1. Augustine.

BY that which hath béene before deliuered, it appea­reth, that Augustine was the first Archbishoppe of Canterbury, 596. concerning whom I neede not any fur­ther to discourse.

2. Laurence.

SAint Augustine before his death had appointed to succéede him, 611. one Laurence a Romane borne, a very godly and well learned man, whom Ciaconius in the life of Saint Gregory, séemeth to make a Priest, Cardinall in titulo S. Siluestri in Ex­quilijs, tt: Equirij Archipresbyter. But the name of Cardi­nall God wot is of a far later date. This Laurence tooke great paines not onely with his owne charge, but also in labouring to reduce the Britons of Wales, the Scots & Irishmen to o [...]e consent in matters of religion. It is likely his diligence might haue done good, but that he was disturbed by the death of that good King Ethelbert. Eadbald his sonne succéeded him in the Kingdom, who being a vitions young man, was not ashamed to marry the wife of his late deceased father. This and other [Page] enormities, when Lawrence like a good Iohn Baptist, doubted not to [...]eprehend him for, he first began to fall out with him, and afterwards, euen with Christian Religion; which a while hee seemed to like of well enough, but now at last vtterly re­nounced. The people (as commonly it commeth to passe) fol­ [...]owing the example of their King, they likewise returned to the filthy vomit of their abominable idolatry; although the Archbishoppe like a good Pastor ceased not by earnest exhorta­tions and what other meanes possibly he might, to stay them from this horrible relapse. Perceiuing at last that his wordes did no good, but rather incited the King to a more desperate hatred of him and religion: He determined to follow Melli­tus and Iustus into France, that (as anon you shall haue occa­sion to reade) were lately banished by the wicked sons of good Sebert King of the East Saxons. Tho night before the day of his intended departure, hee caused his bed to be made in the very Church of his Monastery; where after many teares and sighes, he recommended vnto God the miserable state of his poore Church, and so fell a sléepe. It séemed vnto him (saith Be­da) that S. Peter came vnto him and first expostulated the matter with him, after chid and reprehended him sharpely for purposing to forsake the Church committed vnto him; and lastly, whipped his naked body so terribly, as when hee wa­ked, finding it more then a dreame, all his body was gore-blood. Hee went immediately vnto the King; shewing him his wounds, and together related vnto him the occasion of them. This strooke such a terror into the King, as by and by hée re­nounced his idols, put away his incestuous wife, caused him­selfe to be baptized, aud for a farther testimony and assurance of his vnfained conuersion, builded a Church in the monaste­ry of S. Peter, and dedicated the same vnto the blessed virgine. Laurence very ioyfull of this alteration, sent presently for Mellitus and Iustus into France; who comming vnto him, one of them (Iustus) Bishop of Rochester, hee returned vnto his old charge [...] the other he retained with him, hoping to finde meanes, hee also might be restored to his Sée againe. In the mean time, euen the same yéere that King Eadbalde became a Christian, himself (I mean Laurence) died, to wit, Feb. 3. 619 (as Bale deliuereth) and was buried beside Augustine his pre­decessor.

3. Mellitus.

AT what time the Britaines refused to ioyne with Au­gustine in preaching of Christ, 619. he writ vnto Saint Gre­gory, certifying him, that the haruest here was great, but the labourers very few; and therefore requested him to ap­point some that might assist him in this worke of the Lord. He did so; and sent vnto him Mellitus an Abbot of Rome, Iustus, Paulinus, Rufinianus and others, who arriued in England the yéere 601. To leaue the rest vnto their owne places, Mellitus about thrée yéeres after was consecrate by him Bi­shop of London, where King Ethelbert built a goodly church and dedicated the same vnto S. Paul. The fourth yéere of his consecration he went to Rome to confer with Boniface the Pope about diuers things, and was by him honourably in­tertained. A yéere or two after his returne died both Ethel­bert King of Kent, and Sebert (that vnder him ruled the East Saxons) vnto whose iurisdiction London appertained. This Sebert left behinde him thrée wicked sonnes, that being neuer baptized, came notwithstanding one day vnto the Church at Communion time, and asked the Bishoppe what he meant that he deliuered not of that same fine bread vnto them as hée was wont to doe vnto their father Saba, and did yet vnto the rest of the people. He answered, that if they would be washed in the water of life as he was and the rest of the people there present; then would he deliuer vnto them of this bread also, but otherwise, neither was it lawfull for him to deliuer, nor them to receiue it. This notwithstanding they would haue enforced him; and when they could not preuaile, were so en­raged, as they expelled him their dominion, hardly holding their hands from doing him violence at that time. He béeing thus exiled, went first vnto Laurence the Archbishop of Can­terbury, and finding him in little better case than himselfe was at London, departed into France together with Iustus Bishoppe of Rochester. Being sent for soone after by Laurence (as aboue said) it happened the same yéere that the saide Lau­rence died, and he was appointed to succéede him. Hee was a man of great birth, but of greater mind, excéeding carefull of [Page 52] his charge, despising the world, and neuer caring for any thing but heauen and heauenly things. Hauing béene sicke a long time, he died at last of the gowt, Apr. 24. ann. 624. & was buried beside his predecessor.

4. Iustus.

624. IVstus (of whom I haue before spoken somewhat) was ta­ken from Rochester to supply the place of Mellitus after his decease; wherein hauing trauelled painfully the space of 10. yéeres, ( Malmsbury saith but 3.) he departed this life, Ne­uemb. 10. anno 634. and was buried in the porch aboue men­tioned.

5. Honorius.

634.After the death of Iustus, Honorius was made Archbishop, a very reuerend man: He was a Roman born, very lear­ned, and sometimes a Disciple of Saint Gregory. He was consecrate at Lincolne by Paulinus Archbishoppe of Yorke. He receiued a Pall from Rome with letters, wherein autho­rity was giuen to him and the other Archbishop, whensoeuer either of them did fail, to consecrate another in his place with­out posting to Rome. This man appointed diuers Bishops to diuers Countries, as in their seuerall places God willing shall be more at large declared: He also diuided his prouince into parishes, that so he might appoint particular Ministers to particular congregations; and hauing sate Archbishoppe al­most 20. yéeres ( W. Malmsbury saith 26) died the last day of February; or (as some deliuer) of September, the yéere, 653. He was buried amongst his predecessors.

6. Deus-dedit, or Adeodatus.

655,THe Sée was void after Honorius died the space of 18. mo­neths. An Englishman or Saxon called sometimes Fri­thona (famous for his learning and other vertues) was then elected Archbishop, and after that named Deus dedit. He was consecrate by Ithamar Bishoppe of Rochester, (Yorke [Page 53] being then without an Archbishoppe:) and died the last day of Iune (or as Westminster hath) Iuly 14. 664. hauing atten­ded that charge carefully about the space of 6. yéeres, the very same day (saith H. Huntington) that Ercombert the King of Kent dyed. He was the first Englishman that was Archbi­shop, and the last Archbishop that was buried in the Church porch of Saint Augustines.

7. Theodorus.

ONe Wigardus an Englishman, 668. an ancient and learned Priest, was chosen to succéede Deus-dedit, and sent to Rome for consecration with letters commendatorie from E­gebert King of Kent, and Oswy King of Northumberland, who also sent presents of great value vnto Vitalianus that was then Pope. It chanced hée came to Rome at a time when the plague was very hote there; & died of the same, as did also almost al his company that came with him. The Pope vnderstanding the Sée had stood long voide, and carefull to sée it furnished, made choice of one Adrian an Abbot of I­taly, but borne in Africke, a graue man and very learned. Hee would not bée perswaded to take so great a charge vpon him; but being importuned thereunto, hée promised to finde out a man that should bée of greater both learning and yeeres then himselfe, and in all other respects very fitte for the place. Hée was familiarly acquainted with one Theo­dore a Grecian borne in Tharsus of Cilicia, Saint Paules country; a man well séen in all kinde of good learning, and 66. yéeres of age. Vitalianus notwithstanding refused to allow of him, except the other would promise to goe into England with him also. Hée was content, [...] and at his comming thither was made Abbot of S. Augustines. Theodore then was consecrate Archbishop, April 1. 668. when the Sée had béene voide almost fowre yéeres. In May following, they set forward towards England. They had many lets by the way, and got not thither in a yéere and a halfe. They brought with them great store of bookes both Gréeke and Latine, whereof some remaine yet to bée séene at this day, as namely a Homer (so faire and exquisitely written, as no print in the [Page 54] world yet extant is thought to bée comparable to it eyther for truth or beauty) and diuers other. Unto this man all the British Bishoppes and generally all Britaine yéelded obedi­ence, and vnder him conformed themselues in all things vn­to the rites and discipline of the Church of Rome. Hée was a very stout and rigorous man, exercising the authority of his place so peremptorily, as many thinke it a great blot vnto him. How hee tooke vpon him to place and displace diuers Bishops at his pleasure, as Wilfride, Cedda and other, sée in the beginning of Yorke. In his time were held two Synods, one at Hereford (the Canons whereof you may sée in Beda, lib. 4 cap. 5.) the other at Clyff beside Rochester, in which hée procured all the Prelates there assembled to set downe their opinions touching the heresie of Eunches, wherewith his countrimen the Grecians were much infected: They all de­tested it, and gaue their approbation of those fiue famous generall Councels, of Nice, of Ephesus, of Chalcedon, and the two first of Constantinople. Neuer before this time had England so happy dayes, nor so many learned men as vnder him, and a little after. Amongst a great number of other, these were of his bréeding, Beda, Saint Iohn of Beuerley, Alcu [...]nus, and Tobias Bishop of Rochester, all excellent and very famous men. He erected (as some say) a kinde of schoole or Uniuersity at Créekelade, or rather Gréekeslade in Wilt­shire, so called of the Grecians that taught and studied there. These men soone after remoouing thence, are supposed to haue laide the foundations of our Uniuersity of Oxford. Hée left sundry monuments of his learning in writing behinde him, and appointed many Bishoppes in diuers parts of this land. Hauing continued Archbishop 22. yéeres, he died September 29. anno 690. being 88 [...]res of age, vntill which time, hée would often say, he thought he should liue, for that in a dream it had beene so signified vnto him many yéeres before. A little before his death he sent for Wilfride Archbishop of Yorke, & Erkenwald Bishoppe of London, and confessing himselfe vnto them; acknowledged that he had done Wilfride great wrong, insomuch as, there was no one thing that lay so hard vpon his conscience as that, and therefore with teares besought him to forgiue him, and to pray for him. He was buried with­in [Page 55] the Church of Saint Augustines Abbey, because the porch was full before, all his predecessors (sixe in number) being bu­ried there. In memory of them, were composed and engra­uen in marble these verses that follow,

8. Brithwald.

ALmost two yéeres the See was voide after the death of Theodore; 692. Brithwald Abbot of Reculuer which stan­deth vpon the mouth of the riuer Gentad, and before that, a Monke of Glastenbury, was then elect, Iuly, 1. anno. 692. & consecrate by Godwyn the Metropolitan of Wales, or of France rather as Beda reporteth. The yeer following, May 30. he tooke possession of this his Bishopricke. He was a man very well learned both in Diuinity and otherwise, but not comparable vnto Theodore his predecessor. Hee bare a hard hand vpon Wilfride Archbishop of Yorke, as Theodore had done before him, and caused his second banishment, or at least was some meanes of it. He was coniured by the Pope, who turned him about, and dealt so with him by letters, as he made him more earnest for him then euer he had beene against him. No Archbishop euer continued so long in this See as he, either before or since his time. He sate 38. yeares and a halfe. Dying then, Ianuary 9. 731. hee was buried at Saint Augustines with his Predecessors.

9. Tatwyn.

THe same yeare in which Birhtwald died, succeeded Tat­wyn, otherwise called Cadwyn and Scadwyn, 732 being cons: Iune 10. following. He was borne in Mercia. A man very re­ligious, and no lesse learned. Soon after his consecration there arose a great controuersie betweene him and the Archbishop of Yorke about the Primary. Wherein Tatwyn preuailed, ha­uing [Page 56] trauelled to Rome in person and receiued his Pall there. He sute thrée yeeres, dyed Iuly, 30. 734. and was buried at Canterbery. Unto this mans time Beda (who died the same yeare) deduceth [...]his history, the most ancient that England hath worthy any credite.

10. Nothelmus.

736. HEnry Huntingdon affirmeth one Egbright to haue suc­ceeded Tatwyn: I haue not found him mentioned else­where: and therefore to follow the report of the greater num­ber, I will omit him and passe vnto Nothelm. He was born at London. Q. West. S. Prebyt. Lon. Beda acknowledgeth himselfe much beholding to this man for diuers things which vpon his report he inserted into his Ecclesiasticall story. He receiued his Pall at Rome, anno 736. dyed October 17. 741. and was buried at Can­terbury.

11. Cuthbert or Cudbrict.

742. CVthbert an Englishman of great parentage, being Bi­shop of Hereford, the yeare 742. was translated to Can­terbury. Fiue yeares after, to wit, 747. by the counsell of Bo­niface Bishop of Mentz, he called a conuocation at Cliff beside Rochester, to reforme the manifold enormities wherewith the Church of England at that time was ouergrowne. Our Kinges forsaking the company of their own wiues, in those dayes delighted altogether in harlots, which were for the most part Nunnes. Regis ad exemplum totus componi­tur orbis. The rest of the Nobility therefore following their example, trode also the same trace. The Bishops like­wise, and other of the Clergy that should haue béen a means of reforming these faults in others, were themselues no lesse faulty; spending their times eyther in contentions and brab­bles, or else in luxurie and voluptuousnesse, hauing no care of study, and seldome, or neuer preaching. Whereby it came to passe that the whole land was ouerwhelmed with a most darke and palpable mist of ignorance, and polluted with all kinde of wickednesse and impietie in all sorts of peo­ple. [Page 57] Cuthbert therfore endeuouring (like a good Pastor) by the reformation of these things to turne away the wrath of God which séemed to hang ouer this land, and to threaten those plagues which shortly after fell vpon it when the Danes in­uaded the same: gathered together his Cleargy at the place before mentioned, and there after long consultation, caused certaine Canons to bee decréede which are to bée séene at large elsewhere. Amongest the rest, by one, all the Cleargy were required to read to their parishioners the Lords prayer and the Créede in the English tongue. This man obtained from the Pope a dispensation for making of cemiteries or Churchyards within townes and citties, whereas vntill his time, within the wals none were buried. He also procured Eadbert king of Kent to command, that the bodies of Archbishops deceased héereaf­ter should not be buried at S. Augustines (as héeretofo [...]e) but at Christchurch: And that hee might put his monkes of Christ Church as it were in possession of this priuiledge; he took order his death should bée concealed vntill his funerals were ended. Hee died ann. 758. and was buried according to his owne de­sire in Christchurch, or (as one reporteth) in a little Church néere adioyning, which he had built and dedicated vnto Saint Iohn Baptist; meaning to settle his consistorie there, and to make it a place of buriall for himselfe and his successors. This Church many yéeres after was consumed with fire, together with Christchurch it selfe, and a great part of the monasterie. Christchurch was afterward re-edified by Lanfranke.

12. Bregwyn.

BRegwyn was borne of [...] Noble parentage amongest the Saxons of Germany, 759 whence hée trauelled into England for the [...]ncrease of knowledge, beeing yet very yoong. After the death of Cuthbert, in regard of his modesty, integrity and great learning, choice was made of him as the fittest man to succéed, and so he was consecrated vpon Michaelmas day 759. He tooke euen the like course for his buriall as his predecessor had done. He sate onely 3. yeares. and died Aug. 24.762.

13. Lambert. al. Iainbert.

764THe monks of S. Augustines taking it very hainously to haue the buriall of their Archbishops discontinued from them; began to make their complaint vnto the Pope. Now though Christchurch-men had no great reason to doubt of the Pope, who had confirmed vnto them this priuiledge at the sute of Bregwyn; yet to make the matter the more sure, they determined to elect Lambert Abbot of Saint Augustines for their Archbishop, assuring themselues hée would now bee as earnest a defender of their liberties; as he had héertofore béene an oppugner in the behalfe of S. Augustins. In his time Offa King of Mercia erected a new Archbishopricke at Litch [...]eld, and obtained of the Pope authority for Eadulfus Bishop there to gouerne the Diocesses of Worcester, Legecester, Siduace­ster, Hereford, Helmham and Dunwich. So that Canterbury had left vnto him for his Prouince onely these, London, Win­chester, Rochester, and Sherborne. Some say that Lambert consented vnto this alteration; others report that hée spared no cost to reduce things to their oulde estate. Hee sate manie yéeres, and perceauing his ende to approach, tooke order to bée buried in Saint Augustines, infringing by that meanes the grants and priuiledges of the monks of Christchurch, obtained for the burial of the Archbishops amongst them. He dyed Aug. 12. 790. and was very honourably enterred in the Chap­ter-house of Saint Augustines.

14. Athelard or Edelred.

793 AThelard was first Abbot of Malmesbury, then Bishop of Winchester and lastly consecrated Archbishop: Iuly. 21. 793. A man of great vertue and excellently learned. Offa soone after this being dead, together with his sonne Egfride; Athe­lard made earnest sute vnto Kenulfe the son of Cuthbert, then King of Mercia that he would restore vnto the Sée of Canter­burie, the reuenues and iurisdiction taken from it wrongfully by Offa: Héereunto Kenulfus without much adoe readily as­sented, as also Leo the third then Pope. Unto whom hee tra­uelled [Page 59] in person about that businesse. Hee sate about an eight or nine yéeres, as most report; Malmsbury (to whom I giue credit in that behalfe) saith 13: and dying the yéere 806. was buried in Christ Church to the great discontentment of the monks of S. Augustines.

15. Wlfred.

WLfred béeing a monk [...] of Christchurch in Canterbury was made Archbishop at Rome by Leo the third. 807 And the ninth yéere after his consecration he went to Rome about some businesse of his Church not recorded. He died the yeare 830. and was buried at Canterbury in his owne Church.

16. Theologild.

AFter Wlfred, 832 Theologild or Fleogild sometimes Abbot of Canterbury was Archbishop, for the space of 3. mo­neths, and dying was buried also in Christ church. One na­med Syred succéeded him; but being taken away before he had full possession, is not reckoned amongst the Archbishops.

17. Celnoth.

CElnoth that is said to haue béene Deane of the Church of Canterburie, 832 succéeded Theologild and continued Arch­bishop 38. yeares, died anno 870. as most deliuer. William Malmsbury allotteth vnto him onely 41. moneths. His time was excéeding troublesome by reason of the continuall inuasi­ons of the Danes: yet no memorie remaineth of any action of his in so long space of so memorable a time. He died anno 870. and lieth buried in Christchurch in Canterbury.

18. Athelredus.

AThelredus a great diuine, 871 sometimes a monke of Christ Church in Canterbury, and then Bishop of Winchester, was Archbishop after Celnoth 18. yéeres. In his time all the monasteries of England, were destroyed by the Danes; so as, [Page 60] for the space of 90. yeares after, monkerie ceased throughout the realme; yea in the North parts there was not séen [...] any ei­ [...]ther monke or nunne in two hundred yéeres after, viz. vntill about the middle of the raigne of William Conqueror. Ma­ried priests euery where inhabited monasteries; whence for a long time after with much adoe they were hardly remooued. This Athelredus died anno 889. and (as in a manner all his successours) was buried in his Church of Christ in Can­terburie.

19. Plegmund.

889 PLegmund the most excellent learned man of his time was borne in the kingdome of Mercia. In his youth hée first dedicated himselfe vnto a solitarie life and liued an Her­mite in the Island of Chester, which of him (as it should seeme) was woont to be called Plegmundsham. Hee was ta­ken thence to teach Alfred that was afterward king of Eng­land. Being chosen Archbishop, he trauelled to Rome in per­son, and was there consecrate. Soone after his returne (to requite belike the curtesie hee had found there) hee tooke great paines in collecting the almes of al men well disposed through the land, which the king sent together with much treasure of his owne vnto the Pope by Athelmus Bishop of Winche­ster, appointing a certaine portion of the same to bee conuei­ed vnto Ierusalem. Marianus then Pope, a little before had gratified the King diuers waies: He had granted immunity of tribute vnto the Saxons schoole at Rome, and sent sundry pre­sents vnto him; namely (amongst other things) a péece of wood that was (as hee would make the King beléeue) part of the crosse vpon which our Sauiour suffered death. By this con­tribution his kindnesse was sufficiently requited. The most memorable action of this Archbishop is, that the yéere 905. he consecrated seuen Bishops in one day. By reason of continu­all wars, all the prouince of the West Saxons had béene with­out any Bishop seuen yeares: Which Formosus the Pope im­puting vnto the negligence of the King, sent out an excommu­nication against him. Hee therefore caused Plegmund the Archbishop to call a conuocation, wherein it was ordered, that [Page 61] the country of the Gewisses (which till that time had [...]ut two Bishops, one at Winchester, another at Shirburne) should héereafter haue fiue; viz. besides the Sées be [...]ore named, Wels in Sommersetshire, Criditon in Deuonshire, and Saint Pe­tro [...]ks in Cornwall. Unto Winchester was appointed Frith­stan, to Shirburne Wolstan, to Criditon Cedulfe, and to Saint Petrocks Athelstan. Moreouer at the same time were consecrate with them, Bernegus Bishop of the South Saxons, and Kenulsus Bishop of Dor [...]hester. Plegmund sate Archbi­shop 26. yeares, and dying anno 915. was buried in his owne Church.

20. Athelmu [...].

AThelm that had béene Abbot of Glastoubury and (as before is mentioned) was appointed the first Bishop of Wells, 915 was chosen to succéede Plegmund in Canterburie. William of Malmesbury saith that this Archbishop laide the first foundation of the Abbey of Malmesburie: but it séemeth to be more ancient th [...]n so. Hee sate nine yeares, died anno 924. and was buried with his predecessors.

21. Wlfelmus.

WLfelm succéeded Athelm, 924 first in Wels, and then af­terwards in Canterbury also. He continued there ten yéeres, and died. anno. 934.

22. Odo Seuerus.

ODo was borne in the country of the East Angles. 934 His parents were Danes, of great wealth and nobilitie, but Pagans and vtter enemies of Christ and Christian religi­ [...]n, insomuch as, they disinherited their sonne Odo for kéeping company with Christians. He therfore forsaking his country, betooke himselfe to the seruice of a noble man in the Court of King Edward the older named Ethelelm; who perceiuing in him a great forwardnes & excellency of wit, set him to schoole, where he profited excéedingly. He was not baptised till he was [Page 62] come euen vnto mans estate. Soone after his baptisme, by the Councell of his Lord and Master hee entered into orders and became a Deacon; in which office he continued preaching ve­ry painefully, vntill at last he was made Priest. Some report that he serued in the warres, some while vnder King Edward before he came a Cleargy man; and it is not vnlikely. For af­ter he was Bishop he was thrise in the field, and did his prince notable seruice. He was preferred to the Bishopricke of Wilt­shire (the See whereof was then seated at Ramsbury) by the speciall fauour of King Athelstan the yéere 920. King Athel­stan being dead, Edmund his brother (that succéeded) fauouring him no lesse th [...]n his brother had done; vpon the death of Wlf­helm, procured him to bee chosen Archbishop. A great while Odo refused (because hée was no monke) to take that charge vpon him; saying, that neuer any man had held that place hi­therto but he was a monke. Therein he was deceiued. For Nothelmus and two or thrée other before him were secular priests, and not monks. But he resolute in this errour, & leath to breake the dance, was perswaded first to become a monke of Floriake in France; and that done, accepted of the election. He continued Archbishop 24. yéeres, in great fauour and au­thority vnder diuers Princes, Edmund, Edward, Athelstan, and Eadred. Towards the latter end of his time, Edwyn a yoong Gentleman obtained the Crowne, with whom hée had very ill agreement. He [...] caused him to bee diuorced from his Queenz some say for consanguinity, some alleage other resons. He excommunicated his Concubines, & causing one of them whom the King doted vnreasonably vpon, to bee fetcht out of the Court by violence, burnt her in the forehead with a hote yron, and banished her into Ireland. These things exaspera­ted the King much against him: But hee was taken away by death soone after, and so deliuered from all feare of the Kings displeasure. He was buried on the south side of the high altar, in a tombe built somewhat after the forme of a Pyramis. I take it to be the tombe of touchstone standing in the grate néer the steps that lend vp to S. Thomas Chappell. After his death (which happened the yéere 958.) Elsinus Bishop of Winche­ster (that could neuer breake Odo in his life time) by bribery and corrupt meanes obtained election vnto Canterbury, and [Page 63] comming thither, spurned at his tombe despitefully, vsing these spéeches, now at last (quoth he) thou art dead old dotard, and much against thy will hast left thy place vnto a man woor­thier of it th [...]n thy selfe. Our stories report, that the next night Odo appéered vnto him in his sleepe, threatning a speedy and fearefull vengeance of this insolency. According vnto which prediction it fell out, that trauelling to Rome for his pall, vpon the Alpes he was so oprressed with cold, as hee was con­strained to put his féete wherewith hee had so contumeliously disgraced his deceased predecessor, into the bollies of his hor­ses, & yet at last to die for cold. Brithelm Bishop of Wels was then chosen Archbishop, a vertuous and méeke man, but not very fit for gouernment: In regard whereof, King Edgar in­treated him, and hee easily condiscended, to abide still at his old charge.

23. Dunstan.

WIth the approbation of all men Dunstan Bishop of London was then elected to this Metropoliticall Sée. 961 Of whom I know not how to write, that which is deliuered of him is so infinite. But I will hould my selfe within my de­termined bounds, and send the Reader that is desirous to heare more of him vnto other histories. Hee was borne in Somersetshire of good parentage: his Fathers name was Herstan, and his mothers Kinedcid. He was brought vp for the most part in the Abbey of Glastonbury, where beside o­ther good learning he was also taught to sing, play vpon instru­ments, to paint and carue, in all which he prooued very excel­lent. From thence he went vnto Athelm Archbishop of Can­terbury his vncle, who commended him vnto the King; And he partly for the good parts he saw in him, partly also for that hee was néere of kinne vnto him, made very much of him. So he liued in the Court a while, till for a certaine miracle (as the monks call it, which was then imputed to Coniuration) with much disgrace he was driuen out of the Court. After this he betook himselfe vnto the seruice of Elphege Bishop of Win­chester, another vnkle of his, who perswaded him continually to become a monke. Hee could not heare of that side in [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page 64] any wise, till vpon a time falling dangerously [...]icke, and thin­king his disease a plague sent of God for his backwardnesse in that holy course where to his vncle directed him, in greate hast professed himselfe a monke. This done, and hauing recouered his health, hee went to his first nurse Glastonbury, leading there (in outward shew at least) an excéeding strait life. King Edward hearing great fame of his holinesse, sent for him vnto the Court; where he liued in very diuers reputation, some­times iudged too familiar with faire women, sometimes ac­counted a coniurer, but for the most part admired as a most holy and vertuous man. Under two princes, Edmund and Eldred (with whom he was most gracious) he ruled all things at his pleasure. Edwyn the sonne of king Edmund that succée­ded Eldred, could in no wise brooke him. Some say it was be­cause Dunstan was forward in reprehending the kings vices; as namely, that when the king rising from the feast of his co­ronation [...] went immediately to his chamber, where a certaine beautifull Concubine attended his comming; Dunstan that had gotten some inkling of the businesse hee went about, fol­lowed him boldly, and forced him not onely to leaue that en­terprise for that time, but also to forsweare th [...] company of that woman. But the vndoubted ground of this dislike was this. Dunstan had so bewitched the former kings with the loue of monkery, as they not onely tooke violently from married Priests their liuings to e [...]ect monasteries, but also spent very lauishly of their owne treasures, which they should rather haue imployed in resisting the common enimy both of God and their country the Dane. King Edwyn perceiuing all the wealth of the land to bee crept into monasteries, not onely re­strained to bestow more vpon them, but recalled diuers of these prodigall gifts his predecessours had made; and when the monks refused to render them at his demaund, hée became a very bitter persecutor of them, and their patrons. Dunstane therefore séeing nothing before him at home but daunger and continuall disgrace, got him away into France, and there liued in banishment the space of a yéere. In the meane time King Edwyn by the rebellion of his subiects (at the instigation it is likely of our monks, and their fauourers) was depriued both of his life and kingdome. Edgar that succéeded, warned by [Page 65] his brothers example, was content to eurry fauour with them, and to that purpose restored whatsoeuer was taken from them; and not onely called home Dunstan, but promo­ted him, first vnto the Bishopricke of Worcester, soone after of London, and lastly hauing béene but two yéeres at London, to the Archbishopricke of Canterburie. In that place he con­tinued 27. yéeres, applying all his endeuours to the enriching of monkes and monasteries inhabited by them, persecuting and hunting maried Priests euery where out of their liuing. He died at last May 19. 988. and was long after canonised a Saint.

24. Ethelgar.

AFter Dunstan succéeded Aethelgar sometimes a Monke of Glastonbury; 988 afterward Abbot of the newe abbey of Winchester; then Bishop of Seolsey, and lastly made Arch­bishop of Canterbury 989. He continued in that Sée only one yéere and thrée moneths: Dying then hee was buried in his owne Church. Some say that hée put out Monkes from his Church, and brought in secular Priests in their roomes.

25. Siricius.

SIricius of a monke of Glastonbury was made Abbot of S. Augustine in Canterbury by Dunstan, 989 and by his meanes preferred to the Bishopricke of Winchester (as one saith) but it was of Wiltshire or Wilton, and not Winchester. Ethel­gar being dead, he bacame Archbishop the yéere 989. Hée is blamed much in our histories for perswading to buy peace of the Danes with 10000. pounds. He sate fower yeares, died 993. and was buried at Canterbury.

26. Aluricius alias Alfricus.

ALuricius was also brought vp at Glastonbury, 993 and suc­céeded Siricius first at Wilton in the Bishopricke there, [Page 66] then at Canterbury. He died an. 1006. and was buried first at Abingdon, but was afterward remooued to Canterbury. This man in the catalogue of Malmsbury is omitted.

27. Elphege.

1006 ELphege was borne of great parentage, and spent his yoon­ger yeeres in the monastery of Hirst, where hée first en­tred into religion. After his departure thence he became Prior of Glanstonbury (as Malmsbury saith) which place after a sea­son he left and gaue himselfe to a very straite kinde of life at Bathe, for which he was so much admired (the rather because he was a gentleman of great linnage) as many went about to imitate him, and ioyning themselues to him, made him their gouernour by the name of an Abbot. Hauing liued so a certain space, he was called to the Bishoprick of Winchester the yéere 984. There he continued 12. yéers, & the yeer 1006. was remoo­ued to Canterbury. He was a man of woonderfull abstinence, neuer eating, drinking or sléeping more th [...]n necessitie com­pelled him; spending his time altogether either in praier, stu­dy or other necessary businesse. So that what with preaching and example of holy life he conuerted many vnto Christ. The yeere 1012. it happened the Danes to bee disappointed of cer­taine tribute which they claimed as due vnto them: For want whereof they spoiled and burnt the citty and Church of Can­terbury. The monks and people thereof, men, women and children they tithed; putting nine to the sword, and letting go a tenth onely: So for 804. that were suffered to escape, 7236. went to the pot. As for the Archbishop, they kept him in prison s [...]uen moneths, & at last put him to death at Gréenwitch. The vengeance of God suffered not these cruell hell-hounds to es­cape vnpunished: By sundry kindes of mis [...]ortune they were little and little in a manner all consumed very shortly after. The body of Elphege was first buried in Saint Pauls Church in London, afterward carried to Canterbury, by the comman­dement of King Knute and there enterred. Hee was made a Saint and allowed the 19. day of Aprill for celebration of his memory.

28. Liunig alias Lifwing.

LIunig surnamed Eistan was first Bishop of Wells, 1013 and translated to Canterbury soon after the death of Elphege. His time was very troublesome, by reason of the continual in­uasion o [...] the Danes. Besides many other calamities, he endu­red seuen moneths imprisonment at their hands; from which being deliuered, he departed into voluntary exile, and bewai­led there the misery of his country, vntill such time as King Swanus being dead and Ethelred returning, all troubles were appeased. So it pleased God to suffer him at last to ende his daies in peace the yeare 1020. when hee had béene Archbishop about 7. yeares.

29. Agelnothus alias Aethelnotus.

AGelnothus surnamed The Good, 1020 was the sonne of an Earle called Agelmare, and is said to haue béene Deane of Christchurch in Canterbury, which at that time was repleni­shed for the most part with canons wearing the habite & gar­ments of monkes, but in profession and manner of life diffe­ring much from them. Therefore when as in that same terri­ble tithing of the Danes mentioned in the life of Elphege al the monkes were slaine except onely foure; the canons that were now the greater number, gaue vnto their gouernour the name of Deane. From this place Agelnoth was taken to be Arch­bishop. Malmsbury saith he was sometimes a monke of Gla­stonbury, and therfore procured from king Knute a confirma­tion of the olde priuiledges of that Abbey, the charter whereof he exemplifieth De reg. 1. c. 11. Going to Rome to fetch his pal, he bought (as one reporteth) an arme of that blessed Father S. Augustine Bishop of Hippo for an hundred talents of siluer & a talent of gold, and bestowed it vpon the Church of Couen­try. He sustained great paines and cost in repairing his church and monastery destroyed and burnt by the Danes, and by his good aduise directed king Knute (that fauoured him exceeding­ly) vnto many honourable enterprises. Hee died at last hauing sate Archbishop 17. yéeres and vpward, October 29. an. 1038.

30. Eadsin.

1038 EAdsin was a secular Priest, and first Chapleine vnto King Harold, who preferred him to the Bishopricke of Win­chester. Thence hee was remoued to Canterburie soone af­ter the death of Agelnoth. Hée continued Archbishop almost 12. yéeres: All which time he was so oppressed with sicknesse, as hee could not attend his pastorall charge, but was faine to commit the same to another: and hee made choice of one Si­ward, Abbot of Abingdon, whom he termed sometimes Vica­rium suum, sometimes Chorepiscopum, and somtimes Archi­episcopi vices moderantem. Hee discharged not his duty ac­cording to the trust reposed in him: For hée abused much not onely his authority, but also the goods, yea and person also of the Archbishop that committed the same vnto him. In regard whereof, though Eadsinus besought the King and other about him very earnestly, that hée might succéede him, (not know­ing belike how ill he was vsed so well as they) yet they would not condescend thereunto: but bestowed vpon him the Bi­shopricke of Rochester. Henry Huntingdon saith hee was consecrated Archbishop, and Florent Wig: saith hee died some little space before Eadsin. But they are both mistaken I thinke. As for Edsinus himselfe, certaine it is, he departed this life October 28. 1050. was buried in his owne Church, and after his death made a Saint.

31. Robert, surnamed Gemeticensis.

1050 RObert a Norman succéeded by the fauour of King Ed­ward the Confessor, with whom hée became acquainted, at what time hée was exiled into Normandy. Hee preferred him first vnto London, and then presently after the death of Eadsin vnto Canterbury. This man is saide to haue laid the first foundation of the Normanes conquest in England, perswading y ^e king to make Duke William his heir; wherun­to when the King had condescended, himselfe became the mes­enger of this good tidings vnto the Duke, taking Harold with [Page 69] him; peraduenture to that purpose, that hee might so hamper him with an oath (as indeed hee did) and so barre him from all possibility of the kingdome. This oath Harold afterward broke; but he spedde thereafter, loosing his life and ill-gotten kingdom both together. The Arcbishop now assuring himselfe of the fauour not onely of the King present, but of him also that was to succéede: could not indure that any should beare so great sway as himselfe in Court, and therefore fell to deui­sing how hée might ouerthrow Emma the Kings mother, who onely séemed to ouertop him. He began therefore to beat in [...]to the Kings head (that was a milde and soft-natured Prince) how hard a hand his mother had held vpon him when he liued in Normandy; how likely it was that his brother came to his death by the practise of her and Earle Godwyn; and lastly that she vsed the company of Alwyn Bishop of Winchester, som­what more familiarly th [...]n was for her honour. The King somewhat too rashly crediting these tales without any further examination or debating of the matter, seased vpon all his mothers goods, and committed her to prison in the Nunry of Warwell; vanished Earle Godwyn and his sons; and com­manded Alwyn vpon paine of death not to come forth of the gates of Winchester. The Quéen made the best friends shée could to be called to her answere: But the Archbishop so pos­sessed the king, as other tryall of her innocency might not be allowed th [...]n this. She must walke ouer nine plowshares red hot in the midst of the Cathedrall Church of Winchester. If either she performed not this kind of purgation, or were found any thing at all hurt, she and the Bishop both should bée estéemed guilty: If otherwise, the Archbishop was content to submit himselfe to such punishment as they should haue endu­red. To make short, the Quéene led betwéene two Bishops in open sight of all the people, performed (as all our histories report) this hard kind of purgation, and so acquitted her selfe and Alwyn the Bishop of these crimes obiected. The king then greatly bewailing the wrong done to his mother, asked her forgiuenes vpon his knées, restored both her and the Bi­shop vnto their goods and former places; and lastly (to make some satisfaction for his fault committed) would needes bee whipped by the hands of the Bishops there present, and recei­uing [Page 70] thrée stripes of his mother, was by her cléerely forgiuen, and the wrong promised for euer héereafter to bée forgotten. Emma now and the Bishop to shew themselues thank [...]full vnto God for his miraculous deliuerance, for a perpetuall memoriall of the same, gaue each of them vnto the monastery of S. Swithun nine Mannors, in remembrance of the nine plowshares. This gift of theirs the King confirmed, and gaue moreouer two Manners of his owne; to wit, Meones and Portland. Now to returne vnto the Archbishop; he doub­ting of the successe of this matter, vnder pretence of sicknesse held himselfe at Douer; & assoone as hee heard how the world went, well knowing England would prooue too hot for him, hée got him ouer into his owne Country to the Abbey of Ge­metica where hée was brought vp, and there ouercome (it is like with shame & sorrow) within a short time after ended his daies, and was buried in the Monastery aforesaid, hauing béene Archbishop about the space of two yéer [...] or scarcely so much.

32. Stigand.

1052. STigand was Chaplaine vnto King Edward the Confes­sor, and preferred by him first vnto the Bishopricke of the East Saxons and Helmham 1043. and after vnto Win­chester the yéere 1047. Hée was a man stout and wise e­nough, but very vnlearned (as in a manner all the Bishops were of those times) and vnreasonable couetous. Perceiuing the King highly displeased with Robert the Archbishop, hée thrust himselfe into his roome (not expecting either his death, depriuation or other auoydence) without any performance of vsuall ceremonies. And whether it were that hee mistrusted his title to Canterbury, or inexcusable couetousnesse I can­not tell; certaine it is, that he kept Winchester also together with Canterbury, euen vntill a little before his death hee was forced to forgoe them both. Many times hee was cited vnto Rome about it; but by gifts, delayes and one meanes or o­ther hee droue it off, neuer beeing able to procure his pall thence so long as King Edward liued. William the Conque­rour [Page 71] hauing slaine king Harold in the field, all England yéel­ded presently vnto his obedience, except onely Kentishmen, who following the counsell of Stigand and Egelsin the Abbot of S. Augustines, gathered al their forces together at Swans­combe néere Grauesend, and there attended the comming of the King (who doubted of no such matter) euery man holding a gréene bough in his hand; whereby it came to passe that hee was in the middest of them before he dreamed of any such bu­sinesse toward. Hee was greatly amazed at the first, till hée was giuen to vnderstand by Stigand, there was no hurt meant vnto him, so that hee would graunt vnto that country their ancient liberties, and suffer them to bee gouerned by their former customes and lawes, called then and till this day Gauelkind. These things hee easily yéelded vnto, vpon this armed intercession, and afterward very honourably perfor­med: But hée conceiued so profound a displeasure against Stigand for it as he neuer ceased till hee had reuenged it with the others destruction. A while he gaue him very good counte­nance, calling him Father, meeting him vpon the way when hee vnderstood of his repaire toward him, and affoording him all kind of gracious and fauourable vsage both in wordes and behauiour: but it lasted not long. The first signe of his hidden rancour and hatred toward him was, that hée would not suffer himselfe to bee crowned by him, but made choice of Al­dred Archbishop of Yorke: for which hee alleadged other rea­sons, as that hee had not yet receiued his pall, &c. But the mat­ter was, hee was loth in that action to acknowledge him for Archbishop. Soone after his coronation, hée departed into Normandy carrying with him Stigand and many English nobles, vnder pretence to doe them honour: But in truth hee stoode in doubt least in his absence they should practise some­what against him: And namely Stigand he knew to bee a man of a haughty spirite, subtle, rich, gracious and of great power in his Country. Presently vpon his returne, certaine Cardinalls arriued in England, sent from the Pope as Le­gates to redresse (as they saide) certaine enormities and abu­ses of the English Clergy. Stigand by and by perceiuing him­selfe to bee the marke that was specially shot at, hid himselfe a while in Scotland with Alexander Bishop of Lincolne, and [Page 72] after in the Isle of Ely. At last perceiuing a conuocation to be called at Winchester, he came thither and besought the King in regard of his owne honour, and the promise made vnto him at Swanscombe (which was, not to bee offended with him or any other for their attempt at that time) to saue him from the calamity hee saw growing toward him, which hee could not impute vnto any thing so probably, as his vndeser­ued displeasure. The king answered him with very gentle words, that hee was so farre from endeuouring to take any reuenge of that or any other matter, as hée loued him, and wished hee knew how to protect him from the daunger immi­nent: But that which was to bee done at that time, must bée done by the Popes authority, which hee might not counter­mand. So do what he could, hee was depriued of his liuings by these legates. The causes alleaged against him were these; First, that he had held Canterbury and Winchester both to­gether (which was no very strange thing; for Saint Oswald had long before held Worcester with Yorke, and S. Dunstan Worcester with London.) Secondly, that hee had inuaded the Sée of Canterbury, Robert the Archbishop beeing yet aliue vndepriued; And lastly that he presumed to vse the pall of his predecessor Robert left at Canterbury, and had neuer recei­ued any pall but of Pope Benedict, at what time hee stood ex­communicate for simony and other like crimes. In the same conuocation many other Prelates were depriued of their promotions as Agelmare Bishop of Helmham brother vnto Stigand, diuers Abbots and men of meaner places. All which was done by the procurement of the King, that was desirous to place his countrymen in the roomes of the depriued for the establishment of his new-gotten kingdome. Poore Stigand being thus depriued, as though he had not yet harme enough, was also clapt vp presently in prison within the Castell of Winchester, and very hardly vsed there, beeing scarcely al­lowed meate inough to hold life and soule together. That was thought to bee done to force him to confesse where his treasure lay, whereof being demaunded, hee protested with great oathes he had no mony at all; hoping belike so to procure his liberty the rather, and then to make himselfe merry with that he had laid vp against such a déere yéere. Hée died soone [Page 73] after of sorrow and griefe of minde, or (as some report) of vo­luntary famine, 17. yéeres after he first obtained the Archbi­shopricke. After his death, a little key was found about his necke; the locke whereof being carefully sought out, shewed a nete or direction of infinite treasures hid vnder ground in di­uers places. All that the King pursed in his owne coffers. The bones of this Archbishop lye entoombed at this day vpon the top of the north wall of the Presbytery of the Church of Winchester in a coffin of lead, vpon the north side whereof are written these words, Hic iacet Stigandus Archiepiscopus. He was depriued ann. 1069. and died within the compasse of the same yéere.

33. Lanfrank.

STigand being yet aliue, 1070. W. Con. 5 but depriued as is beforesaid, Lanfrank was consecrate Archbishop. This Lanfrank was borne at Papia in Lumbardie, twenty myles from My [...]laine, being of the house and family of the Beccarij, who deriued their pedegrée from Carus and Numerianus Empe­rours of Rome, as Hier: Hennenges author of Theatrum Ge­nealogicū deliuereth: there, (to wit at Papia) he was brought vp in all good learning, till being come vnto mans state, hée determined to trauell. Through France hee came into Normandy, prouoked by the same, and great reports, hee had heard of Eluin, or Herlewin abbot of Becco. Upon the way thitherward, it was his hap to bee encountred with théeues that spoiled him of all hée had, bound him and threw him into a thicket; where hee might haue perished with cold and hun­ger, had not God sent some extraordinary company that way that loosed him, hauing la [...]en there onely one night. Thence he got him vnto the Monastery of Becco, and for very want and penury, was faine to become a Reader of Logicke there, vntill hee was admitted to the place of a Monke. Soon [...] after that, he was made Prior of Becco; whence in regard of his singular wisdome and great knowledge in all good learning (that those times could affoord) he was called by Duke Wil­liam to be Abbot of S. Stephens in Cane, a monastery that the saide Duke had founded. Now Stigand being displaced in manner aboue rehearsed, the Conquerour well knowing how [Page 74] much it behooued him to the establishment of his new erected throne in England, to haue a man wise and faithfull in that place [...] made a speciall choice of him, as one in all respectes most fitte and worthy; which being well knowne to all men, the Couent at the Kings first nomination readily chose him, the nobility and courtiers willingly assented, and receiued him with great applause, and lastly the Pope affoorded him his pall with extraordinary fauour. It is said, at his first com­ming the Pope rose vp vnto him and mette him, telling him he yeelded him that honour, not of duety, but in regard of his excellent learning, wherof he had heard great fame. Thomas Archbishop of Yorke was present the same time, together with Remigius Bishoppe of Dorchester. This Thomas had béene lately consecrated vnto Yorke by Lanfranke, and for a certaine time refused to make profession of obedience vnto the Sée of Canterbury, euen vntill by the commandement of the King he was enforced thereunto. Now whether it were discontentment and perswasion of a wrong, or else enuy at Lanfrankes eyther vertue or good fortune that moued him, hée presently beganne to make complaint vnto the Pope of a great iniury offered vnto his Sée, in the demaund of his profession. Lanfranke pleaded prescription for his right, and offered to make proofe of the same. The Pope there­fore not willing to trouble himselfe any more with the mat­ter, committed the hearing thereof vnto the king, who in the yéere 1072. iudged it for Canterbury. Sée more of this quarrell in Thomas of Yorke. Lanfranke himselfe was con­secrated very solemnly at Canterbury, all the Bishoppes in England being present themselues, or by their Proctors, August, 29. or (as Hou [...]den deliuereth) on Midsommer day, 1070. Almost 18. yéers he continued Archbishop, gouerning his charge laudably, and happily, till that about the end of his time, one action obscured his former prayses, and fur­thermore was the cause of many great calamities vnto him. It is thought that VVilliam the Conquerour left the Kingdome of England vnto his yonger sonne VVilli­am Rufus, at the perswasion especially of this Archbishop, who the rather wisht well vnto the young Prince, because hee had béene brought vp vnder him in his childhoode. He is [Page 75] blamed much for putting the eldest sonne Robert from that which might seeme in some sort due vnto him; and sure­ly God blessed him not in that action. The King thus aduan­ced by him, fell out with him, and droue him out of the realme. The cause of this displeasure is diuersly reported: But most men agrée it was none other th [...]n this, that the King thought him a little too busie in exhorting him to vertue and godlinesse, and reprehending his manifold vices. Being thus banished, he trauailed to Rome, and wandred vp and down many coun­tries, till at last (by what intercession I finde not) he was suf­fered to come home againe. Soone after his returne, hée fell sick of an ague, & died of the same according to his own desire. For it is remembred he would often wish hée might take his end either by a flux or an ague, for that in those kind of infir­mities men are woont to haue the vse both of spéech and memo­rie to the last cast. He deceased (as most write) Iun. 4. or (as Houeden, Florentius, Wigorn, and other deliuer) May 24. 1089. He was buried at Canterbury in his own Church, vnto which he was a great benefactor. He bestowed much vp­on the fabrike and reparation of the same, built much housing for the Monkes (whose number he encreased from 30. to 140) restored the dignities and offices of olde belonging to the Mo­nastery, and recouered vnto the same 25. Mannor [...] that had been taken from it wrongfully in times past by Odo Bishop of Bayon and Earle of Kent. Moreouer hee built the Archbi­shoppes pa [...]ace at Canterbury in a maner all, he founded two Hospitals without the City of Canterbury, and endowed them with competent reuenues; (S. Iohns and Harbaldown) He bestowed large mony toward the building of the Cathe­drall Church of Rochester, (or rather indéed built it all) gaue a Mannor also vnto it, and did much (the particulars I cannot set downe) for the Abbey of Saint Alb [...]ns. He was a great Student, writ diuers learned works, and (which deserueth especiall remembrance) tooke great paines in reformiug the Bible, the copies whereof were much corrupted throughout England by the negligence of the Writers.

34. Anselm.

1093. W. Rufus. 7FOwer yéeres the Sée continued voide, after the death of Lanfranke, and the King pursed the profites thereof. In what good moode I know not, he which was wont to sell all other Ecclesiasticall promotions as it were by the drumme, bestowed this Archbishopricke fréely, vpon a most worthie man, Anselm Abbot of Becco. This Anselm was horne at Augusta a City of Burgundy standing at the foot of the Alpes. His fathers name was Gundulfe (a man of great account in his Country) and his mothers Hemeberg. He came vnto Bec­co of the like errand as Lanfranke had done, moued thereun­to by the great fame of the said Lanfranke, and professed him­selfe a Monk there in the 27. yéere of his age. Lanfranke being called away to Cane, hee was made Prior, and soone after Abbot; Eluin, or Herlewin, the old Abbot being dead. In that place he continued 15. yéers, & then was earnestly requested by Hugh Earle of Chester lying bery sicke, to come into Eng­land vnto him to conferre with him, and to order certaine af­faires of his. H [...]ther he came and had much honour done him euery where of all sorts of people. The King himselfe amongst the rest, beside many verball fauours, made offer vnto him of the Archbishopricke of Canterbury; verily hoping belike that a man giuen to Monasticall contemplation, & not estéeming worldly pompe, would vndoubtedly haue refused the same: For it is certaine, that after Anselm had accepted the offer, pittying belike the spoil and desolation of the Church for want of a pastor; the King would faine haue retracted his gift, and perswaded him with many reasons to leaue it; shewing him how the burthen and trouble of the place was greater than hée should bée able to endure, a man that had spent his time with­in the wals of a Monastery, and not experienced in managing of great affaires. But he lost his labour: Anselm kept fast his hold, and was soone after consecrated by Walkelin Bishop of Winchester, or (as I finde also recorded) by Thomas Arch­bishop of Yorke, Decemb. 4. 1093. all the Bishops of the land that could possibly come, being present at that solemnity. Pre­sently after his consecration, the king and he fell out. Not long [Page 77] before, the king had throwne downe thirty churches to make his new forrest néere Winchester. This Anselm reprehended him sharpely for, and besought him to amend that and other faults; as namely his simony, his extortion, his cruelty, &c. wherein hée dayly offended God grieuously, and greatly di­shonoured himself. This admonition of his displeased the king very much; but his quarrell in shew was none other then this, that asking leaue to goe to Rome to fetch his pall, he had named Vrban Pope, whom the king as yet had not acknow­ledged for Pope; and for so doing, accused him of no lesse than high treason. After great stirre and much adoe between them about this matter, it was determined that all the abbots and Bishops of England should be called together to iudge of this controuersie. They met at Rochingham Castle; and the mat­ter being proposed by the king, for feare or flattery they all assented vnto him, and forsooke their Archbishop, except one­ly Gundulphus Bishop of Rochester. A while hee endured to liue in continuall feare and disgrace, euen vntill hee was commanded out of the Realme by the king. Being at Douer ready to take ship, all his carriages were searcht, his goodes there and elsewhere soeuer taken from him and folde to the kings vse, his temporalties seased, and himselfe set a land in France in a manner naked. He trauelled presently to Lyons, and was sent for thence by the Pope. At his first comming to Rome, hée had all manner of fauour: But by that time the king with golden eloquence had informed him of the cause, his entertainement began to war colder. He determined ther­fore to haue returned to Lyons, but was stayed by the Pope; whose pleasure while hée was content to awaite a while lon­ger, the Pope dyed. Soone after him, the King died also; being chanceably slaine by the glance of an arrow as hee was hun­ting in that forrest, for the making whereof, Anselm had re­prehēded him. This king was a very vicious prince, conetous in getting, & prodigal in spending, the most sacrilegious symo­nist that euer raigned in England. Reioycing in the gaine he made that way, he would oftē say, Panis Christi panis pinguis. His death as som report was miraculously signified vnto An­selme in France. A paper was put into the hands of one of his Chaplaines no man knew how, in which was found written, [Page 78] Galielmus Rufus occisus est. Within a few dayes after, cer­taine word was brought of the tyrants death, and this no­tice taken as sent from heauen. Henry the first succeeded Wil­liam Rufus in the kingdom, who presently called home An­selme, and restored him to his former place. The first thing he did at his returne, he called a conuocation at London, where­in he depriued many Prelates of great place for their seuerall offences, Guy Abbot of VVindham & Eldwyn of Ramsey for symony; Geffry of Peterburgh, Haymo of Cherwell, and E­gelrie of Middleton for not being in orders; Richard of Ely, & Robert of S. Edmunds, all Abbots, for other enormities. Di­uers canons were agréed vpō in the same conuocation too long to rehearse: Some of them tended to the restraining of Cler­gy men from marriage, which notwithstanding many marri­ed dayly, and many that came for orders refused vtterly to make profession of chastity, as wée may see reported by Girard Archbishop of Yorke in an Epistle written by him vnto An­selm in the end of S. Anselmes Epistles. The falling out also of Anselme with the King (which happened presently after) was a great weakening vnto these Canons. All the time that the Archbishop was absent (which was thrée yéeres) the King had disposed of all Bishoprickes that fell, at his pleasure, gi­uing inuestiture & possession of them, by deliuery of the staffe & the ring. And indéed the Princes in a manner of all Christen­dome, had taken this kinde of authority vnto themselues eue­ry where about this time. Bishops thus appointed, demanded consecration of Anselm, which he vtterly denied vnto them, prosessing withall, that hee would neuer receiue, or repute them for Bishops that were already consecrated by other vp­on such election; alleadging how it was lately forbidden in a Councell held by Pope Vrban the second, that any Clerke should take inuestiture of any spiritual preferment at the hand of any King, Prince or other lay man. The king vpon An­selms refusall, required Gerard Archbishoppe of Yorke, to giue these Bishoppes consecration; whereunto hee readily assented. But VVilliam Gifford nominated to Winchester stoode so in awe of Anselm, as that he durst not accept con­secration at Gerards hands. This incensed the King won­derfully; so as presently hée commanded Giffards goods to [Page 79] bée confiscate, and himselfe banished the Realme. Great adoo now there was about this matter throughout the realm; some defending the Kings right, others taking part with the Archbishop. In the end, the King doubting what might come of it, and being loath to giue occasion of tumult, considering that himselfe was a stranger borne, and that his father by force and much bloudshed, had not many yéeres since obtai­ned the rule of this land: he determined to send an Ambassa­dor to the Pope, together with the Archbishop, so to grow to some reasonable conclusion. The Pope ( Paschalis 2.) would not yéelde one iot vnto the King: insomuch as, when the kings Ambassador William Warelwast (after Bishop of Exce [...]ter) saide hee knew the King would rather loose his crowne then this priuiledge; he answered, yea, let him loose his head also if hee will, while I liue he shall neuer appoint Bishop but I wil resist him what I may. So without doing any good, home­ward they came. But the king vnderstanding before hand how the world went, sent a messenger to forbid Anselm en­trance into the Realme, and presently seised all his goodes mooneable and vnmooueable into his hands. Three yéeres more hée spent in exile, all which time hée liued with Hugh Archbishoppe of Lyons. At last it pleased God to open this passage of his reconciliation to the King. Adela Countesse of Bloys, the Kings sister, fell dangerously sicke in those parts, where it chanced the Archbishop to abide. Hée went to visite her, and yéelded so great comfort vnto her in that time of her distresse, as recouering afterward, she neuer reased importuning her brother, vntill shee had wrought an agreement betweene them, the conditions whereof were these; First, that Anselme should be content to consecrate the Bishops already nominated by the king: And then that the king should renounce all right to such nomination or inuesti­ture for the time to come. These conditions were allowed by the Pope, and the Archbishop restored not onely to his place, but to all his goodes and fruites gathered in the time of his absence. Two yeeres hee liued after this his last returne: in which time he persecuted married Priests very extreamly. Dunstan, Oswald, Ethelwald, and other enemies to the mar­riage [Page 80] of Clergy men, had onely expelled them out of Mona­steries that had wiues: But Anselme vtterly forbidding them marriage, depriued them of their promotions that were married, con [...]iscated their goods vnto the Bishop of the Dio­ces, adiudged them and their wiues adulterers, and forced all that entred into orders to vow chastity. Halfe the Clergy of England at this time were either married men, or the sonnes of married Priests. The king therefore pittying the generali­ty of this calamity, sought to protect them a while from An­selmes seuerity in this point: But he (I meane Anselm) was a little too resolute in all his determinations; in so much as hee might neuer bée perswaded to yéelde one iot in any thing he once intended. So, notwithstanding the Kings inclinati­on to succour so many distressed poore families, the Canons of the Conuocation before mentioned were generally put in execution throughout England. About this time it hapned Gerard Archbishop of Yorke to decease, and a second Thomas to be elected for his successor. What adoo there was betweene him and Anselme about profession of obedience, and how it was ended, see in the history of the said Thomas. To make an end at last with this Archbishop, the yeere 1109. hee fell ex­treamely sicke at Saint Edmundsbury, and thence got him to Canterbury, where hee lay languishing a long time, and at last departed this life, Aprill 21. in the 16. yéere of his go­uernment, and of his age 76. He was first buried at the heade of his predecessor Lanfranke, but remoued after to the east end of his Church of Canterbury (vpon the building and beauti­fying whereof, he had bestowed very much money.) And al­most 400. yeeres after by the procurement of Iohn Moorton one of his successors was canonized a Saint. A man of great learning as his works yet extant testifie, whereof one entitu­led, Cur Deus homo, he writ in the Abbey of Telesin in Ita­ly, while there hee waited the Popes leysure; An other, De processione Spiritûs Sancti, containeth principally the effect of a Sermon preached at the Councell of Barum, in the pre­sence of certaine Grecian Prelates, whose Church hath long dissented from vs in opinion concerning that matter. As for the life and conuersation of Anselm, it was for integrity euen [Page 81] admirable. That he was more peremptory in diuers of his resolutions th [...]n became him, & so hote against Clergy mens marriage, I impute it but to a blinde zeale farre from any malicious intent of dooing wrong. Und [...]dly notwith­standing these imperfections, hée was a good and holy man; and as worthy the honour of a Saint, I dare pronounce, as any that euer was Canonized by the Pope since his time. In fauour of him (to note that by the way) the Pope affoor­ded vnto his Sée this honour, that whereas the Archbishoppe of Canterbury was wont to sit next the Bishoppe of Saint Ruffine in all generall Councels, hereafter his place should be at the Popes right foot, and withall vsed these words, In­cludamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alterius orbis Papam [...] al­luding peraduentur to that of Solinus, where he cals our Bri­taine alterum orbem, an other world.

35. Rodolphus.

THe King well remembring how troublesome the auste­rity of Anselme had béene vnto him, 1114. Hen. 1.15. and knowing it greatly imported him to make choice of some quiet tracta­ble man to succéede in that place; tooke fiue yéeres delibe­ration before hee would appoint any thereunto. April, 26. 1114. hée caused a Councell to bée called of all the chiefe Clergy men, and Nobility of the Realme, referring him­selfe vnto them for the nomination of an Archbishoppe, but declaring that for his owne part hée liked best of one Farecius Abbot of Abingdon. They notwithstanding made choice of Ralfe Bishop of Rochester. This Ralfe or Ro­dolph was a Norman borne, a Monke first of the order of Saint Bennet, and a Disciple of Lanfrank in the Abbey of Cane. Then hee became Abbot of Say; and so continued, vntill that vpon disagréement betweene him and a Noble man of that Country Robert de Belesmo, waxing weary of that Country, he came into England; and hauing no place of abode, trauelled vp and downe from one Monastery to an other, till at last the Archbishop gaue him entertainement for a while, and then preferred him to the Bishopricke of Roche­ster, [Page 82] whereunto hée was consecrate, Aug. 11. 1108. To Can­terbury he was remoued in Iune, 1114. and had his pall ve­ry solemnely deliuered vnto him by Anselm Abbot of Saint Sabine, Ne [...] vnto Saint Anselme by his sister, Iune 27 [...] at Canterbury. In this mans time Thurstan obtained consecration of the Pope vnto the Archbishopricke of Yorke, without making the vsuall profession of obedience, for which there was long time after much adoo. This our Archbishoppe being an aged and sickly man, much troubled with the pal­sie, and lame in his féete, would yet néedes trauell to Rome in person about that matter as some report [...] (Sée the end of that controuersie in Thurstan of Yorke.) William Malms­bury sayth, his chiefe errand was to complaine of iniury done vnto him, by the sending of Legates into England, wheras alwayes it had béene a Priuiledge of the Archbishop of Can­terbury, to bée Legatus natus, and none other to bée admitted into the Realme without speciall licence. This allegation (saith Malmsbury) was prooued before the Pope, and appro­ued by him. Eight yéeres Ralfe continued Archbishoppe, be­hauing himselfe well in the place, but that hée was sometimes way ward, and ouersoone prouoked to anger, an infirmity fol­lowing those that are subiect to his disease, the palsie: other­wise generally hée was a very affable and courteous man, willing to pleasure, and not especially roted with any great vice: Onely some blame him for béeing more delighted with iesting and merry toyes, th [...]n became the grauity of his age and place, in regarde whereof, some haue giuen vnto him the surname (or rather nickename) of Nugax. Thrée yéeres before his decease hée was continually h [...]ld of his palsle, whereof at last hee died, October 20. 1122. and thrée dayes after was buried in the middle of the body of Christ Church in Canterbury, howbeit I sée not any mo­nument or other signe of his Sepulture there at all.

36. William Corbell.

WIlliam Corbell or Corbois, was first a secular Priest, then a Monke of the order of Saint Benet, 1122. Hen. 1.23. and last­ly Prior of Saint Sythes in Chiche. From thence he was taken to bée Archbishoppe of Canterbury, and the Popes Legate vpon Candlemas day, 1122. This man in the yéere 1126. called a Conuocation at Westminster, where Iohn de Crema the Popes Legate inueighed most bitterly against the marriage of Priests, and was the next night taken in bed with a common strumpet; for shame wherof he present­ly got him away, leauing all his businesse at sixe and seauen, neuer taking leaue of any body. In this Synode more Ca­nons were yet made against the marriage of Clergy men; which notwithstanding, the Archbishoppe (that in déede was but a weake man) not able to restraine them of his time from taking wiues; prayed aide of the King, who eyther set them all to a yéerely pension (so many as were married) or els tooke some large summe of present money to beare with them. The yeare 1130. Christchurch in Canterbury (that had lately béen new built by Lanfranke, soone after fell downe (a great parte of it at least) and was by the industry of Eardulfe the Prior, quickly repayred) now I know not by what chance was all burnt and consumed with fire. This Archbishop found means to repaire it againe, and in Rogation wéeke the yéere follow­ing, did dedicate the same wonderfull solemnely in the pre­sence of the King, the Quéene, Dauid king of Scots, & a great number of the nobility of both Realms. K. Henry dying that did prefer him, he was content to betray his daughter Mawde the Empresse, and contrary to his oath to ioine with Stephen Earle of Bloys, whom he crowned with his owne handes; but with such feare and terror of conscience, as it is noted, that the consecrate host fell out of his hand in the middle of Masse, by reason of his trembling and fearefull amazednesse. Soone after he died, viz. the yéere 1136. hauing sate almost 14. yeares, and lyeth buried in his own Church, the particular place I finde not.

37. Theobald.

1138. K. Steph. 4.IN a Conuocation held at London by the commandement of Albert Cardinall Bishop of Hostia the Popes Legate, Theobald was chosen Archbishop by the suffragan Bishops of his owne Prouince, and consecrate in the same Conuoca­tion or Synode by the Legate afore named. He receiued his Pall at Rome of Innocentius the second who also indued him and his successors for euer with the title of Legatus natus. This Theobald was first a Benedictine monks, and then (til he was chosen Archbishop) Abbot of Becco. A man of no great learning but of so gentle & swéet behauiour (being very wise withall) as he was greatly estéemed of high and low, kings, nobles and commons. With the Pope he had often much ado. One Syluester a man infamous for many notorious offen­ces, was presented vnto the Abbotship of Saint Augustines in Canterbury, whom in respect of his knowne vnworthines the Archbishop refused to admit. But the Popes letters came so thicke and thréefolde in fauour of him, that after many de­layes, excuses and allegations against him, at last hee was faine to receiue him. There was at the same time one Ieremy Prior of that Abbey, an olde acquaintance and friend of the Archbishops, whom notwithstanding (vpon some great occa­sion it is like) the Archbishop depriued and remoued from his place. In the behalfe of this man also, the Pope (who ne­uer was wont to faile where hée might be well paide for his paines) began to stickle and to enterpose his authority, resto­ring Ieremy to his place againe, till the cause might bée heard and determined before him. Whereat Theobald, though a milde man of nature, being excéedingly moued, in a great fu­ry vowed hée would neuer exercise any Ecclesiasticall iuris­diction so long as Ieremy helde that roome. He therefore sée­ing the Archbishop so resolute against him, and fearing some great inconuenience, would fal vpon the monastery by means of this businesse, and to procure him the hatred of his owne company, vpon payment of 100. marks, was content to giue ouer his said preferment, & liued a priuate Monke in the same house euer after. In the time of this trouble, S. Barnard writ [Page 85] in his behalfe vnto Pope Innocentir. recommending vnto him both the man and his cause. It is his 111. Epistle. Now in the third yéere of his consecration, it happened a Coun­cell was summoned at Rhemes, whereunto hee was called. Henry therefore Bishoppe of Winchester King Stephens brother (that by vertue of his power Legantyne had often contended with him, and euer opposed himselfe against him in the Popes behalfe) circumuented this good plaine mea­ning man in this sort. He dealt first with the Pope in no wise to dispense with his absence; and then with his brother the King to forbid his passage, and perforce to stay him at home. But such were those times, as it was safer then to offend the King then the Pope; and therefore hee resolued to go, and in no wise to giue the Pope such an aduantage, against whome hée had now twice opposed himselfe already dangerously. Go therefore he would, but all the difficulty was in getting pas­sage. All the ports of England were laide for him; yet so cun­ningly he handled the matter, that ouer the seas hee got, and was at the Councell in good time. The King then following the aduice of his brother the Bishop of Winchester, seased vp­on his goods and temporalities, and banished him the Realm. Hée like a tall fellow interdicted the king and the whole Realme, and taking aduantage of the time which was very troublesome, (notwithstanding the Kings commandement) came home, and liued in Norfolke, till by the intercession of certaine Bishops he was restored. Afterward he grew into great fauour with the King; and was the chiefe meanes of concluding that finall peace at Wallingforde betweene him and Maud the Empresse. In the yéere 1152. hée summoned a conuocation at London, where the King would haue con­strained the Clergy to make Eustace his sonne King, to the disheriting and great iniury of Duke Henry the Empresses sonne. The intent was spied before, and letters procured from the Pope to forbid the Clergy to meddle in any such busines. This notwithstanding, the matter was earnestly followed in behalfe of the young Prince Eustace, insomuch as, when they perceiued it was not effected according to their desire, they shut the doores vpon the Clergy in the place where they were gathered together, and thought by force and threatening to [Page 86] compell them before they should depart. The greater number seemed to yeelde; when Theobald stealing secretly out of the place, tooke his barge, and rowing downe the Thames, gotte him beyond sea, and so by his absence the Synode was dissol­ued. His goodes by and by were once more confiscate, and his temporalties seased into the Kings hands. But in a short time after King Stephen died, and Henry Duke of Normandy, surnamed Fitz-Empresse succéeded, who restored him imme­diately to all his possessions againe. Under him he passed the rest of his dayes quietly in great fauour and estimation. Hée departed this life the yéere 1160. when hée had sate Archbishoppe two and twenty yéeres. Perceyuing his end to approach, hee made his Will, and gaue all his goods vn­to the poore, or other like go [...]d vses. He lieth buried in the south part of Saint Thomas Chappell in a marble Tombe ioyning to the wall.

38. Thomas Becket.

1161. Hen. 2.8.SInce the Conquest neuer any Englishman obtained this Archbishoppericke before Thomas Becket. He was borne in London, his fathers name was Gilbert a Marchant, his mother was a stranger borne in Syria, He was first taught and brought vp during the time of his childhoode by the Prior of Merton, and séeming towardly, was sent to the Uniuersi­ties of Oxford and Paris: Hauing there attained some more learning, and also the knowledge of the French tongue, hée returned, and became an officer in some Court about London; it is saide, he was a Iustice; Stow in his Suruay of London, deliuereth that he was the Sheriffes Clarke: but waxing soon weary of that kind of life, he found meanes to get into the ser­uice of Theobald the Archbishop, who quickly espying his ma­nifold good parts, loued him entirely, and sent him into Italy, at Bononia to study the Canon law, lest there might bee any thing wanting in him requisite in a Common wealths man, for the managing wherof he discerned him thē very fit & likely. Upon his returne thence, it should séeme hee repayred to Ox­ford, where Gul. Worcestrensis saith, he proceeded Doctor of Law. After which, in short time hee was preferred by the [Page 87] Archbishop vnto the Archdeaconry of Canterbury, the Pro­uostship of Beuerley and the parsonages of Bromfield, and S. Mary hill, a Prebend in Paules, and another in the Church of Lincolne. The Archbishop then séeing himselfe sick & weak­ly, which made him altogether vnable to looke throughly into the drifts and deuises of Courtiers (that in all ages séeke to prey vpon the Church, and euer néede some watchfull eye to ouerlooke their practises) commended Thomas Becket vnto the King so effectually, as hée was content first to re­ceiue him into the number of his Chaplaines, then made him Chancellour of England, and loaded him with all kind of spirituall preferment. For Theobald being a wise man, well perceiued Becket to bée first so subtle and discréete, so painefull and industrious, as the King being yet young, he would surely possesse him altogether, and bee able to with­stand any endeuours that might bee preiudiciall vnto the Church; And againe, hee could not doubt either of his faithfulnesse to him, or his stoutnesse in so good a cause, of which both hee had had long experience. In regard hereof, hée imployed all his endeauour, to plant a perfect liking of Thomas Becket in the mind of the King; wherein he prospe­red so well, as in a short time no man was so farre in the Kings bookes as he, nay no man could doe any thing in a ma­ner with the King but he. For the maintaining of this his credite (saith one) he thought it good to relinquish and forsake by little and little all Priestly eyther behauiour or attire, to af­fect the pompe and brauery of the Court, to liue as other Courtiers, to fare daintily, to lie long in bed, to hawke, to hunt, to haue many followers, &c. in so much as some sticked not to say, the Chancellor had forgotten he was an Arch­deacon also, and blamed him for not liuing like a Clergy man. But by this meanes (saith hée) Thomas Becket was euer at the kings elbow, was partaker of all his counsels, & either by notice giuen to the Archbishop, or some deuise of his owne otherwise, could and did stop any courses that might bée preiudiciall to the Church. Hauing continued thus in the office of Chancellor foure or fiue yeeres with the great fa­uour and liking of the King, it hapned Theobald the Arch­bishoppe to die. The king little thinking what a snake he nou­rished [Page 88] in his bosome, determined by him to doo his vtmost endeuour for the aduancement of him (Thomas Becket) vn­to the Archbishoppricke. Being therefore at that time in Normandy, he sent Richard Lucy a counsellor of speciall trust into England with charge to effect these two things; first to procure all the Nobles, and best of the Comminalty to sweare fealty vnto young Prince Henry his sonne, and then to cause the Monkes of Canterbury to elect Thomas his Chancellour Archbishoppe. The first he quickly brought to passe (the rather by the helpe of the Chancellour that was ioyned in Commission with him.) And in the second also hée bestirred himselfe so well, as he caused the whole Conuocati­on of the Clergy (a most authenticall kinde of election) to choose Thomas Becket for their Archbishoppe, no one man gainesaying it, except Gilbert Foliot Bishoppe of London. Hée was consecrate Archbishop vpon Whitsonday (béeing made Priest but iust the day before) by the Bishop of Win­chester, anno 1162. béeing not yet full forty foure yéers of age. Presently after his consecration, hee altered all the whole course of his life, became so grave, so austere, and so deuout in all outward shew, as hée séemed quite another man. Also hee resigned his Chancellorship, certifying the king by letters, (who was then in Normandy) he could not serue the Church and the Court both at once. The King that euer hitherto thought to vse Thomas Becket as a Schoolemaster to instruct and inure his sonne in matters of state aud policy: was now very sorry that he had made him Archbishopp, séeing he threw off all care of temporall gouernment; and considering the hawtinesse of his spirits, sore doubted wherunto this strange dealing would grow at the last. Another thing the king greatly disliked in him was this; that being yet scarsely warme in his seate, he beganne to looke so narrowly into the state of the land belonging to his Sée, and to challenge with such extremity what soeuer might séem to pertaine vnto him, as he prouoked many of all sorts of people against him, who euery where exclaimed with open mouth, and made their complaints thicke and thréefold vnto the king, saying, that hauing some authority and more knowledge in the law; vnder colour of defendiug the rights of his Church she tooke [Page 89] violently from euery man what hee li [...]t. But the maine quar­rell betwixt the king and him was this: The Cleargy of those times bare themselues so bold vpon the priuiledges of the Church (whereby, in crimes neuer so hainous they clay­med to be exempted from the iudgement of temporall Courts) as, daily infinite outrages were committed by Cleargy men, murthers, robberies, rapes, &c. which temporall Iudges might not meddle withall; and in the spirituall Courts they were either not punished, or for the most part very lightly. For the amendment and preuention of this inconuenience in time to come, the king intended to publish a certaine declara­tion of the customes of England set downe long since by king Henry the first his gandfather, wherein this intollerable and licentious liberty of the Cle [...]rgy was somewhat restrai­ned. And that it might not bee spurned at by any (the Arch­bishop especially he doubted) hée deuised to send this declara­tion [...]nto the Pope, and to craue his allowance of the same. But the Archbishop hauing some inkling of the kings intent before hand, had so dealt with the Pope, as it was no sooner séene but it was straight reiected. Heerewith the king was so incensed, as after that time he bent himselfe altogether to the diminishing and breaking of all immunities and liberties of the Church. And the Archbishop was so farre from séeking to pacifie the kings displeasure [...] as daily hee prouoked him more and more. The particularities thereof to passe ouer, the king thought good to try whether hée could put in execu [...]ion the contents of the aforesaid declaration euen in despite of the Archbishop or no. He offered the same vnto all the Cleargy gathered together in a synode; who as if they had learned all one less [...]n, told the king seuerally in the same wor [...]ds, that they were content to allow it saluo ordine suo, so farre foorth as they might without preiudice of their owne coat and cal­ling: Onely one man Hilary Bishop of Chichester was con­tent to yéelde vnto it simpliciter and without condition, but was so baited and reuiled for his labour, as it is like hee often repented it. Yet so the matter was handled not long after, as first diuers other Bishops were content to yéelde vnto the king in this demaund, and at last euen the Archbishop him­selfe with all his followers. So at a time appointed they met [Page 90] at Clarindon, and there sware vnto the obseruation of the ar­ticles comprised in that declaration. This notwithstanding, soone after againe they disliking that they had done, got the Pope to assoile them of this oath. The Archbishop then, the chiefe procurer of this absolution, well assuring himselfe hée had so offended the king, as there was no abiding for him here, tooke shippe at Rumney, intending to auoid the realme, but missed of his purpose [...] for he was forced by a contrary wind to returne to land againe. Presently vpon this arriuall hee was apprehended and carried prisoner to Northampton (where the King then held a Councel) and was there accused of extortion, periury, treason, forgery, and many other crimes. His owne suffragan Bishops, though hee had appealed vnto the Pope, gaue sentence against him, and warranted the king they would make proofe of these accusations vnto the Pope. The next night after his condemnation, hee scaped away and once more hasted vnto the sea, committed himselfe very despe­rately vnto a little bad rotten fisher boat, and, accompanied on­ly with thrée seruitors, crossed the sea, and got into the low Countries, and thence posted to the Pope at Senon, who pla­ced him in the monastery of Pontiniar. While he there rested himselfe, he thundred out excommunications apace against all such as did obserue the articles contained in the declaration set foorth at Clarindon, whereunto himselfe had once sworn. The King as fast be stird himselfe in seasing all the goods and tem­poralties of the Archbishop into his hand. He sent also ambas­sadors vnto the Earle of Flanders, the French King and the Pope, praying them in no wise to foster or suffer him in their dominions; requesting moreouer of the Pope, that hee would confirme and allow of the declaration published at Clarindon. The Pope made an answere (though friuolous) saying his would consider of the matter. But the French K. (with whom the King of England had amity and a league of friendship at that time) hée thinking that this disagréement betwéene him and the Archbishop would bréed some stir in England, present­ly fell to inuading the King of Englands dominions and tooke by assault certaine holds of his in Normandy. The Archbishop also about the same time sent out particular excommunicati­ons against all the suffragan Bishops of his Prouince. The [Page 91] King mightily offended with this excéeding boldnesse of the Archbishop, whereunto he well knew hee was hartned and animated by the Pope and the French King: be thought him­selfe how by all meanes possible hée might vexe and gréeue him; First, because he knew he delighted much in the mona­stery of Pontiniac (which was an Abbey of Cistercian monkes) he signified to all the monkes of that order in his do­minions, that he would banish them euery one, if they would not procure the Archbishop to be thrust out of that monastery; which for feare of so great calamity to so many men was effe­cted. Then he also droue out of the realme, all his kinsfolks, friends and professed welwillers of whom he suspected him to be any way aided or comforted. Alexander the Pope, Thomas Beckets surest card, was ferited in much like sort the same time by Friderike Barbarossa the Emperor. The King there­fore by the counsell of Gilbert Bishop of London determined to fayne in league with the Emperor, (if possibly hee might) that was a professed enemie both to the French King and the Pope. To his purpose hée sent two ambassadors vnto him, perswading him to deale with the Cardinals ( Lucius the An­tip [...]pe being then lately dead) to set vp another in his roome, to whom he promised al his dominions should yéeld obedience. The Pope hauing notice of this practise, began presently to quaile, sent the King word he would order all things betwéene the Archbishop and him, to his owne liking, & that out of hand. Now it had happened a little before, that the Pope had gran­ted vnto the Archbishop a very large licence of excommunica­ting whom he list in England; the King, the Quéene, and a ve­ry few other excepted. This authority he abused very intem­perately at that time when these matters were thus in ham­mering betwéene the Pope and the King; insomuch as he had marred all if the Pope had not spéedily yéelded a reason thereof to the King. By this time the French king (the Popes onely Protector against the Emperour) began to spy that hee was much more cold in the defence of the Archbishop th [...]n hee had béene, and reprehended him sharply for it. The Pope therfore not knowing which way to turne himselfe; for the satifying of both those Potentates, (neither of which he could safely offend as things stood) he determined first to labour a reconciliation [Page 62] betwéene them, and thou to make the French King a media­tor for the Archbishop. This he effected, and brought the two kings together at Paris. Thither also came Thomas Becket: And sute beeing made vnto the king in his behalfe, that hée might returne, bee restored to his goods and reuenues arising in the time of his absence, & lastly (vpon his humble submissi­on) to the kings fauour; The king answered, that for the rest he was contented; but (saith he) the profits of his Archbi­shopricke since his banishment I cannot allow him, for that I haue already giuen them to others: Mary recompence I will make him for them to the liking either of the French king, or the Senate of Paris, or else of the students of the Uniuersity. Presently the Archbishop was called for, who falling downe vpon his knées, vsed these words, My Lord and Soueraign, I do hée [...]re commit vnto your owne iudgement the cause and Controuersie betwéene vs, so far foorth as I may, sauing the honor of Almighty God. The king much offended with that last exception (Saluo honore Dei) turned him about vnto the French king, and telling him how much hee had done for the Archbishop, and how he had vsed him, I am (quoth be at last) so well acquainted with the tricks of this fellow, that I can­not hope for any good dealing at his hands. Sée you not how he goeth about to delude me with this clause (sauing the honor of God?) For whatsoeuer shall displease him, hee will by and by alleadge to be preiudiciall to the honour of almighty God. But this I will say vnto you, whereas there haue béene kings of England many before me, wherof some were perad [...]enture of greater power than I, the most part farre lesse; and againe many Archbishops before this man holy and notable men: Look what duety was euer performed by the greatest Archbishop that ouer was to the weakest and simplest of my predecessors, let him yéeld me but that and it shall aboundantly content me. Héereunto the Archbishop answered cunningly and stoutly e­nough, that the times were altered, his predecessors which could not bring all things to passe at the first dash, were con­tent to beare with many things, and that as men they fell and omitted their duety oftentimes; that which the Church had gotten, was by the constancy of good Prelates, whose example he would follow thus farre foorth, as, though he could not aug­ment [Page 93] the priuiledges of the Church in his time, yet he would neuer consent they should be diminished. This answere being heard, all men cried shame vpon him, and generally imputed the fault of these stirs vnto him. But this was the issue for that time, that they parted without reconciliation. The king doubting what might come of these broiles, caused his sonne Henry (that died soone after) to be crowned King in his owne lifetime, so to assure him of the succession. Afterwards com­ming into France againe, they were vpon the point of recon­ciliation, when the casting out of some such worde or another as before, marred all. At length the King and he were made friends; but his full restitution referred till hee had behaued himselfe quietly a while at Canterbury, which hée promised to do. But hee, was so farre from perfourming that promise, as hee sent into England before him diuers excommunicati­ons which the Pope had granted out long before, and com­mitted to his discretion. Amongst other, the Archbishop of Yorke, the Bishop of London and Salisbury were named in them, together with so many as had béene doers in the coro­nation of the yoong king, which the Archbishop saide might not bee performed of any but by his appointment. The men thus strucken with this holy fire, hasted them ouer into Nor­mandy to make their complaint vnto the King; who infi­nitely gréeued at this kinde of dealing, cursed the time that euer hee made him Archbishop, or restored him to his place againe, adding, it was his chance euer to doe for vnthanke­full men, otherwise some or other would longere this haue made this proud Priest an example to all such troublesome perturbers of his realme and state. It happened amongest other, fower knights to be present at this spéech of the Kings; who gathered thereby, they should doe a déed very acceptable vnto him if they killed the Archbishop. Their names were Reynald Fitz-Vrse, Hugh de Mortuill, William de Tracy, and Richard Briton. In this meane time the Archbishop was come to Canterbury, and was receiued there with great ioy. Thence he went to London, and so to Woodstocke, where the yoong King then lay. But before hée could get to the Kings presence, word was brought him, the kings pleasure was hée should first go to Canterbury, and reuoke those excommuni­cations [Page 94] before hee the king would talke with him. So hée re­turned againe to Canterbury without séeing the King at all. Soone after his returne thither, the fowre Knights before mentioned arriued at Canterbury, to wit, vpon Innocents day. They comming vnto the Archbishop, told him the kings pleasure was, he should goe to his sonne and reuerently make offer of doing homage and fealty vnto him, for the Barony of his Archbishopricke; secondly, that hee should cause all the strangers he brought into the realme with him to be sworn to his obedience; and thirdly, that he should retreat those excom­munications which he had caused to be denounced against such as were the instruments of the yoong kings coronation. To those demands hee a [...]swered, that neither the King nor any other mortall man should extort from him, or any of his by his consent, any vniust or vnreasonable oath. And as for the Bishops and other excommunicate concerning the Corona­tion, it was indéede (quoth he) a thing done in my behalfe and for an iniury offered to my Church: But it was the act of the Pope. If therefore they will sweare they shall bee ready to make mee amends at the Popes discretion, I will absolue them; otherwise not. And whatsoeuer you say, it was the kings pleasure, I should take my best course for the redresse of this abuse by ecclesiasticall authority. Many other wordes passed betwéene them the same time, they breathing out terrible threats, and hee continuing still the same man with­out yéelding one iote. At last the knights departed, giuing the monkes charge in the kings name, to sée the Archbishop foorth comming, and not to suffer him to escape away. At euening praier time the same day, they came suddenly into the Church, with their swords drawne, crying, Wheres the Traytor, Wheres the Traytor? The Archbishop who was then going vp the stepps toward the quire, hearing the noyse, turned backe vnto them, and euery one of the fower striking mainely at him, vpon the third or fourth greice of those steps was slaine. His body these knights had determined to haue cast into the sea, or else to haue hewen into a thousand pieces: but the Prior and the monkes doubting some such thing, bu­ried it immediately in the vndercraft, whence shortly it was taken vp and laid in a most sumptuous shrine in the East end [Page 95] of the Church. The Pope hearing of this massacre, excommu­nicated immediatly all that were either authors or consenters to the same. The king was faine to purge himselfe by oath, and yet could not be absolued before hee had done certaine strange penance; as first, that he should pray deuoutly at the tombe of this new Martyr; that he should be whipt in the chapter house, receiuing of euery monke one lash; that hee should maintaine 200. souldiers for the space of one yéere of Ierusalem; and lastly, reuoke the declaration published at Clarindon, that originally gaue the occasion of this murther. All this (such were these times) the king was faine to performe.

39. Richard.

IN the moneth of February, 1171 Hen. 2.18. following the death of Thomas Becket (which was December 28. 1170.) one Robert Abbot of Becco was chosen Archbishop. But hee liking bet­ter a quiet life, chose rather to sit still where hee was, th [...]n to aduenture himselfe in a place subiect to the blasts of such terrible tempests as Thomas Becket was tossed withall. The king then dealt earnestly with the Couent of Canterbury to choose some mild [...] and soft-spirited man, to preuent such broyles as had béene raised by the last Archbishop. They fol­lowed his direction, and elected one Richard, a Benedic­tine Monke Prior of the Monastery of Saint Martins in Douer, who was presently allowed of the king and the Pope, and soone after consecrate. He was a man very liberall, gen­tle and passing wise. So he handled the matter, that in all his time he neuer was out, either with the Pope or the king. The Pope he entertained with often gifts and money; the Kings fauour hee retained by yéelding and conforming himselfe to his pleasure. This man continued Archbishop about the space of to [...]ne or eleuen yéeres. In all which time, there happened not any thing concerning him woorthy memory; except perad­uenture the stirre betwéene him and the Archbishop of Yorke Roger. The olde quarrell chaunced to bee renued betwéene these two Archbishops concerning the Primacy; and one Hugocio the Popes Legate comming into England, both of them requested him to heare and iudge this controuersie be­twéene [Page 96] them. Upon this and other occasions, a Conuocation was summoned at Westminster, where was a stately throne prouided for the Legate. At y ^e tune appointed the Legate came and took his place, and the Archbishop of Canterbury sate him downe next vnto the Legate vpon the right hand. After this in came Roger Archbishop of Yorke and would néedes haue dis­placed Canterbury to fit aboue him: that, when the other would not suffer, he sate downe in his lap. The other Bishops present amazed at this strange behauiour of the Archbishop of Yorke, cried out all vpon him, the Archbishop of Canterburies men by violence drew the other out of his ill chosen place, threw him down, tare his robes almost from his backe, trode vpon him, beat him, and vsed him so despitefully, as the Legat, whether for shame or for doubt what might happen to himself in such a tumult, got him out and went his way. The Arch­bishop of Yorke all ragged as he was, bloudy and dusty went to the King; who first was exceeding angry, but when he heard the truth, laughed merrily at it and said hee was well enough serued. Much adoo there was long after at Rome about this & the old controuersie; the end whereof at last was, that much mony was spent and neither party euer a whit the néerer. The end of this man is thus reported, how that beeing a sléepe at his mannor of Wrotham, there séemed to come vnto him a certaine terrible personage demanding of him who he was? whereunto when for feare the Archbishop answered nothing, Thou art he (quoth the other) that hast destroyed the goods of the Church, and I will destroy thée from off the earth: This hauing said, hee vanished away. In the morning betime the Archbishop got him vp, and taking his iourney toward Ro­chester, related this fearefull vision vnto a friend of his by the way. He had no sooner told the tale, but he was taken soden­ly with a great cold & stifnesse in his limmes, so that they had much adoo to get him so farre as Halling a house belonging to the Bishop of Rochester. There he took his bed and being hor­ribly tormented with the cholike and other gréefes vntill the next day, the night fellowing the 16. of February hee gaue vp the Ghost. anno. 1183. His body was carried to Canterbury, and honourably in [...]erred in the Lady Chappell.

40. Baldwin.

AFter the death of Richard the Archbishop, 1184 Hen. 2.31. a controuer­sie gr [...]w betwéen the Couent of Christs Church in Can­terburie, and the Suffragan Bishops of the Prouince of Can­terbury, who of right ought to choose the Archbishop. For it had béen [...] often done by both, as (in that which I haue before deliuered) you may perceiue. The King destrous to haue some honest quiet man, dealt [...]rst with the Couent; praying them to make choice of such a one as he might haue cause to like, and after made the same request vnto the Bishops. The Monkes (though mooued thereto) would in no wise ioyne with the Bi­shops, but perceiuing the Bishops began indéede to set foot in­to the matter, appealed to Rome. Much adoo there was there about it the space of nine moneths. At last the Bishops got a mandate wherein the Monkes and they were commaunded to ioyne together. The day of election was appointed; but the Monkes for curst heart would not come vnto it. So the Bishops procéeded, and make choice of Baldwin Bishop of Worcester. This election the monkes laboured mightily to disanul; professing, that they liked the man elect very well, but they must not indure such a president. The king therefore (who fauoured Baldwin excéedingly) wrought so with the one party and the other, as the Monkes were content to elect him, vpon condition he would renounce all benefit of his for­mer election, and the Bishops themselues would confesse the same to be void and of no effect. All this was done, and he re­ceiued into quiet and peaceable possession of this Metropoliti­call sée. This Baldwin being a poore mans sonne, and borne in Excester; was first a schoolemaster, then entred into orders; and was preferred to an Archdeaconry, which promotion hee voluntarily resigned, and intending to forsake the worlde, be­came a Cistercian or white Monke. Heuing liued in the space of one whole yeare, hée was made Abbot of Ford in Deuon­shire. From thence he was called to the Bishopricke of Wor­cester, consecrate thereunto the yéere 1181. translated to Canterbury in the end of the yéere 1184. and solemnely in­stalled there May 19. 1185. béeing the first white Monk that [Page 98] euer was Archbishop. Giraldus Cambr. describeth the person of the man in this sort. He was of complexion somwhat swar­thy, his countenance simple and like a plaine meaning man; but very comely, his stature indifferent, well made of bodie, but slender timbred. For his maners, hee was modest and so­ber, of such abstinence, as same durst neuer stamp any sinister report vpon him, of few words, flow to anger, and very stu­dious from his very childhood. The onely fault he findeth with him is, that he was too remisse and gentle in his gouernment, saying that he was Monachus melior quam Abbas, Episcopus & Archiepiscopus: for which cause the Pope in a certain letter grée­ted him thus: Vrbanus seruus seruorum Dei, Monacho seruentis­simo, Abbati calido, Episcopo repido, Archiepiscopo remisso, salutem, &c. It is a wonder that a man of this temper and disposition should be so much troubled as hee was: With the King hée al­waies agréed very well: But betwéene the Monkes of Can­terbury and him there was much and continuall debate. The occasion thereof was this. The King greatly misliking the in­solency of the Monkes, thought to wrest from them the pre­heminence of choosing the Archbishop in time to come by this deuice. Hee gaue direction vnto Baldwyn their Archbi­shop, to beginne the foundation of a Colledge at Macking­ton now called Saint Stephens, béeing distant from Can­terbury about halfe a mile. This Colledge it was deuis [...]d should haue one prebend erected by the King, and by euery seuerall Bishop of the Prouince of Canterbury one other, which should euer bee of the gift and Patronage of their foun­ders. As for the Archbishop, the building of the Church and other edifices was appointed vnto him for his share, which he intended to performe with great magnificence. The ende of this foundation was none other th [...]n this, that it might bée a meane of traducing the right of election of the Archbishop, (a matter greatly importing the King and the whole Realme) from the monkes (men of little learning, lesse discretion, and smallest experience in matters of gouernment, yet very [...]bsti­nate and altogether wedded to their owne wils) to other men, in whom the King and the rest of the Bishops (as being their patrones) might challenge an interest. For the better execution of this plot, it was ordained, that this Colledge [Page 99] should bée dedicated vnto Saint Thomas; who was now growen so famous throughout the world, as euery man thought himselfe happy that could do any thing to his honor. In regard héereof they made no doubt, but the Pope would soone be intreated to take from Christ (vnto whose name the monastery of Canterbury was consecrate) all priuiledge of election, and to confer the same with many other vpon Saint Thomas that famous martyr. The matter was now veri [...] forward and growen to good perfection; in so much as, the foundations were digged, stone, timber, and other prouision laide ready in place for the building, when as the subtile monkes suspecting whereunto this great forwardnesse of the King and Bishops tended, made their complaint at Rome. That notwithstanding, on went the worke: The Church part­ly built was solemnly consecrate, and diuers secular Priests (such Saint Thomas himselfe was) instituted and installed into their prebends; when the monks that neuer linne laying on load by requests, gifts & al manner of importunate sute to disturbe this platforme, procured the Pope to set downe an order, that this corporation should be dissolued, the buildings thereof rased and made euen to the ground. Such were the times, the Popes pleasure was an ineuitable necessity; it must be, and was performed. It happened then soone after that Vr­ban the Pope died, who was a great protector of the monkes cause, Gregory the sight succéeded, a man with whom Bald­wyn might do very much. He determined therefore once more to set on foot his former deuise, but in another place. Hée pro­cured of the Bishop and Couent of Rochester, for exchange of other land, a certaine quantity of ground at Lambhith; where the Archbishops pa [...]ace and house of chéefe res [...]dance is now situate. Thither he caused to be brought by water all the pro­uision of stones, timber, &c. that was intended to the building of the Colledge at Hackington, and began the foundation of a goodly Church there, which hee liued not to finish. King Ri­chard the first to expiate the fault of his rebellion and disobedi­ence vnto his father, determined to carry a great power into the holy land. Baldwyn would néeds attend him thither, and did so. By preaching, counsell, liberall almes, and continuall example of a most vertuous life, he did great good there, vntill [Page 100] at last in the slege of the city of Acon beeing taken with a [...]rée­uous sicknesse he died, when he had béene Archbishop euen al­most seuen yeeres, and was buried there. Hée gaue all his goods vnto the soldiers to be diuided amongst them at the dis­cretion of Hubert the Bishop of Salisbury, that soone after suc­ceeded him.

41. Reginald Fitz-loceline.

1191 Ric. 1.3.PResently after the death of Baldwyn, the King dispatched a messenger from Acon with letters, wherin hée earnestly prayed the monkes to make election of some such man to succeed [...] as hée might haue cause to like. And the rather to bring the same to passe, hée wrote vnto the Archbishop of Roan, who (the Bishop of Ely béeing then newly displa­ced) gouerned the Realme in his absence, to cause all the Bishops of the Prouince of Canterbury to méete at Canter­bury, and to take the best course they might for the placing of some fit man in that Sée. The monkes (who were excéeding ioyfull to heare of the Archbishops death) casting many doubts by reason of this m [...]eting, proceeded first vnto their e­lection, and chose Reginald Bishop of Bathe (that was sonne to Ioceline sometimes Bishop of Salisbury) but concealed it till the Bishops were come together; at what time in the pre­sence of them all they published their election, and withal laied hands vpon Reginald there present, drew him vnto the Archi­episcopall throne, and violently placed him in the same. Albeit at that time hée withstood them what he might, and with tears vnfainedly besought them to make choice of some other [...] yet being asked the next day by the Archbishop of Ro [...]n, whether hee assented vnto the election, he answered, that so far hée was from ambitious desire of that place, as it was a great griefe vnto him to bée chosen, and that he would bee very glad they would take some other in his roome: Howbeit (quoth hee) if they will néeds stand to their election, though with gréefe and hearts sorrow, I must and will accept of the same. Messen­gers were by and by dispatched vnto the Pope, who present­ly affoorded the pall and other vsuall ceremonies vnto this new elect. But before newes could be brought of his confir­mation, [Page 101] or hee take possession of his new honor, he died at his house of Dogmersfield in Hamshire vpon Christmas day, fif­téene daies after his confirmation, and after his election nine and fortie. He was buried at Bath. Sée more of him in Bath and Wels.

42. Hubert walter.

KIng Richard the first, 1193. Ric. 1.5. surnamed Coeur de Lyon; béeing taken prisoner in his returne from the holy land, by Leo­pold Archduke of Austrich, at what time the Sée of Canter­bury was yet void; well knowing how notable a stay a good Archbishoppe might bée vnto the whole realme in his ab­sence; and hauing experience of the great wisedome and other manif [...]ld vertues of Hubert Bishop of Salisbury that had attended him in all that long and dangerous voyage; hee vsed what meanes he might possibly to procure him to bee transla­ted thither. This Hubert was borne at a place called West Derham in Norfolke, and brought vp vnder Raynulph de Glandfeld chiefe Iustice of England. The first preferment he obtained was the Deanry of Yorke; thence he was called in the first yéere of king Richard vnto the Bishopricke of Sa­lisbury, by the meanes of Baldwyn the Archbishop, who loued him intirely in his life time, and at his death trusted him with the disposition of all his goods. Being yet Deane of Yorke [...] hée bought certaine land of Geoffry Fitz-Geoffry in West Der­ham where he was borne, and founded a monastery in the same for his owne soules health (so himselfe speaketh in his foundation) as also for the soules of his father, mother, Ray­nulph de Glanfeld, and Berta his wife who brought him vp. The manner of his election vnto Canterbury was this. The the king writ earnestly to the Couent to choose some wise, qui­et, & moderate man, but refrained to name any, in regard of the former repulses taken by him and his father. But his minde and particular desire could not bee vnknowne vnto them. Hée signified vnto Elianor his mother, to the Archbishop of Roane and other, what course he wished to bee taken: a [...]d so wisely they handled th [...] matter, as before any man looked for it, the monkes (who well saw [...]ow greatly it imported the realme [Page 102] in that dangerous time to haue some woorthy prelate in that place) had elected him, and published suddenly their election at Pauls Crosse, to the great contentment of the Queene and Councell, and no lesse ioy of all other sorts and states of peo­ple. While his pall was retching at Rome, considering how odions Baldwyn had beene to his Monkes of Canterbury, for not beeing a Monke as themselues were and in a manner all his predecessors had beene; hee went to Merton and there prof [...]ssed himselfe a Monke, in like manner as Reginald the last Archbishop had done. Then hee began to bestirre him in leuying of money for the kings ransome. So discreetelie hee wrought, as the Clear [...]y and commonalty of the whole realm did very willingly yeelde a quarter of all their reuenues for one yeere, which (together with the plate and ornaments of Churches that were faine to be sold in this extremity) amoun­ted vnto 150000. marks, the summe required by the Empe­rour. The King returning, made him presently Lord Chaun­celour, chiefe Iustice of England, and high gouernour of all his dominions immediately vnder him. So that being alrea­dy Archbishop and the Popes Legate, he wanted no authority that was possible to be laid vpon him. Neuer was there any Cleargy man either before or after him of so great power, ne­uer any man vsed his authority more moderately. Yet he was much blamed (and peraduenture not vnworthily) and no lesse enuied for taking so many offices vpon him. It is remembred that a noble man said vnto him in scorne, at what time he was made Chancellor, I haue heard of many Chauncellors mad [...] Bishops; but of an Archbishop that would vouchsafe to stoupe to the Chauncellorship, till now I neuer heard of any. With­in two yéeres after his first promotion to these high places, the better to excuse his ambition, hee made a dissembling and counterfeit shew of being desirous to leaue his temporall of­fices, in so much as, hée dealt effectually with the King by let­ters to giue him leaue to resigne them, saying, that the charge of his Church was worke enough for one man, where­unto onely hee would héereafter gladly dedicate himselfe. This hée did, assuring himselfe in his owne conceit, that the King had no man about him so likely to manage those af­faires as himselfe, and not beeing able to want him, would [Page 103] intreate him to retaine them still. It fell out otherwise th [...]n he expected: For though at first the king séemed and perad­uenture was vnwilling to yéelde to this his request; yet hee found it so reasonable in the end, as hée could not any longer deny the same. Heere now this Archbishop manifestly be­wrayed his insatiable desire of rule and gouernment: Being thus taken tardy in his owne snar [...]; as though his minde and determination were suddenly altered, hée signified vnto the king by letters, that notwithstanding his great desire of beta­king himselfe onely to spirituall matters, and the manifolde infirmities of his age; hée would bée content to affoord his la­bour and diligence in his other offices yet a while longer, if therein he might doe him any pro [...]table seruice. And that the King should not thinke it possible to prouide himselfe elswhere of better officers, hee certified him withall, that in these two yéeres since his preferment, hee had gathered for his vse 1100000. markes which hee was ready to pay into his c [...]fers; augmenting (it is like) the summe, and adding therto out of his owne purse, that so hee might in cleanly sort buy againe those honourable and gainefull offices, which his subtle dis­simulation had almost lost him. Setting this fault aside whereunto the greatest wits are most subiect (I meane am­bition hée was an excellent and memorable man, a bridle (saith one) vnto the king, and an obstacle of tyranny, the peace and comfort of the people, and lastly a notable refuge of al both high and low against all manner of iniury and oppression. Faithfull and loyall he was vnto his Prince, louing and ve­ry carefull of his Countrey; in which he caused many excellent lawes to bee established; Hée it was that first deuised our as­sise of bread, our waights and measures of wine, oyle, corne, &c. Uery valiant he was also, and performed many great ser­uices in the warres, the report whereof I leaue vnto the Chronicles. His house keeping they say was such, as the ex­pence thereof was thought to bee nothing inferiour vnto the Kings: And yet he performed many great workes of inesti­mable charge. Beside the monastery of Derham before menti­oned, hee also founded another for Cis [...]ercian Monkes at Wulferhampton, but liued not to finish the same; hee compas­sed the Tower of London with a strong wall and a deepe [Page 104] moate, so as the water inclosed the same quite round, which before that time could neuer be brought to passe; he encreased the reuenues of his Sée very much, adorned it with many sumptuous and stately buildings, and procured diuers nota­ble priuiledges vnto the same, called in olde English, Geld, Dangeld, Hidage, Warpon, Bloodwhite, Childwhite, Uille­nage, &c. Lastly it is remembred that he gaue vnto his Church of Canterbury, to repayre the bookes and library of the same, the church of Halegast. Now notwithstanding his great pow­er and riches; with the monkes of Canterbury he had as much to doo as other of his predecessours. By intreaty and faire meanes he indeuoured to procure their consent for the [...]nish­ing of the Chappell at Lambhith, begun by Baldwin; for with­out their leaue to goe about it, hee knew it was to no purpose. To this end he sent vnto them the Abbots of Wal [...]m, Rea­ding, and Chertsey, to debate this matter with them. The very mention thereof was so odious vnto them, as by and by they made a great complaint vnto the Pope [...] not onely of this but many other things also, especially of his intermedling in ciuill affaires. Hereupon the Pope presently enioyned him, without farther delay to resigne all his temporall offices; which he (how loath soeuer) was saine to doo. As for the mat­ter of the Chappell, after it had hung long in the Popes court, the parties grew to a composition; that vpon condition it were pulled downe, it should be lawfull for the Archbishop to build another vpon a new foundation, to endue the same with an hundred pound a yéere reuenues and no more, and lastly to place in the same twenty Canons or Probendaries. Marry it was conditioned, that no Bishops in any wise should bée consecrate ther [...], no Abbots admitted, no orders admini­stred, &c. After this, the rest of his daies hee ended in peace. King Iohn that had attempted many times to depose his Brother King Richard: and was alwaies hindered in those practises by the diligence, faithfulnesse and wisedome of this worthy Prelate, estranged himselfe a while from him, and gaue him no countenance. But finding at last how ill hée might spare him, vsed his Counsell, receiued intertainment of him (which was very royall) at Canterbury, trusted him with the gouernment of the whole Realme at his departure [Page 105] into Normandy, and affoorded him many other gratious fa­uours. Hauing béene Archbishop twelue yéeres sauing foure monethes, he sell into a kind of ague vpon the way as he was riding to Rochester to worke an agréement betweene the Bi­shop and the Monkes there, turned into his Mannour of Tenham, made his Will, and lying sicke there onely fower dayes, departed this life. He was buried Iuly, 13. 1205. in the south wall of the Church beside the quier neere VValter Reynald that long after succeeded him.

43 Stephen Langton.

THe King did so reioyce at Huberts death, 1206. K. Iohn 8. as when it was first reported vnto him, me thinks (quoth he) I am now indeede King of England. But had hee knowne eyther how ill hee might haue missed him, or how great trouble his death would haue caused him, he would rather haue saide, now I beginne to loose my Kingdom, and would little haue [...]steemed the wealth hee left behind him; which although it were bequeathed by Testament, trauelling to Canterbury in his owne person, he seased vpon the same, and conuerted it all to his owne vse. The Monks in like sort reioyced; little knowing how great calamity hung ouer their heades [...] must shortly fall vpon them by reason of his death. For they for­sooth hasty and desirous to vse their priuiledge of election, as also iealous least the liberty of the same should bee disturbed by any request of the King; secretly at midnight, made choice of Reginald, or (as Thomas Walsingham in his Ypodigma calleth him) Reyner their supprior, taking an oath of him not to make his election knowne to any, till he came to the Popes presence, whither he was aduised to hye himselfe as fact as [...]e might. This oath notwithstanding, as soone as hee was gotten ouer the seas, he bare himselfe euery where as Lorde elect, not letting to shew the testimoniall of his election to who so demanded the same. This breach of promise so in­censed his brethren Electors, against him, as presently they determined to become suters to the king for pardon of their fault in choosing without licence; as also, that now hee would permit a new election, supposing the olde frustrate and made [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page 106] voide by the periury of the elect. They did so, and eastly obtai­ned their request; but much y ^e rather, bicause they made shew of a readinesse in satisfying the kings desire, that wished the Archbishopricke vnto Iohn Gray Bishoppe of Norwich. He was then in the North country, about some businesse of the kings: Being sent for in all haste, at his first comming to Canterbury, he was solemnely elected, and his election pub­lished in the Church before the King and an infinite number of people. These two elections being presented vnto the Pope he determined to make vse of the monks debate, and discou­raging each side (for the greater part of the Monks were then at Rome, some of them auouching their olde election for good, others importunately suing to haue the later confirmed) hée practised secretly with either of them, to be cōtent to choose yet a third man that he would nominate vnto them, & that was one Stephen Langton a Cardinall of Rome a man in regard of many excellent gifts both of mind and body, very fit for the place, and no way to be misliked, if hee had orderly obtayned the same. By birth hee was an Englishman, brought vp in the Uniuersity of Paris, greatly estéemed by the king and all the nobility of France for his singular and rare learning, made Chauncellor of Paris, and lastly, called thence by the Pope to bée a Cardinall of Rome. Now when by fair means he could not preuail with them (for they feared the kings dis­pleasure, whom they knew to be a hote and violent Prince) he began to terrifie thē with threatning, & what by one means or other, made them content at last to choose him, which done, the Pope with his own hands gaue him consecration at Vi­terbium Iune 17. Then well knowing how hainously the king would take this matter, he writ letters vnto him swéet­ned with many gentle entreaties, large prayses of the new Archbishop, and seasoned now and then with some touches of doubtfull threatning if he should oppose himselfe against that was then done. This notwithstanding, the king in great indignation, banished all the Monks of Canterbury, seased vpon their goods and lands, and forbad Stephen Langton entrance into the realme. The Pope hearing of this, sent his mandate vnto thrée Bishops, William of London, Eustach of Ely, and Mauger of Worcesters; wherin hee willed them first [Page 107] to admonish and perswade the King to restore the Monkes to their goods and places, and to giue the Archbishop possession of his temporalities by a day; then if he refused so to do, to in­terdict the whole realme. They durst not but obey, and fin­ding the king resolute in his determination, at the time ap­pointed, they published the Popes interdiction; and as well foreseeing the great trouble to come, as the present danger, got them out of the land, together with Ioceline Bishoppe of Bathe, and Gyles of Hereford. The king immediately seased all their goods and temporalties into his hands, and moreo­uer banished all the friends and kinsfolke of these Bishops, that were likely to yeeld them any comfort or reliefe. During the time of this interdict, all seruice ceased throughout the Realme, except onely Baptisme of children, auricular confes­sion, and the administration of the Sacrament vnto such as lay vpon the point of death. The Pope seeing this course pre­uailed not, procéeded to a particular excommunication of the king, and not long after, depriued him by sentence of all regal authority; a thing till that time in no age euer heard of. All this while the King estéemed the Popes sword blunt and vn­able to wound him, till at last he perceiued the French King ready to take aduantage of this sentence, and prouiding bu­sily to inuade his dominions. His owne people also began to fall from him, and to doubt whom i [...] conscience they ought rather to follow, their owne naturall Prince or a forrain in­truder; a strange and monstrous ignorance. Séeing therfore no other remedy, he was faine to yéeld; receiued the Archbi­shop, restored the other Bishops, the Monks and all the rest banished, vnto their goods and reuenues; and moreouer was content to resigne his crowne into the Popes hands, & vpon restitution, to assure him by his letters pattents a yéerly pen­sion of a thousand marks. This done, he thought all troubles at an end, when the worst of all was yet behinde: For he bare himselfe so bolde vpon the Popes fauour (which he had bought déerely) as he doubted not to oppresse diuers of his nobility, with many and continuall wrongs reuoking al for­mer grants of priuiledges at his pleasure, vpon this point that he had receiued his kingdome from the Pope absolutely, frée from all entanglement of any priuiledges deriued from [Page 108] the same. Hereupon the Barons rebelled, the Archb. taking their part, and when they doubted least they should not make their party good against the King, the Pope stucke so close vn­to him; they procured Lewis the French kings eldest sonne to inuade the realme. Him together with the Archbishop and all the Barons, the Pope excommunicated. This great hurly burly was appeased sodainely by the kings death, who died some say, of care and sorrow, some of surfet; and some say, hee was poysoned by a Monke. His sonne Henry a Prince of ten years old was receiued to the kingdom, Lewis forsaken, & the Barons vpon promise of obedience vnto their king, absolued by the Popes Legate. Clergy men were debarred a while from their absolution that they might compound for the same, which they were glad to doe. All things being thus quieted, this our Archbishop called a Conuocation at Osuey, wherein many things were decreede, to be seene for the most part a­mong the prouinciall constitutions. Th [...]ther came a certaine young man that shewing the marks of wounds in his handes, feet and side, professed himselfe to be no lesse man then Iesus Christ. He brought also two women with him, whereof one tooke vpon her to be our Lady, the other Mary Magdalen. This counterfeit Christ, for his labour was worthily cruci­fied, and forced to resemble him in the manner of his death, whose life and person hee had preposterously imitated, and sought to resemble. Soone after, he translated the bones of S. Thomas Becket from the place where they were first buried in the vndercrost, into a goodly sumptuous shrine. This was done wonderfull solemnly, the King and greatest part of the nobility of all the Realme being present. During the time of this ceremony, all passengers from London to Canterbury were allowed horsemeat at the Archbishops charge, who also caused vessels of wine to runne continually in di [...]ers parts of the City all the day of this translation, that who so list might drinke of them. This solemnity prooued so chargeable vnto him, as neyther he, nor foure of his successors were able to re­couer the debt, he cast his See and Church into. He was Arch­bishop in all, two and twenty yeeres, and died Iuly 9. 12 [...]8. at his mannor of Slyndon in Sussex, from whence his bodie was conueighed to Canterbury, and there buried in the chap­pell [Page 109] of Saint Michael, [...]tu [...]te néere the South stayre that go­eth vp from the body of the Church, and the lower crosse Isle, to the South side of the Quire. This man was admirably learned, and writ many notable works, the Catalogue wher­of is to be séen in Bale. Amongst the rest, it is especially to bee noted, that he first diuided the Bible into Chapters, in such sort as we now account them. The Archbishoppes pallace at Canterbury is said to haue béene built in a manner all by this Stephen Langton. Moreouer, it is deliuered, that he bestowed great cost in making a faire horologe in the South Crosse isle of the Church, néere which helyeth buried, his monument be­ing situate in a manner iust vnder the altar.

44. Richard Wethershed.

WIthin a few dayes after the death of Stephen Lang­ton, 1229. Hen. 3.14. the Monks with the Kings licence procéeded to election, and made choice of one Walter de Hempsham, one of their owne company, and presented him vnto the King, who by the aduice of di [...]ers Prelates refused to allow of him. Which notwithstanding, he got him to Rome, hoping by one meanes or other to obtaine the Popes confirmation. The King hauing notice of his intent, sent thither the Bishop of Chester, to signifie that hée was a man very vnlearned, and moreouer infamous for his life and conuersation, as namely, that he had gotten diuers children vpon a certain Nunne, that his father was hanged for theft, and that himselfe had de­serued the like punishment, by taking the part of the rebelli­ous Barons. All this would not stay the Pope from giuing him confirmation, vntill the Kings Ambassadors had promi­sed him a tenth of all spirituall promotions in England, to aide him in his wars against the Emperour. That being as­sured him, hée straight way pronounced the election voide, and by reason of the insufficiency of the elect, the right of no­mination to be deuolued vnto himselfe; by vertue of which ti­tle he tooke vpon him at the Kings request to name vnto that See, Richard the Chancellor of Lincolne. The Author of Po­lychronicon calleth him M. Richard of Wethershed, the great Deane of London. This Richard was a man very well [Page 110] learned, wise, graue, well spoken, and of good report, stout in defending the rights and liberties of the Church; and (which is not altogether to be neglected) of a goodly personage, tall, straight, and well fauoured. He was consecrate at Canter­bury by Henry Bishop of Rochester, in the presence of the king and many of the nobility, Iune 10. 1229. being the first Archbishoppe of 44. now hauing possessed that Sée, who bare the Christian name of one of his predecessors. A little while he enioyed that honour, to witte, two yéer [...] or there a­bouts. In which time there hapned a controuersie betwéene him and Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent, concerning some [...]nds of the Earle of Glocester, the profits whereof the Arch­bishoppe challenged as due vnto him in the minority of the Ear [...]e. Hubert was a man greatly fauoured by the king, for his long faithfull seruice vnto his father and himselfe; name­ly, for defending the Castle of Douer against Lewis the Frenchman, he made him Earle of Kent, and chiefe Iustice of England. He had entred vpō these lands. The Archbishop first complained of the wrong vnto the king, & finding no re­medy at his hands, excommunicated all the authors of this iniury (the king onely excepted) and got him to Rome. The king vnderstanding thereof, dispatched messengers thither also to hinder his procéedings there what might bee. The Pope notwithstanding delighted much with the eloquence, grauity, and excellent behauiour of the Archbishop, granted presently all his demands. Little ioy had he of this victory: Being thrée dayes iourney in his way homewards, hee fell sicke at the towne of Saint Gemma, and there died in the Friery, where also he was buried. It is reported that soone after his buriall, certaine théeues brake open his toombe, and thought to haue robbed him of his mysterrings, &c. wherein (according to the manner of those times) he was buried; but that they claue so fast vnto him, as by no deuice they coulde take them from him. Beliue it as you list. It shall not bee a­misse also to note how that in the time of this Archbishop, a great number of Italians had possessed themselus of the best benefices of England; which being much spited at; certaine madde fellowes tooke vpon them by force to thresh out their corn euery where, and giue it away vnto the poore; as also, to [Page 111] rob and spoile them of their money and other goods. It was done so openly, and so boldly, as it was manifest that some great men were at one end of that businesse. The Italians after that time were not so eager vpon English benefices.

Saint Edmund.

THe Monkes of Canterbury by this time weary of con­tending with the King, 1234. Hen. 3.19. soone after the death of the for­mer Archbishoppe, chose of their owne accord Ralph Neuill Bishoppe of Chichester, and Chancellor of England; a man very wise and highly in fauour with the King, who liking well of this election, put him in possession of the temporal­ties by and by. The Pope being requested for his approba­tation, chanced to enquire of Simon Langton Archdeacon of Canterbury brother vnto Stephen the late Archbishoppe, what maner of man this Ralfe Neuill should be, who told him that he was a hote fellow, stout, subtle, an old courtier, & very gracious with the king; it was much to be doubted, therefore he would set the King and him together by the eares, & cause him to deny the payment of that tribute granted vnto him by King Iohn. This was inough; without more adoo he wil­led the monks to choose another, neuer alleadging any matter of exception against him. So to a second election they pro­céeded, and chose one Iohn their Subprior: He went to Rome, and being examined by certaine Cardinals, was adiudged fitte inough for the place; yet the Pope misliked him for his age, and perswaded the good old man to forbeare to take vp­on him so great a charge in his olde years. Hée yéelded; and therupon a third was elected, one Richard Blundy a student of Oxford. Him also the Pope refused, because for sooth he held two benefices contrary to the Canons, and because it was knowne he had borrowed a great summe of money of Peter Bishop of Winchester, wherewith it was thought he fedde well the Monks that chose him. The Pope then made re­quest vnto such of the Monks as were at Rome, to chose Ed­mund Treasurer of Salisbury, a man very well known, and indéed famous for his vertue and great learning. They nei­ther [Page 112] durst deny the Popes request, nor would doo any thing in the matter, till they had vnderstoode the pleasure of their Prince, and conferred with the rest o [...] their brethren. He was content to take their silence for a sufficient election, & with­out more adoo sent him the pall into England, little thinking of any such matter. Both the King and the Couent liking wel inough of the man, he was consecrate at Canterbury by Ro­ger Bishop of London, April 2. 1234. He was borne (as some say) at London, and baptized in the same font Thomas Becket his predecessor had beene. But, other affirme more probably that he was borne at Abingdon in Bar [...]shire, being son vnto one Edward Rich a Merchant; his mothers name was Ma­bell. In their elder yeeres they forsooke each other by mutuall consent, and betooke themselues to a Monastical life. Edmund their sonne they caused to be brought vp in University Col­ledge at Oxford. Hauing attained vnto reasonable perfection in the knowledge of Diuinity (whereunto his study was chiefely directed) hee applyed himselfe to preaching, where­in hée tooke great paines; namely in the Counties of Oxford, Glocester, and Worcester, vntill such time as he was called to the Treasurership of Salisbury. Being consecrate Arch­bishoppe, hée presently fell into the Kinges displeasure, by opposing himselfe against the marriage of Elianor the kings sister with Simon Mountfort Earle of Leicester, because vp­on the death of the Earle Marshall her first husband she had vowed chastity. To haue this vow dispensed withall, the king procured the Pope to send a Legate into England: his name was Otto a Cardinall. Him also this Archbishop offended; and that so grieuously, by reprehending his monstrous coue­tousnesse, his bribery and extortion, as euer after he sought to worke him all the mischiefe hée might. The Monkes of Rochester had presented vnto him the (Archbishoppe) one Richard de Wendouer, demaunding of him consecration vnto the Bishopricke of their Church; which he vtterly de­nied to affoorde, knowing the presented to bée a very vnlear­ned, and vnsufficient man. Hereupon the Monks appea­led to Rome; which the Archbishoppe vnderstanding of, ha­sted him thither also. O [...]to the Legate endeuoured to stay [Page 113] him at home; and failing thereof, did his errand so well at Rome, as not onely in that sute, but an other also which he had against Hugh Earle of Arundell in an other cause of appeale, he was ouerthrowne and condemned in a thou­sand Markes charges to his great disgrace and impone­rishment. Being at Rome he had complained of many great abuses in England; and amongst the rest, of the long vac [...] ­cy of Bishoprickes. The Pope seemed willing to redresse these things; and namely concerning that matter, set downe this order, that if any Cathedrall Church continued voide aboue sixe monethes, it should be lawfull for the Archbishop to conferre it where he list, as well as any smaller Benefice. The procuring of this order cost him a great summe of mony: Yet no sooner was his backe turned, but the Pope at the Kings request reuoked the same. Béeing thus continually vexed; thwarted and disgraced, he departed into voluntary exile; and there bewayling the misery of his country, spoiled and wasted by the tyranny of the Pope, spent the rest of his life in continuall teares. Through extreame griefe and sor­row, or (as some thinke) too much fasting, he fell first into a consumption, and after into a strange kinde of ague. Where­upon he thought good to remoue from the Abbey of Pontini­ac in France, (where hée had layen euer since his comming out of England) vnto Soissy, and there departed this li [...]e, Nouember, 16. 1242. eight yéeres after his first consecrati­on. His heart and entrailes were buried at Soissy, his bo­dy of Pontiniac. Within sixe yeeres after his death he was canonized a Saint by Innocentius, the fourth, who appoin­ted the foresaide day of his death for euer to be kept holy in memory of him. Lewes the French King caused his body to bee translated to a more honourable place then it was first laide in, and bestowed a sumptuous shrine vpon him, coue­red with golde and siluer, and richly adorned with many precious stones.

46. Boniface.

1244 Hen. 3.19.THe Monks of Canterbury at the instance of the King elected then vnto the Archbishopricke, Boniface, the son of Peter Earle of Sauoy, and vncle vnto the Quéene: a man not greatly to bee commended [...]or any thing but the no­bility of his stocke, and the comelinesse of his person: For in other respects he was thought vtterly vnfit, and vnworthy of that place. The King therefore doubting least the Pope would reiect him, caused in a manner all the Bishops & Ab­bots of England to write their letters commendatory in his behalfe; and so sent him to Lyons, where he quickly obtained consecration at the Popes owne hands. At his first entrance into this Sée, he found the same indebted by the ouerlashing of his predecessors, to the value of 22. tho [...]sand marks which hée tooke for an occasion of both absenting himselfe from his charge, and also of raking money together by all kinde of meanes. Departing therefore into his owne country, by fel­ling of woods, making leases, and other such like meanes, hée raysed great summes of money, promising to imploy the same, and whatsoeuer hee could saue by liuing priuately at home, in the payment of his churches debt. By the same pre­tence also hee induced the Pope to graunt him in Commen­dam the Bishopricke of Ualentia in Prouence, and diuers other spirituall promotions. But he gaue himselfe to war­ring, and spent all hee could make in hyring of Souldiers. When therefore (notwithstanding all these helpes) the debt was little or no [...]hing diminished, he was glad by bribing the Pope, to procure of him a graunt of the profite of all spi­rituall preferments that should bee voide within his Pro­uince for the space of seauen years. The king a while spurned at this grant; but in the end halfe for feare of the Pope (of whom hee stoode in great awe) and partly by sute and inter­cession, he ratified & allowed of the same. Hauing béene many yéeres absent, he returned into England, the yéere 1250. & tooke vpon him to visite all his Prouince in some extraordi­nary manner. All men knew it was rather to make money, then for any desire of reformation [...] and that caused it to be ta­ken [Page 115] the more odiously. He began first with his owne Dioces, which he so hampered with straight & vnreasonable orders, such as he knew men would rather buy out th [...]n endure to obserue, that euery one said the Monks of Canterbury were now iustly rewarded for their folly in electing an vnlearned stranger, that was more fit and likely to make a souldier then an Archbishop a great deale. Comming then to London, hée tooke a small occasion to deface the Bishoppe there with fowle and reproachfull spéeches; and being resisted by the Deane and Chapter of Paules (who had appealed from his Uisitati­on to the Pope) he made no more adoo but excommunicated them euery one. Going the next day about the same busines to the Priory of Saint Bartholomewes in Smithfield, hée was met very honourably by the Supprior and all the Co­uent in their coapes. Telling them by and by he came to vi­site them, one of the company answered him reuerently, hee was very welcome vnto them, but they were sorry hée came for that purpose, wherein they must disappoint him: They knew their Bishop (whose onely office it was) to bee a very sufficient man for his place, and so long they must not enter­taine the Uisitation of any other. This answere (though gen­tle inough) so euraged this lusty Archbishop, as not being [...]ble to containe his anger within any bounds of discretion, hee ran violently not to him that had spoken, but to the Sub-prior that was next him, strucke the poore olde man down to the ground, kicked him, beat and buffeted him, [...]ttifully, tore his coape from his backe, rent it into a number of péece [...] and when he had done stamped vpon it like a madde man. In this conflict it hapned the Archbishop to stumble & fall back­ward, by means whereof his apparrell loosening, many per­ceiued a priuy coate vnder the same. His serui [...]ors and atten­dants taking example of their Lord, gaue much like enter­tainement to the rest of the Monks as he had giuen to the Supprior. By this time the Londoners were vp, & taking the matter very hainously in the behalfe of their Bishop, whome this iniury did originally concern (as they thought) laid such wait for the Archbishop, as with much adoo he stole secretly to the Thames side, & was conueied by a wherry prouided for him to Lambhith. If they could haue met with him, they had [Page 116] surely hewen all to péeces. Hee was no sooner come home, but he thundered out his excommunications against not onely the whole Couent of Saint Bartholomew, but the Bishop of London also, as a fauourer of theirs. They all agreeing together, determined to send the Deane of Paules a graue and wise man to Rome, and by the letters of certaine Bishops (they knew the Pope would credite) to aduertise him of this strange disorder. The Archbishop vnderstanding hereof, followed thither apace, and entred Rome with great pompe; nothing doubting, but the King and Quéens letters which he had brought, his nobility and great lineage, or if all failed, his purse should beare him out in this matter well inough. But vnderstanding how odiously it was taken by all that heard it, and how hardly the Pope was informed against him; hee fell to entreaty of his aduersaries, the Deane of Paules and the rest, whom partly by faire promises, and partly by threates, at last he subdued and made them content to stay their complaint. That matter being so ended, he dealt earnestly with the Pope to ratifie the dooings of his Uisita­tion. The Bishops of his prouince vnderstanding thereof, & knowing how great an inconuenience it would bee to them, and all their Clergy, they made a collection of two pence in the marke out of all spirituall promotions in the Prouince to be expended in sute of Law against the Archbishop. In the meane time the King had written his letters earnestly to the Pope in the Archbishops behalfe, which so inchanted him with partiality, as the Bishop of London vtterly despairing of any iustice, gaue ouer the matter in the plaine field: Onely thus much was obtained, that he, the Chapter of Paules, and the Couent of Saint Bartholomewes should be absolued frō their excommunication. Soone after this it hapned that the Archbishop, (the olde malice still boyling in his breast) taking a small aduantage, excommunicated againe the Deane and Chapter of Paules; the indignity whereof so moued all the Cleargy, as they tooke order to meete at Dunstable, and there laying their purses together, gathered the sum of foure thousand Marks, which they determined to bribe the Pope withall so he would deliuer them from the misery of this vn­reasonable kinde of Uisitation. The Pope tooke their money [Page 117] and promised them faire: And the Archbishoppe séeing no remedy but hee must Clauum clauo pellere, by taking the same course, féede him as well on the other side. Hee whose affection was euer wonte to bée measured according to his rewards, so diuided his fauour, as hée tooke not away from the Archbishoppe all authority of visiting; and yet so moderated the same with circumstances, as it was like to proue to [...]erable inough. As soone thèn as he returned, hée went forward in his visitation [...] wherein he dealt at the first somewhat mildely, but soone falling to his ollde bias, caused euery where such stirs and tumults, as it was long after cal­led by the name of the troublous Uisitation. At Lincolne hee fell out with the Chapter there (the Sée then being voide) a­bout the gift of prebends and benefices which he challenged, & had euer heretofore in the vacācy belonged vnto them. One William Lupus Archdeacon of Lincolne especially resisted him in this matter, and appealed vnto the Pope. This poore man he so vexed and hurried with his excommunications, and all manner of molestation hee could deuise, as at last he enforced him to hide himselfe, and to steale secretly to Rome; where he was so pittied, as the Pope was entreated not only to absolue him, but to protect him from the violence of Boni­face, & at last to iudge the controuersie of his side. So home­wards hee got him with assured hope of restoring his church to her ancient priuiledge. But béeing worne out with con­tinuall trauell and vexation which he had indured thrée yeers vpon the way he died. Now while he was abroad in the rest of his prouince, his Monks of Christ Church in Canterbu­ry had procured of the Pope a Charter of immunity from all visitation. This being tendred vnto him at Saint Alb [...]ns, he made no more adoo, but cast it in the fire. The matter bee­ing complained of both to the Pope and the king, no redresse could be found. The king durst not disgrace him for feare of offending his Quéen [...] to whom he was vncle; & the Pope, partly for his kindreds sake (that were mighty men and his néere neighbours) partly because he was his instrument for polling of England, and brought him in much mony, would hardly giue eare vnto any accusation against him This boy­strous Uisitation ended, he got him beyond sea, and with the [Page 118] money hée had scraped together in the same, hired a great number of Souldiers to rescue his brother Thomas, somtime Earle of Sauoy, that was kept in prison by the Citizens of Taurinum, who could not endure his tyranny. In this war he had the Popes Buls and excommunications at comman­dement to assist him: of which, hauing spent a great many, all his money, and no small number of his souldiers to no pur­pose, with shame and sorrow for his losse and disgrace, home he came. Toward the latter end of his time hee waxed more moderate, and applyed himselfe in some reasonable sort to the gouernment of his Church. The realm being filled with strā ­gers of the kings blood by his mothers side, and their atten­dants, that still snatcht vp all places of preferment, especially ecclesiasticall: hee was content to ioyne with the rest of the Bishops in a request to the king, wherein hee besought him to haue some regard of his owne countrymen, among whom he might finde choice inough of wise, vertuous and learned then. The King taking this spéech of his in very euill parte, tolde him he was content to do as he wished him, and because saith hee, it is indéede great reason that I should fauour wor­thy men of my owne nation before any vnworthy stranger. You and my brother Aethelmar of Winchester (men vtterly vnlearned and aliens, whom I haue preferred for no other respect than kindred or affinity) shall doe well to giue ouer your places: and you shall see I will soone fill them with men you shall take no [...]ceptions against. By this and diuers o­ther manifest tokens perceiuing the kings mind to be aliena­ted from him, and knowing himselfe very ill beloued of al the Commons & Clergy in generall, waxing weary of England, he felled his woods, let leases, forced from his tenants and o­thers what money he could possibly; & hauing gathered great summes by one meanes or other, carried it all with him into Sauoy, whence he neuer meant to returne againe. He liued not long after his arriuall there, but deceased in the castle of Saint Helen, Iuly 18. 1270. after his first consecration, 26. yéeres, sixe monethes and sixteene dayes, and from the time of his first election nine and twenty yéeres. He performed 3. things not vnworthy of memory; he payed the debt of two and [...]einty thousand marks that he found his Sée indebted [Page 119] in. He built a goodly Hospitall at Maidstone called the New works, and indued it with reuenues, vallued at the suppres­sion in 159. l. 7. s. 10. d. ( William Courtney long after tran­slated the same into a Colledge of secular Priests.) And last­ly, he finished that most stately hall at Canterbury with the buildings adioyning, which had onely béene begun by Hu­bert, and little or nothing continued by them that followed, but by him at last was throughly perfited.

47. Robert Kilwardby.

SOone after the death of Boniface, 1272 Hen. 3.56. the Couent of Canter­bury by the license of the King, elected William Chil­linden their Supprior to succéede him. The Pope tooke ex­ceptions against him as an vnsufficient man for the place, & ex plenitudine potestatis, thrust into the same one Robert Kilwardby. This Robert was a great Clarke, and left in wri­ting behinde him many monuments of his learning; beeing an Englishman borne, but brought vp first in Oxford, and then afterwards in Paris; whence after hee had procéeded there Master of Arts, he returned, and became first a Frier Minor, and then Prouinciall of that order here. The monks that many times opposed themselues against their kings and lawfull Princes, durst not resist this intruder of the Popes sending; but to preserue their right of election, were content forsooth to choose him the Pope had before appointed them. He was consecrate February 26. 1272. béeing the first sun­day in Lent, at what time the Prior of Canterbury deman­ded of him the summe of 3000. markes spent in the election of William Chillinden, which the Pope promised the next Archbishop should repay. But hée loath to disburse this mo­ney, began to picke holes in the Priors coate, and threate­ning to depriue him of his place, neuer linnd si [...]ting of him, till hee had intreated his Couent to abate 1300. of the 3000. Marks. In the first yéere of his consecration, hee re­nued the Statutes made by his Predecessors for his court of the Arches, and contracted them briefly into fiue Articles. Then shortly after he visited all his Prouince, and both the Uniuersities; in which he disputed excellently, and shewed [Page 120] himselfe in diuers kinds of exercise. Toward the latter end of his time, he made a collection for the building of a Monastery for the Frier Minors in London. Men contributed so largely thereunto, (and he had the helpe of a certaine olde Tower which yéelded him stones without charge) as he fini­shed the same with other mens mony, and was able to affoord the foundation for an other at Salisbury, as I finde deliue­red: but that was for blacke Fryers. Hauing béene Archbi­shop about the space of sixe yéeres, hee was sent for to Rome by Pope Nicholas the third, and made Cardinall of Hostia, & Bishop of Portua. He resigned then his Archbishopricke, & getting him into Italy, within a few moneths after fell sick [...] and died (of poyson some say) at Uiterbium, where also he was buried.

48 Iohn Peckham.

1278 Edw. 1.7.THe resignation of Robert Kilwardby once known, the Monkes made hast to their election, and with the kings good liking chose for their Archbishop Robert Burnell Bishop of Bath, at that time Chancellor of England [...] But the Pope who had therfore promoted Robert Kilwardby, that he might place another in his room, such a one as he wold be sure should serue his turne at all times, perceiuing himselfe preuented in the election; thrust in ex plenitudine potestatis, in like sort as last time he had done, Iohn Peckham another Frier. Hée was borne of meane parentage in Sussex, spent his childhood in the Abbey of Lewes, was brought vp in Oxford (where he became a Frier) and succeeded Robert Kilwardby in the office of Prouinciall of their order. From Oxford he went to Pa­ris to study Diuinity, and after a while to Lyons to get some knowledge in the Canon law; without the which, Diuinity was estéemed vnperfect in those daies. At Lyons he was cho­sen Canon or Prebendary of the Cathedrall Church; and by that meanes being furnished with allowance to trauell [...] for his encrease of his knowledge in the Canon law, hee went into Italy, & visiting personally all the Uniuersities of Italy, came lastly to Rome. His rare learning being soon perceiued there, he was made by the Pope Auditor or chiefe Iudge of [Page 97] his Pallace, and so continued till his preferment to Canter­bury. He was consecrate the first Sunday in Lent, which fell vpon the sixt day of March 1278. Soone after his arriuall in England the Pope his Creator (as he called him) sent vnto him a mandate of making payment of 4000. markes vpon very short warning, or else assured him to bee spéedily excom­municate. It shall not bee amisse to set downe the wordes of his answere to this demaund; Ecce me creastis saith he, &c. Behold you haue created me: And if the Creature cannot but desire naturally what perfection the Creator can yéeld, how can I but [...]esort vnto you for succour in all my oppressions and calamities? I receiued of late certaine letters horrible to sée, and fearefull to heare, denouncing, that except I make pay­ment of 4000. marks that I became indebted vnto certaine Merchants of Luca at Rome within the space of a moneth af­ter Michaelmas next, I was to be excommunicate with bell, booke, and candle, and that excommunication to bee published in my Church, &c. Then (to make short) hee declareth how his predecessour at his departure carried away all the moouea­ble goods belonging to the Sée, that Boniface had left all his houses very ruinous, that the King had taken vp before hand, one yéeres profite of his lands, that in the meane space hée was faine himselfe to liue vpon credit; and that to borrow to serue his necessary vses (the realme being so exhaust with continuall payments) it was excéeding hard. In re­gard héereof, hée besought him (whom onely in trueth the matter concerned, though merchants of Luca bore the name of this debt) to order the matter so, as he might bée allowed a yéeres day of paiment, which at last with much adoo was granted him by the sute of Robert Kilwardby his predecessor, who died (as before is rehearsed) soone after. The new Arch­bishop then became a suter vnto the Pope, that hee would cause to be restored vnto his Church fiue thousand markes; the value whereof, the said Robert had carried away with him of the goods belonging to his Sée. This he was so farre from obtaining, as by and by the Pope began to call vpon him a­gaine very hastily for the [...]ower thousand marks aboue men­tioned, and so made him glad to holde his peace for that time, and yet to pay the money at his day. In the first yéere of his [Page 122] consecratlon he sommoned a Conuocation at Lambhith, at what time the Archbishop of Yorke comming to London, cau­sed his crosse to bee borne before him within the Prouince of Canterbury, which the Archbishop of Canterbury tooke to bée a great wrong vnto him & his Sée. It had béene often in que­stion héeretofore whether it might be done or no, and much a­doo there had bin about it: therfore to redresse this abuse quick­ly & good cheape, our Frier deuised this course to be taken. Hée caused proclamations to be made in all places where he vnder­stood the other Archbishop meant to passe, in w ^t he commanded all men vnder paine of excommunication to afford no manner of intertainement, no not so much as bread, or drinke, vnto him or any of his company, so long as hee bare vp his crosse in that manner. So except he and his traine should starue, down must the Crosse there was no remedy. The Conuocation en­ded, he began a generall visitation of his whole prouince; and being destrous to know the state of euery Dioces, went him­selfe in person to most of them, vsing great lenity and gentle­nes euery where. For he was a man though very stately both in his gesture, gate, words, and all outward shew; yet of an ex­ceeding méeke, facile and liberall mind: He took great paines in labouring a peace betwéene Edward the first, and Leolin prince of Wales; vnto whom hee went in person, and trauailed long with him, but altogether in vaine. Hee bare a very hard hand vpon the Iews, whose Sinagogues he commanded to be pul­led downe to the ground throughout his Prouince. But the King was a meanes to stay the execution of that commande­ment so far foorth, as he would haue one Church allowed vnto them, in the city in w ^t with certain restraints they should pra­ctise their ceremonies. Unto double beneficed men & non resi­dents he was very hard. Diuers elected vnto Bishopricks hée reiected, hauing no other exception against them. Many hée compelled to reforme themselues according to the Canons in that behalfe; and some that refused to be conformable, he finally depriued. Adultery he was woont to punish very seuerely. Hée persecuted a Bishop terribly (his name is not deliuered) for keeping a Concubine. One Roger Ham a Priest, hée enioyned to three yéeres penance for fornication, requiring him to spend all that time in fasting, prayer, and pilgrimages to Rome, [Page 123] Compostella, and Colon, and moreouer sequestred the fruits of his benefice during those thrée yéeres, appointing them to be giuen vnto the poore. Neither dealt hee thus with men of his owne coat onely. There was a certaine knight of Wiltshire called Sir Osborne Gifford; He had stollen two Nuns out of the Nunry of Wilton: which comming to the Archbishops eares, hee first excommunicated him, and after absolued vpon these conditions; first that hee should neuer after come within any Nunry, or in the company of a Nunne; then, that 3. Sun­daies together hee should be whipped in the parish Church of Wilton, so likewise in the market and Church of Shaftsbury thrée other daies; that he should fast a certaine number of mo­neths, that he should not weare an shirt in thrée years; & lastly, that he should not any more take vpon him the habite or title of a knight, but weare apparell of a russet colour, vntill hee had spent thrée yeares in the holy land. All this hee sware should be performed before he might haue absolution. If some of our Gentlemen were now and then thus serued, they would not be so wanton as they are. Thirtéene yéeres and almost a halfe this man continued Archbishop, holding all this while his pre­bend he had first at Lyons, which when diuers begged of him, he would answere, that hee might not in any wise spare it; for he looked euery day when being drouen out of England by the King (against whom indéed he often very boldly opposed him­selfe) hee should haue no other home to take to. For the same cause belike, it was annexed vnto the Sée of Canterbury. Ma­ny succéeding Archbishops enioyed the same a long time after. He died very rich, and yet in his life time, founded at Wing­ham a Colledge valued when it was suppressed at [...]ower score & foure pounds of yéerly reuenues, and aduanced diuers of his kinred to great possessions, whose posterity haue continued in the state of Knights and Esquires euen vntill our time. Hée was buried in his owne Church, but in what particular place I finde not.

49. Robert Winchelsey.

1294. Edw. 1.23.WHat countriman Robert Winchelsey should bee, no man deliuereth: But it is certaine hee first went to schoole at Canterbury, where hee was so admired for his to­wardlinesse, and loued for his gentle and modest behauiour (beeing also a very welfauoured childe) as many would take vpon them, euen then to prophecie that he should one day bée Archbishop of Canterbury. Being ripe for the Uniuersity, he was sent first to Merton Colledge in Oxford, then to Paris. There hee proceeded Master of art, and before his departure thence was chosen Rector of that Uniuersity. Hauing passed through that office (which séemeth to bee annuall) with great commendation of integrity and wisdome, hee returned into England; and comming to Oxford, gaue such proofe there of his extellent knowledge in all good learning by preaching, dis­puting, &c. as they thought good to honour him with the degrée of a Doctor, and shortly after made him Chancellor of their U­niuersity. His gouernment there was such, as all men easily discerned him fit for a much higher place. Hee made many good and profitable statutes, and tooke away diuers fond and per­nicious customes; to the great honor of the Uniuersity, and no lesse aduancement of good learning. His first spirituall pro­motion was a Prebend in Pauls Church and the Archdea­conry of Essex. His Archdeaconry he visited himselfe in per­son duely euery yéere, and did reside vpon his Prebend, prea­ching in that Cathedrall Church or some other place almost e­uery day. By reason héereof and his manifold good parts, hée grew so famous, as Peckham being dead, hee was straight­way pointed out by the expectation of all men vnto the Arch­bishopricke. The monks therefore those him with the Kings very good liking and great applause of all men. It was his chance to come to Rome while Coelestinus was Pope, a good and vertuous man; but so simple, as Boniface that succéeded him could perswade him by counterfeiting the voice of an An­gell through a trunke in the night, to resigne his Papacy and become an Heremit again, as before his election he had béene. Not onely this simple Heremite, but euen all the prelates [Page 125] and Cardinals there, were amazed at his wonderfull rare learning, the like whereof (especially to bée ioyned with such discretion and wisedome) they well assured themselues was no where to be found. They were desirous therefore to haue made him a Cardinall, so to haue retained him amongest them: But he yéelding many reasons why hée might not bée spared at home, obtained at last consecration and hasted him vnto his charge. Upon the day of his inthronization, it is saide hée consecrated Bishop of Landaffe one Iohn Mone­mouth Doctor of Diuinity, and bestowed twenty benefices, ten of very good value vpon ten Doctors, and ten lesse vpon tenne Bachelers of Diuinity. The See being yet voide the king had caused a Conuocation to be summoned, in which hee required the one halfe of all Ecclesiasticall reuenues for one yéere toward the charge of his wars. This intollerable exaction the Cleargy not intending to yéeld vnto, sent the Deane of Paules William de Monfort with diuers other prelates vnto the King to craue pardon, and to shew how hard it were for them to yéeld to this demand. Being admitted vnto his pre­sence, the Deane began his spéech, and after a few wordes fell downe suddenly starke dead. Herewith the king nothing moo­ued, sent a knight the next day vnto the Conuocation to know whether any of them durst withstand the King in this de­mand: if there bee any such (quoth hee) let him come foorth, that I may take order with him as a disturber of the Kings peace. So no man daring to gainesay it, the graunt passed for good. The Archbishop now comming home soone after, called another Synode, wherein his Cleargy complained much of the last exaction. The Archbishop told them it was more then they could iustifie that they had done, for that in the late Councell of Lyons it was decréede, no Cleargy man should pay any thing to any temporall magistrate without the Popes license: that therefore they now set downe for a ca­non to be kept héereafter inuiolably. At that time the King that had had so liberall allowance very lately, demaunded nothing. But within a yéere or two after hauing spent an in­finite deale of money in the conquest of Scotland, he summo­ned a Parliament at Berwicke; wherein when the Tempo­ralty contributed liberally toward the charge of that warre, [Page 126] the Cleargy alleaging the aforesaid Canon, would grant no thing. The king would not take this for payment: And there­fore presently hee tooke order, that all barnes of Cleargy men should bee locked vp: hée also made proclamation that from that time forward, all Cleargy men were excluded for vn­der his protection, so that héereafter it should be lawful for any man to sue them, but they might not commence sute against any other. This constrained them to yéeld, and all submitted themselues to allowance of such a proportion as the King li­ked (it was a fist part of their reuenewes) except onely the Archbishop who would make no other answere vnto the king but this: Under God our vniuersall Lord, saith hee, wée haue two other Lords, a spirituall Lord the Pope, and a temporall Lord the king; and though we bee to obey both, yet rather the spirituall Lorde then the temporall. When therefore hee saw all the rest inclined to yéelde, vsing no other words then this, Saluet vnusquisque animam suam, hee rose vp and suddenly departed. For this contumacy the king caused all his goods to be seased into his hands, and made shew of greater displea­sure. Shortly after, notwithstanding beeing to make warre in France, before his departure he thought good to receiue the Archbishop to fauour againe; but this his grace indured for a very little while. Presently vpon his returne, hée laide diuers treasons to his charge, as that he had dehorted his subiects in his absence from payment of their subsidies, that hee had con­spired with diuers of his nobility to depriue him of his king­dome, and to crowne his sonne Edward, &c. Whether the Archbishop were guilty of all the crimes obiected against him or no, I cannot tell. But certaine it is, that as guilty, he submitted himselfe to the kings mercy, and besought him for the same in most humble manner, or rather indéede deiected himselfe more basely, and lamented his case more passio­nately then became a man that were guiltlesse; much lesse a prelate that would be estéemed, graue, learned or wise. Not­withstanding this his submission, the King commenced a complaint against him at Rome, banished him the Realme, and seased vpon all his goods, mooueable and vnmooueable, forbidding all his subiects vpon great paine to foster him or yeeld him any manner of intertainement. Hee was in that case [Page 127] hee must haue starued for want of sustenance, had not the monkes of Canterbury secretly taken him in and aduentured to yeeld him things necessary, till they found meanes to shift him beyond sea; which the King afterwards vnderstan­ding, seased vpon all their goods and lands, turned them all euen fowre score monkes a begging, forbad all men to harbour them, and kept them in that miserable state, till after a cer­taine space hee was content to restore them againe. These were the violent courses were taken by Princes in those daies: how happy are we that in all peace, liberty and assu­rance quietly enioy our owne, without great desert to the contrary? Two yéeres the Archbishop contin [...]ed in exile: In which time the king ( Edward the first) died, and his sonne Edward the second that was to succéede, thinking it conueni­ent belike at his first entrance to shew all examples of Cle­mency, called him home by letters, and restored him to all his goods, euen euery peny of that which had béene receiued of his temporalties in his absence. Héereby it came to passe that he was the richest Archbishop of many that were, either before or after him; so that his trouble turned him to great good. In regard whereof, he was wont to say (Nihil nocebit aduersitas vbi nulla iniquitas dominatur) so often as he talked of his trouble and banishment. Hee was no sooner come home but a new danger encountred him, occasioned by his owne wonted boldnesse. The yong King by the counsell of Piers Gaueston (a wanton and vicious man, banished into Ireland by king Edward the first for corrupting his sonne) had com­mitted the Bishop of Couentry to ward at Yorke: A conuo­cation beeing gathered, the Archbishop would not suffer any matter to bee debated in the house till the Bishop were set at liberty. This the king was content to beare withall at that time: & afterward he so behaued himselfe, as there neuer grew any dislike betwéene them. So the rest of his age after his re­turne from banishment (which was sixe yéeres) hée passed in quietnesse, and great prosperity, and died at last at Otforde, May 11.13 [...] 13. haiung beene Archbishop about the space of nintéene yeeres. He was a stout prelate, and a seuere p [...]ni­sher of sinne. He opposed himselfe against Piers Gaueston, the Spensers, and other corrupters of the young King very boldly, [Page 128] He enforced Iohn Warren Earle of Surrey to forsweare the company of a certaine beautifull harlot, with the loue of whom hee was greatly bewitched. And afterwards when notwithstanding his oath he returned to her company againe and got children vpon her, he accused him to the Conuocati­on of adultery and periury both, and at last made him to leaue her. Such preferments as fell to his disposition, he euer bestowed vpon men of excellent learning; despising letters and requests of noble men, which he estéemed not a rush. Ma­ny poore schollars hee maintained at the Universities with li­berall exhibition, and vnto all kinde of poore people was excée­ding bountiful, insomuch as therein I thinke he excelled al the Archbishops that euer were, either before him or after him. Beside the daily fragments of his house, he gaue euery Fri­day and Sunday vnto euery begger that came to his doore a loafe of breade of a farthing price (which no doubt was bigger then our penny loafe now.) And there were vsually euery such almes day in time of dearth to the number of 5000. but in a plentifull 4000. and seldome or neuer vnder, which commu­nibus annis amounted vnto 500. pound a yéere. Ouer and a­boue this he vsed to giue euery great festiuall day 150. pence to so many poore people, to send daily meate, drinke and bread vnto such as by reason of age or sicknes were not able to fetch almes at his gate, and to send money, meate, apparell &c. to such as he thought wanted the same, and were ashamed to beg. But of all other, hee was wont to take greatest compassion vpon those that by any misfortune were decaied and had fallen from wealth to poore estate. For these and other vertues, the com­mon people would néedes estéeme him a Saint, and frequen­sed much the place of his burial: Therefore his tombe (which was situate beside the altar of S. Gregory néere the south wal) was afterwards pulled downe. His bookes, apparell, and o­ther mooueables (which were but of very small value) he gaue all (such as they were) vnto his church of Canterbury.

50. Walter Reynolds.

RObert Winchelsey being dead, 1313. Edw. 2. [...]. the monkes of Canterbu­ry elected for his successor, one Thomas Cobham that was Deane of Salisbury, and Prebendary of Yorke [...] a man of such vertue and learning, as he was commonly called by the name of the good Clerke. The king ( Edward the second) was destrous to preferre vnto that place Walter Reynolds Bishop of Worcester; whom hee fauoured singularly for the opi­nion he had of his assured fidelity and great wisedome. Be­fore therefore that the said Thomas Cobham could get away to Rome, the king vnderstanding of his election, sent thither in all post hast, earnestly requesting the Pope to find meanes that this Walter might be made Archbishop. He glad of such an occasion to exercise the vtmost of his vsurped authority, without any more adoo, thrust in the saide Walter Reynolds into that Sée, pretending, that hee had reserued the gift of the Archbishopricke for that time vnto himselfe before it fel. Cob­ham a while stood vpon the right of his election; but percea­uing to how little purpose it was to stirre with so mighty ad­uersaries as the Pope and the king both at once, was content to accept of the Bishopricke of Worcester which the other left. This Walter had béene a Courtier a long time, Chap­leyne first vnto Edward the first, and Parson of Wimberton, then by Edward the second (whose Schoolemaster some say hée was) made Treasurer and Chancelour of England, and pre­ferred to the Bishopricke of Worcester the yéere 1308. The buls of his translation were pubished in Bowe Church Ia­nuary 4. 1313. He receiued his pall February 17. following. and was installed with great pompe and solemnity Aprill 19. in the presence of the king the Quéene and many Nobles. The first thing he did after his comming to Canterbury was to take order by giuing pensions and diuers summes of money at Rome, that appeales made from him to the Court there should find no fauourable intertainment. Hée procured also eight seuerall Buls, containing so many great and extraordi­nary priuiledges. The first gaue him authority of visiting all his prouince, so as hee should haue procurations euery where, [Page 130] and yet his charges borne; The second, to visite monasteri [...], and all other exempt places; The third, to absolue and restore to their former state two hundred Cleargy men that had in­curred irregularity; The fourth, to dispense with the Mino­ritie of a hundred Clearks, and enable them to take spirituall liuings; The fifth, to absolue a hundred of such as by striking any Cleargy man had fallen into the danger of excommuni­cation; The sixth to grant for [...]y pluralities; The seuenth, to require the gift of any one dignity or spiritual promotion in a­ny Church or Colledge where he should visite; The eighth, to grant pardon of a hundred daies in any place where hee should visite, preach, giue almes, or kéepe hospitality. Béeing thus ar­med, hee performed his visitation; trauelling himselfe in the same till by the Barons wars hee was hindered, and sent for vnto the Court by the king. That warre beeing ended, and execution done vpon diuers of the nobles that had rebelled: A­dam Tarlton Bishop of Hereford was apprehended & brought to the barre to be arraigned for the like fault. All the Bishops of England almost were then at London. The Archbishops of Canterbury, Yorke, and Dublin hearing of it, in great hast hied them thither, and hauing their crosses borne before them, entred the court, by violence tooke the prisoner from the barre; and carried him away with them. Much adoo there was about this matter a good while: and the stirre was not quite ended when the Queene rising against her husband, and setting vp her sonne to challenge the kingdome, at last procured him to be deposed. This our Archbishop then shewed himselfe a very weake man: He was content a while outwardly to stand with the King (as beside the common duty of a subiect, he was bound to doe by benefits receiued infinite) but first vnderhand hee ai­ded the Quéene with great summes of money; and at last vt­terly forsooke him, his lawfull prince, his master, his patrone that had aduanced him by so many degrées vnto an estate so honorable. It pleased God, that vnthankfull timorousnesse should be his destruction: By the Quéene aforesaid (of whom he stood so greatly in awe) hee was commaunded to consecrate one Iames Barkley elected Bishop of Excester. Hee did so, but for his labour was so threatned, taunted, and reuiled by the Pope, that said he had reserued the gift of that Bishoprike vn­to [Page 131] himselfe, as for gréefe and anger together he died, when he had sate Archbishop 13. yéeres, 9. moneths, and thrée wéekes. He was buried in the south wall of Christs church in Canter­bury néere the Quier, where his tombe is yet to be seen, with an inscription which I haue reade long since, but I thinke is now defaced. This man was but meanely learned, yet very wise and of good gouernment, except when for feare and want of courage he neglected his dutie. He gaue vnto his Couent the Manour of Caldcote, and the wood of Thorlehot.

51 Simon Mepham.

SImon Mepham Doctor of Diuinity, 1327. Edw. 3.1. Canon of Chichester, Prebendary of Landaff, and Parson of Tunstal, a Kentish man borne, brought vp in Merton Colledge there, one very well learned (as learning went in those daies) was then elected by the monks, approoued by the king, & affoorded consecration by the Pope at Auinion the yéere 1327. The first thing he did at his returne home was, that he excommunicated all the au­thors of the death of Walter Stapleton Bishop of Excester, as they had well deserued. Soone after, hee began to wrangle with his monkes of Canterbury about certaine land: They complained them vnto the Pope, who sent a Nuncio to Can­terbury to heare and determine of this controuersie. Hee con­demned the Archbishop in seuen hundred pound charges. Af­ter this, he began to visit his Prouince in like sort as his prede­cessors had done before him. The thē Bishop of Excester Iohn Graundson resisted him (for what cause I finde not) appealed to Rome, and would not suffer him so much as to enter into his Cathedrall Church, much lesse to visit in the same. These two repulses he took so tenderly, as beeing yet scarcely retur­ned home, hee fell sicke and died, October 12. 1333. at Mag­field. His body was conueighed to Canterbury, and laied in a marble tombe vpon the North side of Saint Anselms chappel. He sate Archbishop fiue yéeres and somewhat more.

52. Iohn Stratford.

1333. Edw. 3.8.THe Pope (who now tooke vpon him to dispose of all Bishoprickes at his pleasure) was content at the Kings request to nominate vnto Canterbury (Uoide by the death of Simon Mepham) Iohn Stratford Bishop of Winchester. This Iohn Straford hauing long and to good purpose stu­died the Canon and ciuill Law, was called to the Archdea­conry of Lincolne. Being famous for his learning and good gouernment of that iurisdiction, Walter the Archbishoppe made him his principall Official and Deane of the Arches, and king Edward the second shortly after that, appointed him Secretary, and so one of his priuy counsell. It chaunced hee was Embassadour vnto the Pope at what time the Bishop of Winchester died; and hée at the request of Walter the Archbishop bestowed that Bishoprickke vnto this Iohn Strat­ford then present with him. This was done without the kings priuity, who desired to haue preferred vnto that place Robert Baldock his Chauncellor. Therefore taking it very ill, that either the one should giue, or the other dare to take it without his knowledge; hée was content to giue eare vnto Robert Baldock who plotted many deuises, a while how to keepe him from it, and after how to make him weary of it. Hee was consecrate vpon the Sunday called then Multae tri­bulat iustorum, which he thought boaded vnto him, how in the whole course of his life he should finde nothing but continuall trouble. It fell out according to that omino [...]s conceipt. Ne­uer I thinke any Archbishop, either before or after him, giuing so little cause, & doing his indeuour to please, was more encom­bred with vn [...]eserued and often crosses. Hee had no sooner set foote into this Bishopricke of Winchester, but the king (who at that time was altogether ruled by the saide Robert Bal­docke) caused all his goods to be seased, and his liuings to bée sequestred to his vse. Moreouer, hée caused him to bee summo­ned by a certaine strange kinde of writs to appeare I know not where; and when for feare hee was faine to hide himselfe, proclamation was made that no man should dare to harbour him, or giue him any kind of entertainement by meate, lodg­ing, [Page 133] or otherwise. Hauing endured these miseries the space of a yéere, he intreated the Archbishop to bee an intercessour vnto the King for him; who relating vnto him how dishonou­rable a thing it was for him to persecute a true subiect so terribly, both for an other mans fault, and an other mans pleasure too; hée was soone wonne to receiue the poore Bishop to his grace, and laid all the blame of that iniury vpon Ro­bert Baldock. Being thus restored, he grew dayly more and more into the kings fauour, whom he serued both diligently and faithfully to the last hower. When all other forsooke him, euen Walter the Archbishop of whom hée had deserued so notably; this good Bishop would neuer bee allured vnto the contrary part by any meanes; in so much as, the Quéene and Roger Mortimer began to deuise how they might make him away. This he being certified of, hid himselfe, and was faine so to hold him selfe close a long time. In the ende, the king beeing dead, and all his fauourites or partakers either executed, or otherwise consumed; the Quéene and her sonne king Edward the third, well knowing they had nothing to lay against this man, but that hee was true and loyall to his Prince; they were content not onely to receiue him to their fauour, but also to make him Lord Chauncellor of England. Simon Mepham the Archbishop béeing then dead soone after, the king was also content to write earnestly vnto the Pope to preferre him vnto that Sée of Canterbury. Hée did so (as before I haue said.) And the monkes to make a vertue of ne­cessity, they forsooth elected him also. About this time it hap­pened that King Edward the third began to lay claime vnto the crowne of France; and passing the seas with a great pow­er to iustifie his claime [...] hée thought good to commit the go­uernment of the realme héere at home vnto the Archbishop. He beside other general promises of faithfulnes and diligence, in the charge deliuered vnto him, assured the King hee should want no money to expend in this exploit; whereunto all kind of people shewed themselues so willing to yéelde what helpe they possibly might, as he tooke vpon him to discerne, the king might command of them euen what he list. He was not decei­ued in this coniecture: For no sooner was the King ouer the seas, but infinit sums of mony were collected with the [Page 134] very good liking of all people. This mony (which men thought would haue maintained the charge of that war 2. or 3. yeares) the king being yoong and so easie to be either mistaken or decei­ued, was spent in lesse then one yéere. The Archbishop mar­uelling thereat, aduised the king by letters, to remooue from him such as had had the disposing of his treasure; for that with­out imbesilling and falsehood, it was impossible so much money should be so soone consumed. The king on the other side, he put the Archbishop in minde of his promise, & called vpon him con­tinually for more money. Hee well knowing how hard it would bée to collect any reasonable summe so soone after so liberall contribution as had béene lately yéelded; fell to per­swading the king to accept reasonable conditions, which hée heard the French King had offered him, and to come home. The king either was or seemed to be exceeding angry with this motion: yet knowing there was no remedy but hee must get him home, his mony being now spent, and his credit amongest the vsurers stretched to the highest pin; he told his souldiers on the one side that the Archb. had betraied him vnto the French king, who no doubt had hired him to detaine their pay in his hands; & on the other side made his creditors beléeue that the Archb. had taken vpō him the discharge of al his debt, as hauing now gathered money sufficient for that purpose. So the dis­contentment of these people being either allaied, or cast vpon the Archbishop; it was deuised, that for the further countenāce of this plot, the king should step ouer into England sodainely, and cast into prison the Archbishop, together with the Bishop of Chichester the Chancelor, and the Bishop of Litchfield the Treasurer. To London he came secretly in a night, caught the two Bishops, and sent them to the Tower; but the Archbi­shop by méere chaunce was gone from Lambhith else whether the day before, and hauing some inkling afterwards, of that was meant vnto him, got him to Canterbury and there stood vpon his guard. A knight was sent vnto him to require him to make present payment of a certaine huge sum of money which the king said hee had taken vp of outlandish merchants vppon his (the Archbishops) credit, or else to get him ouer the seas im­mediately vnto them, and to yéelde them his body till the debt were satisfied, for that so the King had vndertaken hee should, [Page 135] being an [...]ated thereunto by his owne promise. Soone af­ter, there came certaine messengers from the Duke of Bra­bant desiring to speake with the Archbishop, and when hée re­fused to confer with them, cited him by writings to make pai­ment of certaine great sums of money which they alleaged he ought to the Duke for money the king of England had recei­ued. This Citation they fixed vpon the high crosse at Canter­bury with many ceremonies. Now the Archbishop perceiuing what a terrible tempest was growing toward him (for he was charged not only with the debt of many thousand pounds more then ouer he should be able to make, but with horrible treason, that might not onely take away his life, but make him odious in his life time, and infamous for euer with all posterity) [...] He wrote many letters vnto the king, wherein hee purged him­selfe most cléerely of whatsoeuer was obiected, and prayed him not to command his repaire vnto his presence, vntill a parlia­ment were assembled; wherein, if hee were to be charged with any crime, he vowed to offer himselfe vnto iustice. Understan­ding then that the king had written diuers discourses against him vnto the Bishop of London, the couent of Canterbury and others, to the intent they might be publike; for defence of his credit, hee thought it requisite to make his Apology in the pul­pit, which he did, taking this for his text, Non pertimuit Prin­cipem, & potentia nemo vicit illum, &c. Eccles. 48. At last a Parliament was summoned, whereunto vpon safe conduct he came. He was not suffered to come into the parliament house before hee had answered to certaine crimes obiected against him in the court of the Exchequer. He went thither, and recei­uing a copy of the articles, promised to make answere vnto them. The next day comming againe vnto the parliament, he was once more forbidden entrance. A great number of people flocking about him in the meane time, hee tould them how hée had béene summoned to the parliament, wherof he was a prin­cipal member; and now being come, was kept out by violence. But saith he (taking his crosse into his owne hand) I will not hence till I either bee suffered to come in or heare some cause alleaged why I should not. While he stood there, some of the company began to reuile him and to tell him hee had betraied the realme, &c. Unto whom he answered thus, The curse of [Page 136] of almighty God (quoth he) and of his blessed mother, & min [...] also, be vpon the heads of them that inform the king so, Amen, Amen. In the mean time certaine noble men chanced to come out, whom he besought to request the King in his behalfe. By their meanes he was at last admitted into the house, and being charged with diuers hainous crimes, offered to purge himselfe of them; and if, they might be proued, to submit himselfe vnto iustice. Twelue men were chosen to examine this matter, viz. 4. prelates, the Bishops of London, Bath, Hereford & Exceter; 4. Ea [...]les, Arundell, Salisbury, Huntington & Suffolk; & lastly 4. Barons. Henry Percy, Thomas Wake, Ralfe Basset, and Ralfe Neuill. Al this was but to make the Archbi. odious with the common people: A fault was committed; and the king wil­ling the blame thereof should lye any where rather then vp­on himselfe, made all this ado to bleare the peoples eyes. The matter neuer came to the hearing of these nobles: but was so handled, that the Archbishop vpon great sute and intreaty of in a maner the whole parliament, must bée pardoned all that was past, and receiued to fauour againe. After this, hée liued certaine yeeres quietly. Hauing béene Archbishop about 15. yéeres, he fell sicke at Magfield, and making his will (wherein he gaue all he had vnto his seruants) died there. He was buti­ed in a goodly tombe of Alabaster on the south side of the high altar beside the steps of S. Dunstanes altar. Hee was a very gentle and mercifull man, rather too remisse then any way ri­gorous vnto offenders. His manner was thrise euery day to giue almes to 13. poore people; in the morning pence a péece; at 9. a clocke, bread, meat and pottage, and at noone againe e­uery one a loafe and a peny. He gaue vnto his Church of Can­terbury a very sumptuous miter and certaine bookes. He assig­ned also vnto the same a pension of fiue pound out of the parso­nages of Boughton and Preston appropriated vnto the Ab­ [...]ey of Feuersham: Lastly he founded a faire College at Strat­ford vpon Auon where hée was borne, and endowed the same largely, so that at the suppression it was valued in yearely re­uenues at 123. pound 11. shillings 9. pence.

53. Tho. Bradwar [...]in.

THe Pope at this time had so farre incroched vpon vs here in England, Edw. 3.23. 1348. as he would seldome or neuer suffer any orderly election to take place, but bestow all Bi­shoprickes where it pleased him. The King ( Edward the third) much discontented herewith, writ vnto him, very ear­nestly praying him, to forbeare his prouisions and reserua­tions, wherby he robbed patrones of their right and chapters of their elections: telling him, that the disposition of Bishop­rickes belonged of olde vnto the king onely, that his proge­nitors at the sute of diuers Popes had giuen that their au­thority vnto Chapters; which if they vsed not, he assured him selfe, it deuolued againe vnto the first granter, which was the king. The copy of this letter is to bée séene in Thomas Walsingham and other. After the receit of this letter, the Pope would seldome or neuer take vpon him to giue any Bishopricke, but vnto such as the King made request for. But so, betwéene the King and the Pope, elections were al­together deluded, and made frustrate. And therfore Stratford being dead, wheras the Couent made choice of one Thomas Bradwardin to succéede him, the king writing somewhat ear­nestly to the Pope in fauour of Iohn Vfford, he was by and by pronounced Archbishop by the Popes Oracle, & the other vtterly reiected. This Iohn Vfford was sonne vnto the Earl of Suffolke, brought vp in Cambridge, and made Doctor of Law there (saith Mathew Paker, howbeit it appeareth, that one Iohn Offord tooke that degrée at Oxford about these times) promoted first vnto the Deanery of Lincolne, then to the Chancellorshippe of England, and lastly the Arch­bishopricke. He neuer receiued eyther his pall, or consecra­tion: Hauing expected the same the space of sixe monethes, he died in the time of that great plague, that (as Walsin­gham reporteth) consumed nine parts of the men through England, (scarce leauing a tenth aliue) Iune, the seuenth, 1548. His body without any pompe or wonted so­lemnity, was carried to Canterbury, and there secret­lie buried by the North Wall, beside the wall of Thomas [Page 138] Becket, at that place (if I mistake not) where we sée an olde woodden tombe néere to the toombe of Bishop Warham. He beganne to builde the Archbishops pallace at Maidstone, but died before he could bring it to any perfection. Now the fore­said Iohn Vfford being sodainely taken away, as before is declared, the Couent of Canterbury once more chose him the said Bradwardin, the King very willingly allowed of their choice; and the Pope hauing not yet heard of this their se­cond election, of his own accord before any request made cast vpon him this dignity. Hardly shall you finde any Archbi­shoppe in any age to haue attained his place in better sort. He was consecrate at Auinion by one Bertrand a Cardinall in the Church of the Frier minors there. That Ceremony once performed, he hasted him home into England; where first do­ing his duety to the King, hee receiued of him immediately his temporalties with all fauour. From the Court he depar­ted to Lambhith to rest himselfe after his long iourney. Ly­ing there a while with the Bishoppe of Rochester, he fell sick and within fiue wéekes and fower dayes after his consecrati­on died, so that he was neuer inthronized at all. He was bu­ried in the Chappel of Saint Anselme toward the south wall. This man was borne at Hatfield in Sussex, and brought vp in the Uniuersity of Oxford, where hauing trauelled a long time in the study of good learning, he became one of the Pro­ctors, the yeare 1325. and afterward procéeded Doctor of Di­uinity. He was a good Mathematitian, a great Philoso­pher, and so excellent a Diuine, as he is commonly enstyled Doctor prosundus; which title that hee well inough deser­ued, diuers works of his not yet perished doe testifie. But a­boue all he is especially to be commended for his sincerity of life and conuersation. Iohn Stratford the Archbishoppe in re­gard of these vertues commended him vnto that noble prince K. Edward the third, for his Confessor. In that office he beha­ued himself so, as he deserueth eternall memory for the same. He was wont to reprehend the King with great boldnes for such things as he saw amisse in him. In that long and paine­full warre which the king had in France, he neuer would bee from him, but admonished him often secretly, and all his ar­my in learned and most eloquent sermons publikely, to take [Page 139] héede they waxed not proud and insolent because of the ma­nifold victories God had sent them; but to be thankfull vnto him for them, and to haue a care to vse them moderatelie. Some there be that haue not doubted to ascribe that notable conquest rather to the vertue and holinesse of this man, the [...] to any other meanes eyther of prowesie or wisdome in other instruments of the same. Hee that might haue obtained of the king any preferment be would haue craued, was so farre from ambitious desire of promotion, as it was long before hée could bee perswaded to take a Prebend of Lincolne, when it was offered him, being before that Chancellor of Paules in London. It is certaine also that hee was elected vnto the Archbishopricke without his owne séeking, & might easily haue made the king for him, if he had endeauoured it. When some men maruelled that the king should refuse him, and preferre any other before him; he answered he could very ill spare him, and he perceiued not hee was desirous to be spared.

54 Simon Islip.

SImon Islip brought vp in Merton Colledge in Oxforde, being Doctor of law, became Canon of Paules, 1349. Edw. 3.24. then Deane of the Arches; after that was chosen to be of the Pri­uy Councell of King Edward the third, first in the place of Secretary, and then kéeper to the Priuy Seale. Iohn Strat­forde lying vppon his death bedde, foretolde hee should be Archbishoppe. It came to passe, within two yéeres after his death, though two other were serued before him. The Monks with the kings very good liking those him, and the Pope would not refuse him: yet being loath to ratifie the Monkes election, he reiected the same, and ex plenitudine potestatis bestowed the Archbishopricke vpon him. His buls were published in Bow Church, October, 4. 1349. and in the moneth of December following, hee was consecrate by the Bishop of London in Paules Church. Hee was inthronized secretly to saue charge. For he was a very frugal and sparing man, neuer estéeming pompe or outward brauery any thing at all. He was also very seuere. When he first visited his [Page 140] owne Dioces, he depriued many clergy men of their liuings. He passed thorough the Diocesses of Rochester & Chichester without kéeping any great adoo: So that euery one made ac­count he was content to winke at the faults he espied. But they [...]ound it otherwise. For he afterward called home vnto him the offenders, and there dealt so with them, as all men might assure themselues he would proue a very austere man in his gouernment. Iohn Synwel Bishop of Lincolne, stan­ding in doubt of this asperity of his, with great cost procured a priuiledge from Rome to exempt himselfe from his autho­rity and iurisdiction. But the Archbishop caused the same af­terward to be reuoked. The Uniuersity of Oxford had pre­sented vnto him the said Bishoppe of Lincolne (vnto whose iurisdiction Oxford then appertained) one William Palmo­ri [...] for their Chancellour, and prayed him to admit him. The Bishoppe (I know not for what cause) delayed his admission from time to time, and enforced the Uniuersity to complain of this hard dealing vnto the Archbishoppe. He presently set downe a day wherein hee enioyned the Bishoppe to admit this Chancellour, or else to render a reason of his refusall. At the time appointed, the Proctors of the Uniuersity were ready together with this William Palmorie to demaund ad­mission: And when the Bishop of Lincolne came not (tru­sting belike to his priuiledge aforesaide) the Archbishoppe caused his Chancellour Iohn Carlton Deane of Wels to admit him, writte to the Uniuersity to receiue him, and cited the Bishoppe to answere before him for his contempt. Hée appealed to the Pope, would not come, and for his contumacy was interdicted. Much money was spent in this su [...] afterwards at Rome. The end was, that the Arch­bishoppe preuailed, and the others priuiledge was by speciall order of the Pope revoked; who also granted vnto the U­niuersity at the same time, that the Chancellour hereafter should onely bee elected by the schollers themselues, and so presently authorized to gouerne them without the admissi­on of any other. This conquest thus atchieued, hee entred [...]e: into another combate in the same sand, I mean at Rome. Hee sued Andrew Vfford Archdeacon of Middlesex, the ad­ministrator of Iohn Vfford his predecessor, for [...]ilapidati­o [...], [Page 141] and recouered of him 1101. l. fiftéen shillinges two pence halfe penny farthing. That money he imployed in repayring the pallace at Canterbury. He pulled downe the manner house at Wrotham, and imployed the stones & tim­ber of the same in ending the building that Iohn Vfford his predecessor aforesaid had begun at Maidstone. Toward this and other charges he obtained of the Pope leaue to craue a contribution of foure pence out of euery Marke from all the Clergy of his Prouince. But his officers (whether of pur­pose, or peraduenture mistaking) demaunded and had a whole tenth. All this was within a yeáre or two of his first comming to the Archbishopricke; at which time also in a Parliament held at Westminster, the yéere 1350. the olde controuersie betwéene him and the Archbishoppe of Yorke, about hearing vp his Crosse in the Prouince of Canter­bury beganne to be renewed, was compromitted vnto the hearing and iudgement of the king, who set downe a finall order for the same, viz. that the Archbishoppe of Yorke, should beare his Crosse in the others Prouince, yeelding all préeminence otherwise vnto Canterbury, but that in token of subiection, euery Archbishoppe at his entrance should of­fer an image of golde to the value of forty pound, at the shrine of Saint Thomas, the same to bee sent by some Knight or Doctor of the Law within the space of two mo­nethes after his inthronization. Amongst the rest of his actions, I may not in any wise forget his Colledge of Can­terbury, (which is now become a parcell of Christ Church in Oxford). Hee built it and endowed it with goo [...] possessi­ons, appropriating vnto the same the parsonages of Pag­ham and Magfield. He graunted also vnto the Couent of Canterbury the Churches of Monkton and Estrey. It is worthy remembrance likewise, that when a certain Coun­tesse of Kent after the Earle her husbands death had profes­sed her selfe a Nunne, and hauing liued so certaine yéeres, suddenly married a certaine Knight named Eustace Abri­court contrary to her vow, and that secretly without asking of banes or dispensation; hee punished them seuerely for it, but suffered them to liue still together, and seuered them not. Amongst many good déedes, hee is blamed for [...]el­ling [Page 142] vnto the Earle of Arundell the right which hee had vn­to sixe and twenty Déere yéerely out of certaine groundes of his. Hée had for them onely two hundred and fortie Marks. After hée had béene Archbishop sixetéene years, foure monethes and twelue dayes, he died April 26. 1366. Riding to Magfield, his horse chaunced to cast him into a meiry poole. Wet as hée was, he fell asleepe at his comming thither, and waking found himselfe in a pals [...]e, whereof within a few dayes after he died. He bequeathed vnto his church of Can­terbury a thousand sheep, his vestments which were all cloth of golde, a very sumptuous coape and much plate, viz. 6. do­zen of siluer dishes, sixe saltes, and foure goodly Basons all enchased with his Armes. He lyeth buried in the middle of the body of his Church of Canterbury, vnder a faire toombe of Marble inlaid with brasse, whereon is engrauen this E­pitaph.

Hée tooke order to be buried obscurely, desiring therein (as in all other things) to auoide superfluous expence what hee might, and not estéeming outward pompe.

55 Simon Langham.

AFter the decease of Simon Islip, 1366. Edw. 3.41. the Monkes of Canter­bury chose William Edindon Bishoppe of Winchester for Archbishop, who refused the place, vsing (as the report goeth) this spéech: Canterbury is the higher racke, but Winchester is the better manger. The Pope then with the Kinges good liking, remooued to Canterbury Simon Langham Bishop of Ely and Treasurer of England. He was first a Monke of Westm. then Prior, and lastly Abbot there. Thence he was elected Bishop of London; but before he was consecrate thereunto, obtained Ely, where he continued fiue yéeres. He receiued his pall by the handes of the Bishop of Bathe, in Saint Nicholas Chappell at Westminster, No­uemb. 4. 1366. and was enthronized the Lady day following. He was Archbishop but a little while, viz. two yéeres or little more, and therefore did not many things very memorable. There was a great strife betwéene the Londoners and their Clergy about tything, which he thus composed; he tooke or­der that they should pay, their offrings, personall tithes, and then also for the rest a farthing of euery 10. s. rent. From Canterbury Colledge (which his predecessor had founded) he sequestred the fruites of the benefice of Pagham, and other­wise molested the schollers there, intending to displace them all, and to put in Monkes; which in the end hée brought to passe. Iohn Wickliffe was one of them that were so displaced, and had withstoode the Archbishop in this businesse with might and maine. By the Popes fauour and the Archbishops power, the Monks ouerbore Wickliffe and his fellowes. If then VVickliffe were angry with Pope, Archbishoppe, monks, and all, you cannot maruell. But to returne to our Archbishop, he sate here onely two yeares. For béeing made Cardinall of Saint Sixtus by Pope Vrban the fi [...]t, Septem­ber 21. 1368. he left his Archbishopricke and went to Auini­on; where shortly after he was made Bishoppe Cardinall of Preneste by Gregory the eleuenth, & held diuers liuings in Commendam, as the Archdeaconry and Treasurership of Wels with other. He liued there in great estimation about [Page 144] eight yéeres, and died Iuly 22. 1376. of the same disease his predecessor had done, viz. a palsie, wherewith hee was sud­denly taken as he sate at dinner. He was buried first in the Church of the Carthusians (whose house he had founded) at Auinion: but after thrée yeares, his bones (by his owne ap­pointment while he liued) were taken vp, & buried a second time at Westminster, in a goodly toombe of alabaster. It is scarce credible that is reported of his wonderfull bounty and liberality to that Monastery, I meane Westminster. When he was first made Abbot, hee bestowed all that he had gathe­red together being Monke and Prior, in paying the debt of the house, which was to the value of two thousand and two hundred marks: he discharged it euery whit, and diuers o­ther summes of money also, that particular Monks did owe: whom he tendred and cherished as his owne children, neuer taking any thing from them, but rather augmenting their portions out of that which was due to himselfe. Beeing Chancellour and Treasurer, he purchased diuers good peeces of land and gaue it vnto them. When hee went out of Eng­land, he left them books to the value of 830. pound, and copes, vestments, &c. estéemed worth 437. pound. At his death hée bequeathed vnto them all his plate, prised at 2700. pound, & all his debts any where due; they amounted vnto 3954. l. thritéen shillinge and foure pence. He also sent vnto the saide Monastery the summe of one thousand markes to buy [...]orty markes a yéere land, to increase the portions of foure monks that dayly should say Masse for the soules of himselfe and his parents. To say nothing of the Monastery which he built for the Carthusians at Auinion, the money that he bestowed on­ly vpon the Abbey of Westminster one way or other, is rec­koned by a Monke of the same to bee no lesse than 10800. l. They caused this Epitaph to be engrauen vpon his toombe,

William Wittlesey.

SImon Islip was vncle vnto a young man named William Wittlesey, 1368 Edw. 3.43. whom he caused carefully to bee brought vp, & directed vnto the study of the Canon law. Hauing at Oxford procéeded Doctor in that faculty, his vncle (that now was be­come Archb.) sent him to Rome, that there he might both so­licite all his causes, and also get experience by séeing the pra­ctise of that Court. After he had stayed there a while, hée was called home and preferred by his vncle aforesaid, vnto the place of vicar generall, then to the Deanry of the Arches, the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, the Parsonages of Croydon & Clyff, and lastly, the Bishopricke of Rochester. From Ro­chester he was remoued to Worcester, (his vncle yet liuing and ioying much in this his aduancement) the yéere, 1363. From thence some say he was translated to London; but that I take to be mistaken. Simō Sudbury was Bishop of London before he came to Worcester, and so continued till that after his death he succéeded him in Canterbury. Thither this man was aduanced by the Popes onely authority presently after Simon Langham was made Cardinal, viz. the yéer 1368. At two seuerall synods hée preached in Latine very learnedlie; The latter of those sermons he could hardly end for sicknesse, wherewith he had béen so much troubled before, as for two yéers space he was faine to kéepe his chamber almost altoge­ther. Not being able to resist the force of this tedious wea­ring disease any longer, he paid the debt of his mortality. Oc­tob. 11. (or as T. Walsingham hath Iul. 5) 1374. hauing con­tinued in this sée almost 7. yéers. He was buried ouer against his vncle betwéen two pillers, vnder a faire marble toomb in­laide [Page 146] with brasse, which is lately defaced by tearing out the brasse; I remember that some sixetéen yéeres since I read the Epitaph engrauen vpon the same. This man procured the U­niuersity of Oxford to be exempt from the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Lincolne, and all authority of gouerning the same to be committed vnto the Chancellour and Proctors.

57 Simon Sudbury.

1375. Edw. 3.50.PResently after the death of William Wittlesey, the Monkes of Canterbury elected for their Arcbishop a cer­taine Cardinall that was an Englishman born, but through­ly Italianate, hauing lead his life in a manner altogether at Rome. I take it his name was Adam Easton. The King with this choice of theirs was so gréeuously offended, as hée determined to banish them (the Monks I meane) out of the Realme, and to confiscate their goods. Gregory the 11. that then was Pope, though he fauoured his Cardinall, to shielde the poore Monkes from the danger of such a tempest, was content to refuse this election, and to bestow the Archbishop­ricke by way of prouision vpon Simon Sudbury Bishoppe of London, whom he knew the King liked well inough. This Simon was the son of a Gentleman, named Nigellus Tibold, so that his true name was Simon Tibold: But he was borne at Sudbury a towne of Suffolke in the parish of S. George, and of that towne tooke his name, according to the manner of many Clergy men in those dayes. Hee was alwaies brought vp at schoole, and being yet very yong, was sent by his father beyond the seas to study the canon law, and hauing procée­ded Doctor of that faculty, became houshold Chapleine vnto Pope Innocent, and one of the Iudges or Auditors of his Rota. The said Pope by way of prouision thrust him first in­to the Chancellorship of Salisbury, and then afterward [...] viz. the yéere, 1364. into the Bishopricke of London. He receiued the bulles of his translation thence, Iune 6. 1375. Two Sy­nods or Conuocations were held in his time, at both which he preached in Latine in his own person. Sir yéers one month and ten dayes he gouerned the Sée of Canterbury laudably, and at last was most vnworthily slaine, or rather wickedly [Page 147] murthered by a company of villanous Rebels. By the insti­gation of one Iohn Bal a seditious malecontent & hypocritical preacher, the baser sort of the Commons arose in diuers parts of the realme, and intending to destroy all gentlemen, law­yers, cleargymen, and whosoeuer were of any account, ey­ther for their riches, linage or authority in the common welth came vp to London, appointing for their leaders, VVat Tyler, Iacke Straw, Iohn Lister, Robert Westbrom, &c. The king vnderstanding of their comming, sent vnto them to know the cause of their repaire in so great numbers. They answered, they were to impart vnto him certaine matters greatly importing the state of the common wealth; which if he would vnderstand, he should spéedily resort vnto them. The king hauing receiued this saucy answere, began to con­sult with his friends whether he were best to goe to them or not. The greater number perswaded him to goe. But the Archbishop and Sir Robert Hales Treasurer of England, disswaded him saying, it was a thing not onely indigne and shamefull for a Prince to be commanded by such rascals, but also dangerous vnto his person to commit himselfe to a route of seditious people, that hauing once broken the ba [...]ds of all duty and alleageance, feared no more to violate the sacred maiesty of their annointed prince then to wrong their neigh­bours of farre meaner condition, of whom they had alreadie slaine, spoiled and robbed an infinite number; for which cause they thought it more safe for the king, more honourable and euery way more expedient, to gather some power together spéedily, and to set vpon them; who béeing yet vnprouided of armour, destitute of good leaders, and without all skill or experience of warlike affaires, would soone hee dispersed and ouerthrowne. This spéech of theirs (I know no [...] by what tell-tales) was carried vnto the rebels, who sware by and by they would haue off the heads of these cruell counsellers. So in all haste to the Tower they came, where the Court then lay; requiring with great outcries the Archbishop, and the saide sir Robert Hales to be deliuered vnto them. The Arch­bishop hauing heard seme inckling of their intent the day be­fore, had spent all that night in prayer, and iust when they called for him, was saying of Masse in the Chappell of the [Page 148] Tower. That ended, and hearing of their comming; Let v [...] now goe (saith he vnto his men) Surely it is best to die, sée­ing to liue it can be no pleasure. With that, in came these murtherous rebels crying, where is the Traitor? where is the Traitor? He answered, I am the Archbishop (whom I thinke you seeke) but no Traitor. With great violence then they drew him out of the chappell and carried him to the Tower-hill. Séeing there nothing but swords, and weapons, and hearing nothing but Kill, kill, away with the Traitor; Yet hee was not so amazed, but with great eloquence hée could go about to perswade them not to imbrue their hands in the bloud of their Archbishop, their chiefe pastor, that had neuer offended them to his knowledge, nor deserued so cruell a death at their handes [...] assuring them, that all the Realme would bée interdicted for it, that the fact must needs be pu­nished first or last by the temporall law; & lastly that though both these failed, God the iust iudge would reuenge it either in this, or the world to come, if not both. He was a man ad­mirably wise, and exceeding well spoken. But these varlets were so eagerly bent, as the very songs of the Syrens would nothing haue moued them at all from their intended course. Seeing therefore nothing but death before his face, with a very chearefull countenance, and comfortable words, forgi­uing the executioner (that scarce euer requested him so to do) he knéeled downe and yéelded himselfe vnto their fury. Once he was stricken in the necke so weakly, as that notwithstan­ding, he knéeled still vpright, and putting his hand vp to the wound, he vsed these words, a ha, it is the hand of God. Hée had not remoued his hand from the place whē a second stroke cut off his fingers ends, and felled him to the ground. After much adoe, hauing hacked and hewen his necke with eight blowes, they got off his head. This horrible murther was committed vpon Friday, Iune 14. 1381. all which day, and a part of the next, his body lay there headlesse, no man daring to offer it buriall: as for his head, they nayled his hood vpon it, and so fixing it vpon a po [...]le, set it on London Bridge. Sir Robert Hales and a great many of others that day tasted of the same cup the Archbishop had done. Thus ended this no­ble Prelate his dayes, who though he were very wise, lear­ned, [Page 149] eloquent, liberall, mercifull, and for his age and place re­uerend, yet might it not deliuer him from the rage of this beast with many heads the multitude; then which being once incensed, there is no bruit beast more cruell, more outragi­ous, more vnreasonable. How this monstrous tumult was appeased at the last, and the Authors of the same punished, according to their demerites, the Chronicles at large declare. Onely this I thinke fit to remember, that one Iohn Starling who boasted to haue beheaded him, within few dayes after lost his owne head for the same, as he had well deserued. The body of this our Archbishop, after all st [...]rres ended, was carried to Canterbury, and there honourably enterred vp­on the South side of the Altar of S. Dunstan, a little aboue the toombe of Bishop Stratford. Being yet Bishop of London, he builded the vpper end of Saint Gregories church at Sud­bury; and in the place where his fathers house stoode, founded a goodly Colledge, which he furnished with secular Clearkes and other Ministers. At the time of the suppression thereof, it was valued at one hundred twenty two poundes eightéene shillings lands by the yéere. After his translation to Canter­bury, he built the West gate of the City, and all the wal from that gate vnto Norgate, commonly called [...]y the name of the long wal; A great worke, no lesse necessary and profitable vn­to the City, th [...]n costly and chargeable vnto the builder.

58 William Courtney.

SOone after the lamentable death of Simon Sudbury, 1138 Ric. 2.5. the Monkes of Canterbury elected for their Archbishoppe William Courtney Bishoppe of London, and the Pope knowing nothing of their election, about the same time be­stowed the Archbishopricke vpon him by way of prouision. Hée was the sonne of Hugh Courtney Earle of Deuonshire, in his youth studied the Canon Law, and no sooner entred into orders, but hee was quickly loaded with spirituall li­uing inough, as a Prebend in Wels, an other in Exceter, & a third in Yorke, beside benefices with cure in now. The yéer 1369. he was consecrate Bishop of Hereford, sate there fiue yéers & a halfe, and then remoued to London, at what time Si­mon [Page 150] Sudbury was made Archbishop. Thomas Walsingham addeth to these former honours, that the yéere 1378 hée was made Cardinal, concerning which matter sée London. The Bulles of his trantiation to Canterbury were published in Christ church there Ianuary 9. 1381. Hauing then recei­ued his temporalties of the King, and done his homage, he went to Lambhith. Thither came vnto him a Monke sent from the Couent and Prior of Canterbury, to deli­uer him his Crosse, which he did in the Chappell of Lamb­hith, vsing these wordes; Reuerend Father I am the mes­senger of the great King that doth require and commaund you to take on you the gouernement of his Church, to loue and defend the same. In token whereof I deliuer you this his ensigne. Soone after he receyued his Pall, and then be­ing throughly setled, beganne his Metropoliticall Uisitation, which he entended to performe in euery Dioces of his Pro­uince. Hauing passed quietly through Rochester, Chichester, Bathe and Worceter [...] at Exceter he found some resistance, as well as Simon Mepham his predecessor had done. After the time of his first inhibition, he prorogued diuers times the day of his visitation; and when he had sat [...], was not so hasty in graunting a relaxation of the inhibition as they would haue him. Hereby it came to passe that the Bishoppe and his Archdeacons were suspended from their iurisdiction longer, (as it séemed vnto them) then they ought, and not disposed to awaite the Archbishops pleasure any longer, rushed into their iurisdictions againe, his visitation nothing néere finished, commanding all men vpon paine of excommunication, to repaire vnto their wonted ordinaries for proofe of Wils, ad­ministrations, institutions, or any other such like occasions. This commandement published in many places of the Di­oces, the Archbishop pronounced to be void; and required all men in these and the like cases to repaire vnto him, and none other. Herupon the Bishop appealed to Rome, and the Arch­bishop cited diuers of the Bishoppes officers to appeare be­fore him. His Apparitor (named Peter Hill) had also in his bosome a citation for the Bishop himselfe. It happened that some of the Bishops followers, méeting this gentle Som­ner at Tapsham, beat him well & thristily, and after forced [Page 151] him to eate the citation, wax, paper and all. This fact was ve­ry preiudiciall to the Bishop of Exceters cause: For it incen­sed the king against him; insomuch as though a while hée did prosecute his appeale at Rome diligently, hee saw himselfe so ouerborne by the king, hee was like to doe no good at all, and therefore resolued to make his peace with the Archbishop vp­on reasonable conditions which he easily obtained. But they that had abused his Apparator, were put to terrible pennance in diuers parts of the realme, and were faine to perform the same. One William Byd a Doctor of the Arches had giuen counsell vnto the Bishop in this cause: for so doing hée was displaced, and vpon that occasion an oathe was ordained of this Archbishop, that euery Aduocate of that Court shoulde take at his admission. This Uisitation ended, the Archbishop proceeded to the Dioces of Salisbury, where hee likewise found some resistance The Bishop there had procured a pri­uiledge from Pope Boniface ( Vrban the 6 being lately dead) that it should not be lawfull for any Metropolitane to visite him or his Dioces by vertue of any authority granted from Pope Vrbane. The Archbishop (that was a great Lawyer) knew well inough he had power of himselfe, as béeing Me­tropolitane to visite without the Popes licence; and there­fore procéeded boldly (notwithstanding that vaine priuilege) & so canuased the Bishop with excommunications and eccle­siasticall censures, as he was faine to yéeld at last and cry pec­caui. Since that time our Archbishop [...] haue visited quietly all Diocesses of their Prouince without resistance. Towarde the latter end of his time hee procured a licence of the Pope to gather foure pence of the pound in all Ecclesiasticall pre­ferments within his Prouince. The Bishop of Lincolne re­fused to make this collection in his Dioces, and appealed vn­to the Pope. That appeale yet depending, the Archbishoppe died Iuly 31. 1396. at Maidstone, when he had sate 12. yéers lacking one moneth. The old worke at Maidstone first built by Boniface his predecessor for an hospitall, he pulled downe and building it after a more stately manner, translated it into a Colledge of secular Priests, which at the time of the sup­pression was valued at one hundred thirty nine pounds seuē shillings Axe pence by the yéer. The church of Mepham quite [Page 152] fallen downe, hee repaired againe and built certaine Almes houses neere it for the vse of poore people. In building and en­larging of his houses he bestowed much, especially vpon his Castle of S [...]ltwoo [...]. Toward t [...]e reparation of the body of his Church and Cloysters he gaue 1000. markes; Hee gaue also vnto the same Church a certaine image of siluer, waigh­ing one hundred and threscore pounds, two vestments, and thirtéene coapes of great value, besides a number of books. He lieth buried vpon the South side of Thomas Beckets shrine, at the f [...]et o [...] the Blacke Prince, in a goodly Toombe of A­labaster.

59. Thomas Arundel.

BY the Popes prouision Thomas Arundell Archbishoppe of Yorks was remooued to Canterbury about Christ­ [...]s a [...]er William Courtneyes death, & presently therupon [...] ouer his office of the Chancellorship of England. His [...] more published at Canterbury, Ianuary 11. Soon after [...] Crosse was deliuered vnto him at Westminster by Hen­ [...] the Prior of Canterbury with accustomed so­ [...] in the presence of the King and many nobles, Febr. [...] he receiued his pall, & the 19. of the same mo­ [...] [...]ronized at Canterbury with great pompe. He [...] vnto Robert Earle of Arundel and Warren first Bishop of Ely, then of Yorke. Sée more of him there. Scarce was he warme in his seate, when by the kings displeasure he was dispossessed of the same. In the second yéere of his tran­slation a Parliament was held at London. The King there accused the Duke of Glocester, the Earle of Arundell that was the Archbishops brother and diuers other of high trea­son. Now because Clergy men were forbidden by the Ca­nons to be present at any triall or iudgement vpon life and death; the matter being once proposed, all the Bishops de­parted the house as their maner was in like eases. The Arch­bishop being absent vpon this occasion, was condemned to­gether with his brother of high treason; for which his brother was presently executed, and hee commanded within fortie dayes to depart the realme vpon paine of death. Hée (thus [Page 153] banished) got him to Rome, and found such fauour with the Pope, as first he was content to write earnestly vnto the king for his restitution; and when he could doe no good that way, he translated him to the Archbishopricke of S. Andrews in Scot­land, intending to heape so much Ecclesiasticall liuing vpon him by benefices, &c. in England, as hee should be able to liue in state honourable inough. The king vnderstanding of his in­tent, writ a maruellous sharpe letter vnto the Pope; telling him plainely he must repute him for his enemy, if he yéelded a­ny manner of succour vnto him, whom hee knew well to hat [...] him deadly. That letter so wrought with the Pope, as after that time he neuer indeuoured to preferre him farther; & more­ouer, at the Kings request made Roger Walden (Deane of Yorke, and treasurer of England) Archbishop of Canterbury in his roome, who thereupon was consecrate, inthronised, held Synods and did all things belonging vnto that place the space of twoo yéeres. If happened in the meane time that the king ( Richard the second) was deposed; or at least inforced to re­signe his crowne vnto Henry Duke of Lancaster, that after possessed the same by the name of king Henry the fourth. Bo­niface the Pope vnderstanding then of the fal of king Richard pronounced the said Roger to be an intruder and vsurper of the Archbishopricke, and by his omnipotent buls restored Tho­mas Arundell vnto the same againe. As for Roger Walden that was now a Bishop without a Bishopricke (for Episcopa­tus is ordo, and so Character indelebilis) he liued in that state a while, till at last by the kind endeuour of the Archb. his cha­ritable aduersary, hee was promoted vnto the Bishopricke of London, which he enioyed but a short time, being taken away by death within one yéere after. About a twelue moneth after the Archb. restitution, a conuocatiō was held at London, whi­ther the K. sent the Earls of Northumberland and Westmer­land, that told the Cleargy they came from the King, but not of that errand that Courtiers were wont to bee sent for to that place; they came not for money, but onely to signifie the kings hearty and fauourable good wil vnto them, and to request their daily praiers for him and the good estate of the Realme. This new broome with swéeping so cleane at the first, was so worne out vnto the stumpes, in a yéere of two, as not conten [...]ed [Page 154] with a bare tenth, the next conuocation after, he was very an­gry that a more liberal allowance was not made vnto him; and began to hearken vnto the sacrilegious motions of certain im­pious politicians, that intending to cast the burthen of all sub­sidies and other kind of tributes vpon the Cleargy, letted not to say openly in the parliament house, how the laity was not able to yeeld any thing to the Kings coffers, for that the clear­gy had all the wealth of the land in their hands: And therefore the king must either take from them their temporalties, or else lay all the burthen vpon them that onely were able to beate it. The Archbishop (that was vndoubtedly a woorthy prelate, wise and very stout) rose vp and prooued by manifest argu­ments that the contributions of the Cleargy were after the proportion of their ability, much more liberall then the subsi­dies or other paiments of the temporalty in many respects. For (saith he) we pay the tenth of our liuings oftner then they pay fiftéenths, and though we serue not in the wars our selues, our seruants and tenants do; neither are we altogether idle, in as much as we pray daily for the king and the realme, as well in time of peace as warre. The prolocutor of the lower house of parliament at that time was a knight called Sir Iohn Clyen, that hauing béene a Cleargy man sometimes, without any dis­pensation forsooke the calling and became a soldier. This pro­phane Apostata was not ashamed to say, it was no matter for their praiers, so the king might haue their mony. I sée now (quoth the Archbishop) whither the fortune of this Realme tendeth, the prayers of the Church beeing despised, which should appease the wrath of God iustly kindled against vs by the daily monstrous iniquities of our age. Perceiuing then that the King (who at his first comming to the crowne had made many open and publike protestations of his loue to the Church, and his intent to defend and protect the same to the vtmost) that he I say began to hearken somewhat too patiently to these wicked motions; he turned him toward him, and ma­king low ob [...]isance, humbly besought him, it would please his maiesty to remember those gracious and most honourable spée­ches, wherin he had often signified his resolute determination of protecting the Church from all iniury, as also his oath taken to the same purpose at the time of his coronation, the daunger [Page 155] and dishonour of breaking the same; and lastly, that hee should feare to offend him by whom Kings raigne, and before whose tribunall all princes and monarchs neuer so great must one day come to be iudged. The King séemed to be somewhat mo­ued with these wordes, and desiring the Archbishop to take his place againe, well (quoth he) howsoeuer I doe otherwise I will leaue the Church in as good estate as I found it. The Archbishop then turning him about vnto the Proloquutor and certaine other knights of the lower house that accompani­ed him: You it was (saith he) and such as you are that perswa­ded the last king to take into his hande all such Celles in Eng­land as appertained vnto any religious houses of France or Normandy, assuring him it would so stuffe his coffers, as hée could not want in many yéeres after, and there is no question, but the land belonging to such celles was woorth an infinite summe of mony: Howbeit it is certaine and well inough knowne, that within one yéere after he had taken that course, he was not the value of halfe a marke the richer; and how he thriued afterward otherwise, I néede not tell you. After that time there were no other attempts against the Church in his daies. But the clergy were so terrified with that wauering doubtfulnesse of the king, as they durst not but graunt him a tenth euery yéere after; and though there were no other occa­sion, the Archbishop was faine to call a conuocation euen for that purpose. His end (being as some report it) was very mi­serable: his tongue swelled so big in his mouth, as he was able neither to eat, drink nor speak in many daies before his death, and died at last of hunger Febr. 20. 1413. when hee had sate one moneth aboue 17. yéeres. He [...] lieth buried on the North­side of the body of Christ church in Canterbury, at the West end whereof toward the North, hee built a faire spire ste [...]ple called to this day by the name of Arundell stéeple, and bestow­ed a goodly ring of fiue bels vpon the same; the first of them, he dedicated to the holy trinity; the second to the blessed Uirgin, the third to the Angell Gabriell; the fourth to Saint Blase, and the fift to Saint Iohn the Euangelist.

60. Henry Chichley.

1414. Hen. 5.3.AFter the death of Thomas Arundell, Henry Chichley Bishop of Saint Dauids was elected by the Couent of Canterbury to succeede him. Now though many Lawes had beene made against the Popes vsurped authority in bestow­ing Ecclesiasticall preferments by the way of prouision [...] Yet durst not this man consent vnto this election so made; but committed the matter vnto the Popes determination, who first pronounced the election of the monkes voide and then be­stowed the Archbishopricke vpon him. This Henry Chich­ley was borne Highamferrys in Northamptonshire, brought vp in New Colledge in Oxford (where he proceeded Doctor of Law) and first preferred vnto the Chancellorship of Salisbu­ry. Hauing béene imployed much in Embassages and other businesses of the king (wherein he euer behaued himselfe wise­ly and to the Kings great good liking) by his meanes hee was made first Bishop of S. Dauids, and then afterwards Archbi. by his sonne king Henry the fifth. He receiued his pall at the hands of the Bishop of Winchester, the 29. of Iuly. 1414. & bought of the king the fruits of the vacacy (which was halfe a yeere) for sixe hundred markes. The yéere 1428. hée was made the Popes Legate, but refused to exercise his power Legantin [...] further then hee was authorised thereunto by the King. Hée was a man happy (enioying alwaies his princes fauor, wealth, honour and all kinde of prosperity many yéeres) wise in gouer­ning his Sée laudably, bountiful in bestowing his goods to the behoofe of the common wealth, and lastly stout and [...]euers in due administration of iustice. For the towne of Highamferris where he was borne, he obtained and bestowed diuers impor­tant benefices, and in the same the yeare 1425. hee began at once the foundation of a goodly Colledge and a hospitall: the Colledge, for eight secular Priests fellowes, foure Clarkes, and sixe Queristers, which partly by him, partly by his execu­tors, to wit his two brethren, was so endowed, as at the time of the sac [...]ilegious suppressing of the same, it was valewed at 156. pound and two shillings by the yeare. The hospital was for poore people, endowed likewise liberally. Those two foun­dations [Page 157] finished, he began two other at Oxford; one called Bernard College suppressed by King Henry the eight, and renewed or newly founded by Sir Tho. White (who named it S. Iohns College) and All Soules College, which yet continueth in such state as he left the same, one of the fairest and séemliest of our Uniuersity. K. Henry the sixth gaue vnto that College at his request the lands of certaine priors aliens, to wit of 4. prio­ries, of Albervery in Shropshire, Rumney in Kent, Langue­nith in Southwales, and Wodon Pinkney in Northampton­shire. This Archbishop moreouer bestowed much money in repairing the library at Canterbury, and then replenished the same with a number of goodly bookes: Hee gaue vnto his Church many rich ornaments and iewels of great price, and built a great part of the Tower called Oxford Tower in the the said Church. William Molash Prior there (that I may take any occasion to record so good a déede) the yéere 1430. fur­nished that Tower with a goodly bell remaining there to this day and knowne by the name of Bell Dunstan. The Diame­ter of that Bell at the lowest brim is two yards and somewhat more. But to returne to Henry Chichley, no Archbishop e­uer enioyed that honor so long as he did in 500. yeeres before him. He sate 29. yéeres, and dying Aprill 12. 1443. was laide in a very faire toombe built by him selfe in his life-time, stan­ding vpon the North side of the Presbitery. On it I finde en­grauen this Epitaph,

Hic iacet Henr. Chicheley Ll. Doctor quondam Cancella­rius Sarum, qui anno septimo Henr. 4. Regis ad Gregorium Papam 12. in Ambassiata transmissus, in ciuitate Senensi per manus eiusdem Papae in Episcopum Meneuensem consecra­tus est. Hic etiam Henricus anno 2. Henr. 5. Regis, in hac san­cta ecclesia in Archiepiscopum postulatus & a Ioanne Papa 23. ad candem translatus, qui obijt anno. dom. 1443. mensis Apr. die 12.

61. Iohn Stafford.

1443 Hen. 6.22. EVgenius 4. the Pope, of his absolute authority translated then from Bath & Wels Iohn Stafford. Hee was son vnto the Earle of Stafford, borne at Hooke in Dorsetshire in the parish of Abbots-bury, and brought vp in Oxford, where also hée procéeded Doctor of Law. A while hee practised in the Arches, euen vntill Henry Chichley the Archbishop made him his Uicar generall there. By his fauour also he obtained the Deanry of Saint Martins in London, and the prebend of Milton in the Church of Lincoln. King Henry the fifth a lit­tle before his death began to fauour him much, found meanes to preferre him first to the Deanry of Wells; then a Prebend in the Church of Salisbury, and afterward made him one of his priuy Counsell, then keeper of the priuy seale, and in the end Treasurer of England. This renowmed King being ta­ken away by vntimely death, though hée found not his pas­sage so cleere, yet hée still went forward in the way of prefer­ment, and obtained of Pope Martin the fifth, the Bishop­ricke of Bath and Wels the yeer [...] 1425. Eightéene yéere hée continued in that Sée, and August 23. 1443. was remooued to Canterbury. In the meane time, viz. the yéere 1431. in February hée was made Chancellor of England, and held that office (which you shall hardly finde any other man to haue done) eighteene yeeres, euen vntill the yéere 1449. Waxing weary then of so painefull a place, hée resigned voluntarily the same. He sate Archbishop almost nine yeeres. Holding a con­uocation at London the yeere 1452. he fell sicke, and thereup­on departed to Maidstone, where shortly after hee died, viz. Iuly 6. Hée lieth buried at Canterbury in the place called the Martyrdome, vnder a flat marble stone, whereupon I find engrauen this Epitaph:

Sée more of this man in Bath and Wells.

62. Iohn Kemp.

THe funerall rites and exequies of Iohn Stafford béeing performed, 1452. Hen. 6.31. the monks with the kings licence procéeded to election of a new Archbishop, and made choice of Iohn Kemp Archbishop of Yorke, that had béene brought vp [...] at Oxford in Merton Colledge; there then the Pope would not allow of the monkes election, but yet not daring to put any other into the place, of his owne good nature hee bestowed it vpon the same man that they had chosen. He receiued his crosse September 24. 1452. at London, and his pall the next day at Fulham, by the hands of Thomas Kemp the Bishop of London his ne­phew. Decem. 11. following he was inthronized with great pompe and solemnity. This Archbishop was borne at Wye in Kent: Being Doctor of Law he was made first Archdeacon of Durham, then Deane of the Arches and Uicar generall vnto the Archbishop. The yéere 1418. he was consecrate Bishop of Rochester, remoued thence to Chichester 1422. from Chiche­ster to London the same yéere, and from London to Yorke 1425. Dec. 18. 1439. hee was made Cardinall of Saint Bal­bine, and afterwards being Archbishop of Canterbury was remooued to the title of S. Rufine. These his preferments one briefly expressed in this verse:

Hee continued not at Canterbury aboue a yéere and a halfe, but died a very olde man March 22. 1453. While hee was yet Archbishop of Yorke he conuerted the parish Church of Wye where he was borne into a colledge; in which he placed secular Priests to attend diuine seruice, and to teach the youth of the parish. Their gouernour was called a Prebendary. This col­ledge at the time of the suppression was valued at fowerscore and 13. pound two shillings by the yéere. His father and mo­ther lye buried in the said Church with this Epitaph,

This Archbishop was also a benefactor vnto our Uniuersi­ty of Oxford. Hee died very rich, and in his life time aduan­ced diuers of his kinred to great wealth; some to the dignity of knighthood, whose posterity continue yet of great worship and reputation. His body was buried in a séemely monument on the Southside of the Presbytery a little aboue the Archbishop [...] Sée. Of him read more in Yorke.

63. Thomas Bourchier.

1454. Hen. 6.33.ABout a fortnight after the death of Bishop Kemp the Couent of Canterbury made sute vnto the king ( Henrie the 6.) for licence to choose a new Archbishop. He granted the same absolutely, neuer making any kind of request or motion, for any man. Aprill 22. 1454. they elected Thomas Bourchier, Bishop of Ely. He was sonne vnto Henry Bourchier Earle of Essex, brought vp in Oxford (of which Uniuersitie he became Chauncellor anno 1434. and continued so thrée yeares) pre­ferred first to the Deanry of S. Martins, then to the Bishop­ricke of Worcester, from whence the yéere 1443. he was tran­slated to Ely. The Pope that now saw his prouisions were little regarded in England, was content to allow of the monks election, and confirmed the same by his buls which were pub­lished at Canterbury August 22. and Ianuary 26. following, he was e [...]thronized. Afterwards, to wit Sept. 18. 1464. the Pope bestowed a Cardinalls hat vpon him, which was broght vnto him by the Archbishop of Rauenna December 9. follow­ing. He continued Archbishop 32. yéeres, liued after the time of his first consecration 51. yéeres, and departed this worlde March 30. 1486. I [...]inde not that euer any English man con­tinued so long a Bishop; or that any Archbishop, either before [Page 161] or after him in 800. yéers enioyed that place so long. I mar­uell much that in all that while he neuer endeuoured to leaue behinde him some monument or other for preseruation of his memory. Of good déedes worth remembrance, I finde only this, that he gaue vnto the Uniuersity of Cam. 120. pound, which together with 100. pound héeretofore giuen by one Bellingforth are kept in the Congregation house, in a chest called the chest of Billingforth and Bowrser. He lieth buri­ed vpon the north side of the high altar in a reasonable faire marble tombe, bearing this inscription, Hic iacet reue­rendissimus pater & Dominus, D. Thomas Bourchier quondam sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae, S. Cyriaci [...]n Thermis Cardinalis & Archiepiscopus huius Ecclesiae, qui obijt 30. Die Martij 1486. cuius animae &c. Sée more of him in Ely.

64. Iohn Moorton.

IOhn Moorton was borne at Béere or Bery in Dorset­shire, 1487. Hen. 6.3. and brought vp a while in the Uniuersity of Oxford; where hauing spent some time in the study of the Ciuill and Canon law, he proceeded Doctor of that facultie, and then became an aduocate of the Arches. By reason of his practise there, the Archbishop his predecessor (Thomas Bouchier) got knowledge of his manifold good parts, his great learning in the law [...] his wisdome, discretion and other vertues; which he not only rewarded by preferring him to much good spirituall liuing, but also commended him vnto the king, who made him of his priuie Councell. In all those miseries and a [...]flicti­ons which that good king endured ( Henry the 6.) he euer stuck fast to him, & by no meanes would be drawne to forsake him when all the world in a manner betook them to his victorious aduersary. This so notable loyalty and faithfulnes king Ed­ward himselfe honored so much in him, as king Henry being dead, he neuer ceased to allure him to his seruice, and hauing woone him, sware him of his Councell, and trusted him with his greatest secrets; assuring himselfe belike, that he that had béene so faithfull vnto his aduersary in so great aduersity, [Page 162] would no doubt be as faithfull vnto him in the like case if oc­casion should serue. After many yéeres triall of him and di­uers other preferments whereunto he aduanced him, he pro­cured him to be elected vnto the Bishopricke of Ely, the yeere 1454. Not long after his consecration to that Sée, it hapned king Edward to die, who not reposing greater trust in any one then in this Bishop, made him one of his executors. The Duke of Yorke therefore his vnnaturall brother, intending by the destruction of his children to make a passage for him­selfe vnto the Crowne, and knowing how watchfull an eye this man carried ouer them, as also how impossible it was to corrupt him and draw him to be a partner in his wicked con­sort [...] accused him of many great and vnlikely treasons, for which he committed him to the Tower. The innocence of the man would not suffer him to lie there long: Not béeing able to stamp vpon him any probability of such matter as he laid to his charge, he tooke him thence & deliuered him to the kéeping of the Duke of Buckingham; who at that time lay for the most part at the Castle of Breknock in Wales. This Duke was the onely instrument of displacing the children of K. Edward from the crowne, & procured the same to be most vniustly set vpon the head of their wicked vnkle the Duke of Yorke before mentioned, who was appointed protectour of them & the realme, These lambs committed vnto the kéeping of such a wolfe, were soone deuoured, being not only despoy­led of the rule and gouernment of the kingdome which de­scended vnto them by inheritance, but of their liues also, which were violently taken from them, by smoothering the poore innocent children betwéene fether beds. Now whether it were the detestration of this abhominable murther (which the Duke of Buckingham pretended) or the vnthankfulnes of the tyrant, in not gratifying him according to his expecta­tion, (which is the opinion of most men) or the enuy of his so great adua [...]ncement, whereof he thought himselfe b [...]tter worthy (which also is like enough) certaine it is, that hée quickly be [...]an to grow malecontent, and being egged on by the Bishop his ghest, entred at last into a conspiracy against the said King, plotted the remoouing of him, & endeuoured to match the Earle of Richmond heire of the house of Lanca­ster [Page 163] with the eldest daughter of King Edward, that (her bre­thren being made away) was now out of all question heire of the house of Yorke, so to throw downe headlong the ty­rant from the throne which he vsurped, to restore it to them to whom of right it appertained, and to ioyne in one these two noble houses, whose contention had wasted away al­most all the nobilitie of the land. How this deuice was deba­ted betwéene the Duke and the Bishop, euery Chronicle re­porteth. To let that passe, when the Bishop saw the Duke had waded so farre in the matter as step backe he could not, and séeing how he was able to do the Earle of Richmond better seruice elsewhere th [...]n where he was; he found a meanes to slip away in a night disguised, neuer making his host the Duke acquainted with his departure. And first he ga [...]e him into his Isle of Ely: but not daring to stay ther long [...] he tooke ship and sailed into Flannders. It pleased God, that as the Duke had béene a partner with the tyrant in his offence, so he should be a partner also with him in the punishment. For being destitute of the aduice of this wise prelate, or rather I may say destitute of the protection of God that had determi­ned to reuenge his disloyalty vnto his naturall prince, hee fell soone after into the hands of his enemie (the vsurping K.) that cut off his head, and was within a short space af [...]er ouer­throwne himselfe and slaine in the field by the noble Earle of Richmond, who tooke vpon him the gouernment of our land by the name of King Henry the 7. He calling home this our Bishop, made him Chauncellour of England, and Thomas Bourchier the Archbishop dying, he found meanes that the monkes of Canterbury elected him for successour; and the Pope not only confirmed and allowed readily of their choise, Oct. 6. 1486. but also within few yéeres after, to wit, Sep­tember 20. 149 [...]. created him Cardinall of Saint Anastasia, Thirtéene yéeres he enioyed quietly the Archbishopricke, and died at last at his manner of Knoll the yéere 1500. in the mo­neth of October. At his first comming he laid a great impo­sition vpon the Cleargy of his Prouince, forcing them by the Popes authority to contribute so largely toward the charges of his translation, as of his owne Dioces onely (which is one of the least in England) hée receiued 354. pound. The yéere [Page 164] before he died, with great charge he procured Anselme one of his predecessors to be canonized a Saint. Hee bequeathed in a manner all he had either vnto good vses, or vnto such of his seruants as he had yet béene able to do nothing for. He gaue vnto the King a portuis, to the Queene a Psalter, to the La­dy Margaret his God-daughter a cup of gold and forty pound in mony, to the Church of Ely his miter and his crosse. Unto his kinsefolke and other friends hée gaue nothing as hauing preferred them sufficiently in his life time. His executors he bound by oath to maintaine sufficiently twenty poore schol­lers at Oxford, and ten at Cambridge for the space of twen­ty yéeres after his decease. Hee bestowed great summes in repairing and augmenting his houses at Knoll, Mayd stone, Alington parke, Charing, Ford, Lambith and Canterbury, and built while hée liued a sumptuous chappell in the vnder­croft or vault which is vnder the quier. He lieth buried in the said chappell vnder a marble stone: Howbeit a goodly tombe is erected in memory of him vpon the south side of the chappell. See more of him in Ely.

65. Henry Deane.

1501. Hen. 7.17.BIshop Moorton being dead, the monks of Canterbury chose Thomas Langton Bishop of Winchester for their Archbishop: But he died of the plague before his translation could be persited. Then they elected Henry Deane Bishop of Salisbury. At what time Perkin Warbeck began to shew himselfe in y ^e likenes of Richard the young Duke of Yorke, king Edwards second sonne. This Henry Deane was Ab­bot of Lanthony, and had beene brought vp in the Uniuersity of Oxford. King Henry the seuenth that knew him to bée a wise and industrious man, made him Chancelour of Ire­land, where this [...]ounterfet Duke began first to play his part. By his care and diligence hee was driuen out of Ireland, and forced to flye into Scotland. The rather in regard of this good seruice, the king procured him to be elected vnto the Bi­shopricke of Bangor, which (by reason the Bishops had lame from it a long time, holding euer some Abbotship or other spirituall liuing in Commendam, whereupon they liued) [Page 165] was horribly wasted and spoyled. But this man comming thither, took great pains in recouering diuers parcels of land that by the in [...]oachment of other for want of looking to were woone from his See. Amongst other things a certaine Island betwéene Holy head and Anglesey called [...] Moylr. honni [...]it, or the Island of Seales, was vniustly detained from him by the possessors thereof. He euicted the same first in law, and yet was same afterwards to bring a great pow­er of armed men thither to driue the inhabitants by force out of the same. His church and pallace had béene burned and de­stroted long before in the time of Henry the 4. by Owen Glen­dowr that famous rebell: Hee bestowed much money in re­pairing them; but before he was able to bring thē to any per­fection, he was called away thence to Salisbury. Being yet very destrous the worke should go forward, hee left vnto his successour a Myter and a Crosye [...] of good value, vpon conditi­on he should finish those buildings. After he had béene a few monethes at Salisbury, the Archbishop dying, hée was preferred vnto Canterbury. His pall was sent vnto him by Hadrian de Castel [...]o the Popes Secretary, (that after was B of Hereford & Wels as also a Cardinall) and deliuered by the B. of Couentry with these words. Ad honorem Dei om­nipotentis & B. Mariae Virginis ac Bb. Petri & Pauli Aposto­rum, & D N. Alexandri Pp sexti, & S. Romanae Ecclesiae nec non & Cantuariensis Ecclesiae [...]ibi commissae, tradimus palliū de corpore B. Petri sumptum, plenitudinem viz. Pontilicalis officij; vt vtaris co infra ecclesiam tuam certis diebus qui ex­primuntur in priuilegijs ei ab Apostolica sede concessis. Ha­uing receaued his pall, hee was to take his oath vnto the Pope, which once for all it shall not be amisse to set downe. Ego Henricus Archie Cantuariensis ab hac hora in antea fi­delis & obediens ero B. Petro sanctae (que) Apostolicae Romanae Ecclesiae, & Domino meo D Alexandro Pp. 6. suis (que) succes­soribus Canonice intrantibus. Non ero in consilio aut cosensu vel facto, vt vitam perdant vel membrū s [...]u capiantur mala captione [...] Concilium vero quod mihi credituri sunt, per se aut nuntios ad corum damnum mesciente nemini pandam Pa­patum Rom. & regalia S Petri adiutor ero eis ad retinendum & defendendū saluo ordine meo, contra omnem hominem. [Page 166] Legatum sedis Apostolicae in eundo & redeundo honorific [...] tractabo, & in suis necessitatibus adiuuabo, vocatus ad Syno­dum veniam nisi prepeditus fuero Canonica praepeditione. Apostolorum limina Rom. curia existente citra Alpes singu­lis annis, vltra vero montes singulis biennijs visitabo, aut per me aut per meum nuntium, nisi Apostolica absoluar licentia. Possessiones vero ad mens [...] mei Archiepiscopatus pertinen­tes non vendam, ne (que) donabo, ne (que) impignerabo, neque de nouo inseudabo, vel aliquo modo alienabo inconsulto Rom. Pontifice, sicut me Deus adiuuet &c. With what ceremony the crosse was wont to bee deliuered, sée before in William Courtney page. 104. This Archbishop died February 15. 1502. the second yéere after his translation, at Lambith. His body was conueighed to Feuersam by water, conducted with 33. watermen all apparelled in blacke, (a great number of tapers burning day and night in the boate) and from thence was carried to Canterbury, where it was buried in the mid­dle of the place called the martyrdome, vnder a faire marble stone, inlaid with brasse. Hee bequeathed to his C [...]rch a sil­uer image of 51. ounces waight, and appointed 500. pound to bee bestowed in his funerals: Hee built the most part of O [...]ford house, and made the yron worke vpon the coping of Rochesterbridge.

66. William Warham.

1504. Hen. 7.20. William Warham a Gentleman of an ancient house, was borne in Hamshire, brought vp in the Colledge of Winchester, and chosen thence to New Colledge in Ox­ford, where hee procéeded Doctor of Law. Intending then to vse and put in practise the knowledge hée had gotten at the Uniuersity, h [...]e became an aduocate or Doctor of the Arches, and soone after Master of the Kolles. While he was in that office, King Henry the seuenth, sent him Em­bassador to the Duke of Burgundy to perswade him that hee should not beleeue the false reports of his Dutchesse, and to signi [...]e how notably she had abused him and all the world, in setting by two counterfets against him; Lambert that made [Page 167] himselfe the Earle of Warwicke, who was then so bee séene in the Tower safe enough; and Perkin Warbeck whom shee had taught to name him selfe Richard Duke of Yorke, that was certainly known to haue béen murthered by his wicked vncle long before. In this businesse hee behaued himselfe so wisely, as the king greatly commended him for the same, and the Bishoprick of London happening to be void soon after his return home, he procured him to be elected thereunto. He had not bin Bishop there two whole yéeres, when Henry Deane the Archbishop died, to whose place also by the Kings speciall indeuour he was aduanced. He was translated Nou. 29. & in­throuised March 9. 1504. with wonderfull great solemnity. The day before his comming to Canterbury, the Duke of Buckingham that was his high steward, came thither atten­ded with 7. score horse to sée all things in a readinesse. The said Duke had also the office of chiefe Butler, and therefore being vnable to do the duties of both, he deputed Sir George Bourchier vnto the Butlership. Himselfe tooke great paines to sée that nothing might be wanting requisite for the perfor­mance of this ceremony in most magnificent manner. The next day (which was Sunday) hee met the Archbishop ouer against S. Andrewes Church, and doing low obeysance vn­to him, went before him to Christ church. At the great gate néere the market place, the Prior and Couent receiued him honourably and carried him to the Church (wh [...]ther he went from S. Andrews Church bare-foote) saide masse there, and was placed in his throne after the accustomed manner. From Church he was attended by the Duke in like sort as he was thetherward. The chéere at dinner was as greate as for mo­ney it might be made. Before the first messe [...] the Duke him­selfe came riding into th [...] hall vpon a great horse, bare headed with his white staffe in his hand; and when the first dish was set on the table, made obeysance by bowing of his body. Wauing so done, he betooke him to his chamber, where there was prouision made for him according to his state. With the Archbishop sate the Earle of Essex, the Bishop of Man, the Lord Aburgauenny, the Lord Brook, the Prior of Canterbu­ry, and the Abbot of Saint Augustines. The Duke at his ta­ble was accompanied with the Lorde Clinton, Sir Edward [Page 168] Poynings, the chiefe iustice of England, named Phineux, Sir William Scot, Sir Thomas Kemp, and others. A great ma­ny other guests were serued in other places, noble men and knights, at one table, Doctors of Diuinity and Law at ano­ther, and Gentlemen of the count [...]y at a third, besides an in­finite number of meaner calling, placed by themselues, ac­cording to their seuerall degrees. But to let passe these mat­ters, and to come vnto his gouernement; all the time of K. Henry the seuenth (vnder whom hee liued Archbishop some thrée yeeres) he enioyed all manner of prosperity, being in so great fauour with his Princ [...], as no man greater. He dying, and his sonne King Henry the eight succeeding, Cardinall Wolsey that was then but Almosner and Deane of Lincoln, diued so cunningly into the bosome of the yong king, as by and by he ouer topped the Archbishop, & quickly wound him out of all authority. First, by the kings meanes hee got from him the Chauncellorship of England: Then being Cardinal, and the Popes Legate a latere by speciall commission, hee set vp a new court called Curia legatina; vnder colour whereof, he drew all manner of iurisdiction throughout England into his owne hands, and appointed Officials Registers, &c. in euery Dioces, who tooke vp all causes, and suffered other of­ficers (to whom the iurisdiction of right appertained) to sitte still without either regard or profit. This deiection of the Archbishop wherein men estéemed him for the time very vn­happy, fel out to his great good; the others immoderate great­nesse, was the cause of his destruction. At what time the King endeuoured to bee diuorced from his first wife M. Ca­therine [...] she made choice of this our Archb. & Nicholas West Bish. of Ely (two lawyers) & of I. Fisher Bishop of Rochester, and Henry Standish Bi. of S. Assaph (Doctors of Diuinity) to assist and direct her in that sute: they did so, and behaued themselues in such sort, as neither the king had cause to bée offended with their ouerforwardnes, nor shee to blame their slacknes or negligence. But the Cardinal y ^t was ioined with Cardinal Campeius in commission, wherin they were autho­rised by y ^e Pope to examine the circumstances of that cause, he I say being more slack in his proceedings, then the K. expe­cted he should, so incensed him y ^t said K. against him, as shortly [Page 169] after he was content, first to take the aduantage of a Premu­nire against him, and then to cause him to bée arrested of high treason; whereof see more in Yorke. Soon after the Cardinals death, there was a Conuocation held, wherein the Cleargie was aduertised that they all had fallen into a premunire by yéelding vnto the Cardinals power legantiue, neuer allowed by the King: which allegations though diuers of them knew to be false inough, yet durst they not doe otherwise then to redéeme the penalty they were said to haue incurred with the payment of 118. thousand pounds, whereof the Prouince of Yorke should pay eighteene thousand, and Canterbury the rest, which was 100000. pounds. When this gift was to haue beene presented, they were certified that the king would not accept of the same, except they declared in a Canon that he was supreame head of the Church. Long this matter was hammering. But at last they agréede to giue vnto him this new title, and inserted the same into the instrument of their gift. In that Conuocation many Canons were made a­gainst Lutherans, and many motions for renouncing the Popes authority; wherein the greatest part being fearefull of resoluing either way, the Conuocation was often proro­gued. After many adiournements it was once more put ouer from April till October 5. In which meane space the Arch­bishop died at Saint Stephens neere Canterbury, in the house of William Warham his kinsman, Archdeacon of Can­terbury. That house at that time belonged vnto the Archdea­conry, but (by what sacrilegious meanes I know not) was long since nipped away from the same; so that the Archdea­con, except he be otherwise prouided for then by his Arch­deaconry, is now houselesse. But to returne vnto our Archbi­shop, he was buried without any great funerall pompe, gi­uing mourning clothes onely to the poore, and laide in a little Chappell built by himselfe for the place of his buriall vpon the North side of the Martyrdome, and hath there a reasonable faire toomb [...]. Hee purchased much land for his kinred, and bestowed very much in repayring and beauti­fying his houses with faire buildings, euen to the value of thirty thousand pound, (as hee professeth in his Will) for which cause hée prayed his Successor to forbeare sute for [Page 170] dilapidations against his executors. They were the Duke of Norfolke and the Lord Windsor. He continued Archbishop eight and twenty yeeres, and died Aug. 23. 1532.

67. Thomas Cranmer.

1453 Hen. 8.25.A Famous and memorable man succéeded William War­ham, Thomas Cranmer Doctor of Diuinity, whose life is written at large by M. Foxe and others. I should loose labour therefore in making any long discourse of the same. Briefly, to set downe that which I cannot omit without interrupting my course, you shall vnderstand that hée was borne at Arslacton in Nottinghamshire, of a very ancient house, which (as it should séeme) came out of Normandy with the Conquerour; For it is certaine that in the time of this Archbishoppe a certaine French Gentleman named Cranmer came into England, bearing the same armes that the Archbishop did, w [...]o gaue him great entertainement and did him much honour. He was brought vp in Iesus Colledge in Cambridge. Being yet very yong he married, and so lost his fellowship in the said colledge; but his wife dying within one yeere, he was receiued into his olde place againe. For the manner and occasion of his aduancement, his diuers imploi­ments before, and his actions in the same, his lamentable [...]al, his heroicall and memorable combates, and lastly, his con­stant death, I will (as before I said) send the Reader to Ma­ster Foxe, who hath exactly set downe all the particularities of these things. Onely thus much he [...]re, that hee was cons: Mart. 30. 1553. & suffered most vnworthy death at Oxford March [...]1. 1556. being the first Archbishop that euer was put to death by order of law in England, except onely Richard Scroope Archbishop of Yorke.

68 Reginald Poole.

1 [...]. Ma [...]y 3.CArdinall Poole was the son of Sir Richard Poole, (who was cosin get main vnto king Henry the seuenth) and Margaret Countesse of Salisbury, that was daughter vnto George Duke of Clarence, the second brother of king Ed­ward [Page 171] the fourth. His said parents caused him to spend some time first in Magdalen colledge in Oxford, then in Corpus Christi, of which colledge he was fellow; and being yet very young, sent him beyond sea, by trauell to get both learning & experience in the world. In the mean time king Henry the eight (that fauoured him much, as béeing néere of kinne vnto him both by father and mother) before his departure, had be­stowed vpon him the Deanry of Exceter. He had beene in I­taly (lying for the most part at Padua) the space of 7. yéers, at what time the King hauing abolished the Popes authority, sent for him home; & he not comming, proclaimed him Tray­tor, and gaue away his Deanry vnto another. This losse hee estéemed little of [...] Petrus Bembus an olde acquaintance of his, was become the Popes chief Secretary, who so commended him vnto his master, that shortly after hee was content to make him a Cardinall, perswading himselfe belike that hée would proue a good instrument for English matters as oc­casion should serue. And surely, if he regarded the worthines of the man, in respect of his manifold rare and excellent parts he could not lightly preferre any man lesse obnoxious to ex­ceptions. For he was not onely very learned (which is bet­ter knowne then that it néedeth many words) but also of such modesty in outward behauiour, and integrity of life and con­uersation, as he was of all men both loued and reuerenced. I know well that Pasquill played his parts with him, and fa­thered a brat or two vpon him, but without any probability at all. He was made Cardinal, May 22. 1536. The Pope employed him thē in diuers Ambassages vnto the Emperour and the French King, wherein he did his best endeauour to ioyne them against his owne Soueraigne the King of Eng­land; and not content therewith, hée dealt so busily with his letters amongst his friends in England, wherein hee dehor­ted them from the kings obedience, and all conformity vnto reformation, as it turned many of them to great trouble, & amongst the rest cost his mother the Countesse of Salisbu­ry, and his eldest brother the Uicount Mountacute their heads. It pleased not God that any of his platformes should take successe: And therefore partly malecontent, and partely also weary of the paines and continuall daunger [Page 172] these ambassages forced him vnto, hee procured the Pope to make him Legate of of Uiterbio, where he determined to leade the rest of his life quietly; but hee was disappointed of his purpose. The Pope ( Paul the third) summoned a Councell at Trent. Cardinall Poole and one or two o­ther ioyned with him, must needs be his Uicegerents there. He for his part was nothing so resolute in matters of religion as men expected he would. In the question of iustification he professed to be on our side, and perswaded one Morell to be of his opinion, a learned Spaniard that lay in the same house he did, & that was sent out of Spain of purpose to de­fend the Popes quarrel in disputation, wherein he was estée­med excellent. Soone after his returne from the Councell, it hapned the Pope to die. A great faction there was at that time in the Colledge of Cardinals, some taking part with the Em­perour, and some with the French king: Cardinal Poole was altogether Imperiall. All that side and diuers that were in­different gaue him their voices for the Papacy; whereunto whē they had elected him orderly he forsooth found fault with them for their rashnes, and perswaded them to take further deliberation in so great and weighty a matter. Heere of the French party taking aduantage, began to cry out, it was rea­son regard should be had of many French Cardinals and o­ther that were absent, and could not possibly repaire vnto the election so soone; put them in minde also how the Empe­rour had lately sacked Rome as it were in iest, & that it was much to bee feared if they elected any man that were altoge­ther addicted vnto him it would bee a cause of great st [...]rres and trouble. One of their company then rising vp, began to take particular exceptions against Cardinall Poole, char­ging him with suspition of incontinency (whereof he allead­ged some reasons, though peraduenture friuolous) as also with her [...]sie, for that he had reasoned for iustification by faith in the Councell of Trent, that he preferred Ant. Flaminius a knowne Protestant, and kept company much with him, as also with T [...]emelius, and other thought ill of that way; and lastly, that in the time he was Legate of Viterbio, he had been so slacke in persecuting of heretikes, vpon whom he seldome inflicted any punishment, but death vpon none. This accuser [Page 173] was the Cardinall Caraffa, that afterward was Pope Paul the 4. an old acquaintance of Cardinall Pooles many yéeres, euen vntill such time, as that partaking in this factiō betwen the French and Spanish sundred them. Caraffa thought him selfe the likeliest of the French side, and in that respect was the rather induced in this sort to deface his olde friend, so to set vp himselfe. But he was vtterly deceiued in his expectati­on. Cardinall Poole cléered himselfe of all those suspicions ab­solutely, so that the next day (or rather I should say the night after the next day) the company were more resolute for him then they had béene before, and once more elected him Pope. Cardinall Farnesius the last Popes nephew was the mighti­est of that canuasse. For so euer all Popes lightly take order, that some Cardinall of their kin shall strike a great stroke in the election of their successor, that hee may bee a meanes to shield the rest of his friends from that hard measure which successors are wont to meat [...] vnto the fauourites of their pre­decessor. This Cardinall Farnesius excéeding ioyfull that hée had brought the matter to so good passe, came vnto Cardinall Poole, and would néedes adore him by the name of holy fa­ther, kissing his féete. &c. But he would not suffer him so to do, saying he wo [...]ld not haue their election a worke of darkenes, that the day was the onely time for the orderly dispatch of such businesse, and therfore he desired them to deferre the ac­complishment of their choise vntill the morning. They were faine so to doe. But whether it were that his friends were angry with this double delay, or that they were induced o­therwise to alter their determination [...] so it fell out, that the next morning they chose another, the Cardinal de Monte that named himself Iulius 3. He well knowing that the back­wardnes of Poole made him Pope, euer after made very much of him, and yéelded him all manner of fauour. And first, to begin with, he enforced Cardinall Caraffa to aske him for­giuenesse before they departed out of the conclaue [...] Cardinall Poole professed to be nothing at all mooued with loosing that place which he tooke to be a burthen importable [...] and saying, his onely desire was to lead his life in quiet contemplation, craued licenc [...] to depart vnto a certaine monastery in the ter­ritory of Uerona, replenished with monks of Saint Bennet, [Page 174] of which order he was taken for patrone during the time of his residence in Rome. He was scarsely setled there, when newes came that king Edward was dead, and that his sister the Lady Mary had obtained the crowne; who was brought vp a great while vnder the Countesse his mother, by the espe­ciall choise and direction of Quéene Katherine her mother. And many are of opinion that the Quéene committed her the rather vnto the tuition of the Countesse, for that shée wished some marriage betwéene one of her sonnes the [...] Pooles and the Lady Mary to strengthen her title to the crowne in case the king her husband should die without issue male, for that (as before I haue declared) they were descended from George Duke of Clarence the next heire male of the house of Yorke. Now Cardinall Poole knowing the Quéene had a speciall affection vnto him for his learning, his nobilitie, but aboue all [...]r his religion (& he was a man personabl [...] [...]nough, though elderly) longed sore homeward, not doubting a dispensation for his Clergy would soone bée obtained of the Pope in this case, if happily the Quéene should cast a fancy vnto him; and assuring himselfe that though hée missed of the crowne, hée should not faile of the Myter. Hée procured himselfe there­fore to be appointed the Popes Legate, and to be dispatched into England with all spéed. The Emperour by this time had determined to endeauour a match betwéene his sonne Philip and Quéene Mary. Doubting therefore lest the presence of the Cardinall should disturbe his platforme, hee vsed many deuises to stop and hinder his passage, till such time as the marriage was indéede concluded. At last (but a day after the faire) ouer came this iolly Legate, reconciled the Realme of England to the Pope, caused the Archbishop of Canterbury to be depriued & degraded, seating himselfe in his Sée, which things and many more are discoursed of him at large by Ma­ster Foxe, and therfore I passe them ouer. He was consecrate March 22. 1555. in the gray Friers church at Gréenewich. The Lady day following he receiued his pal in Bowchurch, where he made a drie and friuolous sermon touching the vse, profit, signification, and first institution of the pall, March, 31. he was installed by a Procter, one Robert Collins his com­missary. While these thinge were a dooing, Cardinall Caraf­fa [Page 175] his ancient enemy became Pope. He presently discharged our Cardinall of his power Legantine, & made one Frier Pe­to first a Cardinall, then his Legate, & bestowed the Bishop­ricke of Salisbury vpon him. He alleaged against Cardinall Poole that he was vnworthy the honour of the Legate Apo­stolicall that would suffer the Quéene to proclaime warres against the French King; but the matter was, the old quar­rels were not yet digested, & this way he thought to pay him home. The quéene kept Frier Peto out of the Realme by force, vntill the Pope was reconciled vnto Cardinall Poole againe. Two yeere and almost eight moneths this man con­tinued Archbishop. (In the yéere 1558. many old men fell into quartaine agues (a disease deadly and mortall vnto elderly folke.) Amongst the rest a quartane had seased vpon him, and brought him to a low ebbe, at what time newes brought of quéen [...] Mari [...]s death strucke him quite dead. For he depar­ted this life euen the same day that she did, viz. Nouember, 17. 1558. being 58. yeeres of age, and sixe monethes. So the like hapned vnto him that befell vnto Deus dedit his prede­cessor, to end his dayes togither with his Prince. For as queene Mary and he, so Deus dedit and Ercombert king of Kent died in one & the selfe same day. He procured in his life time the gift and patronage of 19. benefices from the queen vnto his See, which he no way else benefited, except by the building of a certaine gallery toward the east at Lambith, & some few rooms adioyning. He purposed indeede to haue be­stowed much cost vpon his pallace at Canterbury, but was preuented by death. Unto his Church of Canterbury hee gaue (as I finde noted) a payre of large candlestickes double guilt, a great crosse of siluer double guilt, a Censer with a shippe, and a spoone parcell guilt, a myter of siluer & guilt set with pearle and stone, a Crosier staffe of siluer and guilt with a staffe in it, a crosse with a staffe for a crossebearer of siluer parcell guilt, two pontificall rings of gold set with saphyres, the borders whereof were set with turkyes, rubyes & pearles; and lastly a holy water potte with a sprinkle of siluer parcell guilt. He was a man of indifferent stature, slender, well co­loured, somewhat bread visaged, his eyes gray and cheereful, and his countenance milde. His good [...]he left to the disposition [Page 176] of one Aloysius Priolus an Italian, who bestowed them all to good vses, reseruing nothing vnto himselfe, but two pray­er bookes. His body was conueighed to Canterburie, and en­tombed on the north side of a little Chappell, that is at the east end of Thomas Beckets chappell.

69. Mathew Parker.

1559 Eliz. 2. MAthew Parker was borne at Norwich, August. 6. 1504. and brought vp by his mother (for his father died, he being but twelue yéeres of age) in the Uniuersity of Cam­bridge. He was first a Bible Clerke of Corpus Christi Col­ledge there, and afterwards fellow. His first preferment was the Deanry of Stoke, which he obtained by the fa­uour of Quéene Anne Bulleyne, whose Chaplaine hée was. That Colledge (though he resisted it what he might) was suppressed in the first yeere of King Edward the sixt. After the death of that noble Lady, king Henry her husband tooke him for his Chapleine, in which place he also serued king Edward his sonne. By these two Princes he was preferred vnto ma­ny other good Ecclesiasticall promotions, as a Prebend in Ely by king Henry the 8. the Mastership of Corpus Christi Colledge (where he was brought v [...]) by the election of the fellowes, but commandement of the same king; and lastly the Deanry of Lincolne, with the prebend of Coldingham giuen him by king Edward the sixt. Besides these liuings hée had also the Parsonage of Landbeach foure miles from Cam­bridge by the gift of the Colledge, whereof he was Master. These liuings hee quietly enioyed the second yeare of Q. Mary, at what time for being married, hée was depriued and liued poorely all the time of her raigne. That terrible fire being extinguished that consumed so many zealous and learned men, and the Archbishopricke left voide by the death of Cardinall Poole, this Mathew Parker then Doctor of Diuinitie, sometime Deane of Lincolne, and Master of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge (as aforesaid) was thought méetest for that high place and preferment. He was consecrate there unto December 17. 1559. by the Bishoppe that lately had béen of Bath, Exceter, Chichester & Bedford, [Page 177] to wit, W. Barlow, Miles Couerdale, Io. Scory, and Iohn Hodgekins Suffragan of Bedford, helde the same fifteene yeeres and fiue monethes, and deceased May 17. 1575. be [...]ing seuenty two yeers o [...] age. He founded a Grammer schoole at Roch [...]ale in Lancash [...]e: Unto Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge (where he was brought vp) he procured thir [...]eene Sch [...]llerships, built the inward Librarie, & two faire cham­bers in the same. Moreouer he gaue to the Librarie of that Colledge a great number o [...] Bookes some printed, other written; but very rare, and much to be esteemed for their va­lue and antiquity. He gaue them also three hundred and senne ounces of plate double guilt, the perpetuall patronage of S. Mary Abehurch in London, land for the maintenance of two fellowes aboue the ordinarie number, aleasse for seauenteene yéeres, worth 14. pounds eight [...]hillinges de claro, and one hundred pounds to mainetaine a fire in the [...]al [...] there, from Alhallo [...]i [...]e [...]ill Candlemas. He tooke order for the preaching of [...]ire Sermons yéerely in the Rogai [...]n [...], in fiue seuerall Churches in Norfoll [...]e. Unto the City of Norwich (where he was born [...]) he gaue a Balon and Ewer double guilt weighing one hundred seuenty three ounces, & fi [...]ty shillings yeerely reuenew, to bee diuided among poore people of the same City. Unto Conuell and [...] Colledge a po [...] double guilt, of fi [...]ty sixe ounces, together [...] neast of goblets, and certaine bookes: To [...] [...]all a Schol­lers place, a cuppe waighing fifty three ounces, a neast of gob­lets and bookes likewise: To the Uniuersity fi [...]ty written bookes of great value, and fifty printed: And otherw [...]e be­stowed much money vnto charitable vses, not necessary par­ticularly to be re [...]bre [...]. Upon there para [...]o [...] of his Pal­lace at Canterbury [...] which was now ( [...]) hee bestowed one thousand foure hundred pound. [...] also he repayred and built much so his great char [...]. But a­boue any thing I may not forget his great care [...] antiquities, vnto which his care we are [...] of our ancient histories, that but for him we [...] [...] [...]pon the point vtterly to perish. He lieth ba [...]ed in the C [...]ppell be­longing to his house at Lamb [...]ith vnder a sa [...]e marble stone.

70. Edmund Gryndall.

1575. Eliz. 18.IN the moneth of February following Edmund Gryndall Archbishop of Yorke was translated to Canterbury. This man was borne at Saint Bees in Cumberland, fellow first, then Master of Peabrooke Hall in Cambridge, of which U­niuersity he was for one yeere one of the Proctors. A while he was chaplaine vnto Master Rydley Bishop of London, who preferred him vnto the seruice of king Edward the sixt. In the end of which Kings raigne, there was an intent that the said Bishop shold haue bin remoued to Durham, & it was thought that Master Gryndall should succéede him in Lon­don. But the death of that good king disturbed the progresse of this platforme, and in stead of the expected honourable aduancement, forced him to a voluntary exile in Germany, where he liued all the [...]aigne of Quéene Mary. Shee dying, and the late gratious Princesse happily succéeding, hee was appointed vnto the gouernement so long before intended, e­lected thereunto Iuly 26. 1559. and enioyed the same about 11. yéeres, viz. vntill May 20. 1570. at what time he was re­moued to Yorke. There he safe almost sixe yéeres; & as before is mentioned; was once more translated viz. to Canterbury. Two yéeres before his death he became blinde, and died at Croydon (where also he was buried on the south side of the Chancell) Iuly 6. 1583. béeing 64. yéeres of age, when he had continued Archbishop seuen yéeres and almost a halfe. In the place where hee was borne he founded a free Schoole, which he endowed with thirty pound land. To Quéenes Colledge in Oxford he gaue twenty pound land to maintaine a fellow and two schollers to bée taken out of his said Schoole: Hee gaue them also the greatest part of his books, and 87. ounces of plate, besides forty pound debt which he forgaue them. To Pembrooke Hall in Cambridge, hee gaue two and twenty pound land for the maintenance of a Gréeke lecter, of a fellow and two Schollers, to be likewise taken out of his Schoole. To them he also gaue some bookes, and forty ounces of plate. To Magdalen Colledge in Cambridge hee gaue fiue pound land for one fellow to bée taken from his Schoole: To Christs [Page 179] Colledge there fiue and forty ounces of plate, To eight little Almeshouses in Croydon fifty pound to be bestowed in land for their reliefe: and lastly to the City of Canterbury an hundred pound of bée imployed vpon a stocke to set the poore on worke.

71. Iohn Whitgift.

SOone after the death of Edmund Gryndall, Iohn White­gift Doctor of Diuinity, 1583 Eliz. 26. Bishop of Worcester, was ap­pointed to succéede him, and his translation confirmed Sep­tember 23. following. Hée was borne at Grimsby in Lin­colneshire, brought vp a while vnder Master Bradford in Penbrooke Hall, and afterwardes becam [...] fellow of Peter­house in Cambridge. The yeere 1567. hée procéeded Doctor of Diuinity, and béeing chosen Master of Pembrooke hal, with­in the compasse of the same yeere was called to the gouerne­ment of Trinity colledge. In the meane time hee had beene reader of both the diuinity lectures; first the Lady Margarets, & after the Quéenes. Ten yéers he continued Master of Tri­nity Colledge, in which space he was twice Uicechancellour, and the yeere 157 [...]. by the gift of her Maiesty (whose Chap­laine he was) became Deane of Lincolne. In the beginning then of the yeare 1577. he was aduanced vnto the Bishoppe­ricke of Worcester, in September following had the gouern­ment of the Principality of Wales committed vnto him, and helde the same two yéeres and a halfe, euen all the time that Sir Henry Sydney the President liued in Ireland as Lord Deputy. Sixe yeeres and almost a halfe he had béen at Wor­cester, when he was called vnto the Metropoliticall Sée of Canterbury. Upon Candlemas day 1585. hee wa [...] sworne of her Maiesties Priuy Councell, and died of a palsie, Febr. 29. 1603. at Lambhith being 70. yeeres of age. when he had continued Archbishop 5. monethes aboue 20. yéeres, in which meane space he built a [...]aire hospitall at Croydon, induing it with reuenues for the reliefe and maintenance of a warden, & 28. poore people: vnto the which hee adioyned a Schoole, with housing for a Schoolemaster, vnto whom he allowed 20. pound by the yeere for euer. He lyeth buried at Croydon in the South Isle.

72. Rich Bancroft.

1604 Iac. 12. RIchard Bancroft Bishoppe of London, was remoued to Canterbury. 1604. sworne of the Priuy Councell, and vpon the d [...]ath of the Earle of Dorset, elected Chancellor of the Uniuersity of Oxford, Aprill 1608. Hee died Nouem. 2. 1610.

73. George Abbot.

GEorge Abbot Doctor of diuinity, being Dean of Win­chester, and Master of the Uniuersity Colledge in Ox­ford, was consecrated Bishoppe of Couen [...]ry and Lichfield, 1609. remoued thence to London, about Candlemasse fol­lowing, and within little more th [...]n one year after was tran­slated to Canterbury.

The Archbishopricke of Canterbury is valued in the Kings book at 2816. l. 17s. 9d. and was wont to pay to the Pope at euery income for his first fruits, 10000. Ducates or Florens, and for his pal 5000. euery ducate being of our ster­ling 4. s. 6. d.