assistants preached the Gospell of life vnto the Islanders and found meanes there to build a Church or Oratorie of wreathen wands as also a little cell thereunto adioyning and this was the first religious house dedicated to the seruice of the true God in all Britaine and these religious men the first beginners or founders of that famous fenny-seated Monastery which is partly standing at this day of which more hereafter when I come to speake of the religious Foundations in Somersetshire In the meane while will you reade what our countreyman Iohn Capgraue in his Catalogue of English Saints writes of Iosephs comming into this kingdome Thus in English Ioseph with his sonne Iosephes saith he and ten more of his assistants sent hither by Philip the Apostle out of France for the inhabitants saluation preached zealously and without feare the true and liuely faith Aruiragus as then swaying the Scepter of this land The which Aruiragus howsoeuer he was vnwilling at the first to giue them entertainment or to heare them preach any doctrine repugnant to the traditions of his predecessours yet because they came from such a farre remote countrey as the holy Land and that he saw their ciuill behauiour their sanctitie and strict course in the manner of their life and conuersation he gaue them a certaine Island to inhabite in the West part of his dominions all compassed about with lakes and standing waters called Ynswitrim or the glassie Isle of which saith he a certaine Metrician made this Tetrastich Intrat Analoniam duodena caterua virorum Flos Arimathie Ioseph est primus eorum Iosephes ex Ioseph genitus patrem comitatur Hijs alijsque decemius Glasconie propriatur George Owen Harry in his Pedigrees vpon report from others saith Ioseph brought ouer with him his sister Eurgaine who afterwards married a Britaine whose name was Starklos Iohn Harding in his Chronicle of England will haue fourteene to accompany Ioseph in this iourney and that amongst many Britaines conuerted by them to the Christian faith Aruiragus the king was one to whom Ioseph gaue a shield of the Armes which now we call S. George his Armes such are the rimes in the English of those dayes two hundred yeares since or thereabouts Ioseph full holy and full wyse Of Arymathie wyth his felowes fourtene Into this lond then came and gaue contene In Bretayne then this Ioseph dyd conuerte Brytons as how to know the incarnacyon Afore that Paynyms and also peruerte He taught them of his conuersacyon Of his passyon and his resurrectyon Wyth other thynges as the Chronycler sayth That apperteyneth to Christes fayth Ioseph conuerted king Aruiragus By hys prechyng to knowe the lawe deuyne And baptyzed hym as written hath Nennius The Cronycler in Bretayn tongue full syne And to Chryst lawe made hym enclyne And gaue hym a sheld of siluer whyte A crosse endlong and ouertwhart full perfyte These Armes were vsed throughout all Bretayn For a common sygne eche manne to know his nacyon From enemyes whiche now we call certayn Saint Georges Armes by Nenius enformacyon And thus these Armes by Iosephs creacyon Full long afore Saint George was generate Were worshcipt here of mykell elder date The seeds of true Religion thus sowne by the said Ioseph and his associates neare or vpon for about this accompt there is some difference amongst writers the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one hundred and fourescore Lucius surnamed Leuer Maur which signifies great brightnesse king of the Britaines vpon his request made to Eloutherius Bishop of Rome for as then and many yeares after the title of Pope was altogether vnknowne two learned Diuines were sent vnto him from the said Bishop at whose hands he receiued the lauer of baptisme And so it sell out our Histories say that not onely his wife and family accompanied him in that happie course but Nobles also and Commons Priests and people high and low euen all the people within his Territories And that generally all their Idols were then defaced the Temples of them conuerted into Churches for the seruice of God the liuings of their idolatrous Priests appointed for the maintenance of the Priests of the Gospell and that instead of 25. Flamines or high Priests of their idols there were ordained 25 Bishops as also for three Archflamines three Archbishops whereof one was seated at London another at Yorke and a third at Caerlion vpon the riuer Vske in Wales Of all which will it please you peruse a few lines penned by my foresaid Author Iohn Harding In the yere of Christes incarnacyon An hundryd fourescore and tenne Eleuthery the first at supplicacyon Of Lucius sente hym twoo holy menne That called wer Faggan and Duvyen That baptyzed hym and all his realme throughoute With hertes glad and laboure deuoute Thei taught the folke the lawe of Christ eche daye And halowed all the temples in Christes name All mawment and Idoles caste awaye Through all Bretayn of all false Goddes the same The Temples Flamines the Idoles for to shame Thei halowed eke and made Bishoppes Sees Twenty and eight at diuers grete citees Of three Archflamines thei made Archbishoprikes One at London Troynouant that hight For all Logres with lawes full authentikes To rule the Church and Christentee in right Another at Carlyon a towne of might For all Cambre at Ebranke the thirde From Trent North for Albany is kide Robert the Monke of Gloucester an old rimer who writes the language of our fathers about foure hundred yeares since doth summarily thus tell you how Ioseph planted and Luciuâ— established the doctrine of Christ in this our kingdome of Britaine His liues you will say are neither strong nor smooth yet perhaps they may giue your palate variety and as you like them you shall haue more hereafter Lucie Coeles sone aftur hym kyng was To fore hym in Engelond Chrestondom non nas For he hurde ofte miracles at Rome And in meny anothur stede yat thurgh Christene men come He wilnede anon in hys herte to fong Christendom Therfor messagers wyth good letters he nom That to the pape Eleutherie hasteliche wende And yat he to hym and his menne xpendom sende And yat he myghte servy God he wilned muche therto And seyd he wold noght be glad er hit wer ydo Tho ye Pape hurde thes twey hâ—ly men be sende Phagan and Damian hys soul to amende The ryghte beleue to teche and yaf him xpendom That folke faste aboute wide ther to com Thys was an hundryd sixti yer and too Aftur God was ybore this dede was ydoo Thus come lo xpendom into Brutayne lond But ther wer erst som preneliche xpendom had de fond As atte the plas of Glastyngbury Ioseph of Arimathie Liued ther in Christes lay wyth hij companie Ther wer tho in Brutayne false lawes to lere Eyght and twenty chese stedes Byshopriches as â—it were And thre Erchtemples as hit wer heyghest of echon London and Ebrackwike and
Ipswich and reedified diuers houses which were by fire decaied He was chaplaine to King Henry the second and with him in especiall fauour euer firmely adhering to his partie against Thomas Becket who had stubbornely opposed himselfe against his said Soueraigne Lord and Master He was employed in diuers Embasies as to Rome to Seines in France and to Sicily about the marriage of Ioane the third and yongest daughter of the said King Henry to William the second of that name King of Sicill Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua In the soliditie of good doctrine in the maturitie of iudgement and in all the graces of rhetoricall speech hee did wondrously abound He was quicke and dexterous in the managing and prosperous in the dispatching of waightie affaires He writ a History of the Kings of Britaine as also a Booke Pro Rege Henrico contra S. Tho mam Cantuariensem for King Henry against S. Thomas of Canterbury besides a treatise of his iourney into Sicily and certaine Orations and Epistles to Richard Archbishop of Canterbury He died the 26 yeare of his consecration the second of Iune in the second yeare of King Iohn Iohn de Grey entirely beloued of King Iohn who preferred him to this Bishopricke was here entombed in whose commendations Bale and Pitseus doe in effect thus agree Vir erat foelici et faceto ingenio eruditione insignis consilio expeditus et quantumuis in dictis facetus in factis tamen vbi res postulabat senerus virtutum omnium amator et cultor omnium vitiorum osor et exterminator Iohanni Anglorum Regi gratissimus in magna semper authoritate apud ipsum remansit splendidis functionibus ornatus A man he was of a pleasant and facetious wit in the knowledge of all good literature excellent in counsell ready and intelligent and howsoeuer in his words merrie and iocond yet in his actions as occasion did require he was seuere and rigorous a louer and reuerencer hee was of all vertues and a despiser and rooter out of all vices He was a gracious Fauourite to King Iohn euer vnder him in great authoritie and honoured with offices of especiall trust and confidence Naâ—â— cum Rex rebelles Hibernos compescuisset eorumque vires fregisset hunc Graâ—ium tanquam virum strenuum magnae prudentiae fidelitatis exploratae reliquit ibi supremum Presidem vt eos auctoritate sua in officio contineret For when the King had repressed the rebellious Irish broken dispersed then forces he left this Grey as an hardie able man of singular wisedome and tried fidelitie Prorex or Lord Deputie of Ireland that by such his power and commission he might keepe that stiffe-necked nation in obedience He was well seene in the lawes of the Realme saith Godwin wise and of great integritie in regard whereof the King was very desirous to haue made him Archbishop of Canterbury of which I haue spoken somewhat before to which Grace indeed he was solemnly elected and his election published in the Church before the King and an infinite number of people But by the exorbitant authoritie of the Pope this election was disanulled whereupon much mischiefe ensued He built that goodly Hall at Gay wood neare Linne in Norfolke and the rest of the Fabricke adioyning Hauing sate about fourteene yeares hee died neare Poytiers in his returne from Rome Obijt eodem anno quo Rex Iohannes saith Bale in the same yeare in which King Iohn deceased the first of Nouember Whose body was conueyed to this his owne Church He was an Historiographer and writ a booke which he called Schalecronicon as also other workes mentioned by Bale in his Centuries Die vero Sancti Vlstani decimo tertio Calendas Iunij obijt Episcopus Norwicensis Vualterus cognomento de Sufeld apud Colecestriam delâ—tum est corpus eius ad Norwicensem Ecclesiam suam Cathedralem honorificè tumulandus ad cuius tumbam miracula dicebantur coruscate Hic namque in vsus pauperum instante tempore famis omnia vasa sua coclearia cum toto thesauro suo pauperibus erogauerat Mat. Paris Ann. 1257. Vpon the Feast day of Saint Wolstan the thirteenth of the Calends of Iune Walter surnamed de Sufield Bishop of Norwich departed this world at Colchester from whence his body was conueyed to this Cathedrall Church here to be honourably interred At whose Tombe many miracles are reported to be wrought which are ascribed to his holinesse For it is remembred of him that in a time of extreme famine hee sold all his plate and distributed it to the poore euery pennyworth He lieth buried in our Ladies Chappell which was of his owne building He founded the Hospitall of Saint Giles here in the Citie endowing it with faire possessions insomuch that it was valued at the suppression to be yearely worth fourescore and ten pounds twelue shillings Simon de Wanton sometimes the Kings Chaplaine one of his Iustices and Bishop of this Diocesse was here interred by his predecessour Walter de Sufield He died about the yeare 1265. hauing sate eight yeares and obtained of the Pope licence to hold all his former liuings in Commendam for foure yeares In the same Chappell as I take it Roger de Sherwyng was entombed who died about Michaelmas 1278. hauing sate thirteene yeares Of whom I finde little remarkable yet he is memorable for that in his time by an incendiarie outrage the Citizens set fire on the Priorie Church The story is thus deliuered by our late writers taken out of Rishanger the Continuer of Mathew Paris his History in the last yeare of King Henry the third About the moneth of Iune in a Faire that was kept before the gates of the Priory there fell great debate and discord betwixt the Monkes of Norwich and the Citizens there which increased so farre that at length the Citizens with great violence assaulted the Monastery fired the gates and forced the fire so with reed and drie wood that the Church with the books and all other ornaments of the same and all houses of Office belonging to that Abbey were cleane burned wasted and destroyed so that nothing was preserued except one little Chappell The King hearing of this detestable and sacrilegious deuastation rode to Norwich where beholding the deformed ruines he could hardly refraine from teares and caused enquirie to be made of the fact whereupon thirty young men of the Citie as also a woman that first carried fire to the gates were condemned hanged and burnt It is thought saith Hollinshead that the Prior of the house whose name was William de Brunham was the occasion of all this mischiefe who had got together armed men and tooke vpon to keepe the Belfray and Church by force of armes but the Prior was well enough borne out and defended by this his Bishop The Monkes for their part appealed to Rome and so handled the matter that they not onely escaped punishment but also forced the
raigne of Hen. the seuenth Hen. the eight In the raigne of Ed. the sixt In the raigne of Q Mary In the raigne of Q Elizabeth In the raigne of King Iames. The Aetymologie Antiquity and Dignity of Heralds Heralds Priests Rosinus Ant. Rom. li. 3. c. 21. Heralds of France of noble descent Stow in the life of Brute The Armes of Brute Cold Harber the Heralds Colledge Eleanor Lady Wriothesley Ioan Wriothesley Io. Wriothesley Sir Hen. Grey Reginald Lord Grey Earle of Kent Sir Will. Cheyney and Margaret his wife The Heralds Office The body corporate of the Heralds Henry Spelman Gloss lit H. Iohn Leland the Antiquary Lelandi Strena â—â—lands New yeares gift The study of Antiquity in Hen. the eight The caâ—e King Hen had of Religion The workes of ancient Writers saued and conserued The Kings Libraries augmented The plaine â—â—le and forme of â—uncient Writers Britaine the Mother of worthy men and excellent wits This volume he called Antiphilachia written against the ambitious Empire or vsurped authoritie Reiall of the Bishop of Rome Albertus Pighius a Canon sometime in the Cathedrall Church of Vtrecht in the Low Countries Lelands affection toward his Country Four Bookes of illustrious men or of the British writers Learned Princes The wits of the British and English writers exercised in all kinds of good literature A wonderfull great number of Historiographers of British affaires Lelands laborious iourney throughout all England The description of all England in a quadrate table of siluer A Booke of the Topographie of England The names of seuerall nations Cities and great townes c. of Britaine in old time such as Cesar Tacitus Ptolimey other Authors haue made mention of restored together with the later and moderne names Of the Antiquitie of Britaine or of Ciuile History fiftie Bookes Sixe Bookes of the Islands adiacent to England Three bookes of the Nobility of Britaine His conclusion a delectabili vtili Commune voâ—â—â— Sir Rob. Cotton knight and Baronet Sir Tho. Bodley knights Pit Aetas 16. Io. Leland the Elder Elis. West Rog. Woodcocke and Ioane his wife Catherine Cauendish Alice Cavendish Marg Cavendish Lib. Esiens in bib Cott. Will. Burd Clarke of the Pipe Cowell lit C. Clarke of the Priuie Seale Io. Hartishorne Sergeant at Armes and Agnes his wife The office of Sergeant at Armes Cowell lit â— George Lord Maior Ioan and Marg. his wiues Iohn Kirkham and Elis. his wife Iohn Mynne The foundation of the Brotherhood in S. Botolpâ—s Edward Murell and Martha his wife William Campion and Anne his wife Henry Cantlow Sir William Cantlow knight Iohn Olney Lord Maior Tho. Muschampe Sir William Yerford Lord Maior and Elis. his wife Sir Roger Ree â—night and Rose his wife Tho. Bromflit Andrew Chyett Iohn Martin Lord Maior and â—atherine his wife * Eliae Reusneri Basil. Geneal Auctuarium edit Francosurt 1592 pag. 102. Historie generall of the Netherlands lib. 5 pag 227. impr an Dom. 1609. * Penes Simonds D' Ewes Equitem auratum abâ—epotem dicti Aâ—rini * In Registro Curiae Dum. Archidiaconi Lond. Libr. 4. sol 34. a b. * Escaety de a. 34. Eliz. parte 1. n. 11. Essex in Archiuis Tho. Pigot Richard Sutton W. Holland and Margaret his wife Rich Story and Ioan his wife Peter Fernefold Walter Turke Lord Maior Tho. Padington Marg. and Anne his wiues Will. Cogshall and Elis. his wife Nich. Wolbergh and Mar. his wife Rog. Hunning and Margaret his wife Tho. Paynard Vincent Catal. of Viscounts Ioan Coppinger Tho. Wandesford and Idonea his wife Will. â—oyliâ— Lord Maior and Catherine his wife Glanvile Agnes Cheyney Io. Rayning Will Porter and Elis. his wife Cowell lit C. Will. 〈◊〉 Io. Westcliffâ— Ioan his wife Will. Newport and Mossâ—s his wife Will Read and Maâ—g his wife M. Drayton Pol. 17. Song London lying like a halfe moone London Bridge the Crowne of Tames Camd. in Mid. Speed of Miâ— Gen 14.10 Hampton Court Camd in Mid. Câ—sar Commâ—nt lib. 5. Burials neere Stanes Spec. Brit. Lib. 1. cap. 2. Burials neere Brainford Burials of the dead slaine at Barnet field Camd. in Hert. The first battel of S. Albans Mss In bib Coâ— The second battell of S. Albans Camd. in Hert. Burials of the dead slaine in the battels at S. Albans Burials of the dead betwixt Stenenhaugh and Knebworth Camd. in Essex M. Drayton Song 19. Roman burials and the bones of Gyant-like found in Essex Burials neere Showbery Burials neere Barklow Ancient Tombes Danes-bloud Burials of the dead in and about Ashdown * â—â—â—inous * places * soules Battels and burialls of the dead â—â— and about â—he ancient Baâ—hg of Maldon 〈…〉 London Gâ—dwin Mss in lib. Sim. 〈…〉 aurat 〈◊〉 lib. 2 ca. 7. Mellituâ— quenched by his prayer the fire burning the Citie of Canterbury S. Ceada or Cedda 〈…〉 3. c. 2◠〈…〉 Tilbuâ—y Cities Sir Horace Vâ—â—e Baâ—on of Tilbury Sir Francis and siâ— Hoâ—ace Vere M. 〈…〉 Song 〈◊〉 S. Chad Bishop of Lichfield S. Erconwald Bed lib. 4 ca. 6. Cures by Saint Erconwald Horse-licter S. Theodred S. Egwulfe S. Richard Ex lib. Elien in bib Coâ— S. Roger. Mat. Paris an 1230. A strange Tempest M. D. Polyol Song 24. Felix the first Bishop of Dunwich or Dunmok Harding ca 91. Beda lib. 2. ca. 15 Hist. Eccl. Two and fifty religious stâ—â—ctures as many windmilâ— and as many toppe ships in Dunwich Recorda Dun. Camd. in Suss. The state of Dunwich since the foregoing time Six parish Churches Two houses of Friers One house of Templaâ—s Two Hospitals The couetouâ—nesse of the Masters and Officers The destruction of both Hospitals Three Chappelâ— The Cathedral Church vncertaine A strange and ancient buriall of a Bishop Bishops Seats anciently what they were A Mint in Dunwich Burials in the blacke Friers at Dunwich 〈◊〉 in the blacke Friers of Dunwich The foundation of the first Church in Bury The first foundation of the Abbey by the common people The second by K Canâ—â—e Ex Arch Turr. Lend * Bederics Court Farme or mansion house Camd. in Suss. Euersden Leland * Now but two The oath of the Alderman of Bury The broile betweene the Townesmen the Abbot and Couent of Bury Reliques in the Abbey Church out of a booke called Compend Com. pertorum in the treasurie of the Exchequer Aniles Fabulae S. Edmund King and Martyr Speed Hist ca. 11 * now Hoxon Ex lib. Abb. de Russ. in bib Col. S. Robert Martyr ex lib. Abb. de chateris in bib Cot. Alan Earle of Britaine and Kichmond Milles Catal. Rich. The building of Richmond Castle Tho. Plantaginet Earle of Norfolke Vincent Catal. Norf. Tho. Beauford Duke of Exceter Mary Queene of France Iohn Boon Abbot of Bury Out of a Lieger booke of the Abbey Cowell lit C. Conged'eslire Iohn Lidgate Monke * I know not * Promised * A dish made of marrow and grated bread * A Pancake * Couuremnet * Nappy Ale * Guâ—â—â— * Clocke * Verely * Nor Squire
foure orders Preched to the people for profit of themselues Glosed the Gospel as hem good liked For couetous of Copes construe it as thei wold So Chaucer in his prologues and in the Character of the Frier mentions foure Orders A Frere there was a wanton and a merry A Limyâ—our a full solempne man In all the Orders foure is none that can So much of daliaunce and faire language But to returne to the first of the foure orders which is that of S. Basill howsoeuer as I conceiue the order of Saint Dominicke was accounted one of the foure here in England this Basill surnamed the Great for his great learning liued about the yeare of Grace 300. he was a Priest in Caesâ—â—a the chiefe Citie of Cappadocia where he was borne and whereof afterwards he was chosen Bâ—shop He was the Authour of building of Monasteries whereas many might liue together for before his time the Monkes dwelt in caues and cels alone in desarts and solitarie places from the which hee drew them into Coenobies or Couents and instituted of discipline by the which they should no more wander but bee alwayes bound by one forme of Religion These Monasteries were schooles in the which the arts and Philosophie together with Diuiniâ—ie true Religion and pietie were taugâ—t to the end there might be learned and fit men alwayes readie to gouerne the Church it is said that he built so great and spatious a Monasterie in Armenia as it contained aboue 3000 Monkes and in the end reduced all the religious men of the East to a good forme of life He died in the yeare 379 full of yeares as of vertues when Damasus the first of that name held the See of Rome and the Emperour Valens an Ariâ—n gouerned the East This Emperour was determined to haue dispossessed him of his Bishoppricke as he had done others but hearing him preach and speaking with him at Cappadocia he absteyned from expelling him his seate to which effect P. Opmer thus Basilius tantae doctrinae ac sanctitatis suit vt et Valens abstinueriâ— ab expellendo eum sede cùm reuersus Cappadociameum concionantem audijsset atque venisset cum illo in colloquium It is holden that this Basill was the first which caused Monkes to make a vow after a yeares probation to liue in their Monasâ—eries vntill death to promise full obedience to their superiours and not to contradict their ordinances and moreouer to vow continencie and pouertie This order wheresoeuer they liue labour with their hands in imitation of the perfect Monkes of Aegypt and what they get with their labour they bring in common retaining nothing to themselues This order of this holy man doth flourish at this day in Italy especially in the dominions of Venice although all the Monasteries there which are of this order doe acknowledge the Abbey of Grottaferata twelue miles distant from Rome for their mother I doe not finde that any of this rule liued euer here in England which makes me beleeue that this was none of the foure Orders before specified The next Monasticke Order confirmed by the Church of Rome was that of the Doctor of all Doctors namely Saint Augustine He was borne in the Castle of Tegast in Carthage about the yeare of our redemption 358. his Fathers name was Patricius his Mothers Monica by whose intreaâ—â—es mingled with teares and the learned Sermons of Saint Ambrose hee was drawne from the errours of the Manachies from Saint Ambrose as then Bishop of Millan in Italie he returned into his owne countrey where hee obteyned of the Bishop of Hippo whereof he was afterwards Bishop himselfe a garden without the Towne causing a Monastery to be built there in which he liued of the labour of his hands in all integritie according to the institution of the Primitiue Church He died of a feuer at Hippo when he had sitten fourty yeares in his Bishopricke being seuenty and six yeares of age on the fifth of the Kalends of September leauing to posteritie two hundred and thirty bookes of his owne writing This order multiplied greatly throughout the whole Christian world howsoeuer branched into many seuerall orders differing both in habit and exercises as also in rule and precepts of life An Epitaph to the memorie of Saint Augustine which I found in the booke of Rufford Abbey Omnis plorat homo mox matris vt exit ab aluo Et merito quoniam veâ—it in vallem lachrimosam Solum nascentem risisse ferunt Zoroastrem Ergo monstrosum crede risum liquet istum Primus enim rerum fuit inventor magicarum Hoc Augustinus testatur vir preciosus Vir doctus vir magnisicus vir quippe beatus About some fourtie yeares after the death of Saint Augustine Saint Benedict vulgarly called Benet appeared to the world who is accounted the Patriarch and Father of all the Monkes of Europe Hee was borne in Vmbria a region in Italy of the noble familie of the Regards his Fathers name was Propre his Mothers Abundantia hee was sent to Rome at the age of ten yeares to learne the liberall Arts but being wearie of the tumults and warre during the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour hee went from thence into a desart neare vnto Sublacke a Towne some fourtie miles from Rome where he continued the space of three yeares or thereabouts doing very austere penance vnknowne to any saue one Monke called Roman but being afterwards discouered by certaine Shepherds the people by reason of the great â—ame of his integritie and holinesse of life flocked from all parts to see him who had such force to perswade them to abandon the world as in a short time they built twelue Monasteries and hauing giuen to euery our of them a good Superiour or Abbot desiring solitarinesse he retired himselfe with a good number of his best disciples to the mount Cassin neare to the Towne of old called Cassina Where hauing ruined all the idolatrous Temples and broken downe their Images hee built him a Monasterie which hee dedicated to Saint Iohn the Baptist with a Chappell to Saint Martin Drawing all the Monkes dispersed in Italy into one societie and companie to whom he gaue a certaine rule in writing by the which they and their successours should gouerne themselues according as Saint Basill had done before him and withall bound them to three seuerall vowes Chastitie Pouertie and Obedience to their superiours which decree was ratified by the Church of Rome for an Euangelicall law This congregation of the Benedictines grew by little and little to bee so great throughout all Christendome as is almost incredible Nulla Monasteria nisi Beneâ—dictina erat apud Anglos ab aetate Edgari vsque ad regnum Gulielmi primi There was no Monasteries saith a late Writer amongst the English from the time of King Edgar till the raigne of William the Conquerour but Benedictines This order saith the same Authour came first into England with Austin the Monke Bishop of
the Chapter house with this Epitaph vpon his Monument En paruus Abbas hic parua clauditur arca In gestis magnus maior nec erat Patriarcha Willelmus Druleg illustri dignus honore Conuentum claustri qui multo rexit amore Pro dilectoris anima tui dulciter ora Sancti Augustini conuentus qualibet hora. I finde little or indeed nothing at all of such Abbots as succeeded little Drulege sauing their names thus recorded Iohn Deueniche the 57. Thomas Colwell 58. Michaell Peckham 59. William Wâ—ld 60. Thomas Hunden 61. Marcellus Dandlyon 62. Iohn Hawlherst 63. George Pensherst 64. Iacob Seuenoke 65. William Selling 66. Iohn Dunster 67. Iohn Dygon 68. Thomas Hampton 69. and Iohn Essex 70. So that by this account there hath beene more Archbishops of Christ-Church then Abbots of Saint Austins by the number of three reckoning those sixe Bishops which haue beene since the dissolution The Abbot of this house was euer a Baron of the Parliament In S. Anns Chappell within the Church of this Monastery lay sometime buried the body of Iulian the daughter and heire of Sir Thomas Lâ—yborne knight The widow saith Vincent of Iohn Lord Hastings of Aburgaueny and mother of Lawrence Hasting Earle of Pembroke and after that wife of William de Clinton Earle of Huntington and Lord high Admirall of England who dyed about the yeare 1350. But of all these and thousands more here interred whose names I cannot learne not one bone at this time lies neare another nor one stone almost of the whole fabricke stands vpon another therefore I will take my leaue of this Abbey with these words of a late writer This Monasterie saith he as all the rest did came to her fatall period in the dayes of king Henry the eight whose vncouered walls stood so long languishing in time and stormes of weather that daily increased the aspect of her ruines till now lastly they are made subiect to other publicke vses and the whole tract of that most goodly foundation in the same place no where appearing Onely Ethelberts Tower in memorie and honour of the man as yet hath escaped the verdict and sentence of destruction whose beauty though much de faced and ouerworne will witnesse to succeeding ages the magnificence of the whole when all stood compleate in their glory together The reuenues yearely of this house were in the Exchequer 1412. l. 4. s. 7. d. ob q. it was surrendred 4. Decemb. 29. H. 8. At Harbaldowne not farre from this Monastery Archbishop Lanâ—rank built an Hospâ—tall and dedicated the same to the honour of Saint Iohn to the which he annexed a Priorie of blacke Canons valued both together at the dissolution to 266. l. 4 s. 5. d. ob of yearely reuenue it was ordained for the lame and diseased which as yet is not altogether suppressed although much abated as I heare of her annuall possessions In which house was reserued the vpper leather of an old shoe which had beene worne as they gaue it out by Saint Thomas Becket this shoe as a sacred Relique was offered to all passengers to kisse faire set in copper and christall Hackington commonly called S. Stephens by Cant. This Church in former times was honoured with the sepulture of Lora or Lorâ—atta Countesse of Leicester daughter of William Lord Brews of Brember in Suffex and wife of Robert de Beâ—lemont surnamed Fitzpâ—rnell Earle of Leicester and Lord high Steward of England a most honourable Lady who hauing abandoned all worldly pleasures sequestred her selfe wholly from the world to serue God deuoutly in this place who dyed about the yeare 1219. The manor and Towne of Elham was her inheritance Hic iacet Dominus Iohannes Gower nuper Vicarius istius Ecclesie qui obijt Decemb. 27. 1457. Cuius anâ—â—e Hic iacet Dominus Iohannes â—â—ne quondam Vicarius istius Ecclesie qui obijt 8. Aug. 1457. Cuius anime pâ—â—pittetur altissimus Sir Christopher Hales and Sir Roger Manwood lie here fairely entomâ—ed of whom hereafter according to my method But I must not let passe seuen almes houses here built by the said Sir Roger Manwood chiefe Baron of the Exchequer ann 1573. for aged honest poore folkes which he endowed with a yearely allowance of foure pounds in money bread and fewell for euery one of those almes-men It was called S. Stephens fâ—r that the image of Saint Stephen standing where the garden now is belonging to Sir Manwoods great house was sought vnto by many pilgrimes Reculuer At the vpper end of the South isle in this Church I saw a Monument of an antique forme mounted with two spires Wherein as the Inhabitants haue it by tradition the body of one Ethelbert a Saxon king who had his pallace royall here in Reculuer lieth entombed and the Anuals of Canterbury affirme as much And true it is that Ethelbert the first and first Christian king built here a Princely mansion for himselfe and his successours wherein diuers of the Kentish kings sometimes kept their courtly residence But whether he be this Ethelbert the second or Ethelbert surnamed Pren that lieth here interred it is not much materiall for they both dyed without any memorable act either of themselues or their kingdomes affaires and so dyed Cuthred and Baldred their next successours and the last kings of Kent Which kingdome erected by Hengist the yeare of mans happinesse 455. continued her gouernment 372. and ended her glory in the yeare 827. being made a Prouince to the West-saxons Egbert or Egbright the seuenth king of Kent in succession after Hengist gaue to one Bassa an English Saxon some land here in Reculuer whereupon he built him a Minster or a Monastery whereof Brightwald afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury was the first Abbot so that of this man and the Minster the poore Townes men may make great vaunts Here lyeth ..... Sandwey Esquire and â—oane his wife who dyed 1437. Hen. sex 16. Hic iacet Dominus Thomas .... qui ob ..... Vos qui transitis Thomam deslere velitis Per me nunc scitis quid prodest gloria ditis Minster in the Isle of Tenet Here in this Church lyeth a Lady entombed in a Monument vpreared after a strange fashion inscribed with a Saxon-like character Ici gist Edile de Shornerepust Dame del espire I thinke her name was rather Thorne then Shorne one letter being mistaken for another in the engrauing My reason is this for that in this Parish there is a place called Thorne Neare vnto this Monument lie three flat Tombe-stones vnder which as I coniecture by the effigies vpon them three vailed Nunnes of the Saxon Nobilitie and of S. Mildreds Monasterie lye interred but the Inscriptions are gone Which Monasterie was founded vpon this occasion Egbert king of Kent aspiring to the Crowne by the traiterous murder of his two young Nephewes Ethelred and Ethelbert to pacifie Domneua sister to the said murdered Princes
be no Bishops or that the Deacons be not Priests and Bishops but for that their first institution was such some to carrie the titles of Bishops others of Priests and some of Deacons The Cardinalls which are Bishops sit neare vnto the Pope when hee doth celebrate Festiuall dayes The Cardinalls Priests assist him when he saith Masse and the Deacons attire him and serue him at the Altar They haue there their Colledge whereof the Pope is head the number of them hath not beene certaine in our dayes at this time there are about sixty and eight although we find that in former ages they were but twelue after the example of the Apostles They assemble themselues together once or twice a weeke as affaires of importance come to their considerations and this their assemblie is called the Consistory where they treat or at least they ought to treat of all things which belong vnto the faith and Religion to the peace of Christians and to the preseruation of the temporall estate of the Church I finde nothing of Cardinalls vntill the dayes of Gregory the Great Quo tempore Episcopi indifferenter Cardinales faciebant et Papa Cardinales in Episcopos promouebat Yet some are of opinion that the first beginning of Cardinals was in the time of Pontianus the Pope which was circa Ann. 231. and Marcellus after him circa Ann. 304. ordained fifteene or rather twenty fiue Cardinals in the Citie of Rome propter Baptismata et sepulturas hominum And when as first these Cardinals were instituted in the Romane Church Pauperculi erant Romae in suis titulis habitantes They were poore and necessitous liuing at Rome in their owne titles And Gregory the Great in one of his Epistles to Maximian the Bishop of Syracusa writes the like of the pouertie of one Felix a Deacon Cardinall For whose sustentation he thus prouides Sustentationem eius pietatis intuitu prouidentes in tua Ecclesia Syracusana eum prenidimus cardinandùm c. siue vt officium Diaconatus expleat se certe vt solae eiusdem officij pro sustentanda paupertate sua commoda consequatur Howsoeuer then that the Cardinals of Rome at this day doe abound in all affluence of riches and like stately Cedars looke ouer the smaller sprigs of the Clergie yet considering the Primitiue times our Cardinals of Saint Pauls are not to be contemned for their meane competencie of liuely hood hauing sufficient to maintaine their reuerent comportment Of whom giue me leaue to speake a little out of the Records of the Church The Church of Saint Paul had before the time of the Conquerour two Cardinalls which office still continues They are chosen by the Deane and Chapter out of the number of the twelue petty Canons and are called Cardinales chori the Cardinals of the Quire Horum officium est circumspicere quotidie notare omnia in choro delicta peccata c. Their office is to take notice of the absence or neglect of all the Quire and weekely to render accompt thereof to the Deane and Chapter Hi duo etiam Cardinales Ministris Ecclesie Seruis eorum â—um sanis tâ—m egrotis Ecclesiastica ministrant Sacramenta These two Cardinals doe minister Ecclesiasticall Sacraments to the Ministers of the Church and their seruants as well to the healthfull as to the sicke Conâ—essiones audiant penitentias iniungant salutares Mortuos postremâ— conuenientibus tradunt Sepulturis They heare Confessions and appoint comfortable Penance and lastly they commit the dead to conuenient Sepulture Not any Cathedrall Church in England hath Cardinals excepting this neither doe I finde any beyond Seas to be dignified with this title sauing the Churches of Rome Rauenna Aquileia Millaine Pisa Beneuentana in Italy and Compostella in Spaine These Cardinals haue the best preheminence in the Quire aboue all next to the Subdeane and the best Stalls But at the length let me descend into Saint Faiths and to the Graue-stone of my Canon and Cardinall William West Saint Faiths Church Hic homo Catholicus Willelmus West tumulatur Pauli Canonicus Minor Ecclesie vocitatur Qui fuerat Cardinalis bonus atque sodalis M. Sexageno quater C. ter vno pleno Augusti denoque die ruit ille sereno Perpetuis annis memores estote Iohannis Good Succentoris Cardinalisque minoris Canonici cuius ope ..... huius Hic ... colitur per hunc Elemosinatur Distribui Tutor fuit pueris que minorum Collegij custos dum vixit canonicorum Hinc migrat M.C quater L.X. que Decembris eterna Virgo Dei mater prestet sibi regna superna Willelmi Lili seruus Christique minister Hic locus est illi fuit artibus ipse magister M. Domini C quater semel L. ter V lege frater X bis cum quinis M. Adar est bonus sibi finis Saint Martins Ludgate Our old English writers affirme that Lud King of the Britains whom they make to be the repairer or new builder of London was buried much what about this place of which these rimes following With Walles faire and Towres fresh about His Citee great of Troynouant full faire Full well he made and battelled throughout And Palays faire for Roialles to appeare Amending other defectyue and vnfaire From London stone to his Palays royall That now Ludgate is knowne ouer all Betweene London stone and Ludgate forth right That called was then for his name Ludstone He made men buyld that London then so hight His Palays faire then made he then anone With toures high both of lyme and stone Beside Ludgate and his Temple there thereby His God to serue and him to glorifye When he had reigned by fourty yere all out He died so and in his temple faire Entombed was with stories all about By another Author more ancient it is thus exprest Walls he let make all aboute and yates vp and doun And aftyr Lud that was his name he cluped it Ludstoun The heyest yat of ye toun yat yut stant ther and is He let hit clupie Ludgate after his owe name iwis He let him tho he was ded burye at thulk yate Theruore yut after him men clupeth it Ludgate The Britaines record that Cadwallo called the Valiant King of the Britaines after he had raigned in great honour the space of 48 yeeres died in peace the 12 of Nouember An. 677. and was buried in this place Whose Image great and terrible triumphantly riding on horse-backe being artificially cast in brasse the Britaines placed here vpon Ludgate to the further feare and terrour of the Saxons the greatnesse of which King is thus further exprest King Cadwall reyned full hele againe In Britayne land as prime without pere Aboue English as Lord Souerayne Ouer Saxons Scottes and Peights clere And English also as clere did appere A little more of this noble King Cadwall out of my old Author Robert of Gloucester When Cadewall
laid his foundation 137â— His death was much lamented by the King the Nobilitie and commons of all England for with singular commendations hee had for a long time serued vnder Edward the third in the French warres and was employed by him vpon seuerall Embasies and his truth and good councell was euer much auailable to the whole state of the kingdome His obsequies were performed with great solemnity King Edward the third and all his children with the greatest Prelates and Lord Barons of the kingdome being there present His wife Margaret was here entombed with him by whom he had issue Thomas Manye who in his youth was drowned in a Well at Detford in Kent and Anne then his onely daughter and heire married to Iohn Lord Hastings Earle of Penbroke Margaret Lady Manye saith Iohn Stow here interred yet the Catalogue of Honour will haue her to be buried in the Minories died the 24. of March 1399. she was the onely daughter of Thomas of Brotherton Earle of Norfolke and Marshall of England second sonne of King Edward the first and her fathers onely heire after the death of her brother Edward which happened in the same yeare that his father departed the world She was for the greatnesse of her birth her large reuenewes and wealth created Dutchesse of Norfolke for terme of life she had beene first married to Iohn Lord Segraue and her last husband was the foresaid Sir Walter Manny Here sometime was interred the body of Philip Morgan Doctor of Law Chancelour of Normandy and Bishop of Ely a very wise man who with great commendations gouerned that See nine yeeres sixe moneths and foure daies and departed this life at Bishops-Hatfield October 25. 1434. Many funerall monuments were in this Church as you may finde them mentioned in the Suruay of London This religious house is now turned into an Hospitall consisting of a Master a Preacher a Free-Schoole with a Master and an Vsher fourescore decaied gentlemen Souldiers and forty schollers maintained with sufficient cloathing meate drinke lodging and wages besides Officers and Ministers to attend vpon them all so that the whole number now in the house with the attendants is one hundred and fourescore The greatest gift that euer at any time in England no Abbey at the first foundation thereof excepted or therewith to bee compared being the gift of one man onely whose name was Thomas Sutton of Castle Campes in the County of Cambridge Esquire borne at Knaith in the County of Lincolne who liued to the age of 79 yeares and deceased the 12. day of December 1611. somewhat before this his famous Foundation was fully accomplished Great Saint Bartholomewes This Priorie was founded by one Rahere a pleasant conceited wittie gentleman and a Courtier in the raigne of King Henry the first which he dedicated to the honour of God and Saint Bartholomew and placed therein blacke Canons or Canons regular himselfe became their first Prior his foundation was confirmed in these words Henricus Rex c. Sciatis me concessisse presenti carta me confirmasse Ecclesie beati Bartholomei London que est Dominica Capella mea et canonicis dominicis in ea Domino seruientibus quod sint ab omni subiectione terrena seruitute liberi vt sic aliqua Ecclesia in tota Anglia magis libera c. dat per manum nostram apud Winton 15 Iunij Anno reg 37. Here he died and was here buried in a faire monument renewed by Prior Bolton which Bolton was the last Prior of this house a great builder and repairer of the Priorie and the Parish Church and of diuers lodgings belonging to the same as also of new he builded the Mannor of Canonbury now called Canbury at Islington which belonged to the Canons of this house This Bolton and the rest of his brethren were portraied vpon a Table sometimes hanging in this Church now it is in Sir Robert Cottons Librarie holding vp their hands to the Crucifixe vnder whom these verses were depensiâ—d Gulielmo Bolton precibus succurrite vestris Qualis erat pater hic Domus hec cetera monstrant He died at his Parsonage house at Harrow vpon the hill as I haue it by relation the fourth of Edward the sixt and was there interred He surrendred vp this his Priorie the 30 of Henry the 8. which was then valued at 757 l. 8 s. 4 d. ob q. by yeere Here sometime lay entombed the body of Roger Walden Bishop of London Neuer had any man better experience of the variable vncertaintie of worldly felicity then he for from the estate of a very poore man he was suddenly raised to be Treasurer of England hauing beene first Secretarie to the King Deane of Yorke and Treasurer of the towne of Calis and then made Archbishop of Canterbury which honour he enioyed not past two yeares but was remoued from the same and forced to leade a priuate life a long time At last being once more lift vp to the honour of this Bishopricke of London he left this present life within the compasse of the yeere following Of this man thus writeth Thomas Walsingham who liued in those times and much what to the same effect I will vse his owne language Anno 1406. Dominus Rogerus de Waldene debitum Naturae soluit qui varia fortuna vectus expertus est sub breui tempore Quam sit inconstans incerta volubilis ipsa Errans instabilis vaga quae dum stare putatur Occidit et falso mutatur gaudia vultu Nempe ex pauperculo factus est Regni Thesaurarius and so proceeds on forwards with his story Vpon his monument this Epitaph was inlayd in brasse Hic iacet Rogerus de Walden Episcopus Londinens qui cum in vtraque fortuna plurimuÌ„ laborauit ex hac vita migrauit 2 die Nouem an dom 1406 Vir cultor verus Domini iacet intra Rogerus Walden Fortuna cus nunquam steterat vna Nunc requiem tumuli Deus omnipotens dedit illi Gaudet et in celis plaudet vbi quisque fidelis He denied his preferment to the Bishoppricke of London being preferred vnto him by the Pope saying that he would not accept of it from any but from the king As I finde thus recorded in the Tower Cum summus Pontifex nuper prouidisset Rogero Walden de Ecclesia Cathedral London prefatus tamen Rogerus dominicum beneficium sine Regis assensu et licentia acceptare noluit nec vult ni presenti Rex concedit eidem Rogero licentiam quod ipse tanquam verus Pastor et Episcopus dicte Ecclesie Cathedralis eandem ecclesiam capere valeat et acceptare T. R. apud W. 24. Iunij Little Saint Bartholomewes This Hospitall for the poore and diseased was founded by the forenamed Rahere Prior of great Saint Bartholomewes to be gouerned by a Master and eight Brethren being Priests for the Church and foure Sisters to see the poore
For whiche Commons him hated both free and bond Iohn Gower concludes his cronica tripartita annexed to his booke entituled Vox Clamantis with these riming verses concerning the said King Cronica Richardi qui sceptra tulit Leopardi Vt patet est dicta populo sed non benedicta Vt speculum mundi quo lux nequit vlla resundi Sic vacuus transit sibi nil nisi culpa remansit Vnde superbus erat modo si preconia querat Eius honor sordet laus culpat gloria mordet Hoc concernentes caueant qui sunt sapientes Nam male viuentes Deus odit in orbe regentes Est qui peccator non esse potest dominator Ricardo teste finis probat hoc manifeste Post sua demerita perijt sua pompa sopita Qualis erat vita cronica stabit ita He was murdered at Pomfret Castle in the bloudie Tower so called from that time vpon that bloudie act to this day on Saint Valentines day 1399. the first of Henry the fourth when hee had raigned 22 yeares That beautifull picture of a King sighing crowned in a chaire of estate at the vpper end of the Quire in this Church is said to be of him which witnesseth how goodly a creature he was in outward lineaments but I will conclude with these rimes out of my old Manuscript the Addition to Robert of Glocester This Rychard than regnyd sone Aftur his Belsire as was to done Atte x yere of age crownyd was he He was a man of grett beute In hys tym the Comynte of Kent Up arysin and to London went And Sauoy the brent that ilke plas The whych the Dukes of Lancastre was Thurgh euel councel was slayn ful suel The Duke of Glocestre and the erle of Arundel He regnyd xxii yer and mor And to Longeley was he bor But in the v King Herry is tym He was leyde at VVestmynstre by Anne the Quene Anne his first wife here entombed with him was the daughter of Wenceslaus King of Bohemia and Emperour of the Germanes she died in Anno 1394. the seuenth of Iune at Sheene in Surrey whom her husband so feruently loued yea vsque ad amentiam euen to a kinde of madnesse that for very griefe and anger besides cursing the place wherein shee died hee ouerthrew the whole house Her Epitaph Sub petra lata nunc Annaiacet tumulata Dum vixit mundo Richardo nupta secundo Christo deuota fuit hec facilis bene nota Pauperibus prona semper sua reddere dona Iurgia sedauit et pregnantes releuauit Corpore formosa vultu mitis speciosa Prebens solamen viduis egris medicamen Anno milleno ter cent quarto nonageno Iulij septeno mensis migrauit ameno forma Fragilis Henry the fift sonne of Henry the fourth King of England and conquerour of France died at Boyes de Viscenna not farre from Paris the last of August 1422. hauing raigned 9 yeares 5 moneths and odde daies from thence his body was conuaied to this Abbey vpon whose Tombe Katherine his wife caused a royall picture to be layed couered all ouer with siluer plate gilded the head whereof was all of massie siluer all which at the suppression when the battering hammers of destruction as Master Speed saith did sound almost in euery Church were sacrilegiously broken off and by purloyning transferred to farre prophaner vses where at this day the headlesse monument is to be seene and these verses written vpon his Tombe Dux Normanorum verus Conquestor eorum Heres Francorum decessit et Hector eorum Here Normans Duke so stil'd by conquest iust True heire of France Great Hector lies in dust Gallorum mastix iacet hic Henricus in vrna Domat omnia virtus So many vertues are attributed by all writers to this heroicall King Henry the renowne of England and glory of Wales that where to begin or when to make an end in his deserued praise I know not so I will leaue him amongst the many Monarchs of this most famous Empire none more complete relating onely a few rimes which in some sort doth particularize his memorable exploits Aftur hym regnyd his son than The v Herry truly a gracious man Atte his begynnyng verament He stroyd Loliers and thei wer brent Aftur he made Relygyous at Shene Sion Ierusalem and eke Bedlem The thurd yer he went truly And gat Hartlett in Normandy Atte Egyncourt he hadde a batayle ywis Hamwardys and ther had the prys He tooke ther the Duc of Orleaunce The Duc of Burbon and meny of Fraunce And aftur that he wan Lane toun Rone and al Normandy as was to don Also he wan Parys worschypfully And meny mo tounes wyth Meaux in Bry. Ther he took to hys Quene Katterin the kyng dawghtyr shene He hadde a Son of hur y bore That ys callyd Herry of Wyndsore In Fraunce he departyd goodly thurgh Goddâ—s grase And was broght into Engelond in short spase Then was his Son Herry of age suerly But only viii monyths wyth odde deyes truly His Eme Iohn Duc of Bedford as yow see Is now Regent of Fraunce sykerly He regnyd x yer in hevyn he hath reward Lith at Westmynstre noght fer fro Seynt Edward Here lieth Katherine Queene of England wife to the foresaid King Henry the fifth in a chest or coffin with a loose couer to be seene and handled of any that will much desire it and that by her owne appointment as he that sheweth the Tombes will tell you by tradition in regard of her disobedience to her husband for being deliuered of her Sonne Henry the sixth at Windsore the place which he forbad But the truth is that she being first buried in our Ladies Chappell here in this Church her corps were taken vp when as Henry the seuenth laid the foundation of that admirable structure his Chappell royall which haue euer since so remained and neuer reburied She was the daughter to Charles the sixth king of France she died at Bermondsey in Southwarke the second of Ianuary Ann. Dom. 1437. Her Epitaph Hic Katherina iacet Francorum filia Regis Heres Regni Carole Sexte tui Henrici quinti thalamo bis leta iugali Nam sic vir duplici clarus honore fuit Iure suo Anglorum Katherine iure triumphans Francorum obtinuit ius decus imperij Grata venit letis felix Regina Britannis Perque dies celebrant quatuor ore Deum Edidit Henricum gemebunda puerpera Regem Cuius in imperio Francus Anglus erat Non sibi sed Regno felici sidere natum Sed Patri Matri Religione parem Post ex Owino Tiddero tertia proles Nobilis Edmundus te Katherina beat Septimus Henricus quo non prestantior alter Filius Edmundi gemma Britanna fuit Felix ergo vxor mater ter filia felix Ast Auia hec felix terque quater que fuit Here lieth buried in one of the stateliest Monuments of Europe both for the
in Philosophie both naturall and morall in Physicke and the canon Law very eloquent an excellent Preacher and esteemed so profound a Diuine as he was thought meete to be the professour of Diuinity or Doctor of the Chaire in the Vniuersitie of Tholouze For these his good gifts hee was much fauoured of the blacke Prince then of King Richard his sonne who preferred him to the Bishopricke of the Isle of Man from that preferment he was translated to the Archbishopricke of Dublin in Ireland thence to Chichester and lastly to the Archbishopricke of Yorke where he sate not fully three yeares but died the 29. of May 1397. His Epitaph is quite worne or torne away from his monument yet I found it in a Manuscript in Sir Robert Cottons Librarie Hic fuit expertus in quouis iure Robertus De Walbye dictus nunc est sub marmore strictus Sacre Scripture Doctor fuit et geniture Ingenuus medicus Plebis semper amicus Presul Adurensis post hec Archas Dublinensis Hinc Cicestrensis tandem Primus Eborensis Quarto Kalend Iunij migrauit cur sibus anni Milleni ter C. septem nonies quoque deni Vos precor orate quod sint sibi dona beate Cum sanctis vite requiescat et hic sine lite In an old riming Manuscript of the succession of the Archbishops of Yorke I finde thus much of this man Tunc Robertus ordinis Fratris Augustini Ascendit in Cathedram Primatis Paulini Lingua scientificus sâ—rmonis Latini Anno primo proximat vite sue fini De carnis ergastulo Presul euocatur Gleba sui corporu Westminstre humatur Here vnder a marble stone in the Chappell royall lyeth the body of Iohn Waltham Lord Bishop of Salisbury who had beene master of the Rolles keeper of the priuie Seale and Treasurer of England in which office he continued till his death which happened in the yeare 1395. hauing sate bishop 7 yeares and executed the Treasurorship foure yeares King Richard the second loued him entirely and greatly bewailed his death In token whereof hee commanded that hee should be buried here among the Kings hoc anno saith Walshingham viz. in the yeare 1395. obijt Iohannes de Waltham Episcopus Sarum regni Thesaurarius qui tantum Regi complacuerit vt etiam multis licet murmurantibus apud monasterium inter Reges meruit sepulturam He lieth in the pauement vnder a flat marble stone iust beside King Edward the first vpon which his Epitaph was inlayd in brasse with his portraiture in Episcopall robes now defaced and almost quite perished Here lyeth another Bishop here buried but not in so conspicuous and princely a place of the Church as doth Waltham who was likewise by the Kings speciall commandement here inhumed for that he was accounted a very holy and vertuous man namely one Richard de Wendouer Parson of Bromley and Bishop of Rochester who died in the yeare 1250. and in the raigne of King Henry the third Here lieth interred Sir Humfrey Bourchier Lord Cromwell the sonne of Henry Bourchier Earle of Essex by Isabell daughter of Richard Earle of Cambridge and sister to Richard Duke of Yorke who in aide of his kinsman King Edward the fourth was slaine at Barnet field vpon Easter day 1471. And here lieth interred another Humfrey Bourchier who was the sonne and heire of Iohn Bourchier Lord Berners who was also slaine at the same battaile to whose memories this Epitaph yet remaines Hic Pugil ecce iacens Bernet fera bella cupiscens Certat vt Eacides fit saucius vndique miles Vt cecidit vulnus Mars porrigit arma cruore Sparsim tincta rubent dolor en lachrimabilis hora Lumine nempe cadit quo christus morte resurgit Bourchier Humfridus clara propagine dictus Edwardi Regis qui tertius est vocitatus Iohn Domini Berners proles et paruulus heres Quartus et Edwardus belli tenet ecce triumphum Quo perit Humfridus vt Regis vernula verus Cyronomon mense sponse Regis fuit iste Elisabeth sibi sic sua virtus crescit honore Armis conspicuus quondam charusque Britannis Hic fuit Vt celis viuat deposcite votis Here lieth entombed in a slight monument in the wall Thomas Mylling sometime Abbot of this Monastery from whence he was preferred to the Bishopricke of Hereford by King Edward the fourth vnder whom he was of the priuie Councell and was Godfather to Prince Edward his eldest Sonne He was a Monke of this house being but a youth and then went to Oxford where he studied vntill hee proceeded Doctor of Diuinitie in which time he attained good knowledge in the Greeke tongue which in those dayes was geason saith the reuerend Author of the Bishops Catalogue He died in the yeare 1493. Here in an obscure place of this Church lieth the body of Hugoline Chamberlaine to King Edward the Confessor of whom this Storie is written in the life of the said Edward King Edward one afternoone lying in his bed with his curtaines round about him drawne a poore pilfering Courtier came into his Chamber where finding the Kings Casket open which Hugolin had forgotten to shut he tooke out so much money as hee could well carry and went away but insatiable desire brought him againe the second and third time for such a ready prey vntill the King who lay still all this while and would not seeme to see began to speake to him and bade him speedily be packing for he was well if he could see for if Hugoline came and tooke him there he were not onely like to loose all that he had gotten but also to stretch an halter The fellow was no sooner gone but Hugoline came in and finding the Casket open and much money taken away was greatly moued But the king willed him not to be grieued For said he he that hath it hath more need of it then we haue This Hugolin saith M. Camden was buried in the old Chapter house of this Church Vpon whose Monument these sillie verses were engrauen Qui ruis iniuste capit hic Hugoline locus te Laude pia clares quia martyribus nece clareâ— For learning in this kings dayes was so low ebbed in England that betweene Thames and Trent there was scant one found which could vnderstand Latine This passage of the aforesaid pilfery is delineated and wrought in the Hangings about the Quire with the Portraitures of the king Hugolin and the Theefe vnder which are these verses Ecce nimis parca furis manus exit ab archa Celat opus furis pietas non regula iuris Tolle quod habes et fuge Hic iacet Willelmus Bedel Ar. et Cecilia vx eius filia heres Domini Roberti Grene militis ac etiam heres domini Iohannis Cley militis qui quidem Willelmus fuit Thesaurarius Hospitij excellentissimi Principis Margarete nuper Comitisse Richmondie Darbie matris Regis Henrici
christendome Another man-childe she bore also vnto the said King though without life vpon the 29. day of Ianuary and the 27. yeare of his raigne to the no little griefe of his mother some dislike of the King as the sequele of her accusation and death did shortly confirme for vpon the 19. day of May next following vpon the greene within the Tower her head was cut off by the sword and by the hands of the Hangman of Caleis when shee had beene King Henries wife three yeares three moneths and twenty fiue daies The bloud was scarse wipt off the blade nor shee 〈◊〉 in her graue an argument that her life was sought after vpon falâ—e 〈◊〉 before another Lady was possest of her bed for on the 〈…〉 her beheading the King her husband was married to that 〈◊〉 Princesse Iane the the daughter of Iohn Seymor Knight and sister to Lord Edward Seymour Earle of Hertford and Duke of Somerset Here lieth buried in the said Chappell the body of George Bollein Lord Rochford brother to the beheaded Queene who together with Henry Norrice Marke Smeton William Brereton and Francis Weston all of the Kings priuie Chamber was beheaded on the Tower hâ—ll two daies before the death of his Sister about matters concerning the said Queene none of them all confessing the act whereupon they suffered death onely Smeton contrarie to his conscience saith one confest some thing in hope of life and preferment which condemned both himselfe and the rest of which thus Cromwell writ to the King Many things haue beene obiected but nothing confessed onely some circumstances haue beene acknowledged by Marke Smeton This hee writ after the prisoners had beene throughly examined in the Tower This Smeton Brierton Norrice and Weston lie buried here in the Chappell-yard Here and neere to the reliques of the said Anne Bollein lieth interred the body of Katherine the fift wife of King Henry the eight the daughter of Edmond and Neece vnto Thomas Howard his brother Duke of Norfolke who hauing continued his wife but the space of one yeare sixe moneths and foure daies was attainted by Parliament and beheaded here in the Tower vpon the 13. of February 1541. It is verily beleeued and many strong reasons are giuen both by English and forraine writers to confirme that beliefe that neither this Queene Katherine nor Queene Anne were any way guiltie of the breach of matrimony whereof they were accused but that King Henry vnconstant and variable in his affections and as vnstayed in religious resolutions did cut them off vpon false suggestions soone wearie of the old and euer ayming at new Espousals Betweene these two Queenes before the high Altar lie buried two Dukes to wit the Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour and the Duke of Northumberland Iohn Dudley Of whom hereafter Here lieth Henry Southworth borne at Halton Castle in the Parish of Runkorne in Cheshire Yeoman of the Crowne and of the Guard to king Henry the seuenth and Henry the eight Yeoman Bawier and Surveiour in the Tower of London for the space of 33. yeares Who died ....... Here lieth Gefferay Hewyt and Ione his wife one of the Gonners in the Tower ... Ione died ... 1525. There are some other Inscriptions in this Chappell but they are of late times Burials of the dead in the fields neare to the Citie of London These burials in the fields might better haue beene spoken of in my prefixed discourse where I write of the strange custome of interring and preseruing of the bodies of the dead But being forgotten there it will not be amisse I hope that they may be remembred here In the fields on the North-East and East side of the suburbs whiles I was writing these matters saith Camden there were gotten out of the ground many vrnes funerall vessels little Images and earthen pots wherein were small peeces of money coined by Claudius Nero Vespasian c. Glasse vials also and sundrie small earthen vessels wherein some liquid substance remained which I would thinke to be either of that sacred oblation of wine and milke which the ancient Romanes vsed when they burnt the dead or else those odoriferous liquors that Statius mentioneth Pharijque liquores Arsuram lavere Comam And liquid baulmes from Egypt-land that came Did wash his haire that ready was for flame This place the Romanes appointed to burne and burie dead bodies who according to the law of the twelue tables carried coarses out of their Cities and interred them by the high-wayes side to put passengers in minde that they are as those were subiect to mortalitie Stow speakes more fully of these and other kindes of funerall Monuments found here in the fields About the yeare 1576. saith hee Lolesworth-field now called Spittle-field was broken vp for clay to make Bricke In the digging whereof many earthen pots called Vrnae were found full of Ashes and burnt bones of men to wit of the Romanes that inhabited here For it was the custome of the Romanes to burne their dead to put their Ashes in an Vrne and then burie the same with certaine ceremonies in some field appointed for that purpose neare vnto their Citie Euery of these pots had in them with the ashes of the dead one peece of Copper-money with the inscription of the Emperour then raigning some of them were of Claudius some of Vespasian some of Nero some of Antonius Pius of Traiane and others Besides those vrnes many other pots were found in the same place made of a white earth with long neckes and handles like to our stone Iugs these were emptie but seemed to be buried full of some liquid matter long since consumed and soaked through For there were found diuers vials and other fashioned Glasses some most cunningly wrought such as I haue not seene the like and some of Christall all which had water in them nothing differing in clearnesse taste or sauour from common spring water whatsoeuer it was at the first Some of these Glasses had oyle in them very thicke and earthy in sauour Some were supposed to haue Balme in them but had lost the vertue Many of these pots and Glasses were broken in cutting of the clay so that few were taken vp whole There were also found diuers Dishes and Cups of a fine reâ—de coloured earth which shewed outwardly such a shining smoothnesse as if they had beene of currall Those had in the bottomes Romane letters printed There were also Lampes of white earth and red artificially wrought with diuers Antiques about them some three or foure Images made of white earth about a spanne long each of them One I remember was of Pallas the rest I haue forgotten I my selfe haue reserued amongst diuers of those Antiquities there one vrne with the ashes and bones and one pot of white earth very small not exceeding the quantitie of a wine pint made in shape of a Hare squatted vpon her legges and betweene her eares is the mouth
was conceiued of his further proceedings had not God cut him off by vntimely death the 17. day of September in the yeare of our Lord God 796. and in the first of his raigne hauing had neither wife nor issue His bodie with all due obsequies was here Princely interred neare to the Shrine of S. Alban This Abbey Church was likewise honoured with the Sepulture of Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland whose storie out of many writers is in this manner extracted This Robert Mowbray a most valiant Souldier seeing his countrey destroyed and ouerrunne euen vnto Alnewicke castle by Malcolme King of Scotland and his armie made head against the said Malcolme not staying for directions from his King William Rufus and so sore and suddenly distressed his forces that both king Malcolme himselfe and his sonne Prince Edward were there slaine Hereupon this Earle growing proud and greatly suspected by King William began to fortifie the Kings Castles with munition for Armes against the like inuasion and indeed against the Kings will who sent him word somewhat roughly to desist from his doings and presently to repaire to his presence which whilest he lingered and neglected to do king William sent his brother Henry to spoile Northumberland and immediately followed after himselfe where without much adoe he tooke the Earle and committed him prisoner to Windsor Castle This Robert Mowbray and William of Anco with others conspired to depriue the King both of Crowne and life and to haue set vp Stephen de Albamarle his Aunts sonne as Houeden and Walsingham will haue it But I reade in an old Manuscript that he fauouring the proceedings of Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury Pro amore bono Ecclesie innocentem vitam finiebat Cuius anime propitietur Deus As the words are Rex ipsum cum alijs decollari mandauit The king commanded that he with others should be beheaded his companion Anco being punished with losse both of his eyes and his virilitie He died in prison saith one writer In ipso Ergastulo deficiens mortuus est regnante Henrico Rege Whose Lands in Normandy as also for the most part here in England the said King Henry gaue to Nigell de Albeney viro probo et illustri Another writer tells vs that he married Maud the daughter of Richerius de Aquila a potent man in the Conquerours dayes and that after foure and thirtie yeares of imprisonment hee died without issue in these words Mathildis autem potenti viro Roberto de Molbraio Comiti Norbandum brorum nupsit qui eodem anno contra Willielmum Rufum Regem Anglorum rebellauit Sed paulo post captus fere 34. annis in carcere praefati Regis Henrici fratris eius sine prole consenuit The same Author deliuers his marriage thus in another place Robertus vt fines suos vndique dilataret ditissimis contubernalibus affinitate potentum sibi copulatis robustior ardua tentaret Mathildem generosam virginem Richerij de Aquila duxit quae neptis erat Hugonis Cestrensis Comitis ex sorore nomine Iudith And in the said page he sets downe his character and the number of the Lordships which he possest here in England with his great power and riches thus Robertus Rogerij de Molbraio filius potentia diuitijsque admodum pollebat audacia et militari feritate superbus pares despiciebat superioribus obtemperare vana ventositate turgidus indignum autumabat Erat autem corpore magnus niger et hispidus audax dolosus vultu tristis ac seuerus Plus meditari quam loqui studebat et vix in confabulatione ridebat Hic nimirum cclxxx villas in Anglia possidebat This man of this high spirit and ample possessions became in the end to bee a shorne Monke of this Monastery as you may reade in the Catalogues of Honour wherein hee died Ann. 1106. To whose memory a Monke of his order made this Epitaph Which he caused to be engrauen vpon his Monument vpon the North side of the Vestrie where he was interred Vir probus fortis quem virtus nescia mortis Condecorat cista iacet hic Robertus in ista Cui dat cognomen Moulbraia nobile nomen Norhandunbrorum comes fuit hic Monachorum Dux erat optatus prudens pius peramatus Hic Monachus fidus hic Martisin agmine sidus Exijt è terris huius mundi quoque guerris Anno milleno Domini centenoque seno Quarta die Februi Pax sit eique mihi Amen Here sometimes was interred the bodie of Alexander Necham whose knowledge in good Arts made him famous throughout England France Italie yea and the whole world and that with such incredible admiration that he was called Miraculum ingenij the wonder and miracle of wit and sapience He was an exact Philosopher an excellent Diuine an accurate Rhetorician and an admirable Poet. As did appeare by many his writings which he left to posteritie some of which are mentioned by Bale He was borne in this Towne as appeares by a certaine passage in one of his Latine Poems cited by Camden and thus englished by his Translator Doctor Holland This is the place that knowledge tooke of my natiuitie My happie yeares my dayes also of mirth and iollitie This place my childhood trained vp in all Arts liberall And laid the groundworke of my name and skill Poeticall This place great and renowned Clerkes into the world hath sent For Martyr blest for nation for site all excellent A troupe here of religious men serue Christ both night and day In holy warfare taking paines duly to watch and pray Camden in his Allusions to names tells vs that he being desirous to enter into religion in this house after he had signified his desire writ thus to the Abbot Laconically Si vis veniam sin autem tu autem Who answered as briefly alluding to his name thus Si bonus sis venias si nequam nequaquam Whereupon saith he he changed his name to Neckam A Monke of this house made this Hexamiter allusiuely to his name Dictus erat Nequam vitam duxit tamen equam He is thought by some saith Bale to haue beene a Canon Regular and to haue beene preferred to the Abbotship of Glocester as another in this old language will haue it And master Alisander that Chanon was er I maked was of Gloucestre Abbot thulk yer viz. 7. Reg. Regis Iohannis But this may be vnderstood of Alexander Theologus of whom I haue spoken elsewhere who was contemporarie with him for I finde that this Alexander was Abbot of Saint Maries in Circester or Cirencester At the time of his death which happened about foure hundred and thirteene yeares since Alexander cognomento Nequam Abbas Cirecestrie literarum scientia clarus obiit Ann. Dom. 1217. lit Dom. C. prid Kal. Feb sepultus erat apud Fanum S. Albani cuius anime propitietur Altissimus Amen Now if
which caused a lasting hatred betwixt the King and his Nobles and was the beginning of the second ciuill warre of England Some two yeares after this Tragedie King Edward caused the bodie of his Gaueston to be transferred with great pompe from the place of his former buriall which was among the Friers Preachers at Oxford to this Friery of his owne foundation saith Stow. Where he in person with the Archbishop of Canterbury foure Bishops many Abbots and principall Churchmen did honour the Exequies but few were present of the Nobilitie whose great stomacks would not giue them leaue to attend This was the end of that fatall great Fauourite Gaueston who for that hee was the first Priuado saith Sam. Danyel in the life of Ed. the second of this kinde euer noted in our History and was aboue a King in his life deserues to haue his character among Princes being dead Which is thus deliuered Natiue he was of Gascoine by birth a Gentlman and for the great service his father had done to this Crowne intertained and bred vp by king Edward the first in companie with his sonne this Prince which was the meanes that inuested him into that high fauour of his Hee was of a goodly personage of an haughtie and vndauntable spirit braue and hardie at Armes as he shewed himselfe in that Turneament which he held at Wallingford wherein he challenged the best of the Nobilitie and is said to haue foiled them all which inflamed the more their malice towards him In Ireland where he was Lieutenant during the short time of his banishment he made a iourney into the mountaines of Dublin brake and subdued the Rebels there built Newcastle in the Kernes country repayred castle Keuin and after passed vp into Munster and Thomond performing euery where great seruice with much valour and worthinesse Hee seemes to haue beene a Courtier which could not fawne nor stoope to those he loued not or put on any disguise vpon his Nature to temporize with his enemies But presuming vpon his fortune the misfortune of such men grew in the end to that arrogancie as was intollerable which the priuacie of a Kings fauour usually begets in their Minions whose vnderstanding and iudgement being dazed therewith as is their sight who stand and looke downe from off high places neuer discerne the ground from whence they ascended And this extraordinarie fauour shewed to one though he were the best of men when it arises to an excesse is like the predomination of one humour alone in the body which endangers the health of the whole and especially if it light vpon vnworthinesse or where is no desert and commonly Princes raise men rather for appetite then merit for that in the one they shew the freedome of their power in the other they may seeme but to pay their debt This old Latine rime was made in those dayes vpon the death of this Gaueston by a Monke of S. Maries Yorke Dum Petrus seuit propriam mortem sibi neuit Nunc patet vt nevit truncatus ense quieuit Besides his honours before remembred he was Protector or Gardian of the Realme during the Kings aboad in France about his marriage with Isabell the daughter of Philip the faire French King which indeed was an office but of eighteene dayes continuance as appeares by the sequele Petrus de Gaueston comes Cornubie constituitur Custos Anglie quandiu Rex fuerit in partibus transmarinis c. Teste R. apud West 26. Decemb. Ann. 1. Ed. 2.1 pars pat Hic transfretauit Rex ad partes transmarinas prout patet in rotulis clansarum sinium circa 20. Ianuar. et redijt circa 8. Feb. Ann. 1. Ed. 2. The same yeare he honoured him with the Lieutenancie of Ireland Rex misit Petrum de Gaueston comitem Cornubie ad partes Hiberâ—ie constituit ipsum Locumtenentem in partibus eiusdem quamdiu c. Teste R. apud Redings 16. Iunij Ann. 1. Ed. 2. To conclude then with a late writer .... Great men too well grac'd much rigor vse Presuming Fauorites mischiefe euer bring So that concluding I may boldly speake Minions too great argue a king too weake Richmansworth In the Chappell or buriall place of the ancestors of the Ashbyes now liuing this Inscription Here lieth Anne Ashby wyf of Iohn Ashby of Herfeld Esqwyre dawghter of Thomas Peyton of Iselham Esqwyre who dyed 22. Oct. 1503. on whos sowl Iesu have mercy Amen Herely beried vndyr this stone Thomas Davy and his too wyfs Alis and Ione Watford Hic iacet Hugo de Holes miles Iâ—sticiarius Banci Regis tempore regui 〈◊〉 Ann. 1415. Hic iacet Margareta que fuit vxor Hugonis Holes ..... ob 1416.5 die Marcij Here lyeth Iohn Heydon of the Groue Esquyre who dyed ... 1400. Here lyeth .... William Heydon of Newstreere Esquyre and Ioane his mother who buylded the south Isle of this Church and dyed Ann. 1505. Here lyeth .... William Heydon .... 1500. The rest of the inscriptions for these Heydons are quite gone a name of singular note and demerit in other parts of this kingdome the losse of one of which name is at this houre much lamented namely of Sir William Heydon knight a worthy gentleman a valiant Souldier and an expert Enginer who came vnfortunately to his end at the Isle of Rhee An. Dom. 1027. Hic iacet Iohannes de Hakom Matildis vxor eius qui obiit 4. die Aug. Ann 1365. Ed. 3.39 In this Church are diuers funerall Monuments to the memorie of the much honoured families of the Russels and Morisins Of whom I shall haue occasion by order of method to speake hereafter Aldenham Here lyeth beried the body of Iohn Long saltyr Cityzen and Aldyrman of London and Dame Margaryt hys wyff whych Iohn dyed the vi dey of Iuly M. Vc.xxxviii Who 's sowl Iesu pardon This man was Sheriffe of London in the yeare 1528. borne he was at Berkamsted in this County being the sonne of William Long of the same gentleman anciently descended from the Longs of Wilshire and father he was to Iohn Long of Holme Hall in the County of Derby gentleman who was father to George Long Esquire now liuing Clerke of the office of Pleas in his Maiesties Court of Exchequer and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace within the County of Midlesex He liued after he was made free of London which was in the eleuenth of Hen. the seuent 43. yeares Augusti ter quingeni si dempseris vnum Et ter tres decies vt erat verbum caro factum Trux lux vndena miseris subtraxit Asylum Patronum patrie decus orbis lampada morum Quem decorant Latria sapientia spesque fidesque Scilicet Edmund Brook saluetur vt ipse precemur If you will take my construction of this intricate Epitaph this man here so much commended died the eleuenth day of August M. cccc lxxxx Here lyeth Iohn Penn who
l. 10. s. 8. d. per annum Pleshy This Collegiate Church was founded by Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester for Canons regular which was valued in the Kings bookes to be yearely worth one hundred thirty nine pounds three shillings ten pence The vpper part of which Church within these few yeares was taken downe and as I was told in the Towne the Parishioners being either vnwilling or vnable to repaire the decayes carried away the materials which were employed to other vses This part of the Church was adorned and beautified with diuers rich funerall Monuments which were hammered a peeces bestowed and diuided according to the discretion of the Inhabitants Vpon one of the parts of a dismembred Monument carelesly cast here and there in the body of the Church I found these words Here lyeth Iohn Holland Erle of Exceter Erle of Huntington and Chamberleyne of England Who dyed ....... This Iohn was halfe brother to King Richard the second and Duke of Exceter From which dignitie he was deposed by Act of Parliament in the first yeare of King Henry the fourth whose sister he had married and in the same yeare beheaded in this Towne for a seditious conspiracie saith Camden and in the very place where the Duke of Glocester was arrested by King Richard which was in the base court of the Castle of Pleshie now quite ruined that he might seeme saith he to haue beene iustly punished by way of satisfaction for the foresaid Duke of Glocester of whose death he was thought to be the principall procurer He was beheaded the third day after the Epiphanie 1399. 1. Hen. 4. Vpon a broken peece of a faire marble stone reared to the side of a pillar whereupon were the pictures in brasse of an armed knight and his Lady this ensuing disticke was engrauen Militis o miserere tui miserere Parentum Alme deus regnis gaudeat ille tuis Vnder this stone if Tradition may go for truth Sir Edward Holland Earle of Mortaigne sonne of the foresaid Iohn Holland beheaded with his Lady were entombed Orate pro anima Iohannis Scot primi Magistri huius Collegij qui obijt primo die Ianuar. M. cccc.x Qui me psalmasti miserere mei Qui me pretioso tuo sanguine redimisti miserere mei Qui me ad Christianitatem vocasti miserere mei Here lyeth Robert Frevyt a man letterd sowndyt For hys sowl and for all christine sey a Pater Noster and an Ave. But I shall forget the Founder Thomas of Woodstocke the sixth sonne of King Edward the third and Vncle to King Richard who was taken by force from this his Castle of Plessy by Thomas Mowbray Earle Marshall and conuayed to Callis where he was smothered vnder a Featherbed 1397. His body was afterwards conueyed with all funerall pompe into England and buried here in this Church of his owne foundation in a goodly sepulchre prouided by himselfe in his life time Whose reliques were afterwards remoued and laid vnder a marble inlaid with brasse in the Kings Chappell at Westminster In which Church Elianor his wife of whom I haue spoken before lieth entombed with this French inscription who after the death of her husband became a Nunne in the Abbey of Barking within this County Cy gist Aleonore de Bohun aysue fille et vn des heirs l'hounrable seignour Mons. Humfrey de Bohun Counte de Hereford d'Essex et de Northampton et Constable d'Engleterre Femme a puissant et noble prince Tho. de Woodstock Fitz a tresexcellent et tre puisant seignour Edward Roi d'Engleterre puis le Conquest tiers Duc de Glocestre Counte d'Essexie et de Buchingham et Constable d'Engleterre quemorust le tierz iour a'October ban du grace 1399. de gi aisme Dieux face mercy Amen But againe to returne to the Duke her husband touching whose life and death with the manner thereof thus writeth Gower in his booke called Vox clamantis O quam Fortuna stabilis non permanet una Exemplum cujus stat in ordine carminis hujus Rex agit et Cygnus patitur de Corde benignus Ille prostratus non est de Rege levatus Ad Plessye captus tunc est velut Hostia raptus Rex jubet arma geri nec eo voluit misereri Cum Sponsa nati lugent quasi morti gravati Plusque Lupo sevit Rex dummodo Femina flevit Nil pietas munit quem tunc manus invida punit Rex stetit obliquus nec erat tunc unus amicus O Regale genus Princeps quasi pauper egenus Turpiter attractus jacet et sine iure subactus Sunt ibi Fautores Regis de sorte Priores Qui Cygnum pendent vbi captum ducere tendent Sic ducendo ducem perdit sine lumine lucem Anglia que tota tenebrescit luce remota Trans mare natavit regnum qui semper amavit Flent centum mille quia Cygnus preterit ille Calisij portus petit unde dolus latet ortus Error quem Regis genuit putredine legis Carcere conclusus subito fuit ille reclusus Nescit quo fine sit vite sive ruine Tunc Rex elatum sumpsit quasi Falco volatum Vnde suas gentes perdit Custode carentes A little after follow these verses touching the deniall of buriall to bee granted vnto him among the rest of his honourable and royall Ancestors Sic nece devictum sic corpus ab hoste relictum Clam de conclavi susceperat Anglia navi Per mare regreditur corpus nec adhuc sepelitur Namque sepulturam defendit Rex sibi puram Desuper a latere patris loca justa tenere Dummodo quesivit vix bassa sepulchra subivit Of the manner of his death these three verses following Hen quam tortorum quidam de sorte malorum Sic Ducis electi plumarum pondere lecti Corpus quassatum jugulant que necant jugulatum Such was the end of this royall Prince sonne to a King and vncle to a King who by our writers is discommended in this that he was euer repining against the King in all things whatsoeuer he wished to haue forward Erat enim vir ferocissimus precipitis ingenij as Polidor censures him a most fierce man and of an headlong wit who thinking still that those times wherein he had mastred the King were nothing changed though the King was aboue thirty yeeares old forbare not roughlie not so much to admonish as to check and schoole his Soueraigne Hatfield Peuerell So denominated of one Randolph Peuerell the owner thereof to whom Edward the Confessor was very munificent for that hee had married his kinswoman the daughter of Ingelrick a man of great Nobilitie among the English Saxons A Lady of that admirable beautie that with her lookes she conquered the Conquerour William who desired nothing more then to be her prisoner in Armes which to effect hee begins to expresse a kinde of loue to the remembrance of
reuenues Richard Cordelion his sonne confirmes the gift and exchange of the Canons made by his father by his Charter to be read in the Tower in these words Richardus Dei gratia c. Inde est quod sicut Pater noster mutationem Canonicorum secularium institutionem Canonicorum regularium fecit in Ecclesia de Waltham eis quasdam non as possessiones et veteres concessit confirmauit Sic nos laudabiliter virorum commutationem in prefata Ecclesia factam nostra autem approbamus Et pro salute predicti Patris nostri et Matris nostre et Fratrum nostrorum et pro salute omnium fidelium constitutionem Canonicorum Regularium in eadem Ecclesia factam donationes possessiones nouas que a Patre nostro eis facte sunt presenti carta nostra confirmamus Dat. c. Henry the third encreased much their reuenues with Faires and Markets a Faire here for seuen dayes and at Epping a Market euery Monday and a Faire for three dayes So by the munificence of these Kings their Successours and Subiects this Abbey at the generall suruey and surrender was valued at Robin Hoods pennieworths to dispend yearely 900. pounds foure shillings and foure pence The Catalogue of religious houses saith 1079. l. 12. s. and a pennie The Church of this Monastery hath escaped the hammers of destruction and with a venerable aspect sheweth vnto vs the magnitude of the rest of this religious Structure Herein Harold made his vowes and prayers for victorie when hee marched against the Norman Conquerour In which battell by the shot of an arrow through the left eye into his braines he was slaine the 14. of October being Saturday 1066. hauing raigned nine moneths and odde dayes whose body by the mediation of his mother Githa and two religious men of this Abbey being obtained of the Conquerour howsoeuer at the first by him denyed affirming that buriall was not fit for him whose ambition had beene the cause of so many funeralls was conueyed with great lamentation by his said mother Githa and a small deiected remainder of the English Nobilitie to this his owne Church and herein solemnly interred vpon whose Monument this Epitaph was engrauen Heu cadis hosle sero Rex a Duce Rege sutaro Par paris gladio milite valido Firmini iusti lux est tibi luce Calixti Pronior hinc superas hinc superatus eras Ergo tibi requiem deposcat vtrumque perennem Sicque precetur eum quod colit omne Deum A fierce foe thee slew thou a King he king in view Both Peeres both Peerelesse both fear'd and both fearlesse That sad day was mixt by Firmin and Calixt Th' one helpt thee to vanquish t'other made thee languish Both now for thee pray and thy Requiem say So let good men all to God for the call Girth and Leofwin his two brethren lost their liues likewise vnder Harolds Banner which was brondet saith Robert of Glocester with sygur of a man fyghtyng biset al about wyth gold and preciosse stons which Baner aftur the Bataile Duc William sent to the Pope in tokne of the victory Whose bodyes were in like manner brought to this Church and here entombed It is said that Girthe not holding it best to hazard the Kindome of England at one cast signified to the King that the successe of warre was doubtfull that victory was rather swayed by fortune then by valour that aduised delay was most important in martiall affaires and if so bee brother said hee you haue plighted your faith to the Duke retire your selfe for no force can serue against a mans owne conscience God will reuenge the violation of an oath you may reserue your selfe to giue them a new encounter which will be more to their terrour As for me if you will commit the charge to me I will performe both the part of a kinde brother and a couragious Leader For being cleare in conscience I shall sell my life or discomfit your enemy with more felicitie But the King not liking his speech answered I will neuer turne my back with dishonour to the Norman neither can I in any sort digest the reproach of a base minde well then be it so said some discontented of the company let him beare the brunt that hath giuen the occasion This Harold is much commended for his courteous affabilitie gentle deportment Iustice and warlike prowesse in nothing blame worthy saue that in the opinion of his owne valour he addicted himselfe wholly to his owne resolutions neglecting the wise deliberations of his best friends and Councellors And that his courage could neuer stoope to be lower then a King For which he is taxed to be an impious man falsely aspiring to the Crowne by vsurpation Of which my old Author with whom I will conclude hath these rimes Harold the falls Erle tho Sent Edward ded ley Hym selue let corone King thulk self dey Falsliche Richard the first king of England for his matchlesse valour surnamed Cordelion or Lions-heart is by some of our old English writers said to haue slaine a Lion and by the pulling out of his heart to haue gained that attribute or denomination the truth is that Hugh Nevill a gentleman of noble linage one of King Richards speciall familiars is recorded to haue slaine a Lion in the holy Land driuing first an arrow into his breast and then running him thorow with his sword whereupon this Hexameter was made Viribus Hugonis vires periere Leonis The strength of Hugh a Lion slue Which atchiuement belike was transferred from the man to the master and the story applied to the by-name of K. Richard This Hugh was high Iustice Gardian or Prothoforester of England He died about the sixt of King Henry the third being full of yeeres corpus eius saith Paris in Ecclesia de Waltam nobili Sarchophago marmoreo et in sculpto traditur sepulturae and his body was buried in this Church of Waltham vnder a noble engrauen marble Sepulchre Iohn Nevill his sonne non ultimus inter Angliae nobiles patris sui pedetentim sequens vestigia and the sonne and heire as well of his vertues as reuenues and offices being accused by one Robert Passelew a man of eminent authoritie vnder King Henry the third of diuers transgressions or omissions in the Forrest Lawes committed by him by his conniuencie or sufferance in this Forrest of Waltham and other the Kings Forrests Parks and Chaces was adiudged to pay a Fine of two thousand markes and ignominiouslie to be cast out of his offices which he tooke so to heart that not long after languishing away with sorrow he breathed out his afflicted spirit in Iuly 1245. at his Mannor of Whelperfield from whence he was conueyed to this Abbey and here honourably entombed by his father I finde in Registro Cartarum Abbatie de Waltam that these two Nevils were great benefactors to
endowed the Colledge of these Feciales or Heralds with the seuenth part of this his sacred constitution Their Colledge at Rome was composed of twenty Heraulds chosen out of ancient and eminent families the chiefe whereof for excellence was called Pater Patratus because by being chiefe of that companie he ought to haue children and his owne Father yet liuing Their chiefe office was To take care that the Romanes did not commence and make vniust warre against any confederate Citie and that if any such a city had committed any thing against the conditions of the confederacie truce and entercourse then they were to go as Embassadours first to challenge their right in milde words which if denyed then to proclaime warre Neque iustum aliquod bellum fore censebatur nisi id per Feciales esset indictum Neither was any warre thought to be iust and lawfull but that which was denounced by these Feciales or Heralds In France saith Andrew Favine Heralds haue euer beene in high esteeme and not onely the King of Armes Mont-ioy S. Denis but also the other Heralds and Pursuiuants were of noble extraction and Mont-ioy could not be admitted without making proofe of his Noblenesse by three races as well of his Fathers stocke as by his mothers side There was two thousand pounds of rents in Lands and free tenure allowed for the said Mont-ioy particularly and a thousand pounds of annuall pension besides other rights As for the other Heralds they haue a thousand pounds in pension with other rights and priuiledges Now for such rights and priuiledges as were granted to kings of Armes and Heralds some doe ascribe them to the King and Emperour Charlemaigne others to Alexander the Great of Macedon and others to the Emperour of Germany Charles king of Bohemia fourth of that name nourished from his youth in the Court of the Father of Cheualrie Philip de Valoys king of France sixth and last of that name as here followeth the tenure in these words The Priuiledges granted to Kings and Heralds of Armes translated out of the French in the Theater of Honour My Souldiers you are and shall bee called Heralds Companions for kings and Iudges of crimes committed by Noblemen and arbitratours of their quarrels and differences You must liue hereafter exempted from going any more to warre or militarie factions Councell kings for the best the benefit of the weale publique and for their Honour and Royall dignitie Correct all matters vile and dishonest fauour widowes succour orphanes and defend them from all violence Assist with your counsell such Princes and Lords in whose Courts you shall abide and freely and without feare demand of them whatsoeuer is needfull for you as food rayment and defrayings If any one of them shall deny you let him bee infamous without glory or honour and reputed as criminall of high treason In like manner also haue you an especiall care to keepe your selues from vilifying your noble exercise and the Honour wherewith you ought to come neare vs at all times See there be no entrance into Princes Courts either of drunkennesse ill speaking flattery babling indiscreetly ianglery buffonnerie and such other vices which soyle and shame the reputation of men Giue good example euery where maintaine equitie and repaire the wrongs done by great men to their inferiours Remember what priuiledges we haue granted you in recompence of the painfull trauells in warre which you endured with vs. And let not the Honours which we haue bestowed on you bee conuerted to blame and infamie by dishonest liuing the punishment whereof we reserue to our selfe and to the Kings of France our Successours Seuen Danish Kings besides some of Norway and Sweden haue had for their proper appellation the name of Herald or Harold which is all one with Heralt saith Verstegan So honourable was it accounted of in old time that so many Kings thereby were called in regard as it appeareth that themselues might be honoured and respected as the most couragious of the armie Heralds saith Stow out of an old History written aboue sixe hundred yeares since which he found in the Reuestrie or Treasurie of Saint Pauls Church be they which our Elders were wont to call Heroes that is to say those which were greater or surpassing all men in Maiestie and yet inferiour to the Gods For whom the people of antiquitie did perceiue to be notable and surmounting all others in his acts and feates renowned in vertues and friendly or gracious vnto them him would they magnifie and exalt in the highest degree and as it were with their good words make him cosin to Iove the omnipotent Placing such amongst the Gods if it so were that they had wrought some miraculous feate aboue the common course of Nature But if there were no such miraculous or wonderfull deeds but that through their vertues they seemed wonderfull and honourable then thought they to call such persons not altogether Gods nor yet simplie men but inuented out a meane word and name for them calling them Heroes as it were halfe-gods and of this word Heroes or Heros groweth by corruption of vse this name Herald In the same place he proues that Heralds here in England were as ancient as the dayes of Brute who flourished aboue eleuen hundred yeares before the birth of Christ who bare saith hee Gules two Lions rampant endorsed Or according to this peece out of Hardings Chronicle He bare of Goulis twoo liones of golde Countre Rampant with golde only crouned Which kings of Troy in bataill barefull bold Neither can it be iustly said for all this that Heralds were not knowne nor in request in this kingdome but since the time of Brute For euen from the instant that the descendants of Adam were distinguished into Nobles and Yeomen there haue beene combats battells and encounters and consequently Heralds deriued from the body of Nobilitie Now at the length let me turne backe to the foresaid defunct Sir Iohn Wriothesley to whom and to the rest of the Kings Heralds and Pursuiuants of Armes king Richard the third in the first yeare of his raigne granted and gaue by his letters Patents all that messuage with the appurtenances called Cold-Harber in the Parish of All Saints the little in London freeing them à Subsidijs theolonijs omnibus Reipub. muneribus Dated at Westminster the second of March without fine or fee. How the said Heralds departed therewith saith Stow I haue not read but in the raigne of Henry the eight the Bishop of Durhams house neare Charing Crosse being taken into the Kings hand Cuthbert Tunstall Bishop of Durham was lodged in this Cold-Harber But in my iudgement I still digresse or at leastwise driue off my Reader ouer long from the knowledge of the time of this mans death which I cannot set downe neither certainly yet I gather by circumstances that it should be about the latter end of the raigne of king Hen. the seuenth Here lyeth buried by her
the worlde This done I haue matter of plenty already prepared for this purpose that is to say to write an History to the which I entend to ascribe this title De Antiquitate Britannica or else Civilis Historia And this worke I entend to diuide into so many bookes as there be Shyres in England and shires and great dominions in Wales So that I esteeme that this Volume will enclude a fifty bookes whereof each one seuerally shall containe the beginnings encreases and memorable acts of the chiefe Townes and Castles of the Prouince allotted to it Then I entend to distribute into sixe bookes such matter as I haue already collected concerning the Isles adiacent to your noble realme and vndre your subieccyon Wherof three shall be of these Isles Vecta Mona and Menavia somtime kyngedomes And to superadde a worke as an ornament and a right comely garlande to the enterprises aforesaid I haue selected stuffe to be distributed into three bookes the which I purpose thus to entitle De Nobilitate Britannica Wherof the first shall declare the names of Kynges and Quenes with their children Dukes Earles Lordes Capitaynes and rulers in this realme to the commynge of the Saxons and theyr Conquest The seconde shall be of the Saxons The thirde from the Normans to the reygne of your most noble grace descending lineally of the Brytayne Saxon and Norman kynges So that all noble men shall clerely perceyve their lyneall parentele Now if it shall be the pleasure of Almighty God that I may lyve to performe these things that be already begonne and in a great forwardnesse I trust that this your realme shall so we le be knowne ones paynted wyth his native colours that the renowne thereof shall geue place to the glory of no other region And my great labours and costes procedynge from the most habundant fountayne of your infinite goodnesse towards me your pore scholar and most humble servaunt shall be euydently seane to have not only pleased but also profyted the studyouse gentill and equall reders This is the briefe declaracyon of my laboriouse iourney taken by mocyon of your hyghnesse so much studying at all houres aboute the frutefull preferment of good letters and auncyent vertues Christ contynue your most royall estate and the prosperyte wyth successyon in kyngely dignite of your deere and worthylye beloued sonne Prynce Edward grauntynge you a numbre of Pryncely sonnes by the most gracyouse benygne and modest Lady your Quene Cataryne Iohannes Leylandus Antiquarius Iohn Bale in his declaration vpon this Treatise saith that the next yeare after that Leyland presented this New-yeares Gift to king Henry the said king deceased and Leyland by a most pitifull accident fell besides his wits which was the cause belike that these his workes were neuer imprinted howsoeuer at this day the written copies thereof are in some priuate mens custody which learned Camden saw as he himselfe acknowledgeth when hee compiled that matchlesse Chorographicall description of Great Britaine But those learned Authors which Leyland gathered together in his iourney and which hee conserued to augment the Kings Libraries and his owne are I doubt by the iniquitie of times quite lost and perished And here I might take occasion to speake of the great spoile of old Bookes and all other reuerend Antiquities at and vpon the suppression of Abbeyes and reformation of Religion As also of the due praise belonging to such men in these dayes who like Sir Robert Cotton with labour and charges collect and safely preserue these ancient Monuments of learning for the publique good and commodity of the whole kingdome But of this when I come to that inestimable rich Treasurie that famous and renowned Library in the Vniuersitie of Oxford whose principall Founder was Sir Thomas Bodley knight deceased To returne then to our Antiquarie Leyland Many other workes saith Bale in the foresaid declaration hath Leyland written of whom some are emprinted as the Assertion of king Arthure the Birth of Prince Edward the Song of the Swanne the decease of Sir Thomas Wiet the winning of Bullein and the commendation of Peace Some are not yet printed as his Colleccyons of the Byshoppes of Brytayne of the Vniuersytees of the same of the orygynoll and increase of good learnynges there Of his Epigrammes and Epitaphs and the lyfe of kynge Sygebert with many other more He died franticke the 18. day of Aprill Anno redemptionis humanae 1552. Of whom this Ogdoasticke following was composed either by himselfe as the stile sheweth or by some other in his name saith Pitseus Quantum Rhenano debet Germania docto Tantum debebit terra Britanna mihi Ille suae gentis ritus nomina prisca Aestiuo fecit lucidiora die Ipse antiquarum rerum quoque magnus amator Ornabo patriae lumina clara meae Quae cum prodierint niueis inscripta tabellis Tum testes nostrae sedulitatis erunt These verses were annexed to his Monument as I haue it by tradition This our Leland is called by writers Lelandus iunior in regard of another Iohn Leland who flourished in the time of king Henry the sixth taught a Schoole in Oxford and writ certaine Treatises of the Art of Grammer Which Leland saith Pits was tum in versu tum in prosa multo elegantior in omni Latinitate purior tersior nitidior quam ferebat illius at at is communis consuetudo As well in verse as prose much more elegant and in all the Latine tongue more pure polisht and neate then the custome of that age did commonly affoard Whereupon this riming Hexameter was made to his commendation Vt Rosa slos slorum sic Leland Grammaticorum But to take my leaue of both these Lelands and go forward to what ancient Inscriptions I haue sometime found in this Church Blessyd Lady moder and Virgyn have mercy and pety on ye soul of yowr powere mayd Elisabyth West yat here lyeth beryed ye whych decessyd ye yere of owr Lord M. ccccc.vii ye vii of Octobre O mater Dei miserere mei Amen Hic ..... Rogerus Woodcocke ciuis et Hat London Ioanna vxor eius .... M. ccccxxii Qui venisti redimere perditos noli dampnare redemptos Epitaphs and Inscriptions within certaine Churches of this Cittie colâ—â—cted about some thirtie seuen yeares since by Robert Treswell Esquire somerset Herald lately deceased Of which few or none are to be found at this present time Saint Botolphs Aldersgate Hic iacet Katherina Cauendish quondam vxor Thome Cauendishe nuper de Cauendish in Com. Suffolke Armig. que obijt xv die Septemb. Anno Dom. M. cccc.lxxxxix Cuius anima requiescat in pace Hic iacet Alicia nuper vxor Thome Cauendish de Cauendish et de Scaccario excellentissimi Principis Domini Henrici viij que quidem obijt xij Nouemb. Ann. Dom. M. ccccc.xv Cuius anime propitietur Altissimus Amen Here lyeth buried vnder this Stone Margaret
a Cathedrall Church at his owne charges as doth appeare by the sequele Norwich S. Trinities the Cathedrall Church HErebertus dictus Losinga Abbas quondam Rameseie qui sedem Thedford a Rege Willelmo emerat in Anglia magnus fuit Simonie â—omes hic postquam erroneum inuentutis impetum desteâ—issit Romam iuit ac rediens sedem suam vsque Norwicum transtulit vbi et celebre fundauit Monasterium de rebus quidem proprijs non Episcopalibus sed et apud Tedford Monachos cluniacenses instituit hic septus dicere consueuit Erranimus inuenes Emendemus senes thus much out of an old Manuscript of the Abbey of Euesham anciently put into English by the Translator of Polychronicon as followeth Abowte that time Herbert Losange that had ben somtyme Abbot of Ramsay and was thenne Byshop of Tedford was a grete noury for Simony for he had boughte the Bysshopryche of the Kynge But after warde he was sory and bywept the vnskylfull rest of his youth And toke the waye to Rome and came home agayne and chaunged and torned his See from Tedford to Norwyche And he founded a solempne Abbaye wyth his owne catayle and not wyth the catayle of his Bysshopryche But at Tedford he ordained Monkes of Cluny that were ryche in the world and clere of Religion to Godward And had ofte in mynde the worde of Iherom That sayd we erryd in our yougth amende We vs in our age His repentance doth also appeare by the context of his Charter beggining thus In nomine Patris et â—ilij Spiritus sancti Amen Herbertus Episcopus infirmitatis impuritatis proprie conscius ante iustum clementem Iudicem Deum mores vitam expono meam ei reuelans Inuentut is mee ignorantias c. Igitur pro redemptione vite mee meorumque omnium peccatorum absolutione apud Norwicum in honore et nomine sancte indiuidue Trinitatis Ecclesiam primum edificaui quam caput et matrem Ecclesiam omnium Ecclesiarum de Northfolke et Suthfolke constitui et consecraui Preceptis igitur consessionibus Willelmi Regis et Henrici Regis fratris sui consilio Anselmi Cant. Archiepiscopi et omnium Episcoporum et Primatum totius Regni Anglie in Ecclesia eadem Monachos ordinaui c. His donations to this his mother Church of Norfolke and Suffolke follow which are many and great for he endowed it with as much lands as might sufficiently maintaine threescore Monkes who had their faire and spatious Cloisters But after they were thrust out by King Henry the eight there were substituted for them a Deane sixe Prebendaries and others Witnesses to this his Charter were King Henry the first and Maud his Queene eleuen Bishops and foure and twenty Earles Lords and Abbots to euery name the signe of the crosse Facta est hec donatio Anno Domini M.C. ordinatione Gregorii Episcopi Rom. apud Wyndressores The first stone of this religous Structure was laid by Herbert himselfe in the yeare after Christs natiuitie one thousand ninetie sixe with this inscription Dominus Herbertus posuit primum Lapidem In nomine Patris Filij et Spiritus Sancti Amen That is Lord Bishop Herbert laid The First Ston In The Name of The Father The Sonne And holy Ghost Amen This Bishop was borne at Orford in Suffolke his Fathers name was Robert de Losing Hee was Prior of the monasterie of Fiscane in Normandie and came backe into England at the request of William Rufus and liuing in the Court for a time behaued himselfe in such sort that hee was much fauoured of the King and obtained diuers great preferments at his hands whereby it came to passe that within the space of three yeares hee had so feathered his nest as he could buy for his Father the Abbacy of Winchester and for himselfe the Bishopricke of Thetford which I haue partly touched here and in another place Hauing finished this pious Fabricke according to his minde hee then determined to build an house for himselfe for as yet he had none in Norwich the See being so lately remoued from Thetford and therefore on the north side of the Church hee founded a stately palace And more such was his repentance for his Simony committed hee built fiue Churches one ouer against the Cathedrall Church on the other side of the riuer called S. Leonards another in this Citie also another at Elmham a fourth at Linne and a fift at Yarmouth He was an excellent Scholler for those times and writ many learned Treatises mentioned by Pitsaeus in his booke de illustribus Anglie Scriptoribus Aetat duodecima where he cals him vir omnium virtutum et bonarum literarum studijs impensè deditus mitis affabilis corpore venusto vultu decoro moribus candidus vita integer A man earnestly addicted to the studies of all vertues and good learning milde affable comely of personage gracefull of countenance blamelesse in his carriage pure innocent and sincere in the course of his life The Monkes of Norwich made great meanes and sute to haue this Herbert a canonised Saint but such impediments were alwaies in the way that it could not be obtained He departed this life the two and twentith of Iuly in the yeare of grace one thousand one hundred and twenty and was buried in this Church of his owne Foundation by the High Altar to whose memory these verses following were engrauen vpon his monument Inclytus Herbertus iacet hic vt pistica nardus Virtutum redolens floribus et meritis A quo fundatus locus est hic edificatus Ingenti studio nec modico precio Vir fuit hic magnus probitate suâ—uis vt agnus Vita conspicuus dogmate precipuus Sobrius et castus prudens et Episcopus almus Pollens Concilio clarus in officio Quâ—m .... vndecimas Iulio promente Kalendas Abstulit vltima sors et rapuit cita mors Pro quo qui transis supplex orare memor sis Vt sit ei saties alma Dei facies One Euerard who next succeeded Herbert lieth here interred who although saith Godwin he enioyed this Bishopricke for a long space yet time the deuorer of all things hath left nothing of him to our remembrance but that when he had gouerned his Church 29 yeares hee ended this life Octob. 15. 1150. Here in the Presbyterie lay buried the body of Bishop Turbus a Norman by birth being in his youth a Monke and afterwards Prior of this monasterie In his time this Cathedrall Church was burned by casuall fire he died in the 25. yeare of his consecration the 17. of Ianuarie Neere vnto the high Altar lieth buried the body of Iohn of Oxford sometimes Deane of Salisbury and Bishop of this Diocesse This man finished the Church which Herbert being preuented by death had left vnperfected and repaired that which by fire was lately defaced He built diuers Hospitals for impotent and diseased people Hee founded Trinitie Church in
Essex He died in the first yeare of King Edward the fourth Iohn Mowbray sonne of Iohn aforesaid who in his Fathers dayes was created Earle Warren and Surrey and hauing enioyed these and his fathers Honours for the space dyed without issue at his Castle of Framingham in Suffolke in the fifteenth yeare of King Edward the fourth and was here entombed Sir Iohn Howard knight sonne of Sir Robert Howard knight and of Margaret his wife daughter and coheire of Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolke first made Baron by king Edward the fourth 1461. Quia postea constituit eum Capitaneum Armate potentie super mare Test. Rege apud West Pat. anno 10. Ed. 4. M. 13. was here interred as I finde in the Collections of Francis Thinne Lancaster Herald In the yeare 1483. he was created Duke of Norfolke by King Richard the third in whose aide he was slaine at Bosworth field on Monday the two and twentieth of Aug. 1485. He was warned by diuers to refraine from the field insomuch that the night before he should set forward toward the King one wrote this rime vpon his gate Iack of Norffolk be not too bold For Dikon thy Master is boght and sold. Yet all this notwithstanding he regarding more his oath his honour and promise made to King Richard like a gentleman and as a faithfull subiect to his Prince absented not himselfe from his master but as he faithfully liued vnder him so he manfully died with him to his great fame and laud. And therefore though his seruice was ill employed in aide of a Tyrant whom it had beene more honourable to haue suppressed then supported yet because he had vpon his fealtie vndertaken to fight in his quarrell he thought it lesse losse of life and liuing then of glory and honour so that he might haue said in respect of his loyaltie and promised truth testified with constancie to the death Est mihi supplicium causa fuisse pium This passage is wondrously well deliuered to vs in verse by an honourable late writer thus Long since the King had thought it time to send For trustie Norfolke his vndaunted friend Who hasting from the place of his abode Found at the doore a world of papers strow'd Some would affright him from the Tyrants aide Affirming that his Master was betraide Some laid before him all those bloudy deeds From which a line of sharpe reuenge proceeds With much compassion that so braue a Knight Should serue a Lord against whom Angels fight And others put suspitions in his minde That Richard most obseru'd was most vnkinde The Duke a while these cautious words reuolues With serious thoughts and thus at last resolues If all the Campe proue traytors to my Lord Shall spotlesse Norfolke falsifie his word Mine oath is past I swore t'vphold his Crowne And that shall swimme or I with it will drowne It is too late now to dispute the right Dare any tongue since Yorke spread forth his light Nortâ—umberland or Buckingham defame Two valiant Cliffords Roos or Beaumonts name Because they in the weaker quarrell die They had the King with them and so haue I. But euery eye the face of Richard shunnes For that foule murder of his brothers sonnes Yet lawes of Knighthood gaue me not a sword To strike at him whom all with ioynt accord Haue made my Prince to whom I tribute bring I hate his vices but adore the King Victorious Edward if thy soule can heare Thy seruant Howard I deuoutly sweare That to haue sau'd thy children from that day My hopes on earth should willingly decay Would Glouster then my perfect faith had tried And made two graues when Noble Hastings died This said his troopes he into order brings A little after he giues vs a touch of the Dukes valour and deciphers the manner of his death in these matchlesse numbers which follow Here valiant Oxford and fierce Norfolke meete And with their speares each other rudely greete About the aire the shiuer'd peeces play Then on their swords their Noble hands they lay And Norfolke first a blow directly guides To Oxfords head which from his helmet slides Vpon his arme and biting through the steele Inflicts a wound which Vere disdaines to feele He lifts his Fauchion with a threatning grace And hewes the Beuer off from Howards face This being done he with compassion charm'd Retires asham'd to strike a man disarm'd But straight a deadly shaft sent from a bow Whose master though far off the Duke could know Vntimely brought this combat to an end And pierc'd the braine of Richards constant friend When Oxford saw him sinke his noble soule Was full of griefe which made him thus condole Farewell true Knight to whom no costly graue Can giue due honour would my teares might saue Those streames of blood deseruing to be spilt In better seruice had not Richards guilt Such heauie weight vpon his fortune laid Thy glorious vertues had his sinnes outwaighd Sir Thomas Howard Knight of the Garter Earle of Surrey and Duke of Norfolke sonne and heire of the foresaid Iohn thus slaine was here likewise entombed who died in the sixteenth yeare of the raigne of King Henry the eight 1524. This Thomas was with his father in the forefront of the foresaid Battell where he had the leading of the Archers which King Richard so placed as a bulwarke to defend the rest The martiall prowesse of this Earle in the pight field and his resolute braue carriage being taken prisoner are delineated to the life by my said Author Sir Iohn Beaumont the particulars wherof if they may seeme as pleasing to you in the reading as they were to me in the writing cannot be any way tedious here to set downe for they are sinnewy strong liues and will draw you no doubt with them along Couragious Talbot had with Surrey met And after many blowes begins to fret That one so yong in Armes should thus vnmoou'd Resist his strength so oft in warre approou'd And now the Earle beholds his fathers fall Whose death like horrid darkenesse frighted all Some giue themselues as captiues others flie But this yong Lion casts his gen'rous eye On Mowbrayes Lion painted in his shield And with that King of beasts repines to yeeld The field saith he in which the Lyon stands Is blood and blood I offer to the hands Of daring foes but neuer shall my flight Dye blacke my Lyon which as yet is white His enemies like cunning Huntsmen striue In binding snares to take their prey aliue While he desires t' expose his naked brest And thinkes the sword that deepest strikes is best Yong Howard single with an Army fights When mou'd with pitie two renowned knights Strong Clarindon and valiant Coniers trye To rescue him in which attempt they dye Now Surrey fainting scarse his sword can hold Which made a common souldier grow so bold To lay rude hands vpon that noble flower Which he disdaining anger giues him power Erects his
and that sufficiently for the grazing of all the greater sort of cattell of seuen Towneships to the same neare scituated besides the feeding of thirtie thousand sheepe In the Churchyard is a ridg'd Altar Tombe or Sepulchre of a wondrous antique fashion vpon which an Axell-tree and a cart-wheele are insculped Vnder this Funerall Monument the Towne-dwellers say that one Hikifricke lies interred of whom as it hath gone by tradition from Father to the Sonne they thus likewise report How that vpon a time no man knowes how long since there happened a great quarrell betwixt the Lord of this land or ground and the Inhabitants of the foresaid seuen villages about the meere-markes limits or bondaries of this fruitfull feeding place the matter came to a battell or skirmish in which the said Inhabitants being not able to resist the Landlord and his forces began to giue backe Hikifricke driuing his cart along and perceiuing that his neighbours were faint-hearted and ready to take flight he shooke the Axell-tree from the cart which he vsed in stead of a sword and tooke one of the cart-wheeles which he held as a buckler with these weapons in a furious rage you must imagine he set vpon the Common aduersaries or aduersaries of the Common encouraged his neighbours to go forward and fight valiantly in defence of their liberties who being animated by his manly prowesse they tooke heart to grasse as the prouerbe is insomuch that they chased the Landlord and his companie to the vtmost verge of the said Common which from that time they haue quietly enioyed to this very day The Axell-tree and cart-wheele are cut and figured in diuers places of the Church and Church windowes which makes the story you must needs say more probable This relation doth in many parts parallell with that of one Hay a strong braue spirited Scottish Plowman who vpon a set battell of Scots against the Danes being working at the same time in the next field and seeing some of his countreymen to flie from that hote encounter caught vp an oxe yoke Boethius saith a Plough-beame with which after some exhortation that they should not bee faint-hearted hee beate the said straglers backe againe to the maine Army where he with his two sonnes who tooke likewise such weapons as came next to their hands renewed the charge so furiously that they quite discomfited the enemy obtaining the glory of the day and victory for their drad Lord and Soueraigne Kenneth the third King of Scotland and this happened in the yeare 942. the second of the said kings raigne This you may reade at large in the History of Scotland thus abridged by Camden as followeth Where Tay now growen bigger enlargeth himselfe saith he there appeareth ouer it Arrol the habitation of the noble Earles of Arrol who euer since the Bruises dayes haue beene by inheritance the Constables of Scotland and verily they deduce an ancient pedegree from one Hay a man of exceeding strength and excellent courage who together with his two sonnes in a dangerous battell of Scots against the Danes at Longcarty caught vp an oxe yoke and so valiantly and fortunately withall what with frighting and what with exhorting reenforced the Scots at the point to shrinke and recule that they had the day of the Danes and the King with the States of the kingdome ascribed the victory and their owne safety vnto his valour and prowesse Whereupon in this place the most battle and fruitfull grounds were assigned vnto him and his heires who in testimony hereof haue set ouer their coat a yoke for their Creast Of which memorable exploite to the further honour of this ancient and Princely great Family Iohn Ionston of Aberdon that ingenious learned Diuine and Poet hath written as followeth Haius Pater cum duobus filijs Armatus aratri iugo suorum fugientium agmen stitit Danorum exercitum victorem repulit Salutem patriae sibi posterisque rem decus immortale peperit in memorabili ad Loncartem vicum pugna quae incidit in annum secundum Kennethi iii. Anno Christi 942. Ab hoc cepit initium illustris Comitum Erroliae domus quae et agros Scotiae fertilissimos et insignia in victoriae praemia hisce data adhuc tenet Quo ruitis Ciues Heia hosti obuertite vultus Non pudet infami vertere terga fuga Hostis ego vobis aut ferrum virtite in hostem Dixit et armatus dux praeit ipse iugo Quâ quâ ibat vastam condensa per agmina Danûm Dat stragem hinc omnis consequiturque fuga Servauit Ciues Victorem reppulit hostem Vnus cum Natis agminis instar erat Hic Decios agnosce tuos magnae aemula Romae Aut prior hac aut te bis Scotia maior adhuc The Succession names and number of the right reuerend Fathers in God Lords and Bishops of Dunwich Elmham and Norwich and of such of them as I finde to haue beene reputed Saints OF the Bishops of Dunwich and Elmham I haue already written of which number Felix the first Bishop was the first Saint In the yere vi hundreth thyrty and two Kynge Edwyne by holy doctryne Of Saynt Felix an holy Preste that was tho And preachyng of the holy archbyshop Paulyn Of Chrystes worde and verteous discyplyne Conuerted Edordwolde of Estangle the kyng And all the realme where Felix was dwelling This sacred Bishop Felix was borne brought vp and sublimated with an Episcopall Mitre in the parts of Burgundy which worldly pompe and honour together with his owne Countrie hee forsooke onely to propagate the Gospell and came into England to preach the word of God in the daies of Honorius Bishop of Rome Honorius being as then Archbishop of Canterbury He was a man euery way learned what he daily taught hee carefully put in practise by his holy conuersation and charitable good workes He deliuered the word with great mildnesse and pleasant elocution whereby the more easily he subiugated his Auditors to the yoke of â—esus Christ. Hauing gouerned the East Angles 17 yeares he died at Dunwich his Seat the eight of the Ides of March Anno 647. where in the Church of his owne Foundation he was first buried but after a time his bones were taken vp and conuaied to Some in Cambridgeshire and there solemnly encoffined in the Chancell of the Church there which hee likewise built And afterwards in the raigne of King Canute his sacred reliques were remoued from thence to the Abbey-Church of Ramsey in Huntingdonshire by the procurement of Ethelstan at that time Abbot of the said Monastery The next Bishop that I finde was Humbyrct or Humbert who kept his See at Elmham and being reputed holy was reckoned for a Saint of which a late writer The See at Norwich now establisht long not stird At Eltham planted first to Norwich then transferd Into our bed-roule here her Humbert in doth bring A Counsellour that was
to that most martyred king Saint Edmund who in their rude massacre then slaine The title of a Saint his Martyrdome doth gaine Now to come to Norwich the first Bishop of Norwich was William Herbert the second Euerard the third William Turbus the fourth Iohn of Oxford the fift Iohn de Grey of these I haue written before The sixt was Pandulfus the Popes Legate hee was consecrated at Rome by Honorius the Third Bishop of Rome and died the fift yeare of his consecration 1227. The seuenth was Thomas de Blundeuill an officer of the Exchequer preferred thereunto by Hubert de Burgo the famous chiefe Iustice of England he died August 16. 1236. The eight Radulph who died An. 1236. The ninth was William de Raleigh who was remoued to Winchester The tenth was Walter de Sufield the eleuenth Simon de Wanton the twelfth Roger de Sherwyng the thirteenth William Middleton of whom before The fourteenth was Raph de Walpoole translated to Ely The fifteenth was Iohn Salmon the sixteenth was William Ayermin of whom before The seuenteenth was Antony de Becke Doctor of Diuinitie a retainer to the Court of Rome and made Bishop by the Popes Prouisorie Bull. Hee had much to doe with the Monkes of his Church whom it seemeth hee vsed too rigorously He also withstood Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury in his visitation appealing from him to Rome This boisterous vnquiet humour it seemes was his death for it is said that hee was poisoned by his owne seruants The eighteenth Bishop was William Bateman who died at Auinion in the yeare 1354. and was there buried of whom hereafter The ninteenth was Thomas Piercy The twentieth was Henry Spencer The one and twentieth was Alexander of whom before The two and twentieth was Richard Courtney Chancellour of the Vniuersitie of Oxford a man famous for his excellent knowledge in both lawes A man of great linage great learning and great vertue and no lesse beloued among the common people He died of a Fluxe in Normandy at the siege of Harflew Septemb. 14. 1415. in the second yeare after his consecration His body being brought into England was honourably interred at Westminster The three and twentieth was Iohn Wakering of whom I haue spoken before The foure and twentieth was William Alnwick translated to Lincolne of whom hereafter in his place of buriall The fiue and twentieth was Thomas Browne Bishop of Rochester who being at the Councell of Basill had this Bishopricke cast vpon him before euer he vnderstood of any such intent toward him In his time the Citizens of Norwich vpon an old grudge attempted many things against the Church but such was the singuler wisedome and courage of this Bishop that all their enterprises came to none effect he sate nine yeares and died anno 1445. where buried I doe not finde The sixe and twentieth was Gualter Hart or Lyghart The seauen and twentieth was Iames Goldwell The eight and twentieth was Thomas Ian. The nine and twentieth was Richard Nyx of whom before The thirtieth was William Rugge alias Reps a Doctor of Diuinitie in Cambridge He sate 14 yeares and deceased anno 1550. The one and thirtieth was Thyrlhey a Doctor of Law of Cambridge the first and last Bishop of Westminster translated to Ely The two and thirtieth was Iohn Hopton a Doctor of Diuinity of Oxford and houshold Chaplaine to Queene Mary elected to this Bishopricke in King Edwards daies He sate 4 yeares and died in the same yeare that Queene Mary did for griefe as it was supposed The three and thirtieth was Iohn Parkhurst who lieth buried in his Cathedrall Church vnder a faire Tombe with this Inscription Iohannes Parkhurstus Theol. professor Gilford natus Oxon. educatus Temporibus Mariae Reginae pro tuenda conscientia vixit exul voluntarius postea Presul factus sanctissime hanc rexit Ecclesiam per. 16. An. ob 1574. aetat 63. Vivo bono docto ac pio Iohanni Parkhursto Episcopo vigilentissimo Georgius Gardmer posuit hoc monumentum The foure and thirtieth was Edmund Freake Doctor of Diuinity who was remoued from hence to Worcester The fiue and thirtieth was Edmund Scambler houshold Chaplaine for a time to the Archbishop of Canterbury hee was consecrated Bishop of Peterborough Ianuary 16. anno 1560. and vpon the translation of Bishop Freake preferred to this See where hee lieth buried vnder a faire monument hauing this Inscription or Epitaph Edmundi Scambleri viri reuerendissimi et in ampliss dignitatis gradu dum inter homines ageret locati corpus in hoc tegitur tumulo obijt Non. Maij anno 1594. Viuo tibi moriorque tibi tibi Christe resurgam Te quia iustifica Christe prebendo fide Huic abeat mortis terror tibi viuo redemptor Mors mihi lucrum est tu pie Christe salus The sixe and thirtieth was William Redman Archdeacon of Canterbury consecrated Ianuary 12. an 1594. He was sometime fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge and bestowed 100. markes vpon wainscotting of the Library there Hee died a few daies before Michaelmas Anno 1602. The seauen and thirtieth was Iohn Iegon Doctor of Diuinity and Deane of Norwich fellow sometimes of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge and afterwards master of Bennet Colledge of the time of his death or how long he enioyed this high dignitie I haue not learned The eight and thirtieth was Iohn Ouerall Doctor of Diuinitie sometimes Fellow of Trinitie Colledge Master of Katherine Hall and the Kings Professor in Cambridge afterwards Deane of S. Pauls a learned great Schooleman as any was in all the kingdome how long hee sate or when he died I doe not certainly know Samuel Harsenet Doctor of Diuinity sometime Master of Penbroke Hall in Cambridge Bishop of Chichester and now graced with the metropoliticall dignity of the Archbishoprick of Yorke was the nine and thirtieth Bishop of this Diocesse Which at this time is gouerned by the right reuerend Father in God Francis White Doctor of Diuinitie the Kings Almoneâ— sometimes Deane as also Bishop of Carlile an excellent learned man as his workes now extant doe testifie Now it here followes that I should say somewhat of the scituation circuit commodities and other particulars of this Diocesse like as I haue done of London but that is already most exactly performed and to the full by that learned and iudicious Knight and great Antiquary Sir Henry Spelman in his booke before mentioned called Icenia a Manuscript much desired to come to the open view of the world Here endeth the Ancient Funerall Monuments within the Diocesse of Norwich and this Booke FINIS A funerall Elegie vpon the death of Sir Robert Cotton Knight and Baronet Lib. 8. ep 3. Lib. 10. Epig. 11. In conclu li. vlt. 1. Siluester Transl. Properâ— lib. 3. El. 2. Ruines of Time M. â—rayton Pâ—l Song xvi Scipio Gentilis lib. Orig. sing Panuinius in lideritu sepeliend mortuos Râ—maines Camd. Remaines Aeneâ—◠〈◊〉 Trump 〈…〉 Inuen 〈◊〉 Rosin de Autin Romano 〈…〉 l. â— cap. 59. Gen. 1â— 2. Sam.