈◊〉 vnto the saide king Almosner vnto him and as Bale also reporteth of his priuy Councell All 〈◊〉 Maries time he liued in Germany He was Bishop of Ely seuen moneths aboue 21. yéeres and departed this life July 22. 1581. He lieth buried 〈◊〉 Bishop Goodrich vnder a marble stone vpon which though much of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 these 〈◊〉 Vita 〈◊〉 vale 〈◊〉 vita 〈◊〉 Corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interra Christi gallus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Da Christe in coelis te sine fine sonem 35. Martyn 〈◊〉 THe Sée hauing continued voide almost 20. yéeres it pleased her Maiesty at last to appoint vnto the same Martyn Heton Doctor of Diuinity and Deane of Winchester who was consecrate in the end of the yere 1599. long and happily may he well enioy the 〈◊〉 The valuation of this Bishoprick in the Exchequer is 2134 l. 18 s. 5 d. halfe farthing and the third part of a farthing in the Popes bookes 7000. ducats The Bishops of Lincolne THe Bishop of that Dioces whereof Lincolne is now the Sée sate 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 a place distant from Oxford about 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 was all that countrey which now belongeth vnto the Bishops of Winchester Lincolne Salisbury Oxford Bristow Wels Lichfield 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and he notwithstanding that he gouerned also the Mercians or Saxons of Mid-England who for a while had not any Bishop peculiar vnto themselues he I say 〈◊〉 called the Bishop of the West Saxons Birinus was the first Bishop of this so large a territory Of him sée more in Winchester The second was Agilbert a French man In his time Kenwalchus king of the West Saxons caused this huge 〈◊〉 to be diuided into two parts the one of which he left vnto Agilbert vnto the other he caused one Wina to be consecrate appointing Winchester to be his Sée and all the West countrey his iurisdiction After Agilbert there was no other Bishop of Dorchester a long time He departing into France Wina and his successors Bishops of Winchester gouerned that Sée also or part of it at least For it happened not long after that Oswy king of Mercia erected an Episcopall 〈◊〉 at Lichfield and placed one Diuma in the same He had all Mid-England for his Dioces so had sixe or seuen of his successors butill the yéere 678. at what time a Bishop was 〈◊〉 at Sidnacester one Eadhead He dying within one yéere Ethelwine succéeded Then these Edgar Kinebert Beda calleth him Embert and acknowledgeth himselfe much holpen by him in the 〈◊〉 of his Ecclesiasticall historie He dyed 733. 733. Alwigh 751. Ealdulf he died ann 764. 764. Ceolulf he died 787. 787. Ealdulf After Ealdulf the Sée continued void many yéeres The yéere 872. Brightred became Bishop In the meane time viz. the yéere 737. another Sée was erected at Legecester now called Leicester but soone after remooued to Dorchester and one Tota made Bishop there Then these Edbertus consecrate ann 764. Werenbert He died 768. Vuwona suceeded him as hath Florilegus Other put him before Werenbert He liued ann 806. 〈◊〉 He died 851. Aldred consecrate 861. or rather as Matth. West reporteth ann 851. The yéere 873. he was depriued of his Bishopricke 〈◊〉 consecrate 873. Halard by king Alfred appointed one of the Guardians of the realme to defend it against the irruption of the Danes ann 897. Kenulfus or rather 〈◊〉 consecrate ann 905. together with sixe other Bishops by 〈◊〉 the Archbishop 〈◊〉 vnto him the Dioces of Sidnamcester was also committed which had now continued void almost fourscore yéeres and his See for both established againe at Dorchester He was a great benefactor to the Abbey Ramsey and died the yéere 959. Ailnoth consecrate 960. 〈◊〉 or Aeswy 〈◊〉 Eadnoth slaine by the Danes in battell 1016. Eadheric he died 1034. and was buried at Ramsey Eadnoth He built the Church of our Lady in Stowe and died the yéere 1050. Vlf. He was a Norman brought into England by Emma the Quéene of king Ethelred sister to Richard Duke of Normandy She commended him vnto her sonne Saint Edward and found meanes vpon the death of Eadnoth to aduaunce him though a man very vnlearned vnto this Bishopricke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1052. He and all the 〈◊〉 that through the 〈◊〉 of Quéene Emma possessed the chiefe places of 〈◊〉 in all the realme were compelled to depart the land This man amongst the rest going to the Councell of Uercels to complaine vnto the Pope of his wrongfull vanishment 〈◊〉 farre soorth bewrayed his owne weakenesse and insufficiency as the Pope was determined to haue displaced him 〈◊〉 his Bishoprick vntill with giftes and golden eloquence 〈◊〉 perswaded him to winke at his imperfections It seemeth 〈◊〉 died the yéere following 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 was consecrate the yéere 1053. 〈◊〉 1067. and was buried in his Cathedrall Church of Dor chester 1. Remingius de Feschamp THe last Bishop of Dorchester and first of Lincolne was 〈◊〉 a monke of Feschamp that as Bale noseth was the sonne of a priest Unto this man William the Conquerour for diuers good seruices done vnto him had promised long before a Bishopricke in England 〈◊〉 it should please God to send him 〈◊〉 He was as good as his word and the yéere 1070. preferred him to Dorchester voide by the death of the former Bishop The consideration of this gift comming to the Popes eare he woulde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it symony and as a 〈◊〉 actually depriued him of his Bishopricke But at the request of Lanfrank the Archbishop of Canterbury he restored him to his ring and crosyer againe Soone after his first preferment he began to build at Dorchester and intended great matters there But order being taken in a Conuocation at London by the kings procurement that Episcopall sées euery where should be remoued from obscure townes to greater cities he diuerted the course of his liberality from Dorchester to Lincolne Lincolne at that time saith William Malmsburie was one of the most populous cities of England of great resort and traffique both by sea and land Remigius therefore thinking it a fit place for a Cathedrall church bought certaine ground vpon the top of the hill neere the castle then lately built by William the conquerour and began the foundation of a goodly church The Archbishop of Yorke endcuoured to hinder the execution of this worthie designement by laying challenge to the iurisdiction of that country This allegation though friuolous was a meane of some charge vnto the Bishop who not without gifts was faine to worke the king to be a meanes of cleering that title 〈◊〉 fabrike of the church being now finished and 21. prebends founded in the same al which he furnished with Incumbents very wel esteemed of both for learning and conuersation He made great prouision for the dedication of this his new church procuring all the Bishops of England by the kings authoritie to be summoned thereunto The rest came at the time appointed which was May 9. 1092. Onely Robert Bishop of Hereford absented him selfe foreseeing by his skill in Astrology as Bale and other affirme that Remigius could not liue vnto the day prefixed which also he foretold long before It fell out according vnto his prediction that 〈◊〉 died two daies before the time appointed for this great solemnity He was buried in that his owne new built church This Remigius was a man though of so high and noble a mind yet so vnreasonable low of stature as hardly hée might attaine vnto the pitch and reputation of a dwarfe So as it séemed nature had framed him in that sort to shew how possible it was that an excellent mind might dwell in a deformed and miserable body Besides this worthy foundation at Lincoln he reedified the church and Abbey at 〈◊〉 as also the Abbey of Bardney By his perswasion king William the conquerour erected the Abbeyes of Cane in Normandy and Battell in Susser vpon the very place where he had ouerthrowne king Harold in battell and so made a passage vnto the conquest of the whole 〈◊〉 The superstitious and credulous posterity ascribe diuers miracles vnto the holinesse of this Bishop wrought not in his
life time but many yéeres after his death 2. Robert Bloett IT happened soone after the death of 〈◊〉 the king William Rufus to fall dangerously sick at Glocester And thinking he should die began seriously to repent him of his dissolute and vicious life forepassed Especially he shewed great griefe for his Simony and sacrilegious oppression of the church and Cleargy men In this good moode he bestowed the Archbishopricke of Canterbury hauing kept it voide fower yéeres vpon Saint Anselm and Lincolne vpon Robert Bloet or Bluet his Chauncellor When he recouered he much repented his repentance wished they were in his hands againe and tell to his old practises as 〈◊〉 as euer heretofore This Robert Bloet was a man passing wise liberall 〈◊〉 curteous and very personable but vnlearned light of behauiour and much giuen to lust Bale reporteth he had a sonne named Simon base borne no doubt whom he made Deane of Lincolne He dedicated his church bestowed very much in furnishing the same with ornaments requisite Unto the 21. Prebends founded by his predecessor he added 21. more and very largely endued or as some deliuer founded the Abbey of Eynsham besides Oxford vnto the which monastery he remooued the monkes of Stow. Againe he bestowed the mannor of Charlton vpon the monkes of Bermondsey and gaue vnto the king 500 l. or as H. Huntingdon hath 5000. to cléere the title that the Archbishop of Yorke laid vnto the iurisdiction of his Sée He was consecrate the yeere 1092. sate almost 30. yéeres and died at last suddenly Ianuary 10. 1122. Riding by the kings side talking with him neere Woodstocke he shranke downe spéechlesse and being caried to his lodging died in a manner presently His bowels were buried at Eynsham his body was conueghed to Lincolne and there in his owne church solemnely interred Upon his toombe was engrauen this Epitaphe Pontificum Robertus honor quem fama superstes Perpetuare dabit non obiturus obit Hic humilis diues res mira potens pius vltor Compatiens mitis cum pateretur erat Noluit esse sui Dominus studuit pater esse Semper in aduersis murus arma suis. In decima Iani mendacis somnia mundi Liquit euigilans vera perenne vidit 3. Alexander ROger that famous Bishop of Salisbury was now so great a man with the king Henry the first as being able to do with him what he list he easily entreated him to bestow the Bishopricke of Lincolne vpon one Alexander his owne brothers sonne a Norman borne whom not long before he had made Archdeacon of Salisbury and chiefe Justice of England He was consecrate at Canterbury July 22. 1123. The next yéere after his Cathedrall church so lately built and yet scarcely finished was burnt and horribly defaced by casuall fire This man repayred it againe and added vnto it a speciall ornament a goodly vault of stone which before it had not and therefore was the more subiect vnto fire He also increased the number of his Prebends purchased vnto his church certaine mannors and other lands But his chiefe delight was in building of castels wherein he imitated his vncle the Bishop of Salisbury This humor was the vndoing of them both To leaue the other vnto his owne place Alexander built a stately castle at Banbury another at Newarke and a third at Sleford William Parâ—â—s reporteth that he also founded two monasteries but what or where I finde not These castles were such eie-sores vnto king Stephen as they prouoked him to picke a quarrell otherwise vnto the Bishops to clappe them vp in prison where the other died and to bereaue them at once of these munitions and all their treasure whereof they had hoorded vp great store They that kept the castle of Newarke refused to deliuer it at the kings summons till such time as the Bishop intreated them to yéeld signifying and it was true indeede that the king had sworne he should nether eate nor drinke before he had possession of the castle Hereupon they set open the gates vnto the king and then with much adoo hauing lyen by it certaine moneths he was at last released of his imprisonment After that 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himselfe wholy to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his church performed that which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 made it simply the most beautifull church of England at that time He was thrice at Rome to wit the 〈◊〉 1142. and 1144. where he behaued himselfe so as he pleased both the king and the Pope very well The first time he was 〈◊〉 the Pope gaue him authority to call a 〈◊〉 as his 〈◊〉 and especially 〈◊〉 vnto him the redresse of certaine 〈◊〉 for the effecting whereof he caused 〈◊〉 canons to be made very necessary for those times A third iourney he made vnto the Pope lying then in Fraunce in the moneth of August 1147. where through immoderate heat of the weather during the time of his trauell he fell 〈◊〉 and with much 〈◊〉 getting home not long after his returne he died hauing sate Bishop about the space of 24. yéeres I 〈◊〉 in Henry Huntingdon certaine verses written in commendation of him which I thinke not amisse here to be inserted Splendor Alexandri non tam renitescit honore Quam per eum renitescit honor flos namque virorum Dando tenere 〈◊〉 thesauros cogit honoris Et gratis dare festinans ne danda rogentur Quod nondum dederit nondum se credit habere O decus ô moruoo directio quo veniente Certa fides hilaris clementia cauta potestas Lene 〈◊〉 doctrina placens correctio dulcis Libercasque decens venêre pudorque facetus Lincoliae gens magna prius nunc maxima semper Talis ille diu sit nobis tutor honoris 4. Robert de Chisuey AFter Alexander succéeded Robert Archdeacon of Leycester surnamed by some de Chisuey or Chisueto by others de Taueto Querceto or Euerceto for so diuersly I finde him called a very yoong man He was consecrate in September 1147. and died Ianuary 8. 1167. This man added one Prebend vnto those that were founded by his predecessors purchased a house for himselfe and his successors 〈◊〉 vnto the temple at London and built the Bishops pallace at Lincolne in a manner all He left his Sée indebted vnto one Aaron a Iew the summe of 300 l. a great deale of money in those daies and his successors were faine to see it discharged long after 5. Geoffry Plantagenet THe Sée of Lincolne continued then void after the death of the said Robert almost seuenteene 〈◊〉 in so much as all men were of opinion there should neuer be any more Bishop there A certaine conuert of Tame reputed a very holy man and halfe a prophet in regard of many things he had strangely foretold this man I say had giuen out that the said Robert lately deceased should be the last Bishop of Lincolne This prediction of his many men 〈◊〉 when not long after the
cryed out he was the 〈◊〉 Chaplaine for soldiers that might he found Whereupon halfe in iest halfe in earnest the yoong Prince bid him follow him He did so and albeit he was in a manner altogether vnlearned yet being very subtile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a short time he wound him selfe so fast into the Princes liking as he acquainted him with his most secrete affaires and vsed his counsell in matters of greatest importance Hereby it came to passe that he not onely obtained easily for him selfe the Bishopricke of Salisbury soone after the said Princes aduauncement vnto the crowne but also procured the like or greater preferments for many of his kinred He had a sonne of his owne called Roger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom he made Chauncellor of England He had also two nephewes which he made Bishops Alexander of Lincolne and 〈◊〉 of Ely This Nigellus likewise had a sonne called Richard 〈◊〉 that long after became Bishop of London Neither was he so carefull of seruing other mens turnes as that he forgat to feather his owne neast what by the reuenewes of his Bishopricke and his temporall offices for he was Chauncellor of England and otherwise much imployed about the king he gathered together infinite treasures whereof some he bestowed very vainely and the rest that vuhappily he reserued was the cause of hie destruction He built most sumptuously two castles one at Sherborne the other at Deuises cōmonly called that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolishly to make them without comparison the goodliest and most magnificent buildings of England Then afterwards somewhat to 〈◊〉 the vanity of this humour he founded two monasteries also but what they were I find not All the time of king Henry he flourished in great honour viz for the space of 30. yéeres I doubt not had ended his daies in the like prosperity if his owne treachery had not prouoked the iustice of God to punish the same with the vengeance of an extraordinary calamity The said king Henry hauing lost his onely sonne and apparant heire Prince William by misfortune vpon the sea and hauing no issue lawfully begotten left to inherite his kingdome but onely Mawde the Empresse He thought good to take an oath of all the nobility wherein they promised to yéeld obedience to her after his death as their soueraigne and to none other This oath our Roger did not onely take himselfe but minister vnto the rest of the nobility for that he was Chauncellor Which notwithstanding forgetting all dueties of religion toward God of thankefulnes toward his patrone and loyalty to his Prince he was the first man the king being dead that fell to plotting 〈◊〉 the aduancement of Stephen vnto the kingdome which 〈◊〉 his perswasiou he first attempted and much deale by his vngratious counsell at last obtained Sée how the saying fell out to be true in him 〈◊〉 consilium consultori 〈◊〉 Within two or three yeeres after his comming to the crowne this vsurping periured king for he also had sworne sworne vnto Mawde the Empresse he I say lacked money for many purposes especially for the compassing of a marriage betweene Enstace his onely sonne and Constantia the French kings sister which he thought would be a great establishment of his new erected throne Now séeing no other readier meane he determined to search the coffers of this old Bishop assuring himselfe there to find that might well serue his turne Being therefore at Oxford he sent for him in very friendly manner praying him to come and affoord him his counsell in matters greatly importing him Such was the estate of the 〈◊〉 at that time that almost euery man stood vpon his gard But the Bishop being an old Foxe and suspitious of what might happen entreated his sonne and the Bishops before named his nephewes to ride with him that vnder the colour of their retinue he might carry strength ynough with him to resist the king if he should indeuour to offer him violence The king at their méeting gaue him very gratious countenance but secretly tooke order that a quarrel should be picked vnto some of his retinue So when he least suspected any such matter his people were set vpon vnder colour they had disappointed some of the kings men of their lodgings and forced to 〈◊〉 The Bishop his sonne nephewes fled also But the 〈◊〉 was made too sure beforehand for them to escape They were all taken except onely the Bishop of Ely that 〈◊〉 him to the castell of Deuises which he found very well provided and determined to hold it against the king Thither he trauelled with all spéed the king I meane carrying his prisoners with him whom he caused to ve very hardly vsed and straightly imprisoned shutting vp the one in an oxestall the other in a 〈◊〉 backe roome more loathsome then the other At his first comming he summoned the castell intending to prooue all meanes rather then he would let this occasion slippe of rifling the same Therefore when no other practise would take successe for he tryed many he set vp a faire paire of gallowes and sware he would hang Roger the Bishops sonne it the castell were not presently deliuered vp vnto him The Bishop of Ely continuing obstinate in his denyall though his vncle of Salisbury had intreated him earnestly to yeeld the halter was now about the yoong mans necke and he euen ready to trusse when his father hnmbly besought the king that he would accept his best endeuour for the effecting of his desire to saue his sonnes life was content to sweare he would neither eate nor drinke before the castell were deliuered vnto him Hereupon the execution of the sonne was staied but it cost the father his life For the Bishop of Ely his nephew notwithstanding what intreaty could be made suffred his vncle to fast three whole daies before he would giue ouer The Bishop of Salisbury being now very aged partly peraduenture by reason of griefe but partly also by reason of so long abstinence fell sicke and died rauing and taking on like a man distract of his wits certaine daies before his departure There was found in that castell of his forty thousand markes of siluer ready coyned beside gold plate and iewels of inestimable price All that the king laide hands vpon and with that money procured indéed the marriage before mentioned to be effected The Bishops sonne was kept long in prison and dealt earnestly withall to renounce the 〈◊〉 and deuote himselfe to the party of the king which he most honestly and constantly refusing with long sute obtayned at last for a great fauour that he might be banished the realme To make an ende now with this Bishop he was elected April 13. 1102. consecrate August 11. 1207. with diuers other and died December 4. 1139. So he was Bishop accounting the time from his first election almost 37. yéeres flourishing all that while in woonderful great prosperity and yet had a miserable and most vnhappyend 4. Ioceline ROger being dead K. Stephen nominated vnto
in th 12. yéere after his consecration died and was buried at Crediton in his owne church 990. ALfredus whom Dicetus calleth Alfricus abbot of Malmesbury was consecrated Bishop installed at Crediton He was taken for a learned man and wrote two bookes the one intituled de rebus coenobij sui and the other de rerum naturis In his time king Etheldred endowed the Bishopricke of Saint Germans with lands liberties and priuileges The Danes made a fresh 〈◊〉 vpon all Deuonshire and Cornewall burned spoyled the Abbey of Drdolphus at Tauistorke besieged Exceter and being remooued from thence were fought withall at Pynhow about 3. 〈◊〉 from the city and ouerthrowen Alphredus after he had beene Bishop about 9. yeres died an 999. was buried in his owne church ALwolfus as Dicetus writeth was the next Bishop In his time Sweno king of Denmarke by inticement of one Hugh then Earle of Deuonshire came with a great hoste and besieged the city of Exceter tooke it and burned it and with great cruelty vsed the people vntill in the end Almarus Earle of Deuonshire and the gentlemen did yéeld and submit themselues and so obtayned peace This Alwolfus about the 15. yéere of his Bishoprick 1030. died was buried in his owne church LIuyngus procured the county of Cornwall to be added vnto his Dioces he was consecrate 1032. and after became Bishop of Worcester Sée more there The Bishops of Exceter FIrst Leofricus a man descended of the blood and line of Butus brought vp in the land of Lotharingia or Loreine was so well commended not onely for his nobilitie but much more for his wisedome and learning that king Edward the Confessor had him in great fauour and made him first one of the prinie Councell then Chauncellor of England and lastly the Bishopricke of this Dioces being voide he was preferred thereunto By his meanes the Bishops See was remooued from Crediton to this citie of Exceter The yeere 1049. or thereabout king Edward the Confessor comming to Exeter together with his Quéene tooke order that the monks of Saint Peters should be placed at Westminster as before is mentioned and remooued the Episcopall See from Crediton to this citie It is remembred that himselfe taking the Bishop by the right hand and Edeth his Quéene by the left led him vp vnto the Altar of his new church and there placed him in a seate appointed for him This Bishop obtained of the same king much good land and many notable priuileges for his church He made biuers statutes and amongst other things he ordained that all his Canons or Prebendaries should lodge in one chamber and take their diet at one table He appointed them likewise a steward that should prouide them victualls daily and once in the yéere deliuered them new clothes This kinde of gouernment saith William Malmesbury he learned in Lorraine and it is saith he continued by the posterity although by the corruption and luxury of our time somewhat altered and decaied After that he had well and woorthily ruled his church and Diocesse by the space of thrée and twenty yéeres he ended his daies in peace Anno 1073. and was buried in the Cemitory or churchyard of his owne church vnder a simple and a broken marble stone which place by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Church is now within the South Tower of the same whereof of late Anno. 1568. A new monument was erected in the memory of so good worthy and notable a personage by the industry of the writer hereof but at the charges of the Deane and Chapter OSbertus or Osbernus a Normaine borne and brother to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 William was preferred to this Bishoprick the yéere 1074. He was Bishop 30. yéers toward his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blind died 1103. and was buried in his owne Church H. Huntingdon and others that 〈◊〉 him make mention of one Gaufridus Bishop of Erceter about this time but they are mistaken It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Constantia that ioyned with Odo 〈◊〉 of Kent c. VVIlliam Warewest a Normaine borne and Chaplaine both to the Conqueror and his two sonnes William and Henry a very graue and a wise man hauing béene much imployed in sundry Ambassayes was preferred at last vnto this Bishopricke by king Henry the first and consecrate thereunto in August 1107. together with 〈◊〉 other He first began to enlarge his Church as aboue I haue mentioned obtained from the king Plympton Brampton and Saint Stephens in Exceter Brampton he gaue to his Cathedrall Church and it was afterwards alotted vnto the Deane for a part of the corps of his Deanery Saint Stephens with the Sée belonging to the same he reserued to him selfe and to his successors who thereby are Barons and lords in the Parliament As for Plympton he gaue it vnto a Monastery which he built there for Reguler Cannons In his later daies he became blind which imperfection notwithstanding the king thought good to send him Embassador vnto Pope Paschalis the second and he dispatched the bussnesse commended vnto him to the Kings great 〈◊〉 Not long after his returne hauing small ioy of the world he gaue ouer his Bishopricke became one of the reguler Canons of his owne house at Plympton where he died 1127. and was buried He was Bishop about 20. yéeres RObert Chichester Deane of Sarisbury was consecrated Bishop ann 1128. He was a Gentleman borne very zelous and deuout in his religion according to the manner of those daies He went often in Pilgrimage sometime to Rome sometime to one place sometime to another and euer would bring with him some one relike or other He was also a liberall Contributer to the buildings of his church After that he had continued two and twenty yéeres he died the yéere 1150. and was buried in his owne Church RObert Warewest nephew to William Warewest his predecessor and Deane of Salisbury was consecrate Bishop by Theobaldus Archbishop of Canterbury ann 1150. After that he had occupied this Sée nine yeres or thereabout he died ann 1159. was buried at Plympton by his vncle BArtholomeus Iscanus otherwise Bartholomew of Exceter was consecrated Bishop of Exceter ann 1159. or rather as it séemeth to me 1161. He was called Iscanus of Isca which is one of the ancientest names of this City a meane Citizens sonne but very well learned wrote sundry bookes as of Predestination Fréewill Penance and others He was estéemed also very deuout holy and a painfull Preacher Matthew Paris in his report of the yéere 1161. telleth a long tale of a certaine strange apparition or reuelation which happened vnto him in the countrey as he visited his Dioces He was a great aduersary of Thomas Becket I marueile that any such thing might be credibly reported of him After he had béene Bishop about fourteene yéeres ann 1184. he died but where he died or was buried it appeareth not IOhn the Chaunter of the Cathedrall Church of this City and Subdeane of Sarum was consecrated Bishop
Lordship Thus by policy he purchaseth the mannor of Bishops Clist by a deuise gayneth Cornish wood and by power wresteth the patronage of Sowton from the true ownor This Bishop after he had occupted this See about 23. yeeres died July 22. 1280. and was buried in his owne church in a sumptuous tombe of Alabaster standing vpon the South side of the entrance into the Lady chappell Upon it this Epitaphe following is yet to be séene Olim syncerus pater omni dignus amore Primus Walterus magno 〈◊〉 hic in honore Edidit hic plura 〈◊〉 laude statuta Quae tanquam 〈◊〉 seruant hic omnia tuta Atque hoc collegium quod Glaseney plebs vocat omnis Condidit egregmm pro voce data sibi somnis Quot loca construxit 〈◊〉 quot bona 〈◊〉 Quam sanctam duxit vitam vox dicere quae scit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gens Exomensis Et chorus turbae quod natus in hac fuit vrbe Plus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 festum 〈◊〉 Gabrielis Gaudeat in 〈◊〉 pater iste fidelis PEter Quiuill ann 1281. was consecrated Bishop of Erceter He first instituted a Chaunter and a Subdeane in this Church To the one he impropriated Painton Chidleigh and to the other the rectory of Eglosheyl in Cornewall He was a liberall and a speciall Benefactor to the Hospitall of Saint Iohns in Exceter as well in goods as in liuelyhoods He first began to enlarge and encrease his Church from the Chauncell downewards and layed the foundation thereof In his time ann 1285. Walter Lichlade the first Chaunter was slame in a morning as he came from the morning seruice then called the Mattens which was woont to be said shortly after midnight vpon which occasion the king earne vnto this City and kept his Christmas in the same And thereupon a composition was made betweene the Bishop and the City for inclosing of the Church yard and building of certaine gates there as appeareth by the said composition bearing date in festo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mariae 1286. The king at 〈◊〉 sute of the Earle of Hereford who at his 〈◊〉 here was lodged in the house of the Gray Friers which then was neere the house of Saint Nicholas obtained of the Bishop that they should be remooued from thence to a 〈◊〉 wholesome place without South gate whereof after the kings departure grew some controuersie because the Bishop resused to performe his promise made to the king This man also impropriated the parish of Saint 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 of Stoke Gabriell and vnited the same to the office of the Chauncellor of the Cathedrall Church that the said Chauncellor should continually read a lecture within the said City of Diuinity or of the Decretals In the eleuenth yeere of his Bishopricke he died being choked in drinking of a 〈◊〉 ann 1292. He was buried in the middle of the Lady Chappell Upon his toombe is written 〈◊〉 tegit Petrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Franciscanes or Gray Friers of this City imputed his death to his hard dealing with them For whereas he had promised the king to prouide a conuenient place sor them to build their house in and had willed their warden named Deodatus to seeke out and make inquiry for the same yet notwithstanding when he had so doone because the same was in his Sée swaruing from his said promise he vtterly denied to performe the same being diswaded by Peter Kenefield a Dominicane or a blacke Frier and 〈◊〉 vnto the said Bishop For he enuying the good successe of the Franciscanes aduiseth the Bishop that in no wise he 〈◊〉 permit them to enioy the place which they had gotten 〈◊〉 saith he as vnder colour of simplicity they créepe into the harts of the people and hinder vs poore Preachers from our gaines and liuings so be ye sure that if they put foote 〈◊〉 your Liberties they will in time find meanes to be 〈◊〉 from out of your Liberty and iurisdiction The Bishop being soone diswaded vtterly forbiddeth them to build or to doo any thing within his Sée or liberty About two yéeres after the Bishop kept a great feast vpon the Sundaynext before Saint Francis day And among others was present with him one Walter Winborne one of the kings chiefe Justices of the bench who was present when the Bishop at the request of the king made promise to further helpe the Franciscanes He now in their behalfe did put the Bishop in mind thereof and requested him to haue consideration both of his owne promise and their distresse The Bishop misliking this motion waxed angry and did not onely deny to yeeld thereunto but wished himselfe to be choked what day soeuer he did consent vnto it It fortuned that the same weeke and vpon the day of Saint Francis eue the Bishop tooke a certaine Sirope to drinke in too hasty swallowing thereof his breath was stopped and he foorthwith died The Franciscanes hearing thereof made no little adoo about this matter but blased it abroad that Saint Francis wrought this miracle vpon the Bishop because he was so hard against them THomas Bitton Deane of Welles the yere following was elected Bishop and the See of Canterbury being voyd He was consecrated by I. Roman Archbishop of Yorke He left no memoriall of any great things done by him sauing that he continued the building of his church Fourteene yéeres after that he had occupied this See he died September 21. 1307. and was buried vnder a faire Marble inlayed with brasse before the high aultar VVAlter Stapleden a man learned wise and of great parentage was consecrate Bishop of Exceter March 18 1307. The inthronization or installation of Bishops was a Ceremony of great Solemnity in these 〈◊〉 the particularity whereof it shall not be 〈◊〉 once for all to describe in this man At Eastgate he alighted from his horse and went on foote to Saint Peters church All the way where he should passe being laid and couered with black cloth on each hand he was conducted by a gentleman of great 〈◊〉 and Sir Hugh 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 of this 〈◊〉 went next before him At broade gate he was receaued by his Chapter and Quier in their ornaments with Te Deum and so caried into the church The vsuall Ceremonies being performed there at his pallace a great feast was prepared for the entertainement of such noblemen and other parsonages of account as repaired hither at that time It is incredible how many oxen tunnes of Ale and Wine are said to haue béene vsually spent at this kind of solemnity Euen so much as the whole yéerely reuenue at this time would not suffice to pay for This Bishop was greatly in fauour with king Edward the second who made him first of his priuy Councell then Lord Treasurer of England and imploied him in diuers Embassages of great importance The yéere 1329. he was sent Embassadour to the French king and ioyned in commission with the Quéene for the conclusion of a peace betweene these two princes That
Hart. AFter him succéeded Walter Hart Doctor of 〈◊〉 by whose wisedome and discretion the malitious humours of the malecontent 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 wel 〈◊〉 were now altogether extinguished He 〈◊〉 the church and during his life maintained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Cambridge with all things necessary for them at his owne charges He departed this life the sixth of May. 1472. in the 26. yéere of his Consecration and was buried in his church of Norwich néere vnto the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 27. Iames Goldwell THis man 〈◊〉 25. yéeres Of him otherwise there 〈◊〉 no remembrance 28. Thomas Ian. This man died the first yéere of his consecration 29. Richard Nyx AFter the decease of Ian Richard Nyx 〈◊〉 of whom I finde little woorth the rehearsing He hath the report of a vicious and dissolute liuer was blinde long before his death sate 36. yéeres and died an 1536. 30. William Rugge NExt vnto Nyx William Rugge was preferred vnto this dignity he sate Bishop 14. yéeres deceased an 〈◊〉 31. Thomas Thyrlbey RVgge being dead Thomas Thyrlbey Doctor of Law the first and last Bishop of Westminster was remoued from thence vnto Norwich He sate about 4. yeeres and the yeere 1554. was translated to Ely See more in Ely 32. Iohn Hopton THyrlbev being 〈◊〉 to Ely Iohn Hopton was elected Bishop of Norwich he sate 4. yeeres and died the same yeere that Queene Mary did for griefe as it is supposed 33. Thomas Parkhurst AFter him T. Parkhorst succéeded which by the prouidence of God being preserued from many great dangers and afflictions which he suffered in the daies of Quéene Mary was by our gratious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth preferred vnto this place consecrate September 1. 1560. He died an 1574. hauing sate Bishop almost 15. yeeres 34. Edmund Freake MArch 9. 1571. Edmund Freake Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate Bishop of Rochester Thence presently vpon the death of Bishop Parkhurst he was remooued to Norwich and thence also the yéere 1584. vnto Worceter where he died about the 20. of March 1590. and 〈◊〉 buried vpon the South side of the body of the church there vnder a seemely monument néere the wall 35. Edmund Scambler EDmund Scambler houshold 〈◊〉 a while vnto the Archbishop was consecrate Bishop of Peterbourough Ianuary 16. an 1560. vpon the translation of Bishop Freake he was preferred vnto Norwich 36. William Redman William Redman Archdeacon of Canterbury 〈◊〉 The value of this Bishopricke in the Queenes bookes is 899 l. 8 s. 7 d. farthing and was 〈◊〉 at Rome in 5000. ducats The Bishops of Worceter WVlfher the first Christian king of Mercia being dead Ethelred his brother succéeded him in the kingdome He by the perswasion of Osher gouernor of Wiccia diuided his countrey which till that time had neuer had more then one Bishop into 5 parts or Diocesses which he appointed vnto fiue Bishoprickes whereof one was Lichfield erected 4. new Cathedral Sées one at Dorchester another at Leicester another at Sidnacester and the fourth at Worceter And for the first Bishop of Worceter choice was made of one Tatfrith a man of great learning who died before he could be consecrate After his decease Boselus was chosen and consecrate by Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury This was done as our histories deliuer for the most part the yéere 679. 1. After 〈◊〉 before mentioned these succéeded 2. 〈◊〉 consecrate 692. 3. Saint 〈◊〉 consecrate 〈◊〉 This man went to Rome with Offa king of Mercia there got licence of Constantine the Pope to build a monastery in Worceter and so did the same that is now the cathedrall church 4. 〈◊〉 consecrate 717. This man liued in the time of Beda 5. Mylredus 〈◊〉 reporteth one Deuehertus to haue béene Bishop of Worceter the yéere 766. but I thinke it an error 6. Weremundus 7. Tilherus 8. Eathoredus He gaue I comb vnto his church 9. Deuebertus 10. Eadbertus or Hubertus He gaue Croley 11. Alwyn or 〈◊〉 He built the chappell of Saint Andrew at Kimesey 868. 12. Werebertus called by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 was consecrate vpon 〈◊〉 being June 7. 872. He was greatly estéemed of king Alfred for his singular learning and translated at his request the Dialogues of Saint Gregory into the Saxon or English 〈◊〉 13. Wilferth He died an 911. 14. 〈◊〉 Abbot of Barkley 15. Kinewold he gaue Odingley vnto his Church 16. Saint Dunstan 〈◊〉 to London 958. and afterward to Canterbury Sée more of him there 17. Saint Oswald The yeere 971. he became afterward of Yorke and yet held Worceter still in Commendam till his death Concerning him and his two next successors See more in Yorke 18. Aldulf was also Archbishop of Yorke 19. Wulstan he likewise held Yorke 〈◊〉 like sort He is by some surnamed or rather I thinke nicknamed Reprobus 20. Leofsius he died at 〈◊〉 Aug. 19. 1033. 〈◊〉 was buried at Worceter 21. 〈◊〉 Abbot of Parshore the sonne of 〈◊〉 sister his predecessor He died December 20. 1038. 22. 〈◊〉 first a monke of Winchester and after 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 nephew vnto Brithwaldus Bishop of Saint Germans in Cornewall was consecrate Bishop of Crediton or Deuonshire 1032. He was greatly in fauour with king 〈◊〉 and attended him in his pilgrimage to Rome After his vncles death he procured Saint Germans to be vnited vnto his Sée and as it séemeth vnto me held not onely both them but Worceter also to which he was preferred 1038. vntill his death The yéere 1040. he was accused for procuring or consenting vnto the death of Alfred the eldest 〈◊〉 of king 〈◊〉 Some say he purged himselfe of that accusation others say he was depriued of his liuings as 〈◊〉 guilty and returning to 〈◊〉 died there But I take the third report to be truest to wit that he was once displaced and afterwards vpon better examination of the cause restored againe He died 1046. at which time euen iust when he gaue vp the Ghost there was such a horrible 〈◊〉 of thunder and lightning as men thought the day of doome had béene come He was buried at Tauestocke vnto which monastery he had béene a great benefactor 23. Aldred the yeere 1060. was translated to Yorke Sée more of him there 24. Saint Wulstan Alfred being constrained to giue ouer Worceter before he might obtaine the Popes approbation for Yorke as in Yorke you may see more at large he determined at his departure to fleece it and then to foyst in some simple fellow into that roome such a one as might seeme likely to swallow his gudgyn quietly He esteemed Wulstan Pryor of Worceter such a one and the king graunting free licence to choose whom they liked best he easily procured the consent of the cleargy and commonalty of the Dioces for his election This plot neuer so cunningly layde had not the successe that was expected For 〈◊〉 prooued nothing so tractable as he thought yéelded not to all that he demaunded and yet neuer synne wrangling and complayning vntill partly in his time partly in his
sonnes determined to builde vp this monastery in the most magnificent and stately manner he could 〈◊〉 which indéed he performed being very much holpen in the same by the contribution of Ethelred his brother as also of Kineburg and Kineswith his sisters who as W. 〈◊〉 deliuereth doo there ly buried This Monastery he dedicated vnto Saint Peter and appointed one Saxulf by whose perswasion he tooke in hand this worke to be the first 〈◊〉 of the same He afterwards became Bishop of Lichfield Two hundred yéeres after the first foundation and somewhat more it flourished in wealth and great prosperity to 〈◊〉 vntill the comming of the Danes who slew the Monkes and vtterly destroyed all those sumptuous buildings erected by Wolpher Hauing then layen desolate 109. yéeres Ethelwold Bishop of Winchester a great Patron of Monkery reedified it He had begun a new Oundale at Northampton in Northampton shire when by chaunce comming to this place he thought good to omitte that former and to bestow his cost here So he made a parish church of his building at Oundale and reedified this decayed Monastery of Medeshamstead In digging vp some of the old foundations it is remembred there were found stones of such huge greatnesse as eight yoke of Oren were scarce able to draw one of them away King Edgar holp the Bishop much in this foundation and Aldulf that was Chauncellor vnto the said king partly for deuotion partly for malcontentment and greefe that he had layen vpon his onely child and so 〈◊〉 him in his sleepe bestowed all his substance vpon it and betaking himselfe vnto a monasticall life became Abbot there After him Kenulfus another Abbot compassed about this Monastery with a strong Wall about the yéere of our Lord 1000. And then saith W. Malmsbury because it bare the shew of a towne or burrough it began to leaue the old name and to be called altogether Burgh or Burrough and sometimes because it was dedicated vnto Saint Peter Peterburrough Through the liberality of diuers Benefactors it grew to that greatnesse of wealth and possessions as all the Countrey round about belonged vnto it In that state it continued till that fatall day of all our Monasteries at what time it pleased King Henry the eight to conuert the same into a Cathedrall Church and to imploy the reuenewes vpon the maintenance of a Bishop a Deane 6. Prebendaries and other Ministers necessary for the celebration of Diuine seruice Northamtonshire and Kutlandshire were taken from Lincolne and appointed the Dioces of this newe crected Sée 1. Iohn Chambers IOhn Chambers the last Abbot of Peterborough was the first Bishop 2. Dauid Poole DAuid Poole Doctor of Law Deane of the Arches and sometimes Chauncellor of the Dioces of Lichfield 3. Edmund Scambler EDmund Scambler was consecrate Ianuary 16. 1560. and the yéere 1584. remooued to Norwich Sée Norwich 4. Richard Howland RIchard Howland Doctor of Diuinity and Master of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge succéeded He died in the moneth of Iune 1600. 5. Thomas Doue THomas Doue Deane of Norwich and Chaplaine to her Maiesty was consecrate in the end of the yéere 1600. This Bishoprick is valued in the Exchecquer at 414 l. 19 s. 11 d. The Bishops of Bristoll RObert surnamed Fitz-Harding because his father that was sonne vnto the king of Denmarke was called Harding this Robert I say being a citizen of Bristoll and sometimes Maior there founded the monastery of Saint Augustines néere vnto the said city and placed Channons in the same the yere 1148. being the 14. yere of king Stephen This foundation was afterwards confirmed and augmented by king Henry the second who so greatly fauoured the author of the same as he preferred him to the marriage of the daughter and sole heire of the Lord Barkley Of them are descended all the Lord Barkleys since that time And many of them as challenging an interest in this foundation of their auncestors haue chosen the church there for the place of their buriall In that church it pleased king Henry the eight to erect an Episcopall Sée and to conuert the reuenues of the same vnto the maintenance of a Bishop a Deane sixe Prebendaries and other officers The Dioces of this Bishopricke is the city of Bristoll and the county of Dorset 1. Paul Bush. PAul Bush Prouinciall of the 〈◊〉 was the first Bishop of Bristoll a man well learned both in diuinity and phisicke as his workes yet extant may testifie written in both kindes some in prose some in verse In the beginning of Quéene Maries raigne he was depriued for being maried and died vnhappily a few daies before her He lieth entoombed on the North side of the quier ouer against the Bishops See in a séemely monument thus inscribed Hiciacet D. Paulus Bush primus huius ecclesiae Episcopus qui obijt 11. die Octob. an dom 1558. aetatis suae 68. cuius animae c. 2. Iohn Holyman IOhn Holyman was appointed Bishoppe of Bristoll by Quéene Mary his predecessor yet liuing and died about the same time that he did 3. Richard Cheyny RIchard Chey 〈◊〉 consecrate Bishop of Glocester Apr. 19. 1562. was allowed to how Bristoll in 〈◊〉 with Glocester and so did for the space of 16. yéeres viz. vntill his death which happened the yéere 1578. 4. Iohn Bullingham Iohn Bullingham succéeded him in both these Bishopricks 5. Richard Fletcher RIchard 〈◊〉 doctor of diuinity and Deane of 〈◊〉 was consecrate Bishop of Bristoll Bishop Bullingham yet liuing in December 1589. When as the Sée had stoode voyde otherwise then as it was held by Commendam 31. yeres In the end of the yéere 1593. he was translated to Worceter and soone after to London Sée London Bristoll is valued at 383 l. 8 s. 4 d. The Bishops of S. Dauids THe British histories doo all report that in this Island at the first planting of Christian religion here there were established 28. Episcopall Sees as in Saint Aug. of Canterbury I haue before declared Of these 28. three were Archbishoprickes London York and Carlegion or Caerlheon vpon Usk in Monmouthshire At Carleon which was then a great and populous City in the time of King Arthur sate 〈◊〉 the sonne of Eurdila a gentlewoman of great birth but who was his father it was neuer knowen He was a man of excellent learning and singular integrity in regard whereof when first he had taken great paines many yéeres as well in teaching and reading vnto his schollers whereof he had a great number as in preaching vnto the people he was appointed first Bishop of Landaff and hauing stayed there no long time was made Archbishop of all Wales by Germanus and 〈◊〉 two Bishops of Fraunce that were intreated by 〈◊〉 Ambrosius king of Britaine to come ouer and yeelde their best helpe for extinguishing the 〈◊〉 heresie that had then taken great roote in this Countrey Vther 〈◊〉 being dead he crowned Vther Pendragon and afterward that great Arthar king of this Island and waring old resigned his Bishopricke
Caerleon Of that occasion of their double iourney into these parts for they were twice héere of 〈◊〉 whom former ages haue made a Saint see more in the beginning of Saint Dauids So we must account Saint 〈◊〉 the first Bishop of Landaff not that I deny any other to haue sate there before him but because he is the first whose name is remembred And it is probable he had no predecessors because the memory of all his successors is so carefully preserued 2. Saint 〈◊〉 alias 〈◊〉 the second Bishop was very nobly borne and brought vp vnder Dubritius his predecessor and 〈◊〉 together with Saint Dauid I finde deliuered that soone after his comming to this Bishopricke he was constrained by a strange disease raigning in those parts to flie into Fraunce whence after a season he returned againe bringing home with him in three ships his countrimen that had fled with him vpon the same occasion He was afterward slaine in the church of Llan Delio Fechan by a certaine noble man called 〈◊〉 His cathedral church where it séemeth he was buried hath euer since borne his name Unto it in the time of this man and his successors many kings of England and princes of Wales haue giuen much land and granted diuers notable priuiledge Amongst which these are accounted the chiefest benefactors King Iddon the sonne of Inyr gwent gaue Lanarth with all the lands there that belonged héeretofore to Saint Dubritius He gaue also Llanteilian porth halawg with the territorie vnto the same belonging Maredudd that son of Rein K. of west Wales gaue 3. 〈◊〉 Aircol Lawhir the sonne of Tryfan K. of west Wales gaue diuers lands Cadwgawn a king was also a great benefactour as were all these that follow Meuric king of Morganwg Tewdric or Theodorike a king Morgant king of Morganwg Augustus king of Brecheiniawc Iddug the sonne of 〈◊〉 a king Morgant king of Glewissig Ithael a king King 's of Erging Gwrwodius Cinuin Gwrgant Noble men of Wales called in euidences by the name of kings Clodri Lluddgwallawn Clydiawe Nogwy Hywell Gruffydd ap Owen Rys king of Glewissig kings of Gwent Arthmael Rhrodri kings of Morgannwc Rydderch Iestinap Gwrgant Caradock Gruffydd ap Llewelin king of all Wales 3. Oudoceus or Odoceus succéeded Saint Telian He was also very nobly borne and after his death reputed a Saint as was also his predecessor He died Iuly 2. the yéere I find not 4. Vbelwinus alias Vbelwin 5. 〈◊〉 6. Elgistil 7. Lunapeius 8. Gomergwinus alias Gomergius 9. Argwistil 10. Goruanus alias Guruan 11. Gwydlonius alias Gwodloiw 12. Edilbinus alias Edilbin 13. Grecielus 14. Berthgwynus 15. Trichanus alias Trycan 16. Eluogus 17. Cadgwaret 18. 〈◊〉 19. 〈◊〉 20. Pater 21. Gulfridus alias 〈◊〉 22. Nuth Nudd 23. 〈◊〉 alias 〈◊〉 He died an 927. 24. Libiauth Libiauch He died an 929. 25. Gogwanus was consecrate by 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Canterbury 982. So it seemeth this See was long void 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 27. 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 chosen by the kings cleargy and people of the countrey was 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Canterbury 993 he died an 1022. 28. 〈◊〉 was consecrate by 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Canterbury Octob. 1. 1022. He died at Rome the yere 1046. 29. Herewald was consecrate at London by Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury in Whitson weeke 1056. He died March 6. 1103. being 100. yeeres of age and hauing continued in this Bishopricke 48. yeeres 30. 〈◊〉 Archdeacon of Landaff was consecrate together with diuers other Bishops August 10. 1108. being then but 32. yeeree of age At his first comming he found his Bishopricke in very poore and miserable estate The church ruinated euen almost to the ground in the time of the late warres vnder 〈◊〉 Conqueror the reuenues of themselues small and yet so ill husbanded by the negligence of his predecessors as they could now scarcely maintaine two chanons beside the Bishop whereas there were woont to be 24. Complaining hereof to the Pope Calixtus the second at what time he was at the counsell of Rhemes viz. the yeere 1119. he affoorded him his letters to the king as also to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the cleargy and gentlemen of his owne Dioces earnestly praying them to yeelde him their best 〈◊〉 for the reformation of his church so 〈◊〉 The Archbishop the rather to draw on the liberality of men in contributing toward the new building of the church tooke vpon him to release the fourth part of all penance 〈◊〉 vnto such as should bestow any thing toward the 〈◊〉 By this meanes no doubt hauing gathered great 〈◊〉 of money he began the building of that church which now standeth April 14. 1120. and hauing finished it built a new also all the housing belonging to it Then next endeuouring to recouer the lands lost or alienated from his See he chalenged diuers parcels withheld by Barnard bishop of Saint 〈◊〉 and Richard Bishop of Hereford and moreouer complayned that they had vsurped vpon the iurisdiction of these places Gwhyr Cedwely Cantref Bychan Ystrad Yw 〈◊〉 Upon depositiō of 6. witnesses that al these were of that Dioces of Landaff they were so adiudged by the Popes 〈◊〉 sentence who also writ vnto the king and Archbishop 〈◊〉 restore that right vnto the Bishop of Landaff and to 〈◊〉 to yéeld obedience to him and his successors as their Diocesan Howbeit how it commeth to passe I know not those places are now and long haue beene estéemed part of the Dioces of Saint Dauids and part of Hereford and none of them of Landaff This Bishop died beyond the 〈◊〉 trauelling betwéene this and Rome an 1133. 31. 〈◊〉 that succéeded had a daughter married to Iorwerth ap Owen ap Caradocke Lord of Caerlheon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great and mighty man in those parts He died 〈◊〉 1141. 32. 〈◊〉 died 1153. 33. Nicolas ap 〈◊〉 died 1183. 34. William de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 35. Henry Prior of 〈◊〉 was the founder of 14. 〈◊〉 in the Church of Landaff He died 1218. 36. William Pryor of 〈◊〉 died Ianuary 28. an 1229. 37. Elis de Radnor died May 6. 1240. 38. William de Burgo chaplaine vnto king Henry the 3. was consecrate the yéere 1244. and died Iune 11. 〈◊〉 hauing liued blind 7. yéeres before his death 39 Iohn 〈◊〉 Ware Abbot of Margan died about the end of Iune 1253. 40. 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 died Ianuary 9. 1265. 41. 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 died in the ende of March 1287. and lyeth 〈◊〉 vnder a Marble engrauen in the East end of the Church of Landaff toward the North Wall 42. 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate February 10. 1296. at Canterbury and died Aprill 8. 1323. He lyeth in the midst of the East ende of the Church elsewhere commonly called the Lady Chappell vnder a flat Marble hauing a French inscription now somewhat defaced 43. Iohn de 〈◊〉 a Frier Preacher was consecrate at Rome and came to his Dioces of Landaff vpon the 〈◊〉 of Trinity Sunday 1223. He died at
〈◊〉 Ianuary 2. 1346. and was buried at 〈◊〉 44. Iohn Paschall Doctor of Diuinity a Carmelite of Ipswich was a gentleman borne in 〈◊〉 of a family yet remaining there and brought vp in the Uniuersity of Cambridge By William 〈◊〉 Bishop of Norwich was made a Titulary Bishop and his Suffragan by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From that imaginary See he was translated by the Pope to Landaff ann 1347. died 1361. and was buried at Landaff He was a man of great learning for those times and left diuers monuments thereof in writing behind him 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Frier Minor 46. Thomas 〈◊〉 a Frier Preacher and Doctor of Diuinity was translated to Chichester 47. William de 〈◊〉 made Bishop of Bethlehem by the Pope was translated first to Landaff and after viz. the yéere 1389. to Rochester See more of him there 48. 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 was a Doctor of Diuinity and Monke of Bury where being knowen for a man of a very pragmaticall and 〈◊〉 humour that he might not trouble them at home the Couent thought good to maintaine him at Rome for the dispatch of their ordinary businesses there taking first a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him neuer to seeke any office or 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 house without 〈◊〉 priuity and direction This othe notwithstanding when shortly after it fell out that the Abbot died he found meanes that the Pope should by his omnipotent bulles intitle him to that Abbotship whereunto the Couent with the kings good 〈◊〉 had now already elected another man far more meete 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 For this bad kind of dealing as also bicause those prouisory bulles had heretofore béen forbidden by Act 〈◊〉 Parliament he was committed to the Tower and there 〈◊〉 prisoner a long time Neither durst the Pope yéelde him any assistance for the iustifying of his owne gift bicause there was then an Antipope whom if the Cleargy of England should haue béene induced to follow as by the kings 〈◊〉 easily they might it must néedes haue béene to his great preiudice and hinderance At the first therefore the Pope was determined to haue made him a Bishop in Ireland and whether he did or no I well know not But this is certaine that the yéere 1389. Thomas Brinton Bishop of Rochester 〈◊〉 the Pope with the kings good liking translated the Bishop of Landaffe to Rochester and gaue Landaff to this Brumfield 49. Tydemannus Abbot of Beaulien succéeded Brumfield and if I mistake not was that Tydemannus de 〈◊〉 that ann 1395. became Bishop of Worceter 50. Andrew Barret Doctor of Law 51. Iohn Burghyll a Frier preacher being Bishop 〈◊〉 Landaff and Confessor vnto the king was translated vnto Lichfield in September 1398. 52. Thomas Peuerell a Carmelite and Doctor of Diuinity was first Bishop of Ossery in Ireland 〈◊〉 thence to Landaff 1399. and thence to Worceter 1407. See Worceter 53. Iohn la Zouche a Frier minor and doctor of Diuinitie It should séeme that this man built either a 〈◊〉 part or else happily all of the house at Mathern néere Chepstow the onely house that is nowe left the Bishop to put his head in His armes fixed in diuers places of the wals and windowes to my iudgement import so much 54. Iohn Wellys was likewise a Minorite and doctor of Diuinitie 55. Nicolas Ashby Prior of Westminster 56. Iohn Hunden a Minorite doctor of Diuinitie and Prior of kings Langley 57. Iohn Marshall doctor of Diuinitie sometime fellow of Merton colledge in Oxford was consecrated 1479. and was I take it translated to London the 〈◊〉 1489. 58. Iohn Ingleby sometime Prior of Shéene a Carthusian 59. Iohn Smyth doctor of Diuinitie died October 16. 1511. and was buried at Christ church in London in the chappell of all Saints on the north side of the altar 60. Miles 〈◊〉 sometimes 〈◊〉 to the Abbey of Abingdon and afterwards Abbot of Eynesham 61. George de Attigua a Spaniard a Frier preacher and doctor of Diuinitie was consecrated March 8. 1516. 62. Robert Holgate doctor of Diuinitie was consecrated March 25. 1537. and ann 1544. was translated to Yorke See Yorke 63. Anthony Kitchen alias Dunstan doctor of Diuinity and sometimes Abbot of Eynesham was consecrated May 3. 1545. and enduring all the tempestuous changes that hapned in the meane time continued till the 5. yeere of her Maiestie that now reigneth viz. the yeere 〈◊〉 and then died hauing first so impouerished the Bishopricke by vnreasonable demises of whatsoeuer was demisable as there was no great cause he should be so loth to leaue it 64. 〈◊〉 Iones Bacheler of Law was consecrated May 5. 1556. 65. William Blethyn Batcheler of Law was consecrate Aprill 17. 1575. 66. Geruale Babington Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate Aug. 29. 1591. in February 1594. translated to Exceter and afterward to Worceter 67. William Morgan Doctor of Diuinity was consecrate Iuly 20. 1595. and translated to Saint Assaph September 16. 1601. This Bishopricke is valued in the Exchecquer at 154 l. 14 s. 1 d. and paid to the Pope for first fruits 700. ducats For want of some instructions I can not as yet set downe a perfect Catalogue of the Bishops of Bangor and Saint Assaph And therefore leauing them till some other occasion I must now passe vnto the Prouince of Yorke which contayneth besides Yorke the Metropolitane Church three other Sees Durham Carliol and Chester The Archbishops of Yorke 1. Paulinus NOt to say any thing of the manifold Testimonies of very credible authors who witnesse that the Faith of Christ was receiued in diuers particular places of this Island presently after the ascension of Christ or at least while the Apostles yet liued it can not be denied but 〈◊〉 Bishop of Rome At the request of Lucius then K. of Britaine sent 〈◊〉 Faganus and other learned Preachers to sowe the seede of the Gospell here about the yéere of our Lord 180. And it should séeme which our histories also witnesse That God so farre foorth blessed 〈◊〉 labours That they not onely conuerted many vnto the faith of Christ themselues but also left a posterity of other which with like painfulnesse continued the same doctrine in this Island till by diuers tyrants they were in diuers places oppressed and consumed Notwithstanding whether it were that the Church by them planted had many notable wanes intermissions or rather eclipses in which the light of heauenly doctrine was altogether darkened by great persecution and so no Ecclesiasticall history preserued or whether the same being preserued was destroyed by persecutors scarcely any mention remaineth of any of their Bishops 〈◊〉 of London there are remembred 15. Archbishops and of Yorke 〈◊〉 The first of these and the first Archbishop that euer Yorke had was one named 〈◊〉 appointed by the foresaid king Lucius Againe I find it reported that king 〈◊〉 made one 〈◊〉 Archbishop there And lastly that Tadiacus was the last Archbishop before the comming of the Saxons When they had gotten possession of this Realme the Britons that were the old inhabitants being
drouen into a corner thereof Wales and Cornewall the rest of England was without any knowledge or 〈◊〉 of the Gospel vntill the comming of Saint Augustine And after him a great while the North parts of this Realme remained in the darknesse of their wonted ignorance till God tooking vpon them with the eye of his mercy gaue this occasion of their conuersion Edwyn king of 〈◊〉 was very desirous to marry Edilburge the sister of 〈◊〉 king of Kent She being not onely a Christian but a 〈◊〉 vertuous gentlewoman vtterly refused to match with him being a Pagan but signified that vpon condition he 〈◊〉 promise to become a Christian she would accept him for her husband He answered he could be very well content 〈◊〉 doo nothing in preiudice of her faith and to suffer that not 〈◊〉 her 〈◊〉 but her seruants and traine should practise what 〈◊〉 they would And 〈◊〉 withall that if vpon consideration and conference with wise men Christian Religion should séeme more holy and woorthier of God then his 〈◊〉 he would not refuse to embrace the same Upon these 〈◊〉 Edilburg was sent vnto him to be his Quéene And least by kéeping company with heathen people she and those that went with her might in time be 〈◊〉 with their Paganisme It was thought conuenient to send some 〈◊〉 and godly man with her that might not only instruct 〈◊〉 admonish them dayly but also minister the Sacraments vnto them yea and preach the Gospell vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 man was made choise of whom they thought good to consecrate Archbishop of Yorke which was done by 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Canterbury the 21. day of July in the yéere of our Lord 625. or as some account 622. He mindfull 〈◊〉 his vocation as soone as he came into the Countrey laboured diligently to winne soules vnto Christ but without any profit at all a great while Regis ad exemplum totus componitur 〈◊〉 So long as the King remained obstinate little good was to be done with the rest of the people Him therefore he often exhorted to embrace Christ and preuailed at last so far with him as he promised to doo it if it might please God to send him victory against Guichelm King of the West Saxons that had conspired his death This victory being 〈◊〉 according to his desire He yet kept not promise but delayed the matter vnder pretence of perswading his Nobles first to be content therewith And longer still he would haue delayed it had not God by Paulinus put him in mind of a vision he had séene long since as Beda reporteth and it is this 〈◊〉 that raigned ouer the Northumbers next before him sought nothing more then the death of this Edwyn to whom indeede the Crowne of right appertayned He therefore flying from this enimy ranged vp and downe in many Countries and that in the most secrete manner hee might till at last hee came vnto Redwald King of the East Angles humbly 〈◊〉 him that he would saue his life by shielding him from 〈◊〉 his cruell enimy The king bid him welcome and promised to fulfill his request Notwithstanding which his promise being offered a great summe of money by Edilfrid to betray him and threatned with warre if he condiscended not vnto him he yéelded at last and determined to gratifie him therein though contrary to his word and faith giuen This resolution of the kings being vnderstood bya companion of Edwins he called him out of his bed late in the night told him how the world went and bid him thift for himselfe whereunto he answered couragiously that for his part he would not first breake with the king if the king esteemed so little of his honor as to sell it for money better it was for him to die by the appointment of him that he knew loued him though he loued money better then by the appointment of his deadly enimy whom by flying he well saw he could no longer auoid Hereupon his companion departed from him leauing him very pensiue sitting without doore vpon a stone Soone after he was gone Edwyn espied one comming toward him that he knew not who demaunding of him why he sate there at that time of the night other men being a sléepe What is that vnto you saith Edwyn whether I spend the night within doore or without Hereunto the other answered thinke not my friend that I am ignorant of thy sadnes and the cause of thy present griefe I know them very well But tell me quoth he what reward wouldest thou giue vnto him that should rid thée of all this care and trouble and perswade Redwald neither to 〈◊〉 thée 〈◊〉 nor to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do it When he promised to do any thing in the 〈◊〉 that lay in his power to performe the other 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 also promise thee the kingdome 〈◊〉 vnto 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 of thine 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that thou shalt be the mightiest king not onely of all thy 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 all the Saxons that euer were in this I 〈◊〉 Hereunto he answered in effect as before he would 〈◊〉 his best to requite so great a benefit Why then quoth the other and withall laid his hand vpon 〈◊〉 head when all these things shall come to passe and that thou shalt be 〈◊〉 a more excellent way to direct the course and maner of thy life then euer was imparted vnto any of thy predecessors Remember by this token of laying my hand on thy head to follow without delay the directions that shall be giuen 〈◊〉 This hauing said he vanished away to the great 〈◊〉 and astonishment of Edwyn who had not sate there long but his companion before mentioned came 〈◊〉 foorth 〈◊〉 him with great ioy and told him that Redwald by the perswasion of his Quéene had altered his determination and was resolued whatsoeuer came of it to stand to his word and to be true vnto him To make short God so 〈◊〉 his heart that he was not only content to 〈◊〉 Edwyn 〈◊〉 heretofore but also gathered suddenly a great army and 〈◊〉 in person against Edilfrid he ouer came and 〈◊〉 him in the 〈◊〉 whereby it came to passe that Edwyn with one consent of all his subiects was made king Now this vision saith 〈◊〉 God reuealed vnto 〈◊〉 the Archbishop who comming vnto the king Edwyn at a time when he chaunced to sit alone deliberating with himselfe what religion he were best to follow he stept vnto him and laying his right hand vpon his head asked him if he knew that token Presently the king forgetting all Princely maiesty 〈◊〉 downe trembling at poore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and said he 〈◊〉 it very well in so much as hereafter he would follow his direction for matters of Religion in all things The king being thus woonne vnto Christ and hauing receiued his badge and cognisance by Baptisme the rest of the nobility first and then the 〈◊〉 gaue diligent eare vnto the Bishops preaching and were conuerted daily
〈◊〉 there all winter preaching the gospell neuer hard of in that country before vnto the king and people whom before his Departure he conuerted vnto Christ. The Pope was then at the Counsell of 〈◊〉 where both by him and his counsell it was ordered that the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Yorke should not be altered without 〈◊〉 owne consent But Egfride the king so 〈◊〉 Theodores deuise as Wilfride at his returne 〈◊〉 he must either yéeld vnto it or forsake the country Herein me thinkes he was to blame Not induring to take a repulse in a matter he had trauailed so much in He rather chose to 〈◊〉 Bishopricke country and all and to liue in pouerty and 〈◊〉 He went into Sussex and there 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the people of that country vnto the 〈◊〉 of Christ became their first Bishop and laid the foundations of a Cathedrall church the Sée being afterward remooued to Chichester Sée 〈◊〉 hereof in Chichester After ten yéeres banishment king Egfrid dying Alfrid that succéeded him sent for Wilfride and desired him to returne to his Sée of Yorke which he did But after fiue yéeres the king fell out with him and 〈◊〉 him to Rome againe There purging himselfe of all the accusations laid against him by the king he obtained the 〈◊〉 letters in fauour of him by meanes whereof and 〈◊〉 of many friends with much a doo at last he was restored 〈◊〉 more vnto his first charge in which after this his last 〈◊〉 he liued peaceably the space of sower yeeres and 〈◊〉 then being seuenty sixe yéeres of age October the 〈◊〉 the yéere 711. forty fiue yéeres after his first consecration He was buried in the monastery of Rippon which himselfe built many other things are at large reported of him by Beda lib. 5. cap. 20. Amongst the rest his Epitaphe there set downe I thought good to insert Wilfridus 〈◊〉 magnus requiescit corpore praesul Hane domino qui aulam ductus pietatis amore Fecit eximio 〈◊〉 nomine Petri Cui claues coeli Christus dedit arbiter orbis Atque auro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ostro Quinetiam sublime crucis radiante metallo Hic posuit trophaeum nee non quatuor auro Scribi Euangelij praecepit in ordine libros Ac thecam è rutilo his condignam condidit auro Paschalis qui etiam solemnia tempora 〈◊〉 Catholiciad iustum correxit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quem statuere patres dubioque errore remoto Certa suae genti ostendit modermina ritus Inque locis 〈◊〉 monachorum examina crebra Colligit ac monitis cauit quae regula patrum Sedulus instituit multisque domique forisque Iactatus nimium per tempora longa periclis 〈◊〉 ternos postquam egit episcopos annos Transijt gaudens caelestia regna petiuit Dona Iesu Grex vt pastoris calle sequatur Sée more of this Wilfride in Theodore of Canterbury 4. Bosa AFter the first departure of Wilfrid from Yorke Theodore procéeding in his intended platforme diuided his Dioces into 4. placing one Eata at Hagustald whom afterward he remooued to Lindissarne another of his new erections appointing Tumbert to succéede him in the Prouince of the Pictes Trumwyn and lastly in the ancient Sée of York Bosa At the returne of Wilfrid 〈◊〉 was faine to giue place as also Iohn that had succéeded Eata dead in the mean time Wilfrid being expelled the second time they were both restored Before then the second restitution of Wilfrid Bosa died and Iohn succéeded him This Iohn Wilfrid would not displace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the report of a very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man He 〈◊〉 ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 and dying was the first Archbishop that was buried in 〈◊〉 5. Iohn THis Iohn called afterward Saint Iohn of Beuerley was a gentleman borne of a very good house brought vp first vnder Hilda that 〈◊〉 Abbesse then vnder Theodore the first Archbishop of Canterbury who also preferred him to the Bishopricke of 〈◊〉 He alwaies had the reputation of a wonderfull holy man and Beda reporteth many miracles done by him lib. 5. cap. 2. 3. 4. 5. and 6. as the curing of diuers folkes desperately sicke by prayer opening the mouth of a dumb man c. which things either they were true or Beda was much to blame For he not onely liued in his time and Dioces But knew him and receiued the order of priesthood at his hand Waxing very old and hauing béene a Bishop now 33. yéeres 8. monethes and 13. daies with the consent of his Cleargy he resigned and procured another Wilfred his Chaplaine to be consecrate in his roome After which he liued priuately at Beuerley in the Colledge there built and founded by himselfe for Priests and dying the seuenth day of May the yéere 721. was buried in the Porch of the Church belonging to that Colledge In a 〈◊〉 held at London the yéere 1416. the foresaid day of his death was appointed to be kept holy day yéerly in memorial of him Amongst many priuileges granted by diuers kings vnto the Colledge of Beuerly for his sake it is remembred that King Athelstan made it a Sanctuary and placed a certaine chaire of stone in the church there vpon which he caused this inscription to be engrauen Haec sedea lapidea dicitur Freedstoole 1. 〈◊〉 Cathedra ad quam reus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnimodam habet 〈◊〉 This chaire of stone is called Fréedstoole that is the stoole of feéedome vnto which who so commeth hath all manner of security 6. Wilfridus 2. THe forefaid Wilfride sate 11. yéeres and died the yéere 731 7. Egbert AFter him sucéeded Egbert the brother of king Eadbert he sate 36. yeeres and died ann 767. This man byhis owne wisedome and the authority of his brother amended greatly the state of his Church and Sée He procured the Archepiscopall pall to be restored to his Church againe and erected a famous Library in Yorke which he stored plentifully with an infinite number of excellent bookes This Library is honorably mētioned by Flaccus Albinus or Alcuinus sometime kéeper of the same but then schoolemaster vnto Charles the great in an Epistle to the Church of England in these words Date 〈◊〉 eruditionis 〈◊〉 quales in patria mea Anglia per industriam magistrimei Egberti habui 〈◊〉 vobis aliquos expueris nostris vt excipiant inde necessaria reuehant in 〈◊〉 flores Britanniae non sit tantum in Eboraco hortus conclusus sed etiam in Turome emissiones Paradisi c. Neither was this man onely a fauorer of learning in other but himselfe also was very learned and writ many things a Catalogue whereof you may sée in Bale He was buried at Yorke by his brother the King in the Church Porch 8. Coena alias Albertus ALbert called by Florentius Coena sate after Egbertus 7. yéeres and died at Chester 9. Eanbaldus COEna yet liuing whether he resigned or tooke him to him for a Coadiutor it appeareth not Eanbald being an old man was
Bishop being troubled much in mind after the performance of that action and either amased with feare of what might happen after it or ouercome with gréefe and repentance of that he had done neuer could be mery after and so by conceit was cast into a disease whereof he died September 11. 1069. This is the report of W. Malmesbury others say namely Florentius Wigorne that he was so grieued with the comming in of a Nauy of the Danes as he prayed to God to take him out of this life that he might not sée the slaughter and spoyle which he thought they would make And that this griefe was the cause of his death He was more reuerenced afterward then while he liued a great deale No English man succéeded him in many yéeres after And the Normans being odious vnto the people they gladly reprehended all their actions comparing them with such English Bishops as they could remember made most fauorable report of them One thing also encreased his credite much Vrsus Earle of Worceter had built a Castle there to some preiudice of the monks in so much as the ditch of the said Castle empaired a little of the Church yard Aldred went vnto the Earle hauing before admonished him to right the wrong and hauing demaunded of him whether it were done by his appointment which he could not deny looking 〈◊〉 vpon 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrse Haue thou Gods 〈◊〉 and mine and of all 〈◊〉 heads except thou 〈◊〉 away this castle and know thou assuredly that thy posterity shall not inherite the land 〈◊〉 inheritance of Saint Mary This his 〈◊〉 seemed to take effect for 〈◊〉 died 〈◊〉 after and Roger his sonne a very small time enioying his fathers honour lost the same and was saine to flye the realme for killing an officer of the kings Thus much for Aldred who after his death was buried in his owne church 25. Thomas THe king then appointed Thomas a Channon of Bayon to be his successor a Norman by birth but he was brought vp altogither in the schooles of the Saxons in Fraunce except a little time he spent in Spaine He was the sonne of a priest a married priest I take it and brother vnto Sampson Bishop of Worceter whose sonne Thomas succéeded afterwards this Thomas in this Sée of Yorke A man very learned gentle both in countenance and words of a very swéete and amiable behauiour chaste and which is not to be despised of a goodly personage being in his youth beautifull in his latter time well coloured and his haire both head and beard as white as snow At his first entrance he had some what to do with Lanfranke Archbishop of Canterbury vnto whom he would not make profession of obediencē neuer as he alledged before that time required And indéed before the comming of William the Conqueror saith one the two Metropolitanes of England were not onely in authority dignity and office but also in number of suffragane Bishops 〈◊〉 But at this time saith he they of Canterbury 〈◊〉 the new king that Yorke ought to be subiect vnto their Sée and that it was for the good and safety of the king that the church thereof should be obedient principally vnto one for that otherwise one might set the crowne vpon one mans 〈◊〉 and the other doe as much for some body else This 〈◊〉 is more at large debated in Canterbury The ende for that time was that Thomas ouerborne by the Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranke and the king who fauoured him was faine to appeale vnto Rome both of them being there in person before the Pope they fell as commonly it happeneth in like cases from the chiefe point into by matters and articling one against another What Thomas laide against Lanfranke I find not And all that Lanfranke had to say against him was that he was a priests son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the king for his faithfull seruice had promised him a Bishopricke before his comming into England These were so great matters in the Popes iudgement as Thomas must be depriued of his ring and crosier and not restored to them but by the entreaty of Lanfranke As for the matter of Primacy he left it to the iudgment of the king and Bishops of England who forced Thomas to yeeld Comming then to Yorke he found that estate of his whole Dioces the city church especially most miserable The Danes before mentioned comming toward Yorke the Normans that held the castle thought good to burne certaine houses neere the castle least they might be a furtherance vnto the enemy This vngentle fire would not be entreated to stay iust where they would haue it but procéeding farther then his commission destroyed the monastery and church of Saint Peter and in fine the whole city Before the fire was out the Danes came and tooke both city and castle by force putting to the sword all the Normans they found there to the number of 3000 sauing none aliue but one William Mallet his wife children and a few other Soone after the destruction of this goodly city the king came into these parts with a puissant army against the Danes not ceasing to make all manner of spoile as if he had béene in the enemies countrey So betwéene the Danes and the Normans such hauocke was made as all the land from the great riuer of Humber vnto the riuer of Tine lay waste and not inhabited by any man for the space of nine yeeres after In the church of Yorke there were onely thrée Chanons left the rest being all either dead or fled away they had left vnto them neither house to put their heads in nor any good meanes how to line and maintaine themselues All these faults this industrious Bishop endeuoured to amend First he new couered and repaired his church as well as he might to serue the turne for a time But afterwards he pulled downe all the old building and erected from the very foundation a new to wit the Minster that now standeth His channons dispersed abroad he called home againe and tooke order they should be reasonably prouided for He built them a hall and a dorter and appointed one of them to be the Prouost and gouernour of the rest Also he bestowed certaine mannors and lands vpon them and caused other to be restored that had béen taken from them The church then hauing continued in this state a good while I know not by whose aduise the Archbishop thought good to diuide the land of Saint Peters church into Prebends and so to allot a particular portion vnto euery channon whereas before they liued together vpon the common charges of the church at one table much in like sort as fellowes of houses do now in the Uniuersities At the same time also he appointed a Deane a Treasurer and a chanter and also for the Chauncellorship it was founded of him before The church newly built by him he furnished with books and all kind of ornaments necessary
but his speciall care was to furnish the same and the rest of his Dioces with learned and honest men with whom he was woont continually to conferre and reason sometime with one and sometime with another partly for his owne exercise and partly to sée what was in them and to raise them vp to a diligence in increasing their knowledge Himselfe was very learned and writ diuers things both in prose and verse He was also a very good musition and could not onely sing but play very well vpon the organs and did set many songs Hauing crowned king Henry the first August 5. 1100. with the helpe of Maurice Bishop of London because Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury liued then in banishment the 18. of Nouember following being sunday he died at Rippon and was buried at Yorke in the Minster himselfe had built next vnto Aldred his predecessor 26. Gerard. AFter the death of Thomas Gerard nephew vnto Walkenlin Bishop of Winchester and Chauncellor of England vnder William the Conquerour and Rofus his sonne hauing beene Bishop of Heresord no long time he was elected vnto Yorke but obtayned not confirmation a great while For he refused to make profession of obedience vnto Canterbury till being commaunded by the Popes letters he performed the same He sate Archbishop seuen yéeres and almost sixe moneths and died suddenly in his garden at Southwell at a time when no body was with him He was a good benefactor vnto the Church of Yorke for he was a meanes vnto the king to bestow the Church of Laxton vpon the Chapter and himselfe hauing obtayued of him the Churches of Dryfield Kilne Pockington and Burgh he gaue them all likewise to the Chapter This notwithstanding after his death they would not suffer him bying so suddenly to be buried within their church hardly in the churchyard So he was laide at the entrance of the church porch But Thomas his successor not suffering such an indignity to be offered vnto an Archbishop remooued his bones into the Church afterward and caused them to be honorably intoombed He was a man of great learning and for eloquence admirable but somewhat too eager against married Priests whom by no meanes he could abide Bale chargeth him with forcery and coniuration because forsooth that after his death there was found in his chamber a volume of 〈◊〉 who writ of Astrology indéed but of coniuration nothing that euer I heard 27. Thomas 2. A Second Thomas succéeded a Chaplain of the kings nephew vnto the former Thomas and sonne vnto Sampson Bishop of Worceter Euen as his predecessor he was very loath to make his profession vnto Caterbury Being called vpon by Anselme the Archbishop He made many 〈◊〉 Wherefore Anselme lying very 〈◊〉 and perceiuing his end to be néere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Bishops of England commanding them not to consecrate him before he had made his 〈◊〉 laying a terrible curse and 〈◊〉 vpon whosoeuer 〈◊〉 doo it The king after 〈◊〉 death 〈◊〉 the Bishop of Worceter whose sonne he was to consecrate him But he answered that he would not haue the curse of Father 〈◊〉 for any worldly good So in the end being perswaded to yéeld as other had done before him consecration was afforded vnto him and performed by his Father 〈◊〉 the foresaid Bishop of 〈◊〉 or as other report by the Bishop of London Iune 27. 1108. This man erected 〈◊〉 newe 〈◊〉 in his Church of Yorke he placed 〈◊〉 reguler at 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parcels of land vnto the Colledge of 〈◊〉 and purchased of the king the like liberties priuileges for them that the 〈◊〉 of Yorke 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sate little aboue 5. yéeres and died I thinke I 〈◊〉 say 〈◊〉 Martyr Lying dangerously 〈◊〉 he was aduertised by the 〈◊〉 the nature of his disease to be such as if he vsed the company of a woman he neede not doubt of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise nothing was to be looked for but death He 〈◊〉 rather to 〈◊〉 then to 〈◊〉 so high and sacred a calling with so soule and haynous an 〈◊〉 So he ended his life February 19. 1114. and was buried beside the former Thomas his vncle 28. Thurstan THomas the Archbishop being taken away as before I haue declared Thurstan a Cannon of Paules and the Kings Chaplaine was chosen to succéed him He when he could by no meanes obtaine consecration of Ralph Archbishop of Canterbury without making profession of subiection 〈◊〉 and forsooke the 〈◊〉 of his election Yet remembring himselfe at last he went to Rome to plead his cause before the Pope and obtained letters to the king and Archbishop of Canterbury in commendation of his cause These letters preuailing nothing with the Archbishop that would be wonne by no meanes and Thurstan continuing as obstinate in his resolution The Sée remained void along time At last it fell out that a Counsell was summoned to be held at 〈◊〉 Thurstan crauing leaue of the king to goe thither could not obtaine it before he had promised that he would not receiue consecration there Which promise notwithstanding so well he followed his businesse that before the comming ouer of other English Bishops to the Counsell he was a Bishop ready consecrate as well as they and that by the hand of the Pope himselfe So he and he only I thinke of all the Archbishops of York since the Conquest neuer made profession of subiection to the Metropoliticall See of Canterbury The King hearing of this dealing was very greatly offended with Thurstan and for bad him England Neither could the Pope méeting with the King at Gisors and intreating for him so pacifie his displeasure as that he would suffer him to returne After fiue yeeres banishment the Pope writ a very sharpe letter vnto the king signifying that he would excommunicate both him and the Archbishop of Canterbury also if Thurstan were any longer kept from his See and charge Hereupon he was called home and soone after reconciled vnto the King This man is much praysed first for his learning then for his great wisedome and discretion and lastly for his industry and diligence his care and painefulnesse in well gouerning the charge committed to him He was a very kinde man to his Cannons vnto whom amongst other things he affoorded this priuiledge that the yeerely profite of their prebends being deuided into thrée parts it should be lawfull for any Canon to bequeath two parts of the yéere next ensuing his death alotting the third vnto the Fabricke that is toward the reparation of the church This order he set downe not onely at Yorke but at Beuerley also at Southwell at Rippon and at Glocester all which were colledges founded by Archbishops of Yorke Moreouer it is to be remembred that he either founded a 〈◊〉 or renued and repaired eight monasteries In the latter end of his time to wit June 4. 1137. a lamentable chaunce befell his church and city By casuall fire Saint Peters church in Yorke Saint Maries without the walles a
for that gathering of which mony he was faine to be so thrifty as in all our histories he is infamous for a miserable couetous wretch for proofe whereof I will recount vnto you a strange report of M. 〈◊〉 The yéere 1234. there was great dearth scarcity of corne and by reason that the dearth had continued then thrée yeeres mortality of people also as well by pestilence as famine Amongst many rich men that were nothing mooued with compassion toward the poore dayly perishing for want of reliefe this Archbishop is especially noted that he had fiue yéeres corne in store and would not thresh it out Being told at last by his officers that it was much to be feared it was consumed by mice or some other way much the woorse for so long standing he 〈◊〉 them to deliuer it to the husbandmen that dwelt in his mannors vpon condition they should pay as much new corne for it after haruest They intending to doe as he commanded went about to take downe a great mow of corne he had at Rippon And first comming toward it they saw the heads of many serpents snakes 〈◊〉 and other venemous creatures pearing out at the ends of the sheaues This being told vnto the Archbishop he sent his steward and diuers of good credit to enquire the truth thereof who seeing that which the other had seene enforced notwithstanding certaine poore men to go vp vnto the top of it with ladders They were scarcely 〈◊〉 when they saw a blacke smoake rise out of the corne and felt a most toathsome 〈◊〉 which compelled them withall hast possible to get thē downe againe Moreouer they all heard an vnknowen voice saying vnto them Let the corne alone for the Archb. and all he hath is the diuels possession To make short they were faine to build a wal about it and then to set it on fire fearing least such an infinite deale of venemous creatures might infect and poyson or at least greatly annoy the whole countrey The credit of this report I leaue vnto the Readers discretion Matthew Westminster commendeth the man greatly for his wisedome in gouerment and his loyall 〈◊〉 vnto his Prince and that he deserued this commendation I account it no slender proofe that Quéene Elianore to whom her husband king Henry the third had committed the charge of the realme trauelling into Fraunce she I say hauing occasion to crosse the seas to conferre with her husband committed the rule and gouernment of the same vnto this Archbishop It was in the yéere 1253. at what time he being a very aged man and sickely was excéeding loath to take it vpon him He sate Archbishop aboue 39. yéeres in which space he did many things to the good and benefit both of his Sée and church The mannor of Thorpe he purchased and the church of the same both which he gaue vnto his Sée He erected many Chauntries in diuers places He gaue vnto his church 32. wonderful sumptuous coapes and left a goodly stocke of cattle vnto his successors procuring the king to confirme the gift and to take order that euery Archbishop should be bound to leaue it as he found it He bought vnto his Sée the house now called White Hall and heretofore Yorke place Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent built it and gaue it vn-the Fryer preachers in London who sold it vnto this Archbishop In the time of Cardinall Woolsies disgrace the king required it of him he either for feare or els hope of currying a little fauor with the king that way yéelded by by He died at last on May day 1255. was buried in S. Peters church 34. Sewall VVHen the king heard of his death he determined not to suffer his place to be filled ouer hastily All other Bishopricks of England saith he haue bene in my hands heretofore but this neuer Therefore I must be aduised how I let it passe out of my fingers The Chapter after a conuenient space made choise of Sewall their Deane a man modest vertuous and learned being well seene not onely in diuinity but in law also and much other good learning Diuers of his writings remaine and are remembred by Bale in his centuries He was a diligent hearer of Edmund of Abenden after Archbishop of Canterbury and canonized a Saint at what time he read the diuinity lecture in Oxford This Saint 〈◊〉 as Matthew Paris reporteth would often tell his scholler Sewall that out of all question he should die a Martyr Now far foorth this prediction fell out true you shall heare anon Now the king not liking this spéede of the Chapter men as not being for his profit hindred the new elect what he might and for want of better matter alleaged against him that he was a bastard and so by the Cannons vncapeable of that honour It was true enough and how he salued that soare I cannot tell A dispensation belike from Rome where all things were then to be had for mony tooke away that obstacle I find he was consecrate by the suffragan Bishops of his owne prouince Iuly 23. 1256 a yeere and almost three moneths 〈◊〉 the death of his predecessor His Deanery being thus void the Pope tooke vpon him to bestow the same vpon one Iordan a stranger that vnderstood 〈◊〉 one word of English and otherwise 〈◊〉 vnworthy of that goodly preferment This Iordan doubting least in taking possession he might happily be resisted came into the church of Yorke at dinner time and inquiring of one whom by chance he found then at his praiers which was the Deanes stall Caused two of his owne company to deliuer him possession thereof This being done though in hugger mugger was quickly brought vnto the Archbishops eares who grieued infinitely at the same and sought by all meanes possible to disannull and make voide the Popes gift The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church men were so amazed with this strange and 〈◊〉 course strange in those daies but afterwards too common as they knew not what to do or say It seemed most 〈◊〉 and detestable vnto them that so high a dignity and an office of such importance in place and authoritie next vnto the Archbishop should be conferred vpon a base obscure and contemptible fellow But they stood so in awe of the Popes tyranny whereunto the king had subiected and as it were prostrate himselfe that they durst not make any profession of mislike About the same time the Pope sent a commandement into England that 300. of the next benefices that fel should he bestowed vpon certaine Italians that he named men ignorant of the English toong and though otherwise perhaps worthy the places appointed them which is greatly to be doubted yet in that respect most vnfit to haue cure of soules committed vnto them In this iniurious course our Sewall couragiously withstood him and not onely by word and letter sharpely reprehended him but also in deeds resisted this his tyranny vtterly refusing to admit either Iordan vnto the Deanry or any