repetynge the same that in the yeare of our lord a M. a C. and x. the mone apered all darke without lyghte Wherby God declared in the open face of the worlde that hys church by the monkes hypocresy in that age was darkened with a beastly ignorauÌ„ce of hys lyuely doctryne For the mone betokeneth commenly in the scryptures the congregacyon of the lorde About thys tyme sayth Iohan Tritemius entered all the craftye learnynge Yea the subtyle phylosophye of the paganes began here to defyle our sacred theologye with her vnprofytable curyosytees The Gospell was put a part sauynge only to be red by parcels in the temple in a foren language without vnderstandynge and the corrupted doctryne of fylthie bastardes Peter Lumbarde Peter the great eater and Gracyane the monke which were thre chyldren of one bawdy nonnes fornycacion receyued and only had in pryce for it The monkes of that age sayth Iohan Carion in hys chronycles perceyuynge the knowledge of the holy scriptures to waxe faynt and to be nought set by for the study of the popysh lawers they thought also to practyse a newe kynde of dyuynyte and set vp scholasticall dysputacyons of diuyne matters But be ware of subtyle sophysters in the doctryne of the churche sayth Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum viij quest For their property is to withstande the veryte and to snarle mennys conscyences by darkenyng the clere lyghte therof If it be to the contrary reasoned sayth he that sophystycall argumentes are fytt to confounde heretykes by I vtterly denye that reason For only is it the open veryte that must confounde them As for sophysiues their wycked nature is to brynge in all errour and heresyes All thys hath Baconthorpe ☞ Raufe the archebyshop of Canterbury honoureth hys kynge IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xiij the kynge was mynded to haue gyuen the archebyshopryck of Canterbury to Faricius the abbot of Abendon But at the instaunt request sute of the clergye in the counsell of Wyndesore he altered hys purpose and gaue it to Raufe the byshopp of Rochestre a ruffelar to their myndes Hym he adourned with hys owne pryncely handes mynystrynge vnto hym both the ryng and metropolycall crosse For than ones agayne Mathew Paris sayth he had taken an earnest stomake agaynst the byshop of Romes vnshamefast procedynges hys brother duke Robert imprysoned and hys other enemyes brought vndre In the yeare of our lord a thousand a. C. and xv was the seyd Raufe consecrated receyued hys patryarchal palle of Anselme the other Anselmes nephewe whych was thaÌ„ the popes great legate a latere As the kynge was same yeare marryed after his first wyfes â—â—sseace to Adelphe the duke of Loraines doughter and was agayne crowned with her by the byshop of Wynchestre thys heady archebyshopp fell into a palseye for wodenesse and sayd vnto hym the next day after that eyther he shulde leaue that crowne vnlawfull he sayd for so much as it was not taken of hym or els he wolde leaue of hys masse sayng which was no small matter And the lordes about him had much a do to staye the lunetyke prelate from strikynge downe the crowne from the kinges heade and stampynge it vndre hys fote Yet ded the gentyll kynge gyue him fayre wordes the chronycles sayth Loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i de pontificibus Ranulphus li. xij ca. xv Rogerus li. vij and Iohan Capgraue li. ij de nobilibus Henricis And Treuisa addeth vnto it in fyne Englysh that thys hawtie prelate was a great Iaper the terme is sumwhat homelye Ded I not tell yow afore that kynges for their power had sped as yll as the prestes for their wyues And I thynke I tolde the truthe ☞ Of Pope Calixtus and the heade churche of Wales MVche were it to rehearce the turmoylynges of Pope Calixte the seconde for renuynge of the execrable actes of hellysh Hyldebrande and prestygyouse Paschall agaynst the marryage of prestes and power of prynces for inuestyture of prelates In the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and .xix. He helde counsel at Remis in Fraunce and in the yeare a M.a. C. xxiij he helde an other wyth CCC byshoppes at Rome And in these ij counsels he depryued all prestes of the commen Christianyte that held styll their wyues wyllynge them from thens fourth to be taken for no better thaÌ„ paganes and helhoundes and to want their ChristeÌ„ buryall The prynces that had gyuen out ecclesyastycall offyces he condempned of sacrilege preposterously allegynge the scriptures that they whych were admytted by them entered not by the dore but they scattered from Christe dyuydynge hys coote without seme As though in their exceding pryde and couetousnesse they had bene the same Christe whyche was full of Godly symplycyte and lowlynesse and their glytterynge synagoge that symple coote without seme In thys lattre yeare dyed Raufe the heady archebishop of CaÌ„terbury and Wylliam Curboâ—l which was a chanon succeded FroÌ„ the tyme of Augustyne tyll that daye by the space of more than fyue hondred and. xxiiij yeares none occupyed that seate but monkes and that caused so many corrupcyons to entre into the church of England for all they maynteyned Antichrist A lytle afore this that is to saye in the yeare a. M.a. C. and. ij bicame the archebyshopryck of Meneuia or Prymates seate of S. Dauid in wales fyrste subiect to the churche of Canterbury And from the dayes of kynge Lucy to the yeare a. M.a. C. and. xv none other were archebyshoppes there than Brytaynes or Welchemen and all that tyme had their ministers wyues But sens the Englyshe monkes occupyed they haue had concubynes for wyues and wyll not change at thys daye men saye Thus entered fylthienesse in that quarter also the time wolde be marked Suncon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Ranulphus ☞ Kynge Henry plaged for sufferinge marriage to be condempned ALl foren warres ended and controuersyes pacifyed in the yeare of our Lorde a. M. a C. and xx King Henrye the fyrst with great ioye and triumphe departed out of Normandye and entered after hys great victoryes by sea into Englande But within fewe dayes folowinge was thys gladnesse turned into a moste heauye and horryble sorowe For William and Rycharde his ij sonnes Marye hys doughter with Otwell their tutoure scholemaystre Rycharde the earle of Chestre and hys wyfe the kynges nece all the merye chaplaynes companions and ruflars of the courte chambrelaynes buffares and seruytours the Archedeacon of Herforde the Prynces playe fellowes syr Jeffrey Rydell syr Robert Malduyte syr Wyllyam Bygot wyth manye other greate heyres lordes knyghtes and gentylmen ladyes and gentylwomen to the nombre of a. C. and xl Besydes the yeomen and maryners whiche were more than halfe an hondred takynge passage by nighte were al drowned in the bottom of the
the sea into frauÌ„ce and made hym selfe there a regular chanon becommynge at the lattre the abbot of S. Rufus in prouynce Thus clome he vp from one degre to an other tyll he gote the Papacye wherin he wroughte suche wonders as ded hys predecessoures Oft tymes in famylyare talke with Iohan of Salisbury hys contrey man he had these fyne tryckes and sentences most true To take the Papacye sayth he is to succede Romulus in murther and not Peter in shepe fedynge For neuer is it gotten wythoute the shedynge of oure brothers bloude None is more wretched than the Romyshe byshoppe nether is any mannis condicyon more myserable than hys The seate is thornye and hath sharpe pryckes on euerye syde and the crowne is fyerie fearce and as hote as helle wyth suche other lyke Thys hath Helinandus Monachus Radulphus de Diceto Ranulphus of Chestre and chefely Ioannes Salisburiensis lib. viij ca. xxiij De nugis aulicorum At the last was the breathe of this Adriane stopped vp with a flye whiche entered into his throte and the Papacye left to an other in the fyft yeare of the same ☞ S. William of yorke S. Wulfryck and S. Robert ME thynketh it is a very straunge thynge to consydre the ende of S. William the archebishop of Yorke whiche dyed in the yeare of our lorde a. M a. C. and. liiij conplynge it with the degre of hys sayntwode For he dyed a martir and is allowed in theyr temple seruice but for a confessour only But I thynke there hangeth some mystery in it Roger Houeden sayth that he was poysened at hys masse by the treason of his owne chaplaynes And Mathewe Paris sheweth that in the tyme of hys celebracyon suche a deadely venym was put into hys chalyce as depâ—yued him of lyfe Iohan Euersden commeth after and he declareth the same Whye shulde he not than be allowed for a martyr I suppose the answere to rest in this poynt They were no laye men that put hym to deathe but anoynted and spirituall confessours And the shepe of theyr slaughter can become no martyrs as apereth by al them whome they haue slaine and brent sens Sathan went at large It is ynough I trowe that they haue made hym a saynt for hys recompens for other vertues we reade none that he hadde If yorke minstre had had afore as other great churches had a shryned patrone he might wele haue chaunced to haue lost that promocioÌ„ O subtyle sorocerers your craftes now apere so that ye can not hyde them I shulde wryte of S. Wulfrycke whyche dyed the same yeare bicause he so conningly with colde water could quenche the whote flames of hys fleshe and dyscharge so manye prestes of theyr lecherouse heates I shulde also shewe the vertue of S. Roberte the religyouse abbot of Guaresborough that so familiarly ded visite good wholsome matrones But at thys tyme I leaue it to Iohan Capgraue and such other for want of layser ☞ The marryage of Marye the abbesse of Ramseye MArye the doughter of kynge Steuen beyng a professed nonne and abbesse of the famouse monastery of Ramseye in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lv bicame werye of her professyon and coÌ„sented to marry with Mathew the earle of Bolayne preferrynge gods holye instytucyon to the vngodly yoke of the Romysh byshop Mathew Paris Thomas Rudborne sayth that beynge in the cluystre she was afore that infamed of lyghte conuersacyon Coulde there be any better waye than for cuttynge of that vncomely slaundre than Gods first ordynaunce Well she marryed hym he her some writers saye by dyspensacyon and some saye without dyspensacyoÌ„ But how so euer it came to passe she had two doughters by hym called Ida and Matilda Thomas Becket that tyme beynge hygh chauncellour of Englande shewed hym selfe to thys marryage a contynuall aduersarye but he could not therin preuayle the kyng and the great lordes of the realme so depely holdynge therwith But of thys arose the first grudge that the kynge had agaynst hym as some of the historyanes reporteth it In the ende after that she had contynued with her husband by the space of xvi yeares she was compelled by the byshop of Romes tyrannye Beckettes callynge on to returne agayne with manye slaunderouse rebukes of the world to her cloystre Thys hath Robertus Montensis in additionibus Sigeberti Ricardus Premonstratensis in annalibus Anglorum Thus ded that wycked Antichrist treade vndre hys fylthie fete all power in heauen and in earth exaltynge hymselfe aboue the great God of all ij Thes. ij ☞ The begynnynge of the ordre of Gylbertynes IOcelyne a knyght of Lyncolneshire perceyuynge hys sonne Gylbert to be a man muche deformed not fyt for the worlde procured hym to be made a preste gaue hym the two fat benefyces of Sempyngham and Tiryngton within hys owne domynyon The exercyse of this Gilbert was chefely to teache boyes and gyrles of whom as they were growne to more persyght age he made a newe relygyon called of his name the ordre of Gilbertynes As he ones became person of Sempyngham with hys pâ—rrysh prest was he hosted in the howse of one whych had a fayre doughter as the custome hath bene alwayes of prestes for the most And beyng tangled with her bewtie on a tyme as she had serued at the table he a dreammed the nyght folowynge that he had put hys hande so farre in her bosome as he coulde not pull it backe agayne Thys mayde sayth the legende was one of the fyrste vij of whome he began that holye religyon He secluded them from the talke of the worlde and from the syght of men enclosynge them vp within hygh walles teachynge them monasterye rules Hys buyldynges were suche that thoughe he had both men and women wythin one monastery yet were the men so disseuered froÌ„ the women that they coulde not mete and they hadde dyuerse rules The monkes obserued the rule of S. Augustyne and the nonnes the rule of S. Benedyct but who kepte S. Christes rule there I can not tell Thyrtene couentes he had wythin the realme containing afore his death to the nombre of DCC bretheren and a. M and. D. systers Loke Iohan Capgraue in uita Gilberti confessoris ☞ A nonne at watton biget with chylde by a monke EThelredus the abbot of Ryenall vttereth in hys small treatyse de quodam miraculo that in an howse of the same ordre at Watton in yorke shire was a yonge nonne put thydre by Henry Murdach the archebyshop a Cysteane monke whan she was but. iiij yeares olde I praye God she were not hys doughter in the darke for of suche packynges were plenti in those dayes As thys wenche grewe in yeares so grewe she in lascyuyousnesse Her eyes her talke her pase all were vnsober wylde and wanton Thys nonne fel in loue with a yong moÌ„ke of that
are non other to be reckened than the very sede and of springe of the serpent Though these haue knowne that there is a God yet haue they not glorified him in faythe and mekenesse but haue become most vayne in their ymaginacions Where as he hath declared marriage excedingly good they haue condempned it as a thinge execrable and wicked And where as he hath spoken it by his owne mouthe that it is not good for man to be alone they haue improued that doctrine and thaught the contrary as a thinge more perfight and Godly ¶ Marryage contempned of Sathan THus Sathan erected him selfe against God in that wicked generacion whych beganne first in Cain and hath euer sens continued in that posterite For this presumpcion God gaue them clerely ouer and lefte them to them selues with all their good intentes and vowes wherupon they haue wroughte sens that tyme fylthynesse vnspekeable Their chast women vestals Monyals Nonnes and Begines changynge the naturall vse haue wrought vnnaturallye Lyke wyse the men in their Prelacyes presthodes and innumerable kyndes of Monkerye for want of women hath brent in their lustes and done abhomynacyons withoute nombre so receyuynge in them selues the iust rewarde of their errour Of these moste hellishe diabolick frutes holye Saynte Paule admonyshed the Romanes in the fyrste chaptre of hys Epystle vnto them knowynge afore hande that oute of their corrupted christyanyte shulde ryse suche a fylthye flocke as shulde worke them euerye where But neyther of Paule nor yet of Peter haue the fore warnynges auayeled but those brockishe boores haue gone frely foreward without checke tyll nowe of late dayes where in God hathe geuen vs a more pure syght to beholde their buskelinges ¶ Marriage of Prestes in both lawes TO make manyfest vnto theÌ„ what wyues the Lorde appoynted by his seruaunte Moses vnto the leuytycall prestes in the sacred posterite of Aaron Leuiti 21. Ezech. 44. it were but labour lost Eyther to put them in remembraunce that Christ was borne in marryage though hys mother were alwayes a mayde and that he left vnto hys Apostles marryage in lyberte euermore yt were in vayne also For all thys hath GOD shewed vnto them playnelye by hys true prophetes in thys lattre age declarynge the fynall destruccyon of that wretched kyngdome As by Martyn Luther Iohan Pomerane Frances lambert Oswaldus Myconius Philip Melanchton such other as is sayd afore but all haue they taken for fables That lorde sent them one vnto theyr owne doores whiche effectuallye did hys massage euen Robert Barnes by name of whose grounded argumentes they haue not yet dyscharged the leaste besydes that they haue had from hym by good Wyllyam turner and George Ioye And all thys haue they disdaynouslye laughed to scorne Consyderynge therfore that no gentyl speche wyll amende them nor yet sharpe threttenynges call them to repentaunce he will now cast their owne vyle donge in their faches that it shall cleane fast vpon them Mala. 2. He wyll thorowe in their tethe by thys booke and suche other the stynkynge examples of their hypocrytyshe lyues with their calkynges and cloynynges to patche vp that dauberye of the deuyll their vowed wynelesse and husbandeles chastite ¶ Englande inhabyted afore Noe and after AND for asmuche as the tyttle of this present treatyse onlye respecteth Englande onlye shall it treate the vnchast examples of the spirytualte therof wyth certayne examples of Romyshe Popes whiche then wrought their iuggelynge mastries there To fatche the matter from their fyrst foundacion and so to stretche it forewarde I am fullye assertayned by auncient wrytinges that thys lande was wyth people replenyshed longe afore Noes dayes Yea suche tyme as men were multiplied vpon the vniuersall earthe Gene. 6. As they then had left Gods appoynted Religion and had taken wayes vnto them after their owne good into utes suche vnspeakable fylthynesse folowed as brought vpon them the great dylunye or vnyuersall flod whych left none alyue but drowned them vp as it dyd all other quarters Thys wytnesseth bothe Moses and Beresus the moste auncient writers we read of After the said flood was it agayne inhabiteth by the of sprynge of Iapheth the thyrde sonne of Noe. For of them sayeth Moses were the Iles of the Gentyles sorâ—â—d out into regions euery one after knowne dyuese from other by theyr languages kyndredes and nacions Gen. 10. And in the dayes of Phaleg the sonne of Heber was that diuision of Prouinces lyke as foloweth in the same chapter Samothes the Brother of Gomer whom the Byble calleth Mesech restored then agayne thys lande in hys posterite the priestes therof called Samothei for so muche as he was the fyrst that fournyshed it with lawes as wytnesseth Iohannes Annius in commentarijs Berosi ¶ Albion with his Samothites AFter this grewe it into a name and was called Albion Not ab albis rupibus as fryre Bartylmew hathe fantasyed is hys worke De proprietaribus rerum Nor yet ab Albiana the Kynges doughter of Syria as Marianus the monk hathe dreamed it For of latyne woordes coulde it haue no name before the latyne it selfe were in vse And the other without grounded aucthoritie appeareth a playne fable as witnesseth both Volateranus and Badius But rather it should seme to be called Albion ab Albione Gygante the sonne of Neptunus whiche was afterwarde slayne of Hercules for stopping hys passage at the enteraunce of Rhodanus as testifieth Diodorus Seculus and also Pomponius Mela. Not onelye because the sayd Albion was a gyaunt lyke as the afore sayd Samothes was afore hym but also for that his father Neptunns was than taken for the Lorde or great God of the sea wherin it is enclosed What the chastyte was of the Samothites or prestes for that age the Poetes doth declare at large Venus was than their great Goddesse and ruled all in that spirituall famelye as she hath done euer sens ¶ The Samothytes and their chastyte THey had in their temples vestals whom now we call NoÌ„nes whose offyce was to mainteyne the fyre for performaunce of the sacryfyces least it should at any tyme go out These were chosen in before they were syxtene yeares olde there remaynyng vnmaried the space of xxx yeares and others alwayes by that tyme succeded in their rowmes Some of these were presbyteresses as they pleased the spirituall fathers And as uhe lyghtes went out by their neglygence their ponnyshmentes were to be beaten of the Byshoppes More ouer if any of them chaunced to fall in aduoutery except they did it in the darke with them their iudgement was to be buryed in the grounde quycke Alwayes they went awaye virgines from them what soeuer was done in the meane season and at the. xxx yeares ende they were in liberte to marrye if they woulde This testifieth Hermanus Torrentinus and Iohannes Textor with other auctours Yet was not this
head shauinge other vnsauerye ceremonies and wrote afterwarde an earnest treatyse agaynst Agilbertus a frenche man and at that tyme byshop of Wynchestre All thys myght not helpe then but in processe of tyme they had theyr whole myndes magry al their hartes Bedas Giruninus li. 3. ca. 25. De gestis Anglorum Guilhelmus Malmesburye li. 3. De Pontificibus Ranulphus lib. 5. cap. 17. Iohannes Caphraue and other ¶ Religiouse examples dysuadynge mariage After Laurentius folowed Melitus in the archebyshoppes seate of Caunterburye in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xix whiche they saye both alyue dead dysuaded yonge men from christen marryage As Saynt Columbanus a Scott about the same tyme came to the sell of an holye Nonne for ghostlye counsell She bad hym awaye least wanton youthe would bryng them togyther wylde they nylde they Saynt Edwyne kynge of Northumberland gaue vnto saint Paulinus the archebyshop of yorke hys yonge doughter Eanfleda so sone as she was baptysed in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xxvi that he shuld make her an vnholye Nonne And the daye after the said Edwyne was slayne he toke with hym both the doughter and mother and so fled with them vnto Rochestre in kent be water neuer returning thydre agayne Saynt Fiacre a Scottysh heremyte had so great malyce vnto women that he plaged so many of them with the fowle euyll as came within the precynct of hys monasterye because one woman had ones complayned to the byshop of hys prodygyouse charmynges Hector Boethius Saynt Foillanus an Irysh Byshop with his brethren was very famylyar and seruysable vnto Saynt Gertruyde and her nonnes at Nigella made dyuerse barren women full graciouslye to conceyue Saynt keynwirye a virgyne of wales contempnynge marryage fled from thēs to Saynt Myhels of the mounte to kepe her vowed virginite amonge the holye fathers there as vower with vowers All these storyes hath Iohan Capgraue ¶ Other relygyouse examples of that age SEbba kyng of the East Saxōs was so by wytched of the Byshop of Londō and his calkyng collygeners there for hys substaunce that he had made hymselfe a monke leauynge vnto them both hys wyfe and possessyons yf she had bene no wyfe then he nor more godly dysposed Yet was she by their incantacyons at the last deceyued they hauynge of hym an innumerable summe of money and he nothynge of them agayne but a mangye monkes cowle and hys buryall in Paules Whan Saynt Egbynes father was ones departed in wales his mother resorted wyth hym to the Abbeye of Saynt Sampson and there receyued of hym the habyte of a Nonne bestowyng the rest of her lyfe amonge the good bretherne there Saynt Eanswyde abbesse of Folkstane in kent inspyred of the deuyll dyffyned christen marryage to be barren of all vertues to haue but transytoryouse frutes and to be a fylthye corruptyon of virginite Yet ware Marye Iohan Baptyst and Iesus Christ swete frutes therof the iust fathers of the olde lawe not rekened Saynt Paule sayeth also that by vertue of marryage the vnfaythfull man is sanctyfyed by the woman that is faythfull i. Cor. vij Neither dyd he at anye tyme teache marryage to be eyther a corrupcion or yet an impedyment of christen virginite whan he coupled the Corintheanes whiche continued styll marryed a chaste virgine to Christ. 2. Cor. ii But thys gentylwoman Eanswyde was muche better acquaynted with the monkes learnyng then with Christes and with a chastyte rather to their behoue than to hys Yet droue she out all the gantes or bystardes there yf their churche legende be true These storyes shewed Iohan Capgraue ¶ The wanton toyes of the holye fathers ABout thys same tyme sent Pope Bonyface the fyft a shyrte with a golden collor and a fyne petycote of straunge makynge vnto kynge Edwyne with the blessynges of Peter and Paule And vnto hys wyfe Ethelburge a syluer glasse and a combe of yvorye with the same to vpholde them in thys newe christianite Se these wanton fathers what toyrs they vse to set vp their kyngdome here Neuer shall ye reade that Christes dysciples had anye suche wyttye polycyes Saynt Petrock an her myte of Cornewale was fayne euerye nyght from the crowe of the cocke to the sprynge of the mornynge to stande naked in a pyt to abate the hote mouynges of hys fleshe And neuer coulde he haue remedy of that dysease tyll he went onpilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem Here was a newe sought out salue for that sore Saynt Pyrane a Byshop also in Cornewale had a fayre dammesell in the monastery of hys mother wyngell called Brunet whom the Lord of the soyle toke vp for his occupieng At the last he agreed with him no longer to haue her then the bernacle or butture shuld breake him of his slepe which chaunced sone after thā he sent her home agayn If these be not good honest legendes to be redd in the Popes holy church tel me Plēteouse shall ye finde Iohā Capgraue in the rehersall of them and suche other The ghostly bestowing of their vowes A Nonne belonging to saynt Cota and a monke perteyning to saynt Pyrane about the same tyme strake vp a couenaunt of loue And as they met in a wode for performance of the same a yong pigeon fell betwixt them and made them both ashamed so they went home agayne A lyke matter Such an other pagent was played at yorke but it was longe after The monkes of saynt Mary abbeye and the nonnes of Clement thorpe mett togyther there at hay making the abbottes fole being wyth them And as the abbot enquired of him at supper for pastyme where he had bene all that daye He fell in a great laughynge and declared before all hys gestes that a sore battayle had bene foughten that after none betwixt hys monkes and the monkes of clement thorpe But he thanked God that hys monkes had the best for they laye euer aloft Bycause that one of Saynt modwens maydes had layed her beste beloues shoes at her beddes head the spretes of heauen that were wonte to vysyte her wolde not come there that nyght After she had bene at Rome and was comen home agayne she dwelt at Scaleselyf where as an holye hermyte ded oft tymes vysyte her and muche refreshe her wyth a legende boke of sayntes lyues But no tydinges was there among them of Christes holy Gospell Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ Erkenwalde and Osith with their Nondryes SAynt Erkenwalde the sonne of Vffa the fyrst King of the east angres abbot of Chertesye and Bishop of London buylded a Nondrye at Berkynge And bycause there were at that time in Englande no Nonnes to his mynde for Hilda hys kynswoman was to great a scripture woman in those dayes he sent ouer the see for an old acquayntaunce of hys called Hildelitha learned in arte
cytye he dyd hym selfe for feare they saye vndre one of the prestes copes saynge He myght wele be bolde there considerynge he had by hym the fleshly occupienge of the generall proctours doughter there This religiouse example of holy churche sheweth Sigebertus Vincencius Antoninus Nauclerus and Masseus Herin affirme they their holy water to be of more strength than eyther their presthode or yet their eaten maker and more able to driue away the deuill In the yeare of our Lorde DLCC lxxv was the Emprour Ludouicus the seconde tormented in purgatory say they only for that he wolde not regarde the admonishmentes of Gabriell the Archangell agaynst prestes marriage called there of them the heresye of Nicolaitanes Marke these packynges The religiouse fathers had than made a boke of their religiouse factes and practises comprehendinge xij chapters to put downe matrimony and sett vp Sodome and Gomor in their spirituall generacion Which they had sent vnto the seyd Emprour by one Emarchus Sigebertus Vincencius Antoninus et alij Farre vnlike was this Gabriel to him which apered vnto Zachary the prest in the tyme of his sacrifice For that Gabriel both allowed and commended his marriage This Gabriel coÌ„dempneth it vtterly Of such Saynt Paule warned the Corinthianes to be ware tellinge them that Sathan wold resemble the Angell of light 2. Cor. 11. ¶ Other chast miracles of that age SAynt Odulphe a prest aboute the same tyme goynge to hys masse was sodenly taken vp and carryed ouer the sea to tryer in Germanye to do that offyce there vpon Eastre daye bycause Saynt Frederick the Arcyebyshop there had lyen the nyghte afore wyth an holye nonne whych was hys owne naturall systre to helpe forwarde the lawe Deut 27. The bones of this Odulphe were first buried at London and than from thens translated to Euesham abbeye in the west contreye Saynt Clarus of Orchestre iudginge marryage synne and wyckednesse by the doctrynes that than were taught in dyspyght of the Christen perswasyons of hys frindes made hymselfe first a prest and after a Monke so fleynge into Normandye Where at the last he was slayne by procurement of a woman These ij historyes sheweth Iohan Capgraue their churche legendarye As the Danes ouer went this lande their common custome was to haue a do with Nonnes where they founde them for lacke of their owne wyues Tyll at the last they came to a nondrye Coldyngham some saye where all the good systers had cut of their owne noses their ouer lappes to disfygure them selues so to escape the daunger ye may beleue yt and ye wyll In those dayes kinge Alphrede made Donwolfe the conâ—eâ—de of Ethelyngay Byshop of Wynchestre which had both wyfe and chyldren These ij lattre stories shall ye finde in Iohan Harding Ranulph and Fabian ¶ A parelouse foule bugge is mariage NOt longe after hym was there a Byshop of Wynchestre called Elphegus the Balde Whose tyrannouse custome was alwayes in the begynnynge of lent to seclude all publique penitentes from the churches enteraunce and to requyre all married men not to lye wyth their wyues tyll Eastre were fully past Parauenture that he and hys prestes might for that tyme of their mart haue the fre occupieng of them For other goodnesse knowe I non belongynge therunto non other consyderacyon had This storye hath Guilhelmus Malmesburye li. 2. de pontificibus Ranulphus Cestrensis li. 6. Cap. 6. In the first eleccion of thys Elphegus muche stryfe was there betwyne the prestes and the monkes the prestes electing oute of their owne sort to vpholde them styll concerning their wiues and children and the monkes chosinge this Hipocrite to place them in theyr rowmes bycause they had no wiues as at the lattre it came to passe IohaÌ„ Capgraue At the same time was there a poore prest in the Dyocese of Durham Egelricus beyng Byshop whych had both wyfe â—nd chyldren Hym haue the Sodomytysh knaues dyffamed in the legende of Cuthbert that for vsynge hys owne wife the breade and wyne at hys Masse apered so blacke as pytche But neuer write they in their legendes what change it hath whan they lye with other mennys wyues or playe the moste fylthye sodomytes for lacke of women Much be holden is mariage vnto them For though all fylthye synnes maye wele stand with their offye yet can they not agre therwith I thynke they tell here a good worshypfull tale for their masse yf it be wele marked Loke Iohan Capgraue In uita Cuthberti ¶ Mysfortune of ij marryed prestes and other AN other maryed prest at the same verye season attempted they saye to touche the dead bones of Saynt Audrye the Nonne at Helye suche tyme as marryed prestes inhabyted that monasterye And for hys presumpcyon bycause he was marryed both he his wife and chyldren hys kyndred fryndes and acquayntaunce died all sodenly For marryage maye touche nothynge that longe to that generacyon vnlesse whoryshnesse be good mastres vnto it and come as a mean betwixt both Loke IohaÌ„ Capgraue in uita Etheldrede Ethelstanus a monke at one tyme takynge presthode with Dunstane and Ethelwolde wytâ—in a whyle after lefte all hys orders aâ—â— toke him to a wyfe Wherfor they prophecyed of hym that hys ende shulde be myserable And bycause they wolde apere no false Prophetes they inchaunted him charmed hym and changed him in to an ele and so he lyued in the water euer after with a great sort more of hys companye Wherupon they saye that monastery and towne hath euer sens bene called Elye Guilhelmus Malmesburye et Ioannes Capgraue A yong infant called Brithgina beyng no more than one daye olde professed Elphegus into the monasterye of wylton aboute the same tyme So ded he also an other called Wilfhilda into the nondrye of Wynchestre so sone as she was weaned from sucke Whom afterwarde Kinge Edgare claymed in marryage but she was to famylyer with Ethelwolde a monke and a byshop to graunt therunto Whan he came to the howse where she was afterward abbasse there was no small fyllinge in of cuppes Ioannes Capgraue ¶ Miracles and wonders wrought Whan Odo the Byshop of Salysburye was elected Archebyshopp of Caunterburye in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. xlvi he wolde in no case be consecrated tyll he was by the abbot of Floriake professed a monke Partly bycause all his predecessours in that seate to the nombre of xxi had bene monkes and partlye for that the prestes in those dayes were in hate of the people for their marryage at the monkes suggestyons And after he had receyued his palle with Antichristes autoryte from Rome he wexed so frantyck vpon the Kinges concubines that some of them he sealed in the â—aces with hote burnynge Irons moste shamefullye and some of thâ—m he bannyshed into Irelande for euer but vnto his owne
receyued answers as that he shulde be Pope and that be shulde not dye tyll he sange Masse at Hierusalem ☞ The Popes eleccyon from hen◠fourth IMmediatly after thys solucyon or settynge at large of Sathan many wonderfull thynges folowed to the perfourmaunce of hys wycked kyngedome in the Romysh Papacy First the eleccyon of their monstruouse Pope the next yeare after was taken clerely from the commen people by the clergye and gyuen to hys owne famylyars which anon after were called the college of calkers Cardynalles I shuld saye with these ij crafty clauses Docendus est populus non sequendus The people is to be taught of vs but not folowed Maior est dignitas legis quae regit spiritu sancto quam legis saecularis More worthy is that lawe whych gouerneth by the holy Ghost than the lawe secular or the lawe whereby the multitude is gouerned By this they iudged God to be the auctor of their deuylysh decrees and the cyuyle lawes of prynces a thynge of nought Loke Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum quaest x. Not longe after thys was the empyre of Rome in theyr hygh dyspleasure translated from their olde fryndes the French men to the sturdy Germanes as afore from the Grekes to the French men as they founde thē not fytt for their turne And this was their polycy They perceyued the Germanes to be the strongar people and at that daye theyr hygh fryndes by the mōkes conueyaunces and therfore most fytt to defende their fleshely lybertees Anonymus quidam de nobilitatis origine cap. xi Thus became the Frenche kynge Antichristes yonger sonne whych afore tyme had bene hys whole ryght hande in Pipyne in Charles the great Rīngmannus Philesius in descriptione Europae cap ix ☞ The electours and confyrmacyon of the Emprour IN the seconde yeare after a thousande from Christes incarnacyon the electours of the Emprour were appoynted vij for that great Antichristes commodyte hys confirmacyon othe and coronacyon alwayes reserued to his owne precyouse fatherhede Of these vij electours thre were archebyshoppes thre wer temporall prynces the last was a kynge The archebyshop of Magunce ouer all Germany the archebyshop of Tryere ouer all Fraunce and the archbyshop of Coleyne ouer all Italy were constytuted hygh chauncellers of the Empyre as watche men to take hede least any thynge shuld in those quarters passe to the holy fathers dyshonour The marques of Brandenburg was ordayned chamberlayne the duke of Saxon the swerde bearer and the Palatyne of Rhene the chefe seruytour at the Emprours eleccyon with cuppe keye and swerde afterwarde to dyspatche hym as hath bene seane if he were not to holy church profytable The kynge of Beme beynge butler cometh in last of all as an arbiter or vmpere if they can not agre to their spirituall behoue After that foure dukes four marquesses four landgraues four burgraues four earles four barons four fre lordes foure knyghtes four cyties four borowes and four carles were appoynted as stronge myghty buttrasses to assist this newe ordynaunce Martinus Carsulanus in chronico Ringmannus Philesius in praefato opere Rodolphus Gualtherus in Homilia ij de antichristo By thys occasyon sayth Wyllyam Caxton in hys Englysh Cronicle Par. vi the Egle lost many fethers and in the ende shall be left all naked ☞ Masse Purgatory and musycke ABout thys tyme sayth Iohan Wycleue beganne the heresy of the consecrate host or brede God of the Papistes wherby they sought the vtter destruccyon of faythe by settynge vp of a most parelouse ydoll of their owne makinge in the place of Iesus Christ our sauer and redemer Whych heresy anon after Berengarius Turonensis by the word of God most strongely wythstode so ded one Bruno the byshop of Angew and VValeranus the byshop of Medburg which were men of most excellent lyfe and learnyng as their very enemyes witnesseth Hildebertus Cenomanensis Thomas VValden and Ioannes Tritemius Odilo the abbot of Cluniake practysed about the same very tyme by helpe of ij most crafty knaues an anker and a pylgryme to delyuer sowles by Masses and diryges from the terryble tormentes of a flamynge purgatory whom they had conceyued by S. Gregoryes dyaloges and by the boylynge mounte of Ethna in the lande of Cycyle Thys Odilo procured of Pope Iohan the xix the commemoracyon of sowles to be celebrated in the church the next daye after the feast of all sayntes Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vi ca. xv Petrus Equilinus Osbernus a monke of Canterbury whych had bene famylyar with Dunstane practysed newe poyntes of musyck and hys example in Italy folowed Guido Aretinus to make the veneracyon of ydolles more pleasaunte Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Vincentius Tritemius Thus beganne the hypocresye of Lecherouse monkes and prestes to abuse the symplycyte of the ignoraunt people and strongely to confounde theyr Christen beleue by tryfelynge superstycyons and ceremonyes Anone after ded they adde the crafty inuencyons of profane phylosophers that they myght the more wyttely deceyue the playne sort and the more craftely depraue the holy scriptures ☞ A prest and hys louely doughter ALl thynges in the Papacy and empyre to their carnall commodyte thus dysposed the Romysh clergy satled themselues all the worlde ouer in the abundaunt pleasurs of Sodome whych were as the prophete rehearceth pryde plenty of feadynge solacyouse pastymes ydelnesse and crueltie Ezech. xvi Gyuen were they to lascyuyouse lustes and most prodygyouse occupyenges in the fleshe burnynge in aduoutry for contempt of marryage as it were an ouen that the baker heateth Osee. vij Marke our Englyshe hystoryes in confyrmacyon of the same For aboute thys tyme Iohan Capgraue sayth in catalogo sanctorū Angliae a deuoute holy prest an ydell kneane yow wyll saye went fourth euery mornynge into hys churche yearde and hallowed the granes there with the. vij Psalmes the Letany for all Christen sowles On a tyme thys prest founde a mayde chylde a◠the crosse there all wrapped and swadled in cloutes for whome he not only prouyded a nurse but also brought her vp in nourtour and learnynge takynge her euer after for hys doughter as I doubt it not but he had iust cause As thys wēche ones grewe to conuenyent age her bewtie so tāgled his fleshely harte that he vnfacyably brent in her concupiscens And as he on a daye had cowched her naked in his bedde anon he remembred his chast vowe they saye and so turned hys face to the dore dysmembrynge hymselfe with a sharpe cuttle in her presence And so throwynge fourth that trashe whych tempted him if the legende be true at the last he made her an holy vowesse veyled nonne to serue the spiritualte Thys acte of prestish maydenhede was dysclosed first in Irelande by a parlement of deuyls within the garden of an olde father Hermyte not farre from S. Partrykes purgatory where as they
that our lady gaue sucke to an olde byshopp a thousand yeares almost after her death Marke thys poynt for your learnynge ☞ The coÌ„ueyaunce of prelates in this age BVt ye must consydre that at Carnotus was a churche of our ladye in buyldynge whych coulde not wele be fynyshed without such clarkely coÌ„ueyaunces And by thys meanes bycame Canutus a great benefactour therunto The prelates as byshoppes abbotes and prestes for their coÌ„modyte ye must wele knowe were so good to this Danysh vsurper the cronycle sayth that they in receyuyng hym for their kynge at Southampton vtterly renouÌ„ced by othe the successyoÌ„ of their naturall Englysh kynge Etheldrede causinge the noâ—ylyte to coÌ„sent to the same Yea to bryng the spyghtful enterpryse of theirs to full effâ—ct they hyred a cruell traytour called Edricus to slee kynge Edmonde â—ronsyde hys naturall heyre and caused yeâ—eyd Canutus to sende his ij sonnes Edmonde and Edwarde into Denmarke to be slayne to extynguysh that successyon or â—yscent of Englysh bloude so to ouerâ—hrowe the maiestie of thys nacyon for there â—ryuate commodyte Alphredus Beuerlacenâ—is Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Ioannes Capâ—raue Polydorus atque alij historiographi By meanes of thys Achelnotus also an hunâ—red talentes of syluer and one talent of â—olde were gyuen at Papia in Italy for â—he wythered arme of S. Augustyne therâ—ith to augment the ydolatry here in Enâ—lande Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de â—gibus And as concernynge Burye abâ—eye afore mencyoned It was first a colâ—ge of prestes founded by kynge Ethelâ—ane in the yeare of our lorde DCCCC â—â—v and nowe at the sute of Ailwyne â—yshopp of Helmam in Southfolke it â—as changed by kynge Canutus to a moâ—â—sterye of Benettes monkes in the yeare of our lorde a M. and xxi the prestes with their wyues and chyldren dyscharged Chronicon Buriense ac â—oannes Lelandus in commentario cygneae cantionis ☞ The Emprour maryed Canutus doughter IN the yeare of our lord a M. and xxxvi Henry the second Emprour of that name marryed Guynylde the doughter of the aforeseyd Canutus the kynge of Euglande Thys Henry had a systre whych was a professed nonne So inteyrly he loued thys systre of hys that oft tymes he wolde haue her to lye within hys palace very nygh to hys owne preuye chaÌ„bre In a wynter nyght a sowle chaplayne of the courtelaye with her which had bene dyuerse tymes complayned of afore In the mornynge least hys fotynge shuld be seane in the snowe newly fallen that nyght she toke hym vp in her necke and carryed hym out of the courte towardes hys chambre The Emprour chaunced to ryse at that houre as hys custome was to make water and se the pageaunt Anon after fell a byshopryck whych the prest gaped for and the gouernaunce of a nondrye whych the nonne desyred Wherupon the Emprour called them vnto hym the one after the other Take that benefyce to you sayth he to the priest but saddle no more the nonne And you the abbeye sayth he to hys systre and horse no more the prest Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de regibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxi Polychronici Vincentius li. xxv ca. xviij Speculi historialis Here were a couple of no badde gouernours in that spirytualte but al was chast relygyon so longe as marryage was absent Thus coulde the worldely rulers thaÌ„ laugh vpon wyckednesse and suffre vertu and ryghteousnesse to dwell vndre contempt wyth Christ. ☞ Two dyuerse examples for that age ANother nonne was ther at the same very tyme whom a certen ryche maÌ„ toke out of the monastery and marryed not farre from the seyd Emprour bycause she complayned her that she could not lyue chast The byshopp of the dyocese hauynge knowledge therof by thys Emprours assystence dyssolued that marryage and sent her agayne to the cloystre Afterwarde thys man whan he se hys tyme toke her out agayne and kept her in howse with hym In the ende they were both excommunycated of the byshop and could neuer obtayne their absolucyon Antedicti autores cum Ioanne Treuisa This Emprour had also in hys chapell a syngynge maÌ„ a prest whych had both a good voyce and was wele learned but inordynatly he loued a certen whore not farre of whych was not vnknowne vnto him On a daye to proue a mastry the Emprour coÌ„maunded hym to saye masse before hym whych he vtterly refused to do for so muche as he had lyen with that whore the nyght afore If thou saye no masse sayth the Emprour I bannysh the both the courte and contrey I am wele contented sayth the prest and so by and by with hys stuffe departed The Emprour with that called the prest agayne and much commendynge hys constauncy rewarded hym with the next byshopryck that fell autores praefati cum Antonino Thus is whoredome muche made of styll but marryage whom God left for an honest yea and an holy remedy for that dysease is not yet by the doctryne of S. Paule persuaded i. Cor. vij ☞ Lecherie for lucre doth great myracles ALwinus the byshopp of Wynchestre in the yeare of our lorde a M. xliiij was of S. Edwarde the kyng commytted with imprysonment to the examynacyon of the clergye for beynge to famylyar with Emma his mother or for lyenge with her whether ye wyll she put to the nondry of Warwell tyll the daye of her purgacyon It was layed to her charge sayth Polydorus that she of myschefe had marryed Canutus the Tane whych was a cruel enemy to the land consequently that she had nothynge holpeÌ„ but rather hyndred her naturall chyldren in exyle whom she had afore by kyng Etheldrede fynally the rumour was that she had dysceytfully sought their destruccyoÌ„s to preferre the Danysh bloude to the crowne of Englande to the great derogacyon of the same Ricardus Diuâ—siensis reporteth that Robert the archebyshop of Canterbury gaue euydence agaynst her that she had coÌ„sented to the murther of her elder sonne Alphrede procured poyson for her yongar sonne S. Edwarde that she had ioyned her self in that treason with her louely peramoure the byshopp of Wynchestre afore named But se what folowed in the ende After she had ones commoned with the spirituall prelates and gyuen vnto S. Swythunes abbeye in Wynchestre the possessyon of ix lordeshyppes or mayners she was able by helpe of S. Swythune to go barefoted vpon ix burnynge plough shares of Iron for that byshoppes tryall and hers On. iiij for her selfe on v. for her swete louer to do other myracles besydes But ye must first coÌ„sidre that she was borne ouer them betwyn ij byshoppes whych knewe afore hande how to qualyfy those heates that the kyng beynge a simple man was easy to deceyue Ricardus Diuisiensis Guilhel Malmes Marianus Scotus Thomas Rudborne IoaÌ„nes Capgraue post uitaÌ„ vvlstani Robertus
archebyshop of Yorke and byshopp of Worcestre also Wherupon in hys returne he slewe earle Beorne his own vncle for that he had therof accused hym At the last was he sent to Hierusalem in penaunce and dyed in that iourney towardes Licia of a colde Marianus Scotus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiij Fabianus par vi ca. ccxij ☞ Palumbus the prest and the witche of Barkeley PAlumbus a prest at Rome a great Necromanser and a myghty worker of knaueryes spirytual which after some writers had a Pope to hys sonne wrought innumerable sorceryes legerdemaynes of lecherie for that holy chast prelates there to brynge euery mannys wyfe doughter or seruaunt that they coueted to their beddes in the darke So connynge he was in his feates of coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce and myght do so muche amonge the spretes of venery that if an other workeman of hys speculacyon had sent fourth a deuyll of that scyence he coulde cause hys deuyll to supplant that deuyll and so conueye the woman where hys mynde was to bestowe her Whych in conclusyon set the deuils at variaunce and made theÌ„ crye out of God for so longe tyme sufferynge that Palumbus in hys wyckednesse to reigne And whan thys holy masmonger shuld dye he cut of hys owne meÌ„bers as is afore rehearced and gaue them to the deuyl byquethyng hys euyl dedes which were myscheues vnspeakable to the holy churche cytie of Rome Anonymus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li ij de regibus Vincentius li. xxv ca xxix Ranulphus li. vi cap. xxvi Antoninus par ij ii xvi ca. vii A lyke example fynde we in our Englysh Cronycles of Heyla the woman of Barkeley in Barkeshyre whyche was both a wytche and a bawde knowynge all necessary feates in spirytuall prouysyon at nede As thys woman was dead whych had alwayes bene a frynd to holy church the deuyll rode away with her they laye vpon a blacke horse Forty masses a daye wyth other good suffrages prouyded by her sonne and doughter an holy monke and a nonne were not able to stoppe that passage Guilhelmus Malmesâ—uri li. ij de regibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxv Pabianus par vi ca. ccxiij VVernerus Hermannus Shedel In these ij examples ye maye behold what wholesom study holy churche had in those dayes what labours the ghostly gouernours toke vpon them to obserue their solempne vowe of chastyte whyche maye not yet be dyspensed with ☞ Other chast myracles about the same tyme. IN the yeare of oure lorde a M. and liij a solempne fatherly prest in Irelande pretendynge muche sobernesse kept a great scole of laddes and yonge wenches And for so muche as he had shorne some of those wenches and apareled them lyke boyes the more aptely to come to the flâ—shely occupyenge of theÌ„ he was anon after perceyued taken and with shame bannyshed that lande Marianus Scotus Ranulphus Treuisa li. vi cap. xxiiij This feate hath bene among our votaryes muche practysed in tyme of their prodygyouse heatâ—s as an holy spyrytuall remedy Victor the second Romysh Pope of that name in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lvi helde a generall synode at Florence in Italy where as he deposed many byshoppes abbottes for symony and fornycacyon Guil. Mal. li ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiiij Martinus carsulanus Plâ—tina Ioannes stella A subdeacon they say whych mynystred to hym at masse put venym in hys chalyce so poysened hym for hys labour Benno cardinalis Valerius anselmusryd Edwarde the sonne of kynge Edmonde Ironsyde had ij doughters beynge in exyle Margrete and Christiane Margarete was godly marryed to Malcomus the kyng of Scottes and had viij chyldren by hym of whom iiij reigned as kynges after hym Christiane by counsel of lascyuyouse monkes bycame a superstycyouse nonne abhorrynge marryage as Polydorus reporteth her by theyr doctryne of deuyls in hypocresy so becummyng a folysh vyrgyne or els a mete damsell to serue them in the darke ☞ They laugh at lecherie that frowne at marryage NEuer yet came plage of myschefe to thys realme that the Prelates haue not turned to their pryuate commodyte and fynely laughed and sported the rat in the ende To promote the Danysh bloude to the crowne of Englande they sought vnnaturally to destroye the Englysh bloude ryall and through fyne conueyaunce brought it wele to passe as is written afore And whan it was restored agayne in Edwarde they threwe hym into suche a colde of hypocresy or symulate chastyte whether ye wyll that he dyed without yssue to gyue place to the Normanes our most greuouse enemyes in the basse bloude of a Bastarde And se what a toye they made therof to shewe themselues no lesse ioyfull of hys baudy concepcyon in whoredome than the people of Iury were in the blessed natyuyte of holy Iohan Baptist in godly marryage As Robert the duke of Normandy saye they rode through the towne of Faloys he behelde a skynners doughter called Arlet daunsyng amonge maydens whom he toke with hym from thens to hys bedde for her bewtyes sake And as he was commyng towardes her to accomplysh hys fleshly desyre she rent her smocke froÌ„ the chynne to the fete to make roume for him And as he enquyred what she ment therby she made hym this praty answere saye they It were neyther fytt nor comely that the nether part of my smocke shuld be turned vp so touche the lyppes of my lord At thys mery sentence the duke had great sporte and so haue the prelates had euer sens for they caused it to be regestred holy matrymony frowned at and euermore set at nought At thys fylthy fytt was Wyllyam Bastard begett which was afterwarde called the great conquerour of Englande to the great mysfortune yea to the vtter shame confusyon and vndoynge therof in those dayes he beynge a straunger a mylbegotten and so cruell a tyrauÌ„t as in the wrath of God he shewed himself there for the ponnyshement of their synnes Anonymus Guil. Malmes li-iij de regibus Vincentius li xxv ca. xxxix Ranulphus li. vi ca. xix Pabianus par vi ca. ccvij Polidorus li. viij ☞ Of Stigandus a lecherouse monke with lyke companyons STigandus an hypocryte couetouse â—echerouse and vnlearned whych had defyled hys fathers bedde Iohan Capgraue sayth dyuersly oppressed the poore for hys good rule kepynge about the yeare of our lorde a M. and liiij bycame byshopp of Shirborne than of Wynchestre and fynally archebyshopp of Canterbury He made hauock of the churches goodes and spent them in most prodygyouse fylthynesse And as wytnesseth Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. ij de pontificibus vnmete was he rekâ—ned to be a byshopp in those dayes that could not ruffle it out with all pompouse aparel horses galaunt seruauntes wanton meates and women in all lecherie and sew denesse And as they
were sumtymes cast in the tethe that their conuersacyon was not accordynge to the Apostles lyuâ—s they made a mocke at it commenly excusynge themselues by thys hombly verse Nunc aliud tempus alij pro tempore mores Now is it an other maner of tyme than was than and requyreth a farre other fashyon of lyuynge Marianus Scotus Ranulphus lib. vi ca. xxiiij Pabianus par vi ca. ccxij Polydorus li. ix About the yeare of our lorde a M. and. lxxxij one Wyllyam byshopp of Durhan dyspossessed the prestes of the college or cathedrall church of Durham bycause of their wyues and placed the monkes there in their rowmes as witnesseth Polydorus li. ix Anglicae historiae as he had hearde that kynge Edgare had done long afore in the churche of Excestre Olyuer a monke of Malmesbury of some authours called Elmer was at the same tyme so we le seane in Necromancy that he couâ—de with wynges flye abroade and worke many wonders Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxviij Vincentius Nauclerus alij ☞ Saynt Freswydes and Westmynster sanctuary IN the yeare of our lorde a M. and lx was the church of S. Frideswyde in Oxforde gyuen vnto the moÌ„kes by the chast kynge Edwarde of whoÌ„ we haue spoken afore at the request of Pope Nycolas the. ij in recompence of hys pylgrymage that he vowed to Rome the prestes wyth their wyues dysplaced vtterly Yet was it afterwarde restored to them agayne by hys successour kynge Haralde whyche with other lyke matter agaynst our prelates cost hym parauenture hys lyfe the monastery at the last consumed with fyre Ioannes Capgraue in uita Pridesoâ—dâ—e This Romysh Antichrist Nycolas coÌ„stytuted kyng Edward hys vycar here in Englande bycause he was a chast vower that he and hys successours shuld se that hys sodometrouse chastyte were wele there maynteyned Moreouer he gaue fredome to the sanctwary of Westminstre for theues and for whores not only to be vnto them a place of refuge but also a sauegarde from ponnyshment for terme of their lyues Ioannes Capgraue in uita Edâ—uar di cum alijs autoribus O â—hostly founders of chastyte Thys great patryaeke of Sodome sent fourth Petrus Damianus a monke and Cardynall to preache S. Gregories Dyaloges agaynst marryed prestes For he afterwarde wrote a boke Antoninus sayth par ij â—i xvi ca. viij De direptione nuptiarum of the takynge awaye or vtter dyssoluynge of marryage Tritemius mencyoneth also that he wrote ij bokes agaynst marryed prestes one de incontinentia sacerdotum an other de clericorum uxoribus and. ij for the vnmarryed monkes the one called regula solitariorum the other de monachorum profectu ☞ Berengarius and the synode of Wynchestre MVche a do had Berengarius Turonensis the archediacon of Angew with the foreseyd Popet Nycolas for Christes naturall presence in the eucharisticall breade whych he had in opeÌ„ preachynge and disputacyon denyed callynge both hym hys masmongers pulpifices that is to saye fleshe makers in his boke de Eucharistia Truely not an holy churche sayth he haue the veryte proued that congregacyon but a malignaunt churche a counsel of vanyte and the very seate of Sathan Lanfrancus contra Berengarium Whych opynyon he afterward compelled hym to recant not by force of argument but by terrour of cruell threttenynges Notwithstandynge he returned agayne persystyng more stroÌ„ge than afore Anon after in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxix in the generall synode at Wynchestre were many byshoppes and abbotes deposed by the legates of Pope Alexander the seconde for yll rule kepynge in bankettes of baudry Amonge whom Stigandus was one whych myserably dyed in preson Ricardus Diuisiensis Guilhelmus Malmesbu li. i. de pontificibus Ranulphus lib. vij ca. i. Fabianus Polydorus li ix Thys Alexander made a constytucyon generall that none shuld heare the masse of prest whych kept a concubyne vndre payne of excommunycacyon meanynge a marryed wyfe Gracianus monachus in uolumine decretorum VVernerus in fasciculo temporum Iacobus Bergomas Yet graunted he that prestes sonnes myght by the Apostles autoryte receyue holy orders whych includeth contradiccyon Idem Gracianus ☞ Lanfrancus and hys lowsye legerdemaynes A Yonge monke assystynge Lanfrancus the archebyshopp of Canterbury at hys masse not farre from the shryne of Dunstane beheld a swarme of deuyls and was sodenly possessed of one of them Anon he opened hys mouthe and vttered the good rule of hys lecherouse bretherne suche matters sayth the storye yea so abhomynable and fylthie as are not to be spoken Than were they all called to the chapterhowse where as it was amonge them decreed that all the holye bretherne shuld be shryueÌ„ of Lanfrancus Wherby they were anon so newe bournyshed that in their returne the deuyll had nothynge to laye agaynst them For the vertu of confessyon and absolucyon is suche they saye that it taketh from the â—euyll both hys wyttes and remembraunce that he hath no longar any power to accuse them Forget not thys workemanshypp but marke it wele So good was the foreseyd Dunstane they saye to thys Lanfrancus that iiij score yeares after hys death he taught hym how to recouer agayne the possessyons and landes pelfered awaye by the kynges from hys archebyshopryck He made open vnto hym if dead men maye speake the craftes of all hys enemyes and shewed good wayes to recouer at their handes to auoyde their cantels Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Dunstani Lanfranci Vincentius li. xxv ca. xxxvii Antoninus par ij ti xvi ca. x. The whyche Antoninus sayth that Lanfrancus played the same part agayne at Rome suche tyme as he impugned there the doctryne of Berengarius concernynge the sacrameÌ„t For the whyche lordely acte Pope Alexander gaue hym ij maÌ„tels or Legates robes one of honour an other of loue Ranulphus cum caeteris autoribus ☞ Byshoppes change their seates and tytles IN the dayes of kynge Wyllyam the bastarde the Popes baâ—tard byshoppes here in Englande changed their seates and tytles from the meane vyllages to the most famouse cities of the realme to apere more gloryouse in the reigne of their father Antichrist As from Dorcestre to Lyncolne froÌ„ Lychefelde to Westchestre from Thetforde to Norwych froÌ„ Shirborne to Salysbury from Wellys to Bathe from Kyrton to Excetur froÌ„ Selwey to Chychestre with such lyke And this was done some writers sayth in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxviij by a decre of the Popes canons Ranulphus li. i. ca. lij Vndre the same kynge also a solempne othe and profession by writynge to the bastarde byshop of Rome was demauÌ„ded and taken by hys vycar Lanfrancus in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxix and so euer after continued from thens fourth A sore stryfe besell in the same selfe yeare betwyn these bastarde byshoppes specyally betwyn
Lanfrancus of Canterbury Thomas Norman of Yorke whych of them shuld be hyghest in that mytred kingdome of ydelnesse And as they mette at Rome they fell into a great dysputacion of that matter afore Pope Alexandre Where as Lanfrancus to amende hys owne matter proued the seyd Thomas to be a prestes sonne Remigius the byshopp of Dorsett beynge present whych Fabyane sayth was a prestes sonne also In the ende thys Lanfrancus by the helpe of Aristotles logyck Gregoryes olde constytucyon and the popes authoryte obtayned both at Rome at Wyndesore in Englande that Canterbury shuld from thens fourth haue the superporyte ouer the see of Yorke He that wyll beholde the mad folyshnesse of thys doltysh disputacyon lete hym loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i. de pontificibus Ranulphi Polychronicon lib. vij ca. ij Antoninum Fabianum atque Polydorum li. ix ☞ An olde bawdy byshopp slayne of a wenche IN the dyocese and cytie of Herford was a graye headed byshopp called Walter that inordynatly loued a yonge wenche there whych was very connynge sowster in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxx Yet remembrynge in hym self sayth the storye that nothynge was more busemynge than an olde dottynge fole specyally a byshop so to rage oft tymes withdrewe froÌ„ folowyng that affect At the lattre as the deuyll wolde she entered the byshoppes bed chambre by entycementes of hys chamberlaynes the preteÌ„ce beynge that she shuld there cutt them out shyrtes and napkyns And as she was in doynge her werke those preuy prouyders auoyded and the old bawdy byshop came in as was appoynted He fell to the talke of as fyne brothelry as anye craftes man in that art myght vtter And whan that wold not helpe he fell to her by force wrastelynge and tomblynge with her for the best game But se what folowed immedyatly As she perceyued her self ouercomen and that she was no longar able to withstande hys lecherouse purpose she thrust her sharpe sheres whom she had in her haÌ„des vp into hys share or vndre hys preuy meÌ„bers with vyolence and so slewe that Babylonysh bore or ij horned gote of the deuyll as chast Iudith ded Holophernes Guil. Malmes li. iiij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ij A commen practyse of chast relygyon kepynge haue thys bene amonge the horned prelates and oyled prestes in all ages of Antichrist Wold God those ydell bellygoddes had alwayes in that fylthie occupyenge bene thus worthely handeled For than had not the worlde bene so depely deceyued in them and their knaueryes ☞ Cecila kyng Wyllyams doughter and Thurstinus MAtthaeus VVestmonasteriensis in the floures of hystoryes and Polydorus Vergilius in the ix boke of his chronycle reporteth that Cecyly the doughter of kyng Wyllyam Bastarde professed her self a nonne in the yeare of our lord a. M. and. lxxv to serue the deuyll in the monkes hypocresy in the burnynge heates of Sodome So daynty mowthed wer these greasy grouteheades and so crafty in their generacyon that they could fynde out kynges doughters to serue their lustes and yet apere chast ghostly fathers to the world Thurstinus a monke of Cane in Normandy was of the seyd kyng Wyllyam constytute abbot of Glastenbury for a great summe of moneye in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxxiij Thys holy abbot consumed the substaunce and possessyons of that ryche abbey in all kyndes of lecherie and other prodygyouse fylthynesse On a tyme there fell betwyn hym hys monkes a great stryfe for that he had restrayned their accustomed fare He brought in men of armes to defende hys cause the monkes layed about them lyke praty men with stoles pottes and candelâ—â—yckes tyll the warryours heades were wele fauerdly broken In the ende of the batayl were iiij monkes founde slayne and xviij greuously wounded their bloude flowing on the pauyment Henricus huntington li. vi Guilhel Malmes li. ij de pontificibus Matthaeus Paris in historia anglorum Ranulphus li. vi ca. iij. Fabianus par vij ca. ccxxij Was not thys thynke yow a relygyouse rule Had it not bene muche pytie but the commens of this realme had bene beggered for their mayntenaunce beynge suche ghostly vowers O blyndnesse and madnesse of vngodly gouernours ☞ Hildebrande by sorcery and murther obtayneth the Papacy HIldebrandus a monke of Clunyake beynge hygh archedeacon of Rome was taught the arte of Necromancye by Theophilactus afore mencyoned whose custome was in wylde forestes and on hygh hylles to do sacryfyce to deuyls by magycall arte to make women both to loue hym and folowe hym Other instructours he had besydes sayth Cardynall Benno whych had bene Syluesters dyscyples were most connynge in that speculacyon that is to saye Laurence an archebyshop Iohan Gracyan afterwarde called Pope Gregory the syxte In shakynge hys sleues or myttaynes to delude the eyes of the symple many tymes he sent out sparkles of fyre whyche was iudged a wonderfull myracle a signe of holynesse in hym For so muche as the deuyll sayth Benno coulde not persecute Christ in the open face of the worlde he sought fraudulently to deface his name honour by thys hypocryte false monke Hyldebrande vndre a monasticall coate coloured pretence of relygyon Thys Iudas â—ote of hys maistre Pope Gregory the sixte to be the hygh stewarde of S. Peters aulter so receyued the offerynges of pylgrymes tyll all hys bagges were full Than hyred he one Gerardus Brazutua a man gyuen to myschefes incomparable This forcerouse wurker to make hym Pope in the space of xiij yeares poysened vi of hys predecessours one after another that is to saye Clement the. ij Damasus the. ij Leo the. ix Victor the. ij Steuen the. ix Benedict the. x. Nycolas the. ij hys owne selfe poysened and vyolently murthered Alexander the. ij in preson Thus by great and outragyose murthers he enioyed the papacy was called Gregory the. vij hys first ordynaunces were these He transubstancyated the Eucharistycall breade condempned the marryage of prestes commaunded monkes to abstayne from flesh Valerius Anselmus Ryd ☞ The first busy buyldynges of this Hyldebrande BEnno Cardinalis reporteth of thys hellysh Hyldebrand that in the first entraunce of his Romysh Papacy he had all these deuylysh prouysyons to wurke hys myscheues with The scriptures he had so trayned with the rules of logycke that by them he was able to maynteyne all falshede The temporall powers he prouyded by all flattery false fryndeshyp gyftes and other subtyle meanes to depresse He had for moneye hys secrete spyes and trayterouse searchers in the emprours and euery great prynces howse to knowe thynges to hys mynde After demaundes and answers agayne from deuyls he toke vpoÌ„ him to prophecie lyes in hypocresye Hys excedynge tyranny was suche that hys enemyes he neuer spared but gaue them death without remyssyon to the terryfyenge of
that byshopryck to lyue as it were in a securyte or ease in hys lattre age For than was the church become Iesabels pleasaunt and easy cowche Apoca. ij hys cantels were not so fyne in the other kynde for destructyon of bodyes but they were also as good in thys for destructyon of sowles To obscure the glory of the Gospell preachynge and augment the fylthynesse of ydolatry he practysed an ordynary of Popysh ceremonyes the whyche he entytled a Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche Hys fyrst occasyon was thys A great battayle chaunced at Glastenburye whyls he was byshopp betwene Turstinus the abbot and hys monkes wher in some of them were slayne and some sore wounded as is sayd afore The cause of that battayle was thys Turstinus contempnynge their quere seruyce than called the vse of Saint Gregory compelled hys monkes to the vse of one Wyllyam a monke of Fiscan in Normandy Vpon thys Osmundus deuysed that ordynary called the vse of Sarum Whyche was afterwardes receyued in a maner of all Englande Irelande and wales Euery syr Sander Slyngesby had a boke at hys belte therof called hys portasse contaynynge many superstycyouse fables and lyes the testament of Christ set at nought For thys acte was that brothell byshop made a Popysh God at Salisbury Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Rogerus Capgraue Houeden alij ☞ Of Kenredus a prest whych was gelded AN acte was made in the yeare of one lorde a M. lxxxvij by kyng Wyllyam conquerour that who so euer were founde stelynge of dere he shuld lose one of hys eyes and he that was deprehended in rauyshynge a woman shulde lose both his stones without redeÌ„pcyon This hath Henricus Huntendunensis li. v. Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vij ca. iiij Rogerus Cestrensis li vij Ioannes Treuisa Not many yeares after a preste called Kenredus was taken in the I le of Anglesey by the Englysh captaynes and gelded some saye for offendynge the statute though the monkysh chronicles farre of otherwyse interprete that matter By reason of this and many other lyke examples for he was not alone in that age ye maye be sure whan they were so strayghtly sequestred from women the clergy sought busyly to be exempted from the laye or secular power in fyne made lecherie a spiritual matter to haue the correctyon therof in their spirytual courtes I thynke the deuyll was neuer more crafty than they haue bene to shadowe their fylthie enormytees by a vayne shewe of holynesse whyche is playne hypocresy But how so euer they prospered in those dayes the nobylyte and commens of this realme were wonderfully oppressed Mathew of Westmynstre sayth so that both noble men and gentyll men of the Englysh bloude depryued of their possessyons and beynge ashamed to begge were with their chyldren and famylyars compelled to spoyle and robbery whan huntynge wolde no longar serue them Of thys preste Kenredus writeth Simeon Henry Huntendune Ranulphus HouedeÌ„ Iohan Capgraue and Fabyane ☞ Prestes payed a trybute for theyr wyues MVche a do had kynge Wyllyam Rufus with Odo the proude byshop of Bayon hys vncle which was also earle of Kent with Egelwinus the byshop of Durham with Raufe the byshop of Chichestre and with other lyke heady prelates specyally with Anselme whome of a beggerly monke he had made archebyshop of Canterbury The seyd Anselme sought vtterly to depryue hym and all hys successours of the inuestynge of prelates or makyng of byshoppes and abbotes within hys own realme labouryng to turne that autoryte from the lawful power of Christen princes to the vsurped iurisdictyon of the proude Romysh byshop as it anon after came to passe for the whych he was worthely exyled this realme This kyng WyllyaÌ„ Rufus partly of pytie but chefely of couetousnesse for he had thaÌ„ many buyldynges in hande permytted the prestes for an yearly trybute to holde styll their wyues in spyght of the prelates specyally in suche dyoceses as had monkes than to their byshoppes whych strayghtly had commaunded Hyldebrandes wycked constytucyon to be obserued that no preste hauynge a wyfe shulde holde hys benâ—fyce Raufe the byshop of Chichestre than stode vp lyke a praty man not only rebuked the kynge for takynge that trybute whych lyke an a dust conscyenced hypocryte he called the fyne of fornycacyon but also he withstode his offycers stoppynge vp the churche porches with great stakes thornes and bryres and interdyctynge the temples But whan the gentyll kynge had ones gyuen hym that trybute for hys owne dyocese he coulde take it wele ynough and make no great noyse therof Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ix Rogerus li. vij Fabianus ☞ Varyaunce amonge byshoppes for marryed prestes A Lytle afore that is to saye in the yeare of our lord a M. and xc a sore contencyon had bene amonge the byshoppes They that had bene prestes and no monkes fauourably permytted the prestes to remayne with their wyues in their dyoceses at the least sayth Roger of Chestre some of them helde their peace and wolde not se them The other sort whych had bene monkes vexed them troubled them and most greuously molested them depryuynge them of their lyuynges and most cruelly bannyshynge them out of their contreys For the which vyolence some of those byshoppes that had bene prestes thrust the monkes out of their cloysters and put in secular prestes as they called them in their rowmes Of this bande or factyon was Walkinus the byshopp of Wynchestre the chefe doar or begynner hauynge the kynges agrement â—o the same But in the ende they preuayled not first Lanfrancus and than Anselmus beynge both monkes and archebyâ—hoppes of Canterbury and wrytynge â—o the Romysh NeÌ„roth agaynst theÌ„ Notâ—ithstaÌ„dyng whan Walter was byshopp of Durham whyche succeded Egelwinus and had bene the kynges chaplayne to spyght the monkes therwith he compelled them to leaue their frayter to dyne in hys open halle and to eate such meates as by their rule were forbydden them He also caused them to be serued at the table with women whych were not very sober neither in aparel nor yet in gesture or couÌ„tenaunce And all was to trye out their hypocresye But some of theÌ„ I thynke toke not the matter very greuously Guilh. Malli i. iij. de ponti Ranulphus li vij ca. xi xi Polychronici Rogerus li. vij Ioannes Treuisa alij ☞ God by sygnes manyfesteth the myschefe of thys age BVt marke how God fulfylled in thys age that he had secretly shewed afore to S. Iohan the Euangelist Apoca. vi viij For a fore warnynge to hys electes Many starres were seane fallynge downe from heauen in the yeare of our Lorde a M. xcv specyally a blasynge starre in lykenesse of a great burnyng beame reachynge from the south to the north a wonderfull derth folowynge not only of
vytayles but also of the fowles fode Amos. viij Whych is the veryte of God and sede of saluacyoÌ„ Marke chronicon Sigeberti Mathew Paris Mathew of Westmynstre Roger Houeden Scalamundi and chronicon chronicorum Yea to make the matter more playne vnto vs for the fulfyllynge of those hydden scryptures in our owne nacyon Radulphus de Diceto Sigebertus and Thomas Rudborne in their chronycles addeth thus muche to the storye Amonge the whych fallen starres saye these autours one which was the greatest of theÌ„ all semed to fall on the other syde of the sea in Fraunce as it had bene a blasyng fyre brand And whan the place was marked in Normandy and dylygently sought out the searchers behelde a fearful flutteryng and terryble boylynge in a serten water an horryble stynkynge smoke arysynge therof By thys partycular fallen starre is signyfyed first Lanfrancus afterwardes Anselmus ij Normandy moÌ„kes archebyshoppes of Canterbury by whome in those dayes was all the hurly hurly turmoyle and change in relygyon here in Englande Lanfrancus conteÌ„ding for transubstancyacyon of the Eucharysticall breade to aduaunce ydolatry and Anselmus condemnynge the marryage of prestes and autoryte of prynces for inuestynge of prelates to sett vp sodometry impunyte of synne in the clergye Wherby the one was constytute the adoptyue sonne of Antichrist and the other the pope of England as hereafter wyll apere The water betokeneth the wauerynge multytude and the stynkynge smoke the fylthie doctryne of those fallen starres ☞ Of a lecherouse byshop and ij supersticyouse earles RObert Bloet whyche had bene a monke of Euesham abbeye went not thens so poore but that he was able to gyue for the byshopryck of Lyncolne fyue thousand pounde in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcij. after the death of Remigius By lyke he had bene abbot of the place that he was so wele mouyed Never was Orpheus Palemon nor Sardanapalus more expert they saye in the fyne feates of lecherie than he was For Wylliam of Malmesbury reporteth that he was totus libidinosus all gyuen to fylthie lyuynge And yet he was brought vp in the cloystre vndre Saint Benets rule a great professour of chastyte and a worthie gouernour in that relygyon At the last he dyed sodenly and was buryed at Lyncolne where as the church kepers were sore anoyed they saye with his sowle and other walking spretes tyll that place was pourged by prayers Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li iiij de pontifi Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas Rudborne ac Polydorus Whan Roger the earle of Shrowesbury perceyued ones that he coulde not lyue muche longar he sent Reynolde the pryour of Shrowesbury to Clunyake in Fraunce for the kyrtle of holy Hugh the abbot there that by lycence of Adelyse hys wyfe he myght for socour of hys sowle depart to God in the heate of hys holynesse As muche mede had he therof Treuisa sayth as had Malkyn of her maydenhede whych no man was hasty on Hugh the olde earle of Chestre beynge spoke vnto death in the same selfe yeare caused by the entysement of Anselme the prestes clerely to be expelled out of the high churâ—he of Westchestre and the monkes to be placed there for them So frantyck were the worldly rulers in thys age Henricus huntendune li. xi Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Fabianus alij ☞ Of byshop Herbert whych buylded Christes church at Norwych Thys Herbert was called by surname losinga the father whyche bigate hym was Robert the abbot of Wynchestre But who was hys mother the story telleth not to leaue it as a secrete matter within relygyon First was he here in Englande by fryndeshyp made abbot of Ramseye and afterwardes byshop of Thetforde by flattery and fat payment in the yeare of our lorde a M. xci For the which he is named in the chronycles yet to this day the â—yndelyng matche of symony and that noteth hym no small doar in that feate Notwithstandyng he so repented that symony they saye that he went to Rome and there resigned vp hys ryng pastorall hoke to Pope Vrbanus the seconde in the yeare of our lord a M. xciiij not without an other great summe of moneye ye maye be sure for there myghte nothynge passe without ready payment But here ye maye axe me whye the byenge of a byshoprycke was symony in England and not at Rome Wherunto I answere For in Englande a kynge receyued the moneye whych hath none autoryte to meddle in that marte of byenge sellynge wantyng the character or marke of the beast whych they haue at Rome Apo. xiij Also they haue lyberte in that generacyon to iudge blacke whyte euyll good sower swete and darkenesse lyghte also to wurke therafter Esa. v. And whan he had ones returned home agayne by vertu of Antichristes commissyon he remoued hys seate of poysenynge Christes flocke from Thetforde to Norwyche in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcvi dyspossessynge the prestes and theyr wyues and placynge the monkes in their rowmes to make that church a Sodome Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas rudborne Ioannes Eucresden Ioannes Capgraue Fabianus alij ☞ The robbery symony and sacrilege of the seyd Herbert OF thys byshop Herbert were many straunge thynges written but yet very couertly and craftely I thynke to hyde the open shewe of hys euyls because he was so great an abbeye foundar Some there were that scoffyngly bestowed vpon hys predecessour Arfastus and hym thys texte Non hunc sed Barrabam Ioan xviij Not hym but Barrabas For Arfastus had translated the byshopryck from Helmam to Thetforde whyche were in those dayes but vyllages But he traÌ„slated it froÌ„ theÌ„s to Norwych whyche was a famouse towne and of great occupyenge An other sort gaue thys texte by the waye Amice ad quid uenisti Mathae xxvi Frende wherfore art thou come Thus slyely they compared hym to Barrabas and Iudas whych both were theues Malmesburius Ranulphus Treuisa Moreouer a Poete or versyfyer of that age made these verses of hym Surgit in ecclesiam monstruÌ„ genitore losinga Simonidum secta canonum uirtute resecta Petre nimis tardas nam Simon ad ardua tentat Si praesens esses non Simon ad altauolaret Proh dolor ecclesiae nuÌ„misuenduntur aere Filius est praesul pater abba Simon uterque Quid non speremus si nummos possideamus Omnia nummus habet quod uult facit addit aufert Res nimis iniusta nummis fit praesul abba ¶ A monstre is vp the sonne of Losinga Whyls the lawe seketh Symony to flea Peter thou slepest whyls Simon taketh tyme If thou wert present Symon shulde not clyme Churches are prysed for syluer golde The soÌ„ne a bishop the father an abbot olde What is not gotten if we haue rychesse Moneye obtayneth in
euery busynesse In Herbertes waye yet it is a fowle blot That he by symonye is byshop abbot Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. iiij de regibus Great sute made the monkes of Norwych to haue had thys Herbert a canonysed saynt But suche impedimentes were alwayes in the waye that it coulde not be obtayned ☞ Other anoynted prelates of the lame race SImon the hygh Deane of Lyncolne occupyed that rowme not without a cause For his father Robert Bloet was the lecherouse bulle byshop I shuld saye of that large dyocese This Simon was a lusty bloude the scory sayth as good a treadyng cocke as euer was his father with sterne lokes on both sydes as proude as a pecock Henricus huntendunensis in libro de contemptu mundi Ranulphus in polychronico Guilhelmus Horman in fasci rerum Britannicarū It is also reported of Radulphus de Diceto in hys chronycle called Imagines historiarum that Robert Peche the byshop of Chestre Couentre and Lychefelde begate Richarde Peche the archedeacon of Couentre whyche afterwarde as reason was succeded hys father as byshop on same dyoceses by inheritaunce Radulphus praefatus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis in opere de pontificibus Guilhelmus Hormā in abreuiatione etusdē The thyrde example wyll I there bryng iii though it chaunced longe afore whych I haue left out in the first part of my votaryes Ethelwolf the sonne of kynge Egbert was professed a monke at Wynchestre and receyued the ordre of a subdeacon vndre byshopp Helmestane Afterwardes ascendynge from one degre to an other he was constytute byshop of Wynchestre and a Cardynall as some chronycles hath about the yeare of our lorde viij hundreth and iij. By dyspensacyon of Pope Gregory the fourth he reygned kynge after hys father and marryed Osburga hys owne butlers doughter by whom he had foure sonnes whyche all reygned kynges after hym and one doughter In the tyme of hys monkery afore he was marryed he begate a bastard called Adelstane whome he made vndre him the duke of Westsaxons Rogerus houeden Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Henricus Bradsha Iacobus Mayer Ionnnes Scuysh ☞ Of Wulstane the mysbegotten byshop of Worcestre Wulstanus the canonysed bishop of Worcestre had a monke of that abbeye to hys father called Estanus and a nonne not farre of to hys mother that was named Vulgena By byshop Brithegus was he made a monke so was sent fourth to the monastery of Peterburg to be instructed and so brought fourth in the ydel rules of monkery Whā it came to passe that he was ones byshop muche loue they saye he had of fayre women and yet lyued alwayes a vyrgyne whych is a matter very harde to be beleued The pontyfycall rynge wherwith he blessed the stretes in stede of Christen preachynge he wolde neuer put from him no not at hys very death but commaunded it to be buryed wyth him I thynke to blesse therwith whan he shulde aryse at the lattre daye Matthaeus paris Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Rogerus Radulphus de Diceto Thomas Rudborne Ioannes Capgraue alij Olde wyues in Worcestre shyre by the helpe of ydle headed monkes to whom parauenture they had bene bawdes practysed vpon the Ethymology of hys name a most shamefull and folyshe fable whych yet remayneth amonge them Hys father they sayde wyllyng to haue a do with hys mother vpon good frydaye and she not consentynge therunto for the dayes sake was compelled to leaue his begettynge vpon a stone which she fyndyng there lamentynge the losse therof wrapped it vp in a locke of wolle and so noryshed him vp vndreneth her arme hole By this meanes they saye he was first called Wulstone Thys had bene a straunge begettynge of a chylde but that it was in monkery whose wayes were not in that wurkynge lyke other mennys wayes O most prodygyouse sodomytes how haue ye illuded the symple with hypocresye and lyes ☞ Of Steuen Hardynge and hys Cysteanes STeuen Hardyng was first a monke of S. Benets errour ordre I shuld saye at Sherborne not farr from Salysbury Thys man to sprede abroade the braunches of hypocresye went from thens into Scotlande and so fourth into Fraunce and Italye tyll he came to Rome We reade not all thys tyme that euer he taught any Christen doctryne by the godly offyce of preachynge or yet of writynge But after he had visyted Rome and wandered ouer all Italye muche good stuffe ye maye thynke he gathered there he returned into the prouynce of Burgundy and there made hymselfe a monke agayne Yet was he not so quyeted marke the subtyle workynge of Sathan but he toke with hym a certen of hys ydell companyons and fled into the wyldernesse of Cistercium and there he began the wycked secte of Cisteanes otherwyse called the whyte monkes to be noysed abroade a newe authour of relygyon And thys was in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcviij It remayneth yet to the glory of Englande sayth Wyllyam of Malmesbury that the ordre of Cisteanes was firste begonne by an Englysh man Vincentius Antoninus Houeden Capgraue Bergomas Aegidius Faber Thomas Scrope Ioannes Paleonydorus ac Polydorus Vergilius de iuentoribus rerum Of the ambycyon lecherie and couetousnesse of thys abhomynable secte and how it came first into Englande I wyll shewe more at large hereafter About thys tyme arose other sectes of perdycyon as the Grandimontensers Camalduleanes Cartusyanes darke alleye bretherne Rhodyanes Templers Hospytelers Premonstrates Iosephytes and others with innumerable swarmes of their laysye leaue locustes crepynge slowly out of the smoky bottomlesse pytt Apocal ix ☞ Graue sentences declarynge the malyce of thys age Wernerus Roleuinke a Charterouse monke of Coleyne thus reporteth in hys wurke called fasciculus temporum that we commynge after shulde marke therof the daunger A wanton tyme sayth he beganne about the yeare of our lorde a thousande and so folowed on For than the Christen fayth very muche decayed vtterly declynynge from her accustomed strengthe and olde manlynesse to a feble faynt folwyng as mayde Hildegarde sheweth in her prophecye For in many regyons of the Christianyte were the rytes of the church poluted with mennys inuencyons and the sacramentes wyth sorceryes defyled the mynisters becommynge both sothsayers and coniurers So that many thought and not without cause that Antichrist was than in full power Benno sayth also in the lyfe of Hilbebrand that the relygyō of the clergy was none other in those dayes thā a very treason or vtter betrayenge of the worldely gouerners to maynteyne their insacyable ambycyon couetousnesse lecherie Thus were the golden calues had in honour in that age sayth Wernerus meanynge the glytterynge prelates And the other sort slayne or yll handeled by them vnderstandynge the true symple preachers as was Berengarius Oclefe and such other lyke impugnynge their newe ydolatryes Iohan Capgraue writeth that a great reformacyon a dyfformacyon he
oft after that the victory ouer hys enemyes vnloked for to their vtter shame and confusyon Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ The chast procedynges of dyuerse holy prelates IN the same very yeare whych was the yeare of our lorde a M. a C. and one Thomas the archebyshopp of Yorke surnamed the eldar whome Lanfrancus proued a prestes sonne afore pope Alexandre the seconde as is vttered afore departed the worlde Thys Thomas had a nephewe Ranulphus sayth called also Thomas the yongar Ye knowe what a nephewe is by the rules of Rome whose fotesteppes the fathers most studyously folowed in that age as naturall subiectes and chyldren of their creacyon By ryght he shulde haue folowed hys father in that offyce as a naturall inheritour to the myter but he was preuented by one Gerarde Wyllyam of Malmesbury Ranulphe Roger of Chestre saith which was a man as the commen same went gyuen all to lecherouse lyghtnesse to sorcerouse witchcraftes For whan he on a tyme was fouÌ„d dead in an herber a boke of curiouse artes was fouÌ„d vndre his pyllowe made by Iulius Firmicus whom he vsed to reade to himelfe in the none tyde For the whych his owne clergye wold scarsely suffer hym to be buryed wtout the church vndre tyrfes or soddes of the grasse Roger HouedeÌ„ sayth that thys yongar Thomas at the last beynge archebyshop of Yorke and lyenge in extremes was a persuaded of hys phesycyanes to take to hym a woman for remedy of hys dysease whyche he vtterly refused to do and so dyed If thys were true as I much doubt of it than was he a phoenix in that generacyon for Danyel sayth that their hartes shulde be set all vpon women Danie xi But who so euer shall resort to hys doctryne and fruytes in Antichristes prelacie shall fynde hym a virgyne of a farre other sort than Christe hath allowed in the scryptures ☞ Prestes marryage condempned of our Anselme HEnry of Huntyngton in the first boke of hys chronycles sayth that in the yeare of our lorde a M. a C ij which was the iij. yeare of kyng Henry the first at the feast of S. Michael the archangell Anselme the archebyshopp of Canterbury helde a great counsell at London at Westmynstre some chronycles hath whyche is all one Kynge Wyllyam Rufus for hys tyme wolde suffre the clergye to holde no such assemblyes and therfore they mortally hated hym In the which counsell sayth the seyd Henry Roger of Westchestre confirmynge the same he forbad the prestes of Englande their wyues neuer afore the daye prohybeted Mark this Whyche semed to many saye they a very pure relygyon but some men there were whyche thought it a matter full of parell and wolde not haue had it so passe least the prestes professynge a chastyte aboue their strengthes shulde therby fall into most horryble â—yndes of fylthynesse a Christen sentence to the great blemysh and shame of Christianyte And bicause I wolde thys poynt to be the more earnestly marked of my readers to the confusyoÌ„ of antichristes bullish buggerers of Anselmes Hildebrandes brode I put here the vâ—ry wordes of those autours as they staÌ„d in their latine workes In quo concilio inquiuÌ„t Anselmus prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas Quod quibusdaÌ„ mundissimum ursum est quibusdam periculosum ne dum munditias uiribus maiores appeterent â–ª in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent For other Englysh writers sheweth not the matâ—er so lyuely as doth thys Henry Roger. ☞ The actes of Anselmes great synode FIrst they enacted in thys counsell by vertu of Hyldebrandes constytucyon and Vrbanes Bulle that the horryble vyce of symony shulde be condempned for euer whyche was not commytted whan they solde bishopryckes abbeyes deaneryes prebendes orders dedycacyons consecracyons benefyces or any other ecclesyastycall doynges or promocyons but only whan the kynge or any other laye persone ded gyue them or dispose theÌ„ Thys was their spirituall meanynge Next vnto that they enacted that no archedeacon thâ—y spake of no byshoppes preste deacon subdeacon collygener nor canon shulde from thens fourth marry a wyfe nor yet kepe her styll if he had bene marryed to one afore They ordayned also that a preste kepynge company wyth hys wyfe shulde be iudged vnlawfull that he shulde saye no masse if he sayd masse that it shuld not be hearde They charged that none were admytted to orders from that tyme forward marke the tyme vnlesse they professed a chastyte neyther yet that any prestes sonnes shulde clayme by heretage the benefyces of their fathers as the custome had alwayes bene Other actes they made there els concernynge prestes garmentes shauynges shopynges offerynges tythynges buryenges buyldynges confessynges eatynges and slepynges no preachynges to folyshe to be rehearced Loke the boke of Anselmes ccc lxvij epystles Se here hardely if the kyng were not as wele dyspatched of hys pryncely power and autoryte one waye as the prestes of theyr wyues an other waye O wylye wurkers in that kyngedome of inyquyte Nothynge was done here by the worde of God to hys glorye but by the byshop of Romes autoryte to their vayne glorye ☞ Penaltees for them whych broke these actes BEsydes their synodall actes these iniunccions gaue they to the prestes whych were dyvorced First that they and their wyues shulde neuer more mete in one howse neyther yet haue dwellynge within their parryshes If any of them shulde be accused by ij or iij. wytnesses and coulde not pourge hymselfe agayne by sixe able men of hys owne ordre he shulde be iudged a transgressour of the statute depryued of hys benefyce and made an infame or be put to the open reproche of all men He that rebelled or in contempt of their newe statute helde styll hys wyfe and presumed to saye masse vpon the. viij daye after shulde be solempnely excommunycated All archedeacons and deanes were strayghtly sworne not to colour their metynges neyther yet to beare with them for moneye And if they wolde not be sworne to thys that than they shulde lose their offyces wythout recouer All the moueable goodes of them that were proued to transgresse the former statute remayned as forfaytes to the byshoppes their poore wyues condempned for commen whores Anselmus in epistolis Neuer was there any tyranny agaynst the let ordynaunce of God lyke vnto thys tyranny of Antichrist sens the worldes begynnynge neyther vndre Pharao Antiochus Nero nor yet Dioclecyane All thys tyme was not the shamefull sodometry whych secretly lurked among the ydell monkes ones refourmed nor yet spoken of Was it not happye thynke yow for Englande that these fylthie buyldynges of Antichrist had the good helpe of Whynchesters vowes of xxi yeare to vphold theÌ„ whan they were droppyng away in this lattre age If ye consydre it well ywys it hath passed all stage playe ☞
the kynge and Maude the empresse he called a counsel of prelates and enacted it for a lawe that what so euer he were that layed violent handes vpon a churche man he stode accursed wyth boke belle and candell and mighte of none be assoyled but of the popes owne persone He ordeyned also that no preste froÌ„ thens fourth shulde assiste any kinge in his warres Ioannes Hagustaldensis in historia xxv annoruÌ„ Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Mattheus Paris Polydorus Ranulphus ☞ The kynge enprisoneth the canons wiues of Paules RAdulphus de Diceto doth shewe it plainely in his abreuiacioÌ„s of chronycles that in the yeare of our lord 1137. The kinge was in displeasure with William the deane Raufe Langforde Richarde Belmeis and thâ— other canons of Paules at London about the eleccion of their bishop For coÌ„trary to his expectacion they had chosen Amselme the other Anselmes nephew which was than abbot of Burie a man of suspected liuing as witnessed Turstanus in an epistle to the pope Wherupon the king toke all their wiues otherwise called their kichine maydes for doubt of the spiritual lawes in their best apparelinges and put theÌ„ all in the tower of London Where as they were kept very straightly and not deliuered againe withoute bodily shame deminishment of their fame and greuouse expenses the storie saith The bishoppes archedeacoÌ„s chauÌ„celloures deanes were in those daies most coÌ„menly al of one kindred as the seide Radulphus reporteth The bishop of Ro. InnoceÌ„t than wrote into England that Peters litle ship being long tossed on the water vexed troubled oppressed of enemies was very like if remedy were not fouÌ„d in time to be ouer rowne drouned the shourges of scismatikes of heretikes wer so great Loke Ricardus Hagustaldensis in hys small treatyse de bello Standardico IoaÌ„nes hagustaldeÌ„sis in descriptione eiusdem belli By the scysmatykes he ment those prestes whych wolde not leaue their wyues at hys wycked persuasyons and by the lytle shyppe hys owne sorcerouse synagoge of besmered shauelynges ☞ An other counsell holden agaynst prestes and their wyues VPon thys occasyon came Albericus the byshop of Hostyense in post from Rome in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. xxxviij as the vycege rent of Pope Innocent the second in Englande and Scotlande Thys Albericus called a synode at Westmynstre in the xiij daye of Decembre for thys whole regyoÌ„ wherin he had to assocyate hym xviij byshoppes and. xxx abbottes besydes the greate nomber of other dysgysed prelates Hys chefe actes were that no preste deacoÌ„ nor subdeacon shulde holde a wyfe or woman within hys howse vndre payne of dysgradynge from his Christendome and playne sendynge to helle That no prestes sonne shuld clayme any spirytuall lyuyng by heretage That none shulde take benefyce of any laye man That none were admytted to cure whyche he had not the letters of hys orders That prestes shuld do no bodyly labour And that their transubstancyated God shuld dwell but. viij dayes in the boxe for feare of worme eatynge mowlyâ—ge or stynkynge with such lyke In all their counsels they songe styll one song folowynge the rustye voyces of HyldebraÌ„de and Paschall Ricardus Ioannes Hagustaldenses Wonders were seane in the skye about thys tyme Mathew Paris sayth In England was felte a palpable darkenesse with a terryble earthquake the sunne aperynge lyke sacke clothe Apo. vi Such an horryble eclyps sayth he was ouer all thys lande that men feared the heauens to haue bene decayed The sunne in some places Ioannes HagustaldeÌ„sis sayth apered lyke quycke syluer to the wonderynge of manye These maruels wolde be marked of them whych couete to vnderstande the mysteryes of tymes after the holye scryptures ☞ The true meanynge of sygnes in the firmament declared BY thys tyme had the prelates a nombre of crafty wyttes in the vniuersytees whych were as able by schole learnynge to defende a falshede as euer were Christes dyscyples by hys heauenly doctryne to maynteyne a veryte These by a contynuall exercyse in disputacyons bicame very crafty and subtyle They toke it for an ornature of learnyng and for a thynge very conducyble to the vnderstandyng of the scriptures to define and diuyde all thynges as ded the peripatetyckes or naturall philosophers of Aristotles secte and so to proue them by naturall demonstracyons Gloryenge in the sublymyte of their wyttes they wolde be taken for men much wyser than were the Apostles and prophetes and in their doynges preferred the Idees or ymagynacyons of Plato to the eternal sprete of Christ. In the rowme of the lyuely phylosophie of God they placed faynt and vnfruitefull allegoryes as ded the olde Esseanes and as doth in our tyme the wycked secte of Anabaptistes imputyng those thynges to our synnefull wurkes whych only pertayneth to the kyngdome of faythe Thus ded the wysdome of the fleshe erect her selfe agaynst Gods heauenly wysdome preparynge a waye to Antichrist and the deuyll These doctours busyly dysputed of Peters autoryte and of the worthienesse of monkery to make good the pryde of the byshopp of Rome and to confirme the shynynge shewe of hypocresye Of thys nombre was Ricardus de Sancto Victore a Scott in Paris Alexandre Nequam and Robert Crikelade here in England all regular chanons By thys maye ye vnderstande what it ment that the sunne apeared so darke in the skye For the heauens Dauid sayth declareth the glorye of God and the firmament sheweth hys handye wurke or dedes of hys permyisyon Psal. xviij ☞ More examples declarynge those marueyles ABout the same tyme were the byshop of Romes lawes brought into thys realme by Baldewyn the archebyshop of Canterburye But so sone as kynge Steuen had knowledge therof he condempned them by acte of Parlement commaundynge by proclamacyons and streygth iniunctyons that no man shulde retayne them vndre great penalte By meanes whereof they were in some places torne to peces and in some places brent in the fyre as by good mennis iudgement they were no lesse worthie For they were verye muche agaynst the commodyte of kynges and their commeÌ„ welthes christeÌ„ magistrates powers Ioannes Sarisburiensis in Polycratico de nugis aulicorum libro viij cap. xxij Both the monke Gracianus whych collectyd togyther the Popes decrees into our volume called the concorde of lawes dyscordaunt and also Peter Lombarde hys brother in the rablement of hys vnsauery sentences complayned very sore that many in their tyme beleued the only substaunce of breade to remayne in the sacrament of Christes bodye Yea the best learned maisters of Paris Iohan Tyssyngton sayth in his boke agaynst the confessyon of Wycleue were at the same season of thys opynyon that in the sacramental wordes Esse was to be taken for significare Agaynst whom these adulterouse chyldren Gracianus and Petrus brought forth thys smokye conclusion not out of the scriptures but froÌ„ their
to depart again froÌ„ London the purpose of his coÌ„ming not perfourmed Rogerus HouedeÌ„ Lo here was much a do for a thynge of nought And no smal matter was it in those daies to breake their apishe tradicions about the same tyme Hugh Nonaunt the byshop of Chestre droue all the blacke monkes out of Couentre and turned their monastery into a college of prestes sortyng their lyuynges into prebendes The cause was this They had kepte noughty rule and wolde not be refourmed Moreouer they were in dayly contencyon with the byshopp so that on a tyme not only they vyolently strake him but also they drewe bloude of hym afore their high aultre Radulphus de Diceto Radulphus Cogeshale Ricardus Diuisiensis Ricardus Praemonstratensis Rogerus Houeden Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus Treuisa Fabianus About vij yeares after thys at the coÌ„maundement of Pope Celestine the third the monkes were restored agayne and the prestes reiected by Hubert the archebyshop of Canterbury Hugh the byshop of Lyncolne Samson the abbot of S. Edmondes Bury Radulphus de Diceto IoaÌ„nes EuersdeÌ„ in AngloruÌ„ aunalibus atque Polydorus ☞ Prestes prouyded poysons dyuerse wayes AS a certen chaplayne belongynge to the archebyshop of Yorke and called Raufe Wygetoft in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and xcvi laye vpoÌ„ his death bed at Rome he openly coÌ„fessed that he had sent into Englande false letters and poysons to the dyspachement of hys enemyes And whan diligent searche was made at London by them that folowed Roger of Rippun a prest which was the conueyar therof it was so founde in dede This poyson was brought thydre to haue destroyed maistre Simon the deane of Yorke and certen of the canons there And chefely it was in a rynge and girdle which both were brent at Totehyll before a great multytude of people the prest enprisoned This myschefe was layed to the archebishop Geffreye of hys enemyes but it was founde otherwyse Rogerus Houeden Radulphus Cogeshale Was not thys thynke yow a vertuouste studye of these holye votaryes At the same tyme was there a crafty knaue an holye monke I shulde saye in the abbeye of Euesham whiche laye long in a traunce And afterwardes he wrote a newe Apocalips or boke of reuelacions concerning the paynes of helle and ioyes of heauen not vnlyke to Tundalus praefati autores cuÌ„ Ioanne Scuish An other false tole was there in the dyocese of London whyche about the same season had visyons wonderfull they say of the peynes of purgatorye Thus went the deuyll about in this doubtfull age after dyuerse sortes to deceyue the ignoraunt multytude and very fewe there were thaÌ„ whiche in the true fayth resysted him ☞ A byshop and an archedeacon taken in the warres IN tyme of the warres whych were betwixt the frenche kynge and kyng Richarde Cor de lyon Iohan the kynges brother and Marchades a great captayne went abrode with a nombre of horsemen to â—roue mastryes Anon as Phylyp the byshop of Beluace a man more gyuen to warre than to preachynge had knowledge therof thynkynge them to be a mete praye for him came freshly out of the cytie with sir Wyllyam Marlon and his sonne and a great nombre more of valeaunt warryours In the ende the byshop the archedeacon and all the chefe captaynes were taken the resydue all slayne and dyspersed These ij prelates IohaÌ„ presented with great tryumphe to the kynge hys brother as those whyche had bene afore tyme hys great enemyes I haue gotten sayth he the great chaunter and a good quere man to answere hym in tâ—e same note and here I delyuer them to you The kyng smyled as one very glad that they were taken consyderynge the displeasurs whiche they had done and commaunded them armed as they were to be enprysoned Pope Celestyne hearynge therof by the canons of that churche commaunded hym to delyuer agayne hys sonnes To whome he sent their armour with thys massage in questyon Are these the garmentes of thy sonnes or mete apparelynges for thy chyldren No sayth the Pope nor yet of my bretherne but rather they are the vestures of the chyldren of Mars And so he lete them be styll at the kynges pleasure Where as they remayned for the space of iiij yeares after Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Rogerus Houeden Rogerus Cestrensis Ranulphus Treuisa Nicolaus Treueth Ioannes Euersden Ioannes Scuish ☞ Fulco for the marryage of iij. spirituall wyues Wyls these warres yet endured theee came vnto kynge Richarde one Fulco a frenche prest whiche had preached very muche against vsurers and whores This Fulco required the kyng in any wyse to put from hym iij. abhomynable doughters whych he had and to coÌ„myt them to marryage least God ponnyshed hym for them Lytle was marryage beholden to suche a preacher Thou lyest hypocryte saith yâ— kinge to thy very face for all the world knoweth that I haue not one doughter I lye not sayth Fulco for thou hast iij. doughters One of theÌ„ is called Pryde an other couetousnesse and the third lecherie With that the kynge called vnto him his lordes his barons This hypocryte sayth he hath requyred me here to marry fourth my thre doughters And now that I haue founde out apte husbandes for them I wyll do it in effecte I therfore biquethe my pryde to the hygh mynded Templars and Hospytelers for they are as proude as helle My couetousnesse I gyue to the Cisteane monkes for they couere the deuyll and all My lecherie I commytt to the prelates of the church for they haue therin most felicyte Wyth this was the preacher coÌ„fused for he knew it was no lye Compendium noui chronici Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Rogerus Houeden Radulphus Cogeshale Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Ioannes Scuish To this agreeth that which Giraldus Cambrensis writeth li iij. ca. xij Speculi ecclesiastici Which is that Pope Alexandre the thirde was wont to saye that he had iij. howses whome he inteyrly loued that aboue all others enioyed hys specyall protection Whyche were the thre religyons of Templars Hospytelers and Cysteanes Ye maye be sure it was for no goodnesse that they so highly stode in his fauer ☞ Men possessed of deuyls and Ciâ—teane monkes ROger Houeden sheweth li. ij historiae Anglorum that in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. and xcviij many were possessed of deuyls vexed with horryble freuesyes For remedye of this many monkes were sought to as men of most holy conuersacyon chefelye the Cysteanes Amonge whome there was an abbot whyche toke vpon hym to expell them in the name of Christ. And as he was doyng with one the euyll prete spake in him and said We are the same legion of deuils whiche Christe droue out of the Gergesytes into the heard of swyne and that drowned them in the sea Math. viij A power we haue receyued to entre