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
cogitation falling a sléepe it séemed vnto him he sawe Saint Peter crowning yoong Prince Edward that liued in exile at that time in Normandy and furthermore to shew how he should raigne 24. yéers and die at the last without issue This Bishop then as he thought asked him who should raigne next whereunto this answere was made The Kingdome of England is Gods Kingdome and he shall prouide a King for it This dreame reported by very Auncient writers and falling out iust according to the prediction may be an example vnto vs not altogether to neglect and despise the admonition of dreames which often fall out strangely This Bishop whether Brithwold or Ethelwold died the yéere 1015. 32. Elsinus or Eadsinus ELsinus or Ealsinus otherwise called Eadsinus was first Chaplaine vnto King Harald and by him preferred to the Bishopricke of Winchester from whence the yéere 1038. he was translated to Canterbury sée more of him in Cant. 33. Alwynus HE was of very great authority with Emma the kings mother that fauoured him so much as many suspected them for liuing ill together Robert the Archbishop of Canterbury acquainted the king with this rumor Whereupon the king presently imprisoned Alwyn and dealt little better with his mother with whom also he was otherwise offended for allowing him so scantly in time of his minority She séemed to purge her selfe by miracle offring to walke vpon nine plow shares red hotte to prooue her innocency which shée is said to haue performed and so was restored to the fauour of her sonne againe Alwyn also was set at liberty and Robert the Archbishop their accuser whether for shame or feare I cannot tell was glad to get him out of the realme What else is to be deliuered of this Bishop this his Epitaphe containeth Hic iacet Alwyni corpus qui munera nobis Contulit egregia 〈◊〉 Christe rogamus Obijt anno 1047. He lieth entoombed vpon the North wall of the Presbytery in Winchester with 〈◊〉 of his predecessors before mentioned Sée more of him in Robert Archbishop of Canter bury 34. Stigandus HE was chaplaine vnto Edward the Confessor and by him preferred to the Bishopricke of Elmham whence that Sée was shortly remooued to Norwich 1043. In the short time he staied there not past fower yéeres he had much adoo with one Grinketell that by money found meanes to cast out Stigand and placed himselfe He could not kéepe his hold long For Stigand quietly recouered it againe and held it till that the yéere 1047. he was translated to Winchester from whence also he was remooued to Canterbury in the yéere 1052. But whether he 〈◊〉 his title to Canterbury Robert the former Archbishop being yet aliue or whether insatiable couetousnes prouoked him thereunto I can not tell he retained still Winchester notwithstanding his preferment to Canterbury which was the cause of his vndoing at last For the Conqueror who came into this realme while he was Archbishop being desirous to place his owne countrey men in all roomes of speciall authority and besides hauing a priuate grudge at Stigand for forcing him to yéeld Kentish men their ancient liberties whereof sée more in Canterbury procured him to be depriued of both his Bishopricks vpon this point that he had contrary to the lawe held them both together He lieth intoombed at Winchester with Wyni the first Bishop inclosed as it séemeth to me with him in the same coffin vpon the North side thereof is written Hiciacet Stigandus Archiepiscopus He was depriued an 1069. and died a prisoner in the castle of Winchester soone after 35. Walkelyn SOone after the depriuation of Stigand Walkelyn a chaplaine of the kings was consecrate Bishop of Winchester viz. an 1070. He fauoured not monkes but displaced them where he might and put in secular priests in their roomes He died Ianuary 3. 1097. So he continued Bishop 27 yéeres In his time to wit the yéere 1079. the Cathedrall church of Winchester that now standeth began first to be built 36. William Giffard AT this time lay Princes euery where tooke vpon them to bestowe Bishoprickes giuing inuestiture and possession of them by deliuering the ring and the crosier Pope Gregory the seuenth first withstood Henry the Emperour in this case and made him at last glad to yéeld vnto canonicall elections King Henry the first taking vnto himselfe the like authority placed diuers of his chaplaines in Bishoprickes without election commanding the Archbishop to consecrate them Amongst diuers other he appointed this William Giffard Bishop of Winchester and required Anselme the Archbishop to consecrate him Anselme vtterly denied to afford consecration either vnto him or any other in the like case The king sent then vnto Girard Archbishop of Yorke whom he found nothing strange But Giffard saith Matthew Westminster timens rigorem Sancti Anselm spernit consecrationem eius stood so much in awe of Saint Anselme as he durst not but reiect the offer of the others consecration The king angry hitherto with the Archbishop onely was now much more incensed against this Giffard and in great displeasure banished him the realme In the ende the king and the Archbishop grew to this agréement that the gifts of the king already passed should be ratified and his clerkes nominated to Bishoprickes haue consecration vpon promise that hereafter he should not disturbe canonicall elections and vtterly renounce his pretended priuiledge So after much adoo he was consecrate together with diuers other an 1107. He sate 21. yéeres and dying Ianuary 25. 1128. was buried at Winchester in his owne church howbeit I sée no memoriall of him there at all 37. Henry de Bloys THis man was brother vnto king Stephen first Abbot of Bermondsey then of Glastonbury and Nouember 17. 1129. consecrated Bishop of Winchester yet not preferred to these places for fauour onely and regard of his nobility for he was very learned He writ many things both in prose and verse if Bale say true and amongst the rest one booke extant conteining an history of the finding of king Arthurs bones in the abbey of Glastonbury at what time himselfe was Abbot and a speciall dooer in that action If in all the stures and contentions betwixt his brother and Maud the Empresse concerning the kingdome he stucke close vnto his brother it is no great maruaile Yet true it is that his brother being taken prisoner by the Empresse ann 1141. he accursed and excommunicate all those that stoode against her whom no man doubted to be the true inheretrice of the crowne By his meanes notwithstanding his brother recocouered quickly his liberty and kingdome In the meane time the Empresse being iealous of the Bishop came sodainly to Winchester and the Bishop doubting her comming to be to no other end but to surprise him went out at one gate as she entred at another Within a fewe daies hauing gotten force about him he returned to Winchester in an vnhappy houre For whether by his direction or no it is not certaine but by
The 〈◊〉 of Paris the nurse of so many excellent and famous Prelates is now greatly troubled If the Uniuersity of Oxford be disquieted and 〈◊〉 also especially at this time being the second Uniuersity of Christendome and euen an other foundation of the Church it is much to be feared least it cause a generall 〈◊〉 and vtter ruine of the whole Church God forbid 〈◊〉 the King that that should happen especially in my time I will indeuour to preuent it I doubt not he was as good as his word For I find no more mention of any farther stirres This I haue thought good the rather to set downe to shew what was the reputation of our Uniuersity of Oxford in those daies 12. Benedictus Grauesend ANother Deane of Lincolne succéeded him Benedictus Grauesend whom I 〈◊〉 called also Richard Grauesend He was consecrate Nouember 3. 1258. and died December 18. 1279. 13. Oliuer Sutton OLiuer Sutton as Walsingham saith was likewise Deane of 〈◊〉 a very good and 〈◊〉 man He was elected Bishop February 6. 〈◊〉 May 18. 1180. died in the middle of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayer Nouember 13. 1299. and lyeth 〈◊〉 in the North Isle of the vpper part of his Church vnder a flat Marble stone 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Bishop Flemming 14. Iohn d'Aldarby IOhn'D'alderby or D'aderly Chauncellor of Lincolne succéeded the next yéere and died at Stow parke Ianuary 5. 1319. He was buried at Lincolne in the lower South crosse Isle But his 〈◊〉 was taken away for that it was superstitiously frequented by the common people 15. Thomas Beake IAnuary 27. following the Chapter of Lincolne made choice of one Thomas Beake Chauncellor of Lincolne for their Bishop The Archbishop of Canterbury vpon what quarrell I know not reiected this election But at Rome where all things were to be had for money he got it confirmed The yéere 1278. one Thomas Beake Archdeacon of Dorchester was Lord Treasurer of England It may be this was the man And it should seeme he was very old for he sate but a very short time which I take to be the cause that some men make Burwash next successor to D'Alderby Helyeth buried as it séemeth by a note that I haue séene in the highest crosse North Isle 16. Henry Burwash HEnry Burwash was nephew vnto Sir Bartholomew Badilismer Baron of Leedes a man of great authority vnder king Edward the second The king by his meanes dealt earnestly for the preferment of the said Henry vnto the Sée of Lincolne which he obtained and was inthronised there about Christmas 1320. within a yéere or two after he fell into the kings displeasure so far as that his temporalties were seased vpon and detained from him the space of two yéeres The yeere 1224. they were restored vnto him againe and he vnto the kings fauour but the grudge thereof 〈◊〉 so in his stomacke as the Queene rising against her husband séeking to depose him as afterward she did an 1326. no man was so forward to take her part as this Bishop no man so eager against the king his vndoubted true and naturall Prince He was also a very 〈◊〉 and miserable man as Walsingham reporteth Toward the latter end of his time he made a new parke at Tynghurst and inclosed within the same much ground that belonged to diuers poore men his tenants for the which he had many a bitter curse of them After his death it is said he appéered vnto one that had béene one of his gentlemen in the likenes of a kéeper with bow arrowes in his hand a horne by his side and a gréene ierkin on his backe telling him that for the iniurious inclosure of that parke he was appointed to the kéeping of the same and to be tormented there till it were disparked and 〈◊〉 open againe He therefore also besought him to intreate his brethren the Canons of Lincolne that the wrong done by him by their 〈◊〉 meanes might be righted They were so wise as to giue credit vnto this report and sent one of their company named William Bacheler to see it performed He did so hurled abroad the pale filled vp the ditches and caused the poore tenants to be restored vnto their right againe This Bishop died at Gaunt in the ende of December 1340. hauing béene successiuely Treasurer and Chauncellor of England and was buried in the East ende of his Cathedrall church toward the North. At his féete lyeth a brother of his named Robert a knight a great soldier and a sonne of the said Robert called Bartholomew They founded a Grammar schoole in Lincolne and left maintenance for fiue priests and fiue poore schollers 17. Thomas le Becke AFter Henry Burwash it is said that another Thomas Beake succéeded called by some Thomas le Becke and by others Thomas Weke a famous and woorthy Clerke as Walsingham reporteth He lieth buried in the lower crosse Isle When he died or what time he sate I find not 18. Iohn Synwell IOhn Synwell succéeded The yéere 1351. a great controuersie fell out betweene him and the Uniuersity of Oxford about that election of their Chancellor The discourse whereof you may see pag. 133. This ouely I thinke good to note that whereas some writers report this controuersie to haue fallen out in the time of Bishop Buckingham it must needes be they are mistaken for that this Iohn Synwell died not till the yéere 1361. This man if I mistake not built a great chappell of Saint Mary Magdalene without the North wall of the Cathedrall church and lieth buried in the West part or body of the said church 19. Iohn Bokingham IOhn Bokingham kéeper of the priuy Seale by the helpe of his purse and the kings instant request with much adoo shouldred into the Bishopricke of Lincolne the yeere 1362. This man is said to haue beene very vnlearned and it may be so But certaine it is that one Iohn Bokingham liued about those times a Doctor of Diuinity of Oxford a great 〈◊〉 man in scholasticall Diuinity as diuers workes of his yet extant may testifie and for my part I thinke this Bishop to be the man The yeere 1397. the Pope bearing him some grudge translated him perforce from Lincolne vnto 〈◊〉 a Bishopricke not halfe so good For 〈◊〉 hart he would not take it but as though he had rather haue no bread then halfe a loafe forsooke both and became a monke at Canterbury 20. Henry Beaufort HEnry Beaufort became Bishop of Lincolne in his place This man was brother vnto king Henry the fourth and is best knowen by the name of the rich Cardinal He sate here seuen yéees and the yeere 1404. was translated to Winchester Sée more of him in Winchester 21. Philip Repingdon PHilip Repingdon Abbot of Leicester vpon the 〈◊〉 of Henry Beaufort vnto 〈◊〉 was preferred vnto Lincolne This man was sometimes a great follower of Wickliffe and defender of his 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in preaching and open 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by writing also to which purpose 〈◊〉 of
age bringeth forth lesse plenty of learned men then other amongst vs And it is much to befeared least our posterity will too truely say AEtas parentum peior Auis tulit Nos rudiores mox daturos Progeniem ineruditiosam To make no mention of such other reasons as might induce me to the publishing of these noses least I make my porch larger then some principall roomes of my intended building I thinke it necessary now to admonish the Reader that he expect not any ample discourse of the liues and actions of the Bishops of our owne time or neere vnto it I hane purposly auoyded to set downe any thing of them but what either I finde written by other or elseremayneth to be secne in publike record And this course I haue taken because I iudge it neither seemely to praise nor safe to reprehend how iustly soeuer those men that either by themselues their neere friends or posterity yet liuing may seeme either to haue allured me to flatter or feared me from disclosing that truth which otherwise I would haue vttered Neither do I thinke it needefull to say much of them who being either present in action or fresh in memory are sufficiently knowen vnto vs. Whereas moreouer I haue passed ouer in silence some two Sees you shal vnder stand that I haue beene forced there 〈◊〉 for want of some necessary instructions which by reason of the far distance of my place of dwelling from them I haue not had meanes to attayne although I haue endeuoured the same I would therefore earnestly pray all men that can to yeeld me helpe for the supplying of whatsoeuer may seeme to be wanting either in those Sees or any other I shall take it very thankfully at their hands In the meane time this which now I am able to affoord vnto you I wish it may be taken in good part and God grant it may in some measure prooue a meanes of the aduauncement of his glory and the good of his Church Amen The Archbishops of Canterbury 1. Augustine IT is very certaine and witnessed by many histories without exception that our Island of Britayne receiued the faith of Christ euen in the first infancie of the Church Theodoret and Sophronius Patriarke of Jerusalem affirme that Saint Paul himselfe was héere and preached the Gospell after his first imprisonment at Rome Nicephorus and some other report that Simon Zelotes came hither and was the first messenger of the glad tidings of the Gospell to our nation But it is deliuered by one consent that Saint Philip the Apostle of the Frenchmen vnderstanding how this Island from whence first sprong the superstitious religion of the Druydes was seperated from Fraunce by a small cut of a fewe houres saile thought good to send ouer hither twelue preachers the chiefe whereof was Ioseph of Arimathia that buried the bodie of our Sauiour Christ. These men arriuing héere the yéere of our Lord 63. did their best indeuour for the conuersion of our Britaines It pleased not God they shoulde preuaile with the king who in no wise would be woone from the superstition of the Druydes But of the meaner sort of people many there were that hearkened vnto them yea the king himselfe admiring their great modestie painfulnes and vertuous behauiour was content to assigne them a place of habitation where Glastonbury now standeth which was at that time and long after an Island all compassed about with lakes and standing water And another king gaue vnto euery of those twelue a hide of lande in the countrey néere adioyning which are named to this day the twelue hides of Glastonbury In this Island of Glastonbury then called Auallon Ioseph and his fellowes found meanes to build a church which after they were dead stoode desolate the whole Island being forsaken and remaining without any inhabitant many yéeres euen vntill the time of king Lucius which was about the yéere of Christ 180. It hapned then a lawe héeretofore made by Claudius Caesar as Suetonius reporteth in his life was now generally put in execution by the Romaines who ruled all this end of the world commanding that the superstitious religion of the Druydes should euery where be abolished The pulling vp of these wéedes gaue good occasion vnto the séede of the Gospell sowed long before by the preachers afore mentioned now to spring and bring foorth fruite whereunto God gaue so good increase as Lucius the king himselfe was content to put on the swéete yoke of our Sauiour which that it might be the better and the more fruitfully performed he sent Eluan a notable impe and disciple of that holy College at Auallon and Medwyin a Dutch man that were the instruments of his conuersion vnto Eleutherius the bishop of Rome requesting that he would send other preachers vnto his realme by whom he and his people might be further instructed in the way of truth He satisfied his demaund and sent vnto him two notable men 〈◊〉 and Phaganus by whose paines and industrie chiefly the whole realme was finally conuerted They sought out the ancient church at Glastonbury repaired the same and dwelled there for the space of nine yéeres after Now king Lucius being himselfe Baptised and many of his people in all parts of his dominions he caused the temples of his false gods to be dedicate to the seruice of the true God in the place of their priests he appointed preachers of the Gospel and for their Flamines Bishops to the number of 28. Of these 28. thrée were Archbishops one at London whose prouince was the south part of England Another at Caerlegion vpon Uske his prouince was Wales And a third at Yorke vnto whose iurisdiction the Bishops of Scotland and North England were subiect The Gospell hauing taken such déepe roote héere flourished a while very prosperously And albeit it were often lopped and pruned afterward yea the very maine rootes mightily strucken at by the violent indeuour of sundry tyrants that sought vtterly to destroy and abolish the same out of this land yet had it euer many constant and open professors that neuer suffred the light thereof vtterly to be extinguished Amongst manie the most terrible persecution that euer this church sustained was by the Saxons who expelled not onely Christian religion but the followers of the same into a corner of this Island Howbeit euen amongst these very barbarous Saxons there were diuers from time to time that professed Christ But our countrey being in a manner all growen ouer with Pagamsme for there was no publike allowance of Christian religion any where but in Wales it pleased God to giue this occasion of replanting the same héere againe It chanced that blessed and holy father Saint Gregory one day to espie certaine beautifull children to be sold in the stréetes of Rome and vnderstanding they were Pagans asked of what countrey they were It was answered they were Angles well may they be so called quoth he for they looke like Angels Demaunding them of what prouince
same vnto them knowing well that if thou accept not the place the king will immediately thrust in some vnwoorthy stranger to their great gréefe and the no lesse dishonor of Almighty God I adiure thée therefore by the bloud of Iesus Christ that thou be content to put thy necke vnder this yoke and to imploy thy talent according to the occasion offered Perswaded thus with much adoo atlast he yéelded The king very readily allowing their choice he was consecrate at Glocester in the church of Saint Oswald by the Archbishop of Yorke Iune 9. 1241. in the presence of the king the Quéene many prelates and other personages of honor He was not more vnwilling to take this honorable burthen then ready and desirous to leaue the same The yéere 1249. he obtained licence of the Pope to resigne this his Bishopricke and about Candlemasse indeede gaue it ouer reseruing onely vnto himselfe for his maintenance during his life thrée Mannors with the appurtenances Houeden Stocton and Esington His successor began a little to wrangle with him about that reseruation but could not infringe it After he had liued a priuate life the space of eight yeeres giuing himselfe altogether to prayer and contemplation about the beginning of February 1257. he departed this world at Stocton He that is desirous to read more of this man in Matthew Paris he shall find often mention of him viz. pag. 768. where he telles how by his meanes especially the king was content to receiue into fauor Walter Marshall to giue him the Earledome of his brother lately deceased againe pag. 988. he maketh a large report of a great controuersie betwéene him and the Abbot of Saint Albones and lastly pag. 848. an incredible tale of his miraculous recouery being desperately sicke of a dropsie ioined with other diseases He lyeth buried in the Cathedrall Church of Durham which together with 〈◊〉 Melscomb Prior he couered with a new roofe the yéere 1242. 38. Walter de Kirkham NO sooner had Nicolas Farnham resigned but the king was in hand with the monks to elect for successor Ethelmare his owne halfe brother They would in no sort condiscend to this request but told him plainely yet in as good tearmes as they could deuise how that his brother was such a one as they could not with a safe conscience commit so great a charge vnto him being as yet very yong and not indued with any competency of learning The king answered that he would keepe the temporalties eight or nine yéeres in his hands and by that time quoth he he will be 〈◊〉 ynough He was not as good as his word for I 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 Walter de Kirkham was consecrate the yéere following 〈◊〉 that place almost eleuen yéeres and died 1260. 39. Robert Stitchell RObert Stitchell succéeded the same yéere He founded the hospitall of Gritham The king had seased vpon all the lands of Simon Mountford Earle of Leicester wheresoeuer But whereas he had something of good value in the Bishopricke of Durham this Bishop chalenged it as due vnto him by the Earles attainder and at last recouering it from the king by law imploied it in the erection of that hospitall He sate fowerteene yeeres and died August 4. 1274. 40. Robert de Insula ANother Robert obtained the place after him Robert de 〈◊〉 He continued in the same nine yéeres and dying Iune 13. 1283. was buried in the Chapterhouse at Durham where he is couered with a stone very curiously wrought 41. Antony Beake BEfore the end of that yéere it séemeth Antony Beake was inuested in the Bishopricke of Durham in which he so flourished as Cardinall 〈◊〉 excepted neuer I thinke any either of his prdecessors or successors came neere him He was woonderfull rich not onely in ready mony but in lands also and temporall renenues For he might dispend yeerely besides that which belonged to his Myter 5000. markes Much of that he had of the Lord 〈◊〉 who thinking so to conueigh it vnto his base sonne 〈◊〉 for that he had no other issue passed it ouer to this Bishop in trust which trust men say he neuer answered The Quéenes house at Eltham was part of that land He built the house and gaue it vnto Elianor Quéene to king Edward the first as also the castle of Sourton beside Yorke vnto the king which likewise he built A man now of this extraordinary welth must not content himselfe with ordinary titles Therefore he procured the Pope to make him Patriarke of Hierusalem and obtained of the king the principality of the Isle of Man which he held during his life The yeere 1294. being Embassador to the Emperor the Archbishop of Yorke Iohn Roman vpon what quarrell I know not excommunicated him It cost him 4000. markes fine and his life in the end He died as it is thought for sorrow See more in Yorke Great sturres there were betweene this man and his couent of Durham He informed the Pope that the Prior there was a 〈◊〉 simple and vnsufficient man to rule that house and procured the gouernment thereof for all matters both spirituall and temporall to be committed vnto him Hereupon he sent certaine officers to execute in his name that new obtained authority which when they came to the monastery were shut out of the gates and not suffred to enter The monkes appealed vnto the Pope and alleaged that the king also had required the hearing of these controuersies betweene the Prior and the Bishop This notwithstanding the Bishops officers made no more adoo but excommunicated Prior Monkes and all for not obeying their authority immediately Herewith the king greatly offended caused these officers to be fined and summoned the Bishop himselfe to appeare before him at a day appointed before which time he gotte him to Rome neuer acquainting the King with his determination The King therefore seised into his hand the Bishops liberties and appointed a new Chauncellor new Iustices and other officers He writ also vnto the Pope in fauor of the Prior who deliuering the 〈◊〉 letters himselfe was adiudged a sober and discrete man whatsoeuer the Bishop had reported of him So he was restored to his place againe but died before he could get home During the time of the Bishops disgrace amongst many other things wherein the liberties of the Bishopricke were 〈◊〉 it is specially to be remembred that the king tooke from him diuers Castles and lands forfait vnto him by Iohn 〈◊〉 king of the Scots and other but 〈◊〉 Beaumout one of his successors recouered them againe by Law These broyles ended he gaue himselfe very much to building The Auncient mannor place at Arkland he did 〈◊〉 He built the great Hall there in which are diuers pillers of blacke marble speckled with white the great Chamber likewise and many other roomes adioyning He also erected that same goodly Chappell there and placed in the same a Deane and Prebendaries alotting the quadrant in the West side of the Castle built likewise by him for their