Abbotes deposed and prestes in Northfolke depryued IN this solempne counsell a great nombre of abbottes were deposed and dysgraded chefely these by name Guye the abbot afperscour Aldewyne the abbot of Ramseye Wymunde the abbot of Tauestoc Godryck the abbot of Peterburgh Haymo the abbot of Ceruel Agelryck the abbot of MydeltoÌ„ Richard the pryour of Hely Robert the abbot of S. Edmondes Bury the abbot of Mycelney the abbot of Stoke certen others I thynke it was for hauntyng of whores or for bandy rule kepynge For Simeon of Durham Radulphus Niger Roger Houeden Iohan Euersdene and other historyanes report that they lyued without all honestie Byshopp Herbert of Norwych had muche a do with the prestes of hys dyocese anon after this counsell For they wolde neyther leaue their wyues nor yet gyue ouer their benefyces Wherupon he wrote to Anselme the archebyshopp for counsell what was to be done therin Whyche Anselme requyred hym by writinge to persuade the people of Northfolke and Southfolke that as they professed a Christianite they shuld subdue them as rebelles agaynst the churche and vtterly dryue both them and their marryed wyues out of the contreye with rebukes and shame placynge monkes in their rowmes Loke the C. lxxvi epystle of Anselme This was the reuerence that the fallen starres had in those dayes of hypocrâ—sye to that holye ordynaunce of marryage whych God had prouyded for mannys naturall necessyte O subtyle Sodomytes how deuylyshely demented yow mennys eyes in that age that they ded not perceyue your wycked sorceryes ☞ The raylynge ryme of a folysh monke ABout the same tyme as malycyouse moÌ„ke or beast without all good learnynge made these folysh verses in dyspyght of the marryed prestes and set them vpon doores and postes to cause the people to abhorre theÌ„ for their marriages O male uiuentes uersus audite sequentes Vxores uestras quas odit summa potestas Linquite propter euÌ„ tenuit ê— morte trophaeuÌ„ Quod si non facitis inferni claustra petetis Christi spoÌ„sa iubet ne presbyterille ministret Qui tenet uxoreÌ„ domini quia perdit amorem Contradicentem fore dicimus insipientem Non exrancore loquor haec potius sed amore Ye prestes that lyue so naughtyly Heare these my verses by and by Your wyues forsake whome God doth hate For the lambes sake immaculate If ye do not ye shall to helle The spowse of Christ bad me so telle She wylleth no prest any masse to saye Whych hath a wyfe but that he decaye We call hym a fole that beleue not thus I speake not of hate by swete Iesus Thys founde I at Ramseye abbeye in a lyttle treatyse de monachatu Was it not good stuffe to confounde prestes marryage with Where founde thys raskal moÌ„ke that marryage was a naughty lyfe eyther yet that God euer hated the wyfe of a preste consyderynge that Abraham Aaron and Peter pleased their lorde God in marryage Who wolde for righteousnesse thretten helle but a fylthie Antichrist knaue Neuer was it Christes dere spowse that forbad the mynystracyon of a marryed mynyster but the sorcerouse synagoge of the deuyll They are godly wyse that withstande this hypocresy of SathaÌ„ and no foles though thys beastly fole so call them of a spyghtfull hate agaynst the veryte of the lorde ☞ The earnest resystaunce of Yorke dyocese GErarde the archebyshop of Yorke whan he was ones satled at home after the aforesayd great counsell laboured to sett that waye of wyckednesse in hys prouynce of Yorke that Anselme had planted afore hym in the prouynce of Canterbury For as the kynges had their regyons of God so had these sorcerers their sorted out prouynces of the tyrannt of Rome and wolde be aboue them within their owne nacyons as their wycked maistre wolde be aboue God in hys monarchycall meddelynges Whan thys Gerarde had begonne hys feates to depryue the prestes of their wyues not only ded they knytt hym vp with bytynge wordes but also they manfully reasoned argued and dysputed with hym And whan that wold not helpe they sharpely threttened hym and reuyled hym saynge if they myghte not by the newe statute holde wyues of their owne they wolde not spare the wyues of their neybers make what lawes they wolde Professyon of chastyte wolde they none make otherwyse than was their olde custome Neyther coulde he cause them by any persuasyon to take their newe orders whyche had none orders afore for doubt of the vowe annexed newly to them And muche a do he had with the archedeacons sonne whome for a certen summe of moneye he had made sure of hys fathers lyuynges afore hys dysseace Bicause it was done afore that great synode he wolde gladly haue dyssolued it but it wolde not so come to passe Loke the epystles of Anselme in the lattre ende ☞ An other Synode at London for Sodomytes IN the next yeare after thys great counsel at Westmynstre for prestes diuorcementes which was the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. iij. rumours and complayntes were brought to Anselme that the lande was sore replenyshed with the execrable vyce of Sodometry sens the clergye was inhybyted marryage Thus entered in thys plage here with the wyckednesse of the Romanes for our vnbeleues sake as S. Paule afore prophecyed Roman i. Than was Anselme compelled to call an other counsell at Paules within London where as he specyally enacted it amonge other matters that euery sondaye in the yeare the Sodomytes shulde be pronounced excommunycate Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa He ordayned also that no cattell shulde be sold that daye to seme to sytt vpon other matters so wele ae vpon that sumwhat to shadowe the filthienesse of his masmoÌ„gers Wilye wer the wurkers in that wicked generacioÌ„ to blind so the syght of the simple The acte for Sodometrye was this Sodomiticum flagitium facientes eos in hac uoluntate inuaÌ„tes graui anathemate damnamus donec poenitentia confessione absolutionem mercantur Wyth a greuouse curse we condempne both them that occupye the vngracyouse vyce of sodometrye and them also that wyllyngly assyst them or be wycked doars with them in the same tyll suche tyme as they maye deserue absolucyon by penaunce and confessyon Is not here thynke yow good matter and relygyously handeled Wher was the learnynge of the lorde yea where were godly gouernours in thys wycked age Oh that the people of God shulde be ledde by such helhoundes and theues as these sodometrouse shauelynges were ☞ A generall curse agaynst Buggerers NOw foloweth the rest of thys acte marke it good reader thou shalt beholde these holy canonysed deuyls in their owne ryght colours Qui uero in hoc crimine publicatus suerit statutum est siquidem fuerit persona religiosi ordinis ut ad nullum amplius gradum promoueatur si quem habet ab illo deponatur Si autem
are non other to be reckened than the very sede and of springe of the serpent Though these haue knowne that there is a God yet haue they not glorified him in faythe and mekenesse but haue become most vayne in their ymaginacions Where as he hath declared marriage excedingly good they haue condempned it as a thinge execrable and wicked And where as he hath spoken it by his owne mouthe that it is not good for man to be alone they haue improued that doctrine and thaught the contrary as a thinge more perfight and Godly ¶ Marryage contempned of Sathan THus Sathan erected him selfe against God in that wicked generacion whych beganne first in Cain and hath euer sens continued in that posterite For this presumpcion God gaue them clerely ouer and lefte them to them selues with all their good intentes and vowes wherupon they haue wroughte sens that tyme fylthynesse vnspekeable Their chast women vestals Monyals Nonnes and Begines changynge the naturall vse haue wrought vnnaturallye Lyke wyse the men in their Prelacyes presthodes and innumerable kyndes of Monkerye for want of women hath brent in their lustes and done abhomynacyons withoute nombre so receyuynge in them selues the iust rewarde of their errour Of these moste hellishe diabolick frutes holye Saynte Paule admonyshed the Romanes in the fyrste chaptre of hys Epystle vnto them knowynge afore hande that oute of their corrupted christyanyte shulde ryse suche a fylthye flocke as shulde worke them euerye where But neyther of Paule nor yet of Peter haue the fore warnynges auayeled but those brockishe boores haue gone frely foreward without checke tyll nowe of late dayes where in God hathe geuen vs a more pure syght to beholde their buskelinges ¶ Marriage of Prestes in both lawes TO make manyfest vnto theÌ„ what wyues the Lorde appoynted by his seruaunte Moses vnto the leuytycall prestes in the sacred posterite of Aaron Leuiti 21. Ezech. 44. it were but labour lost Eyther to put them in remembraunce that Christ was borne in marryage though hys mother were alwayes a mayde and that he left vnto hys Apostles marryage in lyberte euermore yt were in vayne also For all thys hath GOD shewed vnto them playnelye by hys true prophetes in thys lattre age declarynge the fynall destruccyon of that wretched kyngdome As by Martyn Luther Iohan Pomerane Frances lambert Oswaldus Myconius Philip Melanchton such other as is sayd afore but all haue they taken for fables That lorde sent them one vnto theyr owne doores whiche effectuallye did hys massage euen Robert Barnes by name of whose grounded argumentes they haue not yet dyscharged the leaste besydes that they haue had from hym by good Wyllyam turner and George Ioye And all thys haue they disdaynouslye laughed to scorne Consyderynge therfore that no gentyl speche wyll amende them nor yet sharpe threttenynges call them to repentaunce he will now cast their owne vyle donge in their faches that it shall cleane fast vpon them Mala. 2. He wyll thorowe in their tethe by thys booke and suche other the stynkynge examples of their hypocrytyshe lyues with their calkynges and cloynynges to patche vp that dauberye of the deuyll their vowed wynelesse and husbandeles chastite ¶ Englande inhabyted afore Noe and after AND for asmuche as the tyttle of this present treatyse onlye respecteth Englande onlye shall it treate the vnchast examples of the spirytualte therof wyth certayne examples of Romyshe Popes whiche then wrought their iuggelynge mastries there To fatche the matter from their fyrst foundacion and so to stretche it forewarde I am fullye assertayned by auncient wrytinges that thys lande was wyth people replenyshed longe afore Noes dayes Yea suche tyme as men were multiplied vpon the vniuersall earthe Gene. 6. As they then had left Gods appoynted Religion and had taken wayes vnto them after their owne good into utes suche vnspeakable fylthynesse folowed as brought vpon them the great dylunye or vnyuersall flod whych left none alyue but drowned them vp as it dyd all other quarters Thys wytnesseth bothe Moses and Beresus the moste auncient writers we read of After the said flood was it agayne inhabiteth by the of sprynge of Iapheth the thyrde sonne of Noe. For of them sayeth Moses were the Iles of the Gentyles sorâ—â—d out into regions euery one after knowne dyuese from other by theyr languages kyndredes and nacions Gen. 10. And in the dayes of Phaleg the sonne of Heber was that diuision of Prouinces lyke as foloweth in the same chapter Samothes the Brother of Gomer whom the Byble calleth Mesech restored then agayne thys lande in hys posterite the priestes therof called Samothei for so muche as he was the fyrst that fournyshed it with lawes as wytnesseth Iohannes Annius in commentarijs Berosi ¶ Albion with his Samothites AFter this grewe it into a name and was called Albion Not ab albis rupibus as fryre Bartylmew hathe fantasyed is hys worke De proprietaribus rerum Nor yet ab Albiana the Kynges doughter of Syria as Marianus the monk hathe dreamed it For of latyne woordes coulde it haue no name before the latyne it selfe were in vse And the other without grounded aucthoritie appeareth a playne fable as witnesseth both Volateranus and Badius But rather it should seme to be called Albion ab Albione Gygante the sonne of Neptunus whiche was afterwarde slayne of Hercules for stopping hys passage at the enteraunce of Rhodanus as testifieth Diodorus Seculus and also Pomponius Mela. Not onelye because the sayd Albion was a gyaunt lyke as the afore sayd Samothes was afore hym but also for that his father Neptunns was than taken for the Lorde or great God of the sea wherin it is enclosed What the chastyte was of the Samothites or prestes for that age the Poetes doth declare at large Venus was than their great Goddesse and ruled all in that spirituall famelye as she hath done euer sens ¶ The Samothytes and their chastyte THey had in their temples vestals whom now we call NoÌ„nes whose offyce was to mainteyne the fyre for performaunce of the sacryfyces least it should at any tyme go out These were chosen in before they were syxtene yeares olde there remaynyng vnmaried the space of xxx yeares and others alwayes by that tyme succeded in their rowmes Some of these were presbyteresses as they pleased the spirituall fathers And as uhe lyghtes went out by their neglygence their ponnyshmentes were to be beaten of the Byshoppes More ouer if any of them chaunced to fall in aduoutery except they did it in the darke with them their iudgement was to be buryed in the grounde quycke Alwayes they went awaye virgines from them what soeuer was done in the meane season and at the. xxx yeares ende they were in liberte to marrye if they woulde This testifieth Hermanus Torrentinus and Iohannes Textor with other auctours Yet was not this
abhominable supersticion so tyrannouslye handeled among them than as it hath bene sens among their successours the papistes whom by their cruell coaccions lyued they neuer so longe they sent at the last to hell with a conscience adust were not the lorde more mercifull ¶ Brute with his Druydes IN processe of tyme gote Brutus Syluius thys lande of the Albions by conquest in the. xviij yeare of Heli the hygh priest of the Israelites lyke as Aeneas did Italy and other great aduentourers their regions And of hym was it called Brytayne and the people therof Brytaynes After he had fournyshed it with newe regimentes and lawes there entered in a newe fashyoned sort of priestes all diuerse from the other and they were called Druydes These dwelt in the forestes lyke heremytes and procured both publyque and pryuate sacryfices to be done To them was it alwayes put to dyscusse all matters of relygyon to appoynt therunto the ceremonyes to brynge vp youthe in naturall discipline and to ende all controuersyes Plinius Strabo Cornelius Tacitus Caius Iulius and other approued autours report them to haue their first oryginall in thys lande but that appeareth not true Rather should they seme to come fyrst hyther froÌ„ Athens a moste famouse cytie of the Grekes Iohan Hardynge reporteth in hys Chronycle that kyng Bladud brought them fyrst from thens allegynge there Merlyne for hys autor ¶ The Druydes and their chastite What their rule was concerninge women we shall not nede to seke farder then to the syxt chapter of Baruch and the fourtene chapter of Daniel in the Byble Baruch sayeth there that their custome was to decke their whores with the yewels and ornamentes of theyr Idolles Daniel sayeth that they with them deuoured vp the daylye offerynges and sacryfyces of Bel. Yet Hector Boethius wryteth in the seconde boke of his Scottysh Chronycle that there were some amonge them whiche taught one euerlastynge God alone to be worshypped without Image made or other similitude els Neyther allowed they them sayeth he that applyed vnto their Goddes the symylytudes of beastes after the Egypcianes maner as the Papistes do yet to thys daye Saynt Marke to a Lyon Saynt Luke to a calfe and Saynt Iohan to an egle besyde Saynt Antonies pygge Saynt Georges colte and Saynt Dunstanes deuyll but greatly reproued them Neuerthelesse yet were they great teachers of sorcerye For as testifieth Iohan Textor in his officines so expert were the Brytaynes in art magyck in the dayes of Plinie that in a maner they passed the Parthianes whyche were the fyrst masters therof ¶ Priestes marryed and vnmarryed NOw as concernynge the priestes of the Hebrues or Israelites for all these ages whiche were the peculyar flocke of GOD they had all wyues that were ryghtuouse amonge them accordynge to the Religion that he fyrst appoynted them Noe Melchisedech Abraham Moyses Aaron Phinees Samuel Nathan Zorobabel Iesus Esoras Mathathias and such other were all marryed men and had chyldren The Scripturs report that these men were beloued with God and that in holynesse now were euer founde lyke vnto them But neyther was that for theyr vowes nor yet for their good intentes Eccl. 44. and so fourth vi chapters more If anye were chast vowers that tyme the. ij priestes that lusteth after Susanna were of them Daniel 13. So were the wanton sonnes of Heli and Samuel 1. Reg 2. i. Re. 8. with suche other like Whiche were afore God verye reprobates for despysynge hys ordre as well in that as in other thynges Of suche chast vowers were there some at the very tyme whan Christ was borne bothe religious priestes and leuites whiche were moste highly taken amonge them These thynkynge marriage vnholye absteyned from the vse of women but they spared not to worke execrable fylthynesse amonge them selues and one to polute another Zachary a marryed priest and father of holy Iohan Baptist a man for hys marryage founde iust afore God reprehended that abhominacion in them and was cruellye slayne for it as testifieth Epiphanius lib 2. Tob. 2. De heresibus He was put vnto death sayeth Philip Melanchton vpon the. xi chapiter of Daniel for rebukynge the vyces of his college ¶ Christ alloweth marryage in his IEsus Christ the eternall sonne of God neuer condempned the firste ordinaunce of his euerlastynge father but had it in suche reuerence that he woulde not be borne but vndre it He found hys worthy mother Mary no professed Nonne as the dottynge papystes haue dreamed to couer their sodometrye with a moste preciouse coloure but an honest mannes wyfe married accordynge to the custome than vsed Mat. 1. and Luce i. In her so marryed without eyther vowe or promes of virginite by the holye Gâ—ostes moste wonderfull workynge was he incarnated and so became man to redeme vs from the captiuite of synne and restore vs agayne to the full fauer of his father He honoured marriage with the fyrst myracle that he outwardly wrought in our manhode and called vnto his Apostelshyp not wyuelesse vowers but marryed men Iohan 1 and Marci 1. He went verye gentilly vnto Peters howse and healed his wyues mother whiche laye the sycke of a feuer takynge hys repast there tarryenge with them all the nyght and doynge great cures there also And at hys departure in the mornynge he neither commaunded Peter to breake vp howsholde nor yet to forsake hys wyfe and make her a vowesse Marci 1. Luce. 4 Math. 8. He neuer commaunded nor yet exacted the vowe of virgynyte in all hys whole Gospell but left all men in lyberte to marrye if they lyst forbyddynge all men fyrmelye to make anye lawe of coaccion or of separation where God hath set fredome in marryage Math. 19. Marci 10. No forsakynge of wyfe and chyldren admytted he euer but as the vâ—moueable and constaunt standynge by hys worde requyreth it in them that he hath appoynted to suffre death vnder the worldes tyrannye for it ¶ The Apostles fyrst preachers maried PEters wyfe went wyth hym in the tyme of his preachyng 1. Cor. 9. and was put to deathe at Antioche for confessynge Iesus Christ as wytnesseth Clemens Alexandrinus in 7. lib. Stromatum and Eusebius Caesarienfis li. iij. Ca. 30 Ecclesiastice historie Paule left hys wyfe at Philippos a cytie of the Macedoneanes by consent of them both Philip. 4. 1. Cor. 7. For thys onlye cause sayth bote Clemens and Eusebius that he myght the more easelye thereby and with the lesse coÌ„beraunce preache the Gospell abrode Isidorus hispalensis in his boke De ortu obitu sanctorum patruÌ„ and Freculphus LexouÃeÌ„ sis in the seconde boke and fort chapter of hys Chronycles reporteth bothe that Philip the Apostle preached in Fraunce to the verye extent of the Occeane sea was afterwarde done vnto deathe in Hierapole a cytie of the Phrygianes and at the last honorablye buryed there with his doughters By whose occasyon this real
by helpe of their spyrituall father the deuyll practised innumerable lyes by them to make their newly sought out virginite to apere sumwhat gloriouse to the worldly dodypolles that neuer wyll be wise The veryte of the history is this after all iust wryters Whan our Britaynes had ones gotten by their warre the lande of Armorica that we now call the lesser Britayne and were put in perpetuall possessyon therof by their King Maximus aboute the yeare of our Lorde CCC and XC they acccorded amonge them selues through the assent of Conanus their captayne only to mary with their owne nacion and in no wise to haue a do with the Frenche women there for dyuerse parels Wherupon they sent vp and by ouer the see to Dionothus the duke of Cornewale which than in the Kinges absence had gouernaunce of al the realme instauÌ„tlye desperynge hym to make prouysyon for them Which immedyatly gathered from all partes of the lande to the nombre of xi thousande maydes and othâ—r women and so shypped them at London vpoÌ„ the Tham ys with hys owne dere doughter Vrsula for so much as Couanus desyered to haue her to wyfe And as they were abroode vpon the mayne seas suche contrary wyndes and tempestes fell vpon theÌ„ as drowned some of their shyppes and droue the residue of them into the handes of their enemyes the Hunues and the pyetes which slewe a great nombre of them as they founde them not agreable to theyr fleshly purposes Thys sheweth Galfredu Monemuthensis li. 2. cap. 4. Alphredus BeuerlaceÌ„sis Ranulphus CestreÌ„sis IoaÌ„nes Harding Robertus FabiaÌ„ Tritemius in coÌ„peÌ„dio Volateranus Polydorus ¶ An history to their ghostly purpose BVt se here the coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce of thyse spirtiual geÌ„till men in Playstering vp their vnsauery sorceries They say they all vowed virginite were persuaded of saynt Michael the archaÌ„gel of saint IohaÌ„ the EuaÌ„gelist neuer to marry as thoughe they were diswaders of marriage for their lecherouse vowes so weÌ„t froÌ„ thens religiously to Rome on pilgrimage with great deuocyon ij and. ij togyther and were honorably receyued there of the Pope and his clergy If this be not good ware tell me I think there wanted no spirituall occupienge for the tyme they were there yf the storye were true For Daniell sayth that the lust of that proude kyngedome shuld be vpon women Daniel 11. In all fleshly desyres saith Hieremye they are become lyke rauke stoned horse neyenge at euery mannis wyfe Hieremi 5. And in dede some writers haue vttered it that they were neuer good sens their beynge there Now marke the sequele In their returne homewarde agayne towardes Coleyne they hadde in their company say their writers pope Ciriacus yf there euer were anye suche Poncius Petrus Vincencius Calixtus Kiltanus Florencius Ambrosius Iustinus Christianus all cardnales Cesarius Clemens Columbanus Yuuanus Lotharius PaÌ„talus Mauricius Maurilius Poillanus Sulpicius Iacobus Guilhelmus Michael Eleutherius Bonifacius and. vij more of the Popes howsholde all Byshoppes besydes a greate nombre of Prestes and Chaplaynes Diuerslye is this holy legende handeled of Iacobus Bergomas in Li Declaris mulieribus of Sigebertus VincencÃus Antoninus HartmaÌ„nus Carsulanus Vorago Vuernerus Nauelerus Mantuanus Vuicelius Caxton Capgraue Hector Boethius Maior and a graet sort more scarselye one agreyng with an other ¶ Fyne workemanship to be marked HE that wolde take the payne to conferre their Chronycles and writynges but concerninge thys onlye matter obseruynge dylygentlye their diuerse bestowynge of tymes places and names with other thynges perceyuynge to the circumstaunce of hystorye shuld anon perceyue theâ—e subtyle conueyauÌ„ce in many other matters The solempne feast of these xi thousande she pilgrimes for their goynge to Rome is yet no small matter in their Idolatrouse churche and yet they poure sowles neuer came there as the most aucâ—entyue writers doth proue Their goynge out of Brytanye was to be come honest Christen mennys wyues and not to go no pylgrymage to Rome and so become byshoppes bonilasses or prestes playeferes Se what our auncient Englysh writers had sayth in thys matter whych more experimently knewe it and lere the foren liars go which beynge faere of cared the lesse to lye In dede thys is a very straunge procuringe of Sayntes if ye marke it wele but that the monkes and prebendes of Coleyne thought to do sumwhat for the pleasure of their Nonnes there whiche had gathered togyter an haeye of dead mennys bones For thier bones culde they not haue beynge drowned in the great Occeane sea as Galferdus and the other autours veryfyeth afore But both Christ and Paule ones tolde vs that we shuld be subtyllye cyrcumuented of that wylye generacyon whan they shuld worke thier deceytfull wonders Math. 24. and. 2. Thes. 2. ¶ Vowynges ded not yet constraynt ALl thys tyme were there no constraynynge vowes but all was fre to leaue or to holde For Constans the eldeste sonne of kynge Constantyne the seconde beyng a monke of Saynt Amphibalus abbeye in Cairguent that ye now call Saynt Swythunes in wynchestre was taken out of yt without dyspensacyon about the yeare of our lorde CCCC xliij and crowned kynge of Brytayne beynge in full lyberte of marryage Galfredus Ranulphus Hardyng Capgraue Caxton and Fabyan In lyke case Maglocunus as Gildas reporteth was first a monke and afterwarde constytute kynge in the yeare of our lorde CCCCC lij contynuynge still by the space of more than xxxiiij yeres and had for their he thyme ij wyues besides hys concubines Thys Maglocunus was rekened the most romelye persone of all hys regyon and a man to whom Gon had than geuen great victories agaynst the Saxons Norweyes and Danes Yet was he in hys age as was longe afore hym Mempricius hys predecessour geuen to most abhominable so dometry whiche he had learned in his youth of the consecrate chastyte of the holy clergy Galfredus Ranulphus Hardynge Fabian and Flores historiarum Very vehement was Gildas beinge than a monke of Beucornaburch not farre froÌ„ Chestre in his dayly preachinges both agaynst the clergy and layte concernynge that vyce and such other and prophecyed afore hande of the subuersyon of thys realme by the Saxyns for it like as it sone after folowed in effect Loke in both his bokes De excidio Britannie in scriptis Polidori Galfredi Ranulphi with the preface of William Cindals obedyence ¶ The Saxons entre with newe Christianite ANon after the Saxonâ— had gotten of the Brytaynes the full conquest of this lande the name therof was changed and hath euer sens bene called England of Engist which was than their chefe Captayn as wytneseth Iohan Hardyng IohaÌ„ Maior Hector Boethius CaxtoÌ„ Fabyan Than came there in a new fashioned christyanyte yet ones agayn from Rome with many more heythuysh pokes than afore And that was vpon this
his autorite power to the beast with vij heades that arose out of the sea or from the supersticiouse wauerynge multytude Apoca. xiij Then wanted he nothynge els but to syt in the place of God which is the consciēce of Man that he myght there exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God ij Thessa. ij To brynge that to passe the Monkes and the priestes sturrred quickly about them and left no cautels vnsought out to brynge all Christen realmes vndre hys deuylyshe domynyon For then had the Monkes aucthorite to preache baptyse and assoyle from synne whiche they neuer had afore Howe and what they wrought here in Englād is euident by that hath bene shewed afore and wylbe yet more playne in that whiche hereafter foloweth Marke it therfor in the name of God for now is the tyme wherin he must be reueled that the Lorde Iesus maye consume hym wyth the breathe of hys mouthe Esa. xi and. ij Thes. ij ¶ The chastite of hys masmongers NOw concernynge the continencye of thys new broched broode or newlye fashyoned clergye For so muche as they were Monkes came from Rome they had professed a false chastyte to apeare more holye then the priestes and therby in processe of tyme to robbe them of their benefyces or appoynted lyuynges Though Gregory in hys tyme made these constytucions that none shuld be admitted a priest whiche had maryed ij wyues nor yet therto be accepted that in priesthode kept concubynes as testifieth Sabellicus yet durst he not vtterly condempne priestes marryage by reason of a most terrible example of innumerable chyldrēs heades seane drowned in a ponde But marke that spyritual occupienge of these hote fathers for greuouslye were they than vexed with nyght pollucions Wherupō Augustine sent vnto Gregory to know if they myght well saye masse hauing them the nyght afore Vnto whome after manye wordes he maketh in effect this aunswere That lyke as they chaunce vnto men iiij wayes that is to saye by superfluyte of nature by glottenouse eatyng drynkynge by infirmite of the fleshe and by fylthye cogytacions of the mynde so ought they to haue iiij consyderacions For the firste iij. a priest ought not he sayeth to astayne from his masse sayng The forth describeth by suggestion dylectacion and consent leauynge it without any conclusion If this be not good wholsome diuinite of your holye Romyshe Sayntes tell me This hath Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie ¶ Contempt of marryage wyth tayles I Thynke a mā myght fynde as honest stuffe as this in the scooles of my lord of wynchestres rentes at the banke syde at London if he had nede of it Ye maye se by thys the vertuouse studye of these holye chast fathers the clarkelye conueyaunce of theyr fleshlye mouynges Great pytie had it bene but it had had place in their holy sayntes legendes to the ghostlye intourmacyon of other but that we shuld not els wel haue knowne their bawdye hypocrysye If their vnuirginall vowes had not bene lytle should the worlde haue neded thys lecherous learnynge Honest marryage hath not knowledge therof and yet is it a pleasyng seruice vnto GOD. Is not that thynke you a straunge kynde of chastyte that is thus euerye weke poluted Yet maye they after thys learnyng euerye daye saye Masse their vowe neuer hyndered but in marryage they maye not so do vnder payne of death Now forsoth it is wholsome ware and it shuld come euen now frome the deuyls blacke bowgett Thys is the reuerence these poluted wretches haue to matrymonye beynge Gods clere institucion that they perferre all theyr fleshlye knaueryes vnto it For it onlye haue they named men laye women lewde appoyntynge their chyldren tayles here in Englande in disdaine and scorne For nought was it not that Saynt Paule called their learnyng Hyprocrysye and the detestable doctrine of dyuels i. Timo. iiij Iohan Capgraue and Alexādre of Esseby sayth that for castyng of fyshe tayles at thys Augustine Dorset shyre men had tayles euer after But Polydorus applyeth it vnto kentysh men at Stroude by Rochestre for cuttyng of Thomas Beckettes horses taile Thus hath England in all other landes a perpetuall infamye of tayles by theyr written legendes of lyes yet can they not well tell where to bestowe them trulye ¶ Stryfe aboute the Eastre celebracion NExt after this Augustine was Laurēcius archebishop of Caūterburye And after hym Melitus Then Iustus then Honorius then Theodatus Theodorus all black mōkes Italyanes borne to the nombre of vij This Laurence helde a great Synod with hys other prelates in the I le of māne dysputynge there with the Scottyshe and Iryshe Byshoppes for the feast of Eastre what daye it should be yearly celebrated writynge from thens vnto their other prelates a treatyse of the same More then an hūdred years space were the Papistes then in controuersy for the daye of that Eastre celebracion ere they coulde be quyeted Great paynes the relygiouse fathers toke in those dayes to strayne out a gnatt that their lecerouse posteryte after them myght the better swallowe in a myghtye camell Math. xxiij In thinges of smal value thei were then very scrupulose but the wayghtier causes they could let slyppe wel ynough What so euer thys Laurence was to women by hys lyfe he was they saye verye cruell vnto them after hys deathe For in a certain towne called fordune was a church bulded in his name wher no women myght entre with offerynge nor without offerynge but they had euer more sore bellyes of it I praye god they went not many times thens with childe for there were manye fatte Canons and prebendes Thys supersticiouse table borowe they of the paganes whose oppinion was that no woman myght entre into the temple of Venus their great Goddesse in the mounte of Olympus without a great vyllanye Iacobus Zieglerus in sua Syria ¶ Great businesse for their other tradicions HEre passe I ouer the clowtynge in of their canonicall houres of their absolucions for synnes their temples their aulters their belryngynges their lentes their diuersite of orders and diuisions of parishes least I shuld be therin to tediouse vnto the readers Aidanus Finanus Cosmannus beyng all iij. byshops of lyndiffarne in Northumberlande one after an other Scottysh mē borne could not wel away with the pride and wanton toyes whych they behelde in their Romysh rytes but perseuered styl in the symple ordre of the primatiue churche not contented to chāge it For the whiche in those dayes they had muche a do with these hygh stomaked Romanes Hilda in lyke case that was thē abbasse of Streneshalt that we now call Whytby a womā learned wyse and vertuouse dysputed with them in their generall counsayl vpon Colmanus syde in the yeare of our Lorde DC and lxiiij concernyng the daye of their eastre celebracion their
marryage Ioannes Maior libro secundo Capite 12. Ioannes Capgraue in catalogo sanctorum Anglie ¶ A spirituall conueyaunce to be marked ETheldred whom ye cal Saynt Andrye of helye marryed ij great prynces Tombert of the South Girwyes and Egfride the Kyng of Northumberlande mockynge them both by the space of more then xiij yeares in not geuynge them due beneuolence accordyng to the holy doctrine of saynt Paul i. Cor. vij And in occasioninge them to aduouterouse lyuynge The lattre of theÌ„ knowynge that she mynded wylfryde then byshop of yorke muche more then hym for the storye sayeth that she loued that monke aboue all the men lyuyng requyred him in Gods behalfe to admonysh her of her dewtye that he myght accordyng to hys lawes haue increase of succession by her And he lyke a false traytour knaue notwithstandinge hys promes to the contrarye perswaded her to perseuer in her obstynacye and vtterlye to resyst hym allegynge her vowe and requyrynge a diuorcement from hym Wherupon he was then compelled to marrye an other wyfe called Ermenburgis and Etheldrede was professed a NoÌ„ne in ColdynghaÌ„ with Ebba by the sayd wylfryde This kyng after that perceyuynge his knauerye by assent of Theodorus the archebyshop of Caunterbury bannyshed hym out of hys lande Then folowed she after a pace and whyles he was byshop of Eastsexse she became abbasse of hely not farre from his elbone Marke thys conueyaunce for your learnynge If this were not knauerye where shal we fynde knauery Yet was this gentylman conueyer admytted for a saynte because he buylded a college at Rippon where my selfe was ones bayted of his Basan bulles for mainteining the kynges prerogatiue agaynst their pope as good mastre IohaÌ„ Hercye can fulwell tell Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Etheldrede Vuilfridi ¶ Kynges became pylgrymes and their wyues Nonnes A Verye proper cast the women had in those dayes by the ghostlye counsell of the prelates They sent theyr hâ—sbandes to Rome on pylgrymage by heapes whyls they kept them spyrituall company at home Ethelburg made great haste and left no callyng on tyll her husbande kyng Inas was thydrewardes with scrippe haâ—â—e and staffe she lokyng for his no more coming home in the abbeye of Berkynge Thys Inas became a monke there and was the first that clogged the west Saxons with payment of the Rome shott or Peter Pens to the Pope Volateranus Fabiane After hym folowed Ethelrede kynge of Mercia in lyke fashion of pylgrymage and became afterwarde abbot of Bardeney Iohan Capgraue Conredus also kyng of the same prouynce dyed a folyshe monke at Rome So dyd kynge Offa of the East Saxons the selfe same yeare of our Lorde DCC and. ix besydes KeÌ„redus Ethelwolphus and a great sort more Hermannus Contractus Platina Polidorus Colwolphus kynge of Northumberlande returned agayne to Gyrwyn and there dyed a monke Robert Fabiane Great layser would it requyre to shewe here how many of suche kynges the ghostly fathers sent at dyuerse seasons vnto Rome that they for the tyme might haue the spirituall occupyenge of theyr wyues and how many of their own bastardes they made kynges for them And therfore at thys tyme I passe them ouer Innumerable knaueryes wrought they in those dayes and all vndre the coloure of vowed chastyte ¶ Great experymentes of virginite AS Saynt Aldelmus the byshop of Sherborne that ye now cal Salysbury chaunced to be at Rome the people there made a fowle exclamacion vpon Pope Sergius the first for begettynge a wenche with chylde whyche he they saye by a lytle straunge workynge pacyfyed In whose returne a Synode was holden in Englande agaynst the Brytaynes or welshe men for not conformynge their churches to the Romysh obseruacions he there required to inueye agaynst them Vpon the which mocion he wrote then two bokes one for the Eastre celebracion and an other in the prayse of virgynes to blemyshe the marriage of their priestes there and also to aduauÌ„ce their newlye professed chastyte For that he had also in commandement of Sergius notwithstandynge hys owne knowne lecherye This Aldelmus neuer refused women but would haue them coÌ„monly both at borde at bedde to mocke the deuyll with In the tyme he was abbot of Malmesbury he appoynted oft tymes to hys fleshe this martyrdoÌ„ As he felte any sore mouynges therof he layed by him naked the fairest mayde he could get so longe tyme as an whole Dauids psalter was in saynge And when hys heate was past he sent her home agayne as good a mayde as he left her Is not this thynke you a stronge argument to proue that all priestes may lyue chast This telleth Bedas Ranulphus Iohan Capgraue and manye other Englyshe autours more ¶ Images admytted with chast examples ABout the same tyme saynt Egwine abbot of Euesham and byshop of Worcestre then called wickes hearynge tell that labour was made to the pope to haue the christen temples replenyshed with Images to promote that market forewarde he hyed hym a peace to Rome And there he declared to the holye father the secrete reuelacions and commaundementes of our ladye that he had to set vp an Image of her to be worshypped at Worcestre delyueryng hym a booke whiche he had written of the same apparycyons besydes the lyfe of Aldelme The pope then called Constantine the fyrst hearing this newe wondre sent hym home agayne with hys bulles of autoryte commaundynge Brithwalde then Archebyshop of Caunterburye wyth all haste to call a generall Synode of all the clergye for confirmaâ—â—on of the same the kynges required not to be absent that daye And this was done in the yeare of our Lorde DCC and ix This Brithwalde beynge also a moÌ„ke was the first Englysh man that was Archebyshop of Caunterburye Marke it Saynt Guthlake an heremyte of Rependon tolde a certayne abbot the same tyme that goynge homewarde he shuld fynde in a wydowes howse ij of his holy monkes whiche had lyeu with her the nyght afore for easement of their chastite Saynt Bartellyne heremyte of Stafforde stale out of Irelande the kynges doughter there And as she was afterwarde trauelynge of chylde in a forest whyles he was sekynge the mydwyfe a wolfe came and deuoured both her and her chylde These storyes hath at large Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie Guilhelmus Malmesbury et Ranulphus ¶ Englysh monkes become Antichristes Apostles IN those dayes the moÌ„kes of Englande were becomen so myghtye in supersticiouse learnynge that they were able to peruert all other christen regyons as they dyd then in dede Some of them went into Germanye some into Fraunce some into Italye and Spayne and became the Popes instrumentes of all falshede fasshioning hym vp there a newe kyngdome of all deuylyshnesse to withstande the manyfest glory of God and subduynge therunto an pryncely Powers Yow
euer after the names of iij. Goddeses He called Bezola venus Roza Iuno and Stephana Zemele Of these harlottes one made Boso her bastarde Byshop of Placencia the other made Theobaldus her mysbegetten the archedeacon of Myllayne and the third was not all behynde with her fylthye frute also LiuthyraÌ„dus TicineÌ„sis li. 3. Ca. 6. That vowe of chastite I trowe is sumwhat worth whan it hath suche feates in bawdye bytcherye as all the worlde besydes is ignoraunt of It were great pytie but it were so hygh aduaunced and maynteyned by pryncelye polityque lawes they becommynge seruauntes therunto by makynge lawes for the vpholdynge therof ¶ A most hygh example of holye churches chastyte ALbericus the sonne of Marozia by her first husbande Albert beynge Marques of Hetruria and kynge of Italye compelled the Romanes hys subiectes partlye by great rewardes partlye by stronge threttenynges to admyt hys sonne Octauyane to the papacye whiche was geuen to al ryot and vyce from his very infancye Notwithstandynge for hys pleasure they agreed thervnto in the year of our lorde DCCCC and. lvi and named hym Iohan the. xij Thys holy successour of Peter and vycar of Christ as they call popes was accused of his Cardinalles and Byshoppes vnto the Emperour Otho in the generall Synode at Rome that he woulde saye no seruice he massed without consecracion he gaue holye orders in hys stable he made boyes Byshoppes for money he woulde neuer blesse hymselfe he forced not to be periured and made the holy palace of Laternense a verye stewes For he kepte therein Raynera the wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys own body and gaue her great possessioÌ„s with benefices goldeÌ„ chalyces and crosses He helde also Stephana and her syster whiche had bene his fathers concubine and had by her a bastarde not long afore He occupied at hys pleasure Anna a freshe wydowe her doughter also and doughters doughter He spared neyther hygh nor lowe olde nor yonge poore nor rytche fayre nor foule they sayd so that no womeÌ„ durst come vnto Rome on pylgrymage in hys tyme. Neyther reuerenced he anye place but would do it euery where yea vpon their very aulters He woulde hawke hunte daunce leape dyce sweare fyght ryot ronne straye abrode in the nyght breakynge vp dores and wyndowes and burne manye mennes howses One of hys Cardynalles he gelded he put out an others eyes whiche had bene hys Godfathers Of some he borowed an hande of some a tounge a fynger a nose an eare In his dyce playnge would he cal vpon yll spirites and drynke to the deuyll for loue Thus was he in the ende deposed tyll his dere diamondes sett handes vnto it for they ruled all and caused the Romaynes to set hym in agayne ¶ Dunstanes autoryte against marryed priestes THe papacye helde this Iohan the xij for the space of ix yeares iij. monthes and. v dayes and was striken of the deuyl they saye as he was lyenge in bedde with a mans wyfe and so dyed within viij dayes after without howsell or shrift they saye All this writeth of hym the forsayd Liuthprandus lib. 6. Cap 6. and so furth v. chapters more to the ende almoste of his boke whiche at the same self tyme dwelt at Ticina in Italy This is he of whom the byworde ryse As myrye as Pope Iohan. Vnto thys holye vycar of Sathan successour of Symon Magus went Dunstane out of Englande in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. lx to be confirmed archebyshop of Caunterburye And there receyued therewith for a great summe of money autorise power of the Beast Apoc. 13. vtterlye to dyssolue priestes maryage that hys monkes by that meanes myght possesse the cathedral churches of Englande as within a whyle after they did This Dunstane as witnesseth IoaÌ„ Capgraue was the first that in this real me compelled men and women to vowe chastyte and to kepe claustrale obedyence agaynst the fre doctryne of Saynte Paule 1. Cor. 7. Gal. 5. Forbyddynge marryage instytuted of God whiche is the verye doctrine of deuyls 1. Timot. 4 Thys is the worthye orygynall and first foundacion of monkes and priestes professed chastyte in Englande Marke it with the sequele and tell me hereafter whethâ—r it be of the deuyll or naye ¶ Dunstane execute hys deuylyshe commission THis craftye merchaunde Dunstone as he was returned agayn into England by autorite of this most execrable monstre and wycked Antichrist gaue a strayght commaundemeÌ„t that priestes out of haÌ„de shuld put away their lawfull wyues whoÌ„ that brent coÌ„scienced hypocryte called the vessels of fornycacyon els would he he sayd accordyng to hys commission put them both from benefyce and lyuynge And where as he perceyued the benefyces most welthye there was he most gredye â—pon them and shewed most vyolence â—yranny For whan the hygh deanes of â—athedrall churches masters of colleges prebendes persones and vycars would not at so beastly a commaundement leaue their wyues and chyldren so desolate without all naturall ordre he gote vnto hym the great power of kyng Edgare to assyst that cruell commyssyon of hys procured for moneye of the former Antichrist of Rome and by force thereof in manye places most tyrannously expelled them IoaÌ„nes Capgraue In Catologo sanctorum Anglie Reade all the Byble and Chronycles ouer of Nemroth Pharao Antioche Nero Decius Traianus with other lyke and I thynke ye shall not fynde a more tyrannouse example No not in cruell Herode hys selfe For though he slewe the innocent babes yet demynyshed he not the lyuynge of the fathers and mothers but thys tyraunt toke all with hym If he had sought a Godlye reformacion where marryage was abused it had bene sumwhat commendable But hys huntynge was to destroye it all togyther as an horryble vyce in priestes and in place therof to sett vp Sodome and Gomor by a sort of Hypocryte Monkes so chaungynge all Godlye ordre ¶ Kynge Edgare is brought vndre thereby THus became the face first of the Brytonysh and then of the Englysh churche sore changed blemyshed and by whoryshe commyssions froÌ„ the whoryshe byshoppes of the whorysh Synagoge of Rome was made all togyther whoryshe Proue me here in a lyer and an heretike if ye can for I wyl by the helpe of God stande by that I write here to the ende of my lyfe If ye can not I speake onlye to yow papistical byshoppes and priestes graunt your selues to be the most theues heretikes seducers of the people that euer yet reigned vpon the earthe for maynteynynge for holynesse so deuelysh a knauerye Immediatlye after thys be fell a sore chaunce as God would Kyng Edgare which was euer a great whore mastre and a tyraunte as the Chronycles report hym had a do with a yonge mayde called wilfrith brought vp in the nondrye of wylton parauenture to their
for their marriage the scripturs and substancially proued themselues the maynteyners of vertu therin and not of aduouterye as they were there vncharitably noted But that wolde not serue them The holy Ghost might in no wise preuayle the popes bawdye bulles beynge in place but they must nedes haue the preferment no remedy An other sort were there which accused Dunstane of yll rule in the darke For Petrus Equilinus sayth in Catalogo Sanctorum li 8 Ca 49. that he was put to hys purgacyon of many things there layed agaynst him Of a likelyhode therfore they had smelled oute sumwhat that was not all to his spirituall honesty Neyther wolde these accusacions helpe the popes Power ones so largely published The King durst vtter nothynge that was against hym for feare of newe penaunce and for as muche as it was wele knowne that in the time of his olde penaunce he had occupied one minion at Wynchestre an other at Andouer besides alfrede whome he at the lattre gote to wife by the crafty mouther of her husbande Ethelwolde an earle ¶ The king defendeth Dunstane destroyeth wolues BVt to pacyfy and please this Dunstane Kinge Edgare in his oracion there to the clergy rebuked the prestes very sore for banketinge with their wiues for slacknesse of their masse saynges for pretermytting their canonicall houres for their crownes shauinges with their vnprestly aparellinges and suche other like More ouer he alleged vnto them in the seid oracion the lamentable complayntes good knauery I warande yow of his fathers sowle aperynge to Dunstane and reprouing the wanton behauer of the prestes with their wiues He also tolde them in repressing their former accusementes that hys sayd dead father in that vysyon reported Dunstane to be the pastoure byshop and keper of hys sowle Christ was nothynge makynge hym styll to beleue that the buyldynge of monasteryes was alwayes the moste helthsome good worke expedyent helpe pryce remedye redempcion and deliueraunce of the sowle from dampnacion Ex oratione regis Edgari ad clerum Anglie Loke the boke of both iurisdiccions Of this kinge Edgare ys it veryfied by Ranulphe that by a yearlye trybute of C C C. wolues out of Wales he destroyed all the wolues in that lande But within hys owne lande the fearce gredye wolues that deuoured Christes flocke Acto 20. and the wylye foxes that destroyed the swete vyneyardes of the Lord. Can. 2. he left vntouched yea rather he set them vp maynteyned them and fedde them at hys owne table wyth most wicked Iesabel 3. Reg. 18. For in hys tyme they obtayned more than xl great monasteryes As were Glastenburye Abindon Thorneye Ramseye Peterborowe Wenton Wylton Shaftesburye Sherborne Worcestre Wynchestre Hyde Helye Saynt Albons Beanflede and such other besides innumerable giftes and promocions els ¶ Ethelwolde with his lewde commission FRom thys afore named generall counsell went fyrste Ethelwolde with his commission whych had bene abbot of Abyndon and was than Byshopp of Wynchestre beynge hastye headye subtyle wytted learned in Prophane letters as the hystoryanes wryteth of hym Thys busye whelpe of antichirst leauynge Christes pure wayes to folowe the fote steppes of the Esseanes Tacyanes Priscyllyanystes Marcyanystes and other heretykes more beganne fyrst hys feates at Wynchestre in the old college And there droue out the prestes with their wiues and poore children and put in monkes of Abyndone for them And thys was hys suggestyon abrode to coloure the matter They kepte verye yll rule there he sayd they wolde not do their masses in due ordre and they semed no holier then the other laye people But Polydorus reporteth li. 4. Anglice historie that they were men of an honeste lyfe From thens he went vnto other townes and cytyes and there ded lyke wyse and bare the name to be a vygylaunt father ouer Nonnes and relygyouse women Thys same one Byshop ded more sayth Vincent than could the King of the realme wyth all hys whole power In the ende he wrote to pope Iohā the. xiij which was the bastarde of pope Iohan the. xij by his peramoure Stephana of his dreames and vysyons for the tyme of hys progresse desyering his power against the prestes also with many other wōders Iohānen Capgraue in Catalo Guilhelmus Malmesbury Vincēcius Antoninus Ranulphus Guido de colūna et Polidorus ¶ Oswalde wyth hys Beastly autorite ON the other syde went Oswalde wyth hys autoryte from that wycked counsell whych had stodied necromancye wyth other vnpure scyences at Floryake besydes Orleaunce in france where he was fyrst made monke and afterward in England bycame Byshop of Worcestre Thys fellawe so wel armed with deceytes as euer were Pharaoes sorcerers was thought a man mete to deceyue wyth lyenge sygnes the common sort So trudged he fourth wyth hys craftye calkynges and fyrst expelled the Canons of the cathedrall churche of worcestre wyth their carefull wyues and children and out of vij other churches more within that hys dyoces and there placed for them the laysy leaue locustes which not long afore had leaped out of the bottomlesse pyt Apoca. 9. the monkes which at that tyme were bare and nedy Than went he farther abrode and wrought there lyke masteryes wherof England hath depely felt euer sens His suggestions were lyke the other as that the prestes liued wantonly and wolde not masse in due forme For his trauayle in this was he made Archebishop of Yorke by the laboure of Dunstane To tell his other feates it wolde are to muche time and therfore I passe it ouer These ij promoted the seyd Dunstane aboue all other as men hauinge most wily craftes to assiste him in his businesse These iij. Monkes brought the Kinges so vndre that they had than all the realme at their pleasures Ioānes Capgraue Malmesburye Vincencius Antoninus Ranulphus Guido de Columna et Polidorus ¶ Dunstane maketh a king at his pleasure AFter the decease of King Edgare in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. lxxv was a wonderfull varyete and scisme through out the whole realme partly for him that next shuld succede King and partly for the great iniury done to the marryed prestes The quene Alfrede with Alpherus the duke of Mercia and other great lordes fauorynge her quarell wolde nedes haue Ethelrede Kynge which was her sonne by Edgare on the one syde Dunstane and his monkish Bishoppes with the earle of East sexe and serten other Lordes suborned by them on the other syde wolde nedes haue Edwarde whome some reported to be Edgares bastarde Anon as Dunstane perceyued the quenes part to preuayle for she had the most of the lordes he called for hys metropolytanes crosse and there lyke a bolde yeman and a tall shewed himselfe amonge them as the popes high legate from hys owne ryghte syde For he had by that tyme procured
of Pope Iohan the. xiij whyche was the other popes bastarde a renouacyon of hys former autoryte to double the whoryshnesse therof And by force of the same he made Edwarde kinge in spyght of them all and shewed himselfe Iohan Capgraue sayth a verye naturall father vnto hym euer after Neuerthelesse yt coste hym hys lyfe in the forth yeare of hys reygne Than to make all holy towardes their side and to blemyshe the other partye specyallye to stoppe mennis mouthes abrode for many thynges were in those dayes spoken they canonysed hym a Saynt fyndynge the meanes to shewe myracles for hym and that made all whole euerye waye Prefati Autores ¶ The prestes with their wiues restored ANon after this kinges coronacion Alpherus the Duke of Mercia wyth other great men by counsell of the quene droue the monkes out of the cathedrall churches and restored agayne the prestes wyth their wyues and chyldren For the prestes had layed for them selues that it was vncomlye vncharitable yea and vnnaturall to put oute an olde knowne dweller for a newe vnknone A neyber a cytyzen and a chylde brought vp amonge them for a forouer a straunger They knewe it they seyd to be vnpleasynge vnto God that man shuld take from them that he had ones geuen them Fynally they alleged this grounded precept of God for them selues Lete men do non otherwise than they wolde gladlye be done to The Monkes on the other syde layed for their parte that Christ cared not an half peny for the olde dweller but allowed hym onlye that wolde take the crosse of penaunce vpon hym Whether that be in a monkes cowle wythoute iust tyttle to enter into an other mannys possessyons or no. I put it to the iudgemente of them that are christenlye learned The troblouse cares in marryage as are the necessarye prouisyons for howse kepynge the vertuous bryngynge vp of children and the daylye helpynge of pouertie shulde rather seme a christen crosse to Godly wyse men than easye Idelnesse in monkerye In the rude of thys controuersye the greatter part both of the nobles and commons iudged the prestes to haue great wronge and sought euery where by all meanes possible to bringe them agayne to their olde possessions and dignitees Yea sumwhere with good ernest blowes and buffettes Robertus Fabiane cum antedictis Autoribus ¶ Dunstane maketh an Idoll to speake THis caused Dunstane in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and lxxv to call an other solempne counsell But that was where they thought themselues most stronge and might best do their feates at Wynchestre Where after great wordes had betwen the duke of Marche and the earle of East sexe which were than appoynted as arbyters Dunstane perceyuynge all to go with the prestes brought fourthe his former commission thinkinge therby to stoppe their mouthes And whan that wolde not serue they sought out a practyse of the olde Idolatrouse prestes which were wont to make their Idolles to speake by the art of Necromancy wherin the monkes were in those dayes expert A roode there was vpon the frayter wall in the monâ—stery where the counsel was holden and as Vincent Antoninus testifieth Dunstane required them all to praye therunto which was not thaÌ„ ignoraunte of that spyrytuall prouysyon In the myddes of their prayer the roode spake these wordes or els a knaue monke behynde hym in a truncke through the wall as Boniface ded after for the papacye of Celestyne God forbyd sayth he ye shuld change this ordre taken Ye shuld no do wele now to alter it Take Dunstanes wayes vnto ye for they are the best All thys worke of the deuill at al they were astayned that knewe not therof the crafty conueyaunce If thys were not cleaue legerdemayne tell me Oh that there was not a Iohan Boanerges at that time to proue the spretes of that workemanshyp 1. Ioan. 4. If there had bene but one Thomas Cromwell they had not so clerelye escaped wyth that knauery Polidorus Vergilius whych alloweth them in many other lewde poyntes smelled out their bouery in this and reporteth diuerse other to do the same at that day ¶ That Idoll is crowned King of England IN remembraunce of this knauery myracle they say were afterward written vpon the wall vndre that roodes fete these verses folowing Humano more crux presens edidit ore Coelitus affata que perspicis hic subarata Absit ut hoc fiat cetera tunc memorata Wyth lye and all Whom Iohan Capgraue reporteth that he se there more thaÌ„ CCCC years after the roode translated from thens into the churche for hys myracles sake Aboute the yeare of oure Lorde a. M. and. xxxvi as Kynge Canutus beynge at Southampton was boasted of one of hys knyghtes to be the great Lorde of the sea he thought to proue it by a commaundement of obedience And as he wele perceyued that yt wolde obeye hym in no poynt he toke the crowne from hys owne head acknowlegynge that there was a Lord much hygher of more power than himself was And therefor he promised neuer more to weare yt but to rendre yt vp vnto hym for euer Wyth that Egelnothus than Archebyshopp of Caunterburye infourmed him of thys roode whyche had dysolued prestes matrimonye and done manye other great miracles Whyche prouoked hym anon after to go to Wynchestre and to resygne vnto hym his regall crowne constytutynge hym than King of this realme Was not thys thynke yow good wholsom counsell of thys Idolouse Byshop Zachary II. yf a man had nede of it A playne token is it that they were than the Images of the Beaste Apoca. 13. no godlye gouernours yea verye Idolles no Kinges that were vndre suche ghostly fathers Henricus Huntyngtonensis Archidiaconus li. 6. Ranulphus li. 6. Ca. 20. Fabianus li. 1. Ca. 206 Polydorus li. 7. with other autours more ¶ An example of Claustrall virginite MArianus Scotus and serteÌ„ other writers besydes do testyfye in their Chronycles that whan thys Canutus coulde haue no frute by hys wyfe Elgiue of hampton and was not trouglye contented therwyth She fearynge that he shulde eyther caste her vp or els resort to some other gote her amonge relygyouse chast women to knowe what good chere was amonge them And anon she founde one to her mynde whyche was bygge with childe by a monke not wythstandynge the great chastite that was boasted afore But Marianus sayth she was a presbyteresse or a prestes leman to saue the honoure of that ordre bycause he was a monke hys selfe Algyne had thys nonne be of good chere and yf she wode agre vnto her it shulde be to her great honoure But yt must she sayd be kept wonderfullye close Immedyatly after the quene fayned herselfe to be great wyth chylde and by the conueyaunce of a mother B. goynge
betwixt them both at the tyme appoynted of labourynge she was delyuered of the nonnes childe making the King to beleue it was his to no small reioyce of them both This childe was called Sweno and the yeare afore Canutus died was constitute King of Norwey Some writers haue thought that Heraldus the first which after succeded King of Englande to come fourth also the same way and his owne brother Harde canutus reporte it no farre otherwise Ranulphus li 6 Ca 20 cum ceteris autoribus ¶ Dunstane disputeth with sorcerye and murther NOw let vs returne vnto Dunstane agayn Though the aforesayd controuersye betwene the prestes and the monkes ceased for a time by reason of their legerdemayne in the roode yet was it not all finished For some men of wysdome there were in those dayes which smelled somwhat as Polydorus reporteth iudging it to be as it was in dede verye subtyle knauerye And playnely Ranulphus saith that the spech came from the wall Marke it hardelye Wherupon Alpherus the Duke of Marche with his company in the yeare folowing whych was from Christes incarnacyon DCCCC and. lxx vi sent into Scotlande for a certen learned Bishop whych was knowne both eloquent and wytty to dispute the matter wyth them Than was the place appoynted in a strete or vyllage of the Kinges called Calna for they trusted no more close howses in the monasteries And whan the Bishopp had layed for the married prestes suche inuincible scripturs reasones and argumentes as Dunstane and his dodypoll monkes were not able to auoyde the blinde asse had non other shift but to laye these faynte excuses for him self As that he was an aged man sore broken in the labours of holy churche and that he had at that tyme geuen ouer all studye and onely addycted hym self vnto prayer But for as much he sayd as they wolde not leaue the disquietynge of hym but styll vexe him with olde quarellynges they might wele sem to haue the victory yet shuld they not haue their mindes And with that he arose in a great furye for a colour committinge his cause vnto Christ but he sett the Deuill by his necromancy to worke For so sone as he was gone with such as it pleased his pontificall pleasure to call with him sodenly sayth Fabyane Antonyne Vincent and Iohan Capgraue the ioystes of the loft fayled and they that were vndre it peryshed there ¶ Dunstanes prouysyon in Englande for Sathan THys haue thys moste cruell and wycked generacyon contynuallye buylded their synnefull Syon in blood Michee 3. and are not yet ashamed of these their manyfest knaueryes For those belly founders theues and mourtherers of theirs yet aduaunce they for their pryncipall Sayntes And whan theyr feastfull dayes come they are yet in the papystyck churches of Englande with no small solempnite mattensed massed candesed lyghted processyoned sensed smoked perfumed and worshypped the people brought in beleue that the latyne readynge of their wretched actes there in their legendes ys Gods dyuyne seruyce beynge without fayle the most dampnable seruyce of the deuyll Like as holye Iohan Baptyst by preachyng repentaunce prepared a playne pathwaye to Christ and hys kyngedome Luce. 3. So ded thys vnholye Dunstane by sowynge of all superstycyons make redye the waye to Sathan and hys filthye kyngedome agaynste hys commynge fourth from the bottomlesse pytt after the full thousande of years from Christes incarnacyon Apoca. 20. whych is the sprete of Antichrist He raysed vp in Englande the pestylent ordre of monkes he buylded them monasterieâ— he procured them substaunce innumeâ—â—ble finally he brought â—nto theâ—r handes the cathedral churches with the fre elecciâ—n of byshoppes that nothing should there be donâ— within that realme but after their lust and pleasure Theâ— was Christes kyngdome cleâ—elye put a syoâ— and his immaculate spouse or churche vpon hys worde only dependynge compelled to flee into desart Apoc. xvi Men and women that ryghtly beleued durst not than confesse their fayth but kept al close within them For then was Sathan alâ—â—de these monkes euery where assistynge hym in the fournyshynge out of that proude paynted churche of Antichrist Supersticion hypocresye and vayne glorye were afore that tyme suche vyces as men were glad to hyde but now in their gandyshe ceremonyes they were taken for Gods dyuyne seruyce ¶ Sygnes and plages folowynge these myschefes BVt now se what folowed of these afore rehersed myscheues In the yeare of our lorde DCCCC and lxxxviij which was the. xij yeare before that full thousande departed this Dunstane as warme of deuyls frequentynge hys tombe as I shal in the next boke shewe more playnelye Within the same yeare aptare a bloudye cloude in the skye whiche couered all Englande â—as witnesseth Iohan Hardinge with diuers other Chronyclers and it rayned bloud ouer all the lande After that entered the Danes so fast sayth Ranulphe at euery porte that no where was the Englyshe nacyon able to withstande them And the monkes to helpe the matter we le forewarde by counsell of theyr Archebyshop Siricius gaue them x. thousande pounde to beginne with that they might lyue in rest and not be hyndered For lytle cared they what became of the reste so their precious bodies were safe After thys by dyuerse compulsyons they augmented that summe from x. to xvi to xx to xxiiij to xxx â—nd so fourth tyll they came to the sharpe payment of xl thousande pounde and tyll they had nomore money to geue For the more the Danes had the more couetouse and cruell they were euermore Thus dyd they to the lande innumerable harme in sekynge their owne priuate commodite so brought their owne natyue people in moste myserable thraldome For by that meanes were the Danes made stronge and the Englyshe nacion became feble and weake yea so wretched at the last that they were fayne to call euerye vyle slaue amonge the sayde Danes theyr gâ—oâ— lorde But now â—arke the ende â—â—cernynge these monkes In the yeare of our lorde a thousande xij whyche was the. xxiiij yeare from Dunstanes departynge and the. xij from the deuyls goingge fourth the Danes after manye great vyctoryes within the realme fyered the cytie of Caunterburye and enprysoned the Archebyshop than Elphegus And as he and hys monkes were able to geue no more money they tythed them after thys sorte They slewe alwayes ix and reserued the tenth to perpetuall sorowe and seruytude tyll they had mourtered of them to the nombre of more than ix hondred there and in other quarters abrode And the moste part of them they hynge vp by the members whiche was a playne sygnifiâ—aon that plage to come then vpon them for their Sodometrye and moste violeÌ„t contempt of christen marriage Ranulphus Cestrensis lib. 6. Ca. 13. et 15. Fabianus par 1. Ca. 199. ¶
shewed themselues sore greued with this prest for redemynge sowles by latyne Psalmes out of their darke dominioÌ„ Loke Iohan Capgraue postuitam Vuâ—fini episcopi ☞ Other hystoryes more of this age Wilfhilda was a younge wenche whom kynge Edgare ones chaced in the waye of lecherie from Wynchester to Warwell and from Warwell to Wylton And as she by the secrete counsell of monkes was become a professed nonne he gaue her the nonnery of Barkynge addynge therunto the reuenewes of xxiiij vyllages gorgyously to maynteyne both her and her systers to the relygyouse occupyenge of byshoppes and of monkes For whan Ethelwolde byshopp of Wynchester came thydre on visytacyon her loue was so plentuouse and myghty towardes hym that there was no good chere to seke Though the tappe were all daye sterynge the storye sayth yet was there o drynke wantynge at nyght and all by myracle of the seyd Wilfhilda â–ª Neuerthelesse at the last by specyall helpe of Altrude the quene the prestes with theyr wyues â—btayned Barkynge the monkes veyled spowses remoued from thens to Horton for more than xx yeares space Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ioannes Capgraue A lyke example to this latter acte shewed Ethelgarus the archebyshop of Canterbury after the death of Dunstane whych more than xx yeares afore droue the monkes out of Canterbury brought in the prestes with their wyues But he was shortly dyspatched for hys labour not contynuynge in that rowme a yeare â–ª And Siricius a monke succedynge in that offyce restored agayne the hypocryâ—yâ—h moÌ„kes in the yeare of our lord DCCCC and. xc the prestes wyth vyolence expelled Anonymus quidam in historiarum rhapsodijs Many such turmoylynges had England in those dayes by Sathans procurement to make that Romysh spirytualte a very Sodome and stynkynge iakes of helle ☞ Deuyls buffetynge and temptynge of monkes IN the cytie of Bathe Elphegus buylded a great monastery of monkes whych in processe fell to so corrupt kyndes of lyuynge that one of them whych had bene a rynge leader in theyr nyght potacyous and lecherouse watchynges sodenly fell madde and dyed The abbot at mydnyght hearynge a noyse loked out at the wyndowe and behelde ij deuyls lashynge vpon the monkes carkeys And as that wretche saith the storye made clayme to the suffrages of the masse they gaue hym thys answere Thou obeydest not God therefore we wyll not obeye the. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de pontificibus Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vi ca. xvi Rogerus Cestrensis li. vi ca. xxiij By thys ye maye se that the deuyls power is greater than is the power of the popes masse or yet of a monkes cowle Yet fynde we it written that in an other monastery a monke shewed vnto hys abbot how greuously he was in hys fleshe tormented by the fiery concupiscence therof Anon he gaue hym hys owne coate to do on and with that hys lust so abated that euer after he was founde chast the deuyll makynge great lamentacyon for it Vincentius in speculo Antoninus in secundo historiarum toâ—â—o Thys story confoundeth the other a monkes cowle so terryfyenge the deuyll and asswagynge the heates of the fleshe A wonderfull thynge was it that so muche vertu could not be founde in wholsom maryage beynge Gods necessary instytucycyon as in the superstycyouse coate of a handy brothell moÌ„ke God of a likelyhode was not wyse ynough in hys first prouysyons that he so neglygently forgate these monkysh remedyes agaynst those heates in the fleshe O hypocryte knaues and Sodomytes ☞ Saint Iues water and Saint Walstanes myracles SAint Iues water was in those dayes about the yeare of our lorde a M. and. xij very wholsom for the femynyne gender For a certen woman complayned her vnto the pryor of Ramsey in in confession that a lecherouse sprete had many nyghtes occupyed with her in the lykenesse of an hare I praye God it were not some hongry sorcerer of that abbey And he gaue her couÌ„sel deuoutly to drinke of that water whych was vnto her euer after the storye sayth as a water welle agaynst all hys busye assaultes If ye searche Iohan Capgraue in uita Iuonis episcopi ye shall fynde it a matter more vncomely than maye wyth honestye be expressed Saynt Walstane of Bawburgh iij. myles from Norwych was neyther monke not prest yet vowed he they saye to lyue chast without a wyfe and perfourmed that promyse by fastynge of the frydaye and good sayntes vygyls without any other grace or gyft gyuen of god He dyed in the yeare of our lord a M. and xvi in the thyrde calendes of Iune and became after the mâ—ner of Priapus the God of their feldes 〈◊〉 Northfolke and gyde of their haruestes 〈◊〉 mowers and sythe folowers sekynge hym ones in the yeare Loke his legende in the Cataloge of Iohan Capgraue prouyncyall of the Augustyne fryres and ye shal finde there that both men and beastes whych had lost their preuy partes had newe members agayne restored to them by thyâ— Walstane Marke thys kynde of myracles for your learnynge I thynke ye haue seldome redde the lyke ☞ A blasynge starre Canulus and Fulbertus IN the yeare of our lord a M. xvij apared in the skye by the space of iiij monthes a most wonderfull blasyng starre in maner of a great burnynge beame as sheweth Sigebertus and Sabelâ—icus Many haue iudged thys to be the same starre whych fell from heauen lyke a flamynge creshet Apoca. viij for the alteracyon of doctryne and of conuersacyon whych in those dayes chaunced in the vnyuersall churche and specyally hâ—re in Englande For Canutus a Dane beâ—nge the same yeare constytute kynge of England folowed much the superstycyouse counsell of Achelnotus than archebyshopp of Canterbury as wytnesseth Polydorus Fabyane and Caxton He buylded the abbeyes of S. Benettâ—s in Northfolke and S. Edmonds Bury in Sothfolke he translated the stynkynge bones of Elphegus from London to Canterbury and prouoked the people to worshypp them He went vndyscretly on pylgrymage to Româ— and there founded an hospytall for Englysh pylgrymes He gaue the Pope most pâ—ecyouse gyftes and burdened hys lande with an yearely trybute called the Rome shott He shrymed the body of Berinus and gaue both landes ornamentes to the cathedrall church of Wynchestre Anonymus quidam Alphredus Beuerlacensis Ricardus Diuisiensis Yea by the sorcerouse inchauntmentes of that lechour Achelnotus he feared dead men he iudged monkes bastardes to be hys owne chyldren he crowned an ydoll with the crowne of thys realme and beleued that Mary Christes mother nurryshed Fulbertus the byshopp of Carnote in Fraunce with the mylke of her brestes in hys syckenesse Radulphus Niger Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis VVernerus Vincentius Se here what power the deuyll had in thys kyngdome of darkenesse The prelates were able in those dayes to make the great prynces of the worlde to beleue
archebyshop of Yorke and byshopp of Worcestre also Wherupon in hys returne he slewe earle Beorne his own vncle for that he had therof accused hym At the last was he sent to Hierusalem in penaunce and dyed in that iourney towardes Licia of a colde Marianus Scotus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiij Fabianus par vi ca. ccxij ☞ Palumbus the prest and the witche of Barkeley PAlumbus a prest at Rome a great Necromanser and a myghty worker of knaueryes spirytual which after some writers had a Pope to hys sonne wrought innumerable sorceryes legerdemaynes of lecherie for that holy chast prelates there to brynge euery mannys wyfe doughter or seruaunt that they coueted to their beddes in the darke So connynge he was in his feates of coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce and myght do so muche amonge the spretes of venery that if an other workeman of hys speculacyon had sent fourth a deuyll of that scyence he coulde cause hys deuyll to supplant that deuyll and so conueye the woman where hys mynde was to bestowe her Whych in conclusyon set the deuils at variaunce and made theÌ„ crye out of God for so longe tyme sufferynge that Palumbus in hys wyckednesse to reigne And whan thys holy masmonger shuld dye he cut of hys owne meÌ„bers as is afore rehearced and gaue them to the deuyl byquethyng hys euyl dedes which were myscheues vnspeakable to the holy churche cytie of Rome Anonymus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li ij de regibus Vincentius li. xxv ca xxix Ranulphus li. vi cap. xxvi Antoninus par ij ii xvi ca. vii A lyke example fynde we in our Englysh Cronycles of Heyla the woman of Barkeley in Barkeshyre whyche was both a wytche and a bawde knowynge all necessary feates in spirytuall prouysyon at nede As thys woman was dead whych had alwayes bene a frynd to holy church the deuyll rode away with her they laye vpon a blacke horse Forty masses a daye wyth other good suffrages prouyded by her sonne and doughter an holy monke and a nonne were not able to stoppe that passage Guilhelmus Malmesâ—uri li. ij de regibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxv Pabianus par vi ca. ccxiij VVernerus Hermannus Shedel In these ij examples ye maye behold what wholesom study holy churche had in those dayes what labours the ghostly gouernours toke vpon them to obserue their solempne vowe of chastyte whyche maye not yet be dyspensed with ☞ Other chast myracles about the same tyme. IN the yeare of oure lorde a M. and liij a solempne fatherly prest in Irelande pretendynge muche sobernesse kept a great scole of laddes and yonge wenches And for so muche as he had shorne some of those wenches and apareled them lyke boyes the more aptely to come to the flâ—shely occupyenge of theÌ„ he was anon after perceyued taken and with shame bannyshed that lande Marianus Scotus Ranulphus Treuisa li. vi cap. xxiiij This feate hath bene among our votaryes muche practysed in tyme of their prodygyouse heatâ—s as an holy spyrytuall remedy Victor the second Romysh Pope of that name in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lvi helde a generall synode at Florence in Italy where as he deposed many byshoppes abbottes for symony and fornycacyon Guil. Mal. li ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiiij Martinus carsulanus Plâ—tina Ioannes stella A subdeacon they say whych mynystred to hym at masse put venym in hys chalyce so poysened hym for hys labour Benno cardinalis Valerius anselmusryd Edwarde the sonne of kynge Edmonde Ironsyde had ij doughters beynge in exyle Margrete and Christiane Margarete was godly marryed to Malcomus the kyng of Scottes and had viij chyldren by hym of whom iiij reigned as kynges after hym Christiane by counsel of lascyuyouse monkes bycame a superstycyouse nonne abhorrynge marryage as Polydorus reporteth her by theyr doctryne of deuyls in hypocresy so becummyng a folysh vyrgyne or els a mete damsell to serue them in the darke ☞ They laugh at lecherie that frowne at marryage NEuer yet came plage of myschefe to thys realme that the Prelates haue not turned to their pryuate commodyte and fynely laughed and sported the rat in the ende To promote the Danysh bloude to the crowne of Englande they sought vnnaturally to destroye the Englysh bloude ryall and through fyne conueyaunce brought it wele to passe as is written afore And whan it was restored agayne in Edwarde they threwe hym into suche a colde of hypocresy or symulate chastyte whether ye wyll that he dyed without yssue to gyue place to the Normanes our most greuouse enemyes in the basse bloude of a Bastarde And se what a toye they made therof to shewe themselues no lesse ioyfull of hys baudy concepcyon in whoredome than the people of Iury were in the blessed natyuyte of holy Iohan Baptist in godly marryage As Robert the duke of Normandy saye they rode through the towne of Faloys he behelde a skynners doughter called Arlet daunsyng amonge maydens whom he toke with hym from thens to hys bedde for her bewtyes sake And as he was commyng towardes her to accomplysh hys fleshly desyre she rent her smocke froÌ„ the chynne to the fete to make roume for him And as he enquyred what she ment therby she made hym this praty answere saye they It were neyther fytt nor comely that the nether part of my smocke shuld be turned vp so touche the lyppes of my lord At thys mery sentence the duke had great sporte and so haue the prelates had euer sens for they caused it to be regestred holy matrymony frowned at and euermore set at nought At thys fylthy fytt was Wyllyam Bastard begett which was afterwarde called the great conquerour of Englande to the great mysfortune yea to the vtter shame confusyon and vndoynge therof in those dayes he beynge a straunger a mylbegotten and so cruell a tyrauÌ„t as in the wrath of God he shewed himself there for the ponnyshement of their synnes Anonymus Guil. Malmes li-iij de regibus Vincentius li xxv ca. xxxix Ranulphus li. vi ca. xix Pabianus par vi ca. ccvij Polidorus li. viij ☞ Of Stigandus a lecherouse monke with lyke companyons STigandus an hypocryte couetouse â—echerouse and vnlearned whych had defyled hys fathers bedde Iohan Capgraue sayth dyuersly oppressed the poore for hys good rule kepynge about the yeare of our lorde a M. and liiij bycame byshopp of Shirborne than of Wynchestre and fynally archebyshopp of Canterbury He made hauock of the churches goodes and spent them in most prodygyouse fylthynesse And as wytnesseth Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. ij de pontificibus vnmete was he rekâ—ned to be a byshopp in those dayes that could not ruffle it out with all pompouse aparel horses galaunt seruauntes wanton meates and women in all lecherie and sew denesse And as they
Lanfrancus of Canterbury Thomas Norman of Yorke whych of them shuld be hyghest in that mytred kingdome of ydelnesse And as they mette at Rome they fell into a great dysputacion of that matter afore Pope Alexandre Where as Lanfrancus to amende hys owne matter proued the seyd Thomas to be a prestes sonne Remigius the byshopp of Dorsett beynge present whych Fabyane sayth was a prestes sonne also In the ende thys Lanfrancus by the helpe of Aristotles logyck Gregoryes olde constytucyon and the popes authoryte obtayned both at Rome at Wyndesore in Englande that Canterbury shuld from thens fourth haue the superporyte ouer the see of Yorke He that wyll beholde the mad folyshnesse of thys doltysh disputacyon lete hym loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i. de pontificibus Ranulphi Polychronicon lib. vij ca. ij Antoninum Fabianum atque Polydorum li. ix ☞ An olde bawdy byshopp slayne of a wenche IN the dyocese and cytie of Herford was a graye headed byshopp called Walter that inordynatly loued a yonge wenche there whych was very connynge sowster in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxx Yet remembrynge in hym self sayth the storye that nothynge was more busemynge than an olde dottynge fole specyally a byshop so to rage oft tymes withdrewe froÌ„ folowyng that affect At the lattre as the deuyll wolde she entered the byshoppes bed chambre by entycementes of hys chamberlaynes the preteÌ„ce beynge that she shuld there cutt them out shyrtes and napkyns And as she was in doynge her werke those preuy prouyders auoyded and the old bawdy byshop came in as was appoynted He fell to the talke of as fyne brothelry as anye craftes man in that art myght vtter And whan that wold not helpe he fell to her by force wrastelynge and tomblynge with her for the best game But se what folowed immedyatly As she perceyued her self ouercomen and that she was no longar able to withstande hys lecherouse purpose she thrust her sharpe sheres whom she had in her haÌ„des vp into hys share or vndre hys preuy meÌ„bers with vyolence and so slewe that Babylonysh bore or ij horned gote of the deuyll as chast Iudith ded Holophernes Guil. Malmes li. iiij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ij A commen practyse of chast relygyon kepynge haue thys bene amonge the horned prelates and oyled prestes in all ages of Antichrist Wold God those ydell bellygoddes had alwayes in that fylthie occupyenge bene thus worthely handeled For than had not the worlde bene so depely deceyued in them and their knaueryes ☞ Cecila kyng Wyllyams doughter and Thurstinus MAtthaeus VVestmonasteriensis in the floures of hystoryes and Polydorus Vergilius in the ix boke of his chronycle reporteth that Cecyly the doughter of kyng Wyllyam Bastarde professed her self a nonne in the yeare of our lord a. M. and. lxxv to serue the deuyll in the monkes hypocresy in the burnynge heates of Sodome So daynty mowthed wer these greasy grouteheades and so crafty in their generacyon that they could fynde out kynges doughters to serue their lustes and yet apere chast ghostly fathers to the world Thurstinus a monke of Cane in Normandy was of the seyd kyng Wyllyam constytute abbot of Glastenbury for a great summe of moneye in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxxiij Thys holy abbot consumed the substaunce and possessyons of that ryche abbey in all kyndes of lecherie and other prodygyouse fylthynesse On a tyme there fell betwyn hym hys monkes a great stryfe for that he had restrayned their accustomed fare He brought in men of armes to defende hys cause the monkes layed about them lyke praty men with stoles pottes and candelâ—â—yckes tyll the warryours heades were wele fauerdly broken In the ende of the batayl were iiij monkes founde slayne and xviij greuously wounded their bloude flowing on the pauyment Henricus huntington li. vi Guilhel Malmes li. ij de pontificibus Matthaeus Paris in historia anglorum Ranulphus li. vi ca. iij. Fabianus par vij ca. ccxxij Was not thys thynke yow a relygyouse rule Had it not bene muche pytie but the commens of this realme had bene beggered for their mayntenaunce beynge suche ghostly vowers O blyndnesse and madnesse of vngodly gouernours ☞ Hildebrande by sorcery and murther obtayneth the Papacy HIldebrandus a monke of Clunyake beynge hygh archedeacon of Rome was taught the arte of Necromancye by Theophilactus afore mencyoned whose custome was in wylde forestes and on hygh hylles to do sacryfyce to deuyls by magycall arte to make women both to loue hym and folowe hym Other instructours he had besydes sayth Cardynall Benno whych had bene Syluesters dyscyples were most connynge in that speculacyon that is to saye Laurence an archebyshop Iohan Gracyan afterwarde called Pope Gregory the syxte In shakynge hys sleues or myttaynes to delude the eyes of the symple many tymes he sent out sparkles of fyre whyche was iudged a wonderfull myracle a signe of holynesse in hym For so muche as the deuyll sayth Benno coulde not persecute Christ in the open face of the worlde he sought fraudulently to deface his name honour by thys hypocryte false monke Hyldebrande vndre a monasticall coate coloured pretence of relygyon Thys Iudas â—ote of hys maistre Pope Gregory the sixte to be the hygh stewarde of S. Peters aulter so receyued the offerynges of pylgrymes tyll all hys bagges were full Than hyred he one Gerardus Brazutua a man gyuen to myschefes incomparable This forcerouse wurker to make hym Pope in the space of xiij yeares poysened vi of hys predecessours one after another that is to saye Clement the. ij Damasus the. ij Leo the. ix Victor the. ij Steuen the. ix Benedict the. x. Nycolas the. ij hys owne selfe poysened and vyolently murthered Alexander the. ij in preson Thus by great and outragyose murthers he enioyed the papacy was called Gregory the. vij hys first ordynaunces were these He transubstancyated the Eucharistycall breade condempned the marryage of prestes commaunded monkes to abstayne from flesh Valerius Anselmus Ryd ☞ The first busy buyldynges of this Hyldebrande BEnno Cardinalis reporteth of thys hellysh Hyldebrand that in the first entraunce of his Romysh Papacy he had all these deuylysh prouysyons to wurke hys myscheues with The scriptures he had so trayned with the rules of logycke that by them he was able to maynteyne all falshede The temporall powers he prouyded by all flattery false fryndeshyp gyftes and other subtyle meanes to depresse He had for moneye hys secrete spyes and trayterouse searchers in the emprours and euery great prynces howse to knowe thynges to hys mynde After demaundes and answers agayne from deuyls he toke vpoÌ„ him to prophecie lyes in hypocresye Hys excedynge tyranny was suche that hys enemyes he neuer spared but gaue them death without remyssyon to the terryfyenge of
that byshopryck to lyue as it were in a securyte or ease in hys lattre age For than was the church become Iesabels pleasaunt and easy cowche Apoca. ij hys cantels were not so fyne in the other kynde for destructyon of bodyes but they were also as good in thys for destructyon of sowles To obscure the glory of the Gospell preachynge and augment the fylthynesse of ydolatry he practysed an ordynary of Popysh ceremonyes the whyche he entytled a Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche Hys fyrst occasyon was thys A great battayle chaunced at Glastenburye whyls he was byshopp betwene Turstinus the abbot and hys monkes wher in some of them were slayne and some sore wounded as is sayd afore The cause of that battayle was thys Turstinus contempnynge their quere seruyce than called the vse of Saint Gregory compelled hys monkes to the vse of one Wyllyam a monke of Fiscan in Normandy Vpon thys Osmundus deuysed that ordynary called the vse of Sarum Whyche was afterwardes receyued in a maner of all Englande Irelande and wales Euery syr Sander Slyngesby had a boke at hys belte therof called hys portasse contaynynge many superstycyouse fables and lyes the testament of Christ set at nought For thys acte was that brothell byshop made a Popysh God at Salisbury Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Rogerus Capgraue Houeden alij ☞ Of Kenredus a prest whych was gelded AN acte was made in the yeare of one lorde a M. lxxxvij by kyng Wyllyam conquerour that who so euer were founde stelynge of dere he shuld lose one of hys eyes and he that was deprehended in rauyshynge a woman shulde lose both his stones without redeÌ„pcyon This hath Henricus Huntendunensis li. v. Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vij ca. iiij Rogerus Cestrensis li vij Ioannes Treuisa Not many yeares after a preste called Kenredus was taken in the I le of Anglesey by the Englysh captaynes and gelded some saye for offendynge the statute though the monkysh chronicles farre of otherwyse interprete that matter By reason of this and many other lyke examples for he was not alone in that age ye maye be sure whan they were so strayghtly sequestred from women the clergy sought busyly to be exempted from the laye or secular power in fyne made lecherie a spiritual matter to haue the correctyon therof in their spirytual courtes I thynke the deuyll was neuer more crafty than they haue bene to shadowe their fylthie enormytees by a vayne shewe of holynesse whyche is playne hypocresy But how so euer they prospered in those dayes the nobylyte and commens of this realme were wonderfully oppressed Mathew of Westmynstre sayth so that both noble men and gentyll men of the Englysh bloude depryued of their possessyons and beynge ashamed to begge were with their chyldren and famylyars compelled to spoyle and robbery whan huntynge wolde no longar serue them Of thys preste Kenredus writeth Simeon Henry Huntendune Ranulphus HouedeÌ„ Iohan Capgraue and Fabyane ☞ Prestes payed a trybute for theyr wyues MVche a do had kynge Wyllyam Rufus with Odo the proude byshop of Bayon hys vncle which was also earle of Kent with Egelwinus the byshop of Durham with Raufe the byshop of Chichestre and with other lyke heady prelates specyally with Anselme whome of a beggerly monke he had made archebyshop of Canterbury The seyd Anselme sought vtterly to depryue hym and all hys successours of the inuestynge of prelates or makyng of byshoppes and abbotes within hys own realme labouryng to turne that autoryte from the lawful power of Christen princes to the vsurped iurisdictyon of the proude Romysh byshop as it anon after came to passe for the whych he was worthely exyled this realme This kyng WyllyaÌ„ Rufus partly of pytie but chefely of couetousnesse for he had thaÌ„ many buyldynges in hande permytted the prestes for an yearly trybute to holde styll their wyues in spyght of the prelates specyally in suche dyoceses as had monkes than to their byshoppes whych strayghtly had commaunded Hyldebrandes wycked constytucyon to be obserued that no preste hauynge a wyfe shulde holde hys benâ—fyce Raufe the byshop of Chichestre than stode vp lyke a praty man not only rebuked the kynge for takynge that trybute whych lyke an a dust conscyenced hypocryte he called the fyne of fornycacyon but also he withstode his offycers stoppynge vp the churche porches with great stakes thornes and bryres and interdyctynge the temples But whan the gentyll kynge had ones gyuen hym that trybute for hys owne dyocese he coulde take it wele ynough and make no great noyse therof Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ix Rogerus li. vij Fabianus ☞ Varyaunce amonge byshoppes for marryed prestes A Lytle afore that is to saye in the yeare of our lord a M. and xc a sore contencyon had bene amonge the byshoppes They that had bene prestes and no monkes fauourably permytted the prestes to remayne with their wyues in their dyoceses at the least sayth Roger of Chestre some of them helde their peace and wolde not se them The other sort whych had bene monkes vexed them troubled them and most greuously molested them depryuynge them of their lyuynges and most cruelly bannyshynge them out of their contreys For the which vyolence some of those byshoppes that had bene prestes thrust the monkes out of their cloysters and put in secular prestes as they called them in their rowmes Of this bande or factyon was Walkinus the byshopp of Wynchestre the chefe doar or begynner hauynge the kynges agrement â—o the same But in the ende they preuayled not first Lanfrancus and than Anselmus beynge both monkes and archebyâ—hoppes of Canterbury and wrytynge â—o the Romysh NeÌ„roth agaynst theÌ„ Notâ—ithstaÌ„dyng whan Walter was byshopp of Durham whyche succeded Egelwinus and had bene the kynges chaplayne to spyght the monkes therwith he compelled them to leaue their frayter to dyne in hys open halle and to eate such meates as by their rule were forbydden them He also caused them to be serued at the table with women whych were not very sober neither in aparel nor yet in gesture or couÌ„tenaunce And all was to trye out their hypocresye But some of theÌ„ I thynke toke not the matter very greuously Guilh. Malli i. iij. de ponti Ranulphus li vij ca. xi xi Polychronici Rogerus li. vij Ioannes Treuisa alij ☞ God by sygnes manyfesteth the myschefe of thys age BVt marke how God fulfylled in thys age that he had secretly shewed afore to S. Iohan the Euangelist Apoca. vi viij For a fore warnynge to hys electes Many starres were seane fallynge downe from heauen in the yeare of our Lorde a M. xcv specyally a blasynge starre in lykenesse of a great burnyng beame reachynge from the south to the north a wonderfull derth folowynge not only of
vytayles but also of the fowles fode Amos. viij Whych is the veryte of God and sede of saluacyoÌ„ Marke chronicon Sigeberti Mathew Paris Mathew of Westmynstre Roger Houeden Scalamundi and chronicon chronicorum Yea to make the matter more playne vnto vs for the fulfyllynge of those hydden scryptures in our owne nacyon Radulphus de Diceto Sigebertus and Thomas Rudborne in their chronycles addeth thus muche to the storye Amonge the whych fallen starres saye these autours one which was the greatest of theÌ„ all semed to fall on the other syde of the sea in Fraunce as it had bene a blasyng fyre brand And whan the place was marked in Normandy and dylygently sought out the searchers behelde a fearful flutteryng and terryble boylynge in a serten water an horryble stynkynge smoke arysynge therof By thys partycular fallen starre is signyfyed first Lanfrancus afterwardes Anselmus ij Normandy moÌ„kes archebyshoppes of Canterbury by whome in those dayes was all the hurly hurly turmoyle and change in relygyon here in Englande Lanfrancus conteÌ„ding for transubstancyacyon of the Eucharysticall breade to aduaunce ydolatry and Anselmus condemnynge the marryage of prestes and autoryte of prynces for inuestynge of prelates to sett vp sodometry impunyte of synne in the clergye Wherby the one was constytute the adoptyue sonne of Antichrist and the other the pope of England as hereafter wyll apere The water betokeneth the wauerynge multytude and the stynkynge smoke the fylthie doctryne of those fallen starres ☞ Of a lecherouse byshop and ij supersticyouse earles RObert Bloet whyche had bene a monke of Euesham abbeye went not thens so poore but that he was able to gyue for the byshopryck of Lyncolne fyue thousand pounde in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcij. after the death of Remigius By lyke he had bene abbot of the place that he was so wele mouyed Never was Orpheus Palemon nor Sardanapalus more expert they saye in the fyne feates of lecherie than he was For Wylliam of Malmesbury reporteth that he was totus libidinosus all gyuen to fylthie lyuynge And yet he was brought vp in the cloystre vndre Saint Benets rule a great professour of chastyte and a worthie gouernour in that relygyon At the last he dyed sodenly and was buryed at Lyncolne where as the church kepers were sore anoyed they saye with his sowle and other walking spretes tyll that place was pourged by prayers Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li iiij de pontifi Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas Rudborne ac Polydorus Whan Roger the earle of Shrowesbury perceyued ones that he coulde not lyue muche longar he sent Reynolde the pryour of Shrowesbury to Clunyake in Fraunce for the kyrtle of holy Hugh the abbot there that by lycence of Adelyse hys wyfe he myght for socour of hys sowle depart to God in the heate of hys holynesse As muche mede had he therof Treuisa sayth as had Malkyn of her maydenhede whych no man was hasty on Hugh the olde earle of Chestre beynge spoke vnto death in the same selfe yeare caused by the entysement of Anselme the prestes clerely to be expelled out of the high churâ—he of Westchestre and the monkes to be placed there for them So frantyck were the worldly rulers in thys age Henricus huntendune li. xi Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Fabianus alij ☞ Of byshop Herbert whych buylded Christes church at Norwych Thys Herbert was called by surname losinga the father whyche bigate hym was Robert the abbot of Wynchestre But who was hys mother the story telleth not to leaue it as a secrete matter within relygyon First was he here in Englande by fryndeshyp made abbot of Ramseye and afterwardes byshop of Thetforde by flattery and fat payment in the yeare of our lorde a M. xci For the which he is named in the chronycles yet to this day the â—yndelyng matche of symony and that noteth hym no small doar in that feate Notwithstandyng he so repented that symony they saye that he went to Rome and there resigned vp hys ryng pastorall hoke to Pope Vrbanus the seconde in the yeare of our lord a M. xciiij not without an other great summe of moneye ye maye be sure for there myghte nothynge passe without ready payment But here ye maye axe me whye the byenge of a byshoprycke was symony in England and not at Rome Wherunto I answere For in Englande a kynge receyued the moneye whych hath none autoryte to meddle in that marte of byenge sellynge wantyng the character or marke of the beast whych they haue at Rome Apo. xiij Also they haue lyberte in that generacyon to iudge blacke whyte euyll good sower swete and darkenesse lyghte also to wurke therafter Esa. v. And whan he had ones returned home agayne by vertu of Antichristes commissyon he remoued hys seate of poysenynge Christes flocke from Thetforde to Norwyche in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcvi dyspossessynge the prestes and theyr wyues and placynge the monkes in their rowmes to make that church a Sodome Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas rudborne Ioannes Eucresden Ioannes Capgraue Fabianus alij ☞ The robbery symony and sacrilege of the seyd Herbert OF thys byshop Herbert were many straunge thynges written but yet very couertly and craftely I thynke to hyde the open shewe of hys euyls because he was so great an abbeye foundar Some there were that scoffyngly bestowed vpon hys predecessour Arfastus and hym thys texte Non hunc sed Barrabam Ioan xviij Not hym but Barrabas For Arfastus had translated the byshopryck from Helmam to Thetforde whyche were in those dayes but vyllages But he traÌ„slated it froÌ„ theÌ„s to Norwych whyche was a famouse towne and of great occupyenge An other sort gaue thys texte by the waye Amice ad quid uenisti Mathae xxvi Frende wherfore art thou come Thus slyely they compared hym to Barrabas and Iudas whych both were theues Malmesburius Ranulphus Treuisa Moreouer a Poete or versyfyer of that age made these verses of hym Surgit in ecclesiam monstruÌ„ genitore losinga Simonidum secta canonum uirtute resecta Petre nimis tardas nam Simon ad ardua tentat Si praesens esses non Simon ad altauolaret Proh dolor ecclesiae nuÌ„misuenduntur aere Filius est praesul pater abba Simon uterque Quid non speremus si nummos possideamus Omnia nummus habet quod uult facit addit aufert Res nimis iniusta nummis fit praesul abba ¶ A monstre is vp the sonne of Losinga Whyls the lawe seketh Symony to flea Peter thou slepest whyls Simon taketh tyme If thou wert present Symon shulde not clyme Churches are prysed for syluer golde The soÌ„ne a bishop the father an abbot olde What is not gotten if we haue rychesse Moneye obtayneth in
oft after that the victory ouer hys enemyes vnloked for to their vtter shame and confusyon Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ The chast procedynges of dyuerse holy prelates IN the same very yeare whych was the yeare of our lorde a M. a C. and one Thomas the archebyshopp of Yorke surnamed the eldar whome Lanfrancus proued a prestes sonne afore pope Alexandre the seconde as is vttered afore departed the worlde Thys Thomas had a nephewe Ranulphus sayth called also Thomas the yongar Ye knowe what a nephewe is by the rules of Rome whose fotesteppes the fathers most studyously folowed in that age as naturall subiectes and chyldren of their creacyon By ryght he shulde haue folowed hys father in that offyce as a naturall inheritour to the myter but he was preuented by one Gerarde Wyllyam of Malmesbury Ranulphe Roger of Chestre saith which was a man as the commen same went gyuen all to lecherouse lyghtnesse to sorcerouse witchcraftes For whan he on a tyme was fouÌ„d dead in an herber a boke of curiouse artes was fouÌ„d vndre his pyllowe made by Iulius Firmicus whom he vsed to reade to himelfe in the none tyde For the whych his owne clergye wold scarsely suffer hym to be buryed wtout the church vndre tyrfes or soddes of the grasse Roger HouedeÌ„ sayth that thys yongar Thomas at the last beynge archebyshop of Yorke and lyenge in extremes was a persuaded of hys phesycyanes to take to hym a woman for remedy of hys dysease whyche he vtterly refused to do and so dyed If thys were true as I much doubt of it than was he a phoenix in that generacyon for Danyel sayth that their hartes shulde be set all vpon women Danie xi But who so euer shall resort to hys doctryne and fruytes in Antichristes prelacie shall fynde hym a virgyne of a farre other sort than Christe hath allowed in the scryptures ☞ Prestes marryage condempned of our Anselme HEnry of Huntyngton in the first boke of hys chronycles sayth that in the yeare of our lorde a M. a C ij which was the iij. yeare of kyng Henry the first at the feast of S. Michael the archangell Anselme the archebyshopp of Canterbury helde a great counsell at London at Westmynstre some chronycles hath whyche is all one Kynge Wyllyam Rufus for hys tyme wolde suffre the clergye to holde no such assemblyes and therfore they mortally hated hym In the which counsell sayth the seyd Henry Roger of Westchestre confirmynge the same he forbad the prestes of Englande their wyues neuer afore the daye prohybeted Mark this Whyche semed to many saye they a very pure relygyon but some men there were whyche thought it a matter full of parell and wolde not haue had it so passe least the prestes professynge a chastyte aboue their strengthes shulde therby fall into most horryble â—yndes of fylthynesse a Christen sentence to the great blemysh and shame of Christianyte And bicause I wolde thys poynt to be the more earnestly marked of my readers to the confusyoÌ„ of antichristes bullish buggerers of Anselmes Hildebrandes brode I put here the vâ—ry wordes of those autours as they staÌ„d in their latine workes In quo concilio inquiuÌ„t Anselmus prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas Quod quibusdaÌ„ mundissimum ursum est quibusdam periculosum ne dum munditias uiribus maiores appeterent â–ª in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent For other Englysh writers sheweth not the matâ—er so lyuely as doth thys Henry Roger. ☞ The actes of Anselmes great synode FIrst they enacted in thys counsell by vertu of Hyldebrandes constytucyon and Vrbanes Bulle that the horryble vyce of symony shulde be condempned for euer whyche was not commytted whan they solde bishopryckes abbeyes deaneryes prebendes orders dedycacyons consecracyons benefyces or any other ecclesyastycall doynges or promocyons but only whan the kynge or any other laye persone ded gyue them or dispose theÌ„ Thys was their spirituall meanynge Next vnto that they enacted that no archedeacon thâ—y spake of no byshoppes preste deacon subdeacon collygener nor canon shulde from thens fourth marry a wyfe nor yet kepe her styll if he had bene marryed to one afore They ordayned also that a preste kepynge company wyth hys wyfe shulde be iudged vnlawfull that he shulde saye no masse if he sayd masse that it shuld not be hearde They charged that none were admytted to orders from that tyme forward marke the tyme vnlesse they professed a chastyte neyther yet that any prestes sonnes shulde clayme by heretage the benefyces of their fathers as the custome had alwayes bene Other actes they made there els concernynge prestes garmentes shauynges shopynges offerynges tythynges buryenges buyldynges confessynges eatynges and slepynges no preachynges to folyshe to be rehearced Loke the boke of Anselmes ccc lxvij epystles Se here hardely if the kyng were not as wele dyspatched of hys pryncely power and autoryte one waye as the prestes of theyr wyues an other waye O wylye wurkers in that kyngedome of inyquyte Nothynge was done here by the worde of God to hys glorye but by the byshop of Romes autoryte to their vayne glorye ☞ Penaltees for them whych broke these actes BEsydes their synodall actes these iniunccions gaue they to the prestes whych were dyvorced First that they and their wyues shulde neuer more mete in one howse neyther yet haue dwellynge within their parryshes If any of them shulde be accused by ij or iij. wytnesses and coulde not pourge hymselfe agayne by sixe able men of hys owne ordre he shulde be iudged a transgressour of the statute depryued of hys benefyce and made an infame or be put to the open reproche of all men He that rebelled or in contempt of their newe statute helde styll hys wyfe and presumed to saye masse vpon the. viij daye after shulde be solempnely excommunycated All archedeacons and deanes were strayghtly sworne not to colour their metynges neyther yet to beare with them for moneye And if they wolde not be sworne to thys that than they shulde lose their offyces wythout recouer All the moueable goodes of them that were proued to transgresse the former statute remayned as forfaytes to the byshoppes their poore wyues condempned for commen whores Anselmus in epistolis Neuer was there any tyranny agaynst the let ordynaunce of God lyke vnto thys tyranny of Antichrist sens the worldes begynnynge neyther vndre Pharao Antiochus Nero nor yet Dioclecyane All thys tyme was not the shamefull sodometry whych secretly lurked among the ydell monkes ones refourmed nor yet spoken of Was it not happye thynke yow for Englande that these fylthie buyldynges of Antichrist had the good helpe of Whynchesters vowes of xxi yeare to vphold theÌ„ whan they were droppyng away in this lattre age If ye consydre it well ywys it hath passed all stage playe ☞
meÌ„ Paschall the Romish bishop not pleased therwith to whom he sent this massage Gyue vnto Cesar that is Cesars meanynge the imperyall crowne and vnccyon with power of inuestynge prelates For he requyred also that he shulde confirme the byshoppes whome he had admytted afore whyche all he refused to do The emprour with that set hys men of warre vpon hym and hys calkers Cardynalles I shuld saye whyche toke the very breches from their arses Christianus Massaus sayth and committed them almost naked to pryson Wherupon in the ende in all thynges he consented to the emprour subscrybyng and sealyng vnto hym a perpetuall priuylege for admyttynge byshoppes and abbottes within hys whole dominyon cursynge all them that shulde at any tyme after that withstande it But as he was ones departed out of Italy he called an oâ—â—â—r synode at Laterane in Rome by counsell of our Anselme and suche other and dyssolued all agayne that he had grauÌ„ted excommunycatynge the seyd emprour and dysdaynouslye changynge hys pryuylege to the scornefull name of a prauylege or writynge that stode for nought For Gesnerus sayth in hys vnyuersall Biblyotheke that Paschalis wrote to Anselme an epystle for hys excuse By lyke than he had layed it sumwhat sharpely to hys charge Thus mocked they in that age the great prynces of the worlde depryued theÌ„ of power and trode their hygh dygnytees vndre their fylthie fete all contrary to the wholsome documentes by th of Christ and of hys Apostles Thys story is tenderly towched of the Italysh writers for hurtynge themselues yet hath Robert Barnes described it at large in uitis RomanoruÌ„ pontificum Ye shall vnderstande that thys was that emprour whych marryed kynge Henryes doughter that was called Maude the empresse Ioannes Capgraue li. i. de nobilibus Henricis ☞ Anselme bryngeth the kynge in subiectyon to Antichrist MAthew Paris sheweth in the third boke of hys large chronycle that after kynge Henry the first had taken hys brother duke Robert prysoner and obtayned other great vyctoryes in the yeare of our lorde as M.a. C. vij he receyued the archebyshop Anselme agayne into hys fauer at Becca in Normandy restorynge hym to hys olde possessyons And as touchynge the byshop of Rome sayth he the learned kyng neuer feared hym for hys spirytuall autoryte but only for hys temporall power In the same yeare was a great counsell holden in the kynges palace at London where as the prelates wer agreed by the space of iij. dayes that the kyng shulde holde styll the autoryte of admyttynge prelates and appoyntynge spyrytuall offyces as other kynges hys predecessours ded notwithstandynge the Popes late inhibicyon Thys hath Simeon of Durham and Roger Houeden But whan Anselme was ones come whiche was hygh president of that counsell and Pope of thys whole yle of Brytayne all was clerely dashed agayne and this contraryouse sentence of hys toke place that from that daye forward no byshop nor abbot shulde receyue rynge or pastorall hoke of the kynge or yet of any other laye mannys hande within Englande He added moreouer thys spyghtfull clause vnto it that whan a prelate was ones chosen the want of due homage to hys kynge shulde be no impedyment of hys consecracyon Loke Radulphus de Diceto Mathew Paris Mathew of Westminstre and Roger Houeden O manyfest traytour without all shame and honest obedyence Than coÌ„secrated he vij byshoppes at ones whych neuer was seane in England afore but at one tyme. Thus gote Anselme Iohan Capgraue sayth the vyctory longe loked and laboured for for the churches lyberte ☞ An other synode of Anselme for dyssoluyng prestes marryage IN the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and viij Anselme helde an other great synode at London wherin yet ones againe he made solempne processe agaynst all prestes deacons and subdeacons that had marryed wyues renuynge all hys former statutes and actes made agaynst them by consent of the kynge and hys barons For afore that tyme they ded all without their consent whyche they afterwardes founde not in all poyntes to their myndes commodyouse No women were from thens fourth permytted to dwell in howse with them sauynge only they whyche were so nygh of kynne as they myght not marry wyth though they laye with some of them at tymes as mother syster grandame aunte and suche lyke Vtterly was it forbydden them euer after to haue any talke with them that had bene their wyues vnlesse it were in the open stretes before two able witnesses Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Who wolde thus so vngodly and presumptuously haue taken vpon hym to haue separated those whom God had ioyned but proude Antichrist and his dyabolycal rable of sorcerouse Gomorreanes How stode this with the holy Ghostes doctryne vttered of S. Paule i. Corinth vij Vnto the marryed sayth he commaunde not I but the lorde that the wyfe be not separated from the man But what els went these execrable hypocrytes about in all these their vngracyouse procedynges but to make Gods holye coÌ„maundementes of none effecte for their fylthie rathers tradicyons and with their newe doctryne of deuyls in hypocresye to polute the Christianyte with the prodygyouse occupyenges of stynkynge Sodome ☞ The closynge vp of Anselmes vnsauery doynges ALl the next yeare after ded Anselme bestowe in a straunge kynde of scoldynge with Thomas the newly elected archebyshopp of Yorke tyll suche tyme as death clerely toke hym from the worlde He vtterly forbad hym the pastorall cure tyll suche tyme as he had submytted hymselfe to hys Papacye and professed a canonycall obedyence whyche he called a submyssyon to the churche of Canterbury If thou wylt not do thus sayth he we charge all the byshoppes of Englande vndre payne of the great curse that none of them presume to consecrate the neyther yet to receyue the for a byshop if thou any where els be consecrated with many other obprobryouse tauntes Matthaeus Paris Radulphus de Diceto Many ydell matters dysputed thys Anselme with very weake rawe and fryuolouse reasons as is to be seane in his feble wurkes of the sowles orygynall of leauen and breade vnleauened of the measurynge of the crosse of the mouynge of the aultre of Maryes concepcyon of the churches offyces and suche lyke whyche Christ calleth gnatt strayuynge I maruele with what conscyence Polydorus called him that good shepeherde whyche daungereth hys lyfe for the shepe and in the myddes of all his false packynges He doth Christ much wroÌ„ge therin whych only fulfylled it in effâ—ct He doth no pastours offyce that robbeth Christen kynges of their pryncely power autoryte to enhaunce the tyrannouse vsurpacyons of Antichrist as thys Anselme ded but rather he sheweth the fashyons and roberyes of a thefe I can awaye at no hand with so blasphemouse handelynge of the scriptures ☞ The mone was darkened and what it sygnyfyed MAthew Paris writeth Mathewe of Westmynstre
repetynge the same that in the yeare of our lord a M. a C. and x. the mone apered all darke without lyghte Wherby God declared in the open face of the worlde that hys church by the monkes hypocresy in that age was darkened with a beastly ignorauÌ„ce of hys lyuely doctryne For the mone betokeneth commenly in the scryptures the congregacyon of the lorde About thys tyme sayth Iohan Tritemius entered all the craftye learnynge Yea the subtyle phylosophye of the paganes began here to defyle our sacred theologye with her vnprofytable curyosytees The Gospell was put a part sauynge only to be red by parcels in the temple in a foren language without vnderstandynge and the corrupted doctryne of fylthie bastardes Peter Lumbarde Peter the great eater and Gracyane the monke which were thre chyldren of one bawdy nonnes fornycacion receyued and only had in pryce for it The monkes of that age sayth Iohan Carion in hys chronycles perceyuynge the knowledge of the holy scriptures to waxe faynt and to be nought set by for the study of the popysh lawers they thought also to practyse a newe kynde of dyuynyte and set vp scholasticall dysputacyons of diuyne matters But be ware of subtyle sophysters in the doctryne of the churche sayth Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum viij quest For their property is to withstande the veryte and to snarle mennys conscyences by darkenyng the clere lyghte therof If it be to the contrary reasoned sayth he that sophystycall argumentes are fytt to confounde heretykes by I vtterly denye that reason For only is it the open veryte that must confounde them As for sophysiues their wycked nature is to brynge in all errour and heresyes All thys hath Baconthorpe ☞ Raufe the archebyshop of Canterbury honoureth hys kynge IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xiij the kynge was mynded to haue gyuen the archebyshopryck of Canterbury to Faricius the abbot of Abendon But at the instaunt request sute of the clergye in the counsell of Wyndesore he altered hys purpose and gaue it to Raufe the byshopp of Rochestre a ruffelar to their myndes Hym he adourned with hys owne pryncely handes mynystrynge vnto hym both the ryng and metropolycall crosse For than ones agayne Mathew Paris sayth he had taken an earnest stomake agaynst the byshop of Romes vnshamefast procedynges hys brother duke Robert imprysoned and hys other enemyes brought vndre In the yeare of our lord a thousand a. C. and xv was the seyd Raufe consecrated receyued hys patryarchal palle of Anselme the other Anselmes nephewe whych was thaÌ„ the popes great legate a latere As the kynge was same yeare marryed after his first wyfes â—â—sseace to Adelphe the duke of Loraines doughter and was agayne crowned with her by the byshop of Wynchestre thys heady archebyshopp fell into a palseye for wodenesse and sayd vnto hym the next day after that eyther he shulde leaue that crowne vnlawfull he sayd for so much as it was not taken of hym or els he wolde leaue of hys masse sayng which was no small matter And the lordes about him had much a do to staye the lunetyke prelate from strikynge downe the crowne from the kinges heade and stampynge it vndre hys fote Yet ded the gentyll kynge gyue him fayre wordes the chronycles sayth Loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i de pontificibus Ranulphus li. xij ca. xv Rogerus li. vij and Iohan Capgraue li. ij de nobilibus Henricis And Treuisa addeth vnto it in fyne Englysh that thys hawtie prelate was a great Iaper the terme is sumwhat homelye Ded I not tell yow afore that kynges for their power had sped as yll as the prestes for their wyues And I thynke I tolde the truthe ☞ Of Pope Calixtus and the heade churche of Wales MVche were it to rehearce the turmoylynges of Pope Calixte the seconde for renuynge of the execrable actes of hellysh Hyldebrande and prestygyouse Paschall agaynst the marryage of prestes and power of prynces for inuestyture of prelates In the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and .xix. He helde counsel at Remis in Fraunce and in the yeare a M.a. C. xxiij he helde an other wyth CCC byshoppes at Rome And in these ij counsels he depryued all prestes of the commen Christianyte that held styll their wyues wyllynge them from thens fourth to be taken for no better thaÌ„ paganes and helhoundes and to want their ChristeÌ„ buryall The prynces that had gyuen out ecclesyastycall offyces he condempned of sacrilege preposterously allegynge the scriptures that they whych were admytted by them entered not by the dore but they scattered from Christe dyuydynge hys coote without seme As though in their exceding pryde and couetousnesse they had bene the same Christe whyche was full of Godly symplycyte and lowlynesse and their glytterynge synagoge that symple coote without seme In thys lattre yeare dyed Raufe the heady archebishop of CaÌ„terbury and Wylliam Curboâ—l which was a chanon succeded FroÌ„ the tyme of Augustyne tyll that daye by the space of more than fyue hondred and. xxiiij yeares none occupyed that seate but monkes and that caused so many corrupcyons to entre into the church of England for all they maynteyned Antichrist A lytle afore this that is to saye in the yeare a. M.a. C. and. ij bicame the archebyshopryck of Meneuia or Prymates seate of S. Dauid in wales fyrste subiect to the churche of Canterbury And from the dayes of kynge Lucy to the yeare a. M.a. C. and. xv none other were archebyshoppes there than Brytaynes or Welchemen and all that tyme had their ministers wyues But sens the Englyshe monkes occupyed they haue had concubynes for wyues and wyll not change at thys daye men saye Thus entered fylthienesse in that quarter also the time wolde be marked Suncon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Ranulphus ☞ Kynge Henry plaged for sufferinge marriage to be condempned ALl foren warres ended and controuersyes pacifyed in the yeare of our Lorde a. M. a C. and xx King Henrye the fyrst with great ioye and triumphe departed out of Normandye and entered after hys great victoryes by sea into Englande But within fewe dayes folowinge was thys gladnesse turned into a moste heauye and horryble sorowe For William and Rycharde his ij sonnes Marye hys doughter with Otwell their tutoure scholemaystre Rycharde the earle of Chestre and hys wyfe the kynges nece all the merye chaplaynes companions and ruflars of the courte chambrelaynes buffares and seruytours the Archedeacon of Herforde the Prynces playe fellowes syr Jeffrey Rydell syr Robert Malduyte syr Wyllyam Bygot wyth manye other greate heyres lordes knyghtes and gentylmen ladyes and gentylwomen to the nombre of a. C. and xl Besydes the yeomen and maryners whiche were more than halfe an hondred takynge passage by nighte were al drowned in the bottom of the
Praefati autores cum Polydoro Fabiano ☞ The kyng derydeth the byshoppes procedynges NOt all forgetfull of their wycked fathers affayres the prelates of Englande in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and. xxix gathered themselues togyther at London yet ones agayne in the first daye of August to put the prestes clerely from their wyues At this great counsell sayth Ricardus Premonstratensis were all the bishoppes of England except iiij whych dyed as it chaunced the same yeare that is to saye of Wynchester Durham Chestre and Herforde Their processe was all agaynst the cocasses or she cookes of the curates that they shuld not dwell in house with them For after the prestes had bene compelled to renounce the tytles of their wyues they kept them in most places vndre the name of their cocasses lawnders and seruyng women The kyng perceyuyng the malyce of the bishoppes and seynge aduauntage to growe therupon by thys propre polycye deceyued them He toke vpon hym the correction of them and promysed to execute true iustyce But in the ende Mathew Paris sayth he laughed them all to scorne and takyng a pensyon of the prestes he permytted them styl peaceably to holde their wyues Polydorus reporteth that the kynge gote of the clergye thys autoryte ouer the prestes by a fyne craft of conueyaunce And whan he had so done mysused it A very fyne iudgement of a man learned so to dyffyne of a prynces power The kyng deceyued them Roger Houeden sayth by the symplycyte of Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury For whan they had ones vncircumspectly graunted hym to execute iustyce vpon the prestes wyues it turned in the ende to their rebuke and shame the prestes for moneye set agayne at lyberte for them Praedicti autores cum Ranulpho Matthaeo VVestmonasteriensi Rogero Cestrensi ☞ A myddle swarmynge of Antichristes sectes in England FOr causes dyuerse whych some of my readers shall fynde necessary to be knowne I haue added here the tymes wheâ—in the seconde swarme of locustes or synnefull sectes of Antichrist hath entered into this realme of England The first swarme was of the Benedictynes and chanons of S. Augustyne called the blacke monkes and blacke chanons of whose fattynge vp I haue reasonably treated both in the first part of this wurke and also in thys seconde The first of this lattre swarme â–ª were the Cisteanes otherwyse called yâ— whyght moÌ„kes which came into this lande in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and. xxxij settynge their first foundacion in the deserte of Blachoumor by the water of Rhie wherupon their monastery was called Rhieuallis Saint Robertes fryres began at Gnaresborough in Yorke shyre in the yearr of our lorde a M.a. C. and xxxvij And the ordre of Gilbertines at SempynghaÌ„ in Lincolne shire in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. xlviij The Premonstratensers or white chanoÌ„s came in to the realme buylded at Newhowse in Lyncolne dyocese in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and xlv The Chartrehowse monkes came into the lande were placed at Wytham in the dyocese of Bathe in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. lxxx I recken not the hospytelers Templars with such lyke Ioannes Hagustaldensis Ricardus Praemonstratensis Ioannes Capgraue Thomas Scrope Polydorus Vergilius All these at their first enteraunce were very leane locustes as they are in S. Iohans reuelacyon described barren poore and in outwarde aperaunce very symple But in processe of tyme through symulate holynesse they grewe fat lyke their fellowes They gote them lyons faces and were able to buckle with kynges Their lecherouse actes I shall hereafter declare ☞ Kynge Steuen professeth a slauery to Antichrist HOw kyng Steuen bicame an instrument to their wycked vse in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xxxv it is easely knowne by the othe which they compelled hym to make at hys coronacyoÌ„ what though he ded not in all poyntes obserue it Thys is the othe as Ricardus prior Hagustaldensis hath written it in hys small treatyse de gestis regis Stephani Marke it I Steuen by the grace of God good wyll of the clergye and consent of the commens elected kynge of England and by Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury and legate of the holye Rome church vndre Pope Innocent the seconde confirmed make faithful promyse to do nothing here in Englande in the ecclesyastycall affayres after the rules of symonye but to leaue admyt and confirme the power ordre and distrybucyon of all ecclesyastycal persones and their possessyons in the handes of the byshoppes and prelates of the same The auncyent dignitees of the church confirmed by olde priuyleges and their customes of longe tyme vsed I promyse appoynt and determyne inuiolably to contynue All the churches possessyoÌ„s holdes and tenementes which they hytherto haue had I graunt them from hens forwarde without interrupcyon peaceably to possesse etc. Beholde here what popettes these lecherouse luskes made of their kynges se I praye yow if they sought any other commen welthe than of their ydell bellyes in that proude kingdome of Antichrist Was thys a folowynge of Christ after the Gospell thus to illude their Christen gouernours Naye it was rather a ronnyng after Sathan in the blasphemouse imytacyon of the byshop of Romes decrees The last plage of God lyghte vpon thys vnfaythfull generacyon if they wyll not yet beholde these euyls of their wycked fathers and abhorre them from the harte ☞ The rebellyon and cantels of byshoppes agaynst the kynge IN the next yeare folowynge notwithstandyng thys othe kyng Steuen reserued to hymselfe the inuestynge of prelates Mathew Paris sayth and shewed vnto the clergye many other displeasurs Wherfore in processe they caused Maude the empresse contrary to their othes of allegeaunce to come into the realme and to make clayme to the crowne and strongely to warre vpon hym For the whych he enprysoned and bannyshed certayne of the byshoppes chefely Alexandre of Lyncolne Nigellus of Helye and Roger of Salisbury He feared not to go vnto Oxforde and to sytt there in open parlyament whyche no kynge myght do they sayde wythoute a shamefull confusyon From Roger the byshoppe of Salisbury he toke the. ij Castels of Vyses and Sherburne fyndynge in them more than xl thousande markes in moneye wherwith he perfourmed the greate marryage betwene Constaunce the Frenche kynges sistre and Eustace hys sonne and heyre Thys byshoppes sonne by lyke he hadde a wyfe whyche had bene the other kinges chauncellour this kinge handeled harde to come to hys purpose He kepte hym fastenynge threttened him hangynge and at the lattre bannyshed hym the realme whyche cost the byshoppe his lyfe A naturall father Anon after the byshoppe of Wynchestre beyng the popes great legate and perceyuynge the clergye not to be regarded the realme beynge than in diuysyon betwixt them bothe that is to saye
was of great vertu in thys age byleke For Iohan Capgraue sayth that Ethelredus the abboth of Rieuall not only by it abbated the ardent heates of his fleshe but extynguyshed also the flames of all other vyces Sentences wonderful in those dayes vttered PEirus Blesensis a worthye learned man beynge at sondry tymâ—s the archedeacon of Bathe of London and of Canterbury spared not at tymes sharpely to reprehende the enormitees of the clergye Dyuerse of hys epistles are yet to be seane wherin he eloquently towcheth and rebuketh the puffed vp arrogancye of Thomas Becket the archebyshopp of Canterbury Oft he compared the clergy to Samaria and Edom and called our hyghe countenaunced prelates sumtyme the glytterynge calfes of Bethell and the ydolles of Egypte sumtyme the fatt hulles of Samaria the chaplaynes of Baal and those iudges whyche made wycked lawes wyth such lyke To take the lord with the housholde sayth he nothinge is more dampnable than is a byshoppes howse if ye seke vertu Nothynge further from honestye if ye loke for maners Nothinge more fylthye if ye iudge after conscience Nothynge more rebukeable if ye respect fame Nothynge more pernycyouse if ye marke the example O lorde sayth he delyuer thy howse from the greate ydoll breake the hornes of that synnefull one At Rome filthy lucre peruerteth all thinges suffereth moÌ„kes to perfourm theyr lykynges in all kyndes of fleshely abusyons whyche they redeme by a yearlye pensyon Theyr lewdenesse is tolde in the Pauylyons of Geth and publyshed also in the open stretes of Ascalon Thus is theyr head captayne becomen the prynce of Sodome hys dyscyples accompanyenge hym in the chayre of pestylence wyth a great nombre more of the lyke Wernerus coucludeth in fasciculo temporum that it was than a rare thynge to fynde a chaste monke in the cloystre and a more rare thynge to fynde an honeste preste abroade ☞ The freshe and lustye begynnynges of Thomas Becket AS those autours reporte whyche chefely wrote Thomas Beckettes lyfe whose names are Herbert Boseham Iohan Salisbury Wyllyam of Canterbury Alen of Tâ—ukesbury Benet of Peterburgh Steuen langton and Rycharde Croilande he bestowed hys youth in al kindâ—s of lasciuiouse lightnesse and lecherouse wantonnesse After certen roderies rapes and murthers commytted in the kyngâ—s warres at the siege of Tolouse in Lâ—nguâ—docke and in other places els as he was commen home againe into Englande he gaue hymsâ—lfe to greate studye not of the holye scriptures but of the byshoppe of Romes lowsye lawes wherby he fyrste of all obtayned to be archedeacon of Canterburye vndre Theobalde the archebyshop than hygh chauncellour of Englande metropolyâ—ane archebyshop prymate pope of Englande and greate legate from Autâ—christes owne ryghte syde In the tyme of hys hyghe chauncellourshyppe beynge but an ale bruars sonne of LondoÌ„ Iohan Caâ—graue saith that he toke vpon him as he had ben a prince He played the courtyer all togyther and fashyoned hymselfe wholly to the kynges delyghtes He ruffled it out in the whole clothe wyth a myghtye rable of digised ruffianes at his tayle He sought the wordly honour with him that soughte it moste He thoughte it a plesaunt thinge to haue the flatteringe prayses of the multytude Hys brydle was of syluer hys saddle of veluet hys styruppes spores and bosses double gylte hys expenses farre passynge the expenses of anye earle That delyghte was not on the earthe that he hadde not plentye of He fedde with the fatteste was cladde wyth the softeste and kepte companye with the plesauntest Was not this thinke yow a good meane to lyue chaste I trow it was ☞ Hys chastyte at Stafforde and stoughtnesse at Clarendon IN the towne of Stafford was Willyam of Canterbury sayth Iohan Capgraue confirmynge the same a lusty mynion a trulle for the nones a pece for a prynce with whome by report the kynge at tymes was very famylyar Betwixt this wanton damsell or prymerose peerlesse Becket the chauncellour went store of presentes and of loue tokens plentye and also the louers met at tymes For whan he resorted thydre at no place wold he be hosted and lodged but where as she helde resydence In the dead tyme of the nyght the storye sayth was it her general custome to come alone to hâ—s bedchambre with a candell in her hande to toye tryfle with hym Men are not so folysh but they can wele conceyue what chastyte was obserued in those praty nyce wanton metynges But they saye he sore amended whan he was onâ—s consecrated archebyshop of Canterburye and left weâ—e hys accustomed enbracynges after the rules of loue became in lyfe relygyouse that afore in loue was lecherouse At hys seyd consecracion was he made a preste which requyâ—ed a change of lyfe He receyued a monkes cowle from Pope Alexandre Mathew Paris sayth made our ladye hys generall aduocate and shryued the body of S. Edward a vyrgyne and therfor he could no longar be vnchaste In the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. lxiiij at Clarendon Iohan of Oxforde beynge hygh presydent of the counsell many thynges were proponed concernynge the inuestytures offyces and enormytees of the clergy and lawes made therupon Wherunto the archebyshopp Becket with the other byshoppes condescended and were sworne But whan he ones perceyued that they were repugnaunt to the terrestryall godhede of the byshop of Rome he fretted for wodenesse and was angrye with himselfe addynge to hys othe thys subtyle clause to make it of none effecte salou in omnibus ordine meo honore sanctae ecclesiae myne ordre saued alwayes and the honour of holye churche reserued By thys he was able to denye all agayne at hys pleasure Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ Antichrist he preferreth to hys kynges obedyence WHithin the same yeare the kynge made an acte that men of the church commyttynge offences notable shulde be exautorysed or dysgraded by the byshop of the dyocese a iustyce beynge present so delyuered to secular kepyng tyll he suffered accordynge to hys demerytes The occasyon of thys acte was one Philippe Broic a preste and canon of Bedforde whych conwardly had kylled a man Thys proude sturdy canon bearyngâ— him selfe very bolde vpon his Romysh orders was at vtter contempt and diffyaunce of the iustyce geuyng him full many obprobryouse wordes as though hys offyce had bene but a slauerye to hys oylye presthode Than stirt vp Becket and starkeled lyke a lyon sekynge by all trayterouse meanes to brynge the kynge vndre and to exalte the tyrannouse kyngedome of Antichrist to the very heauens He furyously contended with hym to the very death that prestes and other within oylye orders ought not for thefte murther buggery and other lyke deadly offences to be examyned and ponnyshed by the publyque magistrates as the laye sort were He affirmed it also with stomache that the churches fredom was suche as the temporall kynges
hâ—d nothynge ado with theÌ„ whiche were anoynted and shauen they beynge therby the Romysh Popes creatures and not hys Radulphus Niger Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Rogerus Houeden Ricardus Croilande Nicolaus Treueth alij plerique An excedyng great thynge were it to declare the subtyle practyses deuâ—ses dysguysynges craftes colours conueyauÌ„ces other tryfelynges to brynge all hys matters to pâ—sse agaynâ—t the kynge and a werynesse to the reader to rehearce them wherfore I lete them ouer passe ☞ Artycles for whome Becket is admitted the Popes martyr DIuerse of our chronycle writers doth testyfye in their workes that these were the artycles wherfor he stroue with the kynge That no spirituall cause ought to be pleaded in the temporall court No clarke may be compelled to answere in matters before the kynges offycers Patrâ—nes maye lawfully and frely gyue benefyces without the kynges allowance A byshop or pastour maye frely go out of the realme without the kynges lycens for the ryght of his churche He that is ones excommunycated must haue hys discharge of the spirituall court and not of the kynge The clergye and layte must be clered of their offences by the ordynaryes and not by the kynges iustyces Appellacyons made from one degre to an other as from lowar oâ—dynary to the hyghar maye be ended without the kynges consent Landes and teneamentes maye lawfully be gyuen to the clergye in almes wythout the kynges commyssyon Spirytuall promocyons ought only to remayne in the handes of the superiour ordynaryes whaÌ„ theyr occupyers are dead till others succede in their roumes and not in the handes of teÌ„poral meÌ„ Religiouse men men ought not in the quarell of their kynges to go to the warres They that flee vnto sayntwaryes ought there to be socoured agaynst the temporall power their dedes made open to the iudge ecclesyastycall Clarkes curates and prestes are not bounde to come to the commen iudgementes at sessyons or assyses neyther yet to be at them though they be commaunded Se what good stuffe here is to make a martir All is to demynyshment of a kynges power and nothynge els ☞ Becket stayeth the Popes churche by confoundynge heretykes IN the same yeare of our lorde a M. a C and. lxiiij was Thomas Becket reckened Mathew Paris sayth suche a mightye stedefast and strong sure pyllour as the whole church both leaned vpon and was also staied by But ye must consydre that it was the Popes churche that he ment and not Christes for that hath a staye stronge ynough of him without mannys helpe Marke the forseyd artycles The church sayth he shaken was ready to haue fallen and the Pope which was set vp as a staffe to haue staied it was at that tyme so broken that the shyuers or peces wounded him Thomas lokyng for nothynge els but martyrdome for the churche In the same yeare were in England certen godly men whome some Popysh writers dysdaynously calleth Waldeanes some publycanes some false Apostles Thâ—se were at Oxforde straightly examyned of the byshoppes and so brought to iudgement by this Becket for holdynge these opynyons That the churche of Rome was that whore of Babylon whych had forsaken the fayth of Christe and that barren fygge tree without fruite whych he reproued and that no Christen man was bounde to obeye the Pope and hys byshoppes That monkerye was as the dead carreyne that stynketh and that their vowes were fryuolouse ydell and abhomynable beynge the vpspryngynge braunches of Sodome That their orders were the great beastes characters and their temples the wurse for their hallowynges That purgatory sayntes worshyppyng masses and prayenges for the dead with such lyke were most deuylysh inuencyons For maynteynynge these and other lyke opynyons agaynst the proude synagoge of Rome they were sealed in the faces at Oxforde wyth whote fyerye keyes and so bannyshed the realme for euer Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Guido Perpinianus de heresibus Thomas VValden ad Martinum quintum Bernardus Lutzenburgus ☞ Hys trayterouse ende and aduauncement aboue Christ. Whan Becket was returned again into Englande in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxi after vi yeares exyle he outragiously troubled certen of the byshoppes to the kynges great dyshonour Mathewe Parys sayth For the only cause why he so hatefullye persecuted them was for that they hadde fulfylled the kynges desyre in anoyntynge his sonne Henry the yongar to raygne after hym not hauynge hys consente beynge pope of Englande For thys he entered the pulpet more lyke a mad Bedlem thaÌ„ a sober preacher Not to teache Chryste in mekenesse but in hys wode furye to execrate those byshoppes to curse theÌ„ wyth boke belle and candell and by the popes autoryte to condempne them to helle Vpon thys the kynges seruauntes fell on hym in purpose as they toke it to reuenge their liege lordes great iniury and hys sonnes dyshonoure They pared his pylde crowne wyth theyr swerdes and cut of the popes marke to hys very braiue whyls he in ydolatry coÌ„mended himselfe and the cause of hys churche to hys patrone S. Deuyse beynge but a deade ymage there standyng vpon the aultre Stephanus Langton Richardus Croilande Rogerus Houeden Nicolaus Treueth Ioannes Capgraue Thus ended he his lyfe in most ranke treasoÌ„ was for his labour made a god of that papistes Yea they charged christ in the ende by coÌ„maundement to delyuer vs heauen frely by the shedynge of Thomas bloud as though that had bene a payment of satisfaction for our synnes And as therby apered they put Christ cleane out of office for him by this coÌ„iuracion Tu per Thome sanguinem queÌ„ pro te impeÌ„dit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascedit O thou Christ suffre vs to clyme vp to that place by the bloud of Thomas whych he shed for that to the which Thomas maÌ„fully asceÌ„ded Marke this hardely for suche a defeccyon froÌ„ Christ as Saynt Paul speaketh of and for the stronge delusyon that they shulde haue whyche beleued lyes that they myghte be dampned ij Thessalo ij For here Thomas redemeth Christe and ascendeth to hauen leauynge vs hys bloude to clyme thydre by Were there euer greater heretykes theues sowle murtherers than were our Papistes I can not thynke it ☞ The false miracles and canonisacyon of Becket OF Christe and of all hys Apostles and prophetes are not written so many great miracles as of this one Becket As that so many sycke so many blynde so many bleare eyed bedred croked broused mangled lamed drowned palseyd leprosed sorowful exyled wyth chylde enprysoned hauged and deade were by them as by him deliuered Neyther were there euer so many writers of any popyshe saintes lyfe or so manye great volumes made as of hys as is shewed afore And all thys was to blemyshe the kynge and to depresse the hygh power both in hym and in
Iob. They are holye votaryes that stryue for so many fat dyshes ☞ The abhomynable lecherye of the same monkes IN the dyocese of S. Dauid in Wales and within the prouynce of Goer the pryour of Langenith whych was a celle of the ordre of Clunyakes or monkes without botes beholdyng a certen yonge woman first by wanton lokes and after by other lewde entycementes made her at his pleasure to serue hys lascyuyouse purpose And whan it was ones growne to a publyque infamy that all men spake yll of it with moneye he corrupted the offycyals to escape the open reproche And whan none other waye els wolde serue he gaue her in marryage to a yonge man not farre of Yet left he not so her companye but abused her after as he had done afore tyll suche tyme as he was deposed by the dyocesyane and lo with shame exyled the contreye The lyke was done also by two other monkes of Northwales of whom one was priour of Sagia an other of Breckennoch both celles of Clunyakes and not farre froÌ„ the hauen of Myluerd Whych were for their whoredomes most shamefully deposed and bannyshed Yea the seyd Geralde reporteth it to be a commen thynge among them where as suche celles were buylded and wyshed for hys tyme that not one of them had bene within the whole realme of Englande for the myschefes that he knewe by them And whan they went abroade he sayth about the affaires of their religioÌ„ or howses they wolde in none other innes be lodged but where as they might haue whores at their pleasures Giraldus Cambrensis in Speculo ecclesiae li ij ca. i. Was not this thynke you an holye religion and an high profession of chastyte ☞ Of two Englysh votaries one a traytour the other a thefe AS Heraclius the patriarke of Hierusalem was returned home agayne out of England in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. lxxxvi an Englysh votary of the ordre of Templars called Robert of S. Albons betrayed that holye cytie with all the Christen inhabytauntes to Saladinus the souldane of Babylon vpon thys couenaunt that he shulde haue his nece to marrye And so it came to passe in the ende the kynge taken prysoner and the patryarke compelled to flee so that the kyngdome was destroyed foreuer An other Englyshe votarye of the same ordre of Templars called Gylbert Ogerstan kynge Henry appoynted with certen others to gather vp the moneye whyche he had determyned to be gyuen to releue the holye lande and cytie of Hierusalem agaynst the Turkes And whan he had deprehended him in an horryble thefte in doynge the same to the mayntenaunce of hys accustomed lecheryes where as he mighte iustlye haue hanged hym he onely commytted hym to the maystre of the temple at London that he shulde ponnysh hym accordynge to their statutes Rogerus Houeden libro secundo historiae Anglorum The hospytelers and Templars were two fygtinge orders instituted firste in the contreye of Palestyne or holy land as they call it for the only defence of Christen pylgrymes goyng to and fro In processe of tyme they grewe to so great rychesse that as the adage goeth the doughter deuoured the mother They exempted themselues froÌ„ the paâ—ryarkes iurysdyccyon whiche was their first father and foundar and bicame seruauntes to the great Antichrist of Rome Not onely to fyll all that lande with his fylthie supersticyons but also to brynge the profyghtes to his insacyable handes that were gathâ—red from all other nacyons For where as colleccyons were to maynteyne those warres Roger Hourden sayth that alwayes a Templar was one gatherer and an hospyteler was an other But in the ende about the yeare of our lorde a thousand thre hundreth and twelue they had their deserued rewarde for than were the Templars destroyed Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus Aegidius Faber Ioannes Paleonydorus Ioannes Nauclerus Paulus Phrigio atque Polydorus ☞ A crowne of Pecockes fethers sent to kynge Henrye ROger Houeden writeth it as a matter seryouse and earnest that in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lxxxvi Pope Vrbane the thirde hearynge tell that kynge Henry had appoynted his yongar sonne Iohan to the lattre conquest of Irelande sent hym a crowne of Pecockes fethers fynely wouen and wrought togyther with golde The next yeare after he sent one Octauian a Cardynall and Hugh Nouaunt whyche was byshopp of Couentry and Chestre as legates from hys ryghte syde to haue crowned the seyd Iohan kynge of Irelande But the kynge not beynge so Pecockysh as he iudged hym dyscretely and wysely deferred the tyme tyll the Cardynall was gone Se what fyue toyes these foÌ„de fathers had in their crafty heades to mocke Christen prynces with for aduauntage Here was a gnat workemanly strayned out to swalowe in a camell for it He was at great cost that sent Pecockes fethers So was it a precyouse kyngedome towardes whose kynge shuld haue bene crowned with them But I maruele that he sent not therwith a foxes tayle for a scepture and a whode with two eares Rightly hath the scriptures set out thys generacyon for mocâ—â—rs Hierem. xx A great dissensyon arose the same tyme at Canterbury betwene Baldewyne the archebyshopp and the couent of monkes bicause he had begonne to buylde a newe college of secular prestes next ioynynge to them They caused Pope Vrbane the thirde to dyssolue it agayne fearynge therby in processe to haue lost their pryuylege of electynge their archebyshoppes and so not to haue their pleasures as they had afore Wherupon he was compelled to remoue his buyldynge from thens to Lambheth by Westmynstre Radulphus de Diceto Rogerus Houeden Ranulphus Treuisa Fabianus ☞ A bishop made both an earle and high iustyce IMmedyatly after kynge Rycharde the fyrste was crowned and sworne to defende all Antichristes affaires in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. lxxxix the byshop of Durham Hugh Pusath for a great summe of moneye bought of hym the earledome of Northumberlande And whan the kynge shulde do the ceremonye ouer hym of makynge an earle and was girdynge the swearde about him Se saith he to his lordes and noble men what a miracle I can do I can make of an olde byshop a yong earle Am not I thinke yow a very connynge artyfycer Lyke frates he played manye in the same yeare in makynge prelates barons and vycountes to haue ryches to hys pleasure In thys the kynge thought he mocked them but they mocked hym after a farre other sort in the ende Thys dotyng byshop was not yet all satisfied but added therunto a. M. markes more to be admytted the high iustyce of Englande And for that he myght dwel at home wythoute checke and polle at his pleasure he gaue to the pope an vnreasonable summe of moneye to be dispensed wyth for his vowe to the holye lande and obtayned it After thys he decreed wyth
howse which was sumwhat pleasaunt She loked smothely vpon him the storye sayth and he as gentyllye vysed her agayne They began wyth louynge lokes and continued with beckes for breakynge of sylence At the lattre they came to talkes and to nygthe metynges tyll she was left wyth chylde For Nigellus Wireker sayth in Speculo stulto rum which he wrote in the same age Quid de Sempyngham quantum uel qualia sumam Nescio nam noua res me dubitare facit Hoc tamen ad presens nulla ratione remittaÌ„ Nam necesse nimis fratribus esse reor Quod nunquam nisi clam nullaque sciente sororum Cum quocumque suo fratre manere licet ☞ Thus are these verses Englyshed Of Sempingham what shulde I muche prate An ordre it is begonne but of late Yet wil I not lete the matter so pas The sylly bretherne and systers alas Can haue no metynges but late in the darke And thys ye knowe wele is an heauye warke Whan this yonge monke ones perceyued that her bellye was vp he threwe of his disgysed garmeÌ„tes and fled by nyght out of the monasterye thynkyng at his layser to haue conuayed her awaye also But she poore sowle tarryed behinde beynge vnreasonably beaten and ponnyshed in the pryson ☞ The nonne dismembreth the monke and is delyuered AS thys yonge man resorted to the abbeye agayne myndynge in the dead of the nyght to haue stollen awaye hys louer the nonnes watched hym and toke hym Yea they stript hym all naked bounde him fast to a stole Than brought they forth the yonge nonne put a sharpe knyfe in her hande compellynge her by most cruell enforcementes to gelde him And whan she had vnconnygly perfourmed that acte they toke vp the peces and with violence thrust them into her mouth The yong moÌ„ke was neuer heard of after for I thynke he coulde non other but dye of that incision The nonne returned to pryson agayne WhaÌ„ the houre was come of her delyueraunce Henry Murdach the archebyshop of Yorke sumtyme whyche was dead more thaÌ„ vi yeares afore brought with him the story sayth two hansom mydwyues from heauen whych discharged her of her chylde without peyne and toke it fourth with them if the iakes swellowed it not in so that it neuer was seane after Their holye father Gylbert allowed thys miracle by hys lyfe tyme and declared it to the forseyd Etheldred that he shulde chronycle it If this be not an honest conueyaunce to excuse these shameful murthers I report me to yow But thys storye was not alone if there had bene more Etheldredes to haue brought them to lyghte Of these double Gylbertynes of both genders men and women thus writeth the forseyd Nigellus Canonici missam tantum reliquumque sorores Explent officij debita iura sui Corpora non uoces murus disiungit in unum Psallunt directo psalmatis absque mero Thus are they to be Englyshed The monkes synge the masse the nonnes synge the other Thus do the syster take part with the brother Bodyes not voices a walle doth disseuer Without deuocioÌ„ they syng both together ☞ The chastyte of all other monkes and nonnes in that age NIgellus the forseyd Poete doth largely touche the corrupt lyuing and hypocresye of hys tyme chefely in byshoppes prestes abbottes monkes chanons and nonnes Hys boke is all in olde latyne verses and is named the glasse of foles that euery dyssolute prelate myghte beholde hys folye therin Of the abbottes thys iudgement he gyueth amonge other Qui duce Bernardo gradiuÌ„tur uel Benedicto Aut Augustini sub leuiore iugo Omnes sunt fures quocuÌ„que charactere sancto Signati ueniant magnificentque Deum Ne credas uerbis ne credas uestibus albis Vix etenim factis est adhibenda sides Quorum uox lenis uox Iacob creditur esse Caetera sunt Esau brachia colla manus Rursus in Aegyptum quam deseruere reuersi Dulce sibi reputant a Pharaone premi Carnis ad illecebras nullo retinente ruentes In foueam mortis carne trahente cadunt They that pretende to folow S. Bernard Benet or Austen whych is not so harde False theues they are all seme they neuer so goode Nor yet so deuout in their cowle and whode Beleue not their wordes nor aparell whyte For nothinge they do that afore God is ryghte As gentil as Iacob in wordes they apere But in all their workes they are Esau clere To Egypt agayn they are come to dwell Vndre great Pharao fearyng no parell They folowe the fleshe seke no restraint Which wyll at the last with hell them acquaint Thys also he writeth of the nonnes HaruÌ„ sunt quaedam steriles quaedam parientes Virgineoque tamen nomine cuncta tegunt Quae pastoralis baculi dotatur honore Illa quidem melius fertiliusque parit Vix etiam quaeuis sterilis reperitur in illis Donec eius aetas talia posse negat Some nonnes are barren and some bearynge beastes Yet are all virgynes at principall feastes She that is abbesse as her both befall In fruitfull bearynge is best of them all Scarse one shall ye fynde among the whole rought Which is vnfruitefull tyll age cometh about ☞ Malcolmus S. Edwarde and abbot Eldrede OF Malcolmus the kyng of Scottes whiche was the. iiij of that name we reade that at the suggestion of supersticiouse monkes he vowed neuer to marrye Arnoldus the bishopp of S. Andrewes hauynge knowledge therof and coÌ„syderyng the inconuenyence that might ensue for want of successyon wysely and Godly dyssuaded hym agayne from that vayne purpose He required hym to considre by the sayng of Plato that he was not borne only to himselfe neither stode it with hys vocacion beynge the hygh head or king of that commen welthe to dye wythout an heyre of hys owne bodye wyth other necessary counsels Hector Boethius li xiij Scotorum historiae If our great S. Edward had had store of suche good counsellers as he had of Romysh hypocrytes I thinke the câ—owne of this realme had neuer bene distamed with the bastardes bloude firste of the Normannis and than of the frenche men the noble Englyshe bloude so extynguyshed and the lande decayed tyll God rayled it vp agayne But as Iohan Maior thought in his Scottysh chronycle of thys Malcolmus so do I thynke of our S. Edwarde that he mighte wele be nombred among the folysh virgynes Which seking heauen by that kinde of virginite ded find the gate shut vp agaynst them Math. xxv Thomas Becket of a great deuocyon to chastyte by lycens of pope Alexandre the iij. translâ—ted the corâ—upted carkeys of thys Edwarde in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and. lxiij and set a shryne ouer it garnyshed with golde syluer pearle and precyouse stone to cause the people to do therunto ydolatry Thomas Rudborne in medulla chronicorum Colde water