authority declareth calleth stablisheth affirmeth and reputeth the sayd Richard of Yorke very true and rightfull heyre to the crowne of England and Fraunce and that all other statutes and acts made by any of the Henryes late contrary to this aduise be annulled repelled damned cancelled voyd and of no force or effect The king agreed and consented that the sayd Duke and hys heyres shall after his naturall life enioy the crowne c. Also that all sayinges and doinges agaynst the duke of Yorke shall be hygh treason and all actes of Parliamentes contrary to this principall act be voyd and of none effect c. And thus much for the reign of king Henry the 6. Who now lacked his vncle and protector Duke of Glocester about him But commonly the lacke of such frendes is neuer felt before they be missed In the time of this king was builded the house in Lōdon called Leadē hall foūded by one Simon Eyre Maior once of the sayd City of London an 1445. Also the standard in cheape builded by Iohn Wels an 1442. the Conduite in Fleetstreet by William Castfield an 1438. Item Newgate builded by goods of Rich. Whittington an 1422. Moreouer the sayde Henry 6. founded the Colledge of Eton and another house hauing then the title of S. Nicolas in Cambridge now called the kinges Colege Ex Scal. mundi In the reigne of this Henry 6. it is not be passed ouer in silence which we finde noted in the Parliament rolles how that Lewes Archbishop of Rhoen after the death of the late Bishop of Eley had graūted vnto him by the popes Bulles during his life all the profites of the sayd bishoprick by the name of the administratour of the said Bishopricke Lewes the foresayde Archbishop sheweth his Buls to the king who vtterly reiected his Bulles Notwithstanding for his seruice done in Fraunce the king graunted to hym the administration aforesaid the which to all intents at the petition of the sayd Lewes should be affirmed to bee of as great force as though he were bishop touching profits liberties and hability Neither agayn is here to be ouerpast a certayn tra gicall Acte done betweene Easter and Whitsontide of a false Britone an 1427. Which murdered a good widdow in her bed who had brought him vp of almes without Algate in the suburbes of London and bare away all that she had afterward he tooke succor of holy church at S. Georges in Southwarke but at the last he tooke the crosse forswore the kings land And as he went his way it happened him to come by the same place where he had done that cursed deed and women of the same parish came out with stones and cannell dong and there made an end of him in the hye streete so that he went no further notwithstandinge the Constables and other men also which had hym vnder gouernaunce to conduct him forwarde for there was a great company of them so that they were not able to withstande them Kyng Edward the fourth KIng Edward after his conquest and victorye achieued agaynst king Henry returned again to London where vpon the Uigil of S. Peter and Paul being on Sonday he was crowned king of England raigned 22. yeares albeit not without great disquitnes and much perturbation in his reigne Queene Margaret hearing how her husband was fled into Scotland was also fayne to flye the land and went to her father Duke of Angeow From whence the next yeare following she returned again to renue warre against king Edward with small succor and lesse lucke For being encountred by the Earle of Warwicke about Nouember she was driuen to the seas agayne and by tempest of weather was driuen into Scotland In this yere we read that king Edward in the cause of a certayne widow for rape sate his owne person in Westminster hall vpon his owne Bench discussing her cause Ex Scal. mundi The yeare folowing king Henry issuing out of Scotland with a sufficient power of Scottes and Frenchmen came into the Northcountrey to recouer the crowne vnto whom the Lord Radulph Percy Lord Radulph Grey flying from king Edward did adioyn themselues but the Lord so disposing king Henry with his power was repulsed in the battaile of Exham by the Lord Mountacute having then the rule of the North where the Duke of Somerset Lord Hungerford Lord Rosse with certayne other were taken The Lord Radulph Percy was slayne the residue fled Albeit the history of Scal. mūdi referreth this battel to the yeare 1464. the 15. day of May. In the which moneth of May were beheaded the duke of Somerset Lorde Hungerford Lord Rosse L. Philip Wentworth L. Tho. Husly L. Tho. Findern beside 21. other belonging to the retinue and household of king Hēry 6. Queene Margaret finding no resting place here in England took her progres agayne from whence she came learning in her own country to drinke that drinke which she her selfe had brued here in England And not long after the next yeare an 1465. on the day of S. Peter and Paule king Henry being founde knowne in a wood by one Cantlow as they say was arested by the Earle of Warwicke and at last of a king made prisoner in the tower of London In this meane time king Edward after the motion of mariage for him being made and first the Lady Margaret sister to Iames the 4. K. of Scottes thought vpon but that motion taking no effect afterward the Lady Elizabeth sister to Henry king of Castelle being intended but she being vnder age the Earle of Warwick turning then his legation and voiage to the French king Lewes the II. to obteyne Lady Bona daughter of the duke of Sauoy and sister to Carlot the French Queen and obteining the same had cast fauour vnto one Elizabeth Grey widow of Syr Iohn Grey knight slain before in the battell of S. Albōs daughter to the Duches of Bedford and Lord Riuers and first went about to haue her to his concubine But she as being vnworthy as she sayde to be the wife of such a high personage so thinking her selfe to bee to good to be his concubine in such sort wanne the kings hart that incontinent before the returne of the Earle of Warwicke he maried her at the which mariage were no moe then onely the Duches of Bedford two gentle women the priest clark Upō this so hasty vnlucky mariage ensued no litle trouble to the king much bloudshed to the realme vndoing almost to all her kyndred and finally confusion to the K. Edwardes 2. sonnes which both were declared afterward to be bastards and also depriued of theyr liues For the Earle of Warwicke who had bene the faythfull frend and chiefe maynteiner before of the king at the hearing of this maryage was therwith so greuously moued and chaffed in hys mind that he neuer after sought any thing more then how to worke displeasure to the
it was enacted and decreed that the Canons of diuers Cathedral churches Colleginars Persons Uicars Priests and Deacons with their wiues and childrē either should geue ouer that kind of life or els geue roume to Monkes c. For execution of which decree two principall Uisitors were appointed Athelwold or Ethelwold bishop of Winchester and Oswold bishop of Worcester as is partly before touched Osbernus in vita Dunstani Malmesb. De vit pontif Rog Houed And thus much concerning the history of king Edgar and of such things as in his tyme happened in the church Which Edgar after he had entred into the partes of Britannie to subdue the rebellion of the Welchmen and there had spoiled the coūtrey of Glamorgan wasted the country of Ono within x. dayes after when he had raigned the space of xvj yeares died and was buried at Glastenbury leauing after him two bastards to witte Editha and Edward and one sonne lawfully begottē named Ethelred or otherwise by corruption called Egelred For Edmund the elder sonne died before his father Ye heard before how king Edgar is noted in all stories to be an incontinent liuer in deflouring maydes and virgines Of which virgins iij. notoriously are expressed in authors to witte Wlftrude or Wlfride The second was the dukes maid at Andeuar nie to Winchester The third was Elflede mother of Edward for the which Elflede he was stayd and kept backe from his Coronation by Dunstane Archbishop of Cant. the space of 7. yeares and so the sayd kyng beginning his raigne in the 16. yeare of his age beyng the yeare of the Lord 959. was crowned at his age 31. An. dom 974. as is in the Saxon Chronicle of Worcester church to be prooued For the more euident declaration of which matter concerning the coronation of the kyng restrained and the presumptuous behauiour of Dunstan against the king and his penance by the sayd Dunstane enioyned ye shall heare both Osborne Malmesb. and other authors speake in their owne wordes as followeth Perpetrato itaque in virginem velatam peccato c. After that Dunstane had vnderstanding of the kings offence perpetrated with the professed Nunne and that the same was blased amongst the people with great ire and passion of mynde he came to the king Who seing the Archb. comming eftsones of gentlenes arose from his regall seate towards hym to take him by the hand and to geue him place But Dunstan refusing to take him by the hand and with sterne countenance bending his browes spake after this effect of words as stories import vnto the king You that haue not feared to corrupt a virgine mayde handfast to Christ presume you to touch the consecrated handes of a bishop you haue defiled the spouse of your maker thinke you by flattring seruice to pacifie the friend of the bridegrome No sir his frend will not I be which hath Christ to his enemy c. The king terrified with these thundring wordes of Dunstan and compuncted with inward repentance of his crime perpetrated fel down with weping at the feete of Dunstane Who after he had raysed him vp from the ground againe began to vtter to him the horriblenes of his fact and finding the king redy to receiue whatsoeuer satisfaction he would lay vpon him enioyned him this penance for 7. yeres space as followeth That hee should weare no crowne all that space that he should fast twise in the weeke he should distribute his treasure left to him of his auncesters liberally vnto the poore he should build a Monasterie of Nunnes at Shaftsbury that as he had robbed God of one virgine through his transgression so should he restore to him many again in tymes to come Moreouer he should expell Clerkes of euil life meaning such priests as had wiues and children out of churches and place Couents of Monkes in their rowme c. It followeth then in the story of Osborne that whē the 8. yeres of the kings penance were expired Dunstan calling together all the pieres of the Realme with Bishops Abbots and other ecclesiasticall degrees of the Clergy in the publike sight of all the multitude set the crowne vpon the kings head at Bathe which was the 31. yeare of hys age and the 13. yeare of his raigne so that he raigned only but 3. yeares crowned king All the other yeares besides Dunstan belike ruled the land as he listed Furthermore as touching the sōne of the sayd Elfled thus the story writeth Puerum quoque ex peccatrice quondam progenitum sacro fonte regeneratum lauauit aptato illi nomine Edwardo in filium sibi adoptauit i. The child also which was gotten of the harlot he baptised in the holy fountaine of regeneration and so geuing his name to bee called Edward did adopt him to be his sonne c. Ex Osberno By the which narration of Osberne agreing also with the story of the Saxon booke aboue mentioned is conuinced a double vntruth or error eyther negligently ouerseen or of purpose dissembled in our latter Monkish storywriters as in Malmesbury Math. Paris Math. Westm. other mo Who to conceale the fault of king Edgar or to beare with Dunstans fact in setting vp Edward for the maintenance of their monkish order first doe falsly affirme that Editha the daughter of Ulfride was borne after Edward that for her this penance was enioyned to king Edgar which neither is nor can be so as in processe hereafter the Lorde willing shall appeare Secondly they are deceiued in this that they affirme king Edgar to haue two wiues and that Elfleda the mother of Edward was not a professed Nunne in deede but dissembled so to be to auoid the violēce of the king where as in deede the truth of the story both geueth her to bee a Nunne and her sonne to be base and she her selfe neuer to be maried vnto the king Now forasmuch as we haue hitherto entred mention of Elfleda and Editha also of Wlfrede and Dunstane here would not be let passe to speake something of their lying miracles falsly forged to the great seductiō of christen people by superstitious Monkes who cared not what fables and lyes they brought into the church so they might haue the vantage of poore mens purses and oblations And first here commeth in the fabulous myracles wrought at the tombe of Elfleda the kings concubine which W. Malmesb. in these verses expresseth Nam nonnullis passa annis morborum molestiam Defecatam excoctam Deo dedit animam Functas ergo vitae futo beatas exuuias Infinitis clemens signis illustrauit Deltas Inopes visus auditus si adorant tumulum Sanitati restituti probant sanctae meritum Rectum gressum refert domum qui accessit loripes Mente captus redit sanus boni sensus locuples The English of which verses is needelesse here to bee recited Briefly the effect is this That both the blynde deafe halte
Cum itaque in nostra nunc habeatur potestate ipse semper tua molestauit turbationis operam praestiterit ea quae praemisimus nobilitati tuae insinuare curauimus scientes ea dâ—â—ectioni tuae beneplacita existere animo tuo vberrimam importare laetitiam Datum apud Ritheountum V. Kalendas Ianuar. King Richard thus being traiterously taken and sold to the Emperor by the duke of Austrige for 60000. marks was there kept in custodie a yeare ano iii. monethes In some stories it is affirmed that K. Richard returning out of Asia came to Italy with prosperous winde where hee desired of the pope to be absolued froÌ„ an othe made against his will and could not obtaine it And so letting out from thence toward England passing by the couÌ„try of Conradus the Marques whose death he being slaine a little before was falsely imputed by the French king to the king of England and there traiterously was taken as is before saide by Limpoldus Duke of Austrige Albeit in an other story I find the matter more credibly set forth which saith thus that king Richard slewe the brother of this Limpoldus playing with him at chesse in the french kings court And Limpoldus taking his vauntage was more cruel against him and deliuered him as is â—aid to the Emperor In whose custody he was deteined during yâ— time aboue mentioned a yere and 3. months During the which time of the kings endurance the French king in the meane season stirred warre in Normandy And Erle Iohn yâ— kings brother made stir and inuaded England but the barons and bishops of the lande mightely wtstode him And besieged him in the Castell of Windsore where they tooke from him all the castels munitions which before hee had got Thus the Erle seeing no hope to preuaile in England suspecting the deliuerance of the king his brother made in to France kept with the French king At length it was so agreed and concluded with the Emperor that K. Rich. should be released for 14000. pounds Of the which mony part should remaine to the duke of Austrige the rest shuld be the Emperors The summe of which money was here gathered made in England of chalices crosses shrines candlesticks and other church plate also with publik contribution of friers abbeis and other subiectes of the realme Wherof parte was presently paid for the residue remaining hostages and pledges was taken which was about the 5. yeare of his raigne And then it was obtained of the Pope that priestes might celebrate with chalices of latin and tinne And so was granted continued long after which mine author in his Chronicle entituled Eulogium doeth testifie himselfe to haue scene At what time this foresayde mony was paid and the hostages geuen for the ransom of this king I haue an old storie that saith how the foresaide duke of Austrige shortly after was plagued by God with v. sondry plagues First with burning of his chief towns Secondly with the drowning of x. M. of his menne in a floud happening no man could tell how Thirdly by turning all the eares of his corne field into wormes Fourthly by taking away almost all the Nobles of his lande by death Fiftly by breaking his own legge falling from his horse which leg he was compelled to cut off with his own hands after died vpon the same Who then at his death is said to forgeue K. Richard 50000. Markes sent home the hostage that was with him ex varijs Chron. The booke intituled Eulogium before mentioned declareth thus that the sayde Limpoldus Duke of Austrige fell in displeasure with the bishop of Rome and died excoÌ„municate the next yeare after An. 1196. Thus the sayde King Richarde being raunsomed as hath ben declared from the couetous captiuity of the Emperour was restored againe and made his repaire into Englande At whose returne Erle Iohn hys brother resorting to him with humble submission desired to be pardoned of his transgressions To whom king Richard answering againe would God saith he this your trespasse as it dieth with mee in obliuion so it may remaine wyth you in remembraunce And so gentlely forgaue him And after he had againe recouered his holdes and castles caused himselfe to be crowned againe Whych done he made hys power agaynst the French king and draue hym out of Normandy After that he turned his viage against the Welshmen and subdued them The next yeare following which was the 1197. yere of the Lord Philip yâ— french king brake truce made betwene him and king Richarde whereuppon the king was compelled to saile ouer againe to Normandy to withstand the malice of his enemy About which time my story recordeth of one called of some Fulco some say he was the Archbyshop of Roane called Gualter This Fulco being then in England and comming to the kings presence sayde vnto him with great courage boldnes Thou hast O mighty King three daughters very vicious and of euill disposition take good heede of them and betimes prouide for them good husbandes least by vntimely bestowing of the same thou shalt not onely incurre great hurt and damage but also vtter ruine and destruction to thy selfe To whom the king in a rage sayde Thou lying and mocking hypocrite thou knowest not where thou art or what thou sayest I thinke thou art mad or not well in thy wittes for I haue neuer a daughter as all the world knoweth and therefore thou opeÌ„ liâ—r get thee out of our presence To whom Fulco aunswered no and like your grace I lie not but say truth for you haue iii. daughters which continually frequeÌ„t your court and wholy possesse your person and such iii. whoores naughty packes as neuer the like hath bene heard off I meane mischieuous pride gredy couetousnes and filthy luxurity And therfore againe I say O king beware of them and out of hand prouide mariages for them least in not so doing thou vtterly vndoe both thy selfe and all the whole realme The which his wordes the King tooke in good parte with correction of himself confession of the same Wherupon incontinently he called his Lordes and Barons before him vnto whome he declared the coÌ„moning and monition of Fulco who had willed hym to beware of his iii. daughters pride auarice and luxurie with counsel out of hand to marrie them least further discommoditie shoulde ensue both to him and the whole realme whose good couÌ„sell my Lordes I entende to follow not doubting of all your consents therunto Wherefore here before you all I geue my daughter swelling pride to wife to the proude Templars my greedie daughter auarice to the couetous order of the Cistercian Monkes and last of all my filthie daughter luxurie to the riotous prelates of the Churche whom I thinke to be very meete men for her and so seuerally well agreeing to all their natures that the like matches in this our Realme are not to be found for
him agayn with great successe felicitie and long raigne In so much the he beyng yong as he was playing at Chesse with a certayne souldior of his sodainly hauing no occasion geuen rose vp and went his way who was not so soon voyded the place but incontinent fel down a mighty stone from the vawt aboue directly vpon that place where he sate able to haue quashed him in peeces if he had caried neuer so little more In the proseruation of whome as I see the present hand and mighty prouidence of the huing God so in the kinges order agayne I note a fault or error worthy of reprehension For that he receiuing such a liuely benefite at the hand of the liuing Lord going therefore on pilgrimage to walsingham gaue thanks not only to our Lady but rather to a rotten blacke Ibidem Of the gentle nature of this couragious prince sufficient proofe is geuen by this one example that what time he being in hys desport of hauking chaunced sharpoly to rebuke the negligence of one of his gentlemen for what fault I cannot tell about his hauke the gentleman being on the other side of the riuer hearing his manassing wordes was glad as he sayd that the riuer was between them with this answer the couragious bloud of this Prince being moued vppon present hear he leaped straight into the floud both a swift streame and of a dangerous deepnesse and no lesse hard in getting out Notwithstanding either forgetting his owne life or neglecting the daunger present but hauing a good horse ventreth his own death to haue the death of his maÌ„ At length with much difficultie recouering the bank with his sword drawn pursueth his prouoker Who hauing not so good an horse and seeing himselfe in daunger of taking reineth hys horse submitteth his necke vnder hys hande to strike The prince whose feruent stomack the water of the whole riuer could not quench a little submission of his man did so extinct that the quarrel fell his anger ceased and his sword put vp without any stroke geuen And so both returned to theyr game good friendes agayne Auesb. Nich. Triuet In the first beginning of his raigâ—e this Kyng had much adoe in Wales where he had diuers conflictes wyth the welshmen whom at last he subdued cut down theyr woodes suppressed rebellions vanquishing theyr kings Lewline and his brother ordeined his eldest sonne Edward borne in the same Countrey to be Prince of Wales This Lewline Captayne of the welshmen here mentioned rebelling agaynst king Edward asked counsayle by way of coniuration what euent should come vpon his attempt To whom it was tolde that he should goe forward boldly for doubtlesse he should ryde thorough Chepeside at London with a crowne on his head Whiche so came to passe For he being slayne hys head was caried through Chepe with a Crowne of siluer to London bridge whereby men may learne not to seeke nor stick to these vayne prophesies which though they fall true yet are but the traynes of the deuill to deceyue men About this time was a great earthquake and suche a rotte that consumed a great multitude of sheep in the land through the occasion as they say of one scabbed shepe that came out of Spayne The king returning from Wales to England ordred certayne new lawes for the wealth of the realme Among many other this was one that authoritie was geuen to all Maiors Bailiâ—es other officers to see execution and punishment of all Bakers making bread vnder the sise with pillory Of Milners stealing corn with the tumbrel c. And within two yeares after the statute of Mortinayne was first enacted which is to meane that no man should geue vnto the Churche any landes or rentes without a speciall licence of the king About which tyme also being the 7. yeare of his raigne 297. Iewes for mony clipping were put to execution In whiche same yeare began first the foundation of the blacke Friers by Ludgate And the towne of Bosten was greatly wasted the same yeare with fyre The halfepeny and farthinges began first to be coyned the selfe tyme which was the 8. yeare of hys raygne The great conduit in Chepe began the fourth yeare after to be made anno 1248. And the yeare next following the newe worke of the Churche of Westminster begon as is afore premonished in the thyrd yeare of Henry 3. was finished whiche was 66. yeares in edifiyng the Iewes were vtterly banished this Realme of England the same tyme for whiche the commons gaue to the kyng a fifteene anno 1291. After that the country of Wales was brought in a full order and quiet by the hewing downe of the woodes and casting down the old holdes and building of new whiche all was brought to perfect end about the 24. yeare of thys kings reigne then ensued an other broile as great or greater with Scotland to the great disquiet of the king and the realme of England many yeares after This trouble first began by the death of Alexander king of Scots who dyed without issue left aliue behinde him Although Fabiane in that 7. booke of hys Chronicle affirmeth that he left 3. daughters the eldest maryed to sir John Bailol the secoÌ„d to Robert Bruce the thyrd to one Hastinges But this in Fabian is to be corrected as which neyther standeth with it selfe is clearely conuinced by the witnes and history of Rob. Auel bury and also 〈◊〉 Giâ—burne For first if king Alexander had left his eldest daughter marked to Syr Iohn Bailol then what coÌ„trouersie might rule among the Lords about succession needing so diligent and anxious deciding by the king of England Secondly what clayme or title could the king of Norway haue to the crowne of Scotland which was one of the chalengers claiming the sayd crowne in the behalfe of Margaret the nece of the forsayd king Alexander her graunfather if the eldest daughter of the father had heue left aliued Thirdly what can be more playn when by the affirmance of the foresaid story is testified that K. Alexander had 2. wiues Of the second whereof he had no issue Of the first had two Children Alexader which died before his father and Margaret maried to the kyng of Norway whiche died also before her Father of whom came Margaret the â—ece of Alexander and daughter to the king of Norway afore mentioned And the also dyed in the iourny betweene Norway and Scotland the fourth yeare after the decease of her grandfather Wherfore as this matter standeth most cleare so let vs now returning froÌ„ whence we digressed prosecute the rest that foloweth After that AlexaÌ„der thus as is said departed without issue also Margaret his â—iece in Norway was deceased the matter came in a great doubt among the nobles of Scotland especially 12. by name to whome the right of the crowne should next pertayne After much variaunce among parties at length the election
noted and accused of Nicromancie wrote a booke in purgation of himselfe intituled de Innocentia sua Also an other booke intituled Contra vulgi superstitiones recorded in Centu 8. Bale cap. 4. Whereupon it is not credible that he which wrote professedly agaynst the superstitions of the people was ouertaken with that filth of Nicromancie himselfe The fourth coniecture because this accusation against the Duches of Glocester Duke Humfries wife began not before but after the grudge kindled betweene the Cardinall of Wint. and Duke Humfrey her Husband An other coniecture may be hereof for that if the Duches had entended any suche haynous treason against the kings life as by burning of a waxe candle to consume him it is not like neyther was there anye such neede that she would haue made so many priuy to such a pernicious coucell as the Witch of Eye M. Rog. Bolingbroke M. Tho. Southwest and Iohn Hume Sixtly it is not to be supposed if anye such hie treason had bene wrought or pretended agaynst the kinges person by these that eyther the Duches should so escape with bearing a taper and banishment or that Iohn Hume shoulde be pardoned hys life the fact being so haynous that neyther any durst aske hys pardon nor if it had bene asked it had not bene like to be graunted To these we may also adde an other supposall rising vpon the wordes and forme of theyr accusation as it standeth in Harding Polychronicon and other moe wherein they were accused for working sorcery and inchantmentes agaynst the church and the king Now what sorcery can be wronght agaynst the church that is the whole multitude of Christians let the reader iudge and by the truth of this consider also the truth of the other which was agaynst the king Furthermore if by this Church is ment the Cardinall of Wint as like it is then it may be coniecturall that all this matter rose of that Cardinall who was then a mortall enemy to the house of Gloucester c. Eightly And that all this was done and wrought by the sayd Cardinall of Wint. the witch concerning Eye maketh the matter the more suspitious seeing that towne of Eye as Fabian witnesseth was neare beside Wintchester and sea of that Byshop Moreouer for so much as Polydore Virgill among other story authors being a maÌ„ as may be supposed rather fauouring the Cardinalls parte then the Dukes made no mention at all touching this treason hys licence therof may minister matter not also to muse but onely to coniecture that he had found something whiche made hym to miststrust the matter Otherwise it is vnlike that he wold haue so mewed vp the matter and passed it ouer without some mention Finally and briefly The frequent practises and examples of other times may make this also more doubtfull coÌ„sidering howe many subtile pretences after like forte haue bene sought and wrongfull accusations brought agaynst many innocent persons For not to repeate the like forgeries agaynst the Lord Cobham and syr Roger Acron c. why may not this accusation of the Duches and Onley be as false as that in the time of king Edward the 5. whiche was layd to the charge of the Queene and Shores wife by the Protectours for inchaunting bewitching of his withered arme which to be false all the world doth know and but a quarell made only to oppresse the life of the L. Hastings the L. standley c. And thus mayest thou see gentle reader according to the wise mans saying Nihil nouú esâ—e sub soleâ— Nihil que dictum quod non sit dictum prius xc Althoughe these with many mo coniectures may be alledged in some part of Defence of this Duches and of her Chaplaines and Priestes yet because it may be not vnpossible againe the matter laide against them to be true I leaue it therfore at large as I finde it saying as I saide before that if it be true which the stories say in this matter thinke I beseech thee gentle Reader that I haue saide nothing hereof Onely because the matter may bedisputable and not vnpossible to be false I haue but moued thereof a questioÌ„ and brought my coniectures leauing the determi natioÌ„ and iudgement hereof to thy indifferent and free arbitrement And if M. Cope be so highly offended with me because in my first edition of Actes and Monumentes I durst name the Lady Eleanor Cobham and Roger Onely let him take this for a short auÌ„swer because my leisure serueth not to make long braules with him that if I had thought no imperfectioÌ„s to haue passed in my former editioÌ„ before I would neuer haue taken in hand the recognition thereof now that secoÌ„d time wherby to sponge away such motes as I thought would seeme great stombling blockes in suche mens walkes which walke with no charitie to edefie but with malice to carpe and reprehend neither admonishing what they see amisse in others neither tarying while other men reforme themselues finally finding quarels where no great cause is iustly geuen And here an end with M. Cope for this time Forsomuch as in the processe before mentioÌ„ was touched concerning the grudge betweene the Cardinall calâ—ed the rich Cardinal of Wintchester and the good duke Humfrey duke of Glocester the kings vncle and protector of that realme order of story now requireth to open some parte of that matter more at large Wherein this first is to be vnderstand that long before great flames of grudge and discorde did burst out betweene these two For as the noble hart of the Duke could not abide the proud doinges of the Cardinall so much againe the Cardinall in like maner sore enuied disdayned at the rule of the Duke of Glocester Notwithstanding by the meanes of the Duke of Bedford the brasting out betweene them was before appealed cured yet not so but that vnder imperfect amitie priuy hatred as sparcles vnder the imbers did still remaine So that the Cardinal ioyning with the Archbishop of Yorke attempted many thinges of their owne presumption contrary to the consent not onely of the king being then vnder age but also of the protectour gouernor of the realme Wherwith the Duke like a true harted prince being not without iust cause offended declared in writing to the king certaine complaintes contained in 21. Articles wherein the Cardinall and Archbishop had transgressed both against the king his lawes The tenour whereof more at large is in other stories expressed the briefe abstract therof followeth in a short summarie here to be seene ¶ Certaine pointes or articles obiected by the Duke Humfrey against the Cardinall of Winchester FIrst complayned to his soueraigne Prince his right redoubted Lord duke Humfrey his vncle and protector of the realm that the bishop of Winchester in the dayes of his father king Henry the 5. took vppon him the state of a cardinall being denyed
the part of K. Richard whome all good men hated as he no otherwise deserued The king hauing perfect knowledge the Earle to be encamped at Tamworth embatled himselfe in a place neare to a village called Bosworth not farre from Leicester appointing there to encounter with his aduersaries Here that matter lay in great doubt and suspense concerning that Lord Stanley which was the Erles father in law had maryed his mother to what part he would encline For although his hart went no doubt with the Earle had secret conference with him the night before yet because of his sonne and heyre George Lord Straunge being then in the hāds of king Richard least the king should attempt any preiudiciall thing against him durst not be seene openly to goe that way where in hart he fauoured and therefore closely kept himselfe betweene both till the push came that hys helpe might serue at a pinch The number of the Erles part exceeded not to the one halfe of the side of king Richard When the time and the place was appointed where the two battailes should encounter and ioyne together fore stripes and great blowes were geuen on both sides and many slayne If number multitude might gouerne the successe of battaile king Richard had double to the erle But God is he not man that geueth victorye by what meanes it seemeth to his diuine prouidence best In what order and by what occasion this field was wonne and lost the certain intelligence we haue not certainly expressed but onely by the historye of Polydore Vergile whom sir Thomas More doth follow word for word In the which history it doth appeare that as these 2. armies were coupling together king Richard vnderstanding by his espials where the earle of Richmond was and how he was but slenderly accompanied and seeing him to approch more neare vnto him he rather caryed with courage then ruled with reason set spurres to the horse and raunging out of the compasse of hys ranckes pressed toward the Erle setting vppon him so sharpely that first he killed sir William Brandon the Erles standard bearer father to the Lord Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke thē after ouerthrew sir Iohn Cheny thinking likewise to oppresse the Erle But as the Lorde by his secret prouidence disposeth the euent of all thinges as the earle with his mē about him being ouermatched began to dispayre of victory sodeinly oportunely came syr William Stanley with 3. thousand well appointed able men whereby king Richardes men were driuen backe he himselfe cruelly fighting in the thick of his enemies was there slaue brought to his confusion and death which he worthely deserued In the meane time the Earle of Oxford who had the guiding of the forewarde discomfited the forefrunt of king Richards hoast and put them to flight in which chase many were slayne of noble men especially aboue other Iohn Duke of Northfolke Lord Ferrers sir Richard Radcliffe and Robert Brakenbury Lieutenaunt of the Tower c. Lord Thomas Haward Earle of Surrey there submitted himselfe and although he was not receaued at first to grace but long remayned in the Tower yet at length for his fidelitie was deliuered and aduanced to his recouered honour and dignitie againe This king Richard had but one sonne who shortly after the cruell murder of king Edwardes sonnes was taken with sicknes and died The wife of the sayd king Richard whether by poyson or by sickenes dyed also a little before the field of Bosworth After whose decease the storie of Polydore of sir Tho. More affirmeth that he intended himself to mary the Lady Elizabeth his own brothers daughter and so to preuent the Earle of Richmond Moreouer as touching the Lord Stanley thus reporteth the story that king Richard being in Bosworth fielde sent for the Lord Stanley by a purseuaunt to auaunce forward with his company and come to hys presence otherwise he sware by Christes passion that he would strike off his sonnes head before dinner The L. Stanley sent word agayne that if he did he had more sonnes aliue Wherupō the kyng immediately commaunded the Lord Strange to be beheaded which was the very time whē both y◠armies were within fight were ready to ioyne together Wherfore the kinges counsailers pondering the tyme and the case perswaded the king that it was now time to sight not to doe execution aduising him to delay the matter tyll the battail were ended And so as God would king Richard breaking hys othe or rather keeping hys othe for he hymselfe was slayne before dyner the Lord Straunge was cōmitted to be kept prisoner within the kinges tente who then after the victory gotten was sought out and brought to his ioyfull father And thus haue ye the tragicall life and end of this wretched king Richard Henry the Erle of Richmond after harty thankes geuen to almighty God for hys glorious victorye obteined proceeded to the towne of Leicester where was brought to him by the Lord Straunge the Crowne and put on the Earles head In the meane time the dead corpes of king Richarde was shamefully caried to the towne of Leicester being naked and despoyled to the skinne being trussed behinde a purseuaunt of armes was caryed like a hog or a dog hauing his head armes hanging on the one side of that horse and the legges on the other side all sprincled with myre bloud And thus ended the vsurped reign of king Richard who reigned two yeares and two monthes Ex Polydo Thom. Moro. King Henry the vij WHen king Henry by the prouidence of God had obtayned this triumphant victory Diademe of the realme first sending for Edward Plantaginet Earle of Warwicke sonne to George Duke of Clarence committing him to safe custody w e in the tower frō Leicester remoued to Lōdon not long after according to his oth promise made before espoused to him the yong Ladye Elizabeth heyre of the house of Yorke whereby both the houses of Yorke and Lancaster were conioyned together to the no little reioysing of all English hartes no lesse quyet vnto the realme which was an 1485. This king reigned 23. yeares and 8. monthes and being a Prince of great pollicie iustice and temperance kept his realm in good tollerable rule order And here interrupting a little the course of our Englishe matters we will now the Lord willing enter the story aboue promised of Maximilian the Emperour matters of the Empire especially such as pertayneth to that Church Maximilian Emperour IN the yeare of our Lord. 1486. Fridericus waxing aged and partly also mistrusting the hartes of the Germayns who had complained before of theyr greuances and could not be heard and therfore misdoubting that hys house after his decease should haue the lesse fauour amonge them for that cause in hys life tyme did associate hys sonne Maximilian to
his mynd molested his vnderstanding did not fayle him as it is the maner of men to do but out of the aboundance of his hart his mouth did speake And feruent charitie did appeare in his words as kindled sparcles He said O crosse most welcome and long looked for with a willing mynde ioyfully and desirously I come to thee beyng the Scholer of him which did hang on thee Because I haue bene alwayes thy louer and haue coueted to embrace thee So beyng crucified he yelded vp the Ghost and fell on sleepe the day before the Calendes of December Mathew otherwise named Leui first of a Publicane made an Apostle wrote his gospell to the Iewes in the Hebrue tongue as recordeth Eusebius lib. 3.24.39 lib 5. cap. 8. cap. 10. Also Iraeneus lib 3. cap. 1. Item Hieronymus in Catalogo script Ecclesiast concerning the doings and decreementes of this blessed Apostle and Euangelist diuers things bee recorded by Iulius Africanus vnder the pretensed name of Abdias Also of Vincentius Perionius and others but in such sort as by the contents may greatly be suspected the matter not to lacke some craftie forgerie for the more establishment of latter decretals and Romish doctrine as touching merites consecration of Nunnes the superstitious prescription of Lent fast not onely in abstainyng from all fleshmeates but also from all matrimoniall copulatiō betwene man and wife during the said tyme of holy Lent Item the straight prohibition not to taste any bodily sustenance before the receiuing of the Lordes supper In ordaining of Masse and that no Nunne must marry after the vowe of her profession with such other like Ioan de Monte Regali testifieth of Mathias that after he had preached to the Iewes at length he was stoned beheaded Some other record that he died in Ethiopia Philippus the holy Apostle after he had much laboured among the barbarous nations in preaching the worde of saluation to them at length he suffered as the other Apostles did in Hierapolis a citie of Phrygia being there crucified and stoned to death where also he was buried his daughters also with him Isido * Of Iames the brother of the Lord thus we read in the story of Clement and Egesippus AFter that Festus had sent the Apostle Paul vnto Rome after his appellatiō made at Caesaria that the Iewes by the meanes thereof had lost their hope of performing their malicious vow against him conceiued they fel vpon Iames the brother of our Lord who was bishop at Ierusalem against whom they being bent with like malice brought him forth before them and required him to denye before all the people the faith of Christ. But he otherwise then they all looked for freely and with a greater constancie before all the multitude confessed Iesus to be the sonne of God our Sauiour and our Lord. Wherupon they not being able to abide the testimonie of this man any longer because he was thought to be the iustest among all for the highnes of deuine wisedome and godlinesse which in liuing he declared they killed him finding the more opportunitie to accomplish their mischiefe because the kingdom the same tyme was vacant For Festus being dead in Iewrie the administration of that prouince was destitute of a ruler and a deputie But after what maner Iames was killed the words of Clement do declare which writeth that he was cast doune from the pinacle of the temple and being smitten with the instrument of a Fuller was slain but Egesippus which liued in the tyme next after the Apostles describeth this cause diligently in his fift Commentarie after this maner as followeth Iames the brother of our Lord tooke in hand to gouern the Church after the Apostles beyng counted of all men from the tyme of our Lord to be a iust and perfect man Many and diuers other Iameses there were beside him but this was borne holy from his mothers wombe he dronke no wine nor any strong drinke neither did he cate any liuing creature the rasor neuer came vpon his head he was not annointed with oyle neither did he vse bathe to him onely was it lawfull to enter into the holy place neyther was he clothed with woollen cloth but with silke and he onely entred into the temple falling vpon his knees asking remission for the people so that his knees by ofte kneling lost the sence of feeling being benumined hardened like the knees of a Camell He was for worshipping God and crauing forgiuenes for the people called iust for the exceliencie of his iust life named Oblias which if you do interprete it is the sauegard and iustice of the people as the Prophets declare of him therefore when as many of the heretikes which were among the people asked him what maner of dore Iesus should be he aunswered that he was the Sauiour Wherof some do beleue him to be Iesus Christ but the aforesaid heretikes neither beleue the resurrection neither that any shall come which shal render vnto euery man according to his workes but as many as beleue they beleued for Iames cause When as many therefore of the Princes did beleue there was a tumult made of the Scribes Iewes and Phariseis saying it is daungerous least that all the people do looke for this Iesus as for Christ therfore they gathered themselues togither sayd vnto Iames We beseech thee restrain the people for they beleue in Iesus as though he were Christ. We pray thee perswade them all which come vnto the feast of the Passeouer of Iesus for we are all obedient vnto thee and all the people do testifie of thee that thou art iust neither that thou doest accept the person of any man therefore perswade the people that they be not deceiued in Iesus and all the people and we will obey thee therfore stand vpon the piller of the temple that thou mayest be seene from aboue and that thy wordes may be perceiued of all the people for to this passeouer all the tribes do come with all the countrey And thus the forenamed Scribes and Phariseis did set Iames vpon the battlements of the Church and they cried vnto him and sayd thou iust man whom all we ought to obey because this people is led after Iesus which is crucified tell what is the dore of Iesus crucified and he aunswered with a great voyce what do you aske me of Iesus the sonne of man seeyng that he sitteth on the right hand of God in heauen and shall come in the cloudes of the skie But whō many were persuaded of this they glorified God vpon the witnes of Iames and sayd Osanna in the highest to the sonne of Dauid Then the Scribes and the Phariseis sayd among themselues we haue done euill that we haue caused such a testimony of Iesus But let vs go vp and let vs take him that they being compelled with feare may deny that faith And they cried out saying O O this iust man also is seduced and
and thieues like vnto himselfe against the Church But the Apostle renting his garmēts and with great lamentation said I haue lett a good keper of my brothers soule Get me a horse and let mee haue a guide with me which being done his horse and man procured hasted from the Churche as much as he could and comming to the same place was taken of theeues that watched But he neyther flying nor refusing sayd I came for this same cause hither lead me sayd he to your captayne So he being brought the captaine all armed fiercely begā to looke vpon him And eftsoones comming to the knowledge of him was stroken with confusion and shame and began to flie But the olde man followed him as much as he might forgetting his age and crying My sonne why doest thou flie from thy father an armed man from one naked a yong man from an olde man Haue pitie on me my sonne and feare not for there is yet hope of saluation I will make an answer for thee vnto Christ I will dye for thee if neede be as Christ hath died for vs. I will giue my life for thee beleeue me Christ hath sent me He hearing these things first as in a mase stood still and therewith his courage was abated After that he cast downe his weapons by and by he trembled yea and wept bitterly and comming to the old man embraced him and spake vnto him with wepyng as well as he could beyng euen then baptised a fresh with teares only his right hand beyng hid and couered Then the Apostle after that he had promised and firmly ascertained him that he should obtain remission of our Sauiour and also prayed falling downe vpon his knees kissed his murdering right hand which for shame he durst not shew before as now purged through repentaunce brought him to the congregation and when he had prayed for him with continuall prayer and daily fastings and had comforted and confirmed his mynde with many sentences went not from him as the author reporteth before he had restored him to the congregation againe and made him a great example and triall of regeneration and a token of the visible resurrection Moreouer the foresayd Irenaeus in Lib. 3. cap. 3. and Eusebius Lib. 3. cap 28. and Lib. 4. cap. 14. prosecuting the historie of Iohn declare in these wordes saying that there were certaine which heard Policarpus say that Iohn the disciple of our Lord goyng into Ephesus to be washed seyng Corinthus within he leaped out of the bathe vnbathed because he feared the bathe should haue fallen seing that Cerinthus an enemy to the truth was within Such feare had the Apostles saith Irenaeus that they would not communicate a word with them that adulterate the truth And forasmuch as we are here in hand with the story of Iohn the blessed Euangelist commeth in matter and occasion not geuē by him but takē of other of a great doubt and difficulty such as hath occupied all the Catholike subtile illuminate and seraphicall Doctors of the Popes Catholike Church these 500. yeares The difficultie is this that for so much as auricular confession hath bene is yet receiued in the Popes Catholike Church for an holy and necessary Sacrament extending vniuersally to al singular creatures Christian. Here then riseth a question who was our Ladies confessour or ghostly father But that is decreed and confessed with full consent of all the Catholikes to bee S. Iohn Whosoeuer denieth or doubteth of this is straight wayes ipso facto an heretike This then so determined ariseth an other question or doubt that seeyng our Lady was without all originall sinne and also actuall or mortall what need then had she of any Confessour or what should she confesse vnto him For if she had confessed any sinne when she had none then had she made herselfe a lyer so had sinned in deede Here therefore gentle Reader in this perplexitie these our illuminate Doctours stād in neede of thine ayde to helpe at a pinch Magnus Albertus the great diuine denieth not but that she in deede although most pure yet was confessed to her ghostly father to keepe the obseruances of the law appointed for such as had that neede which she had not And therfore sayth he necessary it was that she should confesse with mouth But then here is to be asked what did she say in her confession when she had nothing to confesse To this Albertus aunswereth agayne and telleth vs plainely what she sayd in her confessiō which was this that she had receiued that great grace not ex condigno that is not of any dignitie of her own but yet notwithstanding of congruitie And this was it sayth Albert that she sayd in her confession Albert cap. 74. super Euang Missus est c. Moreouer to helpe this case out of all doubt commeth in famous Thomas of Watring thus looseth the knot much after like effect saying that as Christ although he did owe nothing to the law yet notwithstanding receiued he Circumcision to geue to other example of humilitie and obedience In like maner would our Lady shew her selfe obedient to the obseruaunce of the law albeit there was no cause why she had any neede thereof And thus hast thou gentle Reader this doubtful questiō mooued and soluted to the intent I would reueale to thee some part of the deep diuinitie of our Catholike Maisters that haue ruled and gouerned the Church in these their late Popish dayes But breaking of this matter to returne againe where we left that is to this foresayd 2. persecutiō vnder Domitianus In which persecution besides these afore mentioned and many other innumerable godly Martyrs sufferyng for the like testimonie of the Lord Iesus was Flauia the daughter of Flauius Clemens one of the Romaine Consuls which Flauia with many other was banished out of Rome into the Isle Pontia for the testimony of the Lord Iesus by the Emperour Domitianus Euseb. Lib. 3. This Domitianus feared the comming of Christ as Herode did therefore commaunded them to be killed which were of the stocke of Dauid in Iewry There were remaining aliue at that tyme certayne of the Lordes kindred which were the nephewes of Iude that was called the Lordes brother after the flesh These when the Lieuetenāt of Iewry had brought vp to Domitian to be slayn the Emperour demaunded of thē whether they were of the stocke of Dauid which when they had graūted he asked againe what possessions and what substaunce they had They aūswered that they both had no more betweene them in all but xxxix acres of grounde how they gat their liuing sustained their families with the hard labours of their hādes shewing forth their hands vnto the Emperor being hard and roughworne with labours to witnes that to be true which they had spoken Then the Emperour inquiring of them concerning the kingdome of Christ what maner of kingdome it
saide to be byshop of Alexandria so lykewise vntrue it is that Helenus was bishop of Hierapolis For by Eusebius it appeareth Lib. 7. cap. 5. alleadging the words of Dionysius that he was bishop of Tarus in Cilicia and had there ouersight of that Church from the tyme of our Lorde 254. to the yeare 274. The vj. yeare of Valerianus and Galienus we read in the story of Herfordiensis cited out of Isuardus of Victor and Victorinus who lying in prison the space of three yeares with Claudianus and Bossa his wife are sayde to haue sustayneâ— great tormentes and Martyrdome for the testimony and name of Christ. Ex. luardo Aurelius Prudentius in his booke intituled Peristephanon inferreth mention of Fructuosus Byshop of Tarracona in Spaine who with his two Deacons Augurius and Eulogius suffered also Martyrdome being burned after syxe daies imprisonment vnder the foresaid Emperours in this persecution The cause of their punishment was for the profession of Christs name Their Iudge and condemner was Emilianus Their imprisonment indured sixe dayes The kinde of death ministred vnto them was fire wherin they being altogether cast with their armes bound behind them their bandes as Prudentius writeth were dissolued their hands vntouched with the fire and their bodies remayning whole The charge of this Iudge vnto the Byshop was this that he would worship the Gods whome the Emperour Galienus worshipped To whom Fructuosus the byshop aunswering nay sayde he I worship no dombe God of stockes and blockes whom Galienus doth worship but I worship the Lord and maister of Galienus the Father and creator of all times and his onely Sonne sent downe to vs of whose flock I am here the Pastor and shepeherd At this worde Emilianus aunswering agayne Nay saith he say not thou art but say thou wast And forthwith commaunded them to be committed to the fyre where as is sayd their bandes and manicles being loosed by the fire they lifted vp their hands to heauen praysyng the liuing God to the great admiration of them that stode by praying also that the element which seemed to fle from them might worke his full force vpon them spedely dispatche them which was after their request obtained In the meane space as they were in the fire there was a certayne Souldier in the house of Emilianus who did see the heauens aboue to open and these foresayd Martyrs to enter in the same which souldiour likewise shewed the sight the same time vnto the daughter of Emilianus the president who beholding the same sight with the souldiour was a present witnesse of the blessednesse of them whom her cruell father had condemned As thys godly Byshop was preparyng to his death sayth Prudentius the brethren approching to him brought him drinke desiring him with much weeping to receaue drinke with them but that he refused to do requiring theÌ„ moreouer to refrayne their teares With like readines the brethen also were diligent about him to pluck of his shoes hose as he was addressing himselfe to the fire But neyther would he suffer any seruaunts helpe in that wherein he was no lesse willing as able to helpe himself And thus this blessed and fruitefull byshop Fructuosus with his twoo Deacons Augurius and Eulogius beyng brought to the fire witnessed the constant confession of the name of christ with the shedding of their bloude Aurel. Prudentius Ado. Equilinus And thus farre continued wicked Valerian in his tyranny against the Saintes of Christ. But as all the Tyrauntes before and oppressors of the Christians had theyr deserued reward at the iust hand of God which rendreth to euery man according to his workes so this cruel Valerian after he had reigned with his sonne Galienus the terme of vj. or vij yeares and about two yeares had afflicted the Church of Christ felt the iust stroke of his hande whose indignation before he had prouoked whereof we haue to witnes Eutropius Pollio Sabellicus Volateranus For making hys expedition agaynst the Persians whether by the fraude and treason of some about him or whether by his owne rashnes it is doubtfull But this is certayne that he fell into the handes of hys enemies being about the age of lxx yeares where he led hys wretâ—hed age in a more wretched captiuitie In so much that Sapores the king of the Persians vsed him and well worthy not for his ryding foole but for hys riding blocke For whensouer the king should light vpon hys horse openly in the sight of the people Valerian Emperour quondam was brought forth in steede of a blocke for the king to tread vpon hys backe in goyng to hys horsebacke And so continued this blockishe butcherly Emperour with shame and sport inough vnto his finall end as witnesseth Laetus and Aurelius Victor And albeit Eusebius in a certaine Sermon to the Congregation declareth a more cruell handling of him affirming that he was slaine writing in these wordes Sed tu Valeriane quoniam eandem homicidiorum saeuitiam erga subditos Dei exercuisti iustum Dei iudicium declarasti dum captiuus ac vinctus vna cum ipsa purpura ac reliquo imparatorio ornatu abductus ac tandem a Sapore Persarum Rege excoriari iussus saleque conditus perpetuum infaelicitatis tuae trophaeum erexisti c. That is and thou Valerian for so much as thou hast exercised the same crudelitie in murdering the subiects of God therfore hast proued vnto vs the rightuous iudgement of God in that thy selfe hast bene bound in chaynes and caryed away for a captiue slaue with thy gorgeous purple and thy imperiall attire and at length also beyng commaunded of Sapores king of the Persians to be slayne and poudred with sault hast set vp vnto al men a perpetuall monument of thine owne wretchednes c. Euseb. The like seueritie of God his terrible iudgement is also to be noted in Claudius his PresideÌ„t and minister of his persecutions Of which Claudius Henricus de Erfordia thus writeth that he was possessed and vexed of the deuill in such sort that he byting of his owne tongue in many small peeces so ended hys life Erford Neither did Galienus the sonne of Valerian after the captiuitie of hys father vtterly escape the righteous hand of God For beside the miserable captiuitie of hys father whom he could not rescue such portentes straunge out of the course of nature such Earthquakes did happen also such tumultes commotions and rebellions did followe that Trebellio doth recken vp to the number of 30. together which in sundry places all at one time tooke vpon them to be tyrantes and Emperours ouer the Monarchie of Rome by the meanes whereof he was not able to succour hys father though he would Notwithstanding the sayd Galienus beyng as is thought terrified by the exaÌ„ple of his father did remoue at least did moderate the persecutioÌ„ stirred vp by the Edictes of Valerian hys father directing forth hys
and innumerable multitudes and congregations assembling together in euery citie and the notable coÌ„curses of such as dayly â—locked to the common Oratoures to pray For the which cause they beyng not able to be conteined in their old houses had large and great churches new builded from the foundation for them to frequent togither In such increasement saith Eusebius by processe of tyme did the church of christ grow and shout vp daily more and more profiting and spreading through all quarters which neithâ—r enuie of men coulde infringe nor any deuill could inchaunte neither the craftie policie of mans wit coulde supplant so long as the protection of God his Heauenlye arme went with his people keeping them in good order according to the rule of christian life But as commonly the nature of al men being of it selfe vnruly and vntowarde alwaies secketh desireth prosperity and yet can neuer wel vse prosperitie alwaies would haue peace and yet hauing peace alwaies abuseth the same so here likewise it happened with these meÌ„ which through this so great libertie prosperitie of life began to degenerate languishe vnto idlenes delycacy one to worke spite and coÌ„tumely against an other striuing and contending among theÌ„selues for euery occasioÌ„ with railing wordes after most despitefull maner bishops against bishops and people against people mouing hatred and seditioÌ„ one against an other besides also cursed hipocrisie and simulation with all extremity encreasing more and more by reason wherof the iudgemeÌ„t of god after his wonted maner whilist yet the congregatioÌ„ began to multiply began by a litle and litle to visite our men with persecution fallyng first vpon our brethreÌ„ which were abroad in warfare but wheÌ„ that toucht the other nothing or very litle neither did they seeke to appease gods wrath call for his mercy but wickedly thinking with ourselues that god neither regarded nor would visit our transgressions we heaped our iniquities daily more and more one vpon an other they which semed to be our pastors refusing the rule of piety were inflamed with mutual contentions on against an other and thus whilest they were giuen onely to the studye of contentions threatnings emulations mutual hatred dyscord euery man seeking his owne ambition and persecuting one another after the maner of tirany Then then I say the Lord according to the voice of Ieremy tooke awaye the beauty of the daughter of Sion the glory of Israell fell downe from heauen neither did he remember the footstoole of his feete in the day of his wrath And the Lorde ouerturned all the comely ornaments of Israell destroyed all her gorgeous buildings and according to the saying of the Psalme subuerted and extinguished the Testament of his seruaunt and prophaned his sanctuary in destruction of his churches and in laying wast the buildinges thereof so that all passingers spoiling the multitude of the people they were made an obloquie to al the dwellers about For he hath exalted the strength of his enimies and turned away the helpe of his sword from her nor ayded her in the battayle but ceased from the purging of her and her seate He stroke downe to the ground and deminished her daies and ouer all this poured vppon her confusion All these things were fulfilled vpon vs when we saw the temples rased from the top to the ground and the sacred scriptures to be burnt in the open market place and the Pastours of the church to hide themselues some here some there some other taken prisoners with great shame were mocked of their enimies wheÌ„ also according to the saying of the prophet in an other place Contempt was poured out vpon the Princes and they caused to goe out of the waye and not to keepe the straite pathe The x. Persecution BY reason whereof the wrath of God being kindled against his church ensued the tenth and last persecucion against the christians so horrible and greeuous that maketh the pen almost to tremble to writ vpon it so tedious that neuer was any persecution before or since comparable to it for the time it continued lasting the space of tenne yeares together This persecution although it passed thorow the handes of diuers tyrantes and workers moe then one or two yet principally it beareth the name of DioclesiaÌ„ who was Emperour as is aboue noted next after Carus Numerianus Thys Dioclesian euer hauyng an ambitious minde aspired greatly to be Emperour To whom Druas his Concubine sayd that first he should kill a wilde Boore before he should be Emperour Hee taking effect at these wordes vsed much with handes to kill wylde Boores but seeing no successe to come thereof vsed this prouerbe Ego Apros occido alius pulpamento fruitur that is I kill the Boores but other doe eate the fleshe At length the sayde Dioclesian beyng nominate to be Emperour and seeyng Aper who had killed Numerianus the Emperour standing thereby sware to the souldiers that Numerianus was wrongfully killed and forthwith runing vpon Aper with his sworde slew him Vopisc After this he being stablished in the Empire and seeing on euery side diuers and sundrie coÌ„motions rising vp against him which he was not well able himselfe to sustaine in the first beginning of his raign he chuseth for his Colleage Maximianus surnamed Herculius Father of Maxentius Which two Emperours because of diuers warres that rose in manye prouinces choose to theÌ„ two other noble men Galerius Constantinus whome they called Caesars Of whome Galerius was sent into the East partes against the Persians Constantinus was sent ouer to Britannie to this our country of England to recouer the tribute Where he toke to wife Helena the daughter of king Coil which was a maiden excelling in beautye and no lesse famously brought vp in the study of learning of whome was borne Constantinus the great All this while hitherto no persecution was yet stirred of these 4. princes against the church of Christ but quietlye and moderatly they gouerned the common wealth wherfore accordingly God prospered their doings and affaires and gaue them great victories Dioclesian in Egipt Maximinian in Aphricke and in Fraunce Galerius in Persia Constantinus in England and in Fraunce also By reason of which victories Dioclesian and Maximian puâ—te vppe in pride ordeyned a solemne triumph at Rome after which triumph Dioclesian gaue commaundement that he woulde be worshipped as God saying that he was brother to the Sunne and Moone and adourning his shooes with golde and precious stones commaunded the people to kysse hys feete And not long after by the iudgement of God for certaine enormities vsed in the church aboue touched began the great and greuous persecution of the Christians moued by the ragious cruelty of Dioclesian which was about the nyneteenth yeare of his rayne who in the Moneth of Marche when the feast of Easter was nye at hande commaunded all the churches
words the Eunuch forthwith brasting out in teares laying away his courtly apparell which was sumptuous costly putting vpon him a blacke and mourning weede sitteth before the court gates weping and bewailing thus saying with himselfe wo is me wyth what hope wyth what face shall I looke hereafter for my God which haue denied my god wheÌ„ as this Symeon my familiar acquantance thus passing by me so much disdaineth me that he refuseth with one gentle word to salute me These things being brought to the â—ares of the King as such tale cariers neuer lacke in Princes courtes procured against him no litle indignation wherupon Sapores the king sending for him first with gentle words courtly promises began to speake him faire asking him what cause he had so to mourne whether there was any thing in his house which was denied him or which he had not at his owne will and asking Whereunto Vsthazares aunswering againe saide That there was nothing in that earthly house which was to him lacking or wheruÌ„to his desire stod Yea would god said he O king any other grief or calamitie in al the world whatsoeuer it were had happened vnto me rather theÌ„ this for the which I do most iustly mourne and sorrow For this sorroweth me that I am this day aliue who should rather haue died long since that I see this sonne which against my hart and mynde for your pleasure disseÌ„blingly I appeared to worship for which cause doublewise I am worthy of death First for that I haue denied Christ. Secondly because I did dissemble with you And incontinent vpon these wordes swearing by him that made both heauen earth affirmed most certainly that although he had plaied the foole before he would neuer be so mad againe as in steede of the creator and maker of all thinges to worship the creatures which he had made and created Sapores the king being astonied at the so sodaine alteration of this man and doubting with hym selfe whether to be angry with those inchaunters or with him whether to intreat him wyth gentlenes or wyth rygour at length in this moode commaunded the sayde Vsthazares his old auncient seruaunt and first Tutor brynger vp of his youth to be had away and to be beheaded as he was going to the place of execution he desired of the executioners a lyttle to staye whyle he myght sende a message vnto the king which was this sent in by certayne of the kings most trusty Eunuches desiring him that for all the old and faythfull seruyce he had done to his Father to him he would now requite him with thys one office agayne to cause to bee cryed openlye by a publike cryer in these wordes followyng that Vsthazares was beheaded not for any trechery or cryme committed against the king or the Realme but onelye for that hee was a Christyan and woulde not at the Kinges pleasure denye hys God And so accordyng to hys requeste it was performed and graunted For thys cause dyd Vsthazares so much desire the cause of hys death to be publyshed because that as his shrynking backe from Christ was a great occasion to manye Christians to doe the lyke so nowe the same hearing that Vsthazares dyed for no other cause but only for the religion of Christ shoulde learne lykewyse by hys example to bee feruente and constaunt in that which they professe And thus thys blessed Eunuch dyd consummate hys Martyrdome Of the which hys Martyrdome Symeon hearing being in pryson was very ioyfull and gaue god thanks Who in the nexte daye followyng being brought foorth before the Kyng and constantly refusyng to condescende to the Kynges request to worshyp visible creatures was lykewyse by the commaundement of the Kyng beheaded wyth a great number mo whithe the same daye also did suffer to the number as is sayd of an hundreth and more All whiche were put to death before Symeon he standing by and exhortyng them wyth comfortable wordes admonishing them to stande fyrme and stedfast in the Lord Preachyng and teachyng them concernyng death resurrection and true pietye and prooued by the Scryptures that to be true which he had sayde Declaryng moreouer that to be true lyfe in deede so to dye and that to be death in deede to deny or to betray God for feare of punishment And added further that there was no man alyue but needes once must dye For so much as to all men is appoynted necessarelye here to haue an ende But those thyngs which after this lyfe followe hereafter to bee eternall which neyther shall come to all men after one sorte But as the condition and trade of lyfe in dyuers men doth dyffer and is not in all men like so the tyme shall come when all men in a moment shall render and receaue accordyng to theyr dooynges in thys present lyfe immortall rewardes such as haue here done well of lyfe and glory such as haue done contrary of perpetual punishment As touching therefore our well doyng here is no doubte but of all other our holy actions and vertuous deedes there is no hyer or greater deede then if a man here loose his lyfe for hys Lord God Wyth these wordes of comfortable exhortation the holye Martyrs beyng prepared willyngly yeelded vp their liues to death After whom at last followed Symeon with two other Priestes or Mynisters of his Church Abedecalaas and Ananias which also wyth him were pertakers of the same Martyrdome At the sufferyng of those aboue mentioned it happened that Pusices one of the Kynges offycers and ouerseer of hys Artificers was there present who seeyng Ananias beyng an aged olde Father somwhat to shake and tremble at the syght of them that suffered O Father sayde he a lyttle moment shut thyne eies and be strong and shortly thou shalt see the sight of God Upon these words thus spoken Pusices immediately was apprehended brought to the King Who there confessing himselfe constantly to be a Chrystian and for that he was very bould and hardy before the king in the cause of Christs faith was extremely and most cruelly handled in the execution of his Martyrdome For in the vpper part of hys necke they made a hole to thrust in theyr hande and pluckt out hys tongue out of hys mouth and so he was put to death At the which time also the daughter of Pusices a godly virgine by the malicious accusation of the wicked was apprehended put to death The next yeare followyng vpon the same day when the Christians did celebrate the remembraunce of the Lords passion which wee call good Frydaye before Easter as wytnesseth the sayde Zozomenus Sapores the king directed out a cruell and sharpe Edict throughout al his land condemning to death all them whosoeuer confessed themselues to be Christians By reason whereof an innumeble multitude of Christians through the wicked procuring of the malignant Magitians suffered the same tyme
against them not onely here in Britayne but through all parts of Christendome by the Heathen infidels In so much that in the persecution onely of Dioclesian Maximinian raigning both together within one moneth xvij thousand martyrs are nūbred to haue suffered for the name of Christ as hath bene hetherto in the booke before sufficiently discoursed Thus therefore although the foresayd Lucius the Britaine king through the mercifull prouidence of God was then Christened and the gospel receaued generally almost in all the land yet the state thereof as wel of the Religion as of the common wealth coulde not be quiet for that the emperors nobles of Rome were yet infidels enemies to the same but especially for this cause the cause so happening that Lucius the Christen king died without issue for therby such trouble variance fel amōg the Britaines as it happeneth in al other Realmes namely in this our Realme of England when soeuer succession lacketh that not onely they brought vpon them the Idolatrous Romaines at length the Saxons but also in wrapped them selues in suche miserie and desolation as yet to thys day amongest them remayneth Such a thyng it is where a Prince or a King is in a kingdome there to lacke succession as especially in this case may appere For after the death of Lucius when the Barons and Nobles of the land could not accord wtin themselues vpon succession of the crowne stept in the Romaines got the crowne into their owne hands wherupon followed great misery and ruine to the realme for sometimes the Idolatrous Romaines sometimes the Britaynes raigned and ruled as violence and victorie would serue one king murderyng an other till at length the Saxones came and depriued them bothe as in processe hereafter followeth to be seene In the meane season touching the story of king Lucius here is to be reproued the fable of some wryters falsely faining of him that he shoulde after hys Baptisme receaued put of all his kingly honor and forsake the land be made a preacher who after long trauaile in preaching and teaching in Fraunce in Germany in Augusta in Sueuia at length was made Doctor and Rector of the Churche of Cureak where as this fable sayeth he suffered Martyrdome But this phātasie of whomsoeuer it first did spring disagreeeth from all our English stories Who with a full consent do for the most part cōcord in this that the said Lucius after he had foūded many Churches and geuen great riches and liberties to the same deceased with great tranquillitie in his owne lande and was buried at Glocester the 14. yeare after his Baptisme as the booke of Flores Historiarum doeth counte which was the yeare of our Lorde as he sayeth 201. and reckeneth his conuersion to be An. 87. In some I finde hys decease to be the fourth in some the tenth yeere after his Baptisme and holde that he raigned all the space of lxxvij yeares and thus much concerning king Lucius Now to proceede in order of the storie briefly to touch the state of the foresaid land of Britayne betwene the time of king Lucius and the entring of the Saxones who were the kings thereof and in what order they succeeded or rather inuaded one after an other this Catalogue heere vnder written will specifie Kinges of Britaine from the time of Lucius till the cōming of the Saxons Lucius a Britayne Seuerus a Romaine Bassianus a Romaine by the father Cerausius a Britayne Alectus a Romaine Asclepiodotus a Britayne Coilus a Britayne Constantius a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the Mother named Helena who being the daughter of Coel maryed to Constantius father of Cōstantinus is said to make the walles first of London also of Colchester muche about the yere of the Lorde 305. and borne in Britayne Octauius a Gewissian Maximinianus a Romaine borne but hys mother a Britaine Gratianus a Romaine Constantinus a Britayne by the mother Constans a Romaine by the father Votigerus a Gewissian or Bri. Vortimerus a Brit. Vortigernus againe By this table may appere a lamentable face of a common wealth so miserably rent and diuided into two sortes of people differing not so much in coūtrey as in religion For when the Romaines raigned so were they gouerned by the Infidels When the Britaynes ruled so they were gouerned by Christians Thus what quietnesse was or could be in the Church in so vnquiet and doubtful dayes it may easely be considered Albeit notwithstanding al these foresayd Heathen rulers of the Romaines which here gouerned yet God be praised we read of no persecution during all these x. persecutiōs aboue mentioned that touched the christian Britaynes before the last persecution onely of Dioclesian and Maximianus Herculius whych here then exercised much crueltie Thys persecution as it was the last among the Romane Christians so it was the first of many diuers that followed after in thys Churche and Realme of England wherof we will here after intreate Christ willing as order of the matter shall leade vs. In the meane tyme this rage of Dioclesian as it was vniuersally through all the churches in the world fierce vehement so in this realme of Britayne also it was so sore that as all our English Chronicles do testifie and recorde all Christianitie almost in the whole land was destroied Churches were subuerted all bookes of the Scripture burned many of the faythfull both men and women were slaine Among whom the first and chiefe was Albanus then Iulius Aaron and Amphibalus Of whome sufficiently hath bene sayde before What were the other or howe many they were that suffered beside stories make no rehearsall And thus much therof Nowe as concerning the gouernement of these aboue named kinges of Britayne although I haue little or nothing to note which greatly appertaineth to the matter of this Ecclesiasticall hystorie yet this is not to be past ouer first how in the order of these kings commeth Constantinus the great worthy Emperor not onely a Britayne borne by hys mother Helina being kyng Coilus daughter but also by the helpe of the Britaynes army vnder the power of God whych the sayde Constantine tooke wyth hym out of Britain to Rome obtained with great victory peace and tranquilitie to the whole vniuersall Church of Christ hauing iij. legions with him out of this realme of chosen able soldiors Wherby the strēgth of the lād was not a litle impaired indangered as afterward in this story foloweth After him likewise Maximian following his steppes tooke wyth him also as stories recorde all the power and strength whych was left and whatsoeuer he could make of able and fighting men to subdue Fraunce besides the garrisons whych he had out wyth him before sending for mo to the number of C.M. souldiors at once to be sent to hym out of Britayne into Fraunce At whych time also Conanus his partener being then in Fraunce sent ouer
for virgins from Britaine to the number of xi M. who with Vrsula the Prince Dionets daughter being shypped ouer many perished in the sea some were taken of the infidels marching vppon the borders wyth whome because they wold not be polluted all were destroyed being miserably dispersed some one way some an other so that none escaped Thus poore Britayne being left naked and destitute on euery side as a maimed body wtout myght or strength was left open to hys enemyes not able to succour it selfe without helpe of forreine friendes To whome they were then constrained to flie especially to the Romains to whō the Britaynes sent this worde or message Aetio ter Consuli gemitus Britannorum Repellunt nos Barbari ad mare Repellit nos mare ad Barbaros Hinc oriuntur duo sunerum genera quia aut iugulamur aut submergimur But the Romains then began to forsake them whereby they were in nearer danger to be oppressed by Gwanus and Melga had not Gwetelinus the Archbyshop of London made ouer to lesser Britayne and obtayning theyr helpe had brought Constantinus the kings brother to rescue his countrey against the infidels Thys Constantinus was brother to Aldroenus king of litle Britayn and father to Constans Aurelius Ambrosius Vter who after raigned kings in Britayne Thus by the meanes of the good Archbyshop and Constantinus the state of the Religion and Realme of Britayne was in some meane quiet safetye during the time of the sayd Constantine and of the good Archbishop But as the Realme of Britayne almost from the beginning was neuer without ciuill warre at length came wicked Vortigerne who cruelly causing Constans his Prince to be murdred ambitiously inuaded the crowne who then fearing the other two brethren of Constans whych were Aurelius Vter being then in litle Britayne did send ouer for the aide of the Saxons being then infidels and not onely that but also maried with an infidell the daughter of Hengist called Rowen Whereupon the sayde Vortigerne not long after by the sayd Hengist and the Saxones was with like trayterie dispossessed of his kingdome the people of Britayne driuen out of their countrey after that the Saxons had slaine of their chiefe Nobles Barons at one meeting ioyning together subtiltie with crueltie to the number of CC.lxxi some stories say CCCC lx This wicked acte of the Saxones was done at Almisbury or at a place called Stonehenge by the monument of which stones there hanging it seemeth that the noble Britaynes there were buried This fabulous Storie of the Welshemen of brynging these stones from Ireland by Merlyn I passe ouer Some storyes record that they were slaine being bid to a banket other do say that it was done at a talke or assembly where the Saxons came with priuie kniues contrary to promise made with the which kniues they geuing a priuie watch-word in their Saxones speache neme your sexes slewe the Britaynes vnarmed and thus farre concerning the historie of the Britaynes As this great plague could not come to the Britaynes without Gods permissiō so Gildas sheweth in hys Chronicle the cause thereof wryting thus Quòd Britones propter auaritiam rapinā Principum propter iniquitatem iniustitiam Iudicum propter desidiam praedicationis Episcoporum propter luxuriam malos mores populi patriam perdidisse c. A description of England as it was deuided in the Saxones time into vij kingdomes The entring and raigning of the Saxons THis was the comming in first of the Angles or Saxones into this realme being yet vnchristened and infidels which was about the yeare of our Lord as William Malmesbury testifieth CCCC lxix the Captaines of whō were Hengistus and Horsus Although the sayd Hengist and Saxones at their first comming for all their subtile working and cruell attempt had no quiet setling in Britayne but were driuen out diuers times by the valiantnesse of Aurelius Ambrosius and his brother Vter aboue mētioned who raigned after that among the Britaynes yet notwtstanding they were not so driuen out but that they returned againe and at length possessed all driuing the Britaynes such as remained into Cambria whych we call nowe Wales Hengistus as some Chronicles recorde reigned 43. yeares and died in Kent Galfridus in suo Britannico sayeth that he was taken in warre by Aurelius Ambrosius and beheaded at Coningesburgh after he had raigned xxxix yeare After the death of Hengist hys sonne Osca raigned xxiiij yeres leauing his sonne Octa to whose reigne with hys sonne Ymenricus hystories doe attribute liij yeares who also were slaine at length by Vter Pendragon Polichroni Lib. 5. cap. 4. The Saxones after they were setled in the possession of England distributed the Realme among themselues first in seuen partes euery part to haue his king that is The first to be the king of Kent The second to be king of Sussex and Southerye holding hys Palace at Cicester The thirde king was of Westsexe The fourth king of Essex The fift king was of the Eastangles that is of Cambridgeshire Northfolke and Southfolke The vj. king of Merceland or Mercia and in his kingdome were cōteined the Countesses of Lincolne Leycester Huntyngdon Northampton Orford Darby Warwike c. The vii king had all the countries beyond Humber and was called king of Northumberland Of these seuen kingdomes although they continued not long but at length ioyned all in one comming all into the possession subiection of the Westsaxons yet for the space they cōtinued which was with continuall trouble warres among themselues thys is the race and order of them as in this Table particularly followeth to be seene A Table describing the seuen kingdoms of the Saxons raigning here in England IN the tyme of Vortiger aboue mentioned began the raigne of the Saxons in this land the which comming out of 3. sortes of the Germaine people to witte the Saxons the Intes and Angles replenished the land of them called now Anglia Of whom first Hengistus raigned in Kent which countrey of Kent he had obtayned by Rowen his daughter of king Vortiger which was about the yeare of our Lord as some doe count 476. or as I finde in the computation of our English Tables 456. in some 463. After Hengist came in Octha with Eosa or Ysse his kinsman who afterward succeeded the sayd Hengist in Kent Not long after came in an other company of the Saxons with Elle their Captaine which planted themselues in Southsexe And after them agayne an other garrison of the Saxons with Cerdice their Captain which did occupy the West part of the land called by them Westsaxon And so likewise the other multitude of the Saxōs after them which as yet beyng vnchristened and Infidels deuided the whole land among themselues into vij kingdoms as in this Table followeth 456. ¶ The Kings of Kent with the yeares how long they raigned Kent Hengistus slaine 31   Eosa or Ysse 24
Vortiperius Malgo. Carecius Here is to be vnderstand that these Britaine kings aboue mentioned did not so raign here in this land frō the time of Vortigerne that they had the full possession and gouernement ouer all the whole realme but only ouer parcels or partes such as by force of armes they could either hold or win from the Saxons which cōming in daily and growing vpon thē did so replenish the land with multitudes of them that the Britains at lēgth were neither able to hold that which they had nor to recouer that which they lost Leauing exaple to al ages countreis what it is first to let in forreine nations into their dominion but especially what it is for Princes to ioyne in mariage with infidels as this Vortiger did with Hengistus daughter which was the mother of al this mischief geuing to the Saxons not only strēgth but also occasion and courage to attempt that whych they did Neyther was this vncōsidered before of the Britaine Lords and Nobilitie who worthely being therew t offended iustly deposed their king inthroned Vortimerus hys sonne in his roume By the which Vortimer being a punāt prince the Saxons were then repulsed and driuen againe into Germany where they stayed a while till the death of Vortimer whome Rowen daughter of Hengistus caused traiterously to be poysoned Then Vortiger being again restored to his kingdome through the entreatie of Rowen hys wife sent into Germanie againe for Engist who eftsoones making his returne came in wyth a name of 300. shippes wel appointed The Nobles of Britain hearing this prepared them selues to the contrary side in all forceable wise to put them of But Engist through Rowen hys daughter so laboured the king excusing himselfe and saying that he brought not the multitude to worke any violence eyther against him or against his coūtrey but only thinking that Vortimer had yet bene aliue whom he minded to impugne for the kings sake and to take hys part And nowe for so much as he heareth of the death of Vortimer hys enemie hee therefore committeth both himselfe his people to his disposition to appoint how few or how many of thē he wold to remaine within his land the rest should returne And if it so pleased the King to appoynt day place where they might meete and talke together of the matter both he and his would stande to such order as the king with his counsaile should appoynt With these faire words the king and his nobles wel contented did assigne to them both day place which was in the towne of Ambry where he ment to talke with them adding thys condition with all that eche part shoulde come without any maner of weapon Engist shewing him selfe well agreed thereto gaue priuy intelligence to his side that eche man should cary with him secretely in his hose a long knife with their watch worde also geuen vnto them whē they should draw their kniues wherwith euery Saxon shoulde and so did kill the Britayne wyth whō he talked as is aboue declared The Britaine Lords being slayne the Saxons tooke Vortigerne the King and bound him for whose ransome they required to be deliuered to them the Cittie of London Yorke Lincolne Winchester with other the most strongest holdes within the lande whych being to them graunted they begin to make spoile hauocke of the Britaine nation destroying the Citizens plucking downe Churches killing vp the Priestes burning the Bookes of the holy Scripture leauing nothyng vndone that tyrannie could worke whych was about the yeare of our Lorde 462. The King seeing thys miserable slaughter of the people fled into Wales This whyle Aurelius Ambrosius Vter Pendragon brethren to king Constans aboue mentioned whō Vortigerne wickedly caused to be killed were in little Britayne To whome the Britaynes sent woorde desiring theyr ayde in helping their countrey Aurelius vnderstanding the wofull state of the Realme speedeth hym ouer to satisfie their desire and to rescue what in him was their necessitie Who at his first commyng eftsoones being crowned for theyr king seeketh out wicked Vortigerne the cause of all thys trouble and murder of king Constās hys brother And finding him in Wales in a strong tower wherein he had immured him selfe setteth hym and his castell on fire That done he moued his power against the Saxons with whom and wyth Elle Captaine of the Southsaxons who then was newly come ouer he had diuers conflicts Our English old Chronicles make record that Horsus the brother of Engist was slaine before in the time of Vortimer The same also doe recorde that thys Engist was taken prisoner in the fielde fighting against Aurelius Ambrosius who then cōsulting with his Nobles and Barons what was to be done with him the Byshop of Glocester called Eldadus standing vp gaue this counsaile saying that 〈◊〉 all men would deliuer him yet he with his owne hāds wold cut him in peeces alleaging the exāple of Samuel against Agag King of the Ameleches taken by King Saul in the field whome the sayde Samuel caused to be cut in peeces Euen so saith he do you to this Agag here that as he hath made many a woman widow and without childrē so his mother mai be made this day of him likewise And so was Engist taken out of the Citie by Eldo Consull or Maior of Glocester and there was beheaded if truth or credit be to be geuen to these our old Britaine stories wherof I haue nothing certainly to pronoūce but that I may suspect the truth therof which was about the yeare of our Lord. 490. Henr. Hunting Galfr. cum alijs A certaine auncient written history I haue in Latine compiled in the .xiiij. yeare of king Richard the seconde and by him caused to be writtē as the title declareth whych because it beareth no name of the author I cal it by the name of him of whom I borowed thys booke wyth many other likewise without name Historia Cariana This hystorie recordeth that Hengistus dyed in Kent the xxxii yeare of hys raigne which if it be true then is it false that he was taken at Cunynburgh and slaine in the North. Thys Aurelius Ambrosius before mentioned is thought of Polidorus Vergilius citing the authoritye of Bede to descende of the stocke of the Romaines whych as it is not vnpossible to be true so this is certaine by the full accord of al our old wrytten stories that both the sayde Aurelius and his brother Vter Pendragon being the sonnes of Constantinus brother to Andoenus king of litle Britaine were nursed and brought vp in England in their tender age and instructed by Gultelinus Archbyshop of London and after the murder of Constans their elder brother were conueied from hence to litle Britaine whereby it is manifest that they were borne in thys land and though their father were a Romaine as Polydorus pretēdeth yet lyke it is that they were Britains borne and
to saue himselfe beyng promised also of his friendes to bee safely conueyed awaye if he would thereto agree To whome Edwyne said whether shall I flee which haue so long fleene the handes of myne enymies through all prouinces of the Realme And if I must nedes be slayne I had rather that he should doe it then an other vnworthy person Thus he remayning by himselfe alone solitarie sitting in a great study there appeared vnto him sodainely a certaine straunger to hym vnknowne and saide I knowe well the cause of thy thought and heauines What wouldest thou giue him that should deliuer thee out of this feare should recoÌ„cile king Redwald to thee againe I woulde gyue him saide Edwyne al that euer I coulde make And he saide agayne And what if he make thee a mightier king then was anye of thy Progenitours Hee aunswered againe as before Moreouer saith he and what if hee shewe thee a better kind and way of life then euer was shewed to any of thine aunceters before thee wilt thou obey him doe after his counsell yea said Edwyne promising most firmely wyth al his hart so to do TheÌ„ he laying his hand vpon his head when said he this token hapneth vnto thee then remember this time of thy tribulation the promise which thou hast made and the word which now I say vnto thee And with that he uanished out of his sight sodainely After this so done as Edwyne was sitting alone by him selfe pensiue and sad his foresaid friend which moued him before to fle commeth to him bidding him be of good chere for the hart said he of king Redwaldus which had before intended thy destruction was nowe altered through the counsell of the Queene and is fully bent to keepe his promise wyth you whatsoeuer shall fall thereupon To make the story short Redwaldus the King although Fabian following Henry Huntyngton saith it was Edwyne with al conuenient speed assembled an host wherwith he sodainly comming vpon Ethelfride gaue battaile vnto him aboute the borders of Mercia where Ethelfryde king of Northumberlande also with Reyner Redwaldus sonne was slaine in the fielde By reason wherof Edwyne his enimies now being destroyed was quietly placed in the possessioÌ„ of NorthumberlaÌ„d All this while yet Edwyne remained in his old Paganisme albeit his Queene being as is aboue declared king Ethelbertes daughter a Christen woman with Paulinus the byshop ceased not to stirre and perswad the king to christian fayth But he taking counsell with his nobles and counsellers vpon the matter was hard to be wonne Then the Lord who desposeth all things after his purpose to bring al good things to passe sent an other trouble vpon him by meanes therof to cal him For by affliction God vseth coÌ„monly to call them whom he wil saue or by whom he wil worke saluation vnto other So his diuine wisdome thinketh good to make them first to knowe themselues before they come to know him or to teach him to other so it was with Paule who was striken downe before hee was lyfted vp with Constantinus Edwynus and many moe Howe long was Ioseph in prison before he bare rule How hardly escaped this our Queene nowe being Queene Elizabeth by whoÌ„ yet notwithstanding it hath pleased god to restore this his gospel now preached amongst vs In what conflictes and agonies inwardly in his spirite was M. Luther before he came to preach the iustification of Christ openly And so be all they most commonlye which come to anye liuely feeling or sensible working of Christ the Lord. But to returne to Edwyne againe The occasion of hys trouble was this Quicelinus with Kynegilsus his brother Kings of Westsaxons as aboue is mentioned in the table of the Saxon kings conspiring the death of Edwyne now king of Northumberland vpon enuy and malice sent vpon an Easter day a swordman named Emner priuelye to slay the said Edwyne This swordman or cutthrote came to a Citie beside the water of Darwent in Darbishire there to waite his time and lastly founde the king smallye accompanied and inteÌ„ded to haue runne the kiâ—â— through with a sword inuenemed But one Lilla the kinges trustye seruaunt disgarnished of a shield or other weapon to defeÌ„d his maister start betwene the king the sword and was strikeÌ„ through the body and died and the king was wouÌ„ded with the same stroke And after he wounded also the third which was a knight so was taken and confessed by whom he was sent to worke that treason The other knight that was secondly wounded died and the king lay after long sicke or he were healed After this about whitsontide the king being scantlye hole of his wounde assembled his host intending to make against the king of westsaxons promising to Christ to be Christened if he would giue him the victory ouer his enimies And in token therof caused his daughter borne of Edelburge yâ— same Easter day when he was wouÌ„ded named Eufled to be baptised with xij other of his familye of Paulinus Thus Edwyne proceded to the battel against Quicelne and Kynegilsus with his sonne Kenwalcus and other enimies who in the same battell being al vanquished put to flight Edwyn through the power of Christ returneth home victorer But for all this victory other things gyuen to him of God as he was in wealth of the worlde forgat his promise made and had little mind therof saue only that he by the preaching of Paulinus forsoke his maumentry And for his excuse saide that he might not clearly deny his olde lawe which his forefathers had kept so long and sodeinly to be Christened without authority and good aduise of his counsaile About the same season Pope Boniface the 5. sent also to the sayd Edwyne letters exhortatory wyth sundrye presentes from Rome to him and to Edelburge the Queene But neither would that preuaile Then Paulinus seyng the king so hard to be conuerted poured out his praiers vnto God for his coÌ„uersion who the same time had reuealed to him by the holy ghost the oracle aboue mentioned which was shewed to the King when hee was with Redwaldus king of the Eastangles Wherupon Paulinus comming afterward to the king on a certaine day and laying his haÌ„d vpon the kings head asked him if he knew that tokeÌ„ The king hearing this remembring wel the token was ready to fall downe at his feete But Paulinus not sufferyng that did lift vp hym againe saying vnto him behold O king you haue vanquished your enimies you haue obteined your kingdome now performe the third which you haue promised that is to receaue the faith of Christ and to be obedient to him Wherupon the king conferryng with his Counsell his nobles was baptised of the said Paulinus at Yorke with many of his other subiectes with hym Insomuch that Coyfi the chiefe of the Prelates of his olde maumentry armed him selfe wyth hys other Idolatrous Bishops and bestrode
of euery fire house a peny to be payd through his whole land as king Iue in his dominion had done before Also he gaue grauÌ„ted yearely to be payd to Rome 300 markes that is to the mainteining of the light of S. Peter C. markes to the light of S. Paul C. markes to the vse of the Pope also an other hundreth This done returning home through Fraunce maried their Iudith the daughter of Carolus Caluus yeâ—reÌ„ch king whom he restored afterward contrary to the lawes of Westsaxons to the title and throne of a Queene For before it was decreed among the Westsaxons by the occasion of wicked Ethelburga who poisoned Brigthricus her owne husband that after that no kinges wife there should haue the name or place of a Queene And forsomuch as I haue here entred into the mention of Iudith daughter of Carolus Caluus the occasion thereof putteth me in memory here to insert by the way a matter bone although not in this Realme yet not impertinent to this ecclesiasticall history And first to deduct the narration hereof from the first originall The father of this Carolus Caluus whose name was Ludouicus first of that name called Pius king of Fraunce had two wiues whereof by the first he had iij. sonnes Lothary Pipin and Lewys Which iij. sonnes vnnaturally and vnkindly coÌ„spiring against their father and his second wife with her sonne their youngest brother persecuted him so that through a certaine councell of Lordes spirituall and temporall they deposed the same their naturall and right godly father dispossessing and discharging him of all rule and dominion Moreouer caused him to renounce his temporal habite inclosing him in the Monastery of S. Marke for a monke or rather a prisoner All which done they deuided his Empire and kingdome among themselues Thus was Ludouicus Pius of impious sonnes left desolate But the power of God whiche worketh when all earthly power ceaseth of hys deuine mercy so ayded and recouered him out of all this tribulation to this Imperial dignitie agayne that it was to all his enemyes confusion and to all good men a miracle But this by the way By his 2. wife whose name was Iudith he had this Charles the Bald here mentioned Which Iudith was thought and so accúsed to the Pope to be within such degree of aliance that by the Popes law she might not continue hys wife without the popes dispensation It so fell out in the meane time that this Ludouicus the Emperour had promoted a young man named Frederick to be Bishop of Utrickeâ—and to hym had geuen sad and good exhortation that he remembring and following the constancy of his predecessours woulde mayntayne right and trueth without all exception of anye person punish misdoers with excommunication as wel the riche as the poore with such like wordes of godly couÌ„saile Fredericke hearing the king thus to say sitting at dinner with him as the manner was beyng newly inuested in these words answered to the Emperor again I thanke your maiestie saith he which with your so wholesome exhortation putteth me in mind of my profession But I beseech you of your benigne fauour patience that I may freely disclose that which hath long encombred and pierced my conscience To whoÌ„ leaue being geuen thus he began I pray you Lord Emperor to shew me herein your mynd pointing to the fish before him whether is it more according to attain this fish here present beginning first at the head or at the taile What a tale is this quoth the Emperor of the taile of the head At the head quoth he Then Frederike taking thereof his occasion proceedeth Euen so let it be Lord Emperour sayth he as you haue sayd Let Christian fayth and charitie first begin with your selfe as with the head admonishing you to cease froÌ„ your face and error that your subiects by your example be not boldned to follow your misdoing Wherefore first forsake you your vnlawful wedlock which you haue made with Iudith your neare kinswoman These wordes of the new Bishop although they moued Ludouicus the Emperor not a litle yet he with a gentle modestie and modest silence was contented suffring the bishop to go home in peace But the word beyng vttred in such an audience could not so be concealed but spread and brast out in much talke in the whole court and especially among the Bishops consultyng earnestly with themselues about the matter Through whose counsail and labour so at length it fell that the Emperour was constrained to leaue the company of his wife till hee had purchased a licence of the bishop of Rome to retaine her again who then forgaue the said bishop all that was past But the woman hired two knights that slew him in hys vestimentes when he had ended his masse Ranulphus and Guliel Libro de pontificib geue forth this story in his great commendation to dye a Martyr Whereof I haue not to iudge nor here to pronouÌ„ce but that rather I think him to be comended in his dying then the women for her killing And for asmuch as mention hath bene made of Ludouicus Pius here is to be noted that in Fraunce then was vied of Priestes and Churchmen precious and shewing vestuce and golden and rich staring girldles with rings and other ornamentes of golde Wherefore the sayd Lewes purchased of the Bishop of Rome a correctioÌ„ for all such as vsed such disordinate apparell causing them to weare browne and sad colours according to their sadnes Fab. Of this Lewes the Papistes doe fayne that because he conuerted certayne of their Church goodes and patrimonie to the wages of his souldiours his body say they was caryed out of his tombe by deuils and was no more seene And thus a little hauing disgressed out of our course now let vs returne out of Fraunce into England agayne kyng Ethelwulfus who comming from Rome by the couÌ„trey of Fraunce was now returned agayne into his own dominion where he continued not long after This Ethelwulfus had especially about him two Bishops whose counsell he was most ruled by Swythinus Byshop of Winchester and Adelstanus Byshop of Syreborne Of the which two the one was more skilfull in teÌ„porall and ciuill affayres touching the kings warres and filling of hys coffers and other furniture for the king The other whiche was Swythinus was of a contrary sorte wholly disposed and enclined to spirituall meditation and to minister spirituall couÌ„cel to the king who had ben scholemaister to the king before Wherein appeared one good coÌ„dition of this kings nature among his other vertues not onely in following the preceptes and aduertisementes of his old schoolemaister But also in that he like a kinde thaÌ„kfull pupille did so reuerence hys bringer vp and old scholmaister as he called him that he ceased not till hee made hym Byshop of Winchester by the consecration of Celnoch then Archbishop of Canterbury But as concerning the miracles
much more despissing this vniust decreement through the onerous and importable transgression of their Pastor should shew themselues disobedient With heauines I was troubled and with compassion for that I doubted how the members of the body should doe their head being so greatly out of frame For what can be more greuous or more to be lameÌ„ted touching the state of the church then for you being the Bishop of the principall seat to whom appertaineth the regiment of the whole church to swarue neuer so little out of the right way Certes in this you haue not a little erred in that you haue gone about to constraine your Clergy to singlenes of life through your imperious tiranny whom rather ye ought to stirre vp to the continency of mariage For is not this to be counted a violence and tiranny to the iudgement of all wise men when a man is compelled by your decrees to doe that which is against the institution of the Gospell and the proceeding of the holy Ghost Seyng then there be so many holy examples both of the olde and new Testament teachyng vs as you know due information I desire your patience not to thinke it greuous for me to bryng a few here out of many First in the olde law the Lord permitteth mariage vnto the Priestes which afterward in the new law we doe not read to bee restrayned but in the Gospel thus he sayth There bee some Eunuches which haue gelded themselues for the kingdome of heauen but all men do not take this word he that can take it let him take it Wherfore the Apostle sayth concerning virgins I haue no commaundement of the Lord but onely I geue counsell Which counsaile also all men do not take as in the commaundement of the Lord before but many there be false dissemblers and flatterers goyng about to please men and not God whome we see vnder a false pretence of continencie to fall into horrible wickednesse Some to lye with their fathers wiues some to bee Sodomites and not to abhorre to play the beastes with bruite beastes And therfore least through the infection of this wicked pestileÌ„ce the state of the Church should too much go to ruine therfore he sayd because of fornication let euery man haue his owne wyfe Touching which saying our false hypocrites falsly do lye faine as though onely it pertayned to the laitie and not to them And yet they themselues seming to be set in the most holy order are not afrayd to abuse other mens wiues and as we see with weeping eyes all they do outrage in the foresayd wickednes These men haue not rightly vnderstanded the Scripture whose brestes while they sucke so hard in stead of milke they suck out bloud For the saying of the Apostle let euery man haue his own wife doth except none in very deede but him onely which hath the gifte of continency prefixing with himselfe to keepe and to continue hys virgine in the Lord. Wherfore O reuerend father it shal be your part to cause ouersee that whosoeuer either with hand or mouth hath made a vowe of continencie and afterward would forsake either should be compelled to keepe his vowe or els by lawfull authoritie should be deposed from his order And to bring this to passe ye shall not onely haue me but also all other of my order to be helpers vnto you But that you may vnderstand that such which know not what a vowe doth meane are not to be violently compelled thereunto heare what the Apostle sayth vnto Timothie A Bishop sayth he must be irreprehensible the husband of one wife Which sentence least ye should turne and apply onely to the Church marke what he inferreth after he that knoweth not sayth he to rule his owne householde and familie how should he rule the Church of God And likewise the Deacons sayth he let them be the husbandes of one wyfe which haue knowledge to gouerne their owne house and children And this wyfe how she is woont to bee blest of the Priest you vnderstand sufficiently I suppose by the decrees of holy Siluester the Pope To these and such other holy sentences of the Scripture agreeth also he that is the writer of the rule of the Clergy writing after this maner A Clarke must be chaste and continent or els let him be coupled in the bandes of Matrimony hauing one wyfe Wherby it is to be gathered that the Bishop and Deacon are noted infamous and reprehensible if they be deuided in mo women then one otherwise if they do forsake one vnder the pretence of Religion both they together as well the Bishop as the Deacon bee here condemned by the Canonicall sentence which sayth Let no Bishop or Priest forsake his owne wife vnder the colour and pretence of Religion If he doe forsake her let hym bee excommunicate And if he so continue let hym bee disgraded Saint Augustine also a man of discrete holynesse sayth in these wordes There is no offence so great or grieuous but it is to auoyd a greater euill Furthermore we read in the second booke of the Tripartite history That when the Councell of Nice goyng about to establish the same decree would enact that Bishops Priests and Deacons after their consecration either should abstaine vtterly from their own wiues or els should be deposed Then Paphnutius one of those holy Martyrs whom the Emperor Maximus had put out the right eie hockt their left legs rising vp amongst the withstood their purposed decreement confessing Mariage to be honourable and calling the bed of matrimony to be chastitie and so perswaded the Councell from making that law declaring thereby what occasion might come to themselues their wiues of fornication And thus much did Paphnutius being vnmaried himself declare vnto theÌ„ And the whole Councell commending his sentence gaue place thereto left the matter freely without coÌ„pulsion to the will of euery man to do therein as he thought Notwithstanding there be some which take S. Gregory for their defence in this matter whose temeritie I laugh at ignorance I lament for they know not being ignorauntly deceiued how daungerously the decree of this heresie was being made of S. Gregory who afterward well reuoked the same with condign fruit of repentaunce For vpon a certaine day as he sent vnto his fishpond to haue fish and did see more then sixe thousand infants heades brought vnto him which were taken out of the same pond or mote did greatly repent in himselfe the decree made before touchyng the single lyfe of Priests which he confessed to be the cause of that so lamentable a murther And so purging the same with condigne fruite of repentaunce altered agayne the things which he had decreed before commending that counsaile of the Apostle which sayth It is better to marry then to â—urne Adding moreouer of himself thereunto and saying It is better to marry then to giue occasion of death Peraduenture if these men
Episcopi mensuram omnes institutae sint exequatae per suâ—m dioecesin Et omne pondus constet secundum dictionem eius si aliquid coÌ„trouersiarum intersit discernat Episcopus Vniuscuiusque Domini proprium est necesse vt seruis condescendat compatiatur sicut indulgentius poterit Quia Domino Deo viuenti sunt aeque chari seruus liber Et omnes vno eodem pretio redemit omnes sumus Deo necessariò serui Et sic iudicabit nos sicut antè iudicauimus eos in quos potestatem iudicij in terris habebimus Et ideo opus est vt eis parcamus qui nobis parere debent tunc manutenebimur in Dei omnipotentis proprio iudicio Amen The sayde Ethelstane besides prescribed other constitutions also as touching tithes geuing where hee sayeth and proclaimeth Ego Ethelstanus Rex consilio Vâ—felmi Archiepiscopi mei aliorum Episcoporum mando praepositis omnibus in regno meo in nomine Domini sanctorum omnium vt inprimis reddant de meo proprio decimas Deo tam in viuente capitali quà m in mortuis frugibus terrae Episcopi mei similiter faciant de suo proprio Aldermanni mei praepositi mei c. That is I Ethelstane King charge and commaund all my officers through my whole Realme to geue tithes vnto God of my proper good as wel in liuing cattel as in the corne and fruites of the grouÌ„d and that my Byshops likewise of their proper goods and mine Aldermen and my officers and headmen shal do the same Item this I wil that my Bishops other headmen doe declare the same to suche as be vnder their subiection that to be accomplished at the terme of S. Iohn the Baptist. Let vs remember what Iacob said vnto the Lord Of all things that thou geuest to me I wil offer tithes vnto the Lord. c. Also what the Lord sayeth in the Gospel of S. Mathewe To him that hath it shal be geuen and he shall abouÌ„d We must also coÌ„sider how terribly it is written in bookes that if we will not offer our tenths from vs ix partes shall be taken away and only the x. part shal be left vs. c. And in the same place after that he hath assigned the Church rightes to be paide in the place whereto they belong it followeth thus Facite etiam vt mihi mea propria cupiatis quae mihi poteritis recté acquirere Nolo vt aliquid mihi iniuste cóquiratis Sed omnia vestra concedo vobis eo tenore quo mihi mea similiter exoptetis Cauete simul vobis eis quos admonere debetis ab ira Dei transgressione mea Among his other lawes ordinances to the nuÌ„ber of xxxv diuers things be comprehended pertaining as well to the spirituall as also to the temporall iurisdiction Out of the lawes of this King first sprang vp the attachement of theeues such as stoale aboue xij pence and were aboue xij yeares old should not be spared And thus much briefly concerning the historie of King Ethelstane things in his time done who reigned about the space of xvj yeares And because he died without issue therfore after him succeeded his brother Edmund the yere of our Lord. 940. who reigned vj. yeares King Edmund EDmund the sonne of Edwarde the elder by his thirde wife as is declared and brother of Ethelstane being of the age of xx yeares entred his raigne who had by hys Queene Elgina two sonnes Edwyne and Edgarus surnamed Pacificus which both reigned after him as followeth This Edmund continued his reigne vj. yeares a halfe By him were expulsed the Danes Scottes Normandes and all foreine enemies out of the land Such Cities and Townes which before were in the possession of strangers as Lyncolne Nottingham Derby Stafforde and Leycetour he recouered out of their hands Thus the realme being cleared of foreine power for a time then the king set his study and mind in the redressing and maintaining the state of the Church which all stoode then in building of Monasteries and furnishing of Churches eyther with newe possessions or with restoring the olde which were taken away before In the time of thys Edmund thys I find in an old written story borowed of W. Cary a citizen of London a worthy treasurer of moste worthy Monuments of antiquitie The name of the author I can not alledge because the booke beareth no title lacking both the beginning and the latter end But the words therof faithfully recited be these Huius regis tempore facta est dispersio Monachorum Eushmensis coenobij cum substitutione Canonicorum per Althelmum Vlricum laicos Osulphum Episcopum c. That is In the time of this King there was a scattering or dispersion made of the Monkes out of the Monastery of Eusham and Canons substituted in theyr place through the doing of Athelmus Ulricus lay men and of Osulfus Byshop c. Where as concerning this matter betwene Monkes and other of the clergie first it is to be vnderstande that in the realme of England heretofore before the time of Dunstane the Byshops seas and cathedrall churches were replenished with no monkes but wyth priestes and canons called then clerks or men of the clergy After this beginneth to rise a difference or a sect betwixt these two parties in straitnesse of life and in habite so that they which liued after a straiter rule of holines were called monkes professed chastitie that was to liue from wiues for so was chastitie then defined in those blinde daies as though holy matrimony were no chastitie according as Paphnutius did well define it in the councel of Nice The other sort whych were no monkes but priests or men of the clergy called liued more free from these monkish rules and obseruances and were then commoÌ„ly or at least lawfully maryed and in theyr life and habite came nearer to the secular sorte of other christians By reason wherof great disdaine emulation was among them in so much that in many Cathedral churches where as priests were before there monks were put in And contrary sometime where as Monkes were intruded there priests and canons againe were placed and monkes thrust out wherof more shal appere here after by the grace of Christ when we come to the lyfe of Dunstane In the meane time something to satisfie the cogitation of the reader which peraduenture either is ignorant or els would know of the first coÌ„ming in of monks into this realme and Church of England in the Saxones time this is to be noted according as I finde in old Chronicles namely in the latine history of Guliel de gestis pontificum Angl. recorded touching the same That about thys time of king Edmund or shortly after when hardnes and straitnesse of life ioyned with superstition was had in veneration and
yeres and halfe til Edwine the eldest sonne came to age This Edrede with great moderation and fidelitie to the young children behaued himselfe during the tyme of his gouernement In his tyme Dunstane was promooted through the means of Odo the Archbishop from Abbot of Glastenbury to be Bishop of Wirceter and after of London By the counsayle of this Dunstane Edrede was much ruled and too much thereto addicted In so much that the sayd Edrede is reported in stories to submit himselfe to much fond penance and castigations inflicted to him of the said Dunstane Such zelous deuotion was then in princes and more blynd superstition in bishops And here agayn is an other miracle as fantasticall as the other before forged of Dunstane That whē that Edrede beyng sicke sent for Dunstane to be hys confessor by the way Dunstane should heare a voyce declaring to him before that Edrede was already departed at the declaring wherof Dunstans horse fel immediately dead vnder hym with lye and all * King Edwine EDwine the eldest sonne of king Edmund afore mētioned after his vncle Edrede began his raigne about the yere of our Lord 955. being crowned at Kingston by Odo the Archbishop of Caunterbury Of this Edwine it is reported of diuers writers that the first day of his coronation sitting with his Lordes brake sodainly from them entred a secrete chamber to the company of a certaine woman whom he inordinately retained being as some say an other mans wife whose husband he had before slayne as other say being of his aliance to the great mislikyng of hys Lordes and especially of the Clergy Dunstane was yet but Abbot of Glastenbury who following the king into the chamber brought him out by the hand and accused him to Odo the Archbishop causing him to be separate from the company of the foresayd partie by the which Odo the king was for his fact suspended out of the Church By reason whereof the king beyng with Dunstane displeased banished him his land forced him for a season to flee to Flanders where he was in the monastery of S. Amandus About the same season the Monasticall order of Benedict Monkes or blacke monkes as they were called began to multiply and encrease here in England In so much that where before tyme other priestes Canons had bene placed there monkes were in their roumes set in and the secular priests as they then were called or Canōs put out But king Edwine for the displeasure he bare to Dunstan did so vexe all the order of the said monkes that in Malmesbury Glastenbury other places mo he thrust out the monkes and set in secular priestes in their stead Notwithstanding it was not long but these priestes and Canons were agayne remooued and the said monkes in their stead restored both in the foresayd houses and in diuers other Churches Cathedrall besides as in the next story of Kyng Edgar Christ willyng shall at more large appeare In fiue kyng Edwine beyng hated by reason of certaine his demeanours of all his subiectes especially the Northumbrians and Mercians was by them remooued from his kingly honour and his brother Edgar in his steade receiued so that the Riuer of Thamis deuided both theyr kingdomes Which Edwine after he had raigned about the terme of foure yeares departed leauing no heyre of hys bodye Wherefore the rule of the lande fell vnto Edgar his younger brother ¶ King Edgar EDgar the second sonne of Edmund and brother to Edwine being of the age of xvj yeares began his raygne ouer the realme of England in the yeare of our Lord 959. but was not crowned till 14. yeares after the causes whereof here vnder follow Christ willing to be declared In the beginning of his raigne he called home Dunstane whome king Edwine before had exiled Then was Dunstane which before was Abbot of Glastenbury made bishop of Worcester then of London Not long after this Odo the Archbishop of Cant. deceaseth after he had gouerned the Church 24. yeares After whom Brithelinus bishop of Winchester first was elected But because he was thought not sufficiēt to furnish the roome Dunstane was ordained Archb. and the other sent home agayne to his old Church Where note by the way how in those dayes the donatiō and assignyng of ecclesiasticall dignities remayned in the kings hand onely they fet their palle frō Rome as a token of the Popes confirmation So Dunstane beyng by the kyng made Archb. tooke hys iourny to Rome for his palle of Pope Iohn the 13. which was about the beginning of the Kings raygne Thus Dunstane obtayning his palle shortly after his returne agayne from Rome entreateth King Edgar that Oswaldus who as is said was made monke at Floriake and was nephew to Odo late bishop of Cant. might bee promooted to the bishoprike of Worcester which thyng to him was granted And not long after through the means of the sayd Dunstane Ethelwoldus whom stories doe fayne to be the great patrone of Monkery first Monke of Glastenbury thē Abbot of Abbendon was also made Bysh. of Winchester Of this Ethelwold Gulielmus libro de gestis pōtificum recordeth that what tyme he was a Monke in the house of Glastenbury the Abbot had a vison of him which was this How that there appeared to him in hys sleepe a certayne great tree the branches wherof extended through out all the foure quarters of the Realme which branches were al couered with many little Monkes coules where in the top of the tree was one great maister coule which in spreading it selfe ouer the other coules inclosed all the rest which maister coule in the tree top myne Authour in the interpretation applyeth to the lyfe of this Ethelwold Of such prodigious fantasies our monkish histories bee full and not onely our histories of England but also the Heathen histories of the Gentiles be stuffed with such kynd of dreames of much like effect Of such a lyke dreame we read of the mother of Ethelstane how the Moone did spring out of her wombe gaue light to all England Also of king Charles the Emperour how he was led by a threed to see the torments of hel Like wise of Furceus the Heremite mentioned in the third booke of Bede who sawe the ioyes of heauen and the 4. fires that should destroy the world the one of lying for breakyng our promise made at Baptism The second fire was of couetous The third of dissention The fourth was of the fire of impietie and wrongfull dealing Item in like sort of the dreame of Dunstane and of the same Ethelwold to whom appeared the three bishops Bristanus Birinus and Swithinus c. Itē of the dreame of the mother of this Ethelwold who beyng great with him did see a golden Egle flee out of her mouth c. Of the dreame likewise or the vision of Kyng Edgar concerning the falling of the two apples and of
of the first institutors and commenders of that superstition Chrysostomus Nazianzenus Euagrius Sozomenus Dionysius and diuers other In the number of these monkes which then were deuided into Herâ—mites or Anachorites and into Coenobites wexe Antonius Paulus Ioannes wyth diuers other recluses Among the which was Hierome Basile Macarius Isidorus Pambus Nilammon Simeon with infinite other both in Palestina Syria Thebaide Mesopotamia in Egypt in Africa and Scythia In so much that Cassianus Lib. 2. cap. 4. de Canon Noctur orat maketh mention of a certaine Monastery in Thebaide wherin were aboue 5000. monks vnder the gouernment of one Abbot And here also in England mention is made before of Bangor wherein were two thousand two hundred Monkes vnder one mans ruling in the yeare of our Lord 596. wherby it appeareth that Monkes were then and 2000. yeares before in the primitiue tyme of the Church But what monks these were is to be considered Such as either by tiranny of persecution were driuen into solitary and desert places or els such as not constrained of any but of their owne voluntary deuotion ioyned with some superstition among for the loue they had to spirituall contemplation and for hatred of the wicked world withdrewe themselues from all company either hauyng nothyng to themselues proper or els all things common with other And all these were then nothing els but lay men Of which lay men there were two sundry sortes one of the vulgare common people which onely were pertakers of the Sacraments the other in folowing a Monasticall kynde of lyfe were called Monkes beyng nothing but lay men leadyng a more seuere and straighter trade of lyfe then the other as may sufficiently appeare by August Lib. de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 13. Item Lib. de operibus Monachorum Item Epistola ad Aurelium Also by Hierome ad Heliodorum writing these wordes Alia Monachorum est causa alia clericorum Clerici pascunt oues ego pascor c. That is One thing pertaineth to Monkes an other thing to them of the Clergy They of the Clergy feede their flocke I am fed c. Et ex Dionysio Also the same appeareth likewise by the 4. Canon of the Councel of Chalcedone where it is prouided Ne Monachi se Ecclesiasticis negocijs immisceant That is That Monkes should not intermedle with matters of the Church c. Et Leo Epistola 62 vetat Monachos laicos etsi scientie nomine glorientur admitti ad officium docendi concionandi By these foresayd authors alledged it is euident that Monkes in the former age of the church albeit they lyued a solitary life yet they were then no other but only lay meÌ„ differing from priests differing from the other monkes which succeeded them afterward in the middle age of the Church and that in iij. pointes First they were tyed and bound to no prescript forme eyther of diet or apparel or any thing els as we may see testified by the wordes of S. Augustine which be these Neque inter haec nemo vrgetur in aspera quae ferre non potest Nulli quod recusat imponitur Nec ideo contemnitur à caeteris in quod eis imitandis se fatetur inualidum Meminerunt enim quantoperè commendata sit in Scripturis charitas Meminerunt omnia munda mundis c NoÌ„ quod intrat in os coinquinat hominem sed quod exit Itaque non reijciendis generibus ciborum quasi pollutis sed concupiscentiae perdomandae dilectioni fratrum retinendae inuigilat omnis industria And Sozomenus Lib 3. cap. 16. speaking of the Monkes of the same time which in cities had seuerall mansions froÌ„ other sayth Alij in turba ciuitatum conuersabantur sic seipsos gerentes vt nullius momenti viderentur à multis nihil differrent c. 1. Some liued in cities so behauing themselues as seeming nothing worth and they differed nothyng from the multitude c. The second point wherin they were discrepant from the latter Monkes was in that they remained no other but in the order of lay men onely beyng of a straighter lyfe then the rest and had nothing to do in matters charges Ecclesiasticall Which was afterward broken by Pope Bonifacius the 4. as followeth more the lord willing to be sene and sayd Thirdly the foresaid monkes of that age albeit the most part of them liued sole single from wiues yet some of them were maried certes none of them were forbidden or restrayned from mariage Of such as were maried speaketh Athanasius in Epistola ad Dracontium qui ait se nouisse Monachos Episcopos coniuges liberorum patres c. That is which sayth that he knew both Monkes and Bishops maried men and fathers of children c. And yet the said Monkes of the old tyme though they were better then the other which folowed them yet al that notwithstanding superstitioÌ„ with them and among them begaÌ„ then to creepe into the church through the crafty subtilty of Sachan and all for the ignorance of our free iustification by faith in Iesus Christ. Examples do declare the vaine and prodigious superstitioÌ„ of these Monasticall sort of men which examples do not lacke if 〈◊〉 rather did not lacke to bring them in But ij or iij. shal suffice for many which I purpose the Lord willing here to insert to the intent the mind of the godly reader may the better consider and vnderstand how shortly after the tyme of Christ and his Apostles the doctrine of christian iustification began to be forgotten true religion turned to superstition the price of Christes passion to bee obscured through the vayne opinion of mens merites c. A certaine Abbot named Moses thus testifieth of himselfe in the Collations of Cassianus that he so afflicted himselfe with much fastyng and watching that sometimes for ij or iij. dayes together not onely he felt no appetite to eate but also had no remeÌ„braunce of any meat at all and by reason thereof was driuen also froÌ„ sleepe In so much that he was caused to pray to God but for a little refreshing of sleepe to be geuen him some piece of the night In the same author mention is made of a certaine old man an Hermite who because hee had conceiued in himselfe such a purpose neuer to eat meat without he had some guest or straÌ„ger with him sometyme was constrained to abstaine v. daies together vntil Sonday while he came to the Church and there brought some stranger or other home with him Two other examples yet more will I adde out of the said Cassianus to declare how the subtiltie of Sathan thorough superstition and false colour of holynes blindeth the miserable eyes of such which rather attend mens traditions then the word of God In the xl chap. of the sayd author in his booke de Gastrimargia is told of a certain Abbot named Ioannes
brethren Soone after a Sonne of wicked Edricus by the minde as appeared afterward of his father espied when king Edmond was at the draught with a speare some say with a long knife thrust him into the fundameÌ„t wherof the sayd Edmond shortlye after dyed after that he had raigned two yeres He left behinde him two sonnes Edmond and Edward whom Edricke the wicked Duke after the death of their father tooke from theyr mother not knowing yet of the death of Edmond her husband preseÌ„ted them to king Canutus saluting him in these words Aue Rex solus Thus Canutus after the death of Edmond Irenside was king alone of the whole realme of englaÌ„d And afterward by the aduise of his counsayle he sent the foresayd sonnes of Edmond IroÌ„side to his brother Suanus king of Sueueland to be slayne who abhorring that deed sent them to Salomon king of HuÌ„gary where Edmond being maried to the kings daughter dyed Edward was maried to Agatha daughter of his brother Henry the 4. Emperour When Canutus was stablished in the kingdom he called a parliamentat London where among other things there debated it was propounded to the bishops BaroÌ„s and Lordes of the parliament there present whether that in the compositioÌ„ made betwene Edmund and Canutus any speciall remembraunce was made for the children or brethren of Edmund for any partition of any part of the land Wherunto the english Lordes falsly â—latteryng with the foraine kyng and speaking against their own mynds as also against their natiue countrey aunswered and sayd nay Affirming moreouer with an oth for the kings pleasure that they to the vttermost of their powers would put of the bloud of Edmund in all that they might By reason of which answer and promise they thought many of theÌ„ to haue purchased with the king great fauour But by the iust retribution of God it chaunced farre otherwise For many of them or the most part such especially as Canutus did perceiue to be sworne before tyme to Edmund his heyres and also considering that they were natiue englishmen he mistrusted and disdained euer after In so much that some he exiled a great sort he beheaded some by Gods punishment died sodainly Among whom wicked Edricke also the traytour although with hys sugred wordes he continued a while in the kings fauour at leÌ„gth escaped not condigne reward for his deceiuable dealyng For as the history of IornaleÌ„sis recordeth as the king was in his palace beyond Thames this Edricke beyng belike accused or els suspected of the king before comming vnto him began to reckon vp his benefites labours bestowed for his sake First in forsaking and betraying Egelred then in slaying king Edmund his sonne with many such other deedes moe which all for his sake he had done Well saith the king thou hast here rightly iudged thy selfe and worthily thou shalt dye for slaying thy naturall Prince my sworne brother And so commaunded him to be bound immediately hand and foote to be thrown into Thames Some stories say that when he had saluted the king with Aue rex solus and shewed him the slaying of Edmund Canutus promising that he would make him therfore higher then all the lordes of the realme commaunded his head to be striken off to be set vpon London bridge and hys body to be cast in the towne ditche And thus with shame ended he his wretched life as al they commonly do which with like dissimulatioÌ„ seeke the destruction of their Prince and of their countrey This Canutus shortlye after the death of king Edmond by the counsayle of Edricke exiled Edmond being brother to King Edmund called Rex rusticorum the king of Choorâ—es But afterward he was reconciled agayne to the kinges fauour and lastly slayne by certayne of the Kinges Secretaryes or Seruauntes Also through the counsayle of the sayd Edricke and of Emma his wife he sent the two Sonnes of Edmond Ironside Edmond and Edward to his brother Suanus king of Denmark to be slaine as is aboue sayd In this meane time Suanus king of Denmarke brother to Canutus died Wherfore that land fel to Canutus which anon after sailed thether and tooke thereof possession And after he had set it in an order he retourned into England and maried Emma late wife before of Egelred and by her had a soÌ„ne called Herdeknight or Hardeknoutus Moreouer this Canutus assembled a Parliament at Oxford where it was agreed that Englishmen Danes should holde the lawes made by king Edgar because they were thought so good resonable aboue any other lawes Thus the Danes being in England began by little little to be Christen men And Canutus went to Rome so returning againe to England gouerned that lande the space of 20. yeares leauing after him two sonnes Harold Hardeknoutus which Hardeknoutus was made king of Denmarke in his fathers time Harold called Harefoote for his deliuernes and swiftnes sonne to Canutus by Elgina his first wife began his raigne ouer England an 1039. Of him is little left in memory for he raigned but 4. yeres saue that he banished his stepmother Emma tooke her goods iewels from her Hardeknoutus being king of Denmarke and second sonne to Canutus by his last wife Emma was next King of England In the time of these Danish kings there was one Godwyn an earle in England which had bene before in great fauour with Canutus for his actes done in Denmarke against the Northwegians and afterward maryed yâ— sister some say the daughter of Canutus This Godwyn was of a cruell and subtill wit as he declared no lesse by the two sonnes of king Egelred For when these two aforesaid whose names were Alfride and Edward came from NormaÌ„die into England to visit their mother Emma and brought with them a great company of Normands this Godwine hauing a daughter called Godith whome he thought to marry to Edward set him vp to be King to bring his purpose about vsed this practise that is to perswade king Hardeknoue the Lordes not to suffer those Normandes to be within the realme for ieoperdie but rather to punish them for example By which meanes he gat authoritie to order the matter himselfe wherefore he 〈◊〉 them on Guild downe and there most wretchedly murthered or rather Martyred the most number of the Normandes and that innocently For as Swanus before had tithed the Monkes of Canterburie so heâ— with the cruell coÌ„pany of english soldiors slew ix of the saide Normands and saued the x. And yet passing the furie of Swanus as not contented with that tiranny he tithed againe the sayde tithe and slew euery x. knight and that by cruel tormeÌ„t as winding their guts out of their bodies as writeth Ranulphus And among other put out the eyes of the elder brother Alfridus and sent him to an Abbey of Elie where he being fed wyth breade and water endured not
permanere deberent Francorum reges solo regio nomine contenti A quo responsum est illos decet vocare reges qui vigilanter defendunt regunt Ecclesiam Dei populum eius c. In English thus The king because he is the vicar of the hiest king is appointed for this purpose to rule the earthly kingdom and the lords people and aboue al things to reuerence his holy church to gouerne it and to defende it from iniuries to plucke away wicked doers and vtterly to destroye them Which vnlesse he doe the name of a king agreeth not vnto him but he loseth the name of a King as witnesseth Pope Iohn to the which Pope Pipinus Carolus his sonne being not yet kings but princes vnder the French King being not very wise did write demanding this question whither the kings of France ought so to continue hauing but onely the name of a king Unto whome Pope Iohn answereth againe that it was conuenient to cal thē kings which vigilāly do defend and gouerne the church of God and his people following the saying of King Dauid the Psalmograph He shal not dwel in my house which worketh pride c. Moreouer the king by right by his office ought to defend conserue fully wholly in all amplenesse wtout diminution all the lands honors dignities rights and liberties of the crowne of his kingdome And further to reduce into their pristine state all suche thinges as haue bene dispersed wasted and lost which appertaine to hys kingdome Also the whole and vniuersall lande wyth all Ilelands about the same vnto Norwey and Denmarke be appertaining to the crowne of his kingdome and be of the appurtenances and dignitie of the King making one monarchie and one kingdome which somtime was called the kingdom of Britains and now the kingdom of England such bonds and limites as is abouesaid be appointed and limited to the name of this kingdome Moreouer in the foresaid lawes of this king Edward it followeth in the same booke where the foresaid Edward describing the office of a King addeth in these wordes A king sayth he ought aboue al things to feare God to loue and to obserue his commaundements and cause them to be obserued through his whole kingdome He ought also to kepe chearish maintaine gouerne the holy church wtin his kingdome with al integritie and liberty according to the constitutions of his auncetors and predecessors and to defend the same against all enemies so that God aboue all things be honored euer be before his eies He ought also to set vp good lawes and customes such as be wholesome and approued such as be otherwise to repeale them and thrust them out of his kingdom Item he ought to do iudgement and iustice in his kingdome by the counsell of the nobles of his realme All these things ought a King in his own person to do taking his othe vpon the Euangelist and the blessed reliques of saintes swearing in the presence of the whole state of his realme as well of the temporaltie as of the spiritualtie before he be crowned of the Archbyshops Bishops Three seruants the king ought to haue vnder him as vassals fleshly lust auarice and greedie desire Whom if he kepe vnder as his seruants and slaues he shal reigne wel and honorably in his kingdom Al things are to be done with good aduisement and premeditation and that properly belongeth to a king For hastie rashnes bringeth all things to ruine according to the saying of the Gospell Euery kingdome deuided in it selfe shall be desolate c. After the duetie and office of Princes thus described consequently followeth the institution of subiects declared in many good necessary ordinaunces very requisite and cōuenient for publique gouernment Of the which lawes William Conquerour was cōpelled thorough the clamor of the people to take some but the most parte he omitted contrary to his owne oth at his coronation inserting and placing the moste of his owne lawes in his language to serue hys purpose and whych as yet to this present day in the same Normande language do remaine Nowe the Lorde willing let vs proceede in the storie as in order followeth * King Harold HArolde the seconde sonne of Earle Godwine and laste king of the Saxons notwithstanding that diuers of the nobles went with Edgar Adeling the next heire after Edmund Ironside yet he through force and might contemning the young age of Edgar and forgetting also his promise made to duke William toke vpon him to be king of England An. 1066. When Harolde Harefager sonne of Canutus king of Norway Dēmark heard of the death of king Edward he came into England with 300. shippes or mo who then ioyning with Tostius brother to the sayde Harold king of England entred into the North partes claimed the land after the death of Edwarde But the Lords of the countrey arose and gaue them battail notwithstanding the Danes had the victory And therfore Harold king of Englād prepared toward them in all hast gaue them an other strōg battel and there had the victory where also Harold the Dane was slaine by the hand of Harold king of Englande And Tostius was also slaine in the battell After this victorie Harold waxed proude couetous and would not deuide the praies to his Knightes that had deserued it but kept it to himselfe whereby he lost the fauour of many of his knights and people In this meane time William Duke of Normādy sent Ambassades to Harolde king of Englande admonishing him of the couenauntes that were agreed betweene them which was to haue kept the land to his vse after the death of Edwarde But because that the daughter of Duke William that was promised to Harolde was dead Harolde thought him thereby discharged and sayd that such a nice foolish promise ought not to be holden concerning an others land without the consent of the Lordes of the same and especially for that hee was thereunto for neede or for dread compelled Upon these answeres receaued Duke William in the while that the messengers went and came gathered his knightes and prepared his name and had the assent of the Lordes of his lande to aide and assist him in his iourney And ouer that sending vnto Rome to pope Alexander cōcerning his title viage into england the pope cōfirmeth him in the same and sent vnto him a banner willing him to heare it in the ship wherein himselfe should saile Thus Duke William being purueied of al things cōcerning his iourney sped him to the sea side and tooke shipping at the hauen off Ualery where he taried a lōg time or he might haue a conuenient winde For the which his souldiours murmured saying it was a woodnesse a thing displeasing God to desire to haue an others mans kingdome by strength and namely whē God was against it in sending contrary wind c. At
Item to be against the sound doctrine of S. Paule writing these wordes As concerning virginitie I haue no commaundement of the Lord c. Agayne he that cannot otherwise liue continently let him marrie Item that it was agaynst the Canons both of the Apostles and of Nicene councell Moreouer that it was against the course of nature whiche he required that men beyng sequestred from their naturall wiues and women shoulde be coacted to liue as aungels that is to performe that which nature doth not geue And therefore the bishop therin did open a peruicious windowe to vncleannes and to fornication In summe geuing vp theyr answer thus they concluded that they had rather geue vp their benefices then to forsake their naturall and lawfull wiues against the worde of Christ. And finally if maried priests could not please them they should call downe Angels from heauen to serue the Churches But Hildebrand nothing mooued neither with honest reason nor with the authoritie of holy Scripture nor with the determinatioÌ„ of Nicene councell nor any thing els followeth this matter calleth vpon the bishops stil with his letters and Legats doth sollicitate their mindes accuseth them of negligence and dastardnes threatneth them with excommunication vnles they cause their priests to obey his decree enioyned them Whereupon a great number of bishops for feare of the Popes tiranny laboured that matter with their priests by all means possible to bereaue them of their accustomed matrimony Amongst other the Archbishop of Mentz perceyuing this acte of taking away Priestes mariage might breede him no little trouble talketh with his Clergy gently admonisheth them of the Popes minde decree and geueth them halfe yeres respite to deliberate vpon the case exhorting them diligently to shewe themselues obedient to the Pope and to him and to grauÌ„t with good will that which at length will they nill they needes they must bee forced vnto and therefore of their owne accord to stande content therewith least the Pope should be compelled to attempt wayes of sharper seueritie The time of deliberation expired the Archbishop assembleth his clergy at Erspford the month of October and there willeth them according to the pontificall decree either to abiure for euer all matrimony or els to abrenounce their benefices and Ecclesiasticall liuings The clergy agayne defend themselues against the Popes decree with scriptures with reason with the actes of generall councels with examples of auncestors by diuers strong arguments declaring the Popes decree not to be consonant nor ought to take effect But the Archbishop sayd he was compelled so of the Pope and could not otherwise do but to execute that was enioyned him The clergy seeyng that no reason nor prayer nor disputation would serue layd their heads together coÌ„sultyng among themselues what was best to be done Some gaue counsail not to returne agayne to the Synode Some thought it good to returne and to thrust out the Archbishop froÌ„ hys seat to geue him due punishment of death for his deseruing that by the example of him other may bee warned hereafter neuer to attempt that thing any more to the preiudice of the church and the rightfull liberty of ministers After that this was signified to the Archbishop by certaine spies that were amongest them what the clergy entended to do The Archb. to preuent and salue the matter sendeth to the priests as they were comming out certaine messengers bidding them of good hope and to returne againe to the Metropolitane and they should haue that should content their myndes So beyng perswaded they come again to the Councel The bishop promiseth he would doe hys indeuour what he could to reuoke turne the mind of the Bishop of Rome from that sentence willing them in the meane tyme to continue as they had done in their cure and ministery The next yeare followyng Hildebrand yâ— souldiour of Sathan sendeth his Legate a certaine Bishop called CurieÌ„sis vnto the Archb. of Mentz and assembled there a Councell In the which councel the Archb. againe proposeth the matter commaunding all the clergy vnder payne of the Popes curse there perpetually eyther to abrenounce their wyues or their liuings The clergy defended their cause againe with great constancy But when no defension could take place but all went by tiranny mere extortioÌ„ it burst in the end to an vprore and tumult where the Legate and the Archbishop beyng in great daunger hardly escaped with their lyues and so the Councell brake vp By this schisme and tumult it followed that the churches after that in chusing their priests would not send theÌ„ to the bishops the enemies and suppressors of Matrimony to be confirmed and inducted but did elect them within themselues and so put them in their office without all leaue or knowledge of bishops who then agreed were determined to admit no priests but such as should take an othe of perpetuall singlenesse neuer to marrie after And thus first came vp the othe and profession of single Priesthood Notwithstanding if other nations had followed the like constancie concord of these Germain ministers the â—iuelish drift and decre of this Hildebrand or rather Helbrand had bene frustrate and auoyded But this greedines of liuings in weak priests make them to yeld vp their godly liberty to wicked tiranny Yet this remayneth in these Germains to be noted what concord can doe in repressing vnordinate requests of euil bishops if they constantly stand to truth and hold together And thus much for banishing of matrimony Now let vs proceede to the contentions betwixt wicked Hildebrand and the godly Emperour But before by the way of digression it shal not be much wide from the purpose to touch a little of the properties of this Pope as we find them described in certaine epistles of Benno a Cardinall writing to other cardinals of Rome Which Benno lyued in the same tyme of Hildebrand and detecteth the prodigious actes and doings of this monstrous Pope First declaring that he was a Sorcerer most notable and a Nicromanser an olde companion of Siluester of Laurentius and Theophilactus called otherwise Benedictus nonus Amongst other Benno Cardinals writeth this history of him How vpon a certaine tyme this Gregorius comming from Albanus to Rome had forgot behynd him his familiar booke of Nicromansie which he was wont commonly to cary alwayes with him Whereupon remembring himselfe entered the port of Laterane he calleth two of his most trusty familiars to set the booke charging them at no hand to looke within it But they beyng so restrayned were the more desirous to open it to peruse it and so did After they had read a little the secrets of the Sathanicall booke sodenly there came about them the messengers of Sathan the multitude and terrour of whom made them almost out of their wittes At length they comming to themselues the spirites were instant vpon them to know wherefore they were called vp wherfore they were vexed Quickly said
them also that willingly assist them or be wicked doers with them in the sauie till such time as they may deserue absolution by penance and confession So that whatsoeuer he be that is noised or prooued to be of this wickednesse if he be a religious person he shall from thence foorth be promoted to no degree of honor and that which he hath shal be taken from him If he be a lay person he shal be depriued of all his freedome within the land and be no better then a foreiner And because it shal be known the absolution of such as be secular to belong onely to byshops it was therefore enacted that on euery sonday in euery parish church of England the said excommunication should be published c. But marke in this great matter what followed For as Ranulphus Lestrensis witnesseth this grieuous general curse was soone called backe againe by the sute of certaine which persuaded Anselme that the publication or opening of that vice gaue kindlings to the same in the heartes of lewde persons ministring occasion of more boldnes to thē to do the like And so to stop the occasiō of filthie Sodomitry the publication thereof was takē away but the forbidding and restreinement of Priestes vnlawfull mariage which chiefly was the cause thereof remained still And thus euer since horrible Sodomitry remained in the clergic both for lacke of mariage more vsed and for lack of publication lesse punished Besides all these Synodall acts aboue comprehended and geuen out by Anselmus in his Councels before heeralso in this present Coūcell at Westminster and in the yere of this king aforesaid he also directed other newe Iniuncetions to the Priests First that they and their wiues shoulde neuer more meete in one house neither yet haue dwelling in their territories Item that the Priests deacons and subdeacons shuld keepe no women in their house vnlesse they were of their next kinne Item for suche as had disseuered themselues from the societie of their wiues yet for some honest cause they had to common with them they might so it were without doore and with ij or iij. lawfull witnesses Item if any of them should be accused by ij or iij. witnesses and could not purge himselfe againe by sixe able mē of his owne order if he be a Priest or if he be a Deacon by iiij or if he be a Subdeacon by ij then he should be iudged a transgressor of the statutes depriued of his benefice be made infamous or be put to open reproche of all men Item he that rebelled as in contempt of this new statute held still his wife and presumed to say masse vpon the viij day after if he made not due satisfaction should be solemnly excommunicated Item all Archdeacons and Deacons to be straightly sworne not to wink or dissemble at their meetings nor to beare with them for money And if they would not be sworne to this then to loose their offices without recouery Item such priests as forsaking their wiues were willing to serue still and remaine in their holy order first must cease 40. dayes from their ministration setting Uitars for them in the meane time to serue and taking such penaunce vpon them as by their Bishop should be enioyned them Thus haue ye heard the tedious treatise of the life and doings of Anselmus how superstitious in his Religion how stubburne against his Prince he was what occasion of warre and discorde he ministred by his complaintes if they had ben taken what zeale without right knowledge what feruencie without cause he pretended what paines without profite he tooke Who if he had bestowed that time and trauel in preaching Christ at home to his flock which he tooke in gadding to Rome to complaine of his countrey in my minde he had bene better occupied Moreouer what violent and tyrannical iniunctions he set forth of inuesting and other thinges ye haue heard but specially against the lawfull and godly mariage of Priests Wherin what a vehement aduersary he was here may appeare by these minutes or peeces extracted out of his letters which we haue here annexed in forme and effect as followeth A letter of Anselme Anselme archbishop to his brethren and dearest sonnes the Lord prior and other at Canterburie AS concerning Priests of whom the king cōmanded that they should haue both their Churches their women as they had in the time of his father and of Lanfrancus Archbishop both because the king hath reuested reseazed of the whole Archbishopricke and because so cursed a mariage was forbidden in a Coūcel in the time of his father and of the saide Archbishop Boldely I command by the authoritie which I haue by my Archbishoprike not onely within my Archbishoprike but also throughout England that all Priests which keepe women shal be depriued of their Churches and Ecclesiastical benefices A letter of Pope Paschalis to Anselme Paschal Bishop Seruaunt of Gods Seruants to his reuerend brother Anselme Archb. of Cant. greeting and Apostolical blessing WE beleue your brotherhode is not ignorāt what is decreed in the Romish Church concerning Priests children But because there is so great multitude of such within the Realme of England that almost the greater and better part of the Clerks are reckened to be on this side therfore we commit this dispensation to your care For we graunt these to be promoted to holy offices by reason of the need at this time and for the profit of the church such as learning and life shal commēd among you that yet notwithstanding the preiudice of the Ecclesiasticall decree be taken heede to hereafter c. An other letter of Anselme for Inuesting To the reuerend Lord and louing father Paschal high bishop Anselme seruant of Canterbury church due subiection and continual prayers AFter that I returned to my bishopricke in Englande I shewed the Apostolicall decree which I being present heard in the romish Councel 1. That no man should receiue inuesting of churches of the kinges hand or any lay person or shoulde become his man for it and that no man shoulde presume to consecrate him that did offend herein when the K. and his nobles and the bishops themselues and other of the lower degree hearde these things they tooke them so grieuously that they sayde they woulde in no case agree to the thing and that they woulde driue me out of the kingdome and forsake the Romish Churche rather than keepe this thing wherefore reuerende father I desire your counsell by your letter c. An other letter of Anselme Anselme Archbishop to the reuerend Gudulphus Bishop and to Ernulphus Prior and to William Archdeacon of Canterburie and to all in his Dioces greeting WIlliam our Archdeacon hath writtē to me that some priests that be vnder his custodie taking againe their women that were forbidden haue fallen vnto the vnclennesse from the which they were drawne by wholesome counsel and commaundement
life commeth therof Also of the vnconsiderate promotion of euill Prelates and of their great negligence in correcting and reformyng the euill demeanour of the people Item of the great wantonnes lasciuiousnes in their seruauts and families concerning their excessiue wearing of apparell Item complaineth also of the outragious and excessiue gaynes that Prelates and other vnder them take for their seale especially of officials scribes such like which geue out the seale they care not how nor wherfore so they may gayne money He complaineth in like maner that prelates be so slack and negligent in looking to the resideÌ„ts in their benefices Farther lamenteth for the rash geuing of benefices to parlons vicars and curates not for any godlines or learning in them but for fauour or friendship or intercession either els for hope of some gayne whereof springeth this great ignorance in the Church After this he noteth in prelates how they wast and expend the goods of the church in supersluities or vpon theyr kinsfolke or other worse wayes which should rather be spent vpon the poore Nextly in the x. chapter he coÌ„plaineth for that through the negligence of men of the church especially of the church of Rome the bookes and monuments of the old Councels also of the new are not to be found which should be reserued and kept in all cathedrall Churches Item that many prelates be so cold in doing their duties Also reprocheth the vnchast and voluptuous demeanor of Ecclesiasticall persons by the example of Storkes whose nature is saith he that if any of their company leauyng his owne mate ioyneth with any other all the rest flieth vpon him whether it be he or she beateth hym and plucketh his fethers off what then sayth he ought good prelates to do to such a person of their company whose filthinesse and corrupt life both defileth so many and stinketh in the whole Church Againe forasmuch as we read in the booke of Esdras lib 2. cap 9 that he purging Israel of strange womeÌ„ began first with the priestes So now likewise in the purging correcting of all sortes of men first the purgation ought to begin with these according as it is written by the prophet Ezechiel Begin first with my sanctuary c. Moreouer how that in the tyme of Phillip kyng of Fraunce the whole Realme was interdited for that the kyng had but one woman in stead of his wife which was not his wife by law And againe â—eyng in these our dayes the king of Portingale hath bene sequestred from his dominion by the authoritie of the church being thought not sufficient to gouerne what then ought to bee sayd to that Prelate which abuseth other mens wiues virgines and Nunnes which also is found vnable insufficient to take vpon him the charge of soules About the yeare of our Lord 1128. the orders of the knights of the Rhodes called Joannites also the order of Templars rose vp After Honorius next in the same vsurpation succeded Pope Innocentius 2. an 1130. But as it was with hys predecessours before hym that at euery mutation of newe Popes came new perturbations and commonly neuer a Pope was elected but some other was set vp against him sometymes 2. sometymes 3. Popes togethey so likewise it happened with this Innocentius for after he was chosen the Romains elected another pope named Anacletus Betwixt these two Popes was much ado and great conflicts through the partaking of Rogerius Duke of Sicile takyng Anacletus part agaynst Innocentius vntil Locharius the Emperour came who rescuing Innocentius droue Rogerius out of Italy Our stories recorde that king Henry was one of the great helpes in setting vp and maintayning this Pope Innocentius against Anacletus Gisburnens Amongst many other things this Pope decreed that whosoeuer did strike a Priest or Clerke beyng shauen he should be excommunicate and not to be absolued but only of the Pope himselfe About the tyme of doyng of these thynges beyng the yeare of our Lord 1135. king Henry being in Normandy as some say by taking there a fall froÌ„ his horse as other say by taking a surfet in eating Lampries fell sicke died after he had raigned ouer the realme of England 35. yeres and odde monethes leauyng for his heyres Matilde the Empresse his daughter with her young sonne Henry to succeed after hym to whom all the Prelates and Nobilitie of the Realme were sworne But contrary to their oth made to Molde in the presence of her father before William the Archbishop of Cant. and the nobles of the realme crowned Stephen Erle of Boloyne and sisters sonne to king Henry vpon S. Stephens day in Christmas weeke Which Archbishop the next yeare after dyed beyng as it was thought iustly punished for his periury And many other lordes which did accordingly went not quite without punishment In like iustice of punishmeÌ„t is numbred also Roger bishop of Salisbury who contrary to his othe beyng a great doer in the coronation of Stephen was apprehended of the same kyng and miserably but iustly extermined A certaine written English story I haue which addeth more and faith that king Stephen hauing many foes in diuers quarters kepyng there holdes and castels agaynst him went then to Oxford tooke the Bishop of Salisbury and put a rope about his necke so led him to the castle of Uice that was his and commanded them to render vp the castle or he would slay and hang their Bishop Which Castle beyng geuen vp the kyng tooke the spoyle thereof The like also he did to the Bishop of Lyncolne named Alexander whom in lyke maner he led in a rope to a Castle of the Bishops that was vpon Trent and bad them deliuer vp the Castle or els he would hang their Lord before the gate Long it was before the castle was geuen vp yet at length the king obtaining it there entred and tooke all the treasure of the Bishop c. Roger Houeden Fabian alleagyng a certayne olde Authors whom I cannot finde referreth a great cause of this periury to one Hugh Bigot Steward sometyme with king Henry Who immediatly after the death of the sayd Henry came into England and before the sayd Archbishop and other Lordes of the land tooke wilfully an othe and sware that he was present a little before the kings death when king Henry admitted for his heyre to be king after him Stephen his nephew for so much as Molde his daughter had discontented him Wherunto the Archbishop with the other Lordes gaue to hasty credence But this Hugh sayth he escaped not vnpunished for he dyed miserably in a short tyme after Ex Fabia Albeit all this may be supposed rather to be wroght not without the practise of Henry bishop of Winchester other Prelates by his settyng on which Henry was brother to King Stephen c. King Stephen THus when king Stephen contrary to his oth
the Pope did hold a councell at London In the which councel first began new found appellatiōs from councels to the Pope found out by Henry Bishop of wint For as the wordes of myne author doe recorde In Anglla namq̄ appellationes in vsu non erant donec eas Henricus Wint. Episcopus dum legatus esset malo suo crudeliter intrusit In eodem namq̄ concilio ad Rom. pontificis audientiam ter appellatū est c. That is For appellations before were not in vse in England till Henry Bishop of Winchester being thē the Popes Legate brought them cruelty in to his own hurt For in that Councell thrise appeale was made to the Bishop of Rome In the tyme of king Stephen died Gracianus a mōke of Bononie who compiled the booke called the Popes decrees Also his brother Petrus Lambardus bishop of Paris which is called the maister of Sentences compiled his foure bookes of the sentence These two brethren were the greatest doers in finding out and stablishing this blynde opinion of the sacrament that the only simnitude of bread and wyne remayned but not the substaunce of them and this they call the spirituall vnderstandyng of the mysterie And therefore no meruail if the sunne in those dayes were seene blacke and dimme Some also affirme that Petrus Comestor writer of the Scholasticall history was the third brother to these aboue named In the same tyme and raigne of the said king Stephen was also Hugo surnamed De sancto victore About the which tyme as Polychronicon reciteth liued and died Bernardus Clareuallensis The author of the history called Iornalensis maketh also mention of Hildegare the Nūne and propheresse in Almaine to liue in the same age Concerning whose prophesie agaynst the Friers hereafter by the grace of Christ more shal be said when we come to recite the order and nūber of Friers and religious men crept into the Church of Christ. We read moreouer of one named Ioannes de temporibus which by the affirmaunce of most of our olde histories lyued 361. yeares seruaunt once to Carolus Magnus and in the raigne of Stephen king of England dyed Polychron lib 7. Continuator Henr. Hunt Iornalens in vita Steph. Nicol. Triuet c. In the dayes also of this king and by him was builded the Abbey of Feuersham where his sonne he were buried He builded the monastery of Finerneys of Fomitance the castle of Walingford with a number of other Castles mo During the tyme of the sayd kyng Stephen the yeare of our Lord 1144. the miserable Iewes crucified a child in the Citie of Norwich N. Triuet alij Much about the same tyme came vp the order of the Gilbertines by one Gilbert sonne to Jacoline a knight of Lincolnshire c. Mention hath bene made before of certayne English Councels holden in the tyme of this kyng where it was in one of them vnder Theolbald the Archbishop of Canterbury decreed that bishops should lyue more discretely should reach their flocke more diligently that readyng of scriptures should be frequented more vsually in Abbeys that Priests should not be rulers of worldly matters and that they should learne and teach the Lordes prayer and Creede in English Malmesb. Matth. Parisiensis writeth how Stephen king of England in these dayes reserued to himselfe the right and authoritie of bestowyng of spirituall liuyngs and inuestyng Prelates an 1133. At which tyme also Lotharius the Emperour began to do the lyke in recouering agayne the right priuiledge taken away from Henricus his predecessor had not Bernardus geuen him contrary counsaile Here came into the Church the maner of cursing with booke bell and candle deuised in the Councell of London holden by William bishop of Winchester vnder Pope Celestinus which succeeded after Innocentius an 1144. Also Lotharius succeeded in the Imperiall crowne Conradus the nephew of Henricus the v. afore mentioned an 1138. which only amongst many Emperors is not found to receiue the crowne at the Popes hand In the dayes of this Emperor who raigned 15. yeres were diuers Popes as Celestinus 2. Lucius the 2. Eugenius the 3. at which time the Romaines went about to recouer agayne their former olde maner of chusing theyr Consuls and Senators But the Popes thē being in their ruffe in no case would abide it wherupon rose many commotions with much ciuile warre amongest them In so much that Pope Lucius sending for ayde to the Emperour and he otherwise letted at that tyme could not come armed his souldiours thinking to inuade them or els to destroy them in their Senate house But this comming to their knowledge before the people was all in aray and so much add was amongst them Pope Lucius beyng also amongst thē in the fight wel pelted with stones blowes liued not long after Likewise Pope Eugenius after him an 1145. pursuing the Romains for the same matter first did curse them with excommunicatiō After when he saw that would not serue he came with his host and so compelled them at length to seeke his peace and to take his cōditions which were these That they should abolish theyr Consuls and take such Senators as he by his Papall authoritie should assigne them Then followed Anastacius the 4. after him Hadrianus 4. an Englishman by his name called Breakespere belonging once to S. Albōs This Hadrianus kept great stirre in like sort with the citizens of Rome for abolishyng their consuls and Senate cursing excommunicating and warring agaynst them with all power he could make to the tyme he remooued the Consuls out of their office and brought them all vnder his subiection The lyke businesse and cage he also styrred vp against Apulia and especially against the Empire blustering and thundering agaynst Friderieus the Emperour as the Lord graunting you shall heare anone after we haue prosecuted such matter as necessarily appertayneth first to the continuation of our English story King Henry the second HEnry the secōd of that name the sonne of Jeffrey Plantagenet and of Maude the Empresse and daughter of king Henry the first beganne his raigne after king Stephen and continued 35. yeares The first yeare of his raign he subdued Ireland and not long after Thomas Becket was made by him Lord Chauncellour of England This king cast downe diuers Castles which were erected in the time of king Stephen He went into the North partes where he subdued William king of Scotland who at that tyme held a great part of Northumberland vnto new Castell vpon Tyne and ioyned Scotland to his owne kingdome from the South Ocenm to the North Iles of Orchades Also he put vnder his dominion the kingdome of Wales and there let to fall downe many great wooodes and made the wayes playne So that by his great manhood and policie the seignorie of England was much augmēted with the addition of Scotland Ireland the Iles Orchades
preuailing agaynst hâ—m ouerthrew diuers of his houses in the city For the which he did excommunicate theÌ„ The Romanes then flying to the Emperour desired his ayd succour but he be like to pleasure the Pope gathering an army went rather agaynst the Romanes TheÌ„ the popes army whose Captaynes were the Earle of Tholouse to purchase the Popes fauour and Peter the foresayd Byshop of Winchester whom the Pope for the same had sent for froÌ„ england partly for his treasure partly for his practise and skill in feates of warre and the Emperours host ioyued together and bordering about the Citty of Rome cast downe the castelies or mansions belonging to the citizens round about the Suburbes to the number of 18. and destroyed all theyr vines and vineyardes about the City Wherat the Romanes being not a litle offended brast out of the Cittye with more heat then order to the number of 100000. as the frorye reporteth to destroy Uiterbium the Popes City with sword and fire But the multitude being vnordered and out of battaile ray aud vnprouided for ieoperdies which by the way might happen fell into the handes of theyr enemies who were in wayt for them and of them destroid a great nuÌ„ber so that on both parts were slayne to the vew of 30000 but the most part was of the Citizens And this dissention thus begun was not soone ended but continued long after By these and such other storyes who seeth not how farre the church of Rome hath degenerated from the true Image of the right Church of Christ which by the rule example of the Gospell ought to be a daughter of peace not a mother of debate not a reuenger of her selfe nor seeker of warres but a forgeuer of iniuries humbly and patiently referring all reuenge to the Lord not a raker for riches but a winner of soules not contending for worldly maistership but humbling themselues as seruantes and not Uicars of the Lorde but ioyntly like brethren seruing together Bishops with Bishops Ministers with Ministers Deacons with Deacons and not as Masters separating themselues by superiority one from an other and briefly communicating together in doctrine and couÌ„sell one particular church with an other not as a mother one ouer an other but rather as a sister Church one with an other seking together the glory of Christ and not their owne And such was the Church of Rome first in the olde auncieÌ„t beginning of her primitive state especially while the crosse of persecution yet kept the Bishops and Ministers vnder in humility of hart and feruent calling vpon the Lord for helpe so that happy was that Christian then which with liberty of conscience onely might holde hys life how barely soeuer he liued And as for the pride and pompe of the world striuing for patrimonyes buying of Bishoprickes gaping for benefices so far was this off froÌ„ them that then they had litle leisure and lesse list yea once to thinke vpon them Neither did the Bishoppes then of Rome fight to be Consuls of the City but sought how to bring the Consuls vnto Christ being glad if the Consuls would permit them to dwell by them in the city Neither did they theÌ„ presume so hye to bring the Emperors necks vnder theyr gyrdles but were glad to saue theyr necks in any corner from the sword of Emperors TheÌ„ lacked they outward peace but abounded with inward consolation Gods holy spirit mightely working in their harts Then was one catholicke vnity of truth and doctrine amongest all churches agaynst errors and secres Neither did yâ— east and west nor distance of place deuide the church but both the eastchurch and westchurch the Greekes and Latynes made all one church And albeit there were then 5. Patriarchall Seas appoynted for order sake differing in regions peraduenture also in some rites one from another yet all these consenting together in one vnity of catholicke doctrine hauing one God one Christ one fayth one baptisme one spirit one head and lincked together in one boÌ„d of charity and in one equality of honor they made altogether one body one church one communion called one catholicke vniuersall and Apostolicall church And so long as this knot of charity and equality did ioyne them in one vnity together so long the church of Christ florished and encreased one redy to helpe and harbour another in time of distresse as Agapitus and Uigilius flying to Constantinople were there ayded by the Patriarch c. so that all this while neither forrein enemye neither Saracen nor Souldane nor Sultane nor Calipha nor Corasmine nor Turke had any power greatly to harme it But through the malice of the enemy this Catholicke vnity did not loÌ„g continue and all by reason of the bishop of Rome who not contented to be like his brethren begaÌ„ to extend himselfe to claime superiority aboue the other 4. Patriarchall Seas all other Churches in the world And thus as equality amongst christian byshops was by pride and singularity oppressed so vnity began by little litle to be dissolued and the Lordes coat which the souldiors left whole to be deuided Which coat of christian vnity albeit of long time it had bene now seamcript before by the occasion aforesayd yet notwithstanding in some peece it held together in some meane agrement vnder subiectioÌ„ to the sea of Rome till the tune of this pope Gregory the 9. an 1230. at which tyme thys rupture and schisme of the church brake out into a playn deuisioÌ„ vtterly disseuering the Eastchurch from the westchurch vpon this occasion There was a certayn archbyshop elected to an Archbishoprick among the Grecians who comming to Rome to be coÌ„firmed could not be admitted vules he promised a very great summe of mony Which when he refused to do and detested the exectable simony of the court of Rome he made his repayre home agayn to his country vncoÌ„firmed declaring there to the whole nobility of that land the case how it stood For yâ— more confirmation whereof there were other also which comming lately from Rome there had proued the same or worse came in and gaue testimony to his saying Whereupon all the church of the Grecians the same time hearing this departed vtterly away from the Church of Rome which was in the dayes of this Pope Gregory the 9. In so much that the Archbishop of Constantinople comming afterward to the generall Councell at Lyons there opeÌ„ly declared that where as before time he had vnder him aboue thirty Bishopricks and Suffraganes now he had not three adding moreouer that all yâ— Grecians certayne other with Antioche and the whole Empyre of Romania cueÌ„ to the gates almost of Constantinople were goue from the obedience of the Church of Rome c. Math. Paris fol. 112. c fol. 186. By the occasion of which separation aforesayd of the Grecians from pope Gregory it happened shortly after being the yeare of our
Parma hauing this occasion offered with all force speed possible entred the Emperors campe or towne Victoria which being not very stroÌ„gly fenced nor hauing gates to shut agaynst theÌ„ was a thing easy enough to do The soden strauÌ„genes of the matter much abaÌ„shed the souldiors rang out their larâ— bell The first assault was geuen vpoÌ„ Marcus Malaspina his charge whom when the Emperor returning in all haste fouÌ„d to be hard beset had thought to haue rescued him But wheÌ„ that was perceiued of the enemy they beÌ„t all their force altogether on yâ— side In so much that the Emperor was inforced to take the trench lest he should haue bene of the enemy enuironed from thence he retired into the citie or campe where he had thought to haue gathered further aide But the enemy geuing not so much tune thereunto â—aâ—l force entred the citie Uictoria The Emperor now when the enemies were entred left the campe came to Dominum who when they had killed slaine a great nomber of the Emperors soldiors had burnt destroied the same campe Uictoria came againe to Parma The Emperor theÌ„ suspecting this thing to be wrought by treason whereby the enemy had vnderstanding as wel of the Emperors absence as also of the negligence of his soldiors imprisoned certaine of the chiefest about hym amongst whome also was Petrus de Vineis Yet whilest he was at Dominum gathering together his souldiors and residue of his baÌ„ds Encius getteth a great victorie of the Mansuanos who coming to the rescue of Parma lost 50. of their ships and all that they had in them After this also Richardus in another conflict in Picenum discomforted the Popes souldiors slewe their captaine Hugolinus besides 2000. others slaine taken prisoners When nowe Fredericus had gathered againe and new mustered his bands at Dominum he marched foorth to Cremona and notwithstanding that there he vnderstoode of the good successe and victory that Encius had at Rhegium yet for that he perceiued the defection and backsliding of all or most part of Lumbardie from him he determined to take his iorney into Apulia and when he had there leuied a strong and sufficient power he purposed to make hys speedy returne againe into Lombardie Therefore in hys iorney through Netruria into Apulia he ioyned with hys sonne Fridericus which besieged Capras and tooke the same and led with him diuers of the chiefest captains prisoners and after that subduing vnto the obedience of the Empire Miniatum he came into Apulia When newes was brought him thether that Encius hys sonne comming to aide the Mutinenses against the Bononiens was taken prisoner two miles of from Mutina and that in his absence the Popes capitaines with theyr bandes and garrisons went throughout all Lumbardie Aemilia Flamminia and Hetruria to stirre and procure the Cities to reuolt from the obedience of the Emperour And the same partly working by subtile pollicies partly by force sinister meanes to bring them to his purpose determined with himself that with all the force and power he might by any meanes procure and make to haue begon a fresh prosecuted this warre to the vttermost Neyther was it to be doubted as Pandolphus Colonucius writeth but that he would haue wrought some maruellous exploit great atteÌ„pt but that he was of this his purpose wherunto he was both willing beÌ„t preueÌ„ted by vnlooked for death For wheÌ„ he fell into this ague being at a certaine castle of his in Apulia called FloreÌ„tinuÌ„ saw by the extremity thereof his daies to be short he remeÌ„bred that which was once shewed him how he should die at FloreÌ„ce Wherupon he made and ordeined his testament and when vnto Conradus and other of his children he had geuen and appoynted the great and innumerable masse of mony which he had collected leuied for the maintenance of his wars and godly purpose as it is called And vnto them also had geuen all other his kingdomes dominioÌ„s to euery one according to their ages and yeres departed this wretched and miserable world Pandolphus writeth that Fredericus was very willing to dye as they made certayne report to him which were present at his death that his minde was altogether set and bent vpon the heauenly ioy felicity Which thing also Gulielmus Putranus Andreas Panbalus and Manardus the bishop being Italian writers do all affirme of whom this last writeth that he assuredly beleueth Fredericke to be one of the number of Gods elect The writers notwithstanding are of sundry iudgmeÌ„ts opinions touching this good Emperours death Some write that he was traiterously poisoned by his cup bearer being hyred therunto Some other that he was strangled with a pillow of MaÌ„fredo the sonne of Pherus But Pandolphus as good a writer as the best maketh no mention of any poyson that was geuen him but onely that he died of an ague The last opinion of Manfredus he manifestly refuteth and that there is no maner of lykelihood of the same further that the coÌ„trary is affirmed by diuers other writers that were of that time He died in the yeare of our Lord. 1268. the 13. day of December in the 57. yeare of his age and 37. yeare of his raigne whose corpes was brought to Panorinum and there intombed Fredericke had 3. wiues the first was Constantia the daughter of the king of Arragon of whom he begat HeÌ„ry the Duke of Sueuia and king of the Romains The other Iole the daughter of Iohaunes Brennus king of Ierusalem by whom he had the inheritance of Ierusale Naples and Sicile of whom he begat CoÌ„radus Duke of Suenia king of Ierusalem Naples being Cesar. The third Isabell the daughter of king Iohn of EnglaÌ„d by whom he had a sonne named HeÌ„ry which is said to die in his childhood This Fredericus had not his peere in Marshall affayres to be compared vnto him and warlike pollicies amongst al the princes of that age A wise and skilful souldiour he was a great indurer of paynefull labors and trauels most boldest in greatest perils prudent in foresight Industrious in all his doinges prompt humble about that he tooke in hand and in aduerâ—ity mest stout couragious But as in this corruption of nature few there be the attain perfection neither yet is there any prâ—ice almost of such gouernment and godly institution both in life doctrine as is required of them So neither was this Fredericke without his fault humaine fragility For the writers â—â—pute to him some fault of concupiscence wherwith he was stayned and spotted And it appeareth that he was not all cleare therof for as much as by suÌ„dry Concubines he had sundry children As Eneâ—is the king of Sardina Manfredus the prince of SarcutinuÌ„ And Frederick king of Antioche And this is all that I finde of the description of Fredericke by Colonucius which he affirmeth to haue
bethinking at length with themselues partly what they had done partly howe it would be taken of the higher powers and fearing due punishment to fall vpon them especially seeing the brother of Leoline prince of Wales and sonne of Giffine was newly dead in prison drawing their counsaile and helps together they offer to king Henry 4000. markes to Edwarde his sonne 300. and to the Queene 200. to be released of their trespasse But the king answering them againe that he set more price by the life of one true subiect then by all which by them was offered would in no wise receiue their money And so the studentes without hope of peace went home wyth small triumphe learning what the common Prouerbe meaneth Dulce bellum inexpertis Notwithstanding the King being then occupied in great affaires and warres partly with Leoline and the welshmen partly inwrapped wyth discorde at home with his nobles had no leisure to attend to the correction of these vniuersitie men which was An. 1259. Ex Mat. Pariens Likewise concerning the dissention following the next yeare after in the Uniuersitie of Paris betwene the students there and the Friers the number of whome then did somuch increase that the commons vnneth was able to sustein them with their alines Also betwene the Uniuersities both of Oxford and Cambridge for a certaine prisoner taken out of prisone by strength and brought into sanctuarie the same yeare as is testified in Mathewe Paris An. 1259. In like maner touching the variance betweene the Archbishop of Caunterb and the Chapter of Lincolne Againe betweene the sayde Archbishop of Canterb. and the Chapter bishop of London and how the said Bishop at his consecration woulde not make his profession to the Archb. but wyth this reception Saluis iure libertate Ecclesiae Londinens quae pro posse meo defendaÌ„ in omnibus c. recorded in Flores Hist. Al which wranglinge and dissentioÌ„s with innumerable other raigning daily in the Churche at those dayes if I had so much leasure to prosecute them as I find them in stories remaining might sufficiently induce vs to vnderstande what smaâ—l peace and agreemeÌ„t was then ioyned with that doctrine and religion in those dayes during the state raigne of Antichrist These with many such other matters moe which here might be discoursed and storied at large being more forein then Ecclesiastical for breuity I do purposely contract and omitte cutting of all such superfluities as may seeme more curious to wryte vpon then necessary to be knowen This that foloweth concerning the pitiful turbulent commotion betwene the king and the nobles which lasted a long season because it is lamentable conteineth much fruitfull example both for Princes and subiects to beholde and looke vppon to see what mischiefe and inconuenience groweth in common weales where study of mutuall concorde lacketh that is where neither the Prince regardeth the offending of his subiects and where the subiects forget the office of christian pacience in suffering their princes iniuries by Gods wrath inflicted for their sinnes Wherfore in explaning the order and storie thereof I thought it not vnprofitable to occupy the reader with a little more tariance in perusing the ful discourse of this so lameÌ„table a matter and so pernitious to the publicke weale And first to declare the occasions and first beginnings of this tumult here is to be vnderstode which before was signified howe king Henry maried with Alinor daughter of the Earle of Prouince a stranger which was about the yere of our Lord 1234. Wherupon a great doore was opened for strangers not only to enter the land but also to replenish the court to whome the king seemed more to incline his fauour aduancing them to more preferment then hys owne naturall English Lordes which thing was to them no litle greuance Moreouer before was declared how the king by Isabel hys mother who was a straunger had diuers brethren whom he nourished vp with great liuings and possessions and large pensions of money which was an other hearts sore to diuers also an hinderance Ouer beside hath also ben declared what vnreasonable collectioÌ„s of mony from time to time as quindecims subsidies tenthes mersements fines paiments lones and taxes haue bene leuied by the king as well of the spiritualtie as of the lay sort partly for maintaining the kings warres against Wales against Scotlande and Fraunce to recouer Normandie partly for helping the kings debtes viagies other expenses partly for the kingdom of Apulia which was promised the kings sonne by the pope partly for moneying and supporting the Pope in his warres against the Emperour By reason of all which sundrie and importable collections the common wealth of the Realme was vtterly excoriate to the great impouerishment of poore English men Neither did it a little vexe the people to see the king call in so many Legates from Rome euery yeare which did nothing els but transporte the English money vnto the Popes cofers Besides all thys what variaunce and altercation hath bene betweene the king and hys subiects about the liberties of Magna charta de foresta graunted by king Iohn and after confirmed by thys king in the former councel holden at Oxford hath bene afore declared Perhaps thys might be also some peece of a cause that the king considering and bearing in minde the olde iniuries done of the Lordes and Barons to his father Kyng Iohn before him did beare some grudge therefore or some priuie hatred vnto the Nobilitie to reuenge hys fathers quarel But of things vncertaine I haue nothing certainly to affirme This is certaine by truth of historie that the yeare next ensuing which was 1260. thus wryteth Nicho. Triuet that the kings Iustices called Itinerarij being sent thether to execute their office were from thence repelled the cause being alledged for that they were against the king in proceeding and enterprising against the forme of the prouisions enacted and stablished a little before at the Towne of Oxford It befell moreouer the same yeare aboue other times as Gualt Demmingford wryteth that a great number of aliens comming out of Fraunce and other prouinces resorted into England and had heere the doing of all principall matters of the Realme vnder the king Unto whome the rewards and reliefes other emoluments of the land did most chiefly redound which thing to see did not a little trouble vexe the nobilitie and baronage of England In so much that Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester offering to stande to death for the liberties and wealth of the Realme conferred together with other Lordes and Barons vpon the matter Who then comming to the king after an humble sort of petition declared to him howe all the doings of his Realme and his owne affaires were altogether disposed by the haâ—des and after the willes of straÌ„gers neither profitable to him nor to the weale publicke for so much as hys treasures being wasted
experimentes it is manifest that some of your graces assistaunces haue reported to your maiesty many lyes of vs working mischiefe as much as in them lyeth not onely agaynst vs but agaynst you also and your whole Realme Be it knowne to your highnes that we haue bene alwayes willing to defend the health and sauegarde of your person with all our power and fealty due to your grace purposing to vexe to the vttermost of our power and estate not onely our ill willers but also your enemies and the enemies of your whole Realme If it be your good pleasure geue no credite to theÌ„ we shall be alwayes found your faithfull And we the Earle of Leiceister and Gilbert of Clare at request of the other for vs them haue put to our seales These letters being read and heard there was a counsell called and the king writ back to them and specially to the two Earles of Leicester and Glocester in maner and forme following HEnry by the grace of God king of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Aquitanie c. To Simon Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and their confederates For as much as by the warre generall disquietnes by your meanes raised vp in our whole realme and also the burninges and other hurtfull enormities it appeareth manifestly that you keepe not your fidelitie to vs ward nor care any thing for our health or safety And for that ye haue inorderly greued our nobles and other our faythfull subiectes sticking faythfully and constantly to vs as you haue certified vs we accounting their losse as our owne and their enemies as ours And seing these my aforesayd faithfull subiects for the keeping of their fidelitie do assist vs manfully and faythfully agaynst your vnfaithfulnes we therefore care not for your fidelitie or loue but defie you as our and their enemies Witnes myselfe at lewes the day yeare abouesayd Also Richard king of Almaine and Lord Edward the sonne of king Henry writ also to the Barons in this wife Richard by the the grace of God king of the Romaynes alwayes Augustus and Edward the eldest sonne of the noble king of England al the other Barons and nobles constantly and faythfully in hart deede cleauing to the foresayd king of England to Simon Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and to all and singuler other their adherents in their conspiracie By your letters whiche you sent to our Lord the noble king of England we haue vnderstanding that you defie vs although before any such word your defiaunce towardes vs was apparant inough by your cruell persecution in burning our possessions and spoyling our goodes we therefore geue you to witte that we all and euery one of vs as your enemies doe defie you all as our open enemies And farther that we will not cease where soeuer it shall lye in our power to the vttermost of our force and might to subuert your persons and all that you haue As touching that you laye to our charge that we geue neyther faythfull nor good counsell to our Lord the king you say not the truth And if your Lord Simon Mountfort or Gilbert de Clare will affirme the same in our Lord the kinges court we are ready to get safe conduit for you to come to the sayd Court to try and declare the truth of our innocency and the falsehood of you both as forsworne traytors by some man equall with you in nobilitie and stocke All we are contayned with the seales of the aforesayd Lordes the Lord Richard and the Lord Edward Dated the day aforesayd Both which letters beyng read they drew neare to the king for they were not farre distant from the place whiche is called Lewes And for that there wanted to the Kinges store prouision for their horses it was coÌ„manded them on tewsday to go forth to seeke for hay and prouender Which when they were gone forth were preuented most of them of their enemies and killed but the residue returning saw their enemies comming very early on that wednesday morning and making outcries stirred vp the king his hoste to arme themselues Then the Barons comming to the full playne descended there and girding trunming their horses made fit their harnies to them And there the Earle Simon made the Earle of Glocester and Robert Deuer and many other new knightes which being done he deuided and distincted his host into foure seueral battails And he appointed noble men to guide gouern euery battaile And ouer that first battayle were ordayned Captaines Henry Mountfort the eldest sonne of the Earle Simon Buidd his brother Lord Iohn de Bruch the younger Lord Humfry de Boun. Ouer the second battaile Lord Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester Lord Iohn the sonne of Lord S. Iohn and Lord William of Mouncherisi And ouer the third in whiche the Londiners were at their request the Lord Nicholas Segraue was assigned Which required also very instanntly that they might haue that first stroke in the battayle at the aduenture come what come woulde But ouer the fourth battayle the Earle himselfe was captayne with the Lord Thomas of Pilnestone In that meane season came forth the kinges host preparing themselues to the field in three battayles of whiche Edward the kynges sonne led the first with the Earle of Warwicke and Malence the kings brother and the secoÌ„d the king of Alinaine guided with hys sonne Henry but the king with hys nobles guided the third And the fourth legion the king appoynted not by reason that he had left many of hys chiefe souldiours behinde him to keepe the Castell and towne of Tunebridge agaynst the Earle of Glocester And the most part of the kinges army were but young men for the king thought not that his BaroÌ„s had bene come so nigh hand Theyr armes being on both sides set in aray order they exhorted one an other on eyther party to fight valiantly after they buckled together the battaile was great many horsemen were ouerthrown euen in a moment But by and by Edward the kings sonne with his band as a fierce young gentlemen valiant knight fell vpon his enemies with such force that he compelled them to reâ—ule backe a great way so that the hinmost thinking by reason of their geuing backe that the foremost were slayne ran many away of them and taking water to passe ouer were almost threescore souldiours drowned a few of the being slaine all the rest fled Straight way the Londiners whiche had asked the first fight knowing not howe the battaile went tooke them to theyr hecles Whom Edward pursued with his band killing the himmost of them by the space of two or three miles For hee hated them because they had rebelled agaynst his father and disgraced his mother wheÌ„ she was caryed by barge vpon the Temse froÌ„ the tower to Windsore as is aboue touched pag. 000. Whilest that Prince Edward was thus in the chase of the LoÌ„doners who had the
Simon hys sonnes power not knowing of the ouerthrow whiche he had before gaue small credite thereunto till that the said Nicholas the better to view and descrie them went vp to the Abbey steple of Eusham where he might plainly discerne them all and their standerds For by this tyme they were mounted the hill which they laboured to attayne thinking to haue that vauntage when they shold geue theyr charge as they had purposed and had also aduanced agayn his own standerdes and pulled down Simons wherby they were the more easâ—yer descried and knowne Then he cryed aloud to the Earle Simon and said we are all but dead men For it is not your sonne as you suppose that commeth but it is Edward the kinges sonne that commeth from one parte and the Earle of Gloucester from an other part and Roger Mortimer from the third part Then said the Earle The Lorde be mercifull vnto our soules forasmuch as our bodyes and liues are now in their handes commaunding that euery man should make hymselfe redy to God and to fight out the field for that it was their willes to dye for their lawes and in a iust quarrell And such as woulde depart he gaue leaue to goe their wayes that they shoulde be no discomfiture to the rest Then came vnto him his eldest sonne Henry comforted him desiring him to haue no dispaire nor yet mistrust in the good successe of this victory with other such cheerfull wordes No my sonne sayth he I dispayre not but yet it is thy presumption and the pride of the rest of thy brethreÌ„ that haue brought me to this end ye see Notwithstanding yet I trust I shall dye to God and in a righteous quarrel After wordes of comfort geuen to all his host and the oration made as is the maner they all armed themselues The king also whom the Earle alwaies kept with him he armed in an armour of his owne And then deuiding theyr battailes they marched toward theyr enemies but before they ioyned the welchmen ran theyr waies and thinking to scape ouer the riuer of Dee were there some drowned some slayne Then when the battayles ioyned and came to handy strokes within short space many of the Erles part fell and were slayne And the king himselfe being stroken at cryed with a loud voyce to them saying kill me not I am Henry your king And with these the kinges wordes the Lord Adam Monhaut knewe him and saued him At whose voyce and cry came also prince Edward hys sonne and deliuered him to the garde and custody of certayne knightes In the meane season the Earle Simon was hard bestead and beaten downe and also slayne before Edward the prince came at hym Howbeit before he fell when as ye fought for his life HeÌ„ry his sonne other noble men on his part were about hym he brake out in these words vnto hys enemies saying what is there no mercy compassion with you who agayne answered what compassion should there be shewed to traytors Then sayd he the Lord be mercifull to our soules our bodyes are in your hands And as soone as these wordes were spoken they mangled hys body and deuided his members and cut of his head which head Roger Mortimer sent vnto his wife And not farre of from him also was slayne Henry his eldest sonne the lord Hugh Spencer the L. Radulphe Basset the Lord Thomas de Hestele the Lord William Maundeuile the Lord Iohn Bewchampe the Lord Guido Baillofer the Lord Roger Rowley and many other noble men besides with a great multitude of people the Lord knoweth howe many This battail was fought in the moneth of August continued from one of the clocke till it was night in the which was not so much as one man on the Earles part of any estimation fortitude and courage but in that battell lost his life more then the Lord Iohn who by the great grace of God escaped death Neither is this to be forgotteÌ„ that the same day being Tuesday at that instant houre when the battell began whiche was at one of the clocke at after noone there was such a darcknes ouer all such thunder and such tempest that the like before that time was neuer seene being very calme and fayre weather both immemediately before and after which seemed sayth myne author to geue a playne demonstration of that whiche afterward chaunced and followed After this great slaughter and ouerthrow there was a Parliament suÌ„moned at Winchester by the Earle of Gloucester and other of hys part Here by the is to be considered that the king although he was in the camp of the Erle of Leceister being then in custody and his sonne Edward with the Earle of Gloucester yet the king was in that side agaynst his will and therefore in the sayd Parliament the king was restored to his kingly dignitie which was before that tyme vnder the custody of the Barons But after the battaile was ended and done certaine of them that loued the Earle vpon an old ladder gathered vp suche partes of his body as remayned and couering the same with an old gowne brought it to Eusham where they putting the same in a faire linnen cloth buried it in the church But not loÌ„g after by such as thought not themselues sufficiently reuenged with his death to wreke them of the dead corpes took vp the same and threw it in an other place saying that he which was both accursed and a traytor was not worthy of Christen buriall The same yeare also died Walter Cantilupus Byshop of Winchester after whom succeeded Nicholas of Ely the kinges Chauncellor The same yeare the king perceiuing that vnlesse that Castle of Kenilworth were recouered and the boldnes of theÌ„ restrayned that kept the same many euils and inconueniences might ensue therupon to the preiudice of his kingdom for that the number increased euery day more more wasting and spoyling the country all about Therfore he gathered an army and came downe to warwick where he a while taryed expecting the meeting and assembling of hys Marqueses and Lordes with engines and other munition sautable Who when theyr bondes were furnished and mustred and al thinges ready the morow after Midsomer day he displayed hys banner began his vyage marching towardes Kenilworth besieged the same During which siege by the aduise and counsaile of the king the Popes Legate and other noble men 12. persons were chose which should haue the disposing of those thinges that pertayned to the state of the Realme of those that had lost their landes and inheritaunces who amongest other thinges made and established this one prouiso that was commoÌ„ly called Kenelworth decree That all those whieh hast lost their laÌ„des by attaynder although yet not attainted should fyne therfore at the kinges pleasure and take their lands of him agayn paying some three yeares some foure yeares some two yeares reueneues of the same according to the quallitie
them at some straight or other aduauntage were by the Prince premonished thereof and returning agayn vpon them gaue a charge and slew many of them and the rest they put to flight After this about Midsomer when the Prince had vnderstāding that the Saracens began to gather at Cakhow which was 40. myles from Acra he marching thether set vpō them very early in the morning and slue of them more then a 1000. the rest he put to flight and tooke riche spoyles marching forward till they came to a Castle named Castrum Peregrinorum situate vpon the Sea cost and taried there that night the next day they returned toward Acra In the meane season the king of Ierusalem sent vnto the noble men of Cypres desiring them with speede that they would come and ayde the Christians but they would not come saying they would keepe their own land and go no further Then Prince Edward sent vnto them desiring that at his request they would come ioyne in ayd with him Who immediately thereupon came vnto him with great preparation and furniture for the warres saying that at hys commaundement they were bounde to do no lesse for that his predecessors were sometimes that gouernors of their lande that they ought alwaies to shewe their fidelitie to the kings of England Then the Christians being herew t animated made a third voiage or Rode and came as farre as the fort called Vincula S. Petri and to S. Georges and when they had slayne certayne there not finding any to make resistance agaynst them they retyred agayne from whence they came When thus the fame of prince Edward grew amongst hys enemies and that they began to stand in doubt of him they deuised amongest themselues howe by some pollicie they might circumuent him and betray him Whereupon the great Prince and Admirall of Ioppa sent vnto hym sayning himselfe vnder great deceit to become a Christian and that he would draw with hym a great number besides so that they might be honorably entertayned vsed of the Christians This talke pleased the Prince well and perswaded him to finish the thing he had so well begonne by writing agayne who also by the same messenger sent and wrote backe vnto him diuers tymes about the same matter whereby no mistrust shoulde spring This messenger sayth myne autor was one ex cautè nutritis one of the slony harted that neither feared God nor dreaded death The fift tyme when this messenger came and was of the Princes seruauntes searched according to the maner and custome what weapon and armour he had about him as also his purse that not so much as a knife could be founde about him he was had vp into the Princes chamber and after hys reuerence done he pulled out certayne letters which he deliuered to the Prince from his Lord as he had done others before This was about eight dayes after whitsontide vpon a Teusday somewhat before night at which time the Prince was laid vpon his bed bare headed in his Ierkin for the great heat and intemperature of the weather When the Prince had red the letters it appeared by thē that vpon the Saterday next following his Lord woulde be there ready to accomplishe all that he had written and promised The report of these newes by the prince to the standers by liked them well drawing some what backe to consult thereof amongest themselues In the meane tyme the messenger kneeling making his obersance to the Prince questioning further with him put his hand to the belt as though he would haue pulled out some secret letters sodenly he pulled out an inuenomed knife thinking to haue stroken hym into the belly therew t as he lay But y◠Prince lifting vp his hand to defend the blow was striken a great woūd into that arm And being about to fetch an other stroke at him the prince agayn with his foote tooke hym suche a blow that he feld him to the ground with that the prince gat him by the hand and with such violence wrasted the knife from him that he hurt himself therwith on the forehead and immediately thrust the same into the belly of the messenger and striker and slue him The Princes seruauntes being in the next chamber not farre of hearing the bulkling came with great hast rūning in and finding the messenger lying dead in the floure one of them tooke vp a stoole and bet out his braynes wherat the Prince was wroth for that he stroke a dead man and one that was killed before The rumour hereof as it was straunge so it soone went throughout all the Court and from thence amongst the common people wherefore they were very heauy and greatly discouraged To him came also the Captayne of the Temple brought him a costly and precious drinke agaynst poyson least the venim of the knife shoulde penetrate the liuely bloud and in blaming wise sayde vnto hym Did I not shewe your grace before of the deceipt subtiltie of this people Notwithstanding sayth he let your grace take a good hart you shall not die of this wound my life for yours But straight wayes the surgions phisitiōs were sent for and the prince was dressed and within few dayes after the wound began to putrifie and the flesh to looke dead and blacke wherupon they that were about the prince began to mutter amongest thēselues and were very sad and heauy Which thinge he himselfe perceauing sayd vnto them why mutter you thus amongest yourselues What see you in me can I not be healed Tell me the truth be ye not afrayd Whereupon one said vnto him and like your grace you may be healed we mistrust it not but yet it will be very paynefull for you to suffer May suffering sayth he again restore health Yea sayth the other on payne of loosing my head Then sayd the Prince I commit my selfe to you doe with me what you thinke good Then said one of the Phisitions is there any of your Nobles in whome your grace reposeth speciall trust To whome the Prince aunswered yea namyng certayne of the Noble men that stoode about him Then sayd the Phisition to the two whome the Prince first named the Lord Edmund and the Lord Iohn Uoysie And doe you also faythfully loue your Lord and Prince Who aunswered both yea vndoubted Then sayth he take ye away this Gentlewoman and Lady meaning hys wife let her not see her Lord and husband till such a time I will you thereunto Whereupon they tooke her out of the princes presence crying out and wringing her hands Thē said they vnto her be ye contented good Lady Madame It is better that one woman should weepe a little while then that all the realme of England shoulde weepe a great season Then on the morow they cut out all the dead and inuenemed flesh out of the Princes arme and threw it from them and sayd vnto him how chereth your grace we promise
and determination of the matter was committed to the iudgement of king Edward of England who after sufficient proofe made to the Scottes and firme euidence brought out of all the ancient historyes both of England and Scotland testifying from tyme to tyme that he was chief head and soueraigne of the Realme of Scotland first by necessitie of the law and by al theyr consentes tooke full possession of the same And that bone adiudged the right of the Crown to John Bailol who descended of the daughter of Dauid Earle of Huntington brother to Dauid King of Scotland in the dayes of Kyng Henry the second This Erle Dauid had three daughters Isabell maried to Robert Brusse Margaret to Allen Earle of Galeway had Ellen to Henry Lord Hastinges AlleÌ„ Earle of Galeway had ElleÌ„ maried to Roger Quincy Erle of Winchester Constable of Scotland Doruagile maried to John Bailol father to Edward king of Scots When these thinges were thus finished in Scotlande and Syr Iohn Bailol as most rightfull inheritour had receaued the crowne of Scotland at the handes of kyng Edward thankefully for the same in the presence of the Barony of England and of Scotland did vnto the sayd king Edward his homage and sware to him fealty the Scottes with theyr new king returned into Scotland and Kyng Edward remoued agayne to England But not long after the falsenes of this Scotishe Kyng soone appeared Who repenting him of his homage done vntruely for sook his former othe promise and made war against king Edward through the counsaile of the Abbot of Menros Wherfore the king with a great host sped hym into Scotland in processe laid siege to the towne of Berwicke which the Scots did egerly defend not onely to the discomfiture but also to the decision of the kinges and hys English host But in conclusion the English men preuayled and wan the towne where were slayne of the Scottes the number of 25. thousand And while the king was there busied in winning other holds about the same he sent part of his host to Dunbarre where the EnglishmeÌ„ agayn had the victory and slue of the Scottes xx thousand Gis burne sayth but x. thousand so that very few were lost of the English company The king with a great nuÌ„ber of prisoners returning into his realm shortly after sped him ouer vnto FlauÌ„ders where he sustayned great trouble by the French kyng till truce for certayne space was betweene them concluded But in the meane while that K. Edward was thus occupyed beyond the Seas the French king resorting to his practised maner set the Scottes secretly agaynst the Englishmen to keep the king at home Which Scots makyng themselues a Captaine named WilliaÌ„ Waleis warred vpon the borders of NorthumberlaÌ„d where they dyd much burt At length the king returning from Burdeaux into England shortly vpon the same tooke hys iourny into Scotland Where meeting at Yorke with hys host marched into the Realme of Scotlande winning as he went townes and Castles till at length comming to the towne of Frankyrch on Mary Magdalens day he met with the power of Scotland and had with them a fore sight but through Gods prouidence the victory fel to the right cause of Englishmen so that of the Scottes were slayne in the field as it is of diuers writers affirmed ouer the number of xxxii thousand and of Englishmen but barely xxviii persons Whereupon the king agayn taking possession and feairy of the whole land returned home And yet the false vntroth of the Scots would not thus be ruled but rose vp in a new broyle so that the kyng was enforced to make his power agayn the yeare folowing into Scotland where he to suppressed the rebellion of that Lords and of the commons that they swearing to the kings allegiaunce presented themselues by great companyes put them wholy in the kings grace and mercy so that the king thinking himselfe to be in peaceable possession in a great surety of the land caused to be sworne vnto hym the rulers of the boroughes citties and townes with other officers of the land and so returned vnto Barwicke and so into England and lastly to Westminster These martiall affayres betwene England and Scotland although they appertayne not greatly to the purpose of our story Ecclesiastical yet so much by the way I thought briefly to touch whereby the better it might be vnderstanded by these premisses that whiche followeth in the sequele hereof As the Scottes were thus warring and ragyng agaynst the king and saw they could not make theyr party good they sent priuily to Pope Boniface for hysayde and counsaile who immediatly sendeth downe his precept to the K. to this effect that he should hereafter succease to disquiet or molest the Scottes for that they were a people exempt and properly pertaining to hys Chappell And therfore it could not otherwise be but that the Citty of Ierusalem must needs defend hys own Citizens as the mount Syon mayntayn such as trust in the Lord. c. Whereunto the king briefly maketh aunswere agayne swearing with anothe that he would to his vttermost keepe defend that which was hys right euideÌ„tly known to all the world c. Thus the Scots bearing themselues bold vpon the popes message also confederating themselues with the French meÌ„ passed ouer that yeare The next yeare after that whiche was 29. of the kinges raigne the sayd Pope Boniface directeth hys letters agayn to the kyng wherein he doth veÌ„dicate the kingdome of Scotland to be proper to the Church of Rome not subiect to the king of England And therfore it was agaynst God against iustice and also preindiciall to the Churche of Rome for hym to haue or hold dominion vpon the same which he proued by these reasons First that when king Henry the father of this Kyng receiued ayd of Alexander king of Scots in his warres agaynst Simon Mountfort he recognised acknowledged in his letters patents that he receaued the same of king Alexander not of any duety but of speciall fauour Item when the sayd king Alexander comming to England did homage to the sayd kyng Henry he did it not as king of Scotland but onely for certayne landes of Lyndal and Penreth lying in England Item where the sayd king Alexander left behynd hym Margaret his heyre being â—ece to the king of England and yet vnder age yet the tuition of the sayd Margaret was committed not to the K. of England but to certain Lords of Scotland deputed to the same Moreouer when any legacie was directed down from Rome to the Realme of England for collecting oftenthes or other causes the sayd legacie tooke no place in the realm of Scotland and might well he resisted as it was in kyng Alexander hys dayes except an other speciall commission touching the realme of Scotland were ioined wall Wherby it appeareth these to be two seueral dominions and not
successors But if thou haue geuen any we iudge the gift to be voyde and call backe how farre so euer thou hast gone forward And whosoeuer beleueth otherwise we iudge them heretickes Vnto this letter of the Pope king Phillip maketh answere agayn in maner order as followeth which is this ¶ Phillip by the grace of God King of Fraunce to Boniface not in deedes behauing himselfe for Pope little friendship or none TO Boniface bearing himselfe for chiefe Byshop little health or none Let thy follishnes know that in no temporall things we are subiect to no man and that the giftes of prebendes and many benefices made and to be made by vs were and shall be good both in time past and to come And that we will defend manfully the possessours of the sayd benefices and we thinke them that beleue or thinke otherwise fooles and mad men Geuen at Paris the Wednesday after Candlemas an 1301. After these aforesayd and other writinges passing to and fro betweene the French kyng and the pope within a yeare and a halfe after the king sommoneth a Parliament sending downe hys letters to his Sheriffes and other officers to summon the Prelates and Barons of the Realme vnto the sayd Court of Parliament according to the tenor of the kinges letters here following PHilip by the grace of God king of Fraunce c. Whereas we would take counsaile with the Prelates Barons and other our faythfull about weighty matters and hard and suche as belong greatly to our right and touching our honour state liberties and lawes of this our Realme Churches and Ecclesiasticall persons and would also go forward and proceede in the foresayd matters according to their counsayle We commaund you that ye dilligently in our behalfe require straightly charge all the Prelates in your baliwicke and also all and singuler Abbots and Priors of the same your foresayd baliwicke to certayne of the whiche we haue directed downe our special letters for the same cause that as they fauour our honour the good state both of the realme of théselues and of the Church they repayre to vs in their own persōs all lets and delayes set aside and all other busines left of Shewing to them moreouer that we can iudge none of them to be eyther to vs faythfull subiects or friendes to the Realme which shall faile herein or withdraw himselfe in the foresayd busines counsayles and helpes in tyme. Wherin if peraduenture any shall slack or refuse to resort and come toward vs within 8. dayes frō the tyme of this charge geuen by you or your commaundement That then you to seise all hys temporall goodes into our hand so seised to holde them vntill you receiue other commaundement from vs. Geuen at Paris the Monday before the Natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist in the yeare of our Lord. 1303. ¶ A declaration of maister William Nagareta made against Pope Boniface the eight with his appellation also made at Paris afore the kyng and his Counsaile in the Church of Paris IN the name of God Amen In the yeare of our Lorde 1303. Indictione secunda the 12. day of March and the ix yeare of the Popedome of the most holy father the L. Boniface the 8. by Gods prouidence pope and in the presence of vs common notaries and witnesses written vnder the noble man maister William Nagareta knight a worshipfull professour of the lawes standing afore the most excellent Prince the Lord Philip by the grace of God most noble king of Fraunce spake with liuely words and gaue in writinges these thinges that follow There haue bene false Prophetes among the people as there haue bene also among you false teachers c. S. Peter the glorious prince of the Apostles speaking to vs by the spirite tolde vs thinges to come that likewise as there were false Prophetes afore tyme so there should come among you false teachers bringing in sectes of destruction by the which the way of trueth shall be defaced and couetously they shall make marchandise of you with fayned wordes and further addeth that such maisters did follow the way of Balaam of Bosor whiche loued the reward of wickednes and had hys bridled Asse to correct hys madnes whiche speaking in a mans voyce did stop the foolishnes of the Prophet All which thinges as they be shewed to vs by the greatest Patriarch himself Your eyes see them fulfilled this day according to the letter For there fitteth in S Peters Chaire the mayster of lyes causing himselfe to be called Boniface 1. a well doer where he is notable in all kinde of euill doyng And so both he hath taken to himselfe a false name and where he is not a true ruler and maister he calleth himselfe the Lord Iudge and mayster of all men And comming in contrary to the common order appoynted by the holy fathers and also contrary to the rules of reason and so not entring in at the doore into the Lordes shepefold is not a shepheard nor hierling but rather a theefe robber For he the true husbād of the Romish church yet liuing deceiued him that was delighted in simplicitie entised him with fayned flatterings gifts to let him haue his spouse to be his wife let no man separate at length laying violent handes vppon hym perswading him falsely that thing which the deceiuer sayd to come from the holy spirite was not ashamed to ioyne to himselfe with wicked practise that holye Church which is maistresse of all Churches calling hymselfe to her husband where as he cannot be for Celestinus the true Romish Byshop agreed not to the said deuorce being deceiued by so great subtiltie nothing is so contrary to agreeing as errour and deceit as mans lawes beare witnes that I neede not to speake of his violence But because the spirite inspireth where he will and he that is led with the spirite is not vnder the lawe the holy vniuersall Church of God not knowing the craftes of that deceiuer stumbling and doubting whether it came from the holy ghost that Celestinus should leaue of his gouernment and the sinnes of the people deseruing it for feare of a schisme suffered the foresaid deceauer although according to the doctrine of our Lord by hys fruites he might be knowne whether he came to the say'd regiment by the holy ghost or otherwise his fruites as it is playnely here written beneath are now manifest to all men by which it is apparaunt to the worlde that he came not in by God but otherwayes and so came not in by the sheepefould His fruites are most wicked and hys ende is death and therefore it is necessary that so euill a tree according to the Lordes saying should be cut downe and cast into the fire This cānot auaile to his excuse which is said of some men that is that the Cardinals did agree vpon him agayn after the death of the sayd Celestinus the pope seing he could not be her husband whom
The yeare of our Lorde 1307. and the last yeare of the king the foresayde king Edwarde in his iourney marching towarde Scotland in the North fel sicke of the flixe which increased so ferueÌ„tly vpon hym that he dispaired of life Wherfore calling before him his Earles and Barons caused them to be sworne that they should crowne his sonne Edward in such conuenient time after his death as they might kepe the land to his vse til he were crowned That done he called before him his sonne Edwarde informing and lessoning him wyth wholesome preceptes charged him also with diuers poynts vpon his blessing first that he should be couâ—teous gentle vpright in iudgement faire spoken to all men constant in deede and word familiar with the good and especially to the miserable to be merciful After this he gaue him also in charge not to be to hastie in taking his crowne before he had reuenged his fathers iniuries stoutly against the Scots but that he shuld remaine in those parties to take with him hys fathers bones being well boiled from the flesh and so inclosed in some fit vessel shoulde carie them with him til he conquered all the Scots saying that so long as he had his fathers bones with him none should ouercome him Moreouer he willed and required him to loue his brother Thomas and Edmund also to cherish tender his mother Margaret the Quene Ouer besides he straitly charged him vpon his blessing as he would auoide his curse that he should in no case cal to him againe or sende for Peter Gaueston whych Peter Gaueston the king before had banished the realme for his naughty and wicked familiarity with hys sonne Edward and for his seducing of him with sinister counsaile For the which cause he banished both Peter Gaueston vtterly out of the realme and also put the sayd Edwarde hys sonne in prison And therefore so straitly charged hys sonne in no wise to sende for this Gaueston or to haue him in any case about him And finally because he had coÌ„ceined in himselfe a vow to haue returned hys owne person to the holy land which for his manifold warres wyth the Scots he could not performe therefore he had prepared 32000. poundes of siluer for the sending of certaine souldiours with hys hart vnto the holy laÌ„d Which thing he required of hys sonne to see accomplished So that the foresayde money vnder hys curse malediction be not employed to other vses But these iniunctions and preceptes the disobedient sonne did nothing obserue or keepe after the decease of his father Who forsaking and leauing of the warre with the Scots wyth all speede hasted him to his coronation Also contrary to the minde of his nobles against the precept of hys father he sent for the foresayde Peter Gaueston prodigally bestowed vpon him al that treasure which his father had bequested to the holy land He was moreouer a proud despiser of his peeres nobles And therefore raigned infortunately as by the sequele of the story heere folowing by the grace of Christ shal be declared Thus king Edwarde first of that name leauing behinde him 3. sonnes Thomas and Edmund by his third wife and Edward by his first wife whome he had sufficiently thus with precepts instructed departed this mortall life An. 1307. after hee had raigned neare 39. yeres Of whom this Epitaph was wrytten Dum viguit rex valuit tua magna potestas Fraus latuit pax magna fuit regnauit honestas In the time and raigne of thys king many other things happened which here I omit to speake of as the long discorde and strife betweene the Prior of Cant. and the Prior of Douer which continued aboue 4. yeres together with much wrangling vnquietnes betweene them Likewyse an other lyke coÌ„tention growing betwene Iohn Romain Archb. of York and the Archb. of Cant. vpon the occasion that when Iohn Archb. of York after his consecration returned from the Pope and comming to Douer contrary to the inhibition of Cant. passed through the middle of Kent with his crosse borne vp although the story reporteth that he had the kings consent therunto An. 1286. Item betwene Thomas Bishop of Hereford Iohn Pecham Archb. of Cant. fell an other wrangling matter in the time of thys king Which Byshop of Hereforde appealing from the Archb. to the Pope went vp to Rome and in his iourney died Who with lesse cost might haue taryed at home 1282. King Edward the second EDwarde the second of that name and sonne of Edward the first borne as is aforesaid at Carnaruan in Wales after the departure of his father entred the gouernment of the lande An. 1307. But was crowned not before the yeare next folowing An. 1308. by reason of the absence of Rob. Winchelsey who was banished by king Edward the first Wherupon the king thys present yere wryteth to the pope for the restitution of the sayd Archb. for that by an auncient law of the realme the coronation of the king coulde not otherwise proceede without the Archb. of Cant. Which Edward as he was personable in body and outwarde shape so in conditions and euill disposition much deformed As vnstedfast of woorde and light to disclose secretes of great counsaile Also refusing the companie of hys Lords men of honoure hee much haunted among villaines and vile personnages Geuen moreouer to ouermuche drinking and such vices as thereuppon be woont to ensue And as of his owne nature he was to the sayd vices disposed so was hee much worse by the counsaile and familiarity of certaine euill disposed persones as first of Peter or Pierse Gaueston before touched Then after hym of the two Spensers and other whose wanton counsaile hee followyng gaue hymselfe to the appetite and pleasure of his body nothing ordering hys common weale by sadnesse discretion and iustice which thyng caused first great variance betweene hym and his nobles so that shortly hee became to them odible and in ende was depriued of his kingdome In the first yeare hee tooke to wife Isabel daughter of Phillippe king of Fraunce wyth whome the yeare after hee was crowned at Westminster by the bishop of Winchester for that Robert Winchelsey Archbishop of Canterbury was yet in exile not returned home Notwithstanding the Barons and Lords made first their request to the king to put Peter Gaueston from hym or els they would not consent to his coronation Whereupon he was enforced to graunt them at the next parliament to haue their requests accomplished and so was crowned In the meane season the foresayd Peter or Pierse bearing himselfe of the kings fauour bolde continued triumphing and setting at light all other states and nobles of the Realme so that hee ruled both the King and the Realme and all things went as he woulde Neither had the king any delight els or kept company with any but with him with him onely he brake all his minde
priest haddeÌ„ their part of sacrifices and the first bygeten beastes and other things as the lawe telleth And Lorde S. Paul thy seruant sayth that the order of the priesthode of Aaron ceased in Christes comming and the lawe of that priesthode For Christ was end of sacrifices yoffered vpoÌ„ the crosse to the father of heauen to bring man out of sinne and become himself a priest of Melchisedeks order For he was both king priest without beginning and end and both the priesthoode of Aaron and also the law of that priesthode ben ychaunged in the comming of Christ. And S. Paul sayth it is reproued for it broghâ— no man to perfection For bloude of gotes ne of other beastes ne might done away sinne for to that Christ shad his bloud A Lord Iesu wether thou ordenest an order of priests to offreÌ„ in the auter thy flesh and thy bloude to bringen men out of sinne and also out of peine And whether thou geue them alonelych a power to eat thy flesh and thy bloud and wether none other man may eate thy flesh and thy bloud with outen leue of priestes Lord we beleeuen that thy flesh is verey meate and thy bloude verey drinke and who eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy bloud dwelleth in thee and thou in him and who that eateth this bread shall liue without end But Lord thine disciples sayd this is an hard worde but thou answerest them and seidest When yee seeth mans soone stiuen vp there hee was rather the spirite is that maketh you liue the wordes that yche haue spoken to you ben spirite life Lord yblessed more thou be for in this worde thou teachest vs that hee that kepeth thy wordes and doth after them eateth thy fleshe and drinketh thy bloude and hath an euerlasting life in thee And for we shoulden haue minde of thys liuing thou gauest vs the sacrament of thy flesh and bloud in forme of bred and wine at thy supper before that thou shouldest suffer thy death and tooke bread in thine hand and saidest take ye this and eate it for it is my body and thou tookest wine and blessedest it and sayde thys is the bloud of a new and an euerlasting testament that shall be shed for many men in forgeuenes of sinnes as oft as ye haue done doo ye this in minde of me A Lord thou ne bede not thine disciples makeÌ„ this a sacrifice to bring men out of paines gif a priest offred thy body in the alter but thou bede them go and fullen all the folke in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost in forgeuenes of their sinnes and teache ye them to keepe those thynges that ych haue coÌ„manded you And Lord thine disciples ne ordeined not priests principallich to make thy body in sacrament but for to teach the people and good husbandmen that well gouern their housholds both wiues children their meiny they ordeind to be priests to teachen other men the law of Christ both in worde in dede they liuedein as true Christen men euery day they eaten Christes body and drinken his bloude to the sustenance of liuing of theyr soules and otherwhiles they tooken the sacrament of his body in forme of bread and wine in mind of our Lord Iesu Christ. But all this is turned vpse downe for now who so will liuen as thou taughtest he shal ben holden a foole And gif he speake thy teaching he shal ben holden an heretick accursed Lord yhaue no lâ—nger wonder hereof for so they seiden to thee wheÌ„ thou wer here some time And therefore wee moten take in pacience theyr wordes of blasphemy as thou didest thy selfe or els we weren to blame And truelych Lord I trowe that if thou were nowe in the world and taughtest as thou diddest some time thou shuldest ben done to death For thy teaching is damned for heresy of wise men of the world and then moten they nedes ben heretickes that teachen thy lore and all they also that trauelen to liue thereafter And therfore Lord gif it be thy wil helpe thine vnkunning lewde seruaunts that wolen by their power and their kunning helpe to destroy sinne Leue Lorde sithe thou madest woman in helpe of man in a more fraile degree then man is to be gouerned by mans reason What perfection of charity is in these priests and in men of religion that haue forsaken spoushod that thou ordeinedst in Paradise betwixt man and woman for perfection to forsaken traueile and liuen in ease by other mens traueile For they mow not do bodilich workes for defouling of their handes with whom they touchen thy precious body in the aulter Leue Lorde gif good men forsaken the company of woman nedes they moten haue the gouernaile of man then moteÌ„ they ben ycoupled with shrewes and therfore thy spoushode that thou madest in clennes from sinne it is nowe ychaunged into liking of the flesh And Lord this is a great mischiefe vnto thy people And young priestes and men of religion for defaulte of wiues maken many women horen and drawen through their euell ensample many other men to sinne and the ease that they liuen in and their welfare is a great cause of this mischiefe And Lord me thinketh that these ben quaint orders of religion and none of thy sect that wolen taken horen whilke God forfendes and forsaken wiues that God ne forfendeth not And forsaKen trauail that God commaunds and geuen their selfe to idlenes that is the mother of all noughtines And Lorde Mary thy blessed mother and Ioseph touched oftentimes thy body and wroughten with their honds and liueden in as much clennes of soule as our priestes done nowe and touched thy body and thou touchedest them in their soules And Lorde our hope is that thou goen not out of a poore mans soule that traueileth for his liuelode with his handes For Lord our beliefe is that thine house is mans soul that thou madest after thine owne likenes But Lord God men maketh nowe great stonen houses full of glasen windowes and clepeth thilke thine houses and Churches And they setten in these houses Mawmets of stockes and stones and to fore them they knelen priuilich apert and maken their prayers and all this they sayen is thy woorship and a great herieng to thee A Lorde thou forbiddest sometime to make suche Mawmetes and who that had yworshipped such had be woorthy to be deeade Lorde in the Gospell thou sayst that true heriers of God ne herieth him not in that hil beside Samarie ne in Hierusalem neyther but true heriers of God herieth him in spirite and in trueth And Lord God what herying is it to bilden thee a church of dead stones and robben thy quicke Churches of their body liche lyueloode Lord God what heryeng is it to cloth mawmets of stockes and of stones in siluer and in golde and
him maketh him a false Christ Antichrist For who may be more agens Christ than he that in his wordes maketh himselfe Christes vicar in earth And in hys werkes vndoth the ordinaunce of Christ and maketh men byleueÌ„ that it is needful to the heale of mens soules to byleuen that he is Christes vicar in earth And what euer he byndeth in earth is ybounden in heauen vnder this colour he vndoth Christes law and maketh men alwayes to kepen his law and hestes And thus men may yseene that he is agenst Christ and therefore he is Antichrist that maketh men worshupen him as a God on earth as the the proud K. Nabugodonosor did somtime that was K. of Babylon And therfore we lewed men that knowne not God but thee Iesu Christ beleuen in thee that art our God and our king and our Christ and thy lawes And forsaken Antichrist and Nabugodonosor that is false God and a false Christ and hys lawes that ben contrary to thy preaching And Lord strength thou vs agenst our enemies For they ben about to maken vs forsaken thee and thy lawe other elles to putten vs to death O Lord onlich in thee is our trust to helpe vs in this mischiefe for thy great goodnes that is withouten end Lord thou he taughtest not thy disciples to assoylen men of her sinne and setten them a penaunce for their sinne in fasting ne in prayeng ne other almous dede ne thy selfe ne thy disciples vseden no such power here on earth For Lord thou forgeue men their sinnes and bede him sinne no more And thy disciples fulleden men 〈◊〉 name in forgeuenesse of her sinnes Nor they toke no such power vpon them as our priestes dare now And Lord thou ne affoâ—tedest no man both of his sinne and of his peyne that was dew for his sinne ne thou grauntedst no man such power here on earth And Lord me thinketh that gif there were a purgatorye and any earthliche man had power to deliueren sinfull men from the peynes of Purgatory he shoulde and he were in charitie sauen euerich man that were in waye of saluation from thilke peynes sith they make them greater then anye bodeliche peynes of thys world Also gif the Bishop of Rome had such a power he himselfe should neuer comen in purgatory ne in hell And sith we see well that he ne hath no power to kepen himselfe ne other men nother out of these bodilych peynes of the world and he may goe to hell for his sinne as an other man may I ne by leue not that he hath so great power to assoylen men of their sinne as he taketh vpon hym abouen all other men And I trowe that in this he higheth hymself aboue God As touching the selling of Byshopricks personages I trow it be a poynt of falsehed For agenst Gods ordinaunce he robbeth poore men of a porcion of theyr sustenaunce and selleth it other geueth it to finde proud men in idâ—enes that done the lewd puplelitell profite but much harme as we told before Thus ben thy commaundementes of treweth of meekenes and of poore nesse vndone by him that clepeth himselfe thy vicar here vppon earth A Lord thou gaue vs a commaundement of chastice that is aforsaking of fleshlich lustes For thou broughtest vs to a liuing of soule that is ygouerned by the word For Lord thou ordeinedist woman more frele than man to ben ygouerned by mans rule his help to please thee kepe thine hests Ne thou ne ordeinedist that a man should desire the company of a woman and maken her his wife to lyuen with her in hys lustis as a swyne doth or a hors And his wife ne like him not to his lustes Lord thou ne gaue not a man leaue to departen hym from his wyfe and taken hym an other But Lord thy mariage is a common accord betwene man woman to lyuen together to theyr liues ende and in thy seruice eyther the better for others helpe and thilke that thus ben ycome together bene ioyned by thee and thilke that God ioyneth may no man depart But Lord thou sayest that gif a man see a woman to coueten her than he doth with the woman lecherye in his hart And so Lord gif a man desire his wife in couetise of such lustes and not to flye from whoredome his weddins is lechery ne thou ne ioynest them not together Thus was Raguels doughter ywedded to seuen husbandes that the deuill instrangled But Toby tooke her to lyue with her in clennes and brynging vp of her children in thy worship and on him the deuill ne had no power For the wedding was I maked in God for God and through God A Lord the people is farre ygo from this maner of wedding For now men weddeÌ„ theyr wyues for fairenes other for riches or some such other fleshlich lustes And Lord so it preueth by theÌ„ for the most part For a man shall not finde two wedded in a lande where the husband loues the wife and the wife is buxum to the man as they shoulden after thy law of maryage But other the maÌ„ loues not his wife or the wife is not buxum to her man And thus Lord is the rule of prefe that neuer fayleth no preue whether it be done by thee or no. And Lord all this mischiefe is common among thy people for that they knowe not thy worde but theyr shepheardes and hyred men sedden them with their * sweuens and leasinges And Lord where they shoulden gon before vs in the field they seggen theyr order is so holy for thy mariage And Lord he that calleth himselfe thy vicar vpon earth will not suffren priestes to taken them wiues for that is agaynst hys law But Lord he will dispensen with them to kepen horen for a certayne somme of mony And Lord all horedome is forfended in thy law And Lord thou neuer forfendest priestes their wiues ner thy Apostles neyther And well I wote in our land priestes hadden wiues vntill Anselmus dayes in the yeare of our Lord God a leueÌ„ hundred and twenty and nyne as Huntingdon writes And Lord this makes people for the most part beleuen that lechery is no sinne Therefore we lewd men prayen thee that thou wolt send vs shepheardes of thine owne that wolen feeden thy flocke in thy lesewe and gon before theÌ„selfe and so written thy law in our harts that from the least to the most all they mayen knowne thee And Lord geue our king and his Lordes hart to defenden thy true shepheardes and thy sheepe from out of the wolues mouthes and grace to know thee that art the true Christ the sonne of thy heauenly father from the Antichrist that is the sonne of pride And Lorde geue vs thy poore sheepe patience and strength to suffer for thy law the cruelnes of the mischieuous Wolues And Lord as thou hast promised shorten these dayes
lucre and gayne in these to be looked for in the other is none Which also may appere by this for otherwise if it were for mere deuotion onely that they procure licence to bury from parish churches and to preach why then haue they procured with all licence to take offerings oblations and legacies for theyr funerals And for theyr preaching why haue they annexed also licence to require and take of the people necessaryes for theyr labor but onely auarice is the cause thereof Likewise for hearing of confessioÌ„s wheÌ„ all good men haue enough to know theyr owne faults and nothing lift to heare the faultes of other It is probably to be supposed by this theyr priuilege of hearing all mens confessioÌ„s that they would neuer haue bene so desirous of procuring that priuilege were it not that these friers did fele some sweetnes and gayne to hang vpon the same Item where the rule of frier Francise forbiddeth them to company with any womeÌ„ to enter into Monasteries to be Godfathers and Gossips to men and women how commeth it that they contrary to theyr rule enter into the secret chambers of Queenes and other women and made to know the most secret counsels of theyr doings but that auarice and commodity haue so blinded their eyes styrred theyr hartes Thirdly that the friers fall into the vice of pride ambition the sayd Armachanus proued thus To seek or to procure any high place in the Church is a poynt of pride ambition Chrisost. in opere perfecto NuÌ„quam sine ambitione desideratur primatus in Ecclesia The friers seâ—k and procure a high place in the church Ergo. the friers be proud and ambitious The Minor he proueth To haue the state of preaching and hearing confessions is in the church a state of honor The friers seeke and haue procured the state of preaching and hearing confessions Ergo The friers seeke and procure an high place in the Church c. His third conclusion was that the Lord Christ in his humane conuersation was alwayes poore not for that he loued or desired pouerty for it self c Wherin this is to be noted that Armachanus differed not froÌ„ the friers in this that Christ was poore and that he loued pouerty but here in stood the difference in maner of louing that is whether he loued pouerty for it self or not Wherin the foresayd Armachanus vsed foure probations First forsomuch as to be poore is nothing els but to be miserable and seing no man coueteth to be in misery for it self Therfore he concluded that Christ desired not pouerty for it selfe His second reason was deriued out of Aristotle Nothing sayth he is to de loued for it selfe but that froÌ„ which all commodities being secluded which folow therupoÌ„ is voluntarily sought and desired But take from pouerty al respect of coÌ„modities folowing the same it would be sought neither of God nor maÌ„ Ergo he coÌ„cluded Christ loued not pouerty for it selfe Thirdly agayne No effect of sinne said he is to be loued for it selfe But pouerty is the effect of sinne Ergo pouerty was not loued of Christ for it selfe Fourth Item no priuation of the thing that is good is to be loued for it selfe Pouerty is the priuation of the thing that is good that is of riches for God hymselfe is principally rich Ergo pouerty for it selfe was not loued of Christ. The fourth conclusion was that Christ our Lord and Sauior did neuer begge wilfully Which he proued by sondry reasons 1. First for that Christ in so doing should breake the law which sayth Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house his wife his seruaÌ„t his maid his oxe his asse or any thing that is his Exod. 20. In the daunger of which coÌ„maundement he that beggeth voluntaryly must needes incurre 2. Item if Christ had begged voluntaryly he should haue committed agaynst an other coÌ„maundement which sayth There shal be no begger nor needy person among you c. Deut. 6. 3. Item Christ in so doing should haue transgressed the Emperours law vnder which he would himselfe be subiect as appeareth by geuing bidding tribute to be geueÌ„ to Cesar forasmuch as the same Emperours law sayth There shall no valiant begger be suffered in the City 4. Item if Christ had bene a wilfull begger he had broke the law of louing his neighbor whoÌ„ he had vexed hauing no need For who so without need asketh or craueth of his neighbor doth but vexe him in such sort as he would not be vexed himselfe Which Christ would neuer do 5. Item if Christ had begged wilfully he had moued slauÌ„der therby to hys owne Gospell which he with miracles did confirme For then they that saw his miracle in feeding 5000. in wildernes would haue thought much with them selues how that miracle had bene wrought if he in feeding other either could not or would not feed himselfe 6. Item if Christ had begged wilfully then he had done that which himselfe condemneth by Paule for so we read 1. Timo. 6. That Paule condemneth them which esteme piety to be gayne and lucre Which all they do that vnder the coulour of piety hunt or seeke for gayne when otherwise they need not 7. Item if Christ had begged willfully he had offended in declaring an vntruth in so doing For he that knoweth in his mind that he needeth not in deed that thing whych in word he asketh of other Declareth in himselfe an vntruth as who in word pretendeth to be otherwise then he is in very deede which Christ without doubt neuer did nor would euer do 8. Item if Christ had begged wilfully that is hauing no â—eueâ—nced thereunto then had he appeared cither to be an hipocrite seeming to be that he was not and to lacke wheÌ„ he did not or els to be a true begger in very deed not able to suffice his necessity For he is a true begger in deed whiche being constrayned by mere necessity is forced to aske of other that which he is not able to geue to himself But neither of these two agreeth in Christ. 9. Item if Christ had begged wilfully then why did Peter rebuke the mother of S. Clement his disciple finding her to staÌ„d amoÌ„g the beggers whoÌ„ he thought to be stroÌ„g inough to labor with her handes for her liuing If she in so doing had folowed the example of Christ 10. Item if Christ had begged wilfully And if the Friers do tightly define perfectioÌ„ of the Gospell by wilful pouerty theÌ„ was Clement S. Peters successor to blame which labored so much to remoue away beggery and pouerty froÌ„ among al them that were conuerted to the faith of Christ and is specially for the same commended of the Church 11. Agayne why did the sayd Clement writing to Iames Byshop of Ierusalem commaund so much to obey the doctrine and examples of the apostles who as he sheweth in that Epistle had no begger nor needy person amoÌ„gst
obedience of the foresayd Bishop in this behalfe accordingly Whereof fayle you not vnder payne of C.li. witnesse our selues yeauen at our Mannor of Langley the viii day of Marche the 12. yeare of our Reigne To these aboue rehearsed and other fauourers of Wickliffe within this our countrey of Englande we may adde also the Bohemians for so much as the propagation of the said doctrine of Wickliffe in that Countrey also take roote comming from England to Boheme by thys occasion as in story here followeth There chaunced at that time a certayne student of the coūtry of Bohemia to be at Oxford one of a welthy house and also of a noble stocke Who returning home from the vniuersitie of Oxford to the vniuersitie of Prage caryed with him certayne bookes of Wickliffe De realibus Vniuersalibus De ciuili iure Diuino De ecclesia De questionibus varijs contra clerum c. It chaunced the same time a certayne noble man in the Citty of Prage had founded and builded a great Church of Mathias and Matheus which Church was called Bethleem geuing to it great landes finding in it two preachers euery day to preach both holy day and working day to the people Of the whiche two preachers this Iohn Hus was one a man of great knowledge of a pregnant wit and excellently fauoured for his worthy life amongst them This Iohn Hus hauing familiaritie wyth this yong man in reading and perusing these bookes of Wickliffe tooke such pleasure and fruit in reading therof that not onely he began to defend this author opēly in the schooles but also in his sermons commending him for a good man an holy man and heauenly man wishing himselfe when he should dye to be there placed where as the soule of Wickliffe should be And thus for the spreading of Wickliffes doctrine enough And thus much briefly concerning the fauourers adherentes of Iohn Wickliffe in generall Now particularly in order let vs by Christes grace prosecute the stories and persecutions of the said parties aforenamed as the course of their times shall require first beginning with the valiant champions wil. Swinderby and Walter Brute The history of William Swinderby IN the yeare 1389. William Swinderby priest within the dioces of Lincolne being accused and detected vpon certayn opinions was presented before Iohn bishop of Lincolne and examined vpon certayne articles in the Church of Lincolne after the forme and order of the popes law according to theyr vsuall rite obserued his denouncers were these Fryer Frisby obseruant Frier Hincely Angustine Tho. Blaxton Dominican The articles wherewith they charged him although in forme of wordes as they put thē vp might seeme something straunge here to be recited yet to the entent that all men may see the spitefull malice of these spider Fryers in sucking al things to poyson and in forging that is not true as in processe Christ willing here after shall better appeare by his aunsweres I thought good here to notifie the same That men may aske their debtes by charitie but in no maner for debt to imprison any man and that he so imprisoning is accursed That if parishners do knowe their Curate to be a lechour incontinent and an euill man they ought to withdraw from him their tithes or els they be fautours of his sinnes That tithes purely be almose and in case that Curates be euill men the same may lawfully be conferred to other men That for an euill Curate to curse his suget for withholding of tithes is nothing els but to take with extortiō wickedly and vnduely from them theyr money That no prelate may curse a man except he know before that he is cursed of God That euery Priest may absolute any sinner being contrite and is bound notwithstanding the inhibition of the Bishop to preach the Gospell vnto the people That a Priest taking any annuall pension vppon couenant is in so doing a simoniacke and accursed That any priest being in deadly sinne if he geue himselfe to consecrate the body of the Lord he committeth idolatry rather then doth consecrate That no priest entreth into any house but to euill intreat the wife the daughter or mayde And therefore he admonished the goodman of the house to take heede what priest he let into his house An other conclusion falsly to him obiected That a child is not truely baptised if the priest that baptiseth or the godfather or godmother be in deadly sinne Item that no man liuing agaynst the law of God is a priest how euer he were ordeined priest of any Bishop These articles or conclusions vntruely collected were as cruelly exhibited agaynst him by the Fryers in the Byshop of Lincolnes court The which articles although he neuer preached taught or at any time defēded as appereth more in the processe following yet the Friers with theyr witnesses standing forth against him declared him to be conuict bringing also dry wood with them to the towne to burne him and would not leaue him before he made them promise and sweare for feare of death neuer to hold them teach them nor preach them priuily nor apertly vnder payne of relapse and that he shoulde goe to certayne churches to reuoke the foresayd conclusions which he neuer affirmed As first in the Churche of Loncolne then in S. Margarets Church of Leycester Also in S. Martines Church in Leycester and in our Ladies churches at Newarke and in other Parishe Churches also of Melton Moubray of Haloughton Hareburgh and Lenthburgh Which pennaunce being to him enioyned he did obediently accomplishe with this forme of reuocation whiche they bound him vnto vnder these wordes The reuocation of William Swinderby whereunto he was forced by the Friers I William Swinderby priest although vnworthy of the dioces of Lincolne acknowledging one true Catholique and Apostolique fayth of the holy Church of Rome doe abiure all heresie and errour repugning to the determinatiō of the holy mother church wherof I haue bene hetherto infamed namely the conclusions and articles aboue prefixed and euery one of them to me iudicially obiected by the Commissary of the reuerend father in Christ and Lord L. Iohn by the grace of God Byshop of Lincolne and do reuoke the same euery one of them some as hereticall some as erroneous and false and do affirme and beleue them to be so and hereafter will neuer teach preach or affirme publiquely or priuily the same Neither will make any sermon within the diocesse of Lincolne but asking first and obtayning the licence of the foresayd reuerend father and Lord the Byshop of Lincolne Contrary to the which if I shall presume hereafter to say or doe to holde or preach I shal be content to abide the seueritie of the Canon as I haue iudicially by the necessitie of the lawe sworne and doe sweare c. Thus haue you the conclusions and articles of thys good man falsly obiected to him by the malicious and lying Fryers and also the
vitious this soueraygne herein is to blame but the subiect for his obedience deserueth meede of God For obedience pleaseth more to God than any sacrifice ☞ And I sayd Samuell the Prophet sayd to Saule the wicked king that God was more pleased with that obediēce of his commaundement then with any sacrifice of beastes But Dauid saieth and S. Paule and S. Gregory accordingly together that not onely they that do euill are worthy of death and damnation but also they that cōsent to euill doers And sir the law of holy Church teacheth in the decrees that no seruant to his Lord nor childe to the father or mother nor wife to her husband nor monke to his Abbot ought to obey except in lefull things and lawfull ¶ And the Archbishop said to me All these alledgings that thou bringest forth are not els but proude presumptuousnesse For hereby thou inforcest thee to proue that thou and such other are so iust that ye ought not to obey to Prelats And thus against the learnyng of S. Paule that teacheth you not to preach but if ye were sent of your owne authoritie ye will go forth and preach and do what ye lift ☞ And I saide Syr presenteth not euery Priest the office of the Apostles or the office of the disciples of Christ And the Archbishop sayd yea And I sayde Syr as the x. chapt of Mathew and the last chapter of Marke witnesseth Christ sent his Apostles for to preach And the x. chapter of Luke witnesseth that Christ sent his two and seuēty disciples for to preach in euery place that Christ was to come to And S. Gregorie in the cōmon law saith that euery man that goeth to priest hoode taketh vpon him the office of preaching For as hee sayth that Priest stirreth God to great wrath of whose mouth is not heard the voyce of preaching And as other more gloses vpon Ezechiell witnesse that the Prieste that preacheth not busilye to the people shall be partaker of their damnation that perish through his default And though the people be saued by other speciall grace of God then by the Priestes preaching yet the Priests in that they are ordeined to preach and preach not as before God they are manslears For as farre as in them is such Priests as preach not busily and truely sleyeth all the people ghostly in that they withholde from them the word of God that is life and sustenaunce of mens soules And Saynt Hydore sayd Priestes shall be damned for wickednesse of the people if they teach not them that are ignoraunt or blame not them that are sinners For all the worke or businesse of Priestes standeth in preaching and teaching that they edify all men as well by cunning of fayth as by discipline of workes that is vertuous teaching And as the Gospell witnesseth Christ sayd in his teaching I am borne comē into this world to beare witnesse to the truth and he that is of the truth heareth my voyce Then Sir since by the word of Christ specially that is his voyce Priestes are commaunded to preache whatsoeuer priest that it be that hath not good wil and full purpose to doe thus and ableth not himselfe after his cunning and power to doe his office by the example of Christ and of hys Apostles whatsoeuer other thing that he doth displeaseth God For loe S. Gregory sayth that thing left that a man is bound chiefly to do whatsoeuer other thing that a man doth it is vnthankfull to the holy ghost and therfore sayth Lincolne The Priest that preacheth not the word of God though he be seene to haue none other defaulte he is Antichrist and Sathanas a night theefe and a day theefe a sleyer of foules and an aungel of light turned into darckenes Wherefore Syr these authorityes and other well considered I deme my selfe damnable if I either for pleasure or displeasure of any creature apply me not diligētly to prech the word of God And in the same damnation I deeme all those Priestes which of good purpose and will enforce thē not busily to do thus also all them that haue purpose or will to let any Priest of this busines ¶ And the Archbishop sayde to those 3. Clerkes that stoode before him Lo Syrs this is the maner and busines of this Losell and such other to picke out such sharpe sentences of holy Scripture and Doctours to mayntayne theyr sect lore agaynst the ordinaunce of holy Church And therefore Losell it is thou that couetest to haue agayne the Psalter that I made to be taken frō thee at Caunterbury to record sharpe verses agaynst vs. But thou shalt neuer haue that Psalter nor none other booke till that I know that thy hart thy mouth accordfully to be gouerned by holy Church ☞ And I sayd Syr all my will and power is euer shal be I trust to God to be gouerned by holy Church ¶ And the Archbishop asked me what was holy Church ☞ And I sayd Syr I tolde you before what was holye Church But since ye aske me this demaund I call Christ and his Saintes holy Church ¶ And the Archbishoppe sayd vnto me I wore well that Christ and his Saintes are holy Churche in heauen but what is holy Church in earth ☞ And I sayd Syr though holy Churche be euery one in charity yet it hath two partes The first and pricipall part hath ouercomen perfectly all the wretchednesse of this life and raigneth ioyfully in heauen with Christ. And the other part is here yet in earth busily continually fighting day and night agaynst temptations of the fiend forsaking and hating the prosperity of this world dispising and withstāding theyr fleshly lustes which onely are the pilgrimes of Christ wandring toward heauen by stedfast fayth groūded hope and by perfect charity For these heauenly pilgrimes may not nor will not be letted of their good purpose by the reasō of any doctors discording from holy scripture nor by the floudes of any tribulation temporall nor by the wind of any pride of boast or of manasing of any creature For they are all fast grounded vpon the sure stone Christ hearing his word and louing it exercising them faithfully and continually in all their wittes to do therafter And the Archbishop sayd to his Clerkes See ye not how his hart is indurate and how he is trauelled with the deuill occupying him thus busily to alledgr suth sentences to mayntaine his errours and heresies Certayne thus he would occupy vs here all day if we would suffer him One of the clerkes aunswered Sir he sayd right now that this certification that came to you from Shrewsbury is vntruely forged agaynst him Therefore sir appose you him nowe heare in all that points which are certified against him so we shall heare of his own mouth his answeres and witnesse them And the Archb. took the certification in his hand looked theron a while and then
thou sayest so thou geuest offence Luke 11. The 16. Article is that they in many places lende money or goodes to haue treasure or vsurie and they haue in cities and townes yearely paiments and perpetual reuenues as great Princes and Lordes Wherein they doe against the Gospel which sayth do not ye possesse gold nor siluer And wheras they lend for gaine and vsury againste that speaketh the Lord Deu. 24. Lend not to vsury to thy brother c. Ye honest discrete and well beloued Lords all the foresaide Articles we wil prooue against the Pope and all his priests with many testimonies of the holy Scripture which for breuities sake we haue not here mētioned But note ye chiefly these 4. Articles for which wee striue and desire to defend them to the death The first Article is that all publicke and customably mortall sinnes ought to be forbidden and prohibited to all Priests and lay men according to the commaundement of the holy Scripture The seconde Article is that richesse ought to be taken from the Pope and all hys Priestes from the hyghest to the lowest and they ought to bee made poore as the Disciples of our Lord Iesus Christ were who had nothyng of their own neither possessiōs in this world neither worldly power The third Article is that the word of God ought to be free for euery mā appointed and ordained therto to preach and read in al places whether they shal come without resistance of any man or without any inhibitiō of either spirituall or earthly power openly or manifestly The fourth article is that the body of our Lord Iesus Christ ought to be deliuered to euery christian as our lord hath ordained it and as the holy Euangelists haue wrytten We haue also vnderstood that there shal be a Councell in Basile Wherfore let no mā be exalted but let them diligētly kepe their wiues their daughters and their virgins from Byshops Priests and Monkes And do not thinke that there is made any holy assembly of Bishops and Priests for the common commodity and profit of Christendom but onely to thys end that they may hide their secret vices and heresies with the cloke of hypocrisye and let and hinder the righteousnesse of God which is muche contrary to them and for this cause consider ye diligently that they will not make an holy assembly but the congregation of Sathan And take ye heede that it be not done as some did at Constance who tooke money of Bishops and Prelates suffered them to sleepe with their wiues Ye welbeloued and honest Lordes if ye finde any thing in these aforesaide Articles or wordes wrytten somewhat sharply we did it not to offend or contemne you but to the ende that ye shoulde diligently consider and deuise howe Christendome is so ill kept and led by the Priests of this present age Our Lorde Iesu Christ keepe you both in body and soule Amen In the yeare of our Lord. 1430. Preropus Smahors Conradus Samssmolich Capitaines of Bohemia Nowe to prosecute the warres of the Bohemians againe after Zisca was dead wherof we did intreat before there was great feare sorrow and lamentation in the army the soldiers accusing fortune which gaue ouer such an inuincible captaine to be ouercome with death Immediatly there was a diuision in the host the one parte chusing Procopius Magnus to be their captaine the other parte saying that there was none could be found worthy to succede Zisca whereuppon they chusing out certaine to serue the warres named themselues Orphanes Thus the Thaborites being deuided into two armies the one part retained their olde and accustomed name and the other by meanes of the death of their captayne named themselues Orphanes And all be it that oftentimes there was dissension betwene them yet when soeuer any forein power came towards them they ioyned their powers together in one campe and defended themselues They seldome went vnto any fensed townes except it were to buy necessaries but liued with their wiues and childrē in theyr campe tents They had amongst them many cartes the which they vsed as a Bulwarke For when so euer they went vnto battell they made two wings of them whyche closed in the footemen The winges of the horse men were on the out side and when as they sawe their time for to ioyne battell the wagon men which led the wings going forth vnto the Emperors standerd and compassing in such part of their enemies as they woulde did close themselues in together whereby the ennemies being inclosed so that they could not be rescued they were partly by the footemē partly by the men that were in the carres with their dartes slaine The horsemen fought without the fortification and if it happened that they were oppressed or put to flight by and by the carres opening themselues receiued them as it were into a fensed Citie and by this meanes they got many victories for so much as their enemies were ignorant of their pollicies These 2. armies went foorth the one into Slesia and the other into Morauia and returned againe wyth great pray before their enemies knewe of their comming After this they besieged the towne of Swetley in Austrich where as the Thaborites and the Orphanes two nightes continually assaulted the walles wythout ceasing but Albert Duke of Austrich comming with his hoste to aide the Citizens they fought by the space almost of foure houres the valiauntest warriers being slaine on both partes At the length the battaile was broken of and the Thaborits lost their carres and Albert was put out of his camp tents Within a while after Procopius Magnus came agayne and inclosed the citie of Rhetium in Austria with a notable siege They of Prage were in his army and Boslaus Cygneus of whome we spake before was slaine there with a dart the city of Rhetium was taken by force sacked and burnt The Burgraue of Malderburge Lord of the towne was also taken and caried vnto Prage where also hee dyed in prison These thinges thus done the Emperour sent for the nobles of Boheme which went vnto him vnto a town of Hungary called Posonium in the borders of Austria vpō the bāks of the riuer of Danubius but they wold not enter into the towne but remained wtout the towne in their tents whether as the Emperoure going out vnto them communing muche with them as touching his right title and the recouering of his fathers kingdome promising if there were any cause which did alienate the Bohemians minds from him that he would take away al the occasion therof They made answer that he had made warre vpon them without cause and that he had suffred their countrey men cōtrary to his promise to be burnt at Constance not being heard and the kingdom to be contumeliously interdited and the Nobles of Boheme to be condemned by the church of Rome as heretickes and that he should thincke the force
matrone in Rome named Constantia who in like maner departed the same yeare in which she receiued great promises by these Southsayers and Astrologers of a long and happy life saieng to her husband these words behold saith she how true be the prognostications of these southtellers If it were not for noting of thē which now are gone and whose names I would in no case to be blemished with any spot otherwise I could recite the names of certaine especially one which taking his iourney in a certaine place after diligent calculation and forecasting of the successe and good speede of his iourney was notwithstanding in the same iourney apprehended and brought where he would not after that neuer enioieng good day in short time he departed In Basill this I my selfe heard of one which knew and was conuersant with the partie who hauing a curious delight in these speculations of chances and euents to come by his calculation noted a certaine day which he mistrusted should be fatall vnto him by something which at that day should fall vpon him Whereupon he determined with himselfe all that day to keepe him sure and safe within his chamber where he reaching vp his hand to take downe a booke the booke falling downe vpon his head gaue him his deathes wounde and shortly after he died vpon the same Of these and such like examples the world is full and yet the curiousnes of mans head will not refraine still to plucke the apple of this vnluckie and forbidden tree Beside all this what murther and parricide commeth by the feare of these prophecies in great blouds and noble houses I referre it vnto them which reade and well aduise the stories as well of our Kings heere in England as in other kingdomes moe both Christened and Turkish whereof another place shall serue as well Christ willing more largely to entreat and particularly to discourse To this perteineth also the great inconuenience hinderance that groweth by the feare of such Prophecies in the vocation of mē forsomuch as many there be which fearing some one danger some another leaue their vocations vndone and follow vnordinate waies As if one hauing a blinde prophecie that his destruction should be on the day would wake and do all his busines by night and candle light and so forth in other seuerall cases of mē and women as euery one in his owne conscience knoweth his owne case best The second thing to be considered in these prophecies is rightly to discerne and vnderstand as neare as we cā the differēce betwene the prophecies proceeding frō God and the false prophecies counterfeited by Sathan For Sathan sometime plaieth Gods Ape and transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light bearing such a resemblaunce and colour of truth and Religion that vnneth a wise man is able to discerne the one from the other and the most part is begiled Concerning prophecies therefore to know which be of God which be not three things are to be obserued 1. First whether they go simply and plainely or whether they be doubtful and ambiguous wherof the one seemeth to taste of Gods spirit such as be the Prophecies of the scripture the other to come otherwise hauing a double or doubtfull interpretation Although y◠time of Gods prophecies as also of miracles is commonly and ordinarily expired yet if the Lord in these daies now extraordinarily do shew any prophecie by the simplenes plainenes thereof partly it may be discerned 2. Secondly this is to be expended whether they bee priuate tending to this familie or that family or publike For as the Scriptures so commonly the Prophecies of God haue no priuate interpretation but generall for so much as the care of Gods holy spirit is not restrayned partially to one person more then to another but generally and indifferently respecteth the whole Churche of his elect in Christ Iesus his sonne Wherefore such Prophecies as priuately are touching the armes of houses or names of men rising or falling of priuate and particular families are worthely to be suspected 3. The third note speciall argument to discry the true prophecies of God from the false prophecies of Sathan and his false Prophets is this to consider the matter and the end thereof that is whether they be worldly or whether they be spirituall or whether they tende to any glory or state of this present world or whether they tend to the spirituall instruction admonition or comfort of the publicke Church Now remayneth thirdly after we know what prophecies be of God and what not that we be instructed next how to eschew the feare and perill of all diuelish Prophecies which make against vs. Wherein two speciall remedies are to be marked of euery Christen man whereby he may be safe and sure against all daunger of the enemie The first is that we set y◠name of Christ Iesus the sonne of God against them through a true faith in him knowing this that the sonne of God hath appeared to dissolue the works of the Diuell And againe this is the victory saith the Scripture that ouercommeth the world euen our faith Whatsoeuer then Sathan worketh or cā worke against vs be it neuer so forceable faith in Christ will vanquish it Such a maiestie is in our faith beleeuing in the name of the Sonne of God The other remedy is faythfull prayer which obteineth in the name of Christ all things with the Lord. So that wicked feende which had killed before seuen husbands of Tobias wife could not hurt him entring his matrimony with earnest praier so no more shall any sinister prophecie preuaile where praier out of a faithful hart doth striue against it Neither am I ignoraunt that against such temporall euils and punishments to this life inflicted a great remedy also lieth in this when Sathan findeth nothing wherin greatly to accuse our conscience But because such a conscience is hard to be founde the next refuge is to flie to repentaunce with amendment of life For many times where sinne doth reigne in our mortall bodies there also the operation of Sathan is strong against vs to afflicte our outwarde bodyes heere but as touching our eternall saluation neyther worke nor merite hath any place but onely our fayth in Christ. And thus much briefly touching the two speciall remedies whereby the operation of all diuelishe Prophecies may be auoyded and defeated Now many there be which leauing these remedyes aforesayd and the safe protection which the Lorde hath set vp in Christ take other wayes of their owne seeking by their owne policie how to withstande and escape suche Prophecies either in eschuing the place and time subtilly or else cruelly by killing the partie whome they feare whereof commeth iniury murther and parricide with other mischiefes in cōmon weales vnspeakable To whom commonly it cōmeth so to passe that whereby they thinke most to saue themselues by the same meanes they fal most into the snare being
againe Thys booke being in Latine and Printed beareth thys title Rosacea Augustissimae Christiferae Mariae Corona and in the front it sheweth the name of Iodocus Bisselaius a noble manne of Aquine And this by the occasion of Pope Sixtus Which Sixtus what a maintainer of blind superstition hee was partly by that aforespoken partly by the ende following it may be seene For we reade in certaine wryters yâ— after thys Pope had vnderstanding that Hercules Estensis Duke of Ferraria had ioyned peace wyth the Uenetians against hys will he was so greeued therewith that for rancour of minde wythin 5. dayes after hee died whereunto hys Epitaph following geueth sufficient record About whose time also died Platina a man not vnlearned but yet a shamefull flatterer and bearer wyth the wicked liues of the Popes The Epitaph of Pope Sixtus is this Non potuit saenum vis vlla extinguere Sixtum Audito tandem nomine pacis obit An other Epitaphe of the same Pope Sixte iaces tandem nostri discordia secli Saeuisti in superos nunc Acheronta moue Sixte iaces tandem deflent tua busta cinaedi Scortaque lenones alea vina venus An other Gaude prisce Nero vincit te crimine Sixtus Hic scelus omne simul clauditur vitium But leauing here pope Sixtus with hys verses vices let vs nowe proccede as we before promised to enter the story of Maximilian keeping notwithstanding the order of our kinges here in England For a little before the reigne of Maximilian king Edward the fourth ceased his life an 1483. after he had raigned 22. yeares In the tyme of which K. Edward this also is not to be forgotten that one Burdet a marchant dwelling in Cheapside at the signe of the crowne whiche is the signe nowe of the flower de luce merely speaking to his sonne sayd that he wold make him inheritour of the crown meaning in deed his own house For the which words when K. Edward caused to be misconstred interpreted as though he had ment the crowne of the Realme wtin lesse space then 4. houres he was apprehended iudged drawne and quartered in Chepeside King Edward the 5. THis king Edwarde left behinde hym by hys wife Elizabeth 2. sonnes Edward Richard 2. daughters Elizabeth and Cicilie Which 2. sonnes Edward Richard for somuche as they were vnder age and not ripe to gouern a consultation was called among the pieres to debate whether the foresayd yong prince king shold be vnder the gouernment of his mother or els that Rich. Duke of Glocester brother to K. Edward the 4. vncle to the child should be gouernor of the K. and protector of the realme there hath bene and is an old adage the wordes whereof rather then the true meaning is wrasted out of Salomon Vae regno cuius Rex est puer 1. Wo to the kingdom the king whereof is a child c. But if I may finde leaue herein to thrust in a glose I would this adde and say Vae illi puero qui fui regni Rex non est 1. Wo to that childe whiche is a king in a kingdome vnruly and ambitious There was the same season among other noble peeres of the realm the Duke of Buckingham a man of great authoritie who had maryed King Edwards wifes sister Because the duke being so neare alliaunt to the K. had bene vnkindely as he thought of the king entreated hauing by him no anauncement nor anye great frendship shewed according to his expectation took part therfore with Richard Duke of Glocester both against the Queene her children to make the foresayd Duke the chiefe gouernour and protector The whiche thinge being broughe to passe by the ayde assistaunce and workinge of the Duke of Buckingham the Queene tooke sanctuarye with her yoÌ„ger sonne the elder brother which was the king remayned in the custody of the Duke of Glocester his vncle Who being now in a good towardnes to obtayne that which he loÌ„g loked for sought all the means soone compassed the matter by false collour of dissembled words by periurie and labour of friendes namely of the Duke of Buckingham and the Cardinall Archbishop of Caunterburye that the other brother also shoulde bee committed to his credite Thus the ambitious protector and vnnaturall vncle hauing the possession of his two nephewes and and innocent babes thought himselfe almost vp the whele where he woulde climeâ— Although he could not walke in such mistes and cloudes but his deuised purposes began to be espyed which caused him more couertly to goe about to remoue from him all suspicion and to blinde the peoples eyes But before he could accomplish hys execrable enterprise some there were whom he thought first must be ridd out of his way as namely the Lorde Hastinges and the Lord Stanley who as they were sitting together in counsaile within the tower the protectour the matter beyng so appoynted before sodaynly rushed in among them and after a few words there commoned he sodainly hasted out agayne his minde belike being full of mischiefe and furye was not quiet Who within the space of an houre returned agayn into the chamber with a sterne countenance and a frowning look and so there set him downe in hys place When the Lordes were in great meruell and muse at the meaning hereof then he out of a cankered hart thus begaÌ„ to bray asking them what are they worthy to haue which go about to imagine the destruction of him being so neare to the kings bloud and protectour of the Realme At the which question as the other Lords sate musing the Lord Hastinges because he had bene more familiare wyth him thus aunswered that they were worthy of punishement whatsoeuer they were Which when the other Lordes also had affirmed that is quoth the protectour yonder sorceresse my brothers wife meaning the Queene and other with her adding moreouer and saying that sorcereâ—â— other of her counsayle as Shores wife with her affinitie haue by their witchcraft thus wasted my body and therewith shewed forth his left arme a wearish withered thing as it was neuer otherwise as was well knowne This Shores wife had bene before a Concubine to K. Edward afterward was kept by the same Lorde Hastinges Moreouer here is to be noted that by the consent of the said Lord Hastinges the cruell protectour had deuised about the same time the kindred of the Queene innocently to be headed at Pomfret of mere despite and hatred Wherfore this punishment not vndeseruedly by the iust hand of God fell vpon the said Lord Hastinges It followeth then more in the storye that when the L. Hastinges had heard these false accusations of the tyraunt which he knew to be vntrue certaynly my Lord sayd he if they haue so done they be worthye of haynous punishement Why quoth the protector doest thou serue me with if and with and I tel thee they haue
be ioyned Emperour with him with whom he reigned the space of 7. yeares till the death of the sayd Fridericke hys father who departed an 1494. after he had reigned ouer the Empire 53. yeares lacking onely but iii yeares of the reigne of Augustus Caesar vnder whome was the byrth of our Lord and Sauiour Christ. This Maximilian as he was a valiaunt Emperoure prudent and singularly learned so was hys reigne intangled in many vnquiet and difficile warres first in the lower Countryes of Flaunders and Brabant where the saide Maximilian was taken captiue but shortly after reschued deliuered agayne by hys father 1487. It was signified before how this Maximilian by the aduise of that Burgundians had to wife Mary the onely daughter of Charles Duke of Burgundy afore mentioned by whome he had 2. children Phillip and Margarete an 1477. Whiche Mary not long after about the yeare of our Lorde 1481. by a fall from her horse fell into an agew and departed Other warres many mo the same Maximilian also achieued both in France in Italy in Hungary and diuers besides So happy was that education of this Emperour in good letters so expert he was in tongues and sciences but especially such was his dexteritie and Promptnes in the latin stile that he imitating the exaÌ„ple of Iulius Caesar did write and comprehend in Latine historyes his owne actes and seates done and that in such sort that when he had geuen a certayne tast of his history to one Pircamerus a learned man asking his iudgemeÌ„t how his warlike stile of Latine did like him the sayd Pyrcamerus did affirme and reporte of him to Iohn Caron the witnes and writer of this story that he did neuer see nor read any Germane storye a thing more exactly and that in such hast done as this was of Maimilian Moreouer as he was learned himselfe so was he a singular patrone and aduauncer of learned studentes as may well appeare by the erecting and setting vp the vniuersitie of Wittenberge By this Emperour many in those dayes were excited to the embrasing as wel of other liberall artes as also namely to the searching out of old antiquities of historyes whereby diuers were then by him first occasioned in Germany to set their mindes to exercise their dilligence in collecting explicating matters pertayning to the knowledge of history as well of ancient as also of latter times as namely Cuspinianus Nauclerus Conradus Peutingerus Manlius and other Here now it began right well to appeare what great benefite was broched to the world by the Arte and facultie of Printing as is before mentioned Through the meanes of which printing the church and common wealth of christ began now to be replenished with learned men as bothe may appeare by this Emperour being so induced himselfe with such excellent knowledge of good letters and also by diuers others famous and worthy wittes whiche began now in this age exceedingly to encrease and multiplye as Baptista Mantuanus Ang. Politianus Hermolaus Barbarus Picus Mirandula and Franciscus his cousin Rodol Agricola PoÌ„tanus Philippus Bero aldus Marsilius Ficinus Volateranus Georgius Valla with infinite other Among whom is also to be numbred Weselus Groningensis otherwise named Basilius who was not longe after Ioan de Wesalia aboue recited both muche about one tyme and both great friendes together This Weselus dyed the yeare of our Lord. 1490. After that Ioannes Doctor De Wesalia aforesayd was condemned this Weselus being familiar with him thought that the Inquisitour woulde come and examine hym also as he himselfe in a certaine Epistle doth write He was so notable and worthye a man that of the people he was called Lux Mundi That is The light of the worlde Concerning his doctrine first he reprehended the opinion of the papistes as touching repentaunce which they deuided in three partes of the which three partes satisfaction and confession he did disalow Likewise Purgatorye and supererogation of workes pardons he did disproue both at Rome and at Paris He spake agaynst the popes indulgences by the occasion whereof diuers of the Popes court perswaded by him began to speake more freely agaynst the same matter then he himselfe had done The abuses of Masses and praying for the dead he disalowed and likewise the supremacy of the Pope he vtterterly reiected as appeareth in a booke of his De Sacramento poenitentiae denying vtterly that any supreme head or gouernour ought to be in the world ouer all other affirming also saying many times that the pope had no authoritie to do any thingby commaundement but by truth that is so farre as trueth goeth with hym so farre hys sentence to stand neither that he ought to preuayle by commaunding but onely by teaching so as euery true christian Bish. may preuayle ouer an other Also in some place in his writings he denyeth not but that popes and their spirituall Prelates proceeding agaynst Christes doctrine be playne Antichristes such as were infirm and not able to perform the bond of chastitie taken vpon them he sayd they might wel breake their vow Also the sayd Weselus witnesseth that the forefathers which were before Albert and Thomas did resiste and westand the popes indulgences calling them in theyr wrytinges playne Idolatry mere fraude and erroure adding moreouer that vnles the seueritie of some good Diuines had not withstand these pardons and indulgences of the Pope innumerable erroures had ouerflowne the church Amongest these workes of Weselus there is a certaine Epistle of one written to hym â—in which the authour of the Epistle confesseth that in hys time there was a certayne learned man at Paris called maister Thomas de Curselis a Deane who being in the councell of Basill whereas diuers began to aduaunce the power of the pope to farre declared and affirmed to be sayd to him of Christ Quicquid ligaueris super terram erit ligatum in coelo c. Et non quicquid dixeris esse ligatum That is What soeuer thou shalt bynde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen but not what soeuer thou sayst to be bound As who should say the pope cannot nor doth not binde therfore because he so sayth except truth and righteousnes go also with him then he doth so bynde in deed There is a certayne booke of this man amongst diuers others which he intiruleth De subditis superioribus in that which he disputeth greatly against that pope his Prelates affirming that the pope vnlesse hys faith doctrine be found ought not to be obeyed He affirmeth also that the pope may erre and when he erreth men ought by all manner of meanes to resist him Item that great superfluous riches in the clergy do not profite but hurt that church That the pope doth wickedly distribute the rentes of the Church and the Church it selfe to vnworthy Ministers by Simony for hys owne profite and gayne wherby it
Lady of Tower is foolishnesse for it is but a stocke or a stone IOhn Smith was accused to be a very hereticke because he did hold that euery man is bonnde to know the Lordes Prayer and the Creede in English if he might for these false Priestes Item that who so beleeued as the Church then did beleeue beleeued ill and that a man had neede to frequent the schooles a good while ece that he can attaine to the knowledge of the true and right faith Item that no Priest hath power to assoile a man in the market of penance from his sinnes ROger Browne of the same Citie was also accused to be an hereticke bicause he did hold that no man ought to worship the Image of our Lady of Walsingham nor the bloud of Christ at Hailes but rather God almighty who would geue him whatsoeuer he would aske Item that he held not vp his hands nor looked vp at the eleuation of the Eucharist Item that he promised one to shew him certaine bookes of heresie if he woulde sweare that he woulde not vtter them and if he would credite them Item that he did eate flesh in Lent and was taken with the maner Item if any man were not shriuen his whole life long and in the point of death would be confessed and could not if he had no more but coÌ„trition only he should passe to ioy without Purgatory And if he were confessed of any sinne were enioined only to say for penance one Pater noster if he thought he should haue any punishmeÌ„t in Purgatory for that sinne he would neuer be confessed for any sinne Item because he said all is lost that is geuen to Priests Item that there was no Purgatory that God woulde pardon all sinnes without confession and satisfaction THomas Butler of the same Citie was likewise opeÌ„ly accused to be a very hereticke because he did hold that there were but two wayes that is to say to heauen and to hell Item that no faithfull man should abide any paine after the death of Christ for any sinne because Christ died for our sinnes Item that there was no Purgatory for euery man immediatly after death passeth either to heauen or hell Item that whosoeuer departeth in the faith of Christ and the Church howsoeuer he hath liued shall be saued Item that praiers pilgrimages are nothing worth and auaâ—â—â— not to purchase heauen IOhn Falkes was accused to be a very hereticke because he did 〈◊〉 that it was a foolish thing to offer to the Image of our Lady sayeng her dead shall be hoare or I offer to her what is it but a blocke If it could speake to me I would noue it an halsepeny worth of ale Item that when the Priest carieth to the sicke the body of Christ who carieth he not also the bloud of Christ Item that he did eate cowe milke vpon the first Sonday of Lent Item that as concerning the Sacrament of penaunce absolution no Priest hath power to assoile any man froÌ„ his sinnes wheÌ„ as he can not make one heare of his head Item that the Image of our Lady was but a stone or a blocke RIchard Hilmin was accused that he was a very hereticke because he did say and mainteine that it was better to depart with money to the poore then to giue tithes to Priests or to offer to the Images of our Lady and that it were better to offer to Images made by God then to the Images of God painted Item that he had the Lords Prayer and the Salutation of the Angell and the Creede in English and another booke did he see and had which conteined the Epistles and Gospels in English and according to them woulde hee liue and thereby beleeued to be saued Item that no Priest speaketh better in the Pulpit then that booke Item that the Sacrament of the aultare is but bread and that the Priests make it to blinde the people Item that a Priest whiles he is at Masse is a Priest and after one Masse done till the beginning of another Masse he is no more then a lay man and hath no more power then a meere lay man ¶ After they were enforced to recant they were assoyled and put to penaunce IN the yeare of our Lord 1488. the iij. of Aprill Margery Goyt wife of Iames Goyt of Asburne was brought before the foresayde Iohn Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield who was there accused that she said that that which the Priests lift ouer their heads at Masse was not the true and very body of Christ For if it were so the Priestes could not breake it so lightly into four parts and swalow it as they do for the Lordes body hath flesh and bones so hath not that which the Priests receiue Item that Priests buieng xl cakes for a halfepeny and shewing them to the people and saieng that of euery of them they make the body of Christ do nothing but deceiue the people and enrich themselues Item seeing God in the beginning did create and make man how can it be that man should be able to make God ¶ This woman also was constreined to recant and so was she assoyled and did penance Thus much I thought heere good to inserte touchyng these foresaid men of Couentry especially for this purpose because our cauilling aduersaries be wont to obiect against vs the newnes of Christes old and auntient Religion To the intent therefore they may see this doctrine not to be so new as they report I wish they woulde consider both the time and Articles heere obiected agaynste these foresayd persons as is aboue premised I should also in the same reigne of King HeÌ„ry vij haue induced that history of Ioannes Picus Earle of Mirandula the mention of whose naine partly is touched before page 704. This Picus Earle of Mirandula being but a yong man was so excellently witted so singularly learned in all sciences and in all toungs both Latine Greeke Hebrew Chaldey and Araby that coÌ„ming to Rome booted and spurred he set vp 90. conclusions to dispute in the same with any in al ChristeÌ„dome whosoeuer would come against him Of which conclusions diuers were touching the matter of the SacrameÌ„t c. And when none was found in all Rome nor in Europe that openly would dispute with him priuely and in corners certaine of the Popes Clergy Prelates Lawyers Friers by the Pope appointed coÌ„sulted together to inquire vpon his coÌ„clusions wherupon they did articulate against him for suspicion of heresie And thus the vnlearned Clergy of Rome priuely circumueÌ„ted and intangled this learned Earle in their snares of heresy against whome they neuer durst openly dispute He dyed being of the age of 32. of such witte and towardnes as is hard to say whether euer Italy bredde vp a better In his sickenes Charles viij the French King moued with the fame of his
wicked accuser and after a martyr Nicanor one of the seuen Deacons with 2000. other martyred Ex Dorotheo in Synops Symon a Deacon martyred S. Thomas the Apostle suffered Symon Zelotes crucified Thaddeus the Apostle slayne Simon Cananeus crucified Marke the Euangelist burned Battholomew the Apostle crucified and beheaded Ex Ioan. de Monte Regals Andrew the Apostle crucified for the Gospel Ex Hieronemo in Catologo scrip Eccles. Ex Cypriano lib. De duplici Martyrio Ex Barnardo serm 2. de Sanct. Andraa The words of Andrew to the CouÌ„sell The feruencie of Andrew agaynst Idolatry The constant fayth of Andrew to the end The crosse here is not taken for the materiall crosse of wood but for the maner of death vpon the Crosse whiche death was to him welcome S. Mathew the Apostle slayne with a speare Euseb lib. 3. Cap. 24. 39. Irenaus lib. 3. cap. 1. Hiero. in catalogo script Mathias the Apostle stoned and headed Philip the Apostle crucified Ex Isido lib. de patribus noui testaÌ„ Iames Byshop of Ierusalem Fx Clemente Ex Egesippo in Commenturro Apoc. 12. Cap. 3. Luc. 23. Iosephus lib. 20. Martyrs The first x. persecutions in the primitiue Church The sondry tormentes of the holy Martyrs in the Primitiue Church Aug. de Ciuit. Lib. 22. cap. 6. The number of holy Martyrs in the primitiue Church 1 The first persecution Anno. 67. Histor. Ecclesi Lib. 2. Cap. 24.25.26 Orosius Lib. 7. Nero thought to be Antichrist S. Peter the Apostle crucified at Rome Hieron lib. Deuiris illustris This report seemeth neyther to come of Ierome not to be true in Peter Egesippus Lib. 3. De excidio Hieroso cap. 2. Abdias lib. 1. De vitae Patri Euseb. lib. 30 hist. eccle c. 30. Peters wife put to death for Christ. The wordes of Peter to hys wife goyng to death Paule the Apostle Ex Hieronimo Lib. de viris illust Saule brought vp vnder Gamaliell Saule a persecutor Saule conuerted Saulus turned to Paulus Paule sent to the Gentiles Act. 28. 2. Tim. 4. The epistles of S. Paule to viâ— Churches The Epistle to the Hebrues The Epistle to Laodicia Abdias de viris lib. 2. Paule declareth his doctrine to the Emperour The summe of Paules doctrine Paule condemned Paule suffereth A Legende miracle The story of Abdias suspected Historyes doe varry about the tyme of their Martyrdome If this be true that PrudeÌ„tius recordeth of Paule to suffer vnder Nero and the yeare after Peter then is it false which Hierome before testifieth Peter to suffer the 〈◊〉 yeare of Nero. The second persecution Anno. 69. Ex Orosio Lib. 7. The tyranny and intemporaunce of Domitian Symeon Byshop of Hierusalem crucified Iohn the Euangelist Isidorus de patribus nous Testaments Euseb. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. Histor Eccle. Anno. 97. Iohn banished Iohn released out of banishement Euseb. lib. 3. Cap. 23. Iren. Lib. 3. Clemens Alexandrinus A notable history of Iohn the Euangelist What wicked company doth A notable lesson for al ministers to seeke againe their lost sheepe O vnspeakable loue shevved out to a wicked sinner An example of the godly to flye the coÌ„pany of the wicked A Catholique question concerning auriculer confession Solutio An other Catholique question Solution Albert. super EuaÌ„gelium Missus est An other question with the solution Albert. ibidem ca. 17. S. Thomas par 3. ques 37. art 5. Flauia the daughter of a Consul banished for the testimony of christ Ex Euseb. Lib. 3. ca. 19 The Emperour maketh inquirie for all that were of Dauids stocke Dauids stocke feared of the Emperours Two Nephewes of Iude the Lordes brother preserued The kingdome of Christ not of this world The causes why the Emperours and Senate of Rome did so rage agaynst the Christians The kingdome of Christ feared of the Romaines Lex antiqua Romana contra Christianos Ex Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 21. The kingdome of Christ hated of Romaine Princes False accusations and slaunders agaynst the Christians Ex Apologiae Iustini Marty Publius Tarquinius Mamertinus persecutors Ex Iust. Mart. in 2. Apolog. The forme of inquisition agaynst the Christians in the old tyme. The cruelty of tyrauntes in killing of Christen men Ex Epist fratrum Viennensium Lugdunensium ad fratres per Asiam Phrigiam scripta Ex Nicephero Lib. 3. cap. 22. Ex Iustino Martyr in Dialogo cum Tripheo The Church increaseth by persecution Disagreement in authors touching the liues and tymes of Martyrs Linus Byshop of Rome Cletus and Anacletus both one Clement Byshop counted a Martyr The liues of Martyrs paynted out with fayned miracles Euaristus Byshoppe of Rome and martyr The decretall Epistles Nâ—uel 〈◊〉 Platina Volateran Anthropo Lib 22. Euseb. Lib. 3. Cap. 24. Alexander Byshop of Rome and Martyr Authors disagree Alexander Euentius Theodulus Hermes with hys houshold Quirinus with hys houshold Martyrs Ex Platina in vita Alexandre Saphyra Sabina Martyrs Ex Florilego The ordidinaunces of Euaristus Dist. 93. cap. Diaconi Ex Dist. 70. cap. Neminem Ibedem cap. Sanctorum Ex Dist. 93. cap. Diaconi The Institutions of Alexander Holy water first inuented De consecrat Dist 3. The mixting of water with the wine in the chalice Qui predie put in the Masse Canon The third persecution of the Church An. 100. Plinius secundus wrote to Traian to stop the persecutioÌ„ The Epistle of Plinie to Traianus The vse of Christians in the primitiue Churche The testimony of the Heathen of the Christians Two maydens racked for Christ. The aunswere of Traian to Plinies letter The stocke of Dauid feared and inquired for of the Romaine Emperours Ex Egesippo Simeon sonne of Mary Cleophas A iust punishment of God vpon the malitious accusers of the Christians The age of Simeon The death and Martyrdome of Simeon Phocas Byshop of Pontus Martyr Sulpitius 〈◊〉 Exphrofina 〈◊〉 Martyrs Sabina Martyr Ex. Suâ—ple Chr. Seraphia Nereus Achilleus Martyrs Sagaris Martyr Ignatius Martyr Anno. 111. Ex Euse. Lib. 3. Cap. 35.36 Ex Hier In catalogo Scrip. Eccles. Onesimus Pastor at Ephesus The wordes of Ignatius The straigâ—â— handling of Ignatius The notable constancy and burning zeale to Christ in this blessed martyr to be marked Ignatius denoured of wild beasts Ex Hier. Lib. de viris illust Publius Byshop of Athens Martyr Zenon with 10000. Martyrs slayne for Christ. Ex Henr. de Exfordia alijs Achaichus Heliades Theodorus Carcerius with ten thousand Martyrs Eustachius with hys wife and Children Martyred for Christ. Faustinus and Iobita Calocerius Martrys Elutherius with hys mother Anthia Martyrs Ex Nicephorâ— ex Onam â—ustus and Pastor brethren and Martyrs Symboris with her 7. Children martyred Sophia with her 3. children Martired Quadratus Byshop of Athens offereth an Apology of Christian doctrine Aristides a Philosopher of Athens defeÌ„deth before the Emperour the religion of Christ. Serenus Granius a defender of Christian Religion Euseb. lib. 4 Cap. 8. The Emperour writeth for the Christians The letter of Hadrian the Emperour to Fundanus
feruent desire of Constantinus to peace and vnitie The letter of Constantine to Crestus Byshop of Syracusa The edicte of Constantinus to the rulers of the prouince of Palestina The letter of Constantine to Eusebius The councell of Nice The effect of the letter of Constantine to Alexander and Arrius ex Euseb de vita Constan Lib. 2. Constantine set forth a spectacle to all Princes to follow A briefe recapitulation of such benefites as wâ—re wrought by Constantine vpon Christes Church Where wickednesse is punished there goodnes followeth The liberalitie of Constantine in geuing to Churches Euseb. lib 4. de vita Constantini The forme of prayer appoynted of Constantine for hys souldiours The souldiours prayer The sonday appoynted to be kept holy Liberties and priuiledges graunted to the clergy The prouision and liberalitie of Constantine in mayntayning scholes The priuiledge granted by Constant. to vniuersities and scholes The prouident care of Constant. to haue the scripture in Churches Ex Euseb. lib. 4. de vitae Constant. A wish of the author admonitory to Princes The liberalitie of Constant. towardes the poore and needy Constant. remitteth the fourth part of hys rentes and reuenewes Deuotion of Constantine Reasons and argumentes prouing the donation of Constantine to be falsefied Commendation of Constantine the Emperour Constantine kissed the woundes of them that suffered for Christ. Constantine burneth the bils of complayntes and breaketh strife among the Byshops Note that the oration ad conuentum sanctorum is wrongly ascribed to Eusebius which in deede is the oration of Constantine Looke aboue pag. 68. Col. â— line 52. Satan bound vp for a M. yeares A petition to the reader diligently to read ouer the former booke of the x. persecutions The first planting of ChristeÌ„ fayth in England Question Whether Christian Religion in this Realme came first from Rome Aunswere 1 Gildas 2 Ex Tertul. contra Iudaeos 3 Ex Origen hom 4. in Ezechâ— 4 Ex Bedâ— 5 Ex Niceph. Lib. 2. cap. 40. 6 Ex Pet. Cluniacensi ad Bernardum 7 Ex Epist. Eleutherij ad Lucâ—â—â— What difference betweene the late church of Rome from the old Church of Rome and in what matters De consecrat Dist. 2. â—abianus cap. 119. 120. Eleutherius Byshop of Rome Austen 2. The fayth of Christ brought into this Realme Lucius first christened king of the Brittaines Ex Monumetensi alijs Paganus Damianus 28. Byshops within this Realme 3. Archb. Ex vetusto codice regum antiquorum The Epistle of Eleutherius to king Lucius The king Gods vicare within hys owne kingdome Esay 42. H. Huntendon Lib. 1 What incommoditie commeth by lacke of succession The decease of King Lucius Ex Florilego Ex Beda Polyero monumetensi An. D. 390. Secund fab Bed An. 433. fab An. 443. An. 448. An. 464. The Brittaynes neuer touched with any persecution before the time of Dioclesian Constant. the great borne and bred in Brittayne The cause how this Realme of Brittaine was first weakened Brittayne spoyled of souldiors Vrsula with a xi thousand virgins Gueteliâ—â—â— Archb. of London Ex Chronico Monâ—metensi Constantinus Constant. Aurelius Ambrosius Vter Pendragon The Saxons sent for to Brittayne Kyng Constans slayne by Vortigerne Hengist and Horsuâ— Captaynes of the Saxons A wicked murther of the Saxons Aurelius and Vter sonnes to Constantinus Ex Gaufrido Ex Alfrido in suo Britannico Ex Policron lib. 5. cap. 4. Seuen kings ruling in England This Dunwich lyeth vpon the sea side in Suffolke Example what it is to let in straunge nations Maryage with Infidels what destruction it worketh The second returne of Engist into Brittayne The dissembling words of the Saxons to deceaue the Brittaynes Neme your sexes the watcheword All the Nobilitie of the Brittaynes destroyed in one day The king raunsomed The Saxons enter possession of the land The Christian Brittaynes persecuted of the Infidel Saxons An. 462. Aurelius Ambrosius returneth into Brittayne Aurelius crowned king of Brittayne Vortigerus burned in hys tower Horsus slayne Engist taken in the field The counsel of Eldadus Byshop of Glocester Engist beheaded Anno. 490. Ex Henr. Huntingtonensi Galfrido Ex Chronico quodaÌ„ Cariensi The vncertainty of our old Brittayne storyes Ex historia Cariana Aurelius Ambrosius Brit. kyng Anno. 497. Vter PendragoÌ„ Brit. Kyng Remember the wordes of Gildas 633. hist. Caria The Christian Brittaynes persecuted by the Heathen SaxoÌ„s Anno. 516. King Arthur The tales of King Arthur Constantinus 3. Aurelius Conanus Vortiporâ—uâ— Malgo. Carecius Kings of Brittayne The Archb. of London and the Archbishop of Yorke flee into Wales Ex historia quadam Cariensi The causes of the destruction of the Brit. declared In English thus This 〈◊〉 beyng a Christiâ—â— was 〈◊〉 vnto Ethelbert vpon the conditiâ—â— that she should be suffered 〈◊〉 enjoy her religion Ethelbeâ—â— kyng of Kent Oswaldus king of Northumberland Edwinus king of Northumberland Sigebertus of Eastangles Sebert or Sexbrieth of Essex The first building 〈◊〉 the Châ—â—câ— of Paulâ—â— London Ethelbert king of the Eastangles Peter pence 〈◊〉 they first came vpon be payd to Rome Kenelmuâ— king of the Mercians S. Edmund king of Eastangles The message of Inguar to Kyng Edmund The martirdome of K. Edmund in Northfolke A QuestioÌ„ Whether kings which made themselues Monkes did well in so doing or not Aunswere Where vocation byndeth to tary there not to flye but to resist the occasions of euill it is a good mans part Foure persecutions in Brittany before the comming of Austen into England The persecution of Dioclesian about the yeare of our Lord. 210. The persecution of Gnauius and Melga The persecution of Hengist in Brittayne The fourth destruction of Christen fayth in Brittayne by GurmuÌ„dus an 595. This Gurmundus as some stories record leauing hys kingdome at home to hys brother sayd he would possesse no kingdome but which he should win with his sword King Lucius dyed 428. before the comming of Austen The computation of times concerning the continuaunce and decay of Christes Gospell betweene the Brittaynes and the Saxons Anno. 598. Beda Polychronicoâ— li. 5. ca. 8.6 Malesburiensis de regib Henr. Huntington lib 3. Fabianus part 5. cap. 119. Liber bibliothecae tornalensis Deyrham in Northumberland Episcopus Arelalensis Ex Henr. Huntingtonensi li 3. The Epistle of Gregory to them whiche went to preach in England The Bishop of Rome calleth the Emperour hys Lord. Austen and hys company commeth to England Ethelbert King of Kent What goodnes commeth to haue a good and godly wife The kinges answere to Austen The king staieth vpon olde custome The Letany of Austen Miracles wrought by God for the conuersion of the land Austen made Archbishop Ex decreâ— Gregorij primiâ—â— concil tom 2. 1. Interrogation The aunswere Distribution of Churche goodes 2. Interrogation The aunswere The glose vppon the 12. q. 1. 〈◊〉 rag Si. 〈◊〉 sayth that this nowe holdeth not and alledgeth 〈◊〉 extran Decler comming ca. Iob. Whereby note how the Popes decrees be repugnant
letter of Byshop Waltram Well said when ye are not able to withstand hys wisedome call him a foole Note howe the earle here calleth light darcknes and darcknes light He hath vttered more 〈◊〉 then you are able euer â— aunswereth Whether euery poweâ— is to be obeyed or noâ— Osee. â— If euery power which offendeth on subiectes is to be call out then hath this Earle 〈◊〉 a fayre argument How 〈◊〉 these Papistes describe themselues in their owne colours But Paule iudged the Emperour to be an ordinary power when he appealed to him This is â—â— ly that the Emperour would 〈◊〉 his owne wife a common 〈◊〉 Euill will neuer sayd well A zeale but faâ—â—e from knowledge And when they shall slay you they shall thinke they doe God great seruice Iohn 16. Yea true if he had cópelled you to forsake the name of Christ which hee neuer did Oh how craftely doth Sathan here shape himselfe to an Angell of light Exvetusto chronico Kinges ceased in Wales Anno. 1100. Henry Beuclerk the first king of England What learning doth in a prince Lawes of King Edward reduced The measure of England made after the length of King Henries arme Wanton persons remoued out of the court Ex Math. Paris Flor. Hist Example what it is to leaue of the Lordes busines Duke Robert taken prisoner The hospitall of Bartholomew founded Rayer and Richard Whittington founders of S. Bartholomewes in London Ex Henr. lib. 7. Anselmus The king ordayned and inuested Byshops without the Pope Herbert bishop of Norwich dinorsing hys priestes from their wiues had much a doe Anselmus cruell and fierce agaynst maryed Priestes Ex epist. Ansel. 176. Versus malò feriati ex biblio Ramsey Anno. 1103. A strife betwene K. Henry and Anselme the Archbish. of Cant. Gifford Bishop of Wint. refuseth to be consectrate by the Archbishop of Yorke A strife betwene King Henry and Anselmus Archb. of Cant. Ex Guli lib. 1. de Gestis A. 〈◊〉 Romanes Councel agaynst 〈◊〉 men 〈◊〉 any 〈…〉 Nospirâ—â— person to it vnderloâ—â—ction to 〈◊〉 lay personage Ex lorâ—â—lensis 〈◊〉 others â—ihistoria Anselme resuseth to do homage to his King Messengeâ— sent to Rome Ex Mathâ— Paris Ex Gulâ—â— lib. 1. de gestis 〈◊〉 Ang. The king hath nothing to do with the Pope hys letters Messenger sent agayn to Rome The letter of K. Henry the first vnto the Pope Spoken like a king The â—ing is a point to 〈◊〉 the â—opes obeâ—ince Another â—tter of K. Henry the 〈◊〉 sent to â—he Pope A place of Polydorus Virg. found â—aultie Ex Guliel lib. 1. de â—ont Anglo The pope othe to go agaynst hys owne proâ—it He meaneth beside the two bishops Giâ—ardus whiche made the third Anselme a deuout chaplaine to the Church of Rome Anselme iournieth agâ—yne to Rome The effect of the oration of W. Warlwast at the popes court Ex Galial De gestis pont of â— lib. 1â— Ex Math. Paris lib. 3. A proud aunswere of the pope Excommunication abused Anselme restrayned from comming to England Ex Redulph Londimensi A letter of Anselme to kyng Henry The proude stoutnes of a prelate in a wrong cause Anselme about to excommunicate the king Reconcile â—ent made betweene the king and Anselmus Ambassage to Rome Guliel Malmes lib. 1. de gestis pontisi Priestes receaued their wiues agayne by the Absence of Anselme The faultes of ecclesiasticall ministers long to none but to byshops to correct quod Anselme The K. brought vnder the Archbishop Conditions graunted by the king to Anselm Lawfull matrimony punished Anselme returneth into England Priestes driuen agayne from their wiues Anno. 1106. Exlib 〈◊〉 liel de 〈…〉 lib. 1. c◠〈…〉 Priests 〈◊〉 parres Archbâ— concie 〈◊〉 to be â—â—med Marriaged Priestes forbidâ— Vowe of chastiâ—â— brought in Benefice not to 〈◊〉 hesitate How he was 〈◊〉 Gates â— Lord Châ—â— celerâ— Queen Mariesâ—â— Priestes crownes Tythes Bying of prebendes Building of Chappels Euery Churches finde hys own Priest Abbot to mayntayne no want Monkes admitted in geuing penaunce Monkeâ—â— Godfather nor nunce godmothers Abbey landes Improperptions restreyned Priuy concontractes Rounding Mariage within the 7. degree restrayned Buryinges No holines to be geuen to shrines and places Selling and buying of men Sodometry A flap with a soxe tayle for sodomitry Ranulph Cestrensis lib. 7. Note the preposterous proceding of Anselme in ceasing the vice of Sodomitry Penalties and forfaits agaynst priestes that kept their wiues In the latter dayes shall come false teachers forbidding mariage and eating of meates c. PurificatioÌ„ of priestes that had bene maried K. Henry permitted priestes to haue both churches and wiues Ex Epist Ansel. 77. 377. Pope Paschal hath so decreed it at Rome Ergo prieste must haue no wiues Ex Epist. Ansel. 33. If profite of the Church may come by priestes children what hurt then were it to the church for priestes to haue wiues K. Henry and hys nobles ready to forsake the romishâ— Church A letter of Anselme agaynst priestes receauing agayne their wiues Ex Epist. 37. Priestes excommunicated for receauing agayn their wiues A letter of Anselmus Ex Epist. 255. Whether is more merite for a monke to cause himselfe in the chapter to be whipped or to suffer obediently the whippingeâ— of his Abbot The iudgement or conclusion of Anselme vpon the case False opinion of merite Anno. 1105. Iudges corrupted A terrible example for corrupt iudges to beware Pope Paschalis the 2. The pope tyremâ—â—â— The seuenfold power of the pope Of Antichrist borne and manifest The bishop of Fluenceâ— martyr Sabellicus A councell at Trecas A tragicall history of the Pope Paschalis setting the sonne agaynst the father Ex historia Helmoldâ— The prelates set the sonne agaynst the father A gratefull example of a good and thankefull Duke A naughty sonne of a good father Ex Helmolds â—â— Gorâ—rido Viterbiensi The vnkindnes of a proud prelate Anno. 1106. The Emperour v. yeares with out buriall Anno. 1107. Henricus Emperour Ex Chronico Casionis lib. 3. The pope taken prisoner We raysed vp by the Pope and his papistes Peace concluded betweene the Emperour and the P. Bernardus the Abbot Bernardine monkes came in The Citty of Worcester almost all consumed with fire Mathildis Example of the Lordes iust retribution and iudgement Two popes striuing together Pope Calixtus the 2. The Pope excommunicate 〈◊〉 the Emperour Gregorius brought into Rome 〈…〉 broughten and whea Dist. 76. cap. Ieiunium The order of Monkes PraemonstrateÌ„ses Scripture clerkly applyed of the pope Priestes and ministers compelled to leaue their wiues Anno. 1109. The Bishoprick of Ely first planted Henry first Bishop of Ely Anno. 1110. Trent dyed vp An earthquake Morayne and pestilence Ex Gualthero Gisburnensi Anno. 1113. Wirceter consumed with fire Anno. 1114. Rodulphus Archbishop of Cant. Thurstinus Archbishop of Yorke Dissention betweene Thurstinus of Yorke and Rodolph Archb of Cant. for subiection The letter of Paschalis to K. Henry Ex Gualthero Gisburnensi Ex Gulie De
vawward of the Barons battell In the meane tyme the mayne battayle of the Barons set vpon the kinges mayne battayle of the which the kyng of Almaine the brother of king Henry had the leading which being soone discomforted and he with hys sonne Henry Robert de Brus Iohn Couen with diuers other Captayne 's taken prisoners the reareward wherein the Kyng himselfe fought being immediately so hardly beset seyng his knightes and souldiours on euery side about him beaten down and slayne and diuers other of hys souldiours to forsake the field and shift for themselues thought good to take agayne the town and so retired into the Abbay frō whence he came shutting and rampering vp the gates caused the same to be strongly warded with souldiours To be briefe the Barons thus getting the field after long fight and many men on either side slayne entred also the town of Lewes pursuing in chase such souldiours as thether fled for succour In the meane tyme Prince Edward returning from the chase of the Lōdiners as ye heard who desired to geue the first onset and first espying the chariot of the Earle Simon which he caused purposely to be made for him the horses in the same without eyther waggener or any other to gouerne the same fell immediately vpon the chariote brake it al in peeces slew two Burgeses that were within the same But when he came nearer to the place where the bloudy battel had bene fought saw the great discomforture and ouerthrow which in his absence with great mortalitie and slaughter had happened hys hart was muche dismayd and hys countenaunce altered Yet notwithstanding comforting couraging his knightes souldiors of whom he had a valiant company in battell aray marched toward the towne Agaynst whome came the Barons agayne with all theyr power And this was begon betwixt them a fresh field and new battaile many men slayne on either side But at length the Earle de Warenia with the kinges two brethren forsooke the field and fled after whō went more then seuen hundred chosen souldiours whiche were of their house and family who the same day came to Penensie and there took shipping ouer the sea Also Hugh Bigot with diuers other fled and left the valiaunt Prince fighting in the field which thing he also perceauing tooke the towne And when he found not the King his father at the Castle he went frō thence to the Abbey where he was In the meane season the town was deuided in parts some fighting some spoyling some getting of booties neyther could scarcely one of them know discerne an other whether he were his friend or enemy But when win a whyle the Barōs had assembled some company they gaue an assault vpon the Castel thinking to haue rescued Iohn Bifford and others whom the kings souldiours had takē prisoners and put therein But the souldiours win defended manfully the same add in throwing out balles of wyld fire as for the defence thereof they had they also fired part of the towne Then the Barons retired and left the Castell and purposed to haue set vpon the Abbey where the King and prince Edward hys sonne was which also was set on fire by the assault geuen to the Castell But yet it was shortly recouered quenched Then Edward the kinges son perceiuing the bold enterprise of the Barons prepared with couragious knightes and souldiours as were yet remayning within the Abbey to haue issued out to haue geuē a new charge vpon thē But that perceiuing the Barons sent vnto the king Messengers to intreat a truce for that day on the morow to talk and cōclude of a further peace betweene them This battaile was fought vpō the 19. day of May being the yeare of our Lord. 1264. The next day whiche was Thursday there were sent on eyther side two preaching Friers betweene the king the Barons with certaine articles demaunds of peace so that with certeine others these conditions were agreed on that on the morow beyng Friday the prince should geue himselfe in hostage for the king hys father and other of his partes And Henry the Kinges sonne of Almayne also shoulde geue himselfe the like for hys father That those thinges which should be concluded vppon for the benefite and commoditie of the Realme and peaceable quietnes thereof might be performed and that all such prisoners as were taken on either side shoulde be freely raunsomed and sent home The next day which was Saterday the king discharged al his souldiours and other that were with him in the Abbey licensing them to depart whether they listed And furthermore by the aduise of his sonne and the Barons he gaue commandement to those which he had appoynted to the keeping of Tunbridge that they shold make no attēpt to the preiudice or hurt of the Barons but in hope of the peace which was now at the poynt to be concluded they should also depart euery man to theyr houses and habitations But they geuing no credite thereunto went with theyr furniture to Bristow where they kept themselues in garrison vntill the escaping of Edward the kinges sonne out of prison But first before that when they heard at Tunbridge that the king was vanquished in battaile that the Lōdiners in the forward were put to flight by Prince Edward by a messenger that escaped from the same and that also the same Londiners were at Crowdown they set vpon them in the euening tide and taking from them much spoyle slew also many of them But when Roger Mortimers part began to decrease Simon the Earles part on the other side to increase he bare himselfe more stoughter for that both the king and all that was his did depend vpon the good will and fauour of the Earle and led with him the kinges sonne to such holds Castles as he thought to be most strōgest As though all were in hys handes to doe as hym liked and kept the hostages more straightly thē he was wont to do In so much that when it was blown abroad that the kings sonne was kept as a prisoner diuers couusailed him that were hys frendes that he should desire to disport himselfe at the barriers that the people might haue a sight of him but he being narrowly garded as hee knewe and fearing some tumult to arise thought good to refuse their counsell and so did In this troublesome yeare whiche was 1264. as the Londiners with the nobles were thus occupyed in warre and dissention the malignaunt Iewes thinking to take vauntage of that tyme with priuy treason conspired agaynst the whole Citty and state of the Nobles Who being taken with the maner were almost all slayne that dwelt in the city of London In this yeare after the death of Pope Urbane succeeded the sayd yeare of our Lord. an 1264. Pope Clement the 4. Whiche Clement as affirmeth Nich Triuet was first a maryed man
had wife and children and was the sollicitor and counsailor to the Frenche king Then after the death of his wife was bishop intituled Podiēsis After that archbishop of Narbone And at last made Cardinall Who being sent of P. Urbane in Legacie for reformation of peace in his absence was elected Pope by the Cardinals About this time florished Thomas of Aquine reader at Paris among the Dommike Friers and Bonauenture among the Francis Friers Ex Nich. Triuet As this passed on the sonnes of Simon the Earle to wit Henry Simon Buido and Hēry being puft vp and with the pride of this successe eleuated did that whiche nothing contented the Earle of Gloucester In so muche that he chalenged Henry the eldest sonne of the Earle Simon Mountfort at the barriers to be tryed at Northampton But that chalenge was taken vp least some further inconuenience might haue risen therof But the Earle of Bloucester being moued therewith in hys minde sent vnto hys father the Earle that he should deliuer him such prisoners being Noble men as he tooke at the battayle of Lewes Amongst whom the king of Almaine was named first But he by countermaund answered him and said that it might content and satisfie him for that he had saued and preserued to him his landes that day the battayle was fought at Lewes And that furthermore he would not send him such prisoners as he demaunded But that he himselfe kepte more nobler then they in the Castell of Douer among whom was Iohn Basset whiche vndermined and brast downe the walles of Northampton at that conflict as is sayd before and specified The Earle of Gloucester being herewith displeased as soone as he heard this aunswere sent incontinently to the Lord Roger Mortimer which alwayes tooke the kynges part desiring that they two might take together touching the benefite and commoditie of the king Who doubting some deceite desired sureties and pledges for hys safe return he would come and talk with him and so had Whē they met and had a while talked familiarly the Earle of Glocester shewed him all that he was purposed to do and that further he lamented he had so much and greatly offended the king And that he woulde with all his power and habilitie make amends for that offence in the restitution of the king agayne to his kingly dignitie as much as he possible might Therfore they sēt secretly to Robert the brother of the Erle of Gloucester which was neare about the Earle Symon made him to consent with them therein And to work this thing more circumspectly whē oportunitie serued therunto Roger Mortimer sent vnto the kings sonne a horse excelling all other in footmanship vnto whome he might be sure to trust when he saw conuenient tyme therunto After which things thus contriued Prince Edward desired leaue of the Earle to proue his courser against such time he should ryde at the tylt as they might when they listed Assoone as he had gotten leaue and that with gallopyng and raunging the field he had weryed diuers of their horses at the last getting vp vpon the horse which for that purpose was sent and spying a seruaunt on horsebacke cōming toward him with two swords He turned about vnto his keeper whose name was Robert de Rose to other his playfellowes that were with him saying My louing Lords thus long haue I kept you company haue bene in your custodies And now not purposing to vse your cōpanyes any longer betake you to God And quickely turning his horse about put to the spurres and away went he The other pricked after a pace but yet came far inough behinde and ouertake hym they coulde not At last when they sawe Roger Mortimer comming from his Castle of Wygmore accompanyed with many armed men to meete him as before it was appointed they returned again home as wise as when they came foorth And when this the princes escape was diuulgated much people came vnto hym out of euery quarter with great ioy therof Amongest whom the first was the Earle of Gloucester and the other souldiours of the kings which had long now lien at Bristow and thereaboutes And within a short space he had a great and mighty host Which thing when the Earle Symon vnderstode he much doubted and mistrusted himselfe And sending into Wales he gate from thēce a great many men and augmēted hys power as strongly as he might from euery part of England He sent also Simon his sonne to the noble men of the North partes that with all possible speede he might bring them with him who with a great companye came with him and at Kenelworth a while they stayd and there pitched their tents But leauing Kenelworth for a certein time they went to Winchester and spoyled the same and then returned agayne to Kenelworth And when this by a certen spiall was declared to Edward the kynges sonne who then was at Worcester which he had gotten after he came from Gloucester a little before prepared himselfe with hys souldiours in the night season to goe to the place where the spye should bring hym which was into a deepe vally nere vnto the place where Simon and his company had pitched And whē in the morning they were very early about to arme thēselues and prepare theyr horses they heard a great noyse of theyr enemies comming towardes them Then thinking that they had prepared themselues agaynst their comming and so had bene betraied they set forth in battell aray marching forward till that they mette certeine of theyr enemies straggling in long winges thinking to haue gone aforaging to haue sought for vitailes whō they took with their fresh horses new horsed their souldiours that had their horses tyred with long trauell And so marching forward came very early in the morning vpō theyr enemies whom for the most part they found sleeping and laying lustily about them they slew diuers some they toke the rest they put to flight and 15. of theyr chiefest ensignes they tooke and many other rich spoyles But yong Simon himself lodged in the Castell who with a few with him escaped and fled And this was the fourth day before the Nones of August an 1265. But when Edward heard that Earle Simon was cōming toward Kenelworth to ioyne with hys sonnes battell he marched forward to meete hym the third day after at Eusham where he deuided hys host into 3. battayles he himself hauing the leading of one the Earle of Gloucester the secōd and Roger Mortimer the third which came vpō their backs The kings sonne Edward came Northward as though he came frō Kenelworth to Eusham because he would not be descride he caused hys owne standerdes and ensignes to be taken down and yong Simons which he had taken before to be aduanced But the Erle Simons Scurier whose name was Nicholas shewed the Earle that such bandes and companies were marching towards him who thinking the same to haue bene