¶Marryage instituted of God.

IN paradyse our eternall and mercyfull father instituted marryage imme­dyatly after mannys fyrste creacion, Matri­mony. and lefte yt wyth hym as an honeste, comely, wholsome, holye, and nedefull remedye agaynst all beastlye abusyons oft he fleshe, that shulde after happen, and graunted thervnto hys eternall blessynge. Increase (sayth he) multyplye, and fyll the earthe. Gene. 1. And thys repeted he thryse after that. Gene, 8, 9, & 30, to the intent it myght be g [...]undedlye marked, and wele knowne of [...] to be hys most [...]ernest ordinaun­ce. Thys was the fyrste ordre of Religion that [...]uer w [...]s made, the first religion and of moste holy­nesse, yf we dewlye respecte the maker therof wyth the other circumstaunces be­sydes, preferrynge hys wysedome to mā ­nis [Page 8] wisedome. And for that it shuld not be reckened a thinge vnaduyselye done of him, he loked thervpon agayne amon­ge all his other workes, and could behol­de no imperfeccyon therin, but percey­ued that it was of excedynge goodnesse. Yet hath there sens rysen a sort, whych haue agaynste Gods heauenly wisdo­me, set theyr fleshlie folishnesse, whiche are non other to be reckened than the very sede and of springe of the serpent. Vnma­ryed prestes. Though these haue knowne that there is a God, yet haue they not glorified him in faythe and mekenesse, but haue become most vayne in their ymaginaci­ons. Where as he hath declared marria­ge excedingly good, Gods-aduersa­ries. they haue condempned it as a thinge execrable and wicked. And where as he hath spoken it by his owne mouthe, that it is not good for man to be alone, they haue improued that doc­trine and thaught the contrary, as a thin­ge more perfight and Godly.

¶ Marryage contempned of Sa­than.

THus Sathan erected him selfe against God in that wicked generacion, whych beganne first in Cain, Cain. and hath euer sens continued in that posterite. For this presumpcion God gaue them clerely ouer, and lefte them to them selues with all their good [Page] intentes and vowes, wherupon they ha­ue wroughte sens that tyme fylthynesse vnspekeable. Their chast women, vestals Monyals, Nonnes, Nonnes & Mon­kes. and Begines. chan­gynge the naturall vse, haue wrought vn­naturallye. Lyke wyse the men in their Prelacyes, presthodes, and innumerable kyndes of Monkerye, for want of wo­men hath brent in their lustes, and done abhomynacyons withoute nombre, so re­ceyuynge in them selues the iust rewarde of their errour. Of these moste hellishe & diabolick frutes, holye Saynte Paule admonyshed the Romanes, in the fyrste chaptre of hys Epystle vnto them, kno­wynge afore hande that oute of their cor­rupted christyanyte, Sodo­mites. shulde ryse suche a fylthye flocke as shulde worke them eue­rye where. But neyther of Paule nor yet of Peter haue the fore warnynges auaye­led, but those brockishe boores haue gone frely foreward without checke tyll nowe of late dayes, where in God hathe geuen vs a more pure syght to beholde their buskelinges.

¶ Marriage of Prestes in both lawes,

TO make manyfest vnto thē, what wyues the Lorde appoynted by his seruaunte Moses, vnto the le­uytycall prestes in the sacred posterite of Prestes wiues. Aaron Leuiti. 21. &. Ezech. 44. it were [Page 9] but labour lost. Priestes wyues. Eyther to put them in remembraunce that Christ was borne in marryage, though hys mother were al­wayes a mayde, and that he left vnto hys Apostles marryage in lyberte euermore yt were in vayne also. For all thys hath GOD shewed vnto them playnelye, by hys true prophetes in thys lattre age, declarynge the fynall destruccyon of that wretched kyngdome. Haters of the Pope. As by Martyn Luther, Iohan Pomerane, Frances lam­bert, Oswaldus Myconius, Philip Me­lanchton, & such other (as is sayd afore) but all haue they taken for fables. That lorde sent them one vnto theyr owne doo­res, whiche effectuallye did hys massage; euen Robert Barnes by name, Barnes. of whose grounded argumentes they haue not yet dyscharged the leaste, besydes that they haue had from hym by good Wyllyam turner and George Ioye. And all thys haue they disdaynouslye laughed to scor­ne. Consyderynge therfore that no gentyl speche wyll amende them, nor yet sharpe threttenynges call them to repentaunce. he will now cast their owne vyle donge in their faches, The au­tours. that it shall cleane fast vpon them Mala. 2. He wyll thorowe in their tethe by thys booke and suche other the stynkynge examples of their hypo­crytyshe lyues, with their calkynges and cloynynges to patche vp that dauberye [Page] of the deuyll, their vowed wynelesse and husbandeles chastite.

¶ Englande inhabyted afore Noe and after.

AND for asmuche as the tyttle of this present treatyse onlye respec­teth Englande, Englād. onlye shall it treate the vnchast examples of the spirytualte therof, wyth certayne examples of Ro­myshe Popes whiche then wrought their iuggelynge mastries there. To fatche the matter from their fyrst foundacion, and so to stretche it forewarde, I am fullye assertayned by auncient wrytinges, that thys lande was wyth people replenyshed longe afore Noes dayes. Afore Noe. Yea, suche tyme as men were multiplied vpon the vni­uersall earthe, Gene. 6. As they then had left Gods appoynted Religion, and had taken wayes vnto them after their owne good into utes, suche vnspeakable fylthy­nesse folowed, as brought vpon them the great dylunye or vnyuersall flod, The flod whych left none alyue, but drowned them vp as it dyd all other quarters. Thys wytnes­seth bothe Moses and Beresus, the moste a­uncient writers we read of. After the said flood, was it agayne inhabiteth by the of sprynge of Iapheth the thyrde sonne of Noe. Iapheth. For of them (sayeth Moses) were the Iles of the Gentyles sor [...]d out into regions, euery one after, knowne dyuese [Page 10] from other, by theyr languages, kyndre­des, and nacions, Gen. 10. And in the da­yes of Phaleg the sonne of Heber, Phaleg. was that diuision of Prouinces, lyke as folo­weth in the same chapter. Samothes the Brother of Gomer (whom the Byble cal­leth Mesech) restored then agayne thys lande in hys posterite, Samo­thes gi­gas. the priestes therof called Samothei, for so muche as he was the fyrst that fournyshed it with lawes, as wytnesseth Iohannes Annius in commen­tarijs Berosi.

¶ Albion with his Samothites.

AFter this grewe it into a name, and was called Albion. Albion gigas. Not ab albis ru­pibus, as fryre Bartylmew hathe fantasyed is hys worke De proprietaribus rerum. Nor yet ab Albiana the Kynges doughter of Syria, as Marianus the monk hathe dreamed it. For of latyne woor­des coulde it haue no name, before the la­tyne it selfe were in vse. And the other without grounded aucthoritie appeareth a playne fable, as witnesseth both Volate­ranus and Badius. But rather it should se­me to be called Albion, ab Albione Gygan­te, the sonne of Neptunus, Neptu­nus. whiche was af­terwarde slayne of Hercules for stopping hys passage at the enteraunce of Rhodanus as testifieth Diodorus Seculus and also Pomponius Mela. Not onelye because the sayd [Page] Albion was a gyaunt, lyke as the afore sayd Samothes was afore hym, but also for that his father Neptunns was than taken for the Lorde or great God of the sea, wherin it is enclosed. What the chastyte was of the Samothites or prestes for that age, Samo­thythes. the Poetes doth declare at large. Ve­nus was than their great Goddesse, and ruled all in that spirituall famelye, as she hath done euer sens.

¶ The Samothytes and their chastyte.

VestalsTHey had in their temples, vestals (whom now we call Nōnes) whose offyce was to mainteyne the fy­re for performaunce of the sacryfyces, least it should at any tyme go out. These were chosen in before they were syxtene yeares olde, there remaynyng vnmaried the space of. xxx. yeares, and others alwa­yes by that tyme succeded in their row­mes. Some of these were presbyteresses, as they pleased the spirituall fathers. And as uhe lyghtes went out by their ne­glygence, their ponnyshmentes were to be beaten of the Byshoppes. More ouer if any of them chaunced to fall in aduou­tery, except they did it in the darke with them, Chastite their iudgement was to be buryed in the grounde quycke. Alwayes they went awaye virgines from them (what soeuer was done in the meane season) and [Page 11] at the. xxx. yeares ende, they were in liber­te to marrye if they woulde. This testi­fieth Hermanus Torrentinus, and Iohannes Textor, with other auctours. Yet was not this abhominable supersticion so tyran­nouslye handeled among them than, Tyrāny now. as it hath bene sens among their successours the papistes, whom by their cruell coac­cions (lyued they neuer so longe) they sent at the last to hell with a conscience adust, were not the lorde more mercifull.

¶ Brute with his Druydes.

IN processe of tyme, gote Brutus Syl­uius thys lande of the Albions by conquest, Bruns syluius. in the. xviij. yeare of Heli the hygh priest of the Israelites, lyke as Aeneas did Italy, and other great aduen­tourers their regions. And of hym was it called Brytayne, and the people ther­of Brytaynes. After he had fournyshed it with newe regimentes and lawes, there entered in a newe fashyoned sort of priestes, all diuerse from the other, and they were called Druydes. Druy­des. These dwelt in the forestes lyke heremytes and pro­cured both publyque and pryuate sacry­fices to be done. To them was it alwa­yes put, to dyscusse all matters of rely­gyon, to appoynt therunto the ceremo­nyes, to brynge vp youthe in naturall [Page] discipline, and to ende all controuersyes. Plinius, Strabo, Cornelius Tacitus, Caius Iulius, and other approued autours, report them to haue their first oryginall in thys lande, but that appeareth not true. Rather should they seme to come fyrst hyther frō Athens, Athens. a moste famouse cytie of the Grekes. Iohan Hardynge reporteth in hys Chronycle, that kyng Bladud brought them fyrst from thens, allegynge there Merlyne for hys autor.

¶ The Druydes and their chastite.

What their rule was concerninge women, we shall not nede to seke farder then to the syxt chapter of Baruch, Whores and the fourtene chapter of Da­niel in the Byble. Baruch sayeth there, that their custome was to decke their whores with the yewels and ornamen­tes of theyr Idolles. Daniel sayeth, that they with them deuoured vp the daylye offerynges and sacryfyces of Bel. Yet Hector Boethius wryteth in the seconde bo­ke of his Scottysh Chronycle, that there were some amonge them, whiche taught one euerlastynge God alone to be wor­shypped, One god without Image made or other similitude els. Neyther allowed they them (sayeth he) that applyed vnto their Goddes the symylytudes of beastes af­ter [Page 12] the Egypcianes maner (as the Papi­stes do yet to thys daye Saynt Marke to a Lyon, Saynt Luke to a calfe, Beastes worshypped. and Saynt Iohan to an egle, besyde Saynt Antonies pygge, Saynt Georges colte, and Saynt Dunstanes deuyll) but great­ly reproued them. Neuerthelesse yet were they great teachers of sorcerye. For as te­stifieth Iohan Textor in his officines, so expert were the Brytaynes in art magyck in the dayes of Plinie, that in a maner they passed the Parthianes whyche were the fyrst masters therof.

¶ Priestes marryed and vnmar­ryed.

NOw as concernynge the priestes of the Hebrues or Israelites for all these ages (whiche were the peculyar flocke of GOD) they had all wyues that were ryghtuouse amonge them, Priestes maryed. accordynge to the Religion that he fyrst appoynted them. Noe, Melchise­dech, Abraham, Moyses, Aaron, Phi­nees, Samuel, Nathan, Zorobabel, Ie­sus, Esoras, Mathathias, and such other, were all marryed men and had chyldren. The Scripturs report that these men were beloued with God, and that in ho­lynesse now were euer founde lyke vnto them. But neyther was that for theyr vowes nor yet for their good intentes, [Page] Eccl. 44. and so fourth. vi. chapters mo­re. If anye were chast vowers that tyme the. ij. priestes that lusteth after Susanna, Vota­ries. were of them. Daniel. 13. So were the wanton sonnes of Heli and Samuel. 1. Reg, 2. &. i. Re. 8. with suche other like. Whiche were afore God verye reprobates, for despysynge hys ordre, as well in that as in other thynges. Of suche chast vowers were there some, at the very tyme whan Christ was borne, bothe religious prie­stes and leuites, whiche were moste high­ly taken amonge them. These thynkynge marriage vnholye, absteyned from the vse of women, but they spared not to wor­ke execrable fylthynesse amonge them sel­ues, and one to polute another. Zachary a marryed priest, Zacha­rie mar­ryed. and father of holy Io­han Baptist, a man for hys marryage founde iust afore God, reprehended that abhominacion in them, and was cruellye slayne for it, as testifieth Epiphanius lib 2. Tob. 2. De heresibus. He was put vnto death (sayeth Philip Melanchton vpon the. xi. chapiter of Daniel) for rebukynge the vyces of his college.

¶ Christ alloweth marryage in his.

IEsus Christ the eternall sonne of God, neuer condempned the firste ordinaunce of his euerlastynge fa­ther, but had it in suche reuerence, that he woulde not be borne but vndre it. He [Page 13] found hys worthy mother Mary no pro­fessed Nonne, Marrye a wyfe. as the dottynge papystes haue dreamed, to couer their sodometrye with a moste preciouse coloure, but an ho­nest mannes wyfe, married accordynge to the custome than vsed. Mat. 1. and Luce, i. In her so marryed without eyther vo­we or promes of virginite by the holye G [...]ostes moste wonderfull workynge was he incarnated and so became man, No nonne. to redeme vs from the captiuite of synne, and restore vs agayne to the full fauer of his father. He honoured marriage with the fyrst myracle that he outwardly wrought in our manhode, and called vn­to his Apostelshyp, not wyuelesse vo­wers, but marryed men. Iohan 1 and Mar­ci. 1. He went verye gentilly vnto Peters howse, Peter marryes and healed his wyues mother whiche laye the sycke of a feuer, takynge hys repast there, tarryenge with them all the nyght, and doynge great cures there also. And at hys departure in the mor­nynge, he neither commaunded Peter to breake vp howsholde, nor yet to forsake hys wyfe and make her a vowesse. Marci. 1. Luce. 4 Math. 8. He neuer commaunded, No vo­wes cō ­maūded. nor yet exacted the vowe of virgynyte in all hys whole Gospell, but left all men in lyberte to marrye if they lyst, for­byddynge all men fyrmelye, to make a­nye lawe of coaccion or of separation, [Page] where God hath set fredome in marrya­ge. Math. 19. Marci. 10. No forsakynge of wyfe and chyldren admytted he euer, but as the v [...]moueable and constaunt stan­dynge by hys worde requyreth it, in them that he hath appoynted to suffre death vnder the worldes tyrannye for it.

¶ The Apostles & fyrst preachers maried

PEters wyfe went wyth hym in the tyme of his preachyng. Peters wyfe. 1. Cor. 9. and was put to deathe at Antioche for confessynge Iesus Christ, as wyt­nesseth Clemens Alexandrinus in. 7. lib. Stro­matum, and Eusebius Caesarienfis li. iij. Ca. 30 Ecclesiastice historie. Paule left hys wyfe at Philippos, Paule maryed. a cytie of the Macedonea­nes, by consent of them both. Philip. 4. & 1. Cor. 7. For thys onlye cause (sayth bote Clemens and Eusebius) that he myght the more easelye thereby and with the lesse cō ­beraunce, preache the Gospell abrode. Isi­dorus hispalensis in his boke De ortu & obi­tu sanctorum patrū, and Freculphus Lexouíē sis in the seconde boke and fort chapter of hys Chronycles, reporteth bothe, that Philip the Apostle preached in Fraunce to the verye extent of the Occeane sea, Philip maryed. & was afterwarde done vnto deathe in Hie­rapole a cytie of the Phrygianes, and at the last honorablye buryed there with his doughters. By whose occasyon this real me than called Brytayne was conuerted [Page 14] vnto the Christen beleue. For in the yea­re from Christes incarnacion. lxiij. was Ioseph of Armathe and other Disciples sent ouer of the sayed Philip to preache Christ, Ioseph of Arimathe. An­no. 63. and entered bothe with their wy­ues and chyldren, Aruiagus then beynge Kynge of the lande. Thys testyfieth Io­han Capgraue in Catologo sanctorum An­glie, Thomas scrope de auti. carm. cap. 7. Scrope. Io­han Hardyng in hys. 47. chaptre, and Po­lidorus uergilius. li. 2. Anglice historie.

Brytayne first conuerted by men maried.

THese were surely the origynall be­gynnynges (sayeth Polidorus of the Christen Religion in Brytay­ny. Gildas witnesseth also, in hys fyrst treatyse De excidio Britannie. That the Bry­taynes toke the christen faythe at the ve­rye sprynge or fyrst goynge forth of the Gospell, Gospell. whan the churche was moste perfyght, and had moste strengthe of the holye ghost. All that tyme and a longe season after, the ministers helde their wy­ues, accordyng to the fyrst ordre of God, without, vowynge or yet professynge of virginite, and so contynued to the dayes of Lucius, whyche is called in the Chro­nycles the fyrst Christen kynge. Kynge. Lucius. Though thys Lucius were a good man, and began wele to inclyne to the Gospell, yet was he worldlye mynded, and thought that it wanted dewe aucthorite [Page] so longe as it was ministred but of sym­ple and poore laye marryed men. Anon therfor he sent vnto Rome. Rome. ij. of those mi­nisters called Eluanus and Meduinus vnto Eleutherius the Byshop (for they had then no pope) to haue some aucthorite from then. And thys was done in the yeare of oure Lorde. C. lxxix. Anno domini 179. Wherupon Marcus Sabellicus sayeth, Enneade. 7. lib. 5. That of all prouinces Brytayne was the first that receyued the Christen fayth with publique ordinaunce.

¶ Christianite somwhat corrupted.

THen Eleutherius sent hyther. ij. of hys doctors, called fugacius and Damianus, to set here an ordre. These fyrst baptysed lucius with a great part of his nobilitie and commons, and then with his cōsent chaunged the Idols temples into Christen churches (as they now call them) the flamynes or Idoll. sa­cryficers, Chur­ches. whiche were then. xxviij. in nō ­bre, into so manye byshoppes, and the. iij. archyflamenes into. iij. archebyshoppes, as wytnessyth Calfridus Mouemuthensis in hys second booke. Autours De origine & gestis Britonum. cap. 1. Alphredus Beuerlacensis in hys Chronycle, Vincensius, Antoninus, Nu­clerus, Bergomas, Polidorus, and a great sort more. This christianite endured in Bry­tayne, Christianite. the space of. CC. and. xvi. yeares, vnto the persecucion of Dioclesiane, [Page 15] sayth Ranulphus in Polichronico. li. 4. Ca. 16. Vpon this toke the Romysh churche first occasion, to deuyde the christen prouinces into dyoceses and parryshes. Dyoce­ses paryshes. Marke wy­le these fyrst buyldynges of Antechrist, or of Nemroth the yongar, and considre out of what good stuffe they ryse without Gods worde. All this haue I written hy­therto, not as matters correspondyng to the fyttle of my boke, but that their spiri­tuall frutes maye apere what they are, euen from the very rootes.

¶ The fyrst spryng of monkerye in Brytayne.

AS this newe christianite from Ro­me, had gotten here of the Paga­nes both temples and possessions, Tēples. and were wele fauerdlye satled (theyr by­shoppes and priestes perchaunce beyng the same ministers that had serued the Idolles in them afore) anon after there arose out of it a certayn kynde of monke­rye, Mōkery not in apparell, but in apperaunce of a more sober lyfe. These within a whyle semed better learned than the other, and more depelye fell into the peoples esty­macyon. Wherupō arose some after great stryfe and vnquietnesse amonge them, and out of that stryfe moste detestable heresyes. Heresies For one of them called pelagius, Pelagi [...] beynge of the great monasterye of Ben­cornaburch in Chestre shyre (though som [Page] call it Bangor) began to dyspute wyth them for the strengthe of manys fre wyll, Fre wyl and sayed that man myght be saued ther­by, without the grace of God, so denyeng the effect of Christes blood, as his folo­wers are not ashamed to do yet to thys daye. Agaynst this heretike Pelagius, wrote Saynt Augustyn, Saynt Hieron [...], Cyrillus Orosius, innocensius, Gennadius, and at the last Thomas Braduuardin a doctor here in Englande, with diuerse other.

¶Heresye in Brytayne aryseth of monkerye.

YEt came there in no vowynge of chastite all thys tyme, neyther was vyrginite thought anye holyer a­monge them then marryage. For one Se­uerus beyng bothe a monke, Seuerus prieste, and byshop, had a sonne there called leporius a mōke also and a priest, Leporiꝰ. which vexed the lande with that learnynge taught of hys father, in the yeare of our Lorde. CCCCxxxij. 432. as wytnesseth both Prosper Aquitan­nus, and also Flores historiarum. Thys leporius made hys boast, that he was able to lyue purelye of hym selfe, and by force of hys owne fre wyll, wythout the assistence of God, as reporteth of hym, Gennadius Massiliensis, Autours Honorius Augustudimen­sis, & Iohannes Tritemius, in suis illustrium uirorum Catalogis, and now last of all, Cō ­radus Gesnerus in uniuersali bibliotheca. Of [Page 16] the same sorte was there an other called Agricola, Agricola a priestes sonne also, whiche in the yeare of our Lorde. CCCC. xlvi. 446. troubled the Brytaynes with the same doctri­ne, as Flores historiarum sheweth. The er­rours of both these were at the same tyme confuted by Germanus and Lupus with [...]ther frenche doctours, whiche came r [...]ydre then for the same purpose, specially of Saynt Augustine in Affrica.

¶A priestes sonne was Saynt Partrick.

SAynt Partrick the great Apo­stle of Irelande, partrick. was borne here in this Brytayne about the yeare of our Lorde. CCC. lxi. 361. and had a priest to hys father called Calphurnius, whiche was also a deacons sonne that was name Podunus. His mothers name hyght Con­ches, and was holye Saynt Martynes syster. Marti­nus. Thys testyfyeth Ranulphus Ce­strensis in Polychronico, lib. 4. cap. 29. and Iohan Capgraue in Catologo sanctorum Anglie. If this had bene fowle playe in those dayes, Saynt Martyne would ne­uer so paciently haue suffered it. For we reade that he was verye tendre vnto the sayd Patrick, Patriciꝰ after that his fryndes had sent hym thydre, and taught hym manye Godly thynges. What rule this Hartrick kepte in that be halfe, I haue not redde. Yet fynde I in hys lyfe wrytten, that [Page] he had a laddy waytynge on hym called Benignus, Benig­nus. whiche alwayes reported hym, to be his owne propre father, he neuer denyeng it. I reade also that one Mod­uenna, Mod­wenna. an Iryshe woman was very fami­liar with hym, whether it were by the waye of marryage or no, that can I no [...] tell. Ex ante nominatis autoribus.

¶Sayntes were begotten in whordome.

TO entre more depely into the peo­ples opinion, a chastyte was pretensed anon after in that monke­rye, Chasti­te. but not yet solempnelye vowed, and in manye places of the realme were mo­nasteries builded bothe of men and wo­men. But marke what folowed therof immediatly after. Christ chaunced in those dayes to haue many brethren. For many virgins had then chyldren without fa­thers, at the least the fathers of them were neuer yet knowen.

Saynt Dubrice that was afterwarde the great archebyshoppe of Cairlegion and metropolytane of all the lande, Dubri­cius. had a mayde to his mother, called Eurdila, but neuer wold she confesse hym to haue any father. Saynt Kentigerne byshoppe of glasghon (that ye now call Saynt As­ses or Asaphes) had in lyke case a fayre mayde to hys forth bryngar, Kētiger­nus. but farther would she graunt none to hym, for no cō ­pulsion, merlinꝰ Merlyne also the great sothsay­er [Page 17] of wales, was an holy Nonnes sonne in saynt Peters of Cairmardyne, no fa­ther yet knowne to him but a sprete of the ayre. The first. ij. sheweth Iohan Capgraue in Catalago sanctorum Anglie, And this lattre wondre is mencioned of all fa­mouse writers. A great sort of these histo­ries could I rehearse, but these are ynough at this time.

¶ Like examples are among the Turkes.

SOche an other knauerye is v­sed among the Turkes religy­ouse buggerers to this present daye, Turkes and those children that are begotten among them, are holden for most holy sayntes, as these were. They take it for no maruele that Christ was borne of a virgine, for (they say) they haue such among them at all times. But to turne agayn to my purpose. The cause why the fathers of the afore seyde chyldren might not than be knowne, was this. Io­han Capgraue sayth. A awe. The [...]w was that time in Britayne, that if a yong wen­che had be begotten with childe in her fathers howse, or any where els, this was her iudgement. Iudge­ment. She shuld haue be­ne brought vnto an high mountayn, and there throune downe headlonges, her cor­ruptour being byheaded. Yf this law had still continued, and neuer so bene [Page] put to the spirituall court without conscyence, neuer had the vowe of their chastite ronne so farre as it hath done, to many a thousandes dampnacion.

¶ More Sayntes yet begatten in whoredome.

SAynt Dauid of wales the gre­at archebyschop of Meneuia. Dauid. whiche had so manye prophecy­ers and so manye Angels sente afore to geue warnynge of his comming xxx. yea­res ere he was borne, was begotten out of maryage in stinkynge whoredome. For hys mother was a Nonne, and his father the earle of a contrey there called Cairdigam shyre. A prynce called Dyhocus in Kynge Arthurs tyme, inflamed at the deuyls suggestyon with fleshlye loue of his owne naturall doughter, begat of her saynt Kynede the holy hermyte, kinetus. that in Wales wrought so manye great myracles. One Dubtacus an Irysh man begate holy saynt Brigide of his mayde seruaunt called Brocsech, brigida. euē vnderuech hys wyues nose to spyght her wyth it, which had so many reuelacyon from heauen, and so many popes pardons from Rome. Saynt Cuthbert the great God, cuthbert of the Northe, and he that was wonte to defende vs from the Scottes, was a misbegotten also, for his mother was vnmarried. And his father in Irelande to ha­ue the good occupieng of her, slewe both [Page 18] her father and mother. These were the spirituall beginninges of the Sayntes of that age. If ye beleue not me, loke Io­han Capgraue in Catalpgo sanctorum An­gliae., Capgraue. and he shall tell ye much more of the matter. I coude shew yow many more yet of such holy sayntes birthes, but lete these for this time suffise.

¶ Whoredome estemed most holinesse

MArke how abhominable who­ryshnesse in all these whorish frutes, whoredome is holy. is auaunced of that who­rish Rome churche, to the great blemysh­ynge of Godly marryage. The spiritu­all Sodomites and knaues hath not be­ne ashamed to write it in the liues and lieng legendes of al these, that is to saye of Dubricius, Dauid, Kinedus, Kenti­gerne, Cuthberth, and Brigide, with so­che like, and solempnely so to reade and sing it as Gods seruyce in their temples, Their Gods seruyce. that they were sanctifyed in their mo­thers wombes. Se what aduauncemen­tes they haue for stynking whoredome, and how litle deuocion to chast marria­ge instituted of God. Neuer were the son­nes of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, of Moyses, Eleazar, and Phinees, so paynted out with miracles and wonders, nor yet so pranked vp with tabernacles and ligh­tes, sensinges and massinges, as these whoresbirdes. Thus iudge they whore­dom holynesse, & wholsome mariage sinne. [Page] Come out of Sodome ye whoremongers and Hipocrites, popish bishoppes and prestes, The Popes. for as yet ye haue not refour­med this abhominacion, but still vphol­de it for your Romish Gods seruice. chaplaynes. Come our theues and knaues come out.

¶ Women greuouse and sola­ciouse.

What a do these holy sayntes of theirs had and their vowers (whā they come ones to vowes makin­ge) for women and with womē, women. as to kepe them out of their monasterirs, & to make thē beare children whan they were barrē, it were an infinite thing to write. Saynt Dauids monkes were skeared. Dauid. way with naked women at a broke side in Rosidaeualle. So were Saynt Theliaes hermi­tes also in an other place not farre from thens. Saynt Dubrices bretherne had many hote mouinges in their fleshe, dubrici­us. and were fayne oft tymes to stande naked in the colde riuer. Saynt Kentigernes disci­ples toke great paynes vpon them, Kētiger­nus, to make baren women frutefull. Whan saynt Brigida was at the very poynt of mar­ryage, Brigida she stole away preuely with her iij. maydes, and wayted longe after v­pon bishop Machill, doing many great cures in his seruyce with holy water. Saynt Modwen also after such an other sort, Saynt Modwē wayted vpon bishop Hiber and his [Page 19] bretherne with her maydes. A woman the same season accused Bishop Broon for begetting her wyth childe, and Bri­gide like a good body, brigida by a charme or. ij made all safe agayne. As one of her maydes was going to her louer a prestes bed, for returninge agayne in time, she coude her muche thanke. All these ho­ly histories shall ye finde in Iohan Cap­graue.

¶ A spirytuall example of a votarye.

SAint Iltute, Iltutus or Elcute, which had bene alwayes a moste valeaunte captayne amonge the Brytaynes, at the suggestion of saint Cadoc an Her­mite, put from him his moste vertuouse and chast wyfe, leauyng her nothing els to lyue vpon, but barly breade and wa­ter on homelye repast for her that hadde bene a lady and tenderly brought vp. And as she on a tyme resorted vnto him only to haue heard the swete worde of the Lorde, hys wy­fe. her comminge thydre so sore discontented hys mynde, that with a charme he put out both her eyes. For I an certayn, it came by no Godly po­wer, (he beinge ledde of so Godly a spre­te. If this be saynt Paules learning, Not Poles lear­nyng. a man so miserably to leaue his wife, and so vngodly to vse her for axynge good counsell, I report me to yow. Yet must [Page] he be still a saynt in the Popes holy chur­che, bycause he was a tiraunt to marriage for non other holynesse had he. Such sayntes recken I more fit for hell than for hea­uen. Wele, this story hath also Iohā Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglye.

¶ Vrsula with her sort appoynted to marrye.

OF Vrsula and her. xi, Vrsula cum. xi. millibus thousande companions haue the spirituall hypocrites by helpe of their spy­rituall father the deuyll, practised innumerable lyes, by them to make their newly sought out virginite to apere sum­what gloriouse to the worldly dodypol­les that neuer wyll be wise. The veryte of the history is this, after all iust wry­ters. Whan our Britaynes had ones gotten by their warre, the lande of Ar­morica (that we now call the lesser Bri­tayne) and were put in perpetuall possessyon therof by their King Maximus a­boute the yeare of our Lorde. Armori­ca. CCC. and XC. 390. they acccorded amonge them selues through the assent of Conanus their cap­tayne, Diou­nus. only to mary with their owne nacion, and in no wise to haue a do with the Frenche women there, for dyuerse pa­rels. Wherupon they sent vp and by ouer the see to Dionothus the duke of Corne­wale, Diono­thus. which than in the Kinges absence had gouernaunce of al the realme, instaūtlye [Page 20] desperynge hym, to make prouysyon for them. For maryage. Which immedyatly gathered from all partes of the lande, to the nom­bre of. xi. thousande maydes and oth [...]r women, and so shypped them at London vpō the Tham ys with hys owne dere doughter Vrsula, for so much as Couanus de­syered to haue her to wyfe. And as they were abroode vpon the mayne seas, su­che contrary wyndes and tempestes fell vpon thē, as drowned some of their shyp­pes, Drowned. and droue the residue of them into the handes of their enemyes the Hunues and the pyetes, which slewe a great nom­bre of them, as they founde them not agreable to theyr fleshly purposes. Thys sheweth Galfredu, Monemuthensis li. 2. cap. 4. Alphredus Beuerlacēsis, autours Ranulphus, Cestrēsis, Ioānes Harding, Rober­tus Fabiā, Tritemius in cōpēdio Volate­ranus & Polydorus.

¶An history to their ghostly purpose

BVt se here y ^e cōueyaūce of thyse spirtiual gētill men in Playstering vp their vnsauery sorceries. They say, Wyth lyes. they all vowed virginite, & were persua­ded of saynt Michael y ^e archāgel & of saint Iohā y ^e Euāgelist, neuer to marry (as thoughe they were diswaders of marriage for their lecherouse vowes & so wēt frō thens religiously to Rome on pilgrimage w ^t gre­at deuocyon, Pylgry ij, and. ij. togyther, and were [Page] honorably receyued there of the Pope and his clergy If this be not good wa­re, tell me. I think there wanted no spi­rituall occupienge, for the tyme they were there, yf the storye were true. For Daniell sayth, that the lust of that proude kyngedome, shuld be vpon women. Da­niel. 11. Dan. 11. In all fleshly desyres (saith Hieremye (they are become lyke rauke stoned horse, neyenge at euery mannis wyfe. Hieremi. 5. Hiere. 5 And in dede some writers ha­ue vttered it, that they were neuer good sens their beynge there. Now marke the sequele. In their returne homewarde a­gayne towardes Coleyne, they hadde in their company (say their writers) po­pe Ciriacus) yf there euer were anye suche. Names feyned. Poncius, Petrus, Vincencius. Calixtus, Kiltanus, Florencius, Ambrosius, Iustinus, & Christianus, all cardnales Cesarius, Cle­mens Columbanus. Yuuanus Lotharius Pātalus. Mauricius. Maurilius Poillanus, Sulpicius, Iacobus, Guilhelmus. Michael, Eleutherius, Bo­nifacius, and. vij. more of the Popes howsholde, all Byshoppes, besydes a greate nombre of Prestes and Chaplaynes. Di­uerslye is this holy legende handeled of Iacobus Bergomas in Li, Historiours. Declaris mulieribus. of Sigebertus, Vincencíus, Antoninus, Hartmā nus, Carsulanus. Vorago, Vuernerus, Nauele­rus, Mantuanus, Vuicelius. Caxton, Capgra­ue. Hector, Boethius. Maior, and a graet [Page 21] sort more, scarselye one agreyng with an other.

¶ Fyne workemanship to be marked.

HE that wolde take the payne, to conferre their Chronycles and writynges, Proue the spretes. but concerninge thys onlye matter, obseruynge dylygentlye their diuerse bestowynge of tymes, pla­ces and names with other thynges per­ceyuynge to the circumstaunce of hysto­rye, shuld anon perceyue the [...]e subtyle conueyaūce in many other matters. The solempne feast of these. xi. thousande she pilgrimes, for their goynge to Rome, is yet no small matter in their Idolatrou­se churche, and yet they poure sowles ne­uer came there, as the most auc [...]entyue writers doth proue. Their goynge out of Brytanye was to be come honest Chri­sten mennys wyues / and not to go no pylgrymage to Rome, Only to mar­ry. and so become byshoppes bonilasses, or prestes playeferes Se what our auncient Englysh writers had sayth in thys matter / whych more experimently knewe it, and lere the foren liars go, which beynge faere of cared the lesse to lye. In dede thys is a very straunge procuringe of Sayntes, if ye marke it wele, but that the monkes and prebendes of Coleyne thought to do sum­what for the pleasure of their Nonnes [Page] there, whiche had gathered togyter an haeye of dead mennys bones. Nōnes of Coleyne. For thier bones culde they not haue, beynge drowned in the great Occeane sea, as Galfer­dus and the other autours veryfyeth afore. But both Christ and Paule ones tolde vs, that we shuld be subtyllye cyrcumuented of that wylye generacyon, whan they shuld worke thier deceytfull won­ders. Math. 24. and. 2. Thes. 2.

¶ Vowynges ded not yet constraynt.

ALl thys tyme were there no con­straynynge vowes but all was fre to leaue or to holde. For Constans the eldeste sonne of kynge Constantyne the seconde, Cōstās. beyng a monke of Saynt Amphibalus abbeye in Cairguent, that ye now call Saynt Swythunes in wynche­stre, was taken out of yt without dyspensacyon, about the yeare of our lorde.

CCCC. xliij and crowned kynge of Brytayne, 443. beynge in full lyberte of marrya­ge. Galfredus, Ranulphus Hardyng, Capgraue, Caxton, and Fabyan. In lyke case Maglocunus (as Gildas reporteth) was first a monke, Maglo­cunus. Gildas. and afterwarde constytute kyn­ge in the yeare of our lorde. CCCCC lij. 552. contynuynge still by the space of more than. xxxiiij. yeres, and had for their he thyme. ij wyues besides hys concubines. Thys Maglocunus was rekened the most romelye persone of all hys regyon, and a [Page 22] man to whom Gon had than geuen gre­at victories agaynst the Saxons, Nor­weyes, and Danes. Yet was he in hys age as was longe afore hym, Mempricius hys predecessour, Mem­pricius. geuen to most abhomi­nable so dometry, whiche he had learned in his youth of the consecrate chastyte of the holy clergy. Galfredus, Ranulphus. Hardynge Fabian. and Flores historiarum. Very vehement was Gildas beinge than a monke of Beucornaburch not farre frō Chestre, in his dayly preachinges, Gildas prophe­cyeth. both agaynst the clergy and layte, concernyn­ge that vyce and such other, and prophe­cyed afore hande of the subuersyon of thys realme by the Saxyns for it, like as it sone after folowed in effect. Loke in both his bokes De excidio Britannie & in scriptis Polidori. Galfredi & Ranulphi. with the preface of William Cindals obedyence.

¶ The Saxons entre with newe Christianite.

ANon after the Saxon [...] had gotten of the Brytaynes the full conquest of this lande, Saxōs. the name therof was changed, and hath euer sens bene called England of Engist which was than their chefe Captayn, Englād as wytneseth Iohan Har­dyng. Iohā Maior. Hector Boethius. Caxtō. Fabyan Than came there in a new fashioned christyanyte yet ones agayn from Rome Christyanyte. [Page] with many more heythuysh pokes than afore. And that was vpon this occasi­on, as all writers agre. Gregory the first of that name (now called Saynt Grego­ry) behelde in the open market at Ro­me. Grego­ry. Englysh boyes to be solde. Marke this ghostly mistery, for the prelates had than no wiues. And women in those day­es might sore haue distained their ne­wely rysin opinion of holynesse, if they had chaunced to haue bene with chylde by them, and therfor other spirituall re­medies were sought out for them by their good prouiders and proctours, ye may (if ye will) call them applesquires. Instede of mar­ryage. And at this Gregory behelde them fayre skinned and bewtifully fared, with he­are vpon their heades most comely, anon he axed, of what region they were. And answere was made him, that they were of an yle called Englande. Wele may they be called Angly (sayth he) for they haue very A [...]gelyck vysages. Angly. Se how curyouse these fathers were, in the wele eyenge of their wares. Here was no circumstaunce vnloked to, perteining to the sale. Wares Yet haue this Bishopp bene of all writers reckened the best sens his ti­me. This story mencïoneth Iacobus de Voragine, Vincencius. Antoninus. Ioannes Capgraue, Maior, Polydorus. & an hondred autours more.

¶ More English boyes sold at Rome.

AN other example like vnto this, telleth theseyde Iohan Capgraue in his Cataloge. That at one Macu­tus an English, Maru­tus. Brytayne, and Byshop of Aleth in Irelande, beynge at Rome about the yeare of our Lorde. CCCCC perceyued serten Englysh boyes to be solde there openly. 500. He gaue the pryce of them, and sent them home agayne. Of a likelyhode he smelled the spyrytuall oc­cupyeng there, and pytyed the most dampnable castynge away of those poore in­nocentes, whome Christ had so derely redemed with his blood. Suche an other acte of christen pity wrought king Etel­wolphus there (after diuerse writers) whan he in the yeare of our Lord. Ethel­wol­phus DCCC. xlvij. 847 made sute to Pope Leo the fort, to be clerely dispensed with forthe ordre of Subdeacon, which he had in his yowthe receyued) wholsome ware I wa­rande yow) of Helmestane than Bishop of wynchestre. For by that time they had crepte into the seate of the Serpent, Apoca. 13. Apo. 13. and obtayned full autoryte to dyspense wyth all pactes, professions, promyses, vowes, athes, oblygacyons, and sealynges to the Beastes holy ser­uyce. Marke alwayes the tymes. Tymes This story hath Vuyllyam of Malmesburye. li. 2. [Page] De regibus, a Raulphe. Hardyng. Fabyan and Polidorus with other. And that the one wanteth, the other alwayes habundauntly supplieth. Possession was taken of that seate of the Beast vndre phocas the emperour in the yeare of our Lord. DC. and vij. 607. wean the papacy first begonne.

¶ Augustine entreth with his Monkes.

NOw to returne agayne vnto Gregory. He sent vpon the afo­resayd occasyon, into England in the yeare from Christes in carnacion. CCCCC.xcvi. 596. a Romysh monke called Augustyne, not of the ordre of Christ as was Peter, Augustinus. but of the supersticiouse secte of Beuet. there to sprede abrode the Ro­mishe faythe and religion, for Christes fayth was there long afore. With him entered Melitus. Iustus. Laurencius. Ioānes, Petrus. Rufinianus, Paulinus, and a great sort more to the nombre of. xl. all monkes and Italyanes. Mōkes Wele armed were they with Aristotles artilery, as wyth logyck, Philosophy, and other crafty sciences, but of the sacred scripturs, they knewe lytle or nothyng. crafty scyence. If ye beleue not me, reade in Iohan Capgraues Cataloge, Inuita Augustini, his interrogacions. Ad Gregorium per laurencium & Petrum, & ye shall find them voyd of all christen learnynge, eyther of law or Gospell, yea, most insy­pient and folishe. Yet was the seyd Au­gustine [Page 24] the best learned among thē. These toke with them a great nombre of frenche interpretours, Ignora­unt apostles. bycause they were all ig­noraunte of the language there. Here was a noble christianite towardes, whan the preachers knewe neyther the scryp­turs nor yet the speache of the people. Well, yet they ded miracles, Yea, so sayd Christ they shuld do, Mira­cles. whan he bad vs in any wise to be ware of thē. Math. 24. For this story, marke specyally Iohan Cap­graue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie, Sigebertus Vincēcius, Antoninus, Tritemius, Christia­nus Masseus, and the churche legendary.

Dyuersly were they of women intreated

ANd as concerning women, greuou­sly were they vexed with them commynge hytherward, Womē. specyallye at a vyllage called Saye, Saye. wythin the coūtye of Angeuin fraunce. In the whych was buylded immedyatly after, a churche (they say) in the honour of the seyd Augustine, where as no women come, but are plaged with most sodayne death, angrye sayntes. for the dyspleasure there shewed them than, yet ded thy but laugh vpon thē. This she­weth Alexādrethe prior of Esseby in hys Annuall of Sayntes by these verses.

[Page]This story hath also Iohan Capgraue. and the olde Englysh Festyuall of Sayn­tes whych was somtime, Festy­uall. the only taught Gospell of Englande. Notwythstandin­ge thys dyspleasure of women abrode, yet founde they women. fauorable within England. For Bertha the quene of Kent, than beynge a Frenche woman, caused Kynge Ethelbert to admit them wyth al theyr tyrlery trashe. Ethelbert. Yet for the small trust he had vnto them at their fyrst me­tynge he wolde in nowyse commen with them within any howse (the story sayth) least they shuld after any sorcerouse sort bywytche hym. The fyrst poynt of Reli­gyon they shewed, was this. They spred fourth a banner wyth a paynted crucy­fyre and a syluer crosse thervpon, and so come to the kynge in processyon, Proces­sion. synging the Letany. Wele myght thys be called a new chrystyanyte, for neyther was it knowne of Christ nor of hys Apostles, nor yet euerseane in Englande afore. It came altogyther from the dust heape of their monkery.

☞ Their fyrst spiriituall prouy­syons here.

AS the kynge admytted their en­teraunce, he couenaunted thus wyth them, and very wysely. That hys people shuld alwayes be at lyberte, lyberte. and no man constrayned to their [Page 25] newe founde Relygyon, sacrifices, and worshyppynges. But alac that fredome contynued not long wyth them, as ye shall wele perceyue hereafter Then dyd Augustine get him into Fraunce agayn, and caused one Etherius than Archeby­shop of Arelas, Etheriꝰ. to consecrate hym the great byshop of all Englande, without eleccion or consent of the people that we reade of. And in the yeare of our Lorde euen. DC. 600. dyd Gregorye sende vnto hym from Rome, hys prymates pall, with super altares, chalyces, copes, Instru­mentes. can­delstyckes, vestymentes, surplices, alter clothes, syngynge bokes, rellyckes, and the blessynges of Peter and Paule. And so admytted hym for the fyrst metropoli­tane of all the whole realme, appointing hys seate from thens fourth at Canter­burye, than called Doroberna, Doro­berna. the wor­thye cytie of London euer after depriued of her former tytle, and so made an vn­derlynge. But the spirituall fathers knewe well ynough what they dyd, be­holdyng afore hande many hydden my­steries. They perceyued that Caunterbury was wel out of the wayes, Caunterburye. and much nygher the sea then was London, and so muche the fytter for theyr craftye conueyaunces, and flyghtes to their holy father if nede should require it, with manye o­ther commoditees els. Marke alwayes [Page] these nombres of Syxes and their miste­ries, Nōbres. for the age of Man and the Beast, Apoca. xiij.

¶ Their preparacions for Antichrist.

THe fyrst stody of these fathers after they were ones satled, primitie. was al about masse offerynges, ceremo­nies, byshoppes seates, consecrations, churche hallowynges, orders geuynge, tythes, personages, puryfycacions of women, and suche lyke. Wherupon a Synuode was called, Synodꝰ and there cōmaundementes were geuen that all thynges should be here obserued according to the customes of Rome. In Englande was there afore their commynge a Christia­anite, Christyanytye. but it was all without masses, and in a maner without choyce of eyther da­yes or meates. The Brytaynes in those dayes had none other Gods seruice but the Gospell. Brytay­nes. Seldome admytted they any difference of tymes with the Iewes, eyther anye Idoll sacryfyces wyth the Gentyles, but folowed the playne rules of the scriptures. If any supersticions were amonge their Monkes, they had nought to do therewith, but were euer­more at lyberte. For Prynces at that ty­me were not yet becomē the beastes Images, Princes to speake out of their spretes, or to make lawes accordynge to theyr lustes. The labour of Augustyne with his monkes, [Page 26] from the forsayd yeare of our Lorde DC. 600. was to prepare Antichrist a seate here in Englande, agaynst the full tyme or his perfyght age, of 666. 666. For though he were fyrst conceyued in the wycked churche of Cain, yet could he not shewe hym self in his owne lykenesse, that is to saye, Christes opē aduersary, tyll Christ came in the fleshe. And then he apeared at all one tyme with hym, Anti­christ. in the malyg­naunt churche of the Iewes or spyrytu­alte of Herode, whiche then fyrst began to persecute hym and to seke hys death.

¶ The prouinge of Augustines Apostelshyp.

IN the yeare of our Lorde. DC. & ii. 602. helde Augustyne an other coun­sell in the west part and countye of worcestre, Synodꝰ in a place that is yet called Augustynes oke, wherunto he called by cōmaundement, the. vij. bishoppes of the Brytayne churche with their principall doctours. And as they were takynge their iournay thydreward, they counsayled with a certayn solytarye man, Solyna­rye man which was knowē to be of a most perfight christen lyfe, what was to be done concer­nynge the aforesayed Augustyne. Anone he made them this christen aunswere: If he be a man of God (sayeth he) in anye wyse folowe hys counsayll. If he be not vtterlye refuse it. Howe shalll [Page] we know that? saye they. Ye shall well perceyue it by hys gentyll sprete, sayeth he agayne. For Christ bad his scolers to learne of him to be meke harted. Christen counsell. If he be of that sort, he is lyke to brynge ye none other then Christes moste easy yoke. But if ye fynde hym proude, be ware of the importable burdens of the hygh myn­ded Pharysees. And as they were com­men thydre, A proud Monke. they founde hym syttynge a loft in a throne of hygh honoure, she­wyng vnto them no countenaunce of gentylnesse. Wherfore they regarded hym not, but vtterlye withstode all hys enforcementes.

¶ The Englyshe churche begyn­neth with tyrannye.

AFter longe disputacions and o­ther weywarde wrangelynges, he layed vnto their charges, that they were in many thynges, contrarye to the vnyuersall Christen churche. Notwith­standing, if they wold consent vnto hym in these. iij. poyntes. Thre poyntes That is to saye, to baptyse after the Romysh maner, to celebrate the feast of Easter as they do there and preache to the Englyshe Saxons as he should appoynte them, he would wel beare with them in all other causes. In no case would they graunte vnto hym, nor yet accept him for their archebyshop but sayd playnelye, they would styl hold [Page 27] their auncient tradicions, whiche they perfyghtlye knewe to be agreable to the holy Apostles doctryne. A tyraūt Then sayd Au­gustyne furyouslye vnto them, that if they would not peaceably graunt to hys requestes, they should be enforced therō ­to by most cruell battayle. And so in the yeare next folowynge, were slayne of their preachers by Augustynes procure­ment, A mur­therer. to the nombre of a thousande and ij. hondred, with their great mastre Dio­nothus. Loke Flores Historiarum, Amandus Zierixensis, Galfrede, Ranulph, Capgraue, Caxton, Fabiane, their churche legendary, and other. Thus dyd that carnall Syna­goge (than called the Englysh churche) whiche came from Rome with Augusti­ne, A carnal Synagoge. most cruelly persecute, at her first cō ­myng in, the christen churche of the Bry­taynes in these holy martyrs. Their syn­full Syon buylded they then in blood, Bloody Syon. for that their wycked institutes were Godlye dysobeyed. But be they sure, it shal be plowed vp in this lattre age, and lye wast lyke a voyde felde, accordynge to Mycheas prophecye. Mich. iij.

¶What the Brytayne churche was afore.

TRue is the faythful saynge of Iohan Leylande in assertione Arturij fol. 35. Iohan Leyland That the Romysh Byshop sought all meanes possyble to vpholde [Page] the Englysh Saxōs in a kyngdome falselye gotten, the Brytaynes hatynge hym for it, and he agayne for myschefe prouo­kynge those Saxons fearcelye to inuade them. Marke it hardelye, for it is wor­thye to be noted. Marke also the agre­ment of the Brytayne churche with the vij. churches of Asia in Saynt Iohans tyme. Brytayn churche. Not onely for the iust nombre of their byshops, but also for their obserua­cion of Easter afore this Augustines cō ­myng. For in their argumentaciōs about that matter, they layde alwayes for them selues the vsages of that churche recey­ued fyrst of Iohan the Euangelyst, Phi­lyp the Apostle, Policarpus, Traseas, Saga­ris, Papirius and Meliton, allegynge the sa­ynges of Policrates, and Eusebius, in that behalfe. Englysh churche. The churche that Avgusty­ne than planted in Englande, was more gouerned by byshoppes polycyes for their aduaūtage, then by y ^e expresse word of God to hys honour, as it hath bene euer sens. And therfore it was and is yet in outwarde obseruaciōs, rather a polytique churche then a Christen churche, the Iewyshe and Heythnyshe supersticions not rekened. God graunt it ones a shap after hys prescripte lawes and ordynaū ­ces. Amen.

¶ Antichrist approched fast to hys full age.

[Page 28]IN the yeare of our lord (as I sayd afore). DC. &. vij. 607. Antichrist fast approchyng to the fulnesse of hys age, full age. grewe into a vniuersall fatherhode. For than fyrst began the papacye at Ro­me vnder the false Emprour phocas, as wytnesseth Abbas yrspergensis, Hermannus Contractus, Sigebertus, Ranulphus, Matheus Palmarius, Christianus Masseus, Archilles Pirminius, Ioannes Carion, et Martinus Lu­therus in Mundi supputacione. The Pa­pacye. Then obteyned Bonifacius the third of that name, of the sayd Phocas for money, in the middes of all scysme, stryfe, myschefe, & murther, to be Sathans great stewarde here, and the deuils leftenaunt. For in his po­wer it was not to make hym Christes vicar, nor yet sait Peters successour. Thus gaue the Dragon, then his autorite & po­wer to the beast with. vij. heades, that a­rose out of the sea, or from the superstici­ouse wauerynge multytude, Apoca. xiij. Apoc. 13. Then wanted he nothynge els, but to syt in the place of God, which is the consciē ce of Man, that he myght there exalte hymselfe aboue all that is called God. ij Thessa. ij. 2. Tes. 2. To brynge that to passe, the Monkes and the priestes sturrred quickly about them, and left no cautels vn­sought out to brynge all Christen real­mes vndre hys deuylyshe domynyon. For then had the Monkes aucthorite [Page] to preache, baptyse, and assoyle from synne, Mōkes autorite. whiche they neuer had afore. Howe and what they wrought here in Englād, is euident by that hath bene shewed a­fore, and wylbe yet more playne in that whiche hereafter foloweth. Marke it therfor in the name of God, for now is the tyme wherin he must be reueled, that the Lorde Iesus maye consume hym wyth the breathe of hys mouthe. Esa. xi. Esa. xi. and. ij. Thes. ij.

¶The chastite of hys masmongers.

NOw concernynge the continen­cye of thys new broched broode or newlye fashyoned clergye. For so muche as they were Monkes & came from Rome, they had professed a false chastyte, A false chastite. to apeare more holye then the priestes, and therby in processe of ty­me to robbe them of their benefyces or appoynted lyuynges. Though Gregory in hys tyme made these constytucions, Gregori that none shuld be admitted a priest whiche had maryed. ij. wyues, nor yet therto be accepted that in priesthode kept concubynes, as testifieth Sabellicus, yet durst he not vtterly condempne priestes mar­ryage, by reason of a most terrible example of innumerable chyldrēs heades sea­ne drowned in a ponde. Exāple. But marke y ^t spy­ritual occupienge of these hote fathers, for greuouslye were they than vexed [Page 29] with nyght pollucions. Mōkes chastyte. Wherupō Augustine sent vnto Gregory, to know if they myght well saye masse hauing them the nyght afore. Vnto whome after manye wordes, he maketh in effect this aunswere. That lyke as they chaunce vnto men iiij. wayes, iij. wayes. that is to saye, by superfluyte of nature, by glottenouse eatyng & dryn­kynge, by infirmite of the fleshe, and by fylthye cogytacions of the mynde, so ought they to haue. iiij. consyderacions. For the firste. iij. a priest ought not (he sayeth) to astayne from his masse sayng. The forth describeth by suggestion, dy­lectacion, and consent, Colou­red So­domye. leauynge it with­out any conclusion. If this be not good wholsome diuinite of your holye Romyshe Sayntes, tell me. This hath Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie.

¶Contempt of marryage wyth tayles.

I Thynke a mā myght fynde as honest stuffe as this, in the scooles of my lord of wynchestres rentes at the banke syde at London, Stewes diuinite. if he had nede of it. Ye maye se by thys, the vertuouse studye of these holye chast fathers, & the clarkelye conueyaunce of theyr fleshlye mouynges. Great pytie had it bene, but it had had place in their holy sayntes le­gendes to the ghostlye intourmacyon of other, but that we shuld not els wel haue [Page] knowne their bawdye hypocrysye. If their vnuirginall vowes had not bene, votaries learning lytle should the worlde haue neded thys lecherous learnynge. Honest marryage hath not knowledge therof, and yet is it a pleasyng seruice vnto GOD. Is not that (thynke you) a straunge kynde of chastyte, that is thus euerye weke polu­ted? Yet maye they after thys learnyng, euerye daye saye Masse, their vowe ne­uer hyndered, but in marryage they ma­ye not so do vnder payne of death. Now forsoth it is wholsome ware, and it shuld come euen now frome the deuyls blacke bowgett. maryage contempned. Thys is the reuerence these poluted wretches haue to matrymonye, be­ynge Gods clere institucion, that they perferre all theyr fleshlye knaueryes vn­to it. For it onlye, haue they named men laye & women lewde, appoyntynge their chyldren tayles here in Englande in dis­daine and scorne. Laye, with tayles. For nought was it not that Saynt Paule called their learnyng Hyprocrysye, and the detestable doctrine of dyuels. i. Timo. iiij. Iohan Capgraue and Alexādre of Esseby sayth, that for castyng of fyshe tayles at thys Augustine, Dorset shyre men had tayles euer after. But Polydorus applyeth it vnto kentysh men at Stroude by Rochestre, Dorset & Stroude for cut­tyng of Thomas Beckettes horses taile. Thus hath England in all other landes [Page 30] a perpetuall infamye of tayles by theyr written legendes of lyes, yet can they not well tell, where to bestowe them trulye.

¶Stryfe aboute the Eastre cele­bracion.

NExt after this Augustine was Laurēcius archebishop of Caū terburye. Lauren­cius cū alijs. And after hym Meli­tus. Then Iustus, then Honorius, then Theodatus, & Theodorus, all black mō ­kes & Italyanes borne to the nombre of vij. This Laurence helde a great Synod with hys other prelates in the Ile of mā ne, Synodꝰ dysputynge there with the Scottyshe and Iryshe Byshoppes, for the feast of Eastre, what daye it should be yearly celebrated, writynge from thens vnto their other prelates a treatyse of the same. More then an hūdred years space, were the Papistes then in controuersy for the daye of that Eastre celebracion, the feast of easter ere they coulde be quyeted. Great paynes the re­lygiouse fathers toke in those dayes to strayne out a gnatt, that their lecerouse posteryte after them, myght the better swallowe in a myghtye camell. Math. xxiij. In thinges of smal value thei were then very scrupulose, but the wayghtier causes they could let slyppe wel ynough What so euer thys Laurence was to women by hys lyfe, Women he was (they saye) [Page] verye cruell vnto them after hys deathe. For in a certain towne called fordune, was a church bulded in his name, wher no women myght entre with offerynge nor without offerynge, but they had euer more sore bellyes of it. Sore bellies. I praye god they went not many times thens with childe, for there were manye fatte Canons and prebendes. Thys supersticiouse table borowe they of the paganes, whose oppi­nion was that no woman myght entre into the temple of Venus their great Goddesse in the mounte of Olympus, Venus. without a great vyllanye. Iacobus Zieglerus in sua Syria.

¶Great businesse for their other tradicions.

HEre passe I ouer the clowtynge in of their canonicall houres, Ceremo­monies & rytes. of their absolucions for synnes, their temples, their aulters, their belryn­gynges, their lentes, their diuersite of or­ders and diuisions of parishes, least I shuld be therin to tediouse vnto the rea­ders. Aidanus, Finanus, & Cosmannus beyng all. iij. byshops of lyndiffarne in Northumberlande one after an other, Good men. & Scottysh mē borne, could not wel away with the pride and wanton toyes whych they behelde in their Romysh rytes, but perseuered styl in the symple ordre of the primatiue churche, not contented to chā ­ge [Page 31] it. For the whiche in those dayes, they had muche a do with these hygh stoma­ked Romanes. Hilda in lyke case, Hilda [...]t Colmannus. that was thē abbasse of Streneshalt (that we now call Whytby) a womā learned, wyse, and vertuouse, dysputed with them in their generall counsayl vpon Colmanus syde, in the yeare of our Lorde. DC. and lxiiij. 664. concernyng the daye of their eastre celebracion, their head shauinge, & other vnsauerye ceremonies, and wrote after­warde an earnest treatyse agaynst Agil­bertus a frenche man and at that tyme byshop of Wynchestre. Agilber­bertus. All thys myght not helpe then, but in processe of tyme they had theyr whole myndes, magry al their hartes. Bedas Giruninus li. 3. ca. 25. De gestis Anglorum, Guilhelmus Malmesburye li. 3. De Pontificibus Ranulphus. lib. 5. cap. 17. Iohannes Caphraue and other.

¶Religiouse examples dysuadynge mariage.

After Laurentius folowed Meli­tus in the archebyshoppes seate of Caunterburye, melitus. in the yeare of our lorde. DC. and. xix, 619. whiche (they saye) both alyue & dead, dysuaded yonge men from christen marryage. As Saynt Co­lumbanus a Scott, Columbanus. about the same tyme, came to the sell of an holye Nonne for ghostlye counsell. She bad hym, awaye, least wanton youthe would bryng them [Page] togyther wylde they nylde they. Saynt Edwyne kynge of Northumberland gaue vnto saint Paulinus the archebyshop of yorke, Paulinꝰ hys yonge doughter Eanfleda, so sone as she was baptysed in the yeare of our lorde. DC. and. xxvi. 626. that he shuld make her an vnholye Nonne. And the daye after the said Edwyne was slayne, he toke with hym both the doughter and mother, and so fled with them vnto Ro­chestre in kent be water, neuer returning thydre agayne. Saynt Fiacre a Scot­tysh heremyte had so great malyce vnto women, Fiacriꝰ. that he plaged so many of them with the fowle euyll, as came within the precynct of hys monasterye, because one woman had ones complayned to the by­shop of hys prodygyouse charmynges. Hector Boethius. Saynt Foillanus an Irysh Byshop with his brethren was very famylyar and seruysable vnto Saynt Gertruyde and her nonnes at Nigella, Foilla­nus. & made dyuerse barren women full graci­ouslye to conceyue. Keyna. Saynt keynwirye a virgyne of wales, contempnynge mar­ryage, fled from thēs to Saynt Myhels of the mounte, to kepe her vowed virgi­nite amonge the holye fathers there, as vower with vowers. All these storyes hath Iohan Capgraue.

¶Other relygyouse examples of that age.

[Page 32]SEbba kyng of the East Saxōs, Sebba is monked. was so by wytched of the By­shop of Londō and his calkyng collygeners there for hys substaunce, that he had made hymselfe a monke, lea­uynge vnto them both hys wyfe and possessyons, yf she had bene no wyfe then he nor more godly dysposed.

Yet was she by their incantacyons at the last deceyued, they hauynge of hym an innumerable summe of money, and he nothynge of them agayne but a man­gye monkes cowle and hys buryall in Paules. Whan Saynt Egbynes father was ones departed in wales, Egbinꝰ. his mother resorted wyth hym to the Abbeye of Saynt Sampson, Sāpson. and there receyued of hym the habyte of a Nonne, bestowyng the rest of her lyfe amonge the good bre­therne there. Saynt Eanswyde abbesse of Folkstane in kent, Eanswi­da. inspyred of the de­uyll dyffyned christen marryage to be barren of all vertues, to haue but transy­toryouse frutes, and to be a fylthye cor­ruptyon of virginite. Yet ware Marye, Iohan Baptyst, and Iesus Christ swete frutes therof, the iust fathers of the olde lawe not rekened. Saynt Paule sayeth also, that by vertue of marryage, Frutes of mar­ryage. the vn­faythfull man is sanctyfyed by the wo­man that is faythfull. i. Cor. vij. Neither dyd he at anye tyme teache marryage [Page] to be eyther a corrupcion or yet an impe­dyment of christen virginite, whan he coupled the Corintheanes (whiche continued styll marryed) a chaste virgine to Christ. 2. Cor. ii. But thys gentylwoman Eanswyde was muche better acquayn­ted with the monkes learnyng then with Christes, Eanswida. and with a chastyte rather to their behoue than to hys. Yet droue she out all the gantes or bystardes there, yf their churche legende be true. These sto­ryes shewed Iohan Capgraue.

¶The wanton toyes of the holye fathers.

ABout thys same tyme sent Pope Bonyface the fyft, a shyrte with a golden collor, babyshe toyes. and a fyne petycote of straunge makynge, vnto kynge Ed­wyne with the blessynges of Peter and Paule. And vnto hys wyfe Ethelburge a syluer glasse and a combe of yvorye with the same, to vpholde them in thys newe christianite. Se these wanton fa­thers what toyrs they vse, to set vp their kyngdome here. Neuer shall ye reade that Christes dysciples had anye suche wyttye polycyes. Saynt Petrock an her myte of Cornewale, Petro­cus. was fayne euerye nyght from the crowe of the cocke to the sprynge of the mornynge, to stande na­ked in a pyt, to abate the hote mouynges of hys fleshe. And neuer coulde he haue [Page 33] remedy of that dysease, tyll he went on­pilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem. Here was a newe sought out salue for that sore. Saynt Pyrane a Byshop also in Cornewale, Pira­nus. had a fayre dammesell in the mo­nastery of hys mother wyngell, called Brunet, whom the Lord of the soyle to­ke vp for his occupieng. At the last he a­greed with him no longer to haue her, then the bernacle or butture shuld breake him of his slepe, which chaunced sone af­ter, & thā he sent her home agayn. If these be not good honest legendes to be redd in the Popes holy church, legēdes tel me. Plēteouse shall ye finde Iohā Capgraue in the rehersall of them and suche other.

The ghostly bestowing of their vowes.

A Nonne belonging to saynt Cota, and a monke perteyning to saynt Pyrane about the same tyme stra­ke vp a couenaunt of loue. Chasty­te of votaryes. And as they met in a wode for performance of the same a yong pigeon fell betwixt them and made them both ashamed, & so they went home agayne. A lyke matter. Such an other pagent was played at yorke, Vowes obser­ued. but it was longe after. The monkes of saynt Mary abbeye, and the nonnes of Cle­ment thorpe mett togyther there at hay making, the abbottes fole being wyth them. And as the abbot enquired of him at supper for pastyme, where he had be­ne [Page] all that daye. He fell in a great laug­hynge and declared before all hys ges­tes, that a sore battayle had bene fough­ten that after none betwixt hys monkes and the monkes of clement thorpe. But he thanked God that hys monkes had the best, for they laye euer aloft. Bycause that one of Saynt modwens maydes, Mod­wenus. had layed her beste beloues shoes at her bed­des head, the spretes of heauen that were wonte to vysyte her, wolde not come there that nyght. After she had bene at Ro­me, and was comen home agayne, she dwelt at Scaleselyf, where as an holye hermyte ded oft tymes vysyte her, Heremi­ta. and muche refreshe her wyth a legende boke of sayntes lyues. But no tydinges was there among them, of Christes holy Go­spell. Loke Iohan Capgraue.

¶Erkenwalde and Osith, with their Nondryes.

SAynt Erkenwalde the sonne of Vffa the fyrst King of the east an­gres, Erkenwaldus abbot of Chertesye and Bi­shop of London, buylded a Nondrye at Berkynge. And bycause there were at that time in Englande no Nonnes to his mynde (for Hilda hys kynswoman was to great a scripture woman in those day­es) he sent ouer the see for an old acquayn­taunce of hys called Hildelitha, learned in [Page 34] arte, but not in Christes dyuynyte. Her made he there abbasse, commyttynge vn­to her gouernaunce, hys systre Ethelbur­ge and a great sort more of yonge may­des to be thaught and made nonnes there. Ethel­burga. Suche rule was kept among them with­in a short space after, that God sent vpon them a plage of pestilence, whiche toke a­waye all their chaplaynes, the cruell Da­nes folowynge and burnynge vp that was lefte, monasterye, nonnes and all. Saynt Osith was marryed to Sigher Kynge of the East Saxons. Ositha But bycau­se she loued the spyrytualte muche bet­ter than hym, whyls he was on a lyme in huntynge, she sent by a preuye lettre for Accas, and Bedewinus, Bishoppes of the East Angels, Spiritu­all kna­uery. contaynynge Northfolke and Sothfolke, causyng them to put vpō her a nonnes aparell. So made she hym to beleue in hys returne, that she had pro­fessed the vowe of chastyte, and gaue him therby a most wretched occasyon to lyue all the dayes of hys lyfe after, in moste synnefull aduoutrie. But a iust plage fo­lowed. For in the yeare of our Lorde. DC. liij. 653. was she slayne of the Danes, and her whore howse (nondrye I shuld saye) vtterly destroyed. Yet was she in the Popes churche allowed for a stynkynge martir, for contemning marriage. Loke Iohan Capgraue.

¶The perfight age of the Beast,

THeodorus a Greke, Theodorus. was of pope Vytelinaus constitute the sixt ar­chebyshop of Caunterbury, from Augustine or sens the Papacy began, to make all sure here to Antichristes be­houe in the syxty and sixe yeare of hys age, and in the yeare from Christes in carnacyon six hondred, syxtye, and sixe, which is in saynt Iohans Apocalyps the full age of the Beast, Apo. 13. and the full nombre of man, Marke it good reader. For nowe of a Beast, becometh he a king, yea, as Daniele calleth him, The fully cōplete age. the vnshamefast Kyng of faces. Daniel. 8. Presuming to sitt a­boue God in euery mannys conscyence 2. Thessa. 2. Named it is there, the nombre of man, and the nombre of the Beast, Nō [...]re of the beast. for so much as it was the time, wherin mannys learnyng most strongly withstode the learnyng of God, to the prankyng vp of than odiouse aduersary the verye man of synne, and sonne of perdycyon, all blasphemyes therupon folowynge. Euydent is it / by all the Englysh Chro­nycles, that than this Theodorus came hyther with the seale of that execrable Beast, to marke vp all to that most blasphe­mouse kingdom. For neuer afore wrought the sprete of Antichrist, the mistery of in­iquyte so strongely as at that tyme. For [Page 35] hyther than brought he all vayn and craftye scyences, crafty sciēces of comitynge, calking, measurynge, syngynge, rymynge, reasonyn­ge, arguynge, diffining, shauing, oylynge, exorcising, incanting, & coniuring. Loke Iohan Bapgraue, in uitis Adriani, & Theodori. Besydes that Bedas writeth li. 4. Cap. 2. and Ranulphus. li. 5. Cap. 18.

¶For the variaunce had in supputaciōs.

TO auoyd controuersies in the supputacyon of yeres, for so much as some writeth him to haue comenly ther in y ^e yeare afore rehersed, and some. ij. years after. Ye shal vnderstand that Theodatus which was his predecessour, Theodatus departed in the yeare of our Lord. DC. lxv. as witnesseth Hermānus Cōtractus in Chro­nico desex etatibus mundi. In the yeare folowynge was thys Theodorus admitted of Vitelianus, Theodorus. and received hys full auto­ryte of bindyng and losynge (sayth Platina) to holde the Englyshe nacyon styll in that fayth. Marke it. But by reason of serten delayes, it was more than a yea­re after ere he entered into England. One cause of hys tarryaunce (Iohan Capgra­ue sayth (was the growynge of hys hea­re concernyng hys crowne, which was shauen afore after a farre other sort / he beynge a Greke. shauing Hys abydyng there for that only cause, was more than. iiij. Monthes, besydes other nedy matters. So [Page] that it was the yeare of our Lord. DC. lxviij. 668. the. xxvi. daye of Maye, and the seconde yeare of hys consecracyon ere he came into Kent, as witnesseth both Bedas and Ranulphus. With him sent Vitelia­nus a monke borne in Aphrica, called A­driā, Adria­nus. to loke to his doctrine, leaste he thaught any thing in the Englishe church that were not agreable to the Romyshe faythe (as the marriage of prestes, and the howselynge wyth leuened breade) for he ded not in all poyntes trust hym, by­cause he was a Greke borne. Anon after he sett vp a great scole at Caunterburye of all maner scyences, A scole. as Rhetoryck, Lo­gyck, Philosophy, Mathesy, Astrologye / Geometrye, Arithmetyck, and Musyck, and taught them there openly both in latine and Greke, Straun­ge scien­ces. besides the art Magyck, Sortilege, Physnomye, Palmestrye, Al­cumye, Necromancye, Chiromancy, Ge­omancy, and witchery, that was thaught there also. Bedas, Ranulphus, & Iohā Cap

¶Sealinges to the Beastes obedience.

THan constitute he the seyd Adri­ane both abbot and generall rea­der there, Adria­nus. whyls he compassed a­bout all the whole region for the Eastre celebracion & other To mysh rytes. Thys is the first Archebishop (sayth Iohan Capgraue) that all the Englysh churche was sworne to. Character. Marke here the Seale of the [Page 36] Beast. Apo. 13. In the yeare of our Lor­de. DC. lxxij. 672. he helde a Synode at Thetforde in Northfolke, sinodus where as he enqui­red of euery mannis faythe towardes the Churche of Rome. Than constitute he bishoppes for euery quarter, and depo­sed all them that were not confirmed by the popes auctoryte, of whose nombre Ceddas the byshop of yorke was one. Ceddas More ouer he published there a boke of the churches ordynaunces, Ordi­naūces. made by the forsayd Vitelianus, with permission of organes to make them mirye, commaun­dinge it onlye to be obserued, Christes ordre sett a part. If thys were not the de­partynge that Paule prophecyed to co­me. 2. The. 2. where shall we loke for any. A sayinge hath Ioannes de Molinis, Ioānes de Moli­nis. in speculo carmel. Ca. 6. which (though he were a papyst) I fynde here most true. From the dayes of Heraclius the Emproure (fayth he) vnto our tymes, the day dra­wynge towardes nyght, the churche suf­ferynge a sore eclippes, is come to a downe goynge. Yea, she is almost at the ca­se of a full departynge, &c. I thynke a [...]ruer sentence coulde not than be vttered all circumstaunces therupon considered. Great pytye was it, that the churches posterite than perceyued not so manifest a defeccion.

¶ More sealinges yet to Antichristes [Page] kingedome.

IN the yeare of our Lord. DC. and lxxv. 680 helde thys Theodorus an o­ther counsell at Hatfeld in the west partyes. Syno­dus. Whare as he demaunded a rec­kening of the byshoppes and other cu­rates, what fayth and fauer their peoples had than to the churche of Rome, as po­pe Agathon had commaunded hym to do by hys wrytynges, Agathō. whych wrote than vnto hym, to do all thynges wisely. Ye knowe what that meaneth. I thynke. He­re was non enquyre made, what beleue they had than there in the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. No Gospell. No, it was an other maner of matter, that they sought. Oh, wonderfull was the workynge of that Serpentes generacyon. Polidorus sayth, li. 4. Anglice historie, that false religion & counterfett presthyde, was than throughly salted and placed there, the Actes of the. iiij. generall counsels receyued in ste­de of the. iiij. Euangelies. In the next yea­re following, was a generall Synode kept at Constantynople in Grece, Syno­dus ge­neralis. whe­re as marryage was for euer permytted vnto the Greke prestes, and vtterly for­bidden the latynes, or all other besydes them, the latine masse receyuynge there his first confirmacion. Masse. But Theodorus & hys monkes were at a good indyfferent poynt for that, which had veyled wyth­in [Page 37] in one monastery in the Ile of Thanete lxx. Nonnes, makynge fayre Myldrede their abasse. Mildreda. Loke Iohā Capgraue Ranulphe and other English autours. In spight of the former acte, d [...]d Vitiza the king of Spayne, Vitiza. permyt hys prestes by a lawe newelye made, to kepe so manye con­cubines as ther wolde. Michael Ricius de regibus Hispanie, & Paulus Constantinus Phr [...] gio in Chronidis regnorum,

¶Chastyte, Monkes, Monasteries, and Penaunce.

Wernerus Cartusiensis sayth in Fasciculo temporum, that vowynge of cha­styte was fre wythout constraynt in the tyme of saynt Gregory and sum­what after Bedas reporteth, Chasty­te fre. li, 3, ca. 6, De gestis Anglorum, & Ioannes Maior in gestis Scotorum. li. 2. Ca. 11. That a monkes cowle, after they had ones vowed chastyte, was holden in suche reuerence, that no mā wolde in a maner than iourney, vnlesse he had their blessinges. Into a most won­derfull madnesse were the people than brought, Hipocresye wor­keth. by their hypocryticall wytche­rye the verye elect persones scant fre­from that damnable errour. Math. 24. Marcy. 13. For the vnthankefulnesse of men (sayth Iob) in settynge his veryte lyght, doth God permytt the Hypocry­tes to reigne ouer them in all power of deceytfull wonders. Iob. 34. Thessal. 2. [Page] They ded than spedelye set vp monaste­ries without nombre, Monasteries. all the realme ouer. Iohan Hardynge sayth in his Chronicle, that King Oswye buylded within Nor­thumberlande. oswius. xij. in one yeares space. In the yeare of our Lorde. DC. and lxxxiiij. 684. helde Theodorus yet an other counsell in the North partyes at Twyforde, whe­re as he publyshed a serten boke of his owne makynge, called A penytencyall summe, commaundynge his clergye to put it euerye where in practyse. Therin were contayned all maner of synnes and excesses, with aggrauacions, reseruaci­ons, Sūma peniten­cialis. penaltes, sorowes, penaunces, and ponnishmentes. And this was to terry­fye, captyue, and snare the wretched con­sciences of men, euen to vttre desperaci­on. And where coude haue bene sought out a practyse of more deuilishenesse? Si­gebertus. Sabellicus. Tritemius. & Scriptores ferme omnes.

¶ The foundacyon of their Pur­gatorye.

AT the same verye tyme, was there one Drithelmus in Nortoumber­lande, Drithelmus. whych leauynge both wy­fe and children in the yeare of our Lorde. DC. and. lxxi. 671 made himself a monke at Mailros, Saynt Cuthbert than beyn­ge abbot there. The sayd Drithelmus fayned himselfe on a tyme to be dead [Page 38] (here was knauerye vpon knauerye) and reported in his returne, that he had seane by an Angels demonstracion, both purgatory and paradise, Foūda­cyon of purgatorye. hell and heauen. After that he had subtillye declared thys vnto Kynge Alphrede and other greate men of the contreye there, at the request of the monkes, muche people resorted vnto hym for counsell for their sowles from all quarters of Englande. So re­dy are the foles of thys worlde to hea­re lyes and illusyons, Illusy­ons. whyche neuer had loue to the veryte. Thys knaue euermo­re commended vnto them confessyon and penaunce, Confession. fastynge, prayer, and almes dedes, specyallye and aboue all other, masse saynges, Masses and monasteryes buyldin­ge. Was not thys thynke yow, a vertu­ouse chrystyanyte of these chaste fathers, to kegynne theyr holye churche wyth? Were yt not pytye but they were cano­nysed sayntes, and their feastfull dayes solemnysed twyse in the yeare, Canonysed de­uyls. wyth ryngynges, syngynges, sensynges, and massynges, as thys Cuthbertes wer and are yet to thys daye? I thynke the Turkes churche had neuer more kna­ues to their Sayntes than these. For this Drithelmus ys one of their sayntes al­so. Iohan Capgraue post uitam Adriam, Sigebertus, Vincencius, Antoninus, wyth dy­uerse other.

¶Chastyte of Cuthbert and doctri­ne of Colfride,

SO cruell was this Cuthbert vnto women after he became a Saynt of theirs, Cuth­bertus. that non might come wythin hys sayntuaryes (they say) at Doilwem, Cornen, and Mailros in Scotlande, nor yet at Durham, Ty [...] ­mouth, and Lynde farne here in Englande, vndre payne of soden death, their chambers and selles exempted alwayes. Yet was the seyd Cuthbert verye famylyar in his time wyth Ebba. Elsteda, Nōnes. and Verca iij holy abbasses, and builded for his pleasure, a solempne uondry at Carliell. Fynallye for the specyall good loue he had vnto Verca aboue all other, Verca. he com­maunded in hys testament, that his bo­dye after his departinge, shuld be wrap­ped in the fyne lynnen clothe that she had geuen hym. Ye may se by thys, that the­se chast fathers had their louers, and set sumwhat by their owne precyouse body­es. Saynt Colfride abbot of Girwin in Northumberland, Colfri­dus. wrote vnto Athon kin­ge of the Pyctes, that it was as necessary for the vowe of a monke or degre of a prest (prestes were than no vowers) to haue a shauen crowne for restraynt of their lustes, Shauē crow­nes. as for any christen man to blesse him agaynst spretes whan they come vpon him. What wise learning thys [Page 39] ys. I report me vnto yow. Yet yt ys re­gestred of Bedas in hys. v. boke. De gestis Anglorum. and also of Thomas Vualden in hys volume, Waldē De sacramentalibus. ii. 9. Ca. 80 to stoppe heretikes mouthes with, besy­des that Iohā Capgraue hath sayd in yt.

¶ The fallen starre. and. ij. Hornes of the Beast.

ABout thys tyme were many won­derfull thynges seane in dyuerse quarters of the worlde, specyally a great Comete or blasyng starre, A come­te. which semed wyth flamynges of fyre to fall in to the sea, great morren folowynge both of beast and man. Not all vulyke was thys to that is described. Apoca. 8. And betokened than (in my opynyon) both the vttre fall of the pryncelye gouernaunce and also the christen presthode, Regnū et sacer­dotium. or of both vndre one, as powers of one God. For both they beynge as starres in the firmament or powers from aboue. Romano. 13 most wredchedly than delcined from the true obedyence and faythfull admyny­stracyon of Gods eternall veryte, vnto the beastly subieccyons and tradycyons of that execrable Pope. Sens that tyme haue they comen from the sea. They ha­ue taken their autoryte of that Beaste [...]hych rose out of the sea. Apoca. 13 (tyll now at late dayes) the. ij. hornes of the other Beast, Apo. 13. that is to saye, of hypocre­sye, [Page] pryckynge them than forewarde. Those. ij. hornes of that earthlye Beaste were here in England, ij hornes the. ij. monkysh sectes that in those dayes fyrste entered. The fyrste of them were the blacke mon­kes of Saynt Bernet, whych entered first of all wyth the afore named Augustyne in the yeare of our Lord. Augustinus. CCCCC. and xcvi to peruerte the South Saxons and kentysh men. 596. The other were the blacke Chanons of the other Saynt Augusty­ne (both blacke) which came in wyth By­rinus the Archebyshop of Dorcestre in the yeare of our Lord. Berinus DC. xxxvi from Pope Honorus the fyrste, 636 to deceyue the west Saxons. For yche Pope and by­shopp preferred euermore the secte he was of. These. ij. wrought so their wyc­ked feates in those dayes, ij. sectes. with lyenge sygnes in hypocresy, that they caused the afore named starres, Regnum et Sacerdocium. Regalite and presthode, to fall clerely from heauen. Iohan Capgraue, Ranulphus et Polidorus.

¶ The fall of kingdoms, and rayse of the Papacy.

MArke in the Chronicles, and ye shall fynde thys moste true. That lyke as the Papacye had hys Papacy fyrste rayse in and of the fall of the [Page 40] Empyre, so had those kingdomes whiche fyrste obeyed it, their orygynall begyn­ninges of the ouerthrowe of the infery­our kingdomes. As Englande vndre King Inas by the fall of the Brytaynes, and Fraunce vnder Kinge Pypyne by the puttinge a sydy of the Merouyngeanes. Kingdomes po­pishe. Sens these lecherouse locustes crep­te first into Englande, neuer throne that kingedome of the auncyent Brytaynes (whose spyrituall heade was God alone: Britay­nes. but euerye daye more and more decayed, tyll it was fullye ended. Marke it har­delye from the fyrste comminge hither of the seyd Augustyne, tyll the yeare of our Lord. DC. lxxxix. 689. wherin Cadwallader their last Kyng dyed a most desolate pil­grime at Rome, cadwal­lader. offeringe hymselfe vp there moste myserablye to the Pope. Euer sens hath yt bene to hym obedi­ente in all blasphemouse errours and doc­trynes of Deuilles, by the space of. DCCC. and. xliiij. yeares, Marke it. tyll the yea­re of our Lord. M. CCCCC. and. xxxiij. 1533. wherin at our noble kynges moste whol­some request, we vtterlye by othe renoun­ced that odyouse monstre. Nowe is it Gods owne kingdome agayne, and our King his immedyate ministre. That Lorde graunte of hys infynyte mercye, englāde. that lyke as we haue put a syde hys name, we maye euen frome the harte [Page] also cast ouer hys Idolatrouse yokes, fo­lowing from henceforth the vncorrupt rules of the Gospell. A like comparison hath Paulus Orosius. lib. 2. Cap. 4. Historiarum mundi, of Babilon and Rome. Roma et Ba­bylon. Very like begynnynges (sayth he? had Babilon and Rome, like powers like prides, like conti­nuaunces, like fortunes, and like ruynes, sauynge only that Rome arose of the fall of Babilon, and so fourth.

¶ An olde prophecy of Merlyne disclosed,

AS I was in wrytynge this matter an old Prophecy of Merline ca­me vnto my remembraunce. merline That after the manyfolde irrupcions of stra­ungers, the kinges of thys realme shuld be ones agayn crowned wyth the Dyademe of Brute, Brute. and beare his auncyent name, the new name of straungers so vanishinge awaye. He that applyeth vnto this a right vnderstandinge shall fynde it very true. The Diademe of Brute is the pryncely power of thys whole region, immediatly geuen of God without any other meane mastry wor­ker to Antichristes behoue. of God. Fre was that power from the great whores domyny­on (which is the Rome churche) tyll the violent conquest of the English Saxons, Saxōs which they had of the Brytaynes for [Page 41] their iniquities sake. And now (prayse be vnto that Lorde) it is in good waye to that fredome agayne, and would fullye attayne therunto, were here heythnysh yokes in religion ones throwne a syde, as I doubt it not but they will be within short space. As well may ye geue credēce to this Merlyne whan he vttereth the verite, as vnto olde Balaam the sothsayer, merlyne Balaam whiche at a tyme prophecyed the com­mynge of Christ. Num. xxiiij. And as cō ­cernyng the returne of the name, marke in thys age the wrytynges of lerned mē, & ye shall wel perceyue the change, for now commonly do they wryte vs for Englyshemen, Brytaynes.

¶The whores fleshe eaten of the. x. hornes.

THE. x. hornes of the first Beast (whiche were kyngdomes maynteynyge that whore (now ioyned all into one, The. x. hornes of the beast doth mortallye hate her at this present instaunt, & is makynge her desolate and maked in Englande. In the ende they shall eate her fleshe, and clere­ly consume her with the fyre appointed. Englande was sumtyme into. vij. kyng­domes deuyded, by the consent of al writers, and wales into. ij. called Venedotia & Demetia or north wales & South wa­les, Ireland makyng vp the truth. Or if [Page] ye holde wales but for one, let Scotland supplye that rowme, whiche oweth vnto Englande perpetuall homage▪ As all these are now in one moste worthye and victoryouse Kyng but one, so wyll God put into all their hartes one consent to fulfyll hys will, and to geue her kyng­dome vnto the beast, or to sende it agayn to the deuell from whens it fyrst came. Apoca. xvij. Apo. 17. Consydre with your selues the late ouerthrowe of the monasteries, couentes, collegis, and chaunteries al­leages of vncleane spretes, and holdes of moste hatefull byrdes by the manifest worde of God. And thynke not but the fyltye habitacions of the great mastre deuyls wyll folowe sone after. Apoca. xviij. Apo. 18. Let the gogle eyed Gardyner of wyncestre gyrde at it tyll his rybbes ake and an hondred dyggynge deuyls vpon his syde, yet shall not one Iote of the lor­des promes be vnfulfylled at the tyme appoynted for that blasphemouse who­res ouerthrowe, Winker of wyles hys moste holye mo­ther. Praye in the meane season (good christen readers) praye, praye, praye, that hys heauenly wyll be done in earth and not mannys, and fashyon your lyues to the fourme of his moste dere sonne Ie­sus Christes doctryne. Amen.

¶Actes of vowed virginite for that age.

[Page 42]NOw to returne agayne to their spi [...]ituall actes of chastyte for y ^t age. Whā one Sedia the father of saynt Aidus, Sedia. perceyued that he by no meanes could haue a chyld by his wyfe, he brought her to these continent fathers for remedy of her barrennesse, & she was spede the next nyght after by a miracle, for all were miracles they dyd, Ioā. Cap. Guenhera a Cornysh woman (whō som writers call fayre Elyne) that made king Arthure a cuckolde, Guenhera. was after his death deuoutely receiued into Ambesbury non drye, as a penitent to their spirituall vse. Guilhelmus Malmesbury. Saynt Oswalde sayd his wyf [...] Bebla in bed with a rely­giouse hermyte. Oswal­dus. Bebla. And whē the great heate came vpō him (as y ^e spiritual fathers are hasty) she found the meanes that he was cast in cold water to abate his hote cora­ge. This is one of the holy actes wheru­pon the pope hath made y ^e sayd Oswald a saint. Iohā hardyng. Saint Ebba whi­che was in those dayes the mother of all nōnes, Ebba. was generate of an whore, as we­re al her fathers childrē besides her. ij. of thē only excepted. This Ebba had in the monastery of Coldyngham not farre [...]om Barwyck, both men & womē dwellyng togyther fell by fell (as the maner was than of all Nondryes in England) which exercysed the battayles of chasty­te [Page] so longe that in their nyght metynges they went to bed togyther by couples, theyr religiouse loue was then so great, tyll God sent a wylde fyre vpon them for that contempt of marryage. Ioannes Maior. libro secundo. Capite. 12. & Ioannes Capgraue in catalogo sanctorum Anglie.

¶A spirituall conueyaunce to be marked.

ETheldred (whom ye cal Saynt Andrye of helye) marryed. Ethel­dreda. ij. great prynces, Tombert of the South Girwyes, and Egfride the Kyng of Northumberlande, mockynge them both by the space of more then. xiij. yeares, in not geuynge them due beneuolence accor­dyng to the holy doctrine of saynt Paul i. Cor. vij. And in occasioninge them to aduouterouse lyuynge. The lattre of thē knowynge that she mynded wylfryde then byshop of yorke muche more then hym (for the storye sayeth that she loued that monke aboue all the men lyuyng) requyred him in Gods behalfe to admo­nysh her of her dewtye, Wilfri­dus. that he myght accordyng to hys lawes haue increase of succession by her. And he lyke a false traytour knaue, knauery notwithstandinge hys pro­mes to the contrarye, perswaded her to perseuer in her obstynacye and vtterlye to resyst hym, allegynge her vowe and [Page 43] requyrynge a diuorcement from hym. Wherupon he was then compelled to marrye an other wyfe called Ermenburgis, and Etheldrede was professed a Nō ­ne in Coldynghā with Ebba, by the sayd wylfryde. This kyng after that percey­uynge his knauerye, by assent of Theo­dorus the archebyshop of Caunterbury, Theodo­rus. bannyshed hym out of hys lande. Then folowed she after a pace, and whyles he was byshop of Eastsexse, A way­tynge hound. she became abbasse of hely, not farre from his elbone. Marke thys conueyaunce for your lear­nynge. If this were not knauerye, whe­re shal we fynde knauery? Yet was this gentylman conueyer admytted for a saynte, because he buylded a college at Rippon, The au­tour. where my selfe was ones bay­ted of his Basan bulles, for mainteining the kynges prerogatiue agaynst their pope, as good mastre Iohā Hercye can ful­well tell. Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Ethel­drede, & Vuilfridi.

¶Kynges became pylgrymes, and their wyues Nonnes.

A Verye proper cast the women had in those dayes, by the ghostlye counsell of the prelates. They sent theyr h [...]sbandes to Rome on pylgryma­ge by heapes, Pylgri­mes. whyls they kept them spy­rituall [Page] company at home, Ethelburg made great haste and left no callyng on, tyll her husbande kyng Inas was thy­drewardes, Inas. with scrippe ha [...]e and staffe, she lokyng for his no more coming home in the abbeye of Berkynge. Thys Inas became a monke there, and was the first that clogged the west Saxons with payment of the Rome shott, or Peter Pens to the Pope. Volateranus, & Fabiane. After hym folowed Ethelrede kynge of Mercia in lyke fashion of pylgrymage, Ethelre­dus. and became afterwarde abbot of Barde­ney. Iohan Capgraue. Conredus also kyng of the same prouynce, Cōredꝰ. dyed a folyshe monke at Rome. So dyd kynge Offa of the East Saxons, Offa. the selfe same yeare of our Lorde. DCC. and. ix. 709. besydes Kē redus, Kenredꝰ Ethelwolphus, and a great sort more. Hermannus Contractus, Platina & Polidorus. Colwolphus kynge of Northumberlande, Colwol­phus. returned agayne to Gyrwyn, and there dyed a monke. Robert Fabia­ne, Great layser would it requyre, to she­we here how many of suche kynges, the ghostly fathers sent at dyuerse seasons vnto Rome, that they for the tyme might haue the spirituall occupyenge of theyr wyues, and how many of their own ba­stardes they made kynges for them. Bastar­des, And therfore at thys tyme I passe them ouer. Innumerable knaueryes wrought they [Page 44] in those dayes, and all vndre the coloure of vowed chastyte.

¶Great experymentes of vir­ginite.

AS Saynt Aldelmus, Adelmꝰ the byshop of Sherborne (that ye now cal Salysbury) chaunced to be at Rome, the people there made a fowle exclamacion vpon Pope Sergius the first, for beget­tynge a wenche with chylde, whyche he (they saye) by a lytle straunge workynge pacyfyed. In whose returne, a Synode was holden in Englande agaynst the Brytaynes or welshe men, Synodꝰ for not conformynge their churches to the Romysh obseruacions, he there required to inueye agaynst them. Vpon the which mocion, he wrote then two bokes, ij. bokes. one for the Eastre celebracion, and an other in the prayse of virgynes, to blemyshe the marriage of their priestes there, and also to aduaū ­ce their newlye professed chastyte. For that he had also in commandement of Sergius, Sergiꝰ. notwithstandynge hys owne knowne lecherye. This Aldelmus neuer refused women, but would haue them cō monly both at borde & at bedde, to moc­ke the deuyll with. In the tyme he was abbot of Malmesbury, he appoynted oft tymes to hys fleshe this martyrdō. As he felte any sore mouynges therof, he layed by him naked, the fairest mayde he could [Page] get, so longe tyme as an whole Dauids psalter was in saynge. And when hys heate was past, he sent her home agayne as good a mayde as he left her. Is not this (thynke you) a stronge argument to pro­ue that all priestes may lyue chast? This telleth Bedas, Ranulphus, Iohan Cap­graue, and manye other Englyshe au­tours more.

¶Images admytted, with chast examples.

ABout the same tyme, saynt Egwi­ne abbot of Euesham, Egwinꝰ and byshop of Worcestre (then called wickes) hearynge tell that labour was made to the pope, to haue the christen temples re­plenyshed with Images to promote that market forewarde, Images he hyed hym a peace to Rome. And there he declared to the holye father, the secrete reuelacions and commaundementes of our ladye that he had, to set vp an Image of her to be worshypped at Worcestre, Lady of worce­stre. delyueryng hym a booke whiche he had written of the sa­me apparycyons, besydes the lyfe of Al­delme The pope then called Constanti­ne the fyrst, hearing this newe wondre sent hym home agayne with hys bul­les of autoryte, Brithwaldus. commaundynge Brith­walde then Archebyshop of Caunter­burye (wyth all haste) to call a generall [Page 45] Synode of all the clergye for confirma­ [...]on of the same, Sonodꝰ the kynges required not to be absent that daye. And this was do­ne in the yeare of our Lorde. DCC. and ix. 709. This Brithwalde beynge also a mō ­ke, was the first Englysh man that was Archebyshop of Caunterburye. Marke it. Saynt Guthlake an heremyte of Re­pendon, Guthla­cus. tolde a certayne abbot the same tyme, that goynge homewarde, he shuld fynde in a wydowes howse. ij. of his ho­ly monkes whiche had lyeu with her the nyght afore for easement of their chasti­te. Saynt Bartellyne heremyte of Staf­forde, Bartelli­nus. stale out of Irelande the kynges doughter there. And as she was after­warde trauelynge of chylde in a forest, whyles he was sekynge the mydwyfe, a wolfe came and deuoured both her and her chylde. These storyes hath at large Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum An­glie, Guilhelmus Malmesbury et Ranulphus.

¶Englysh monkes become Anti­christes Apostles.

IN those dayes the mōkes of Eng­lande were becomen so myghtye in supersticiouse learnynge, Mōkes Disper­sed. that they were able to peruert all other chri­sten regyons, as they dyd then in dede. Some of them went into Germanye, so­me into Fraunce, some into Italye and Spayne, and became the Popes instru­mentes [Page] of all falshede, fasshioning hym vp there a newe kyngdome of all deuy­lyshnesse to withstande the manyfest glory of God, and subduynge therunto an pryncely Powers. Yow that are exercy­sed in Chronycles and Sayntes Lyues, marke for that age what is written of Columbanus, The Popes apo­stles. Colomannus, Tolimannus, Vue­nefridus, Vuilibrordus, Vuilibaldus, Vuene­baldus, Burghardus, Kilianus, Vuigbertus, Egbertus, Heuuadus the whyght and the blacke, Etto, Bertuuinus, Elcquius, Lullius, Lebuinus, Liuinus, Ioannes Embertus, Gallus Gaudus, Gaiabaldus, Gregorius, Megingoius Sturmio, and a great sort more with their women, and ye shall se in them practises wonderfull. I wyll geue ye out one here breuelye for an example, for to muche yt were to write of them all. Wenefridus was admitted of Pope Gregory the se­conde, Wene­fridus. for the Archebyshop of Magunce and great Apostle of all Germany, and for hys bolde countenaunce was of hym named Bonifacius. Bonifa­cius. In Excestre was he first borne, and professed a black Monke at Exancestre (now called Excestre) vn­dre abbot wolfharde. After the great Synode holden at London by the afore na­med Brithwalde, Synodꝰ about the yeare of our Lorde. DCC. and. x. 710. where as priestes Marryage was iudged fornication, and the honouryng of Images accepted for [Page 46] a christen relygyon. Daniel then By­shop of Wynchestre, Daniel. sent this Wene­fride to Rome with hys letters of com­mendacion for hys manfulnesse there shewed. Iohannes Capgraue, & geor-Vuicellius in Hagiologo de sanc­tis ecclesie.

¶The great Apostle of all Germa­nye.

THe Pope after certayn commu­nicacions, perceyuynge hym in all poyntes fytt for hys purpose, sent hym anon into Germanye wyth hys fulle aucthoryte (as afore is specy­fyed) to do his false feates there, Apostle of Ger­manie. and to brynge that styffe necked people vn­dre hys wycked obedyence, whome they call the holye Christen beleue. I thynke sens Christes incarnacion was there neuer none that more lyuelye wrought the propertees of the other Beaste in Saynt Iohans Apocalyps, Alia be­stia. whyche ry­se out of the earthe hauynge two hor­nes lyke the Lambe, yf ye marke it well. Apocalipsis. xiij. Apo. 13. For he was next in aucthoritie to the Pope, by the Po­pes owne wytnesse, suche tyme as he ca­me with the hygh legacye from hys owne ryght syde, into all the quarters and prouynces of the sayed Germanye. [Page] An hondred thousande conscyences, Charac­ter. dyd he seale with the Popes hote Iron [...]c [...] aduste with his Romyshe faythe in the lande of Bauarye, besides that he dyd in Thuringia, Hassia, Saxonia, Frislande, Swethen, Actes of this beast Denemarke, and in other re­gions there more. He helde many great counsayls, he ordeyned byshoppes, he buylded monasteries, he canonysed sayntes, he commaunded relyques to be wor­shypped, he sent nonnes aboute a prea­chynge contrary to the doctrine of saynt Paule, with manye other wonders, and all by force of the Popes decrees. To wor­shyp the first Beast. Of kynges he made monkes, and caused emprours to kysse the Popes fete, Prin­ces to leade his brydell, and Dukes to holde his steruppes. Loke in the Chroni­cles of Ioannes Nauclerus, Generacione. 25. &. 26. Loke also Vuicelius, Vincencius, Antoninus. Capgraue, and Vuilibaldus in uita Bonifacij, and ye shall fynde all thys there and a great sorte of wonders more. For there are they shewed at large.

¶Kynges deposed, with other myracles.

BY suche autorite as he receyued of pope Zachary, he afterward deposed kyng Hylderyck of Fraunce, Hilderi­cus. dysheretynge in hym for euer the moste laufull successyon of kynge Merouens, [Page 47] whiche first receyued the true christen [...]yth there, as witnesseth Sabellicus, & admittinge in hys rowme Pypyne with hys aduonterouse stocke, Pipinꝰ. for receyuynge their false faythe by othe, to reigne the­re euer after for their carnall commody­te. He also assoyled all the people from the othe of allegeaunce made afore to the sayd Hylderich and his of sprynge, as testyfyeth Paulus Aemillius, Platma, Nauclerus Tritemius, Otto Phrisingensis, and other. Kyngdomes trā ­slated. In conclusyon, by thys meanes became the noble kyngdome of Lumbardye the vnlaufull patrimonye of Saynt Peter, & the myghtye empyre of Rome was wonderfullye translated from the Greekes to the Germanes. These were no small myracles, if ye marke them well. If Anti­christ turned not here the rootes of the trees vpwarde, antichrist neuer dyd he it in hys lyfe. All these thynges wrought thys Bonyface or wenefride, that the dwel­lers vpon earth should worshyp the first Beast. Apoca. 13. Apo. xiij. Innumerable multitu­des of peoples brought he to the Popes faythe in Germany and in Fraunce, and in some other places, more by terryble coaccyons then by anye gentyll callyn­ges. For extremelye dyd he handle with cruell inprisonmentes, one Adelbert a frenche man, Alderbertus. and Claudius Clemens a Scott. ij. learned mē, Claudiꝰ for reasonyng with [Page] hym concernyng vowed chastyte, relly­ques, Images; the Popes prymarye, Kynges deposicions, othes breakynge, and suche like errours. Errours Loke the workes of Nauclerus, Vuicelias, [...]ernardus Lut [...]en­burg, & Alphonsus de castro.

¶Doctrine of Bonyface, with sale of whores.

MOste dampnable was the doc­trine of this Boniface, doctrine. concer­nynge the Pope. In a sertayne Epistle of his, we fynde this moste exe­crable sentence. That in case the sayd pope were of moste filthye lyuynge, and so forgetfull of hym self and of the whole christente, that he led with hym to hell innumerable sowles, yet ought no man to rebuke his yll doyng. For he (he saith) hath power to iudge all men, and ought of no man to be iudged agayne. Thys haue the Canonistes regest [...]red in the po­pes decrees for a perpetuall lawe, Canoni­stes. and for a necessarye artycle of Christen bele­ue. Dist. xl. Ca. [...]i Papa. Yet wrote he at an other tyme to Pope Zacharye, to se the manifest abusions of Rome reformed, Rome. speciallye their maskynges in the nyght after the paganes maner, and their open sellynge of whores in the marke in there. Open sale of whores. For they were (he sayd) sore impedimen­tes to his preachynges. For they that had seane those reuelynges there, mistru­sted [Page 48] muche that faythe. He wrote also vn [...]o kyng Ethelbalde and other great men in England, Ethelbaldus. requiring them to leaue the aduouterouse occupyeng of nonnes, least suche a plage fell on thē, as chaūced vpō kyng Colfrede and kyng Osrede for ly­ke doinges. Colfre­dus. Os­redus. And though this Boniface allowed not christen matrimoney in priestes but hated it, yet after that o [...]e Geraldus a maryed byshop was slayn in Thuringia in time of the warres there, geraldus he permytted hys sonne Geilepus to succede hym in that office. geilepus Helinandus monachus, Vincencius, Antoninus, Capgraue. &c.

¶ The monasteries of fulda & floryake.

HE buylded the great monastery of Fulda in Germanye, Fulda. in the yeare from Christes incarnaciō. DCC. & xliiij. 744. Into the which no womē myght entre, but only Lieba & Tecla. Lieba. ij. Englysh nonnes his best beloues. The body of the sayd Lieba, he commaunded by hys lyfe, of most tēdre loue, to be bu­ryed in one graue with hys owne precy­ouse body. So ryche was that monaste­rye within fewe yeares after, Mona­sterium fuldēse. that it was able to fynde y ^e emperour in his warres. lx. thousand mē. For the which the abbot had alwayes thys priuylege, to syt vpon the ryght hande of the sayd emperour at the hygh feastes. An other abbeye was buylded afore that at floriake in fraunce, Floria­cus. [Page] and not farre from orlyaunce, in the yeare of our lorde. DC.li. 651. These. ij. monasteries floriake and fulda with their olde inhabitauntes, would I counsel al Chronycle readers to marke, as they fall in their waye, for wonders whiche hath comen from thens, as wyll apeare after. A custome the holye fathers had in those dayes, To ease their vo­wes. to leade nonnes about with them in straunge landes where they went. As we reade of walburga, Hadeloga, Lieba and suche other. I thynke it was to hel­pe them to beare their chastite, whose carryage was sumtyme verye comberouse vnto them, and they founde not then in all cotreyes suche plentye of Nondryes as hath bene sens. Sigebertus, Capgraue, Tritemius, Nauclerus, Vuicelius.

¶Oxforde shurned. And Alcuinus monkes.

AShamed are not these prestygiou­se Papystes, to vtter it in their storyes and reade it in their Sayntes legendes in contempt of their christē gouernours, that no kynge maye entre the towne of Oxforde without a mychefe, Oxford. because one Algar a Prince aboute thys age would haue had Saynt frides­wyde to wyfe. Frides­wyde. As though to be a kynge were a farre vyler or vnworthyer offy­ce, than to be a pylde shytten Nonne. O blynde bludderynge Balaamytes, [Page 49] without all iudgementes godlye. Of God only y [...] the worhy offyce of a King. A king. Prouer. 8. where as your fisting Nonnes were of Antichrist and the deuill. Capgraue, Fabiane, Polidorus. Aboute the same tyme, was Alcuinus a doctour of Eng­land, Alcui­nus. made abbot of Turonia in Fraunce by the gift of Charles the great, which on a nyght founde all his monkes dead in the dorter, by the soden stroke of God for their Sodometrye, one only excepted. Odo cluniacensis, Guilhelmus Malmesburye, Vincencius, Antoninus, Ranulphus, & Capgraue postuitam Ythamari. Autou­res. A great matter had it bene in the popes bokes, yf these men had had wiues. For than he could not ha­ue sent them to the deuill so fast, accordin­ge to the generall commission, whiche he had of Sathan his great mastre, in that vycarship of his.

¶English men ponnished at Ro­me.

AFter Kyng Ethelwolphe beynge subdeacon and prest, Ethel­wol­phus. through wan­ton occupieng had had a bastard, by the popes dispensacion he married Olburga his butlers doughter, and had by her iiij. sonnes, which all succeded Kynges after him. Guilhelmus Malmesbury, et Ioannes Harding. As this Kinge on a tyme chaunced to be at Rome, he se many En­glish men there wearynge fetters and [Page] gyues of Iron, Penitentes at Rome. as they had bene murthe­rers or theues. And as he enquyred what the cause shuld be, answere was ma­de hym, that it was for spyrytualll offen­ces done. For those wylye watchers by that tyme had put manye thynges in practyse, by force of their penytenciall Summe, made by Theodorus afore. They myght than make what synnes they wol­de, and sende vnto Rome whome so euer yt pleased them, Syt in the con­s [...]ences vpon the reseruacyons of cases Pontifycall and papall, or by rea­son of the aggrauacyons of circumstaun­ces of synnes, makynge men beleue they coude not dyspense wyth them, whan the matter was not worth. ij. haste nuites. And thys was the cause of their greuou­se correccyons than. For redresse of this the Kynge conuenaunted than with the Pope, to geue him by year [...] a penye of euery fyre howse within hys lande, as Inas and Offa had done before him for their domynyons. The Rome shott He promysed hym al­so in acquytynge the churches trybutes, to geue him. iij.C. marke yearlye And fi­nally he repared the English hospitall there, Hospytall. which had bene decayed by fire. Ranulphus. Platina, Petrus Equilinus, Fabi­anus et Polidorus.

¶An English monkes pera­moure, is a Pope.

[Page 50]THe monastery of fulda in Germanye, Fulda. was in those dayes much fre­quented of Englysh monkes, by­ [...]use it was first buylded of the forseyd Archebyshop Boniface, whych was an Englyshe man borne, A yonge wenche borne and brought vp in Maguncia the­rebye, Gilberta by name, Gilber­ta. so mynded one of those monkes, that she changed her ap­parell, and went awaye wyth him lyke a waytynge boye or lackeye into straun­ge landes, and became in all scyences of learnynge verye counynge, and was cal­led Englyshe Iohan. As yt chaunced thys monke to dye, she get her vnto Ro­me, A wom [...] pope and became there a common reader of publique lectours. and was had in so­che wonderfull estymacyon, that Pope Leo the fort beynge dead, she was solempnelye elected and intronysed Saynt Pe­ters vycar in the yeare of oure Lorde. DCCC.Liiij. 854. called Iohan the, viij. after dyuerse wryters. By helpe of a Cardinall her most familier chamberlayne, she was in conclusyon begett wyth chylde, whan she had bene pope almost. ij. yeares and an halfe. And in a most solempne proces­sion to Laterane, whan their churche was in the most pride by fall of the empire and subieccion of christē princes, Pryde hath a fall. & the prelates in their most pompouse aparell, the daye shynynge verye fayre, she was openlye [Page] delyuered of chylde without midwife and so dyed. Wherin God declared m [...] nifestlye to the worlde, that their glitteringe churche was altogyther an who­re / to make good that was wrytten in the reuelacion of Saynt Iohan. An whore. Apo. 17. Oh he that had seane the countenaunce of the prelates than, shuld haue beholden a great thange.

¶Popes chosen from thens fourth by their. N.

SEns that tyme hath popes al­wayes bene chosen, Popes chosen by their stones. as stoned horse are in a colte feyer, by their doutye dimiceries, that they can no more be deceyued that way. For at the so­lempne stallynge of them, the last deacon Cardynall doth grope them brechelesse, at an hole made in the seate for that ghostlye purpose, and than cryeth yt out befo­re all the multitude, that he hath ware suffycyent to proue hym no woman. Moreouer the strete where she was delyue­red, hath euer sens bene shurned in all ge­nerall precessyons, for feare of yll hap­pes. As is of women a serten brydge in a Scottysh Ile called Leuissa, An exā ­ple. where as yf but one woman shuld paste ouer (they saye) there are no salmons seane in that ryuer, all the yeare after. Hector Boethius in Scoteci regni descriptione. For the hysto­rye afore reherced of thys woman Pope, [Page 51] was yt partlye my desyre that ye shuld [...]arke that monasterye of fulda. Fulda. For she was one chast frute of our Englysh clergye, yssuynge from thens, ye may chaun­ce after thys yet to heare of more. Such an enemye to prestes marryage was not in hys tyme, as was that Boniface, which was therof the first buylder. For euery where ded he, in all his g [...]nerall Synodes, Matri­mony cō dēpned. condempne yt for aduoutery by the popes canon lawes. For the scrip­turs wolde not serue hym. The life of this female pope sheweeh more at large, Iacobus Bergomas in li. De claris mulieribus, Platina, Sabellicus, Martinus Carsulanus, Volateranus, Nauclerus, Mantuanus, Ioannes Stella, Ioannes textor, & Robertus Barnes in uitis Romanorum Pontificum.

¶Holy water, with a boke against marriage.

IN the yeare of our Lore. DCCC. LVIII. 858. as a serten day deuill at the forsayd Maguncia was hunted of the prestes wyth procession and holye water, A prest. for dyuerstye vexynge the cytye, he dyd hym selfe for feare (they saye) vn­dre one of the prestes copes, saynge. He myght wele be bolde there, considerynge he had by hym the fleshly occupien­ge of the generall proctours doughter there. This religiouse example of holy churche sheweth. Sigebertus. Vincencius. Antoninus, [Page] Nauclerus, and Masseus. Herin affirme they their holy water to be of more strength, Holy water. than eyther their presthode or yet their eaten maker, and more able to driue away the deuill. In the yeare of our Lorde. DLCC.lxxv. 875. was the Em­prour Ludouicus the seconde tormented in purgatory (say they (only for that he wolde not regarde the admonishmen­tes of Gabriell the Archangell agaynst prestes marriage, Gabriel called there of them the heresye of Nicolaitanes. Marke these pac­kynges. The religiouse fathers had than made a boke of their religiouse fac­tes and practises, comprehendinge. xij. chapters, A boke of. xij. chap­ters. to put downe matrimony and sett vp Sodome and Gomor in their spi­rituall generacion. Which they had sent vnto the seyd Emprour by one Emar­chus, Sigebertus, Vincencius, Antoni­nus, et alij. Farre vnlike was this Gabriel to him which apered vnto Zachary the prest in the tyme of his sacrifice. For that Gabriel both allowed and commen­ded his marriage. This Gabriel cōdempneth it vtterly. Of such Saynt Paule warned the Corinthianes to be ware, Diuer­se Ga­briels. tellinge them that Sathan wold resemble the An­gell of light. 2. Cor. 11.

¶Other chast miracles of that age.

[Page 52]SAynt Odulphe a prest aboute the same tyme goynge to hys masse, Odul­phus. was sodenly taken vp and carryed ouer the sea to tryer in Germanye to do that offyce there vpon Eastre daye, bycause Saynt Frederick the Ar­cyebyshop there had lyen the nyghte afo­re wyth an holye nonne whych was hys owne naturall systre, Fredericus. to helpe forwarde the lawe. Deut 27. The bones of this O­dulphe were first buried at London, and than from thens translated to Euesham abbeye in the west contreye, Saynt Cla­rus of Orchestre, Clarus. iudginge marryage synne and wyckednesse by the doctrynes that than were taught, in dyspyght of the Christen perswasyons of hys frin­des, made hymselfe first a prest and after a Monke, so fleynge into Normandye. Where at the last he was slayne by procurement of a woman. These. ij. historyes sheweth Iohan Capgraue, & their churche legendarye. As the Danes ouer went this lande, The Danes. their common custome was to haue a do with Nonnes where they foun­de them, for lacke of their owne wyues. Tyll at the last they came to a nondrye (Coldyngham some saye) where all the good systers had cut of their owne noses & their ouer lappes to disfygure them sel­ues, Coldyn­gham. & so to escape the daunger, ye may beleue yt and ye wyll. In those dayes kinge [Page] Alphrede made Donwolfe the con [...]e [...]de of Ethelyngay, Byshop of Wynchestre, which had both wyfe and chyldren. These. ij. lattre stories shall ye finde in Iohan Harding, Ranulph, and Fabian.

¶ A parelouse & foule bugge is mariage.

NOt longe after hym was there a Byshop of Wynchestre called Elphegus the Balde. Elphe­gus. Whose tyrannouse custome was alwayes in the begynnynge of lent to seclude all publi­que penitentes from the churches ente­raunce, and to requyre all married men not to lye wyth their wyues tyll Eastre were fully past. Parauenture that he and hys prestes might for that tyme of their mart haue the fre occupieng of them. Ghost­ly fa­thers For other goodnesse knowe I non belongyn­ge therunto, non other consyderacyon had. This storye hath Guilhelmus Malmesburye. li. 2. de pontificibus, & Ranulphus Ce­strensis. li. 6. Cap. 6. Cōtēciō In the first eleccion of thys Elphegus, muche stryfe was there betwyne the prestes and the monkes, the prestes electing oute of their owne sort to vpholde them styll concerning their wiues and children, and the monkes chosinge this Hipocrite to place them in theyr rowmes bycause they had no wiues, as at the lattre it came to passe. Egelricus. Iohā Capgraue. At the same time was there a poore prest in the Dyocese of Durham, Egelricus [Page 53] beyng Byshop, whych had both wyfe [...]nd chyldren. a married prest Hym haue the Sodomy­tysh knaues dyffamed in the legende of Cuthbert, that for vsynge hys owne wife, the breade and wyne at hys Masse a­pered so blacke as pytche. But neuer write they in their legendes, what chan­ge it hath whan they lye with other men­nys wyues, or playe the moste fylthye sodomytes for lacke of women. Much be holden is mariage vnto them. Marri­age con­tēpned. For though all fylthye synnes maye wele stand with their offye. yet can they not agre therwith. I thynke they tell here a good wor­shypfull tale for their masse, yf it be wele marked. Loke Iohan Capgraue. In uita Cuthberti.

¶Mysfortune of. ij. marryed prestes and other.

AN other maryed prest, at the same verye season, attempted (they saye) to touche the dead bones of Saynt Audrye the Nonne at Helye, suche tyme as marryed prestes inhabyted that mo­nasterye. A married prest. And for hys presumpcyon, bycause he was marryed, both he, his wi­fe and chyldren, hys kyndred, fryndes, and acquayntaunce, died all sodenly. For marryage maye touche nothynge that longe to that generacyon, vnlesse who­ryshnesse be good mastres vnto it, and come as a mean betwixt both. Loke Iohā [Page] Capgraue in uita Etheldrede. Ethelstanus a monke, ethelst [...] nus a monke maryed at one tyme takynge presthode with Dunstane and Ethelwolde, wyt [...] in a whyle after lefte all hys orders a [...] toke him to a wyfe. Wherfor they pro­phecyed of hym that hys ende shulde be myserable. And bycause they wolde ape­re no false Prophetes, they inchaunted him, charmed hym, and changed him in to an ele, and so he lyued in the water euer after with a great sort more of hys companye. A mira­cle Wherupon (they saye) that monastery and towne hath euer sens bene called Elye. Elpe. Guilhelmus Malmesburye et Ioannes Capgraue. A yong infant cal­led Brithgina, Brithgida. beyng no more than one da­ye olde / professed Elphegus into the mo­nasterye of wylton aboute the same ty­me. So ded he also an other called Wilf­hilda, Wilfhilda. into the nondrye of Wynchestre, so sone as she was weaned from sucke. Whom afterwarde Kinge Edgare clay­med in marryage, but she was to famy­lyer with Ethelwolde a monke and a byshop, to graunt therunto. Whan he came to the howse where she was afterward abbasse, there was no small fyllinge in of cuppes, Ioannes Capgraue.

¶ Miracles and wonders wrought.

[Page 54]Whan Odo the Byshop of Sa­lysburye was elected Archeby­shopp of Caunterburye in the yeare of our Lorde. Odo. DCCCC. and. xlvi. 946. he wolde in no case be consecrated, tyll he was by the abbot of Floriake profes­sed a monke. Floria­ [...]us. Partly bycause all his pre­decessours in that seate to the nombre of. xxi. had bene monkes, and partlye for that the prestes in those dayes were in hate of the people for their marryage at the monkes suggestyons. And after he had receyued his palle with Antichri­stes autoryte from Rome, he wexed so frantyck vpon the Kinges concubines, The kinges con­cubines. that some of them he sealed in the [...]aces with hote burnynge Irons moste shame­fullye, and some of th [...]m he bannyshed into Irelande for euer, but vnto his ow­ne store he was gentyll ynough. For most haynouse heresye helde he than the christen marryage of prestes, and made synodall constytucyons agaynst it, Cinstitucions. to enriche the monkes through that craftye colour with their great possessions. His neuye Oswalde founde he to scole at floryake the welsprynge of Necroman­cye, Oswal­de. to learne there all craftye scien­ces. Floria­cus. In hys time was a strife amon­ge the clergye at Caunterburye, for Christes fleshe and bloode in the Sa­ [...]ramente, the prestes moste earnestly af­firminge [Page] yt to remayne styll breade an [...] are only fygure of Christes bodye, The sacramēt. an [...] the monkes to be Christes essencyall bo­dye, yea Christ him selfe. But whan scrip­turs fayled ones vpon the monkes side, they were dryuen to false myracles or playne experymentes of sorcerye. For Odo by a cast of legerdemayne, shewed vnto the people a broken host bledynge, Mira­cles. as a popysh prest called sir Nicolas Ger­ues ded a. ij. years ago in Surrey, by pricking his fingar with a pinne.

¶Monkery augmented by Dun­stane.

SAynt Dunstane here in Englan­de beyng thaught of Irishe mon­kes at Glastenburye, Dūsta­nus magnus. was fo­unde very connynge in wanton Musyck, in sorcerye, and in Image makyng out of all maner metals, stone and kyndes of wode. By these and suche lyke occupi­enges, he found the meanes to augmente and enryche the monasteries of monkes and Nonnes euery where within Eng­lande, not withstanding he had oft ty­mes much a do with deuils and wyth women. Yet had he at length these pry­uyleges than aboue all other spyrytuall doers. He wanne by hys musyck and fayre speche the good fauer of dyuerse wo­men, musyck. yea, of some whych had bene the kinges concubines, as Alfgine, wilfrich [Page 55] and suche other, though he afore had put them to paynes. By hys sorceryes, sorcerye he a [...]wayes made the Kynges fytt for hys ghostly purpose, as wyll apere heraf­ter, specyally by Kynge Edmonde that was Ethelstanes brother, whom by hys necromancye he broughte to the poynte, inuysyblye to haue bene torne in pe­ces. Carni [...] ge. What he gote by hys Image makinge, the scrypture sheweth playne, whyche curseth both the hande and the instru­ment of the Image maker. Sapi. 14. and Deutro. 27. Thys storye declareth mor at, large Osbertus monachus in uita Dunsta­ni Vincencius li. 24, Ca. 74. Antoninus par. 2. li. 16. Ca. 6. autours Marianus Scotus. Guilhelmus Malmeshuriensis. Ranulphus Cestrensis. li. 6. Cap. 10. Volateranus. Bergomas. Nauclerus. Iohan Capgraue. Iohan hardynge. Vuylliam Caxtō Iohan Lydgate. and Robert Pabyane.

¶ The relygyouse Occupyeng of Dunstane.

AS Dunstane in the howse of a wy­dowe was fashyonynge a prestes stoole, A caste or feate, hys harpe hangynge vpon the wall wythoute thouchynge sounded the note of Gaudent in celis. Wherupō the wenches astoyned, went oute of the owse wyth the wydow and all her howsholde, proclamynge yt a brode, that he had muche more lernyng than was good For this and suche like feates, serten men [Page] tolde Kinge Ethelstane, Ethel­stanus. that he was ge­uen to yll scyence, and wroughte manye thynges by the deuyll, wherupon he put hym clerlye than oute of seruyce. For he had bene afore commytted vnto that kyn­ge by Athelmus hys vncle (I wyll not saye hys father) than Archebyshopp of Caunterburye, Athel­mus. to worke feates to hys mynde for that spyrytuall generacyon. From thens went he to Elphegus an o­ther kinsman of hys, Elphe­gus. at that tyme byshop of Wynchestre, whyche put vpon hym a monkes aparell, that he myghte therbye auoyde both the fyre of concupyscence & the fyre of hell. I thynke fewe wise men wyll beleue thys physyck to be true, as that a monkes cowle were able to restray­ne those. ij. heates. a mōkes cowle. Rather shulde it seme to procure them, els had we neuer had so manye lecherouse luikes and prodygy­ouse Sodomytes amonge them as we reade of. Saynt Paule admonyshed Ti­mothe, that suche Hypocrytes shulde folowe in the chrysten congregacyon as ha­uynge a shyne of Godlye lyuynge, Hypo­crytes. shuld vtterlye denye the power therof. The­se (he sayde) shulde ronne from howse to howse (as thys Dunstane ded) and bringe into bondage women loaden with sinne. 2. Timo. 3.

¶Dunstane by sorcerye [Page 56] terrifieth Kinge Ed­monde.

NOw to returne agayne to Kin­ge Edmonde, Edmondus rex. whyche succeded hys brother Ethelstane. Complayntes were made also vnto hym of thys Dunstane, by manye noble men, for hys prodygyouse feates. Wherupon he toke suche dyspleasure with him, that not onlye he depryued him of offyces (whiche he had there) but also vtterlye bannished him the courte. Dūsta­nes deuil wor­keth. The thyrde daye after, as it chaunced the Kynge in a parke to ryde on huntynge, and to folowe hys game among rockes and bushes, he sodenlye happened into a most pare­louse place, where as he neyther coude go forewarde nor yet turne backe agay­ne. The harte whyche he folowed was before hys face torne in small peces, so were the houndes most terryblye to be­holde, homely Playe. nothynge there perceyued that shuld do yt. The Kynge so sore laboured to returne wyth hys horse, that he brake both brydell and steruppes, and yet coude in no wyfe preuayle, nor yet lyght from hys backe. Than called he Dunstane to remembraunce, and (he be­ynge absent) before God there axed hym forgeuenesse. tyme I trowe. So were both the beast and houndes restored again vnto him safe and founde, his bridelll and steruppes hole. [Page] I thynke this playe sumwhat passed co­urse legerdemayne. After that was Dū stane the hygh steward of his howse, and had ouer all the realme a iurysdicyon▪ Of Glastenburye was he put in perpe­tuall possessyon, Glastē ­burye. to make therof what he wolde. And so bycame yt fyrst of all Saynt Benettes patrymony. Antedicti Autores. Lete all the Popes armye stande vp here, and allowe this still for a mi­racle, as they haue done hytherto in hys legende, yet do not I doubt to proue it against them all, abhominable knauerye by the scripturs.

¶He vexeth king Edwine / retayning his concubine.

AS King Edwine vpon the daye of hys coronacion occupyed Alf­gina his concubine, Edwi­nus: alfgina. hauinge than non other wyfe, Dunstane beynge at that time but a monke and abbot of Gla­stenburye, plucked them both vyolently from the bedde, and brought them befo­re the Archebishopp Odo / threttenyn­ge the woman suspensyon, Odo cā tuarien­sis. ye may call it hangynge yf ye wyll. For the whych the Kyng after that expled the seyd Dū ­stane into Flanders, and wrought the mō kes manye other dyspleasurs, tyll they founde the meanes to depose hym, by the vertu of eare confessyon. Cōfessi­on. Volateranus, li, 2. Geographie, Osbertus, Vincencius, Antoninus [Page 57] Guilhelmus Ranulphus & Ioannes Capgra­ue. Yet in the conclusyon (they saye) he delyuered kyng Edwynes sowle, after he was dead, from hell (I praye God he kylled hym not afore) and vanquyshed al the deuels there by vertu of a requiem masse, Masse of requiem. so bryngynge hym into their pur­gatorye. Thys was (I trowe) no badde ware. As a sertayn noble woman called Alfgina (the kynges former concubine I feare me) possessyng great substaunce, Alfgina loueth. had ones commoned with Dunstane, she so delyghted in hys fayre wordes (for hys aduauntage) that she woulde neuer after from hym, but dwell with hym stil for terme of lyfe. Stronge loue. She left her owne howse and buylded her an habitacion by the churche, louyngly intertaynynge men of holye orders. In conclusyon whan she departed the worlde, she left her great coffers and treasure bagges with Dun­stane to dyspose for her soule (she had heard of Kyng Edwyne with the which he after that buylded fyne monasteryes. Ioannes Capgraue in Cat sanct. Anglie.

¶Dunstane kepeth the kynges of Englande vndre.

DVnstane was excedyngly belo­ued with Cadina Kynge Eldre­des mother (these are the playne wordes, Cadina loueth. of the history) and he loued her excedyngly agayne. And whē he ones became [Page] the kynges corectour & mastre, yea rather his kynge & Emperour (sayth the text) by her meanes he was elected By­shop of wynchestre after y ^e decease of E [...] phegus. But he enioyed it not by reason of his tyranny against kynge Edwyne y ^t succeded hym. Edwinꝰ rex. Whose cōcubynes he can sed the archebyshop Odo (as is sayd a­fore) to seale in the face with hote Irons and to bannysh thē, specially one he sore blemyshed & sent into Ireland. And whē Dunstane was for this presumptuouse pageant exyled, the mōkes caused the cō ­mons to ryse against him, The cō ­mens ry­se. from the wa­ter of Humbre to the flood of Thamis, & so to depose hym. Ioannes Capgraue in ui­tis Dunstani & Odonis. Neuer were the cō cubines of Dauid & Salomon thus ordered of Samuel & Achimelech, Abiathar & Sadoch, the byshop of y ^t age. In a serten vision receyued Dunstane. iij. swerdes (they saye) of. iij. iij. swer­des. apostles, Peter, Paule, & Andrewe, with y ^e administraciō of. iij. byshoprickes in Englād, Worcestre, Lō don, & Caūterbury, to kepe y ^e kynges vndre, & to bringe mōkes into y ^e plentuouse possessions of the cathedrall churches y ^t priestes with their wyues & children by violēte expelled. Maryed priestes. Of him also y ^• forsayd Odo thus prophecied at his cōsecraciō. This will be a most mighty captaine (come downe knawes come downe) & vale­aunt [Page 58] warriour against y ^e worldly pryn­c [...]s. Vincēcius, Antoninus, Capgraue. Thus grewe the hōgry leane locustes into most sturdy wild horses w ^t lyōs heades. Apo. ix. Apoc. 9. neyeng after mennis wyues. Hiere. 5. Hiere. 5.

What rule was at Rome in those dayes

TO fatche thys matter where a­bout we go, from the very well sprynge or fyrst oryginall, as the frute from the tree and the tree from the roote, we wyll sumwhat shewe what chast ordre was at Rome in those dayes. Rome chastite. In the yeare of our lord. DCCCC. and vij. 907 was one Sergius a man without all vertu and learnyng made Pope, and be­came the thirde of that name. Sergius This Ser­gius kepte a yonge whore in the tyme of hys holy papacye called Marozia, Marosia & had by her a bastarde, which was pope lōge after hym, called Ioā the. xi. and reigned in all fylthinesse more thē. vij. yeares. Some writers holde that he begate of her Iohā the. x. also, but the cōtrarye of that shall apeare herafter. This filthy tyraūt caused pope formosus (whom his prede­cessour Steuen had afore disgraded & buried among the profane laye multidude) to be taken vp agayne, Formo­sus. decked lyke a po­pe, set in a chayre, to be byheaded, and hys. iij. fyngars cut of, hys carkas so to be throwne into the ragynge flood of Tiber. Tyrāny. Se if there were euer any tyrannye [Page] lyke vnto the tyranny of these spirituall Antichristes, thus cruelly handelynge, [...] man that is dead. This sheweth more at large, Liuthprandus Ticinensis. lib. 2. Capi. 13. ac. lib 3. Cap. 12. rerum Europicarum. Autours Blō dus Flauius, Baptista Platina, Ioannes Stella, abbas Vrspergensis, Ptolemeus Lucēsis, Vin­cencius, Antoninus, Bergomas & alij.

¶ The chastite of holy churche there.

THeodora a most execrable whore, Theoracum filiabus. and aduouterouse mother to the forsayd Marozia & Theodora the yongar (both vnshamefast whores also) so burned in concupiscens of the bewtye of one Iohan Rauennas a priest, Ioannes rauēnas thē sent in massage to the pope by Peter the Ar­chebyshop of Rauenna, that she not only moued hym, but also compelled hym to lye with her, and so become her pera­moure dere. This whore for hys leche­rouse occupyenge of her, made hym first Byshop of Bononye, than Archeby­shop of hys owne natiue cytie Rauen­na, and fynally Saynt Peters vycar in Rome, called Iohan the. x. Ioan y ^e. x Pope of that name, that she myght at all tymes haue hys companye nygher home. This was done in the yeare of our Lorde. DCCCC. and. xv and he gouerned the papacye there. 915. xiij. yeares and more. Liuthprandus Ticinensis lib. 2 Cap. 13. rerum per Europam gestarum. It is easye to se by this open experiment, [Page 59] that she and her. ij. doughters myght do muche in the holye college of cardynalles. whores rule all. He that iudgeth not that churche to be whoryshe, whiche was so depelye vndre the rule of whores, that they at their pleasure might appoint ther vnto what head rulers they would, hath litle good iudgement in hym, I thynke.

¶ A popes bastarde is made Pope.

GVido the marques of Thuscia, at the lattre marryed Pope Sergi­us whore Marozia. Guido & Mazozia Whiche willynge to preferre vnto Saynt Peters se­ate, the bastarde whome she had by the sayd Pope, caused hym to enpryson her mothers dere peramoure Iohan the. x. and to stoppe vp hys breathe with a pyl­lowe. Immediatly after, which was the yeare of our Lorde. DCCCC. and. xxix was he constytute pope, 929. and called Iohā the. xi. Ioā. xi. but the same self yeare he was de­posed agayne. Wherupon she clerly left all spirituall occupienge, and in displea­sure of the prelates, maryed her self sone after her husbandes deathe to one Hugh the Kynge of Italye, hugo rex Italie. whiche was her o­ther husbandes brother by the mothers syde, and made hym the monarke of Ro­me to recouer agayne thys lost dignyte for her bastarde. Thus shewed she her self to be a playne Herodias, besydes her other vnshamefast whoredomes in the [Page] spiritualte. Liuthprandus. li. 3. Ca. 12. Pope Leo the. vi. which folowed the next, Leo et Stepha­nus. hel [...] the papacy not. iij. quarters of a yeare. And after hym Steuen the. vij. litle mo [...]e then. ij. yeares. They myght not longe tarrye here, but had a cast of sowre phy­sycke to sende them well hens, that they myght geue place to the ryght heire. For next them he succeded agayne, and con­tynued almoste. v. yeares after. All that hath wrytten sens platynaes tyme, Writers deceiued haue bene fowlye deceiued with hym, concer­nyng this Iohan the. xi. some of them takyng one Iohan for another, and some two for one, forwante of the afore seyde worke of Liuthprandus, whiche wrote about the same verye tyme.

¶ Thre whores made Goddeses for whoredome.

AT Rome were. iij. whores of na­me notable, iij. who­res. aboute the yeare of our lorde, DCCCC. and. xxx. 930 cal­led Bezola, Roza, & Stephana. Whiche in all prodygyouse lecherye has bene brought vp there amonge the relygyou­se Cardynalles, Bysshoppes, monkes & priestes, from their verye youthe. As these whores came ones to the occupyenge of kynge Hugh, Hugo rex. he euer after abhorred hys other wyfe Berta, a ladye most fay­re and bewtyfull. And for their connyng feates in that bawdye occupacyon, he [Page 60] gaue them euer after the names of. iij. Goddeses. Godde­ses for Whore­dom. He called Bezola venus, Ro­za Iuno, and Stephana Zemele. Of these harlottes one made Boso her bastar­de Byshop of Placencia, the other made Theobaldus her mysbegetten the arche­deacon of Myllayne, and the third was not all behynde with her fylthye frute also. Liuthyrādus Ticinēsis li. 3. Ca. 6. That vowe of chastite (I trowe) is sumwhat worth, spiritual chastite. whan it hath suche feates in baw­dye bytcherye, as all the worlde besydes is ignoraunt of. It were great pytie but it were so hygh aduaunced, and mayn­teyned by pryncelye polityque lawes, they becommynge seruauntes therunto by makynge lawes for the vpholdynge therof.

¶ A most hygh example of holye chur­ches chastyte.

ALbericus the sonne of Marozia by her first husbande Albert, Albericꝰ beynge Marques of Hetruria and kynge of Italye, compelled the Romanes hys subiectes, partlye by great rewardes, & partlye by stronge threttenynges, to ad­myt hys sonne Octauyane to the papa­cye, Octauianus. whiche was geuen to al ryot and vyce from his very infancye. Notwithstandynge for hys pleasure they agreed ther­vnto, in the year of our lorde. DCCCC and. lvi. 956. and named hym Iohan the. xij. Ioan. xij [Page] Thys holy successour of Peter and vy­car of Christ (as they call popes) was ac­cused of his Cardinalles and Byshop­pes vnto the Emperour Otho in the ge­nerall Synode at Rome, Synodꝰ Rome. that he woulde saye no seruice, he massed without conse­cracion, he gaue holye orders in hys sta­ble, he made boyes Byshoppes for mo­ney, he woulde neuer blesse hymselfe, he forced not to be periured, and made the holy palace of Laternense a verye ste­wes. For he kepte therein Raynera the wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys own body, Rainera and gaue her great possessiōs, with benefices, goldē chalyces, and crosses. He helde also Stephana and her sy­ster (whiche had bene his fathers concu­bine) and had by her a bastarde not long afore. He occupied at hys pleasure An­na a freshe wydowe, Anna. her doughter also and doughters doughter. He spared ney­ther hygh nor lowe, olde nor yonge, poo­re nor rytche, fayre nor foule (they sayd) so that no womē durst come vnto Rome on pylgrymage in hys tyme. Rome sacrifice. Neyther reuerenced he anye place, but would do it euery where, yea, vpon their very aul­ters. He woulde hawke, hunte, daunce, leape, dyce, sweare, fyght, ryot, ronne, straye abrode in the nyght breakynge vp dores and wyndowes, and burne manye mennes howses. One of hys Car­dynalles [Page 61] he gelded, he might be chast. he put out an others eyes whiche had bene hys Godfathers. Of some he borowed an hande, of some a tounge, a fynger, a nose, an eare. In his dyce playnge would he cal vpon yll spi­rites, and drynke to the deuyll for loue. Thus was he in the ende deposed, tyll his dere diamondes sett handes vnto it (for they ruled all) and caused the Ro­maynes to set hym in agayne. Their spiritual father.

¶Dunstanes autoryte against marryed priestes.

THe papacye helde this Iohan the xij. Ioan. xij for the space of. ix. yeares. iij. monthes, and. v dayes, and was striken of the deuyl (they saye) as he was lyenge in bedde with a mans wyfe, and so dyed within. viij. dayes after without howsell or shrift, they saye. All this wri­teth of hym the forsayd Liuthprandus lib. 6. Cap, 6. Liuth­prādus. and so furth. v. chapters more to the ende almoste of his boke, whiche at the same self tyme dwelt at Ticina in Italy. This is he of whom the byworde ryse. Bywor­de. As myrye as Pope Iohan. Vnto thys holye vycar of Sathan & successour of Symon Magus, went Dunstane out of Englande in the yeare of our Lorde. DCCCC. and. lx. 960. to be confirmed archebyshop of Caunterburye. Dunsta­nus. And there re­ceyued therewith for a great summe of money, autorise & power of the Beast, [Page] Apoc. 13. vtterlye to dyssolue priestes maryage, that hys monkes by that meanes, myght possesse the cathedral churches of Englande, as within a whyle after they did. The first compul­sion. This Dunstane (as witnesseth Ioā Capgraue) was the first that in this real me compelled men and women to vowe chastyte and to kepe claustrale obedyen­ce, agaynst the fre doctryne of Saynte Paule. 1. Cor. 7. & Gal. 5. Forbyddynge marryage instytuted of God, whiche is the verye doctrine of deuyls. 1. Timot. 4 Thys is the worthye orygynall and first foundacion of monkes and priestes pro­fessed chastyte in Englande. Foundacion of chastite. Marke it with the sequele, and tell me hereafter, wheth [...]r it be of the deuyll or naye.

¶Dunstane execute hys deuylyshe commission.

THis craftye merchaunde Dun­stone, as he was returned agayn into England, The de­uyls cō ­myssyo­ner. by autorite of this most execrable monstre and wycked Antichrist, gaue a strayght commaundemēt that priestes out of hāde shuld put away their lawfull wyues (whō that brent cō ­scienced hypocryte called the vessels of fornycacyon) els would he (he sayd) ac­cordyng to hys commission, A thefe. put them both from benefyce and lyuynge. And where as he perceyued the benefyces most welthye, there was he most gredye [Page 62] [...]pon them, and shewed most vyolence & [...]yranny. A tiraūt. For whan the hygh deanes of [...]athedrall churches, masters of colleges prebendes, persones, and vycars would not at so beastly a commaundement, lea­ue their wyues and chyldren so desolate without all naturall ordre, he gote vnto hym the great power of kyng Edgare, Kynge Edgare. to assyst that cruell commyssyon of hys, procured for moneye of the former An­tichrist of Rome, and by force thereof in manye places most tyrannously expel­led them Ioānes Capgraue In Catologo sanctorum Anglie. Reade all the Byble and Chronycles ouer, of Nemroth, Pharao, Tiranny spiritual Antioche, Nero, Decius, Traianus, with other lyke, and I thynke, ye shall not fynde a more tyrannouse example. No, not in cruell Herode hys selfe. For though he slewe the innocent babes, yet demynyshed he not the lyuynge of the fathers and mothers, but thys tyraunt toke all with hym. If he had sought a Godlye reformacion where marryage was abused, mariage condem­ned. it had bene sumwhat com­mendable. But hys huntynge was to de­stroye it all togyther, as an horryble vyce in priestes, and in place therof to sett vp Sodome and Gomor by a sort of Hypocryte Monkes, so chaungynge all Godlye ordre.

¶Kynge Edgare is brought vndre thereby.

THus became the face, first of the Brytonysh and then of the En­glysh churche sore changed, Facies ecclesia­rum. ble­myshed, and by whoryshe commyssions frō the whoryshe byshoppes of the who­rysh Synagoge of Rome, was made all togyther whoryshe. Proue me here in a lyer and an heretike if ye can, for I wyl, by the helpe of God, stande by that I write here to the ende of my lyfe. If ye can not (I speake onlye to yow papisti­cal byshoppes and priestes) graunt your selues to be the most theues, heretikes, Hereti­kes and theues. & seducers of the people, that euer yet reig­ned vpon the earthe, for maynteynynge for holynesse so deuelysh a knauerye. Immediatlye after thys be fell a sore chaun­ce, as God would. Kyng Edgare which was euer a great whore mastre and a ty­raunte (as the Chronycles report hym) had a do with a yonge mayde called wilfrith, wilfrith. brought vp in the nondrye of wyl­ton (parauenture to their vse) wherupon by force of the former commyssion, he was condempned of Dunstane to. vij. yeares penaunce, penaūce and myght in no wyse be dyspensed with, tyll he had buylded for their commodyte the great nondrye of Shaftesbury with. xij. other monaste­ryes besydes. Specyallye tyll he had [Page 63] fullye graunted to the vtter condempna­cion of priestes marryage through out al hys realme, and fyrmelye promysed to put the monkes in their rowmes in the great cathedrall churches, An apy­she slaue wrytynge to the pope for the same. For as witnesseth both Wylliā of Malmesbury, Ranulph of Chestre, Guido de columna, and Ro­bert Fabiane, he was not crowned tyll the. xij. yeare of hys reigne.

¶Dunstane fashyoneth the kynge to his purpose.

IN the ende, thys aduoutrye of the kynge made greatlye for their purpose. For whan it was ones openlye knowne, The beastes autorite. Dunstane with hys Bulle went by and by vnto hym, and by force therof denounced hym accursed. The kynge of gentylnesse, as he was com­mynge towardes hym, arose out of hys regall seate to take him by the hande and geue hym place. The hystory sayth, that he then dysdayned to geue hym his han­de. And lokynge vpon hym with bende browes and most spyghtfull countenaū ­ce, he sayd thus vnto hym. A proude knaue. Thou y ^t hast not feared to corrupte a vyrgyne made handefast to Christ, presumest to towche (a knaue) the consecrate, handes of a by­shop? Thou hast defyled the spowse of thy maker (a monkes whore) and thyn­kest by flatterynge seruyce, to pacyfye [Page] (a thefe) the frynde of the brydegrome? No, No king but a fole speake not of it. Hys frynde wyll not I be, (O colour of dyssymulacion, whiche hath Christ to enemy. This sayd he, to make hym beleue that she was a professed nonne. But the craftye knaue lyed falsely, and so mocked hys kynge to make of hym a very dysarde fole. For the Chronycles all agre in a maner that she was no nonne but a wēche soiornaūt in the nondrye. A witles Beast. Thus when he founde hym well fauerdlye submytted and well brought vndre, he put hym to hys pe­naunce and depryued hym of his crow­ne for the terme therof, as afore is speci­fyed. Vincencius, Antoninus, Guilhelmus Malmesburye, Ranulphus Cestrensis, Guido de columna, et Ioannes Capgraue.

¶The wyles of the serpent preuayle.

THys craftye pageaunt was played of Dunstane, to put all other inferrioure subiectes the more in feare to dysobeye the popes fylthye commyssion. Practyse For whan the kynge was ones brought vndre (as they are not ashamed to write it) who durst hysse ther against? For Wylliam of Malmesbury sayth, & Ranulphus allegete the same li. 6. Ca. 10. of hys Polichronicon. Craft. That by thys mea­nes he aswaged the grudge of the great men, the murmoure of the commōs, and [Page 64] the malyce of the priestes. O wylye ser­ [...]ntes, I trowe the deuyll of hell hys [...]elfe can not go beyonde yow in subtylte and craft for your beastlye generacyon. Whan thys victorye was ones gotten, Priestes go out. then went the priestes out by heapes frō the cathedrall churches and colleges with their wyues and chyldren, and the monkes came in as fast with all prody­giouse lecherye, but all their feates were done in thē dar [...]e. Than was it blowen abrode (as all suche knaueryes must ha­ue a pretensed coloure) that priestes ly­ued wantonlye and woulde not serue God, A colour with suche lyke. But they coulde not in those dayes accuse them so largely of occupienge other mennys wyues, nor yet of abhominable sodometrye, as they haue bene knowen of sens that constray­ned fylthynesse.

¶Dunstane chefelye loued the fru­tes of aduoutrye.

IOhan Capgraue, Vyncent, and Antonyne reporteth in their wry­tynges, that thys aduouterouse chylde was Edwarde, Edward surnamed the martyr (whom Dunstane toke for hys own, as paraduenture he had iust cause) or els for that he was hys Godfather. Not wythstandynge dyuerse other auc­tours hold that Editha was that chyld. Editha. [Page] But what matter maketh it whiche of them it was, whan all they are allowed now for canonysed Sayntes in the Po­pes whoryshe churche. Al sayn­tes. Yea, the whore­monger, the whore, the whoryshe bastar­de and all, to set whoryshnesse forewarde and make it appeare holye, where mar­ryage is thought vnholye. And as for the mother of Edwarde, Iohā Hardyng nameth her Elflede, Polidorus Elfrede, Wylliam of Malmesbury, The mother. Ranulphe, & Fabiane calleth her whyght Egelflede, and Caxton dare geue her no name, and therfore the matter is doubtful. As Dunstane was on a tyme hallowynge of a churche in the honoure of Saynt deuyl, dūstane. saynt Denis I should saye, he beheld the ryght thombe of the foreseyd Edithe, Editha. thā beynge abbesse of Wylton, as she was crossyng and blessynge her forhead. And muche delyghtynge therin, he toke it in hys hande, and sayd. Neuer myght this thombe peryshe. Immedyatlye after he beynge at Masse and dolorouslye we­pynge, sayd vnto the deacon that serued hym. Alas thys floryshynge floure wyll fade, Great loue she­wed. this redolent rose wyl be gone, this dayntye Dyamonde wyll peryshe, thys swete byrde wyll awaye for euer. And after her deathe he founde all her bodye resolued into ashes, except that thombe and the secrete part vnder her bellye, for [Page 65] those. ij. partes of her, he had blessed afo­re. A nar­row ser­cher. In dede he was verye homelye to ser­ [...]he so farre. But the cause of thys (they saye (she afterwarde declared vnto him in a secrete vysyon. Thys story sheweth Vuilliā of Malmesburye. li, 2. de pontificibus. Ranulphus in polichronico, li. 6. Ca 9. Vincencius. li. 25. Ca. 33. Antoninus. par. 2. li. 16. Ca. 8 Iohannes Capgraue in uita Edithe.

¶Kynges become the Beastes Images.

Whan Kynge Edgare had ones perfourmed his. Edgare vij. yeares pe­naunce for hys aduoutrye wyth fayre Wilfrith (whom Dunstone parauē ture prepared for hys owne store) he be­came altogyther the dumme Image of the Beast, Image Bestie and myght not vttre from thēs fourth, but as they gaue hym sprete. Apo. 13. Than caused they hym to call a gene­rall counsell (at London some saye) in the yeare of our Lorde. sinodus DCCCC. and. lxix. 969 by the vngracyouse autoryte of the afore seyd pope Iohan. And there was yt ful­lye enacted, and establyshed for a lawe euer to endure, that all canons of cathe­droll churches, collygeners, persons, cu­rates, vycars, prestes, deacons, and sub­deacons shuld eyther lyue chast, that ys to say, become Sodomytes (for that hath bene their chastyte euer sens) or els be suspended from all spyrytuall iurisdicci­on. An Acte for sodome. [Page] This more than Pharaony [...]all con­stitucion, Tirāny. was the King sworne to ayde. maynteyne, and defende wyth the ma­teriall swerde, by the popes autorite. Than were there chosen oute. ij. principall visitours, Visi­tours. Ethelwolde the Byshopp of Wynchestre (that nest is oft vngracy­ouse) and Oswalde the Bishop of Wor­cestre, both monkes, to s [...] this through out the whole realme executed. Vincencius li. 24. Cap, 83. Antoninus par, 2, ti. 16. Cap. 6. Guilhelmus Malmesburye, Ranulphus, Guido de columna, Ioan Capgraue. & opus nouum de utra (que) potestate. [...]o. 57,

¶Dunstane is accused of yll rule,

IN this counsell were some wise men (as all these writers witnes­se, though it be sumwhat fayntly) which layed for their marriage the scrip­turs, For ma­riage and substancially proued themsel­ues the maynteyners of vertu therin, and not of aduouterye as they were there vn­charitably noted. But that wolde not serue them. The holy Ghost might in no wise preuayle, the popes bawdye bulles beynge in place, Bulles but they must nedes ha­ue the preferment, no remedy. An other sort were there which accused Dunstane of yll rule in the darke. Dunstane accu­sed. For Petrus Equili­nus sayth in Catalogo Sanctorum li, 8, Ca, 49. that he was put to hys purgacyon of ma­ny things there layed agaynst him. Of [Page 66] a likelyhode therfore they had smelled ou­te sumwhat that was not all to his spi­rituall honesty. Neyther wolde these ac­cusacions helpe, the popes Power ones so largely published. The King durst vtter nothynge that was against hym, Edgare for feare of newe penaunce, and for as muche as it was wele knowne that in the time of his olde penaunce he had oc­cupied one minion at Wynchestre, an other at Andouer, besides alfrede whome he at the lattre gote to wife by the craf­ty mouther of her husbande Ethelwolde an earle. alfreda.

¶ The king defendeth Dunstane & destroyeth wolues.

BVt to pacyfy and please this Dunstane, Oratio ad clersi Kinge Edgare in his oracion there to the clergy, rebu­ked the prestes very sore, for banketin­ge with their wiues, for slacknesse of their masse saynges, for pretermytting their canonicall houres, for their crow­nes shauinges with their vnprestly apa­rellinges, and suche other like. More ouer he alleged vnto them in the seid ora­cion the lamentable complayntes (good knauery I warande yow) of his fathers sowle aperynge to Dunstane, knauery and repro­uing the wanton behauer of the prestes with their wiues. He also tolde them, in repressing their former accusementes, [Page] that hys sayd dead father in that vysyon reported Dunstane to be the pastoure, byshop, and keper of hys sowle (Christ was nothynge) makynge hym styll to beleue, A deui­lish Illusion. that the buyldynge of monasteryes was alwayes the moste helthsome good worke, expedyent helpe, pryce, remedye, redempcion, and deliueraunce of the sow­le from dampnacion. Ex oratione regis Ed­gari ad clerum Anglie. Loke the boke of both iurisdiccions. Of this kinge Edgare ys it veryfied by Ranulphe, that by a ye­arlye trybute of. C C C. wolues out of Wales / he destroyed all the wolues in that lande. But within hys owne lande, the fearce gredye wolues that deuoured Christes flocke. wolues. Acto. 20. Act. 20. and the wylye foxes that destroyed the swete vyneyar­des of the Lord. Can. 2. Cant. 2. he left vntouched yea, rather he set them vp, maynteyned them, and fedde them at hys owne table wyth most wicked Iesabel. 3. Reg. 18. For in hys tyme they obtayned more than. xl great monasteryes. Mona­steries. As were Glasten­burye, Abindon, Thorneye, Ramseye, Peterborowe, Wenton, Wylton, Shaf­tesburye, Sherborne, Worcestre, Wyn­chestre, Hyde, Helye, Saynt Albons, Be­anflede, and such other, besides innumerable giftes and promocions els,

¶Ethelwolde with his lewde com­mission.

[Page 67]FRom thys afore named generall counsell, went fyrste Ethelwolde with his commission, Ethelwoldus impo­stor. whych had bene abbot of Abyndon and was than Byshopp of Wynchestre, beynge hastye, headye, subtyle wytted, & learned in Pro­phane letters, magus as the hystoryanes wryteth of hym. Thys busye whelpe of antichirst leauynge Christes pure wayes, to folo­we the fote steppes of the Esseanes, Ta­cyanes, Priscyllyanystes, Marcyany­stes, and other heretykes more, Herety­kes. beganne fyrst hys feates at Wynchestre in the old college, And there droue out the prestes with their wiues and poore children, and put in monkes of Abyndone for them. And thys was hys suggestyon abrode to coloure the matter. a colour They kepte verye yll rule there (he sayd (they wolde not do their masses in due ordre, and they semed no holier then the other laye people. But Polydorus reporteth. li. 4. Anglice historie, that they were men of an honeste lyfe. From thens he went vnto other townes and cytyes, and there ded lyke wyse, and bare the name to be a vygylaunt father ouer Nonnes and relygyouse women. a father Thys same one Byshop ded more (sayth Vincent) than could the King of the real­me wyth all hys whole power. In the en­de he wrote to pope. Iohā the. xiij. Ioan. 13 (which was the bastarde of pope Iohan the. xij. [Page] by his peramoure Stephana) of his dre­ames and vysyons for the tyme of hys progresse, Stepha­na. desyering his power against the prestes also, with many other wōders. Iohānen Capgraue in Catalo. Guilhelmus Malmesbury, Vincēcius, Antoninus, Ranulphus, Guido de colūna, et Polidorus.

¶Oswalde wyth hys Beastly autorite.

ON the other syde went Oswalde wyth hys autoryte from that wycked counsell, Oswal­dus ma­gus. whych had stodied necromancye wyth other vnpure scy­ences at Floryake besydes Orleaunce in france, Floria­cus. where he was fyrst made monke and afterward in England bycame By­shop of Worcestre. Thys fellawe so wel armed with deceytes as euer were Pharaoes sorcerers, was thought a man mete to deceyue wyth lyenge sygnes the com­mon sort. So trudged he fourth wyth hys craftye calkynges, and fyrst expelled the Canons of the cathedrall churche of worcestre wyth their carefull wyues and chil­dren and out of. Prestes expelled vij. other churches more within that hys dyoces, and there placed for them the laysy leaue locustes, which not long afore had leaped out of the bot­tomlesse pyt. Apoca. 9. Apoc. 9. the monkes which at that tyme were bare and nedy. Than went he farther abrode, and wrought there lyke masteryes, wherof England hath [Page 68] depely felt euer sens. a colour His suggestions were lyke the other, as that the prestes liued wantonly, and wolde not masse in due forme. For his trauayle in this / was he made Archebishop of Yorke by the la­boure of Dunstane. To tell his other fea­tes it wolde are to muche time, and therfore I passe it ouer. These. ij. promoted the seyd Dunstane aboue all other, as men hauinge most wily craftes, iij false knaues. to assiste him in his businesse. These. iij. Monkes brought the Kinges so vndre, that they had than all the realme at their pleasures Ioānes Capgraue, Malmesburye, Vincencius, Anto­ninus, Ranulphus, Guido de Columna, et Polidorus.

¶ Dunstane maketh a king at his pleasure.

AFter the decease of King Ed­gare, in the yeare of our Lorde. DCCCC. and. lxxv. 975 was a wonder­full varyete and scisme through out the whole realme, Scisms. partly for him that next shuld succede King, and partly for the great iniury done to the marryed pre­stes. The quene Alfrede with Alpherus the duke of Mercia and other great lor­des fauorynge her quarell wolde nedes haue Ethelrede Kynge which was her sonne by Edgare, Alpherus. on the one syde. Ethelredus. Dun­stane and his monkish Bishoppes with the earle of East sexe and serten other Lor­des [Page] suborned by them, on the other syde wolde nedes haue Edwarde, Edwardus. whome so­me reported to be Edgares bastarde. Anon as Dunstane perceyued the que­nes part to preuayle (for she had the most of the lordes) he called for hys metropo­lytanes crosse, and there lyke a bolde ye­man and a tall, legatus shewed himselfe amonge them as the popes high legate from hys owne ryghte syde. For he had by that ty­me procured of Pope Iohan the. xiij. Ioan. 13 (whyche was the other popes bastarde) a renouacyon of hys former autoryte, to double the whoryshnesse therof. And by force of the same, he made Edwarde kinge in spyght of them all, and shewed him­selfe (Iohan Capgraue sayth) a verye na­turall father vnto hym euer after. a father Neuerthelesse yt coste hym hys lyfe in the forth yeare of hys reygne. Than to make all holy towardes their side, A deceyt and to blemyshe the other partye, specyallye to stoppe mennis mouthes abrode (for many thyn­ges were in those dayes spoken) they ca­nonysed hym a Saynt, fyndynge the me­anes to shewe myracles for hym, and that made all whole euerye waye. Prefati Autores.

¶The prestes with their wiues restored

ANon after this kinges coronacion, Alpherus the Duke of Mercia wyth other great men, Alphe­rus. by counsell [Page 69] of the quene, droue the monkes out of the cathedrall churches and restored agayne the prestes wyth their wyues and chyl­dren. For the prestes had layed for them selues, Prestes restored that it was vncomlye, vncharita­ble, yea, and vnnaturall, to put oute an olde knowne dweller for a newe vnkno­ne: A neyber, a cytyzen, and a chylde brought vp amonge them, for a forouer & a straunger. The prestes. They knewe it (they seyd) to be vnpleasynge vnto God, that man shuld take from them that he had ones geuen them. Fynally they alleged this grounded precept of God for them sel­ues. Lete men do non otherwise than they wolde gladlye be done to. The Monkes on the other syde, The mō kes layed for their parte, that Christ cared not an half peny for the olde dweller / but allowed hym onlye that wolde take the crosse of penaunce vpon hym. Whether that be in a mon­kes cowle wythoute iust tyttle to enter in­to an other mannys possessyons or no. I put it to the iudgemente of them that are christenlye learned. The troblouse cares in marryage, A crosse in mari­age. as are the necessarye prouisyons for howse kepynge, the vertuous bryngynge vp of children, and the day­lye helpynge of pouertie, shulde rather se­me a christen crosse to Godly wyse men, than easye Idelnesse in monkerye. In the rude of thys controuersye, the greatter [Page] part both of the nobles and commons, iudged the prestes to haue great wronge, and sought euery where by all meanes possible, Backare, sir monke. to bringe them agayne to their olde possessions and dignitees, Yea, sumwhere with good ernest blowes and buf­fettes. Robertus Fabiane cum antedictis Autoribus.

¶Dunstane maketh an Idoll to speake.

THis caused Dunstane in the ye­are of our Lorde. DCCCC. and lxxv. 975. to call an other solempne counsell. But that was where they thought themselues most stronge, and might best do their feates, sinodus at Wynche­stre. Where after great wordes had betwen the duke of Marche and the earle of East sexe (which were than appoynted as arbyters) Dunstane perceyuynge all to go with the prestes, brought fourthe his former commission, cōmissiō thinkinge ther­by to stoppe their mouthes. And whan that wolde not serue, they sought out a practyse of the olde Idolatrouse prestes, which were wont to make their Idolles to speake, by the art of Necromancy, wherin the monkes were in those dayes expert. A roode there was vpon the fray­ter wall in the mon [...]stery where the coun­sel was holden, A roode and (as Vincent & Antoninus testifieth) Dunstane required them [Page 70] all to praye therunto, which was not thā ignoraunte of that spyrytuall prouysyon. In the myddes of their prayer, the roode spake these wordes, or els a knaue monke behynde hym in a truncke through the wall, knauery as Boniface ded after for the papacye of Celestyne. The rood speaketh. God forbyd (sayth he) ye shuld change this ordre taken. Ye shuld no do wele, now to alter it. Take Dun­stanes wayes vnto ye, for they are the best. All thys worke of the deuill at al they were astayned, that knewe not therof the crafty conueyaunce. If thys were not cleaue legerdemayne, tell me. Oh, that the­re was not a Iohan Boanerges at that time, to proue the spretes of that workemanshyp. 1. Ioan. 4. 1 Ioā. 4 If there had bene but one Thomas Cromwell, thomas crōwell. they had not so cle­relye escaped wyth that knauery. Polidorus Vergilius, whych alloweth them in many other lewde poyntes, smelled out their bouery in this, and reporteth diuerse other to do the same at that day.

¶That Idoll is crowned King of England.

IN remembraunce of this knauery (myracle, they say, were afterward written vpon the wall vndre that roodes fete, these verses folowing. Verses.

[Page] Wyth lye and all. Whom Iohan Cap­graue reporteth that he se there more thā CCCC. years after, Capgraue. the roode transla­ted from thens into the churche for hys myracles sake. Aboute the yeare of oure Lorde a.M. and. xxxvi. 1036 as Kynge Canu­tus beynge at Southampton was boa­sted of one of hys knyghtes to be the gre­at Lorde of the sea, Canu­tus. he thought to proue it by a commaundement of obedience. And as he wele perceyued that yt wolde obe­ye hym in no poynt, he toke the crowne from hys owne head, The crowne. acknowlegynge, that there was a Lord much hygher & of more power than himself was. And therefor he promised neuer more to weare yt, but to rendre yt vp vnto hym for euer. Wyth that, Egelnothus than Archeby­shopp of Caunterburye, Egelno­thus. infourmed him of thys roode whyche had dysolued pre­stes matrimonye and done manye other great miracles. Whyche prouoked hym anon after to go to Wynchestre, and to resygne vnto hym his regall crowne, con­stytutynge hym than King of this real­me. An Idol made king. Was not thys (thynke yow (good wholsom counsell of thys Idolouse By­shop. Zachary. II. yf a man had nede of it? A playne token is it that they were than the Images of the Beaste. Image of the Beast. Apoca. 13. & no godlye gouernours, yea, verye Idolles & no Kinges, that were vndre suche ghostly [Page 71] fathers. Henricus Huntyngtonensis Archidiaconus. li. 6. Ranulphus. li. 6. Ca. 20. Fabianus li. 1. Ca. 206, & Polydorus. li. 7. with other autours more

¶An example of Claustrall virginite.

MArianus Scotus and sertē other writers besydes, do testyfye in their Chronycles, that whan thys Canutus coulde haue no frute by hys wyfe Elgiue of hampton, canutus Elgiua. and was not trouglye contented therwyth: She fearynge that he shulde eyther caste her vp, or els resort to some other, gote her a­monge relygyouse chast women, to kno­we what good chere was amonge them. And anon she founde one to her mynde, whyche was bygge with childe by a monke, not wythstandynge the great chastite that was boasted afore. Claustrall chastite. But Marianus sayth, she was a presbyteresse or a prestes leman, to saue the honoure of that ordre, bycause he was a monke hys selfe. Algy­ne had thys nonne be of good chere, and yf she wode agre vnto her, it shulde be to her great honoure. But yt must (she sayd) be kept wonderfullye close. A monkes bast­arde. Imme­dyatly after the quene fayned herselfe to be great wyth chylde, and by the con­ueyaunce of a mother. B. goynge be­twixt them both, at the tyme appoynted of labourynge, she was delyuered of the [Page] nonnes childe, making the King to be­leue it was his, to no small reioyce of them both. This childe was called Swe­no, Sweno and the yeare afore Canutus died, was constitute King of Norwey. So­me writers haue thought that Heraldus the first (which after succeded King of Englande) to come fourth also the same way, Heral­dus. and his owne brother Harde canu­tus reporte it no farre otherwise. Ranul­phus li, 6, Ca, 20, cum ceteris autoribus.

¶Dunstane disputeth with sorcerye and murther.

NOw let vs returne vnto Dunstane agayn. Dunstanus. Though the afore­sayd controuersye betwene the prestes and the monkes ceased for a time, by reason of their legerdemayne in the roode, knauery yet was it not all finished. For some men of wysdome there were in those dayes, which smelled somwhat (as Poly­dorus reporteth) iudging it to be as it was in dede, verye subtyle knauerye. And playnely Ranulphus saith, that the spech came from the wall. Marke it hardelye. Wherupon Alpherus the Duke of Marche with his company, Alphe­rus. in the yeare fo­lowing (whych was from Christes in­carnacyon. DCCCC. and. lxx vi. 976) sent into Scotlande for a certen learned Bi­shop, a lerned whych was knowne both eloquent [Page 72] and wytty, Bishop. to dispute the matter wyth them. Than was the place appoynted in a strete or vyllage of the Kinges, called Calna, for they trusted no more close howses in the monasteries. And whan the Bi­shopp had layed for the married prestes suche inuincible scripturs, reasones, and argumentes as Dunstane and his dodypoll monkes were not able to auoyde, Dunstane an asse. the blinde asse had non other shift but to laye these faynte excuses for him self. As that he was an aged man, sore broken in the labours of holy churche, and that he had at that tyme geuen ouer all stu­dye, A blind beast. and onely addycted hym self vnto prayer. But for as much (he sayd) as they wolde not leaue the disquietynge of hym, but styll vexe him with olde quarellynges, they might wele sem to haue the victory, yet shuld they not haue their mindes. And with that he arose in a great furye, for a colour com­mittinge his cause vnto Christ, but he sett the Deuill by his necromancy to worke. a limme of the deuill. For so sone as he was gone, with such as it pleased his pontificall pleasure to call with him, sodenly (sayth Fabyane, Antonyne, Vincent, and Iohan Capgraue) the ioystes of the loft fayled, and they that were vndre it, peryshed there.

¶Dunstanes prouysyon in Englande for Sathan.

THys haue thys moste cruell and wycked generacyon contynual­lye buylded their synnefull Sy­on in blood. Michee. 3. Mich. 3 and are not yet a­shamed of these their manyfest knauery­es. For those belly founders, theues, and mourtherers of theirs yet aduaunce they for their pryncipall Sayntes. sayntes. And whan theyr feastfull dayes come, they are yet in the papystyck churches of Englande with no small solempnite / mattensed, massed, candesed, lyghted, processyoned, sen­sed, smoked, perfumed, and worshypped, the people brought in beleue, that the la­tyne readynge of their wretched actes there in their legendes, ys Gods dyuy­ne seruyce, Gods seruyce. beynge without fayle the most dampnable seruyce of the deuyll. Like as holye Iohan Baptyst by preachyng repentaunce, prepared a playne pathwa­ye to Christ and hys kyngedome. Luce. 3. So ded thys vnholye Dunstane by so­wynge of all superstycyons, Precur­sor Antichristi make redye the waye to Sathan and hys filthye kyn­gedome agaynste hys commynge fourth from the bottomlesse pytt, after the full thousande of years from Christes incar­nacyon. Apoca. 20. Apo. 20. whych is the sprete of Antichrist. miracles. He raysed vp in Englande the pestylent ordre of monkes, he buylded [Page 37] them monasterie [...], he procured them substaunce innume [...]ble, finally he brought [...]nto the [...]r handes the cathedral churches with the fre elecci [...]n of byshoppes, that nothing should there be don [...] within that realme, but after their lust and pleasure. The [...] was Christes kyngdome cle [...]elye put a syo [...], and his immaculate spouse, or churche vpon hys worde only depen­dynge, the churche. compelled to flee into desart. Apoc. xvi. Apo. 12. Men and women that ryghtly beleued, durst not than confesse their fayth, but kept al close within them. For then was Sathan al [...]de. Sathan. these monkes euery where assistynge hym in the four­nyshynge out of that proude paynted churche of Antichrist. Supersticion, hy­pocresye, and vayne glorye, were afore that tyme suche vyces as men were glad to hyde, Vyces. but now in their gandyshe cere­monyes they were taken for Gods dy­uyne seruyce.

¶Sygnes and plages folowynge these myschefes.

BVt now se what folowed of these afore rehersed myscheues. In the yeare of our lorde. DCCCC. and lxxxviij. 988 (which was the. xij. yeare before that full thousande) departed this Dun­stane, as warme of deuyls frequentynge hys tombe, Deuils. as I shal in the next boke shewe more playnelye. Within the same [Page] yeare aptare & a bloudye cloude in the skye, A blou­dye cloude. whiche couered all Englande [...]as witnesseth Iohan Hardinge with diuers other Chronyclers, and it rayned bloud ouer all the lande. After that entered the Danes so fast (sayth Ranulphe, Danes. at euery porte, that no where was the Englyshe nacyon able to withstande them. And the monkes to helpe the matter wele fo­rewarde, by counsell of theyr Archeby­shop Siricius, Siricius gaue them. x. thousande pounde to beginne with, that they might lyue in rest and not be hyndered. For ly­tle cared they what became of the reste, so their precious bodies were safe. Af­ter thys by dyuerse compulsyons they augmented that summe, from. x. to. xvi. to. Mōkes were. xx. to. xxiiij. to. xxx. [...]nd so fourth tyll they came to the sharpe payment of. xl. thousande pounde, Englan­des de­strucciō. and tyll they had no­more money to geue. For the more the Danes had, The Danes strē ­thened. the more couetouse and cru­ell they were euermore. Thus dyd they to the lande innumerable harme, in se­kynge their owne priuate commodite, & so brought their owne natyue people in moste myserable thraldome. For by that meanes were the Danes made stronge, and the Englyshe nacion became feble and weake, yea, so wretched at the last, that they were fayne to call euerye vyle slaue amonge the sayde Danes, Lorde Dane, theyr [Page] g [...]o [...] lorde. But now [...]arke the ende [...] ­cernynge these monkes. In the yeare of our lorde a thousande &. xij. 1012 whyche was the. xxiiij. yeare from Dunstanes depar­tynge, and the. xij. from the deuyls goingge fourth, the Danes after manye great vyctoryes within the realme, fyered the cytie of Caunterburye and enprysoned the Archebyshop than Elphegus. Caunterburye. Elphe­gus. And as he and hys monkes were able to geue no more money, they tythed them after thys sorte. They slewe alwayes. ix. and reserued the tenth to perpetuall sorowe and seruytude, tyll they had mourtered of them to the nombre of more than. Tythynges. ix. hondred, there and in other quarters a­brode. And the moste part of them they hynge vp by the members, whiche was a playne sygnifi [...]aon, that plage to come then vpon them for their Sodome­trye and moste violēt contempt of christen marriage. A iust Plage. Ra­nulphus Cestrensis lib. 6. Ca. 13. et. 15. Fa­bianus par. 1. Ca. 199.

¶ The rynge leader of our votaries.

IN the. xx. chaptre of S. Iohans reue­lacyon, is it sayd, that whan the thou­sand yeares are o­nes expyred, Sathā shall be losed out of hys preson, Sathan. 1000. and shal go out at large to deceyue the people, whych are in the. iiij. quarters of y ^e earthe, Gog and Magog. By Syluester the secōd of that name, Sylue­ster. ij. sumtyme a monke of Flo­ryake, whych by hys Necromancy obtay­ned the Papacy of Rome, or generall vy­carshypp of the deuyll, in thys full thou­sande yeare from Christes incarnacyon, was that commen aduersary set at large, to wurke hys vnspeakable myscheues by [Page] the lecherouse locustes of the pytt bottom­lesse, the byshoppes, monkes, and prestes. Benno Cardinalis in uita Hildebrandi.

Thys Syluester and his successours were those Angels of darkenesse, Darke­nesse. whyche toke from hym the chayne, wherwith Christ had tyed hym vp, for that thousand yeares space, whych was the true ministracyon of hys myghty worde, & so sent hym forth abrode by most deuylysh doctrynes, in hypocresy to maynteyne all kyndes of ydolatry and fleshely fylthouse lyuynge. For the more lucky spede of thys newe en­terpryse, thys Syluester relygyousely gel­ded hym selfe, as Saturnus ded hys fa­ther, Saturnus. as the olde poetes fayne, and as was also seane by the wanton examples of Ne­ro, Aurelius and Palumbus the prest, de­dycatyng hys stones in a foule sacryfyce to Sathan, that the pretensed chastyte of hys vnchast clergye, Chastite myght therby haue the more prosperouse successe. Thys stone offerynge of Syluester, founde I regestred in an olde written Chronycle at Calys. xxviij. yeares ago, Martinus Carsulanus, Vincentius, Vuernerus, and Albertus Crants, agreynge sumwhat to y ^t same. In the same thousande yeare from Christes incarnacyō a most terryble earthquake befell, 1000. & a most horryble comete or blasyng sterre was sent in y ^e skye, the. iiij. daye of Decēb. as testyfieth Christianus Massaeus, Vincentius, & Anto­ninus.

☞ The former hystoryes declared.

FOr a further manyfestacyon of the matters alleged, concernynge Sa­turnus, Nero, Aurelius, & Pasum­bus, ye shall fyrst vnderstāde, that Saturnus beynge the sonne of Coelum and Vesta, Saturnus. with a syckle cut of the preuye partes of hys fa­ther, and threwe them into the sea. Wher­of with the froth of that ragynge gulfe, the fabulouse Poetes reporteth Venus to be engendered, whych was the first mother of the pagane prestes chastyte, and Vesta the begynnar of their nonnes, Vesta. of her cal­led Vestalles. Thys writeth Marcus Cicero in libro ij. de natura deorum, Macrobius in sa­turnalibus, & [...]ebastianus Murrho in commen­tarijs Mantuani, So was Nero, and after hym Aurelius gyuen to lascynyousnesse, Aurelius. that the one gelded male chyldren to vse them in stede of women, and the other whan hys lustes were past, gelded hym selfe into a preposterouse offyce of Vene­ry. Ioannes huttichius in uitis Caesarum Palum­bus was a prest of Rome, Palumbus in the arte of Ne­cromancye most depely learned. Thys chaplayne of the deuyll, was a generall prouyder for the oyled fathers there, that their fleshly heates myght be quenched in the darke, by other mennys wyues and doughters, without blemysh of theyr vir­gynall vowe. Whan thys prest shuld [Page] dye, An offe­rynge. he slytt of hys genytalles, and threw them to the deuyll, as a rewarde for al hys labours taken in that conueyaunce, as wyll hereafter apere more at large. Ex Guilhelmo Malmesburiensi, Ranulpho Cestrensi, Matthaeo VVestmonasteriensi, Vincentio, & VVernero.

☞ The study and successyon of Prelates.

BEnno the Cardynall sayth, in the lyfe of Pope Hyldebrande, that thys most deuylysh Syluestre, Sylue­stre. after the full accomplyshement of thys mylle­nary of yeares, Apo. xx. rysynge out of the depe pyt of Gods permyssyon, ded many tymes to hys dyshonourynge, make sacryfyce to y ^e deuyll, obtaynynge therby an ende sum­what lyke hys deseruynge. Yet left he dis­cyples many behynde hym, whom he had dylygently taught in the most deuylysh art of Necromancy, to holde the Romysh churche in that scole, and to prospere the kyngdome of Sathan in hys goynge forth at large, most specyally. ij. Theophylactus & Laurentius, whych poysoned all the worlde with that myschefe. After the death of this Syluestre, contynuall stryfe was amonge hys dyscyples, Dyscy­ples. who shuld obtayne the Papacy. But he that had Theophylactus and Laurentius on hys syde, he went awaye with the garlande most commenly, and sate in that seate of Pestylence, tyll a poy­son [Page xi] were prouyded to fatche hym awaye, if he wrought not to their commodyte. Thus folowed in that race, Iohan y ^e. xviij whych within fyue monthes was poyse­ned, Fathers than Iohan the xix. that tasted of the same ere the yeare came out, than Sergius the. iiij, than Benedict the. viij. and Iohan the. xx. whych both were vncles to Theo­phylactus. After that folowed the seyd Theophylactus, called Benedict the ix. whych after. xv. yeares solde the Papacy to Iohan Gracyan hys sorcerouse compa­nyon for a great summe of moneye, Sorce­rers. & was in the ende strangeled of the deuyll, as he was doynge his feates in a forest. The rest of thys rable wyll I shewe in Hyldebrāde, whych was of them in that art, a most dy­lygent dyscyple. Martinus Carsulanus and Baptista Platina in uitis pontificum, Two prynces. doth playnely report, that Otho the thyrde Emprour and Robert the Frenche kyng, were Syluesters dyscyples in the scyence of art Magyck, and ded theyr true seruyce in the kyngdome of Antichrist, becommynge his two sonnes in theyr posteritees.

¶ The sorcerouse procedynges of Syluester.

NEcessary do I thynke it, not to leaue thys sorcerouse Syluester thus, but further to declare hys vngodly begynnynges and procedynges. Wyllyam of Malmesbury, Vincentius, [Page] Ranulphus & Rogerus Cestrenses, & Mathew of Westminster reporteth in their famouse writynges, that he was a Frenche man borne, called Gerebertus first of all, and al­so that he was a professed monke of Fle­ryake not farre from Orleaunce, where as he tasted the first pryncyples of Necro­mancy. Necro­ma [...]cy. Frō thens he went to Hilpalis in Spayne, and so longe remayned ther with a Saracene most expert in that arte, tyll he had coppyed out and stollen all hys bo­bes, by helpe of hys doughter with whom he had bene famylyar, specyally one boke whyche was to hymselfe most secrete. To prospere in thys pelfe, chefely to escape the mortall daunger of thys Sa­racene, Obla­cyon. tyll he were on the other syde of the sea, he gaue hymselfe wholly to the deuyll, promysynge to be hys perpetuall seruaunt. Manye dyscyples he had in thys arte, as is sayd afore, Chefely Con­stantyne the Abbot of Saint Maximyne by Orleaunce, Lotharius the archeby­shop of Senona, Adelbolde the byshopp of Wirtzenburg, Otho the Emprours sonne, and Robert the sonne of Hugh Capet the Frenche kynge. Pryn­ces. By thys Ro­bert was he first made archebyshopp of Remis in Fraunce, than by Otho arche­byshopp of Rauenna in Italy, and last of all the great byshopp of Rome by the de­uyls prouysyon. Accordynge to thys olde [Page xij] verse. Scandit ad R. Gerebertus ab R. post Papa uigens R. He clymed from R to R tyll he thryftely came to R. That is to saye, from Remis to Rauenna, and from Rauenna to Ro [...]e. He set vp a brasen heade, Promo­cyons of whome he alwayes receyued an­swers, as that he shulde be Pope, and that be shulde not dye tyll he sange Masse at Hierusalem.

☞ The Popes eleccyon from hen [...] fourth.

IMmediatly after thys solucyon or settynge at large of Sathan, many wonderfull thynges folowed to the perfourmaunce of hys wycked kynge­dome in the Romysh Papacy. Papacy 1001. First the eleccyon of their monstruouse Pope, the next yeare after was taken clerely from the commen people by the clergye, and gy­uen to hys owne famylyars, which anon after were called the college of calkers, Cardynalles I shuld saye, with these. ij. crafty clauses. Docendus est populus, non se­quendus. The people is to be taught of vs, but not folowed. Ioōnes Bacon­thorpe. Maior est dignitas legis quae regit spiritu sancto, quam legis saecularis. More worthy is that lawe whych gouer­neth by the holy Ghost, than the lawe se­cular, or the lawe whereby the multitude is gouerned. By this they iudged God to be the auctor of their deuylysh decrees, Decrees [Page] and the cyuyle lawes, of prynces a thynge of nought. Loke Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum. quaest. x. Not longe after thys was the empyre of Rome, Empyre 1002. in theyr hygh dyspleasure, translated from their olde fryndes the French men to the sturdy Germanes, as afore from the Gre­kes to the French men, as they founde thē not fytt for their turne. And this was their polycy. They perceyued the Germanes to be the strongar people, Germa­nes. and at that daye theyr hygh fryndes by the mōkes conuey­aunces, and therfore most fytt to defende their fleshely lybertees. Anonymus quidam de nobilitatis origine cap. xi. Thus became the Frenche kynge Antichristes yonger sonne, Yongar sonne. whych afore tyme had bene hys whole ryght hande in Pipyne & in Char­les the great. Rīngmannus Philesius in descri­ptione Europae, cap ix.

☞The electours and confyrmacyon of the Emprour.

IN the seconde yeare after a thou­sande from Christes incarnacyon, the electours of the Emprour were appoynted. Elec­tours. 1002. vij. for that great Antichristes commodyte, hys confirmacyon, othe, and coronacyon alwayes reserued to his owne precyouse fatherhede. Of these. vij. elec­tours, thre were archebyshoppes, thre wer temporall prynces, & the last was a kynge. The archebyshop of Magunce ouer all [Page xiij] Germany, the archebyshop of Tryere o­uer all Fraunce, and the archbyshop of Coleyne ouer all Italy, were constytuted hygh chauncellers of the Empyre, Chaun­cellers. as watche men to take hede, least any thynge shuld in those quarters passe to the holy fathers dyshonour. The marques of Bran­denburg was ordayned chamberlayne, the duke of Saxon, the swerde bearer, Princes and the Palatyne of Rhene the chefe seruytour at the Emprours eleccyon, with cuppe, keye, and swerde afterwarde to dyspatche hym (as hath bene seane) if he were not to holy church profytable. The kynge of Beme beynge butler, cometh in last of all as an arbiter or vmpere, if they can not agre to their spirituall behoue. After that, Pyllars foure dukes, four marquesses, four landgraues, four burgraues, four earles, four barons, four fre lordes, foure knyghtes, four cy­ties, four borowes, and four carles were appoynted as stronge myghty buttrasses to assist this newe ordynaunce. Martinus Carsulanus in chronico, Ringmannus Philesius in praefato opere, & Rodolphus Gualtherus in Homilia ij. de antichristo. By thys occasyon (sayth Wyllyam Caxton in hys Englysh Cronicle, Par. vi.) the Egle lost many fe­thers, The Egle. and in the ende shall be left all na­ked.

☞ Masse, Purgatory, and musycke.

[Page]ABout thys tyme (sayth Iohan Wy­cleue) beganne the heresy of the con­secrate host, or brede God of the Pa­pistes, wherby they sought the vtter de­struccyon of faythe, by settynge vp of a most parelouse ydoll of their owne ma­kinge, An ydol in y ^e place of Iesus Christ our sauer and redemer. Whych heresy anon after Berengarius Turonensis by the word of God most strongely wythstode, so ded one Bruno the byshop of Angew, and VValeranus the byshop of Medburg, which were men of most excellent lyfe and learnyng, as their very enemyes witnesseth, Hildebertus Cenomanensis, Thomas VValden, and Ioannes Tritemius. Odilo the abbot of Cluniake, Odilo ab­bas. 1010. practysed about the same very tyme, by helpe of ij. most crafty knaues an anker and a pylgryme, to delyuer sowles by Masses and diryges, from the terryble tormentes of a flamynge purgatory, Purga­tory. whom they had conceyued by S. Gregoryes dyaloges and by the boylynge mounte of Ethna in the lande of Cycyle. Thys O­dilo procured of Pope Iohan the xix. the commemoracyon of sowles to be celebra­ted in the church, the next daye after the feast of all sayntes. Ranulphus Cestrensis, li. vi. ca. xv. & Petrus Equilinus. Osbernus a monke of Canterbury, Osbernus 1010. whych had bene famylyar with Dunstane, practysed newe poyntes of musyck, and hys example in [Page xiiij] Italy folowed Guido Aretinus, to make the veneracyon of ydolles more plea­saunte. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, Vincen­tius, & Tritemius. Thus beganne the hy­pocresye of Lecherouse monkes and pre­stes, Hypo­cresy. to abuse the symplycyte of the igno­raunt people, and strongely to confounde theyr Christen beleue by tryfelynge su­perstycyons and ceremonyes. Anone af­ter ded they adde the crafty inuencyons of profane phylosophers, that they myght the more wyttely deceyue the playne sort, Phylo­sophy. and the more craftely depraue the holy scriptures.

☞A prest and hys louely doughter.

ALl thynges in the Papacy and em­pyre to their carnall commodyte thus dysposed, the Romysh clergy satled themselues all the worlde ouer, in y ^e abundaunt pleasurs of Sodome, Sodome whych were (as the prophete rehearceth) pryde, plenty of feadynge, solacyouse pastymes, ydelnesse, and crueltie, Ezech. xvi. Gyuen were they to lascyuyouse lustes and most prodygyouse occupyenges in the fleshe, burnynge in aduoutry (for contempt of marryage) as it were an ouen that the ba­ker heateth. Osee. vij. Marke our En­glyshe hystoryes in confyrmacyon of the same. For aboute thys tyme (Iohan Cap­graue sayth, in catalogo sanctorū Angliae) a [Page] deuoute holy prest (an ydell kneane yow wyll saye) went fourth euery mornynge into hys churche yearde, A prest 1010. and hallowed the granes there, with the. vij. Psalmes & the Letany for all Christen sowles. On a tyme thys prest founde a mayde chylde a [...] the crosse there, all wrapped and swadled in cloutes, for whome he not only prouy­ded a nurse, but also brought her vp in nourtour and learnynge, takynge her euer after for hys doughter, as (I doubt it not) but he had iust cause. As thys wēche ones grewe to conuenyent age, A wēche her bewtie so tā ­gled his fleshely harte, that he vnfacyably brent in her concupiscens. And as he on a daye had cowched her naked in his bedde, anon he remembred his chast vowe (they saye) and so turned hys face to the dore, dysmembrynge hymselfe with a sharpe cuttle in her presence. And so throwynge fourth that trashe whych tempted him (if the legende be true) at the last he made her an holy vowesse & veyled nonne to serue the spiritualte. Thys acte of prestish may­denhede, was dysclosed first in Irelande by a parlement of deuyls, Deuyls within the gar­den of an olde father Hermyte, not farre from S. Partrykes purgatory, where as they shewed themselues sore greued with this prest, for redemynge sowles by latyne Psalmes, out of their darke dominiō, Lo­ke Iohan Capgraue postuitam Vu [...]fini epis­copi.

☞Other hystoryes more of this age.

Wilfhilda was a younge wenche, Wilfhilda. whom kynge Edgare ones chaced, in the waye of lecherie, from Wynchester to Warwell, and from Warwell to Wylton. And as she by the secrete counsell of monkes, was become a professed nonne, he gaue her the nonnery of Bar­kynge, Bar­kinge. addynge therunto the reuenewes of. xxiiij. vyllages, gorgyously to mayn­teyne both her and her systers to the rely­gyouse occupyenge of byshoppes and of monkes. For whan Ethelwolde byshopp of Wynchester came thydre on visytacy­on, her loue was so plentuouse and mygh­ty towardes hym, that there was no good chere to seke. Good chere. Though the tappe were all daye sterynge (the storye sayth) yet was there o drynke wantynge at nyght, and all by myracle of the seyd Wilfhilda▪ Ne­uerthelesse at the last, by specyall helpe of Altrude the quene, the prestes with theyr wyues [...]btayned Barkynge, the monkes veyled spowses remoued from thens to Horton, for more than. xx. yeares space. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, & Ioannes Cap­graue. A lyke example to this latter acte, shewed Ethelgarus the archebyshop of Canterbury after the death of Dunstane, Ethelgarus. whych more than. xx. yeares afore, droue the monkes out of Canterbury & brought [Page] in the prestes with their wyues. But he was shortly dyspatched for hys labour, not contynuynge in that rowme a yeare▪ And Siricius a monke succedynge in that offyce, Siricius restored agayne the hypocry [...]y [...]h mōkes in the yeare of our lord. DCCCC and. xc. 990. the prestes wyth vyolence expel­led. Anonymus quidam in historiarum rhap­sodijs. Many such turmoylynges had En­gland in those dayes by Sathans procure­ment, to make that Romysh spirytualte a very Sodome and stynkynge iakes of helle.

☞Deuyls buffetynge and temptynge of monkes.

IN the cytie of Bathe, Elphegus buylded a great monastery of mon­kes, Elphegus 1010. whych in processe fell to so cor­rupt kyndes of lyuynge, that one of them whych had bene a rynge leader in theyr nyght potacyous and lecherouse watchynges, sodenly fell madde and dyed. The abbot at mydnyght hearynge a noyse, lo­ked out at the wyndowe, and behelde. ij. deuyls lashynge vpon y ^e monkes carkeys. ij. deuils And as that wretche (saith the storye) made clayme to the suffrages of the masse, they gaue hym thys answere. Thou obeydest not God, therefore we wyll not obeye the. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. ij. de pontifi­cibus, Their power. & Ranulphus Cestrensis, li. vi. ca. xvi. Rogerus Cestrensis, li. vi. ca. xxiij. By thys [Page xvi] ye maye se that the deuyls power is grea­ter than is the power of the popes masse, or yet of a monkes cowle. Yet fynde we it written, that in an other monastery, a monke shewed vnto hys abbot, how gre­uously he was in hys fleshe tormented, by the fiery concupiscence therof. Anon he gaue hym hys owne coate to do on, A cowle. and with that hys lust so abated, that euer after he was founde chast, the deuyll makynge great lamentacyon for it. Vincentius in speculo, & Antoninus in secundo historiarum to [...]o. Thys story confoundeth the other, a monkes cowle so terryfyenge the deuyll, and asswagynge the heates of the fleshe. A wonderfull thynge was it, that so muche vertu could not be founde in wholsom maryage, The vertue. beynge Gods necessary instytucy­cyon, as in the superstycyouse coate of a handy brothell mōke. God of a likelyhode was not wyse ynough in hys first prouy­syons, that he so neglygently forgate these monkysh remedyes agaynst those heates in the fleshe. O hypocryte knaues and Sodomytes. Hypo­crytes.

☞ Saint Iues water, and Saint Walstanes myracles.

SAint Iues water was in those da­yes, about the yeare of our lorde. S. [...] [Page] a M. and. xij. very wholsom for the femy­nyne gender. For a certen woman com­playned her vnto the pryor of Ramsey in in confession, that a lecherouse sprete had many nyghtes occupyed with her in the lykenesse of an hare. I praye God it were not some hongry sorcerer of that abbey. And he gaue her coūsel deuoutly to drinke of that water, The water. whych was vnto her euer after (the storye sayth) as a water welle a­gaynst all hys busye assaultes. If ye sear­che Iohan Capgraue in uita Iuonis episcopi ye shall fynde it a matter more vncomely, than maye wyth honestye be expressed. Saynt Walstane of Bawburgh. S. Walstane. iij. myles from Norwych, was neyther monke not prest, yet vowed he (they saye) to lyue chast without a wyfe, and perfourmed that promyse by fastynge of the frydaye and good sayntes vygyls, without any other grace or gyft gyuen of god. He dyed in the yeare of our lord a M. and xvi in the thyrde ca­lendes of Iune, 1016. and became after the m [...] ner of Priapus the God of their feldes [...] Northfolke and gyde of their haruestes, [...] mowers and sythe folowers sekynge hym ones in y ^e yeare. Loke his legende in y ^e Ca­taloge of Iohan Capgraue, Cap­graue. prouyncyall of the Augustyne fryres, and ye shal finde there, that both men and beastes whych had lost their preuy partes, had newe members mēbers. agayne restored to them by thy [...] [Page xvij] Walstane. Marke thys kynde of myra­cles for your learnynge, I thynke ye haue seldome redde the lyke.

☞ A blasynge starre, Canulus and Fulbertus.

IN the yeare of our lord a M. & xvij apared in the skye by the space of iiij monthes, 1017. a most wonderfull bla­syng starre, in maner of a great burnynge beame, as sheweth Sigebertus and Sabel [...]icus Many haue iudged thys, to be the same starre, A starre. whych fell from heauen lyke a fla­mynge creshet, Apoca. viij. for the altera­cyon of doctryne and of conuersacyon, whych in those dayes chaunced in the vnyuersall churche, and specyally h [...]re in En­glande. For Canutus a Dane, Canutus. be [...]nge the same yeare constytute kynge of England, folowed much the superstycyouse counsell of Achelnotus than archebyshopp of Canterbury, as wytnesseth Polydorus, Fabyane and Caxton. He buylded the abbeyes of S. Benett [...]s in Northfolke and S. Edmonds Bury in Sothfolke, Abbeye [...]. he translated the styn­kynge bones of Elphegus from London to Canterbury, and prouoked the people to worshypp them. He went vndyscretly on pylgrymage to Rom [...], and there foun­ded an hospytall for Englysh pylgrymes. He gaue the Pope most p [...]ecyouse gyftes, and burdened hys lande with an yearely trybute, called y ^e Rome shott. Rome shott. He shrymed [Page] the body of Berinus, and gaue both lan­des & ornamentes to the cathedrall church of Wynchestre. Anonymus quidam, Alphredus Beuerlacensis, & Ricardus Diuisiensis. Yea, by the sorcerouse inchauntmentes of that lechour Achelnotus, he feared dead men, he iudged monkes bastardes to be hys owne chyldren, Bastar­des. he crowned an ydoll with the crowne of thys realme, and bele­ued that Mary Christes mother nurry­shed Fulbertus the byshopp of Carnote in Fraunce, Fulbertus with the mylke of her brestes in hys syckenesse. Radulphus Niger, Guilhel­mus Malmesburiensis, VVernerus & Vincen­tius. Se here what power the deuyll had in thys kyngdome of darkenesse. The pre­lates were able in those dayes, to make the great prynces of the worlde to beleue, that our lady gaue sucke to an olde byshopp a thousand yeares almost after her death. Gene sucke. Marke thys poynt for your learnynge.

☞ The cōueyaunce of prelates in this age.

BVt ye must consydre that at Carnotus was a churche of our ladye in buyldynge, A church whych coulde not wele be fynyshed without such clarkely cō ueyaunces. And by thys meanes bycame Canutus a great benefactour therunto. The prelates, as byshoppes, abbotes, and prestes (for their cōmodyte, ye must wele knowe) were so good to this Danysh vsurper [Page xviij] (y ^e cronycle sayth) y ^t they in receyuyng hym for their kynge at Southampton, vt­terly renoūced by othe, y ^e successyō of their naturall Englysh kynge Etheldrede, cau­singe y ^e no [...]ylyte to cōsent to y ^e same. Yea, & to bryng y ^e spyghtful enterpryse of theirs to full eff [...]ct, they hyred a cruell traytour, O tray­tours. called Edricus, to slee kynge Edmonde [...]ronsyde hys naturall heyre, and caused y ^e [...]eyd Canutus to sende his. ij. sonnes Ed­monde and Edwarde into Denmarke to be slayne, O cay­tyfes. to extynguysh that successyon or [...]yscent of Englysh bloude, & so to ouer­ [...]hrowe y ^e maiestie of thys nacyon for there [...]ryuate commodyte. Alphredus Beuerlacen [...]is, Ranulphus, Rogerus, Treuisa, Ioannes Cap [...]raue, Polydorus, at (que) alij historiographi. By meanes of thys Achelnotus also, an hun­ [...]red talentes of syluer, and one talent of [...]olde were gyuen at Papia in Italy, for [...]he wythered arme of S. Augustyne, ther­ [...]ith to augment the ydolatry here in En­ [...]lande. For Idolatry Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. ij. de [...]gibus. And as concernynge Burye ab­ [...]eye afore mencyoned. Bury abbey. It was first a col­ [...]ge of prestes, founded by kynge Ethel­ [...]ane in the yeare of our lorde. DCCCC. [...]v. 925. and nowe at the sute of Ailwyne [...]yshopp of Helmam in Southfolke, it [...]as changed by kynge Canutus, to a mo [...]sterye of Benettes monkes, in the [Page] yeare of our lorde a M. and xxi. 1021. y ^e prestes with their wyues and chyldren dyschar­ged. Chronicon Buriense, ac [...]oannes Lelandus in commentario cygneae cantionis.

☞ The Emprour maryed Canutus doughter.

IN the yeare of our lord a M. and xxxvi. 1036. Henry the second Emprour of that name, marryed Guynylde the doughter of the aforeseyd Canutus y ^e kynge of Euglande. Thys Henry had a systre, whych was a professed nonne. So inteyrly he loued thys systre of hys, that oft tymes he wolde haue her to lye within hys palace, very nygh to hys owne preuye chābre. In a wynter nyght a sowle chap­layne of y ^e courtelaye with her, A chap­layne which had bene dyuerse tymes complayned of afore. In the mornynge, least hys fotynge shuld be seane in the snowe newly fallen that nyght, she toke hym vp in her necke, and carryed hym out of the courte towardes hys chambre. Couey­aunce. The Emprour chaunced to ryse at that houre, as hys custome was, to make water, and se the pageaunt. Anon after fell a byshopryck whych the prest gaped for, and the gouernaunce of a nondrye whych the nonne desyred. Wherupon the Emprour called them vnto hym, the one after the other. Take that benefyce to you. (sayth he to the priest) but saddle no more the nonne, Promo­cyons. And you the abbeye (sayth he to [Page xix] hys systre) and horse no more the prest. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. ij. de regibus, Ranulphus, li. vi. ca. xxi. Polychronici. & Vin­centius, li. xxv. ca. xviij. Speculi historialis. Here were a couple of no badde gouer­nours in that spirytualte, All holy but al was chast relygyon, so longe as marryage was ab­sent. Thus coulde the worldely rulers thā laugh vpon wyckednesse, and suffre ver­tu and ryghteousnesse to dwell vndre con­tempt wyth Christ.

☞ Two dyuerse examples for that age.

ANother nonne was ther, at the same very tyme, whom a certen ryche mā toke out of the monastery and mar­ryed, A nonne not farre from the seyd Emprour, bycause she complayned her that she could not lyue chast. The byshopp of the dyocese hauynge knowledge therof, by thys Em­prours assystence, dyssolued that marry­age, and sent her agayne to the cloystre. Afterwarde thys man, whan he se hys tyme, As a wyfe, toke her out agayne, and kept her in howse with hym. In the ende they were both excommunycated of the byshop, and could neuer obtayne their absolucyon. Antedicti autores cum Ioanne Treuisa. This Emprour had also in hys chapell a syn­gynge mā, a prest, A prest. whych had both a good voyce and was wele learned, but inordy­natly he loued a certen whore not farre of, [Page] whych was not vnknowne vnto him. On a daye to proue a mastry, the Emprour cō maunded hym to saye masse before hym, whych he vtterly refused to do, for so muche as he had lyen with that whore the nyght afore. If thou saye no masse (sayth the Emprour) I bannysh the both y ^e courte and contrey. Saye Masse I am wele contented, sayth the prest, and so by and by with hys stuffe departed. The Emprour with that, called the prest agayne, and much commendynge hys constauncy, rewarded hym with the next byshopryck that fell. autores praefati cum Antonino. Thus is whoredome muche made of styll, Whore­dom. but marryage (whom God left for an honest, yea and an holy remedy for that dysease) is not yet by the doctryne of S. Paule persuaded, i. Cor. vij.

☞Lecherie for lucre doth great myracles.

ALwinus the byshopp of Wynche­stre in the yeare of our lorde a M. & xliiij. Alwi­nus. 1044 was of S. Edwarde the kyng commytted with imprysonment, to y ^e examynacyon of the clergye, for beynge to fa­mylyar with Emma his mother, Emma. or for ly­enge with her whether ye wyll, & she put to the nondry of Warwell tyll the daye of her purgacyon. It was layed to her charge (sayth Polydorus) that she of my­schefe had marryed Canutus the Tane whych was a cruel enemy to the land, consequently [Page xx] that she had nothynge holpē but rather hyndred her naturall chyldren in exyle, whom she had afore by kyng Etheldrede, & fynally the rumour was, that she had dysceytfully sought their destruccyōs to preferre y ^e Danysh bloude to y ^e crowne of Englande, Danysh bloude to the great derogacyon of y ^e same. Ricardus Diu [...]siensis reporteth, that Robert the archebyshop of Canterbury gaue euydence agaynst her, that she had cō sented to the murther of her elder sonne Alphrede, A tray­tour. & procured poyson for her yongar sonne S. Edwarde, & that she had ioyned her self in that treason with her louely per­amoure the byshopp of Wynchestre afore named. But se what folowed in the ende. After she had ones commoned with y ^e spi­rituall prelates, and gyuen vnto S. Swy­thunes abbeye in Wynchestre, the posses­syon of ix. lordeshyppes or mayners, she was able by helpe of S. Swythune to go barefoted vpon ix. burnynge plough sha­res of Iron, Myra­cles. for that byshoppes tryall and hers. On. iiij. for her selfe, & on. v. for her swete louer, & to do other myracles besy­des. But ye must first cōsidre, that she was borne ouer them betwyn. ij. byshoppes, whych knewe afore hande how to qualyfy those heates, & that the kyng beynge a simple man, was easy to deceyue. Ricardus Diuisiensis, An ydy­ote. Guilhel. Malmes. Marianus Scotus Thomas Rudborne, Ioānes Capgraue post uitā [Page] vvlstani, & Robertus Fabiane, parte. vi. cap. ccx

☞ S. Edwarde voweth chastyte in bedde.

REported it is in the legende of lyes which was wonte with solemnyte to be redde in temples of the Pa­pistes, that after thys kynge Edwarde was marryed to Editha the doughter of earle Goodwyne, Edward they both brynge togy­ther in bedde, vowed a perpetuall chasty­te, and therin perseuered to the end of their lyues. There contynued in them (sayth the legende) a coniugall loue without coniu­gall act, and fauorable imbracynges with­out y ^e deflourynge of byrgynite. As though marryage were an enteraunce into vyolēt whoredome, Marry­age. & a fylthye deflourer of vir­gynyte, whych rather sanctyfyeth it to in­creace to Gods honour, as in Abraham & Sara, Zachary and Helisabeth. For in thē was marryage a great blessynge of God, Gene. xxi. and a waye of ryghteousnesse without reproue, Luce. i. as it is in all thē whych be of lyke faythe. Edwarde was beloued (sayth the legende) but not corrup­ted. Legenda Editha had fauer, yet was she not touched. As a newe Abisag, she warmed the kyng with loue, but she lowsed hym not by lecherouse lust. She delyted hym wyth swete obsequyes, yet made she hym not plyaunt to fleshly desyres. In the same [Page xxi] lowsy legende more ouer is it written, that thys Edwarde called marryaged a fear­full shyp wrecke of maydenhede, Blasphemy. compa­rynge it to the fyery fornace of the Calde­anes, Dani. iij. to the mantell, whych Io­seph left in the handes of an whore, Gene. xxxix. to the lascyuyouse outrage of the. ii. false prestes, whych wolde haue oppressed Susanna, Dani. xiij, and to the fylthy in­tycementes of dronken Holophernes to­wardes fayr Iudith the seruaunt of God, Iudith. xij. Of a farre other sprete was S. Paule than was thys Edwarde, S. Paul whan he called the marryed Corintheanes a chast virgyne coupled to Christ for their Christē beleues sake. ij. Cor. xi.

☞ The Chronycles confuteth this deuylysh dreame.

FOr a confutacyon of thys practy­sed fable & most deuylysh errour, Errour. lete vs se what y ^e Chronycles shew­eth of the matter, whych contayne muche more truthe than their quere legendes. Ri­cardus Diuisiensis sayth, that by feare & ter­rour of deathe, Edwarde was compelled to the marryage of Editha. And Polydo­rus reporteth, that for hate of her father, whyche had slayne hys elder brother Al­phrede, he vtterly refused her agayne, fey­synge her goodes at hys pleasure. Ranul­phus and Anonymus sheweth, Testy­monyes. that he de­pryued her of all quenely honour, and put [Page] her into the abbeye of warwell, with one only mayde to wayte vpon her, so cōmyt­tynge her to the streyght kepynge of y ^e ab­besse there. Wy [...]lyam of Malmesbury & Marianus Scotus sayth, y ^t after he had mar­ryed her, Editha. he neyther put her frō hys bedde nor yet carnally knew her. But whether y ^t was for hate of her kyndred, or in purpose of chastyte, they can not dyffyne. And Ro­bert F [...]byane confesseth the same in hys chronycle, parte. vi. ca. ccx. These testymo­nyes consydered, se what sure grounde these oyled hypocrytes the monkes and the prestes haue to aduaunce in Edwarde their sodomytycal chastyte agaynst Gods fre instytucyon, Hypocrytes. magnyfyenge hys wyfe to y ^e starres in their letanyes, with Sancta Editha ora pro nobis. Iohan Capgraue re­hearceth, that the peeres of his realme had persuaded hym to marry, that hys owne lawfull chyldren myght succede hym in y ^t gouernaunce therof, to the godly quetyng of the same, as ded Dauid, Salomon, Ezechias, Exam­ples. Iosias, and other holy kynges of y ^e Hebrues. But se what plage folowed of this Edwardes hypocresy by the peruerse counsell of those ydell whysperers and le­cherouse leaders. Such an whores byrde, bastarde, straunger, & enemy obtayned the crowne, as brought Englysh people in most myserable subieccyon, Subiec­cyon. that wele was he which within hys owne nacyon myght [Page xxij] saye. I am none Englysh man. Ranulphus, Mattheus Paris, Capgraue, Fabianus, & Poly­dorus.

☞ A voyce hearde, but not much regarded.

NEuerthelesse it is redde of thys Edwarde, y ^e lyenge on hys death bedde, he hearde thys voyce in a dreame. A voyce The inyquyte of Englande (of y ^e clergy it wuld haue sayd) prouoked God to wrathe. The prestes haue swerued frō the lordes testament, & with poluted herte & handes do their offyce vnpurely. These be no natural shepherdes, but hyred straū gers. Straun­gers. These defende not y ^e flocke, but suffer y ^e wolffe to take hys pleasure of thē. They only seke y ^e mylke & the wolle, y ^e shepe they care not for, y ^t helle is now redye to swel­lowe them in both. The gydes of y ^e people are bycome vnfaythfull, next cōpanyons to theues, & robbers of their contrey. Ney­ther feare they God nor regarde the lawe. The veryte they hate, y ^e ryght they contēpne, & cruelte they only regarde. Neyther haue the prelates ryghteousnesse, Prela­tes. nor their chaplaines & curates any godly discipline. Therfor wyll y ^e lord whet his swerde, hys bowe hath he bent & made it redy. Hys yre & indignacyō wyll he shewe to y ^e people, & send them yll angels to vexe them, accor­dynge to hys appoyntment. All thys and much more hath Iohan Capgraue, in [Page] Catalogo sanctorum anglicorum. Yet were not those lecherouse lubbers by these fore­warnynges amended. Lubbers But thys Edwarde they exalted aboue the mone, and for hys vnprofytable chastyte (yea most hurtefull myschefe vnto thys whole realme) they haue euer sens placed hym next Mary the mother of Christ and the holy Euangelist Iohan. Neyther omytted they Editha in their letanyes, nor yet Emma hys mother in their commendacyons, Newe sayntes. whych had bene so depely in loue with Alwyne the forena­med byshop of Wynchestre, that she both forgate hym and hys brother. Ricardus Di­uisiensis cum caeteris autoribus.

☞ The Papacye, ordre of Cardy­nalles, and Swanus.

GRegory the vi. about y ^e same tyme, Grego­ry. founde the Papacy so impouery­shed, and the possessyons therof so demynyshed, by the lecherouse rule, ryot, & excesse of hys bawdy predecessours, in the yeare of our lorde a M. and xlvi. 1046 that he had nothynge left hym, to sustayne hys owne holy fathered and hys Cardynalles with, in the relygyon of spirytuall ydel­nesse, but the bare offerynges and a fewe rentes there besydes. Guilhelmus Malmesbu­riensis de regibus, Vincentius, li. xxv ca. xxij. Ioannes de columna, & Antoninus parte. ij. tit. xvi. ca. i. About thys tyme (Iohan Carion sayth) the gloriouse name of Cardynalles Cardy­nalles. [Page xxiij] came into an vse, estymacyon, or fame, and so was noysed abrode. Whose proude estate to maynteyne in all voluptuouse pleasurs, thys Gregory toke in hande the materyall sworde, and ded therwith suche murther and myschefe, that the prelates their selues denyed hym Cristen buryall. Ranulphus cestriensis, ac Platina in uitis ponti ficum. Swauus the first sonne of Good­wyne the earle of West saxons & of Kent, Swauus. laye many tymes with Edgyne the abbesse of Leof, about the yeare of our lorde a M. and xlix. 1049 myndynge in the conclusyon to haue marryed her. And was therfore com­pelled of kynge Edwarde to flee the re­alme of Englāde, into Flanders, tyll such tyme as hys peace were procured by Al­drede than archebyshop of Yorke and by­shopp of Worcestre also. Wherupon in hys returne he slewe earle Beorne his own vncle, for that he had therof accused hym. At the last was he sent to Hierusalem in penaunce, Penaunce. and dyed in that iourney towardes Licia, of a colde. Marianus Scotus, Ra­nulphus li. vi. ca. xxiij. & Fabianus, par. vi. ca. ccxij.

☞Palumbus the prest, and the witche of Barkeley.

PAlumbus a prest at Rome, Palum­bus. a great Necromanser and a myghty wor­ker of knaueryes spirytual (which after some writers, had a Pope to hys [Page] sonne) wrought innumerable sorceryes & legerdemaynes of lecherie for y ^t holy chast prelates there, to brynge euery mannys wyfe, doughter, or seruaunt that they coueted, to their beddes in the darke. So con­nynge he was in his feates of cōueyaūce, and myght do so muche amonge the spre­tes of venery, that if an other workeman of hys speculacyon, had sent fourth a de­uyll of that scyence, he coulde cause hys deuyll to supplant that deuyll, Deuyls and so con­ueye the woman where hys mynde was to bestowe her. Whych in conclusyon set the deuils at variaunce, and made thē crye out of God for so longe tyme sufferynge that Palumbus in hys wyckednesse to reigne. And whan thys holy masmonger shuld dye, he cut of hys owne mēbers (as is afore rehearced) and gaue them to the deuyl, Mem­bers. byquethyng hys euyl dedes (which were myscheues vnspeakable) to the holy churche & cytie of Rome. Anonymus, Guil­helmus Malmesburiensis, li ij. de regibus, Vin­centius, li. xxv ca, xxix. Ranulphus, li. vi. cap. xxvi. & Antoninus par. ij. ii. xvi. ca. vii. A lyke example fynde we in our Englysh Cronycles, of Heyla the woman of Bar­keley in Barkeshyre, whyche was both a wytche and a bawde, knowynge all neces­sary feates in spirytuall prouysyon at nede. A wytch As thys woman was dead (whych had alwayes bene a frynd to holy church) [Page xxiiij] the deuyll rode away with her (they laye) vpon a blacke horse. Forty masses a daye wyth other good suffrages, Masses. prouyded by her sonne and doughter an holy monke and a nonne, were not able to stoppe that passage. Guilhelmus Malmes [...]uri. li. ij. de re­gibus. Ranulphus. li. vi. ca. xxv. Pabianus par. vi. ca. ccxiij. VVernerus, & Hermannus She­del. In these. ij. examples ye maye behold, what wholesom study holy churche had in those dayes, Holy churche. & what labours the ghost­ly gouernours toke vpon them, to obserue their solempne vowe of chastyte, whyche maye not yet be dyspensed with.

☞ Other chast myracles about the same tyme.

IN the yeare of oure lorde a M. and liij. 1053. a solempne fatherly prest in Irelande, pretendynge muche so­bernesse, kept a great scole of laddes and yonge wenches. And for so muche as he had shorne some of those wenches and a­pareled them lyke boyes, Wen­ches. the more aptely to come to the fl [...]shely occupyenge of thē, he was anon after perceyued, taken, and with shame bannyshed that lande. Maria­nus Scotus, Ranulphus, & Treuisa, li. vi. cap. xxiiij. This feate hath bene among our votaryes muche practysed in tyme of their prodygyouse heat [...]s, as an holy spyrytuall remedy. Victor the second Ro­mysh Pope of that name, Victor. in the yeare [Page] of our lorde a M. and lvi. helde a generall synode at Florence in Italy, 1056. where as he deposed many byshoppes & abbottes for symony and fornycacyon. Guil. Mal. li ij. de pontificibus, Ranulphus, li. vi. ca. xxiiij. Mar­tinus carsulanus, Pl [...]tina & Ioannes stella. A subdeacon (they say) whych mynystred to hym at masse, put venym in hys chalyce, & so poysened hym for hys labour Benno car­dinalis, Poyson & Valerius anselmusryd Edwarde the sonne of kynge Edmonde Ironsyde, had. ij. doughters beynge in exyle, Mar­grete and Christiane. Margarete was godly marryed to Malcomus the kyng of Scottes, and had viij. chyldren by hym, of whom. iiij. reigned as kynges after hym. Christiane by counsel of lascyuyouse mon­kes, bycame a superstycyouse nonne ab­horrynge marryage, Christiā. as Polydorus repor­teth her, by theyr doctryne of deuyls in hypocresy, so becummyng a folysh vyrgyne, or els a mete damsell to serue them in the darke.

☞They laugh at lecherie, that frowne at marryage.

NEuer yet came plage of myschefe to thys realme, that the Prelates haue not turned to their pryuate commodyte, O tray­ters. and fynely laughed and spor­ted the rat in the ende. To promote the Da­nysh bloude to the crowne of Englande, they sought vnnaturally to destroye the [Page xxv] Englysh bloude ryall, and through fyne conueyaunce brought it wele to passe, as is written afore. And whan it was resto­red agayne in Edwarde, they threwe hym into suche a colde of hypocresy, Hypo­cresy. or symu­late chastyte whether ye wyll, that he dy­ed without yssue, to gyue place to the Nor­manes our most greuouse enemyes in the basse bloude of a Bastarde. And se what a toye they made therof, to shewe themsel­ues no lesse ioyfull of hys baudy concep­cyon in whoredome, than the people of Iury were in the blessed natyuyte of holy Iohan Baptist in godly marryage. As Ro­bert the duke of Normandy (saye they) rode through the towne of Faloys, Duke Robert. he be­helde a skynners doughter called Arlet, daunsyng amonge maydens, whom he toke with hym from thens to hys bedde for her bewtyes sake. And as he was com­myng towardes her, to accomplysh hys fleshly desyre, she rent her smocke frō the chynne to the fete, Bro­theis. to make roume for him. And as he enquyred, what she ment ther­by, she made hym this praty answere, saye they. It were neyther fytt nor comely, that the nether part of my smocke shuld be tur­ned vp, & so touche the lyppes of my lord. At thys mery sentence the duke had great sporte, and so haue the prelates had euer sens, for they caused it to be regestred, ho­ly matrymony frowned at and euermore [Page] set at nought. At thys fylthy fytt was Wyllyam Bastard begett, A bas­tarde. which was af­terwarde called the great conquerour of Englande, to the great mysfortune, yea, to the vtter shame, confusyon, and vndoynge therof in those dayes, he beynge a straun­ger, a mylbegotten, and so cruell a tyraūt, as in the wrath of God he shewed himself there, for the ponnyshement of their syn­nes. Anonymus, Guil. Malmes. li-iij. de regibus Vincentius, Autores. li xxv. ca. xxxix. Ranulphus, li. vi. ca. xix. Pabianus, par. vi. ca. ccvij. & Polido­rus, li. viij.

☞ Of Stigandus a lecherouse monke with lyke companyons.

STigandus an hypocryte, Stigan­dus. coue­touse, [...]echerouse, and vnlearned, whych had defyled hys fathers bedde (Iohan Capgraue sayth) & dyuersly oppressed the poore, for hys good rule ke­pynge about the yeare of our lorde a M. and liiij. 1054. bycame byshopp of Shirborne, than of Wynchestre, and fynally arche­byshopp of Canterbury. He made hauock of the churches goodes, and spent them in most prodygyouse fylthynesse. And as wytnesseth Wyllyam of Malmesbury, li. ij. de pontificibus, vnmete was he rek [...]ned to be a byshopp in those dayes, A By­shopp. that could not ruffle it out with all pompouse aparel, horses, galaunt seruauntes, wanton mea­tes, and women, in all lecherie and sew de­nesse. [Page xxvi] And as they were sumtymes cast in the tethe, that their conuersacyon was not accordynge to the Apostles lyu [...]s, they made a mocke at it, commenly excusynge themselues by thys hombly verse, Nunc aliud tempus, alij pro tempore mores. Versus. Now is it an other maner of tyme than was than, and requyreth a farre other fashyon of lyuynge. Marianus Scotus, Ranulphus, lib. vi. ca. xxiiij. Pabianus par. vi. ca. ccxij. & Po­lydorus, li. ix. About the yeare of our lorde a M. and. lxxxij. 1082. one Wyllyam byshopp of Durhan dyspossessed the prestes of the college or cathedrall church of Durham by­cause of their wyues, Wyllyā and placed the mon­kes there in their rowmes, as witnesseth Polydorus, li. ix. Anglicae historiae, as he had hearde, that kynge Edgare had done long afore in the churche of Excestre. Olyuer a monke of Malmesbury, Olyuer. of some authours called Elmer, was at the same tyme so wele seane in Necromancy, that he cou [...]de with wynges flye abroade and worke ma­ny wonders Ranulphus li. vi. ca. xxviij. Vin­centius, Nauclerus & alij.

☞ Saynt Freswydes, and West­mynster sanctuary.

IN the yeare of our lorde a M. and lx. 1060. was y ^e church of S. Frideswyde in Oxforde gyuen vnto the mōkes by the chast kynge Edwarde, Edward of whō we haue spoken afore, at the request of Pope [Page] Nycolas the. ij. in recompence of hys pyl­grymage that he vowed to Rome, the pre­stes wyth their wyues dysplaced vtterly. Yet was it afterwarde restored to them a­gayne by hys successour kynge Haralde, whyche with other lyke matter agaynst our prelates, cost hym parauenture hys lyfe, the monastery at the last consumed with fyre. Ioannes Capgraue in uita Pride­so [...]d [...]e. This Romysh Antichrist Nycolas, Nicolas cōstytuted kyng Edward hys vycar here in Englande, bycause he was a chast vo­wer, that he and hys successours shuld se that hys sodometrouse chastyte were wele there maynteyned. Moreouer he gaue fre­dome to the sanctwary of Westminstre for theues and for whores, West­minster. not only to be vnto them a place of refuge, but also a sa­uegarde from ponnyshment for terme of their lyues. Ioannes Capgraue in uita Ed [...]uar di cum alijs autoribus. O [...]hostly founders of chastyte. Thys great patryaeke of So­dome, sent fourth Petrus Damianus a monke and Cardynall, Petrus Damianus. to preache S. Gre­gories Dyaloges agaynst marryed pre­stes. For he afterwarde wrote a boke, An­toninus sayth, par ij. [...]i xvi. ca. viij. De di­reptione nuptiarum, of the takynge awaye or vtter dyssoluynge of marryage. Trite­mius mencyoneth also, that he wrote. ij. bo­kes agaynst marryed prestes, one de incon­tinentia sacerdotum, an other de clericorum [Page xxvij] uxoribus, and. ij. for the vnmarryed mon­kes, the one called regula solitariorum, the other de monachorum profectu.

☞ Berengarius, and the synode of Wynchestre.

MVche a do had Berengarius Turo­nensis the archediacon of Angew, Berenga­rius. with the foreseyd Popet Nyco­las, for Christes naturall presence in the eucharisticall breade, whych he had in opē preachynge and disputacyon denyed, cal­lynge both hym & hys masmongers pul­pifices, that is to saye, fleshe makers, in his boke de Eucharistia. Truely not an holy churche (sayth he) haue the veryte proued that congregacyon, but a malignaunt churche, a counsel of vanyte, and the very seate of Sathan. Churche Lanfrancus contra Berengarium. Whych opynyon he afterward compelled hym to recant, not by force of argu­ment, but by terrour of cruell threttenyn­ges. Notwithstandynge he returned a­gayne, persystyng more strōge than afore. Anon after in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxix. 1069. in the generall synode at Wyn­chestre, Wyn­chestre. were many byshoppes and abbo­tes deposed by the legates of Pope Alex­ander the seconde, for yll rule kepynge in bankettes of baudry. Amonge whom Sti­gandus was one, whych myserably dyed in preson. Ricardus Diuisiensis, Guilhelmus Malmesbu. li. i. de pontificibus. Ranulphus lib. [Page] vij. ca. i. Fabianus, & Polydorus, li ix. Thys Alexander made a constytucyon generall, Alexan­der. that none shuld heare the masse of prest, whych kept a concubyne vndre payne of excommunycacyon, meanynge a marryed wyfe. Gracianus monachus in uolumine decre­torum, VVernerus in fasciculo temporum, & Iacobus Bergomas. Yet graunted he that prestes sonnes myght by the Apostles au­toryte receyue holy orders, A pro­uiso. whych inclu­deth contradiccyon. Idem Gracianus.

☞ Lanfrancus and hys lowsye legerdemaynes.

A Yonge monke assystynge Lanfran­cus the archebyshopp of Canterbu­ry at hys masse, Lanfrancus. not farre from the shryne of Dunstane, beheld a swarme of deuyls, and was sodenly possessed of one of them. Anon he opened hys mouthe, and vttered the good rule of hys lecherouse bretherne, suche matters (sayth the storye) yea, A coun­sell. so abhomynable and fylthie, as are not to be spoken. Than were they all cal­led to the chapterhowse, where as it was amonge them decreed, that all the holye bretherne shuld be shryuē of Lanfrancus. Wherby they were anon so newe bourny­shed, that in their returne the deuyll had nothynge to laye agaynst them. For the vertu Confes­sion of confessyon and absolucyon is [Page xxviij] suche (they saye) that it taketh from the [...]e­uyll both hys wyttes and remembraunce, that he hath no longar any power to ac­cuse them. Forget not thys workeman­shypp, but marke it wele. So good was the foreseyd Dunstane (they saye) to thys Lanfrancus, Dunstanus. that. iiij. score yeares after hys death, he taught hym how to recouer agayne the possessyons and landes pelfe­red awaye by the kynges from hys arche­byshopryck. He made open vnto hym (if dead men maye speake) the craftes of all hys enemyes, Dead men. and shewed good wayes to recouer at their handes, & to auoyde their cantels. Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Dunstani & Lanfranci, Vincentius li. xxv. ca. xxxvii. & Antoninus par. ij. ti. xvi. ca. x. The whyche Antoninus sayth, that Lanfrancus played the same part agayne at Rome, Lanfrancus. suche tyme as he impugned there the doctryne of Be­rengarius concernynge the sacramēt. For the whyche lordely acte, Pope Alexander gaue hym. ij. mātels or Legates robes, one of honour, an other of loue. Ranulphus cum caeteris autoribus.

☞ Byshoppes change their seates and tytles.

IN the dayes of kynge Wyllyam the bastarde, the Popes ba [...]tard by­shoppes here in Englande, Bishop­ryckes changed their seates and tytles, from y ^e meane vyl­lages to y ^e most famouse cities of y ^e realme [Page] to apere more gloryouse in the reigne of their father Antichrist. As from Dorce­stre to Lyncolne, frō Lychefelde to West­chestre, from Thetforde to Norwych, frō Shirborne to Salysbury, from Wellys to Bathe, from Kyrton to Excetur, frō Sel­wey to Chychestre, with such lyke. And this was done (some writers sayth) in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxviij. 1068. by a decre of the Popes canons. Ranulphus. li. i. ca.. lij. An othe. Vndre the same kynge also a so­lempne othe and profession by writynge to the bastarde byshop of Rome was demaū ded and taken by hys vycar Lanfrancus, in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxix. 1069. and so euer after continued from thens fourth. A sore stryfe besell in the same selfe yeare, A stryfe. betwyn these bastarde byshoppes, specy­ally betwyn Lanfrancus of Canterbury & Thomas Norman of Yorke, whych of them shuld be hyghest in that mytred kingdome of ydelnesse. And as they mette at Rome, they fell into a great dysputacion of that matter afore Pope Alexandre. Where as Lanfrancus, Lanfran­cus. to amende hys owne matter, proued the seyd Thomas to be a prestes son­ne, Remigius the byshopp of Dorsett be­ynge present, whych (Fabyane sayth) was a prestes sonne also. In the ende thys Lan­francus, by the helpe of Aristotles logyck, Gregoryes olde constytucyon, and the popes authoryte, obtayned both at Rome & [Page xxix] at Wyndesore in Englande, that Canter­bury shuld from thens fourth haue the su­perporyte ouer the see of Yorke. Canter­bury. He that wyll beholde the mad folyshnesse of thys doltysh disputacyon, lete hym loke Wyl­lyam of Malmesbury, li. i. de pontificibus, Ranulphi Polychronicon, lib. vij. ca. ij. Antoni­num, Fabianum, at (que) Polydorum, li. ix.

☞ An olde bawdy byshopp slayne of a wenche.

IN the dyocese and cytie of Herford was a graye headed byshopp, cal­led Walter, Walter. that inordynatly loued a yonge wenche there, whych was very connynge sowster, in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxx. 1070 Yet remembrynge in hym self (sayth the storye) that nothynge was more busemynge, than an olde dottynge fole, specyally a byshop, so to rage, oft ty­mes withdrewe frō folowyng that affect. At the lattre as the deuyll wolde, she ente­red the byshoppes bed chambre, by entyce­mentes of hys chamberlaynes, the pretēce beynge, that she shuld there cutt them out shyrtes and napkyns. And as she was in doynge her werke, those preuy prouyders auoyded, A wēche and the old bawdy byshop came in, as was appoynted. He fell to the talke of as fyne brothelry, as anye craftes man in that art myght vtter. And whan y ^t wold not helpe, he fell to her by force, wraste­lynge and tomblynge with her for the best [Page] game. But se what folowed immedyatly. As she perceyued her self ouercomen, Ouer­come. and that she was no longar able to withstande hys lecherouse purpose, she thrust her sharpe sheres whom she had in her hādes, vp into hys share or vndre hys preuy mē ­bers with vyolence, and so slewe that Ba­bylonysh bore, or ij. horned gote of the de­uyll, as chast Iudith ded Holophernes. Guil. Malmes. li. iiij. de pontificibus, & Ranul­phus, li. vij. ca. ij. A commen practyse of chast relygyon kepynge, A prac­tyse. haue thys bene a­monge y ^e horned prelates and oyled prestes in all ages of Antichrist. Wold God those ydell bellygoddes had alwayes in that fylthie occupyenge bene thus worthely han­deled. For than had not the worlde bene so depely deceyued in them and their kna­ueryes.

☞ Cecila kyng Wyllyams doughter. and Thurstinus.

MAtthaeus VVestmonasteriensis in the floures of hystoryes, and Polydo­rus Vergilius in the ix. boke of his chronycle, reporteth that Cecyly the dou­ghter of kyng Wyllyam Bastarde, Cecilia. professed her self a nonne in the yeare of our lord a. M. and. lxxv. 1075. to serue the deuyll in the monkes hypocresy, & in y ^e burnynge hea­tes of Sodome. So daynty mowthed wer [Page xxx] these greasy grouteheades, and so crafty in their generacyon, that they could fynde out kynges doughters to serue their lu­stes, and yet apere chast ghostly fathers to the world. Thurstinus a monke of Cane in Normandy, Thurstinus. was of the seyd kyng Wyllyam, constytute abbot of Glastenbury for a great summe of moneye, in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxxiij. 1083. Thys holy abbot consumed the substaunce and pos­sessyons of that ryche abbey, in all kyndes of lecherie and other prodygyouse fylthy­nesse. On a tyme there fell betwyn hym & hys monkes, a great stryfe, A bat­tayle. for that he had restrayned their accustomed fare. He brought in men of armes to defende hys cause, the monkes layed about them lyke praty men, with stoles, pottes, and candel [...]yc­kes, tyll the warryours heades were wele fauerdly broken. In the ende of the batayl were. iiij. monkes founde slayne, ij. slayne and xviij greuously wounded, their bloude flowing on the pauyment Henricus huntington, li. vi Guilhel. Malmes. li. ij. de pontificibus, Matthae­us Paris in historia anglorum. Ranulphus, li. vi ca. iij. Fabianus, par. vij ca. ccxxij. Was not thys (thynke yow) a relygyouse rule? Had it not bene muche pytie, but the commens of this realme, Cōmēs. had bene beggered for their mayntenaunce? beynge suche ghostly vo­wers? O blyndnesse and madnesse of vn­godly gouernours.

☞ Hildebrande by sorcery and murther, obtayneth the Papacy.

HIldebrandus a monke of Cluny­ake, Hildebrā dus. beynge hygh archedeacon of Rome, was taught the arte of Necromancye by Theophilactus afore men­cyoned, whose custome was in wylde fo­restes and on hygh hylles, to do sacryfyce to deuyls & by magycall arte to make wo­men both to loue hym and folowe hym. Other instructours he had besydes (sayth Cardynall Benno) whych had bene Syl­uesters dyscyples, Dyscyples. & were most connynge in that speculacyon, that is to saye, Lau­rence an archebyshop, & Iohan Gracyan afterwarde called Pope Gregory y ^e syxte. In shakynge hys sleues or myttaynes, to delude the eyes of the symple, many tymes he sent out sparkles of fyre, whyche was iudged a wonderfull myracle, & a signe of holynesse in hym. For so muche as the de­uyll (sayth Benno) coulde not persecute Christ in the open face of the worlde, Aduer­sary. he sought fraudulently to deface his name & honour, by thys hypocryte & false monke Hyldebrande, vndre a monasticall coate & coloured pretence of relygyon. Thys Iu­das [...]ote of hys maistre Pope Gregory y ^e sixte, to be the hygh stewarde of S. Peters aulter, & so receyued the offerynges of pylgrymes, tyll all hys bagges were full. Than hyred he one Gerardus Brazutua, [Page xxxi] a man gyuen to myschefes incomparable. This forcerouse wurker to make hym Pope, in the space of. xiij;, yeares, poysened. vij. Po­pes poy­sened. vi of hys predecessours one after another, y ^t is to saye, Clement the. ij. Damasus the. ij Leo the. ix. Victor the. ij. Steuen the. ix. & Benedict the. x. Nycolas the. ij. hys owne selfe poysened, and vyolently murthered Alexander the. ij. in preson. Thus by great and outragyose murthers he enioyed y ^e papacy, A mur­therer. & was called Gregory the. vij. hys first ordynaunces were these. He transub­stancyated the Eucharistycall breade, con­dempned the marryage of prestes, & com­maunded monkes to abstayne from flesh, Valerius Anselmus Ryd.

☞The first busy buyldynges of this Hyldebrande.

BEnno Cardinalis reporteth of thys hellysh Hyldebrand, Practy­ses. that in the first entraunce of his Romysh Papacy, he had all these deuylysh prouysyons to wurke hys myscheues with. The scriptu­res he had so trayned with the rules of lo­gycke, that by them he was able to mayn­teyne all falshede. The temporall powers he prouyded by all flattery, false frynde­shyp, gyftes, and other subtyle meanes to depresse. He had for moneye hys secrete spyes and trayterouse searchers in the emprours and euery great prynces howse, A tray­tour. to knowe thynges to hys mynde. After de­maundes [Page] and answers agayne from de­uyls, he toke vpō him to prophecie lyes in hypocresye. Hys excedynge tyranny was suche, that hys enemyes he neuer spared, but gaue them death without remyssyon, to the terryfyenge of others. And alwayes he had about hym a boke of Necromācye, with a nombre of deuyls to wurke feates to hys Papall pleasure, Deuyls As the good Em­prour Henry the. iiij. perceyued in those dayes, most shamefull abuses to growe in the churche, he laboured by all wayes pos­syble to abolysh them. He secluded scysmatykes, suspended symonyakes, suppressed sacrilegers, ponnyshed per [...]ures, bānished bawdes, imprysoned deceyuers, and con­dempned ydolatours. Thys perceyuynge Hyldebrande, whyche was a relygyouse maynteyner of all these, sought by his pre­uy trayttours to dyspatche hym. A tray­tour. And on a daye whyls thys vertuouse emprour was in prayer, he hyred a despertate knaue to laye stones of great wayghte vpon the rouse beames of the temple ryght ouer hys prayenge pewe, and to lete them fall vpon hym to hys vtter destruccyon. But se the ryghteouse hande of God. God stryketh One of those stones beynge more than thys wret­che coulde wele rule, bore hym downe to the grounde and so slewe hym.

☞ Other practyses in myschefe, of the seyd Hyldebrande.

[Page xxxij]ANd whan he perceyued that thys waye wolde not take, Mys­chefe. than sought he out an other myschefe by colour of relygyon. He made an extreme and ter­ryble acte agaynst all them that had en­tered any spirytuall promocyon by symo­ny, and sent out commissyons vpon the same, hys selfe beynge y ^e greatest symony­ake that euer was on thys earthe. ij. can­tels. Thys had a great shyne of holynesse, and is no lesse iudged of a great nombre of the hy­storyanes, yet was it to. ij. most mysche­uouse endes. The one was, that he myght thereby confounde all those that fauou­red not hys wayes. An other, that for exe­cucyon of that acte. the good Emproure myghte runne into the depe hate of the clergy, that they myghte also seke hys vn­doynge. For the relygyon of thys Hylde­brande, was neuer other than treason, neyther was hys doctryne any other than deceyt of the deuyll. On a tyme after ma­ny sorcerouse incantacyons, Sorcerer. he demaun­ded of that God whyche he thought he had made of breade by vertu of transub­stancyacyon, by what kynde of myschefe the Emprour myghte be destroyed. And whan he ones perceyued, that that God of hys coulde make hym none an­swere, as the goddes of the paganes ded, and as hys famylyar deuyls wold do, he threwe hym with violence into the fyre. God brent. [Page] As Ioannes Portuensis openly declared at Rome in y ^e church of S. Peter. The same daye (Benno sayth) that he openly cursed the good Emprour, his chayre that was most strongely made b [...]ast a sondre in. ij. in token of the great scysme whych therupon folowed, Sigebertus cōfyrmynge y ^e same by an horryble earthquake. All these examples hath Benno in uita hildebrandi, Autores Barnefri­dus Vrspergensis, Matthaeus Parisiensis, Hulri­cus Mutius, and Robert Barnes in uitis Ro­manorum pontificum.

☞ An acte of condemnacyon for prestes marryage.

IN the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxiiij. 1074 Whych after most writers, was the second yeare of hys Papa­cy, this hellysh Hildebrande helde a gene­ral synode at Rome with the bishoppes of Italy. Wherein he made thys most deuy­lysh decre agaynst prestes, not that they shulde no more beget chyldrē, but that they shuld neuer after marry wyues. This wycked decre extended yet further, as if they had wyues already, they shulde vt­terly forsake them, Depry­ued. or els be depryued of their benefyces and presthode wythout re­dempcyon, & so made laye men. And that no man from that daye fourth, shulde be admytted to their orders, that had not pro­fessed a perpetuall chastyte, a sodomy it wolde be called, hauynge a name accor­dynge [Page xxxiij] to the fruytes. The Germanes and the French men ded myghtely resyst this decre by the stronge authorytees of Christ and of Paule, and by the vnreprouable examples of the Apostles and other holy fa­thers in the prymatyue churche, Exāples besydes other scryptures, reasons, and argumen­tes And whan he perceyued that the pre­stes had despysed & mocked hys abhomy­nable ordynaunce, he cursed them with boke, belle, and candle, and vtterly forbad them the churche, commaundyng their tythes to be brent, And whan that wolde not helpe the matter neyther, than made he an other tyrannouse decre, Tyraūt. that their wyues shulde be taken for whores, their chyldren for bastardes, & that no man frō thens fourth shuld heare the masse of him that kept a concubyne, as he than iudged them, peruersly alleging Malachyes pro­phecye, as though Maledicam benedictioni­bus uestris, in hys mouthe myghte vnualue or dysable their masses. Thus was the churche fylle [...] with vnpure mynysters. Rogerus houeden li i. historiae anglorum. Matthaeus Paris in chronico, Ranulphus Cestrensis, Autore [...] li. vij. ca. iij. & Rogerus Cestrensis, li. vij. Lambertus Shafnaburgensis, Sigebertus, Martinus, Ioannes de Columna, Ioannes Nauclerus, Du­neimense chronicon, Mutius, & alij.

☞ What myschefe sprange of that [Page] pectyferouse acte.

VIncentius sayth in speculo histo­riali, li. xxix ca. xlv. and Matthew of Westmynst [...]e in hys seconde boke de floribus historiarum, Cestes. Antonious in the seconde part of hys chronycles and Radulphus de Diceto confirmynge y ^t same, that thys example of Hyldebrand was straūge and prodygyouse, done without all Chri­sten consyderacyon to the great preiudyce of the sayntes. A sore slaundre (saye they) grewe therupon, and so greuouse a scysme as was neuer afore in the churche for any kynde of heresy, Scysme and all vndre name of re­lygyon. Very fewe or none were founde chaste in the churche, after that constytu­cyon was on [...]s publyshed, some counter­fetynge a clennesse for lucre and promocy­on only, some dyssemblynge. some boa­stynge, some lyengr, and some beynge per­iured, turnynge marryage into secrete whoredome, and honest lyuynge into most vyle buggery. By this [...]ccasyō (saye they) arose in the churche pernycyouse tea­chers, Sedu­cers. auertynge the people by their pro­fane noueltees, from the Christen synce­ryte and doctryne of the Gospell. Thys horryble Hyldebrand the great patryarke and first founder of the ordre of prody­gyouse buggerers, otherwyse called vn­wyuynge masmongers, notwythstan­dyng hys vnrelygyouse constytucyon for [Page xxxiiij] others, yet kepte he Maude the duchesse of Lorayne, Maude. whome he for that purpose dyuorced from her seconde husbande A­zon the marques of Esten. Their occupy­enges were furtiui complexus (the storye sayth) imbracynges in the darke, or suche cullynges whan the candale was out, as myght not seane of all the worlde. She is called in the chronycles, S. Peters de­nout doughter (se the vnshamefastnesse of these holy whoremongers) collateralis pon­tifici, An whore. ac nimium amans pontificem, beynge checke mate with the Pope, and his owne dere peramoure. And whan she shuld dye, she gaue to the Romysh churche a great parte of Hetruria, whych is yet called the patrymony of S. Peter. Blondus li. iiij. deca ij. Martinus, Platina, & Robertus Barnes.

☞ Of whom it was in those dayes resysted.

AS an apte polycye to aduaunce the clergyes estimacyon, augment their possessyons, and increase their ry­thes, A crafte brought Hyldebrande in thys inhy­bycyon of prestes marryage. For by that deceytfull face of the olde wylye serpent, were the lecherouse massynge prestes, monkes, chanons, and fyestynge nonnes, iudged terrestryall aungelles of the fo­lyshe worlde, whan they were the ve­ry drosse of the deuyll and poyson of all [Page] Christyanyte. Resy­staunce. A great nombre therfore of godly men both in Germany & Fraunce, perceyuynge the great abhomynacyons that wolde folowe therof, myghtely styll resysted both Hyldebrande the Pope, and also hys great synode of Italysh prelates, callynge hym a cruell heretyke and au­thour of pernycyouse doctryne, and them the malygnaunt counsell of Sathan, This wyckednesse is wrought (saye they) not by any sprete of God, but by the only sugge­styon of Sathan. Sathan. For their most deuylysh decre is directly repugnaunt to the worde of God. Christ sayde, that no man can a­waye with that sayenge, saue they to whō it is gyuen. S. Paule had no commaundement for virgynyte. The Apostles wolde not requyre it, the olde counsels durst not attempt it. But alwayes was marryage fre to them that could not refrayne. Marry­age. What meane these hypocrites than to compell naturall men by force of tyranny to lyue the lyfe of Angels, whych is a thynge im­possyble to their weake nature. By thys cruell constytucyon they make open the way to all fylthynesse in the fleshe. If they wyll haue such mynysters, lete thē fatche them from heauen, for in the earth they are not to be had. Thys was the clamour of them whych in that age feared God, & doubted the myschefes of Antichrist. Angels. Lam­bertus, Sigebertus, Vrspergius. Nauclerus, & Robertus Barnes.

☞ Hyldebrande made the church a full Sodome.

NO small commendacyons hath thys sorcerouse monke and vicar of the deuyll, among the hystoria­nes and chronycle writers after his tyme. Vycar. As were Otho Frisingensis, Platina, Stella, Sa­bellicus, Blondus, Bergomas, Aeneas, VVicelius and suche other. He is magnyfyed aboue the starres for his rebellyouse treason and tyranny agaynst the vertuouse emprour, & holden of them for a most earnest, mygh­ty, and constaunt defender of Antichristes oyled kyngedome, whyche they call holy churche. Holy church. Thys maistre of myschefe and organe of the deuyll, brought by that mea­nes, the mynysters to an ydelnesse, and de­fyled the church with most execrable bug­gery. Amonge all his canon lawes and sy­nodall constytucyons, he gaue out no commaundement that prestes shulde do no le­cherie, nor yet get chyldren, but only that they shulde not marry. And thys was to put in full practyse, War­nynge. that God had afore premonyshed hys churche of, by his sonne Iesus Christe, by hys holye Angell, & by Iohan hys electe Apostle, thre able wyt­nesses, Apoca. i. That is to saye, the great cytie whych is called a spirytualte, and is the churche malygnaunt, shulde be in ef­fecte, a very Sodome and Egipte, Apoca. xi. Of necessyte myghte that be no fable, y ^t [Page] was of so able witnesses vttered afore hande so earnestly. Wyt­nesses. Some therfore must haue fulfylled it, no remedy, and none so effectually as thys hellysh sodomyte Hyl­debrand, by forbyddynge of marryage in hys clergy, and by deifyenge the Eucha­ristycall breade. These. ij. poyntes chefely made the Romysh churche a Sodome and an Egipte, by dyssemblynge vowes and a coūterfet presthode. Prouy­syons. How nondryes anon after were buylded, boyes, apes, and byt­ches prouyded, to qualyfie the breche hea­tes of these holy buggerers, and to saue y ^e outward shyne of their boasted chastyte, it requyreth further processe to be declared.

☞Marryed prestes are bayted wyth a bulle.

ROger Houeden plainely reporteth it, in the first boke of hys chrony­cles, that the clergy contempnyng the byshop of Romes malycyouse thrette­nynges, Prestes. chose rather to dwell styll vndre hys great curse, than to leaue their marry­ed wyues. Thā practysed the seyd byshop to vexe them and to ponnysh them by o­thers, as testyfieth Mathew of Westmynstre in the thyrde boke of hys flowres of historyes, procurynge the commen people to be the instrumētes of his tyranny. Tyrāny That he myght the more fearcely chastyse them (sayth he) and so vtterly dryue them from the embracinges of their wyues, he forbad [Page xxxvi] the laye people to heare their masses, and charged them fynally to destroye their ly­uynges, by thys bulle folowynge. A bulle. Grego­ry the Pope, otherwyse called Hyldebrā [...], the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God, s [...]ndeth the Apostles blessyng to all thē with­in the kyngdomes of Italy & Germany, that sheweth their true obedience vnto S. Peter. If there be any prestes, deacons. & subdeacons, that styll wyl remayne in the synne of fornycacyon, we forbyd them the churches enteraunce by the omnypotent power of God and by the autoryte of S. Peter, tyll tyme they amende and repent. But if they perseuer in their synne, Masses. we charge that none of yow presume to heare their seruyce. For their blessyng is turned into a curse, and their prayer into synne, as the lorde doth testifye by hys prophete. I wyll curse your blessynges &ce. Thys bulle hath Symeon of Durham, and Ro­ger Houeden, the one in the seconde & the other in the first boke of their chrony­cles, besydes other wryters.

☞ Laye people worshyppeth the beast and hys Image.

MVche good stuffynge is in thys bulle, Prepos­terously whan it iudgeth marryage a fornycacyon, condempnyng it by S. Peters autoryte, whose doctryne to thys daye both alloweth it and com­mendeth [Page] it for a state of ryghteousnesse, cō ­parynge the marryed persones to Abrahā and Sara. i. Pet. iij. Neyther is the bles­syng of any man turned into a curse, or his prayer into synne for marryage, but rather for seducynge of Gods people by supersticyons and hypocresy, Decey­uers. wylfully resystyng the holy ghost, Mala. ij. & Psal. cviij. as in thys handy bulle maker and hys other bullish begles, whose blasphemouse actes are wele knowne. Radulphus de Diceto sayth in hys Image of storyes, that in the yeare of our lorde. a M. and lxxv. 1075. thys terryble turmoylyng agaynst prestes marryage, gaue more occasyon of blasphemouse slaundre, than euer ded heresy in the church. For by that meanes (sayth he) the laye people con­tempned holy orders, Contēpt they reiected eccle­syastycall subiectyon, and abhorred y ^e my­steryes of God. They despysed the prest­hode of their curates, in fury & madnesse they brent their tythes, & trode vndre their fylthie feie their consecrate hostes. Thus honoured they the fowled beast and hys y­mage, Apocal. xiij. But thys gaue a great rayse to Antichristes proude and ambycy­ouse reigne, Anti­christ. as herafter shall apere. Tho­mas Rudborne and Mathew of West­mynstre sayth, that in the nexte yeare folowynge, was a terryble earthquake with a certen blusterynge noyse ouer all Englād, wherby God declared to the worlde hys [Page xxxvij] anger for suche excedyng wyckednesse, as he hath done other tymes more, at the lat­tre daye to be reuenged vtterly.

☞ The treason of prelates and extor­syon of byshop Walter.

BYshoppes, abbotes, and prelates of y ^e Englysh brode, not hauyng Wyllyam conquerour a kynge to their myndes, Wyllyā caused it by lytle and lytle to be noysed a broade amonge the people, in the seyd yeare of our lorde a M. & ixxv. 1075. how it neither stode with reason nor yet with conscyence, that a bastarde or mysbegetten man, as he was, shulde haue the Englysh nacyon in gouernaūce, what though they had afore with all practyses possyble as­systed hym to the same. Rebelliō Wherupon grewe wonderfull commocyons in dyuerse quarters of the realme, specyally at Norwych, Helye, and Yorke, the great earles, Raufe Roger, and Waldeof, aydyng the rude cō mens in that rebellyon, whyche prouoked hym to shewe double hatred to the En­glysh nobilyte. The next yeare folowyng, 1076 as the earle Waldeof of Northumberlād, was worthely depryued and at Wynche­stre byheaded for the same, Walkerus a lecherouse monke & ambycyouse prelate, Walker. not fyndynge hymselfe satisfyed with the ryche byshopryck of Durham, bought thā of the kynge that earledome, to augment hys pompe, possessyons, and vayne glory­ouse [Page] dygnite. He brought thydre a swarme of ydell and lascyuyouse monkes out of other partyes, Satis­factyon. thynkynge therby to be euē with God, and with their howlynge and wawlynge to pacyfie his anger, what mi­schefe so euer he had done afore. But se what folowed about. v. yeares after. For his outragyouse oppression and tyrannye, 1080. the commens fell vpon hym, and slewe both hym and an hundred of hys best mē. Simeon Dunelmensis, Henricus Huntendunen­sis Matthaeus Paris, Rogerus houeden, Thomas Rudborne, & alij.

☞ The monkes dyspossesseth the prestes at Durham.

AFter hym succeded in the byshop­rycke, one Wyllyam an abbot, a man of more wordes (y ^e story sayth) than of godly wytt. Thys prelate (as Si­meon wryteth in chronicis Dunelmí) persua­ded the kyng that the prestes of the church of Durham were vycyouse lyuers, Durhā. by­cause they had wyues and wold not leaue them, and that byshopp walkers monkes were the holye Ghostes chyldren & most fytt to kepe S. Cutbert, bicause they were wyuelesse watchemen. He recyted vnto hym by the chronycle of Bede and by o­ther olde writynges, Reason. that from the tyme of Aidanus their first byshop tyll the vyolēt slaughter of the Danes, it had bene pos­sessed [Page xxxviij] of monkes. The kynge not muche regardynge the matter, had hym consulte with Pope Hildebrande, as he resorted vnto hym to Rome for hys confirmacyon, as all bishoppes were than confirmed by the great Antichrist of that synnefull syna­goge. Confir­med The whyche ones perfourmed to hys mynde, he returned home with Hyl­debrandes commyssyon. And in the yeare of our Lorde a M. and lxxxiij. 1083. obtaynynge therwith the whole consent of the prela­tes in the kynges parlem [...]nt at Westmyn­stre, he droue the marryed canons & their wyues out of hys cathedrall churche of Durham, and placed ydell monkes in their rowmes, to kepe Saint Cuthbertes shryne, Kepers. vniustly depryuynge them of all possessyon. Rogerus houeden, li. i. & Polydo­rus, li. ix. Other prelates anon after ded wurke the lyke, in dyuerse other quarters of the realme, and fylled all the land with the secrete occupyenges of wycked So­dome and Gomor, as wele apered in their last vysytacyon in our tyme, the regestre yet remaynynge.

☞The vysyon of Boso, and acte of Tostius chaplayne.

IOHAN Capgraue reporteth in Saint Cuthbertes lyfe, that one Boso a knyghte, Boso. was rapte or de­pr [...]ed of all maner of felynge, by the space of more than two dayes. And in the [Page] thyrde daye, as he was commen agayne to hym selfe, he instauntly desyred to be con­fessed to the pryour of Durham at y ^e tyme called Turgotus, Turgo­tus. to whome he declared what vysyons he had in that wonderfull traunce. He behelde (he sayd) on the one syde of helle, all the monkes of his abbeye goynge sadly in processyon, & on the other syde a sort of wanton gyglot wenches, re­ioycinge in fleshely delyghtes and vnco­mely entycementes. He sawe there also in a darke desolate place, an hygh howse all of yron. Vysyōs And whyls the dore therof oft ty­mes opened and speared agayne, at the last he behelde Wyllyam their byshop, which had bene Hildebrādes commissyoner, put­tynge forth hys heade & callyng for God­frey the monke, whych was at that tyme the generall procurator of hys whole dyo­cese. And thys was iudged a token, A token. that they two shulde not lyue longe after. Se what noble successe thys decre of Hilde­brande had here in thys realme. The wyfe of Tostius sumtyme earle of Northum­berlande, called Iudith, gaue many ryche ornamentes about the same tyme, to S. Cuthbertes churche. Thys lady bad a lu­sty chaplayne, whych commyng of deuo­cyon to Tynmouth abbeye, to se the trans­lacyon of the body of S. Oswyne kyng & martyr, Pylgry­mage. as martyrs went than, could with­in the towne haue no lodgynge for the ex­cedyng [Page xxxix] resort of people y ^t than was there. Howbeit vpon acquayntaunce he founde suche fauer, that a bed was prepared for hym within the parrysh churche. And by­cause he thought it not pleasaunt to lye a loue, he conuayed in a wenche in the darke to kepe hym company that nyghte. But as he began to fall, Prest­lyke. to hys accustomed ny­ght worke, all the whole churche moued (y ^e story sayth) as it wolde haue fallen vpon them. Wherby he was than compelled to leaue hys occupyenge. Ioannes Capgraue in uita Osvuini martyris.

☞ The myracles of Lanfrancus the archebyshop.

LAnfrancus the archebyshop of Canterbury, helde a synodall counsell at Paules in London, in the yeare of our Lorde a M. and lxxvi. 1076. Where as it was enacted by their cōmen consent, that byshoppes from thens forth shuld sytt in counsels & parlementes (by lyke they stode on fote afore with cappe in hande) & that they shulde generally remoue their seates from the meane vyllages to the cyties of name (as some had done afore) to apere more notable, and to augment their auto­ryte and fame. Was not thys a great stu­dy (thynke yow) for the Christen commen welthe? Thus clome they vp from one de­gre of pryde to an other, Prydee tyll they bycame here in Englād, lyke their father at Rome, [Page] exaltynge themselues, as S. Paule prophecyed of them aboue God and hys Christ, ij. Thes ij. Thys Lanfrancus y ^e next yeare after, made one Paulus a yonge monke of Lane in Normandy, 1077. the abbot of S. Al­bons. A bastard. This Paule was his nephew, some saye, hys sonne, whych is all one amonge the Italyane prelates (as he was one) sa­uynge that nephew is a name more spiry­tuall. Other great myracles thys Lanfrā ­cus ded in hys lattre age. At Canterbury he enryched the monkes with great lan­des, sumptuouse buyldynges, and with precyouse ornamentes, He repared their temples, & appoynted straunge worshyp­pynges. He wonderfully augmented the pryde here of the clergye, Lanfrancus. & fynally buyl­ded ij. great hospytalles for pylgrymes, to encreace the dayly ydolatryes, whych thā began to spryng. Simeon Dunelmensis. Mat­thaeus VVestmonast. Matthaeus Paris. Ranul­phus Cestrēsis, Rogerus Cestren. Thomas rud­borne, Ioannes Capgraue, Fabianus & alij.

☞ Of Osmunde the byshopp, and of Salisbury vse.

OSmundus was a man of great aduenture & polycye in hys tyme, not only concernynge roberyes, but also the slaughter of men in the war­res of kyng Wyllyam cōquerour. A war­ryour. Wher­vpon he was first the grande captayne of Saye in Normandy, & afterwardes earle [Page xl] of Dorsett and also hygh chauncellour of Englande. 1077 As Herman the byshop of Sa­lisbury was dead, he gaue ouer all and suc­ceded hym in that byshopryck, to lyue, as it were, in a securyte or ease in hys lattre age. For than was the church become Ie­sabels pleasaunt and easy cowche, Apoca. ij. hys cantels were not so fyne in the o­ther kynde for destructyon of bodyes, but they were also as good in thys for destructyon of sowles. To obscure the glory of y ^e Gospell preachynge, and augment the fylthynesse of ydolatry, Blasphemer. he practysed an ordynary of Popysh ceremonyes, the whyche he entytled a Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche. Hys fyrst occasyon was thys. A great battayle chaunced at Glastenburye, whyls he was byshopp, betwene Turstinus the abbot and hys monkes, 1083. wher in some of them were slayne, and some sore woun­ded, as is sayd afore. The cause of that battayle was thys. Turstinus con­tempnynge their quere seruyce, than cal­led the vse of Saint Gregory, compel­led hys monkes to the vse of one Wyl­lyam a monke of Fiscan in Normandy. Vpon thys Osmundus deuysed that or­dynary, Osmundus. called the vse of Sarum. Whyche was afterwardes receyued in a maner of all Englande, Irelande, and wales. Euery syr Sander Slyngesby had [Page] a boke at hys belte therof, called hys por­tasse, contaynynge many superstycyouse fables and lyes, the testament of Christ set at nought. For thys acte was that brothell byshop made a Popysh God at Salisbu­ry. Canonysed. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, Ranulphus, Rogerus, Capgraue, Houeden, & alij.

☞Of Kenredus a prest, whych was gelded.

AN acte was made in y ^e yeare of one lorde a M. & lxxxvij. 1087. by kyng Wyl­lyam conquerour, that who so euer were founde stelynge of dere, he shuld lose one of hys eyes, and he that was deprehended in rauyshynge a woman, shulde lose both his stones without redēpcyon. This hath Henricus Huntendunensis, li. v. Ranul­phus Cestrensis, li. vij. ca. iiij. Rogerus Cestrensis, li vij. & Ioannes Treuisa. Not many yeares after, a preste called Kenredus was ta­ken in the Ile of Anglesey by the Englysh captaynes, Kēredus and gelded, some saye, for offendynge the statute, though y ^e monkysh chronicles farre of otherwyse interprete that matter. By reason of this and many other lyke examples (for he was not alone in that a­ge ye maye be sure, whan they were so strayghtly sequestred from women) the clergy sought busyly to be exempted from the laye or secular power, Exemp­cyon. & in fyne made lecherie a spiritual matter, to haue the cor­rectyon therof in their spirytual courtes [Page xli] I thynke the deuyll was neuer more craf­ty than they haue bene, to shadowe their fylthie enormytees by a vayne shewe of holynesse, whyche is playne hypocresy. But how so euer they prospered in those dayes, the nobylyte and commens of this realme were wonderfully oppressed (Ma­thew of Westmynstre sayth) so that both noble men and gentyll men of the En­glysh bloude, Noby­lyte. depryued of their possessy­ons, and beynge ashamed to begge, were with their chyldren and famylyars, com­pelled to spoyle and robbery, Robe­ryes. whan hun­tynge wolde no longar serue them. Of thys preste Kenredus, writeth Simeon, Henry Huntendune, Ranulphus, Houedē, Iohan Capgraue, and Fabyane.

☞ Prestes payed a trybute for theyr wyues.

MVche a do had kynge Wyllyam Rufus with Odo the proude by­shop of Bayon hys vncle, Styn­gers. which was also earle of Kent, with Egelwinus the byshop of Durham, with Raufe the byshop of Chichestre, and with other lyke heady prelates, specyally with Anselme, whome of a beggerly monke he had made archebyshop of Canterbury. The seyd Anselme sought vtterly to depryue hym and all hys successours, Anselme of the inuestynge of prelates, or makyng of byshoppes and ab­botes within hys own realme, labouryng [Page] to turne that autoryte from the lawful po­wer of Christen princes, to the vsurped iu­risdictyon of the proude Romysh byshop, as it anon after came to passe, for y ^e whych he was worthely exyled this realme. This kyng Wyllyā Rufus, partly of pytie but chefely of couetousnesse (for he had thā many buyldynges in hande) permytted the prestes for an yearly trybute, to holde styll their wyues in spyght of the prelates spe­cyally in suche dyoceses as had monkes than to their byshoppes, Wyues. whych strayght­ly had commaunded Hyldebrandes wyc­ked constytucyon to be obserued, that no preste hauynge a wyfe, shulde holde hys ben [...]fyce. Raufe the byshop of Chichestre than stode vp lyke a praty man, 1097. & not only rebuked the kynge for takynge that try­bute, whych lyke an a dust conscyenced hypocryte he called the fyne of fornycacyon, but also he withstode his offycers, stop­pynge vp the churche porches with great stakes, thornes and bryres, and interdyc­tynge the temples. But whan the gen­tyll kynge had ones gyuen hym that try­bute for hys owne dyocese, Tribute he coulde take it wele ynough, and make no great noyse therof. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. ij. de pontificibus, Ranulphus li. vij. ca. ix. Rogerus li. vij. & Fabianus.

☞ Varyaunce amonge [Page xlij] byshoppes for mar­ryed prestes.

A Lytle afore, that is to saye, in the yeare of our lord a M. and xc. 1090. a sore contencyon had bene amonge the byshoppes. They that had bene prestes and no monkes fauourably permytted the prestes to remayne with their wyues in their dyoceses, at the least (sayth Roger of Chestre) some of them helde their peace and wolde not se them. The other sort whych had bene monkes, vexed them, troubled them, Styn­gers. and most greuously mole­sted them, depryuynge them of their ly­uynges, and most cruelly bannyshynge them out of their contreys. For the which vyolence, some of those byshoppes that had bene prestes, thrust the monkes out of their cloysters, and put in secular prestes, as they called them in their rowmes. Of this bande or factyon was Walkinus the byshopp of Wynchestre the chefe doar or begynner, Walki­nus. hauynge the kynges agrement [...]o the same. But in the ende they preuay­led not, first Lanfrancus, and than Ansel­mus, beynge both monkes and archeby­ [...]hoppes of Canterbury, and wrytynge [...]o the Romysh Nēroth agaynst thē. Not­ [...]ithstādyng whan Walter was byshopp of Durham, whyche succeded Egelwi­nus, and had bene the kynges chaplayne, [Page] to spyght the monkes therwith, he compelled them to leaue their frayter, Walte­rus. to dyne in hys open halle, and to eate such meates as by their rule were forbydden them. He al­so caused them to be serued at the table, with women whych were not very sober, neither in aparel nor yet in gesture or coū ­tenaunce. And all was to trye out their hypocresye. But some of thē (I thynke) toke not the matter very greuously. Tryall. Guilh. Mal­li. i. & iij. de ponti. Ranulphus, li, vij. ca. xi. & xi. Polychronici, Rogerus, li. vij. Ioannes Tre­uisa, & alij.

☞ God by sygnes manyfesteth the myschefe of thys age.

BVt marke how God fulfylled in thys age, that he had secretly she­wed afore to S. Iohan the Euange­list, Apoca. vi. & viij. For a fore warnynge to hys electes. War­nynge. Many starres were seane fallynge downe from heauen in the yeare of our Lorde a M. & xcv. 1095. specyally a bla­synge starre in lykenesse of a great bur­nyng beame, reachynge from the south to the north, a wonderfull derth folowynge, not only of vytayles, but also of the fow­les fode, Amos. viij. Whych is the veryte of God and sede of saluacyō. Marke chronicon Sigeberti, Mathew Paris, Mathew of Westmynstre, Roger Houeden, Scalamundi, and chronicon chronicorum. Yea, to make the matter more playne vnto vs, Starres for [Page xliij] the fulfyllynge of those hydden scryptu­res in our owne nacyon, Radulphus de Di­ceto, Sigebertus, and Thomas Rudborne in their chronycles, addeth thus muche to y ^e storye. Amonge the whych fallen starres (saye these autours) one which was y ^e greatest of thē all, semed to fall on y ^e other syde of the sea, in Fraunce, as it had bene a blasyng fyre brand. And whan the place was marked in Normandy, The place. and dylygently sought out, the searchers behelde a fearful flutteryng and terryble boylynge in a ser­ten water, an horryble stynkynge smoke arysynge therof. By thys partycular fal­len starre, is signyfyed first Lanfrancus & afterwardes Anselmus. ij. Normandy mō kes & archebyshoppes of Canterbury, by whome in those dayes was all the hurly hurly, turmoyle, and change in relygyon here in Englande, A chāge. Lanfrancus contēding for transubstancyacyon of the Eucharysticall breade to aduaunce ydolatry, and Anselmus condemnynge the marryage of prestes and autoryte of prynces for inue­stynge of prelates, to sett vp sodometry & impunyte of synne in the clergye. Wher­by the one was constytute the adoptyue sonne of Antichrist, and the other the pope of England, as hereafter wyll apere. The water betokeneth the wauerynge multy­tude, Mark it and the stynkynge smoke the fylthie doctryne of those fallen starres.

☞ Of a lecherouse byshop, and ij. supersticyouse earles.

RObert Bloet, whyche had bene a monke of Euesham abbeye, symony. went not thens so poore, but that he was able to gyue for the byshopryck of Lyn­colne fyue thousand pounde, in the yeare of our lorde a M. & xcij. 1092. after the death of Remigius. By lyke he had bene abbot of the place, that he was so wele mouyed. Never was Orpheus, Palemon, nor Sardanapalus more expert (they saye) in the fyne feates of lecherie, than he was. For Wylliam of Malmesbury reporteth, that he was totus libidinosus, all gyuen to fyl­thie lyuynge. And yet he was brought vp in the cloystre vndre Saint Benets rule, A le­chour. a great professour of chastyte and a worthie gouernour in that relygyon. At the last he dyed sodenly, and was buryed at Lyn­colne, where as the church kepers were sore anoyed (they saye) with his sowle and other walking spretes) tyll that place was pourged by prayers. Spretes Guilhelmus Malmesbu­riensis. li, iiij, de pontifi. Ranulphus, Rogerus, Thomas Rudborne, ac Polydorus. Whan Roger the earle of Shrowesbury perceyued ones that he coulde not lyue muche lon­gar, 1093. he sent Reynolde the pryour of Shro­wesbury to Clunyake in Fraunce, for the kyrtle of holy Hugh the abbot there, [Page xliiij] that by lycence of Adelyse hys wyfe, he myght for socour of hys sowle, depart to God in the heate of hys holynesse. As muche mede had he therof (Treuisa sayth) as had Malkyn of her maydenhede, Reward whych no man was hasty on. Hugh the olde earle of Chestre, beynge spoke vnto death in the same selfe yeare, caused by the entysement of Anselme, the prestes clerely to be expelled out of the high chur­ [...]he of Westchestre, and the monkes to be placed there for them. Chestre. So frantyck were the worldly rulers in thys age. Henricus huntendune, li. xi. Ranulphus, Rogerus, Tre­uisa, Fabianus, & alij.

☞ Of byshop Herbert, whych buylded Christes church at Norwych.

Thys Herbert was called by sur­name, Herbert. losinga, & the father whyche bigate hym, was Robert the abbot of Wynchestre. But who was hys mo­ther the story telleth not, to leaue it as a se­crete matter within relygyon. First was he here in Englande by fryndeshyp, made abbot of Ramseye, and afterwardes by­shop of Thetforde by flattery and fat payment, in the yeare of our lorde a M. & xci. 1091. For the which he is named in the chrony­cles yet to this day, the [...]yndelyng matche [Page] of symony, and that noteth hym no small doar in that feate. Notwithstandyng he so repented that symony (they saye) that he went to Rome, and there resigned vp hys ryng & pastorall hoke to Pope Vrbanus the seconde in the yeare of our lord a M. & xciiij. 1094 not without an other great summe of moneye, ye maye be sure, for there my­ghte nothynge passe without ready pay­ment. But here ye maye axe me, whye the byenge of a byshoprycke was symony in England, and not at Rome? Wherunto I answere. For in Englande a kynge recey­ued the moneye, whych hath none autory­te to meddle in that marte of byenge & sel­lynge, No merchaunt. wantyng the character or marke of the beast, whych they haue at Rome, Apo. xiij. Also they haue lyberte in that generacyon to iudge blacke whyte, euyll good, sower swete, and darkenesse lyghte, & also to wurke therafter, Esa. v. And whan he had ones returned home agayne, 1095. by vertu of Antichristes commissyon, he remoued hys seate of poysenynge Christes flocke, from Thetforde to Norwyche in y ^e yeare of our lorde. a M. xcvi. 1096 dyspossessynge the prestes and theyr wyues, and placynge y ^e monkes in their rowmes, to make that church a Sodome. Guilhelmus Malmesburi­ensis, Radulphus de Diceto, Matthaeus Paris, Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis, Ranulphus, Rogerus, Thomas rudborne, Ioannes Eucres­den, [Page xlv] Ioannes Capgraue, Fabianus & alij.

☞ The robbery, symony, and sacrilege, of the seyd Herbert.

OF thys byshop Herbert, Testy­monyes. were many straunge thynges written, but yet very couertly and craftely (I thynke) to hyde the open shewe of hys e­uyls, because he was so great an abbeye foundar. Some there were that scoffyng­ly bestowed vpon hys predecessour Arfa­stus and hym thys texte, Non hunc, sed Bar­rabam, Ioan, xviij. Not hym, but Barrabas. For Arfastus had translated the byshop­ryck from Helmam to Thetforde, whyche were in those dayes but vyllages. But he trāslated it frō thēs to Norwych, Nor­wych. whyche was a famouse towne, and of great occu­pyenge. An other sort gaue thys texte, by the waye, Amice, ad quid uenisti? Mathae, xxvi. Frende, wherfore art thou come? Thus slyely they compared hym to Bar­rabas and Iudas, whych both were the­ues, Malmesburius, Ranulphus, & Treuisa. Moreouer a Poete or versyfyer of that age, made these verses of hym.

Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. iiij. de regibus. A deuyll Great sute made the monkes of Nor­wych, to haue had thys Herbert a canonysed saynt But suche impedimentes were alwayes in the waye, that it coulde not be obtayned.

☞ Other anoynted prelates of the lame race.

SImon the hygh Deane of Lyn­colne, Simon. occupyed that rowme not without a cause. For his father Robert Bloet, was y ^e lecherouse bulle, by­shop I shuld saye, of that large dyocese. This Simon was a lusty bloude (y ^e scory sayth) & as good a treadyng cocke as euer [Page xlv] was his father, with sterne lokes on both sydes, as proude as a pecock. Henricus huntendunensis in libro de contemptu mundi, Ra­nulphus in polychronico, & Guilhelmus Hor­man in fasci rerum Britannicarū. It is also re­ported of Radulphus de Diceto, in hys chro­nycle called Imagines historiarum, that Ro­bert Peche the byshop of Chestre, Couent­re, and Lychefelde, begate Richarde Pe­che the archedeacon of Couentre, Richard Peche. whyche afterwarde, as reason was, succeded hys father as byshop on same dyoceses by inheritaunce. Radulphus praefatus, Guilhel­mus Malmesburiensis in opere de pontificibus, & Guilhelmus Hormā in abreuiatione etusdē. The thyrde example wyll I there bryng iii, though it chaunced longe afore, whych I haue left out in the first part of my vota­ryes. Ethelwolf the sonne of kynge Egbert, Ethel­wolf. was professed a monke at Wynche­stre, and receyued the ordre of a subdea­con vndre byshopp Helmestane. A bishop After­wardes ascendynge from one degre to an other, he was constytute byshop of Wyn­chestre, and a Cardynall as some chrony­cles hath, about the yeare of our lorde. viij hundreth and iij. By dyspensacyon of Po­pe Gregory the fourth, 803 he reygned kynge after hys father, and marryed Osbur­ga hys owne butlers doughter, by whom he had foure sonnes, whyche all reygned [Page] kynges after hym and one doughter. In the tyme of hys monkery, afore he was marryed, he begate a bastard called Adel­stane, A ba­stard whome he made vndre him the duke of Westsaxons, Rogerus houeden, Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis, Henricus Bradsha, Iaco­bus Mayer, & Ionnnes Scuysh.

☞ Of Wulstane the mysbegotten byshop of Worcestre.

Wulstanus y ^e canonysed bishop of Worcestre, Wul­stane. had a monke of that abbeye to hys father, called Esta­nus, and a nonne not farre of to hys mo­ther, that was named Vulgena. By by­shop Brithegus was he made a monke, & so was sent fourth to the monastery of Peterburg, to be instructed and so brought fourth in the ydel rules of monkery. Whā it came to passe that he was ones byshop, Louers. muche loue (they saye) he had of fayre wo­men, and yet lyued alwayes a vyrgyne, whych is a matter very harde to be bele­ued. The pontyfycall rynge wherwith he blessed the stretes in stede of Christen preachynge, to blesse. he wolde neuer put from him, no, not at hys very death, but commaunded it to be buryed wyth him (I thynke) to blesse therwith, whan he shulde aryse at the lat­tre daye. Matthaeus paris, Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, Ranulphus, Rogerus, Radulphus de Diceto, Thomas Rudborne, Ioannes Capgraue & alij. Olde wyues in Worcestre shyre, [Page xlvij] by the helpe of ydle headed monkes, to whom parauenture they had bene baw­des, practysed vpon the Ethymology of hys name a most shamefull and folyshe fable, A fable. whych yet remayneth amonge them. Hys father (they sayde) wyllyng to haue a do with hys mother vpon good frydaye, and she not consentynge therunto for the dayes sake, was compelled to leaue his begettynge vpon a stone, which she fyndyng there & lamentynge the losse therof, wrap­ped it vp in a locke of wolle, and so nory­shed him vp vndreneth her arme hole. By this meanes (they saye) he was first called Wulstone. Wolstone Thys had bene a straunge be­gettynge of a chylde, but y ^t it was in mon­kery, whose wayes were not in that wur­kynge, lyke other mennys wayes. O most prodygyouse sodomytes, how haue ye illuded the symple with hypocresye and lyes?

☞ Of Steuen Hardynge and hys Cysteanes.

STeuen Hardyng was first a monke of S. Benets errour, Hardin [...] ordre I shuld saye, at Sherborne not farr from Salysbury. Thys man to sprede a­broade the braunches of hypocresye, went from thens into Scotlande, and so fourth into Fraunce and Italye tyll he came to Rome. We reade not all thys tyme that euer he taught any Christen doctryne by y ^e godly offyce of preachynge or yet of wri­tynge. [Page] But after he had visyted Rome and wandered ouer all Italye (muche good stuffe ye maye thynke, he gathered there) he returned into the prouynce of Burgun­dy, and there made hymselfe a monke a­gayne. Yet was he not so quyeted (marke the subtyle workynge of Sathan) but he toke with hym a certen of hys ydell com­panyons, and fled into the wyldernesse of Cistercium, and there he began the wyc­ked secte of Cisteanes, Cistea­nes. otherwyse called the whyte monkes, to be noysed abroade a newe authour of relygyon. And thys was in the yeare of our lorde. a M. & xcviij. 1098. It remayneth yet to the glory of Englande (sayth Wyllyam of Malmesbury) that the ordre of Cisteanes was firste begonne by an Englysh man. Vincentius, Antoninus, Houeden, Capgraue, Bergomas, Aegidius Faber, Thomas Scrope, Ioannes Paleonydorus, ac Polydorus Vergilius de iuentoribus re­rum. Of the ambycyon, lecherie, and co­uetousnesse of thys abhomynable secte, and how it came first into Englande, I wyll shewe more at large hereafter. 1135. Ab­out thys tyme arose other sectes of perdy­cyon, Sectes. as the Grandimontensers, Camal­duleanes, Cartusyanes, darke alleye bre­therne, Rhodyanes, Templers, Hospyte­lers, Premonstrates, Iosephytes, and o­thers, with innumerable swarmes of their [Page xlviij] laysye leaue locustes, crepynge slowly out of the smoky bottomlesse pytt, Apo­cal. ix.

☞ Graue sentences, declarynge. the malyce of thys age.

Wernerus Roleuinke, a Charte­rouse monke of Coleyne, thus re­porteth in hys wurke called fasci­culus temporum, fasciculus that we commynge after shulde marke therof the daunger. A wan­ton tyme (sayth he) beganne about the yeare of our lorde a thousande, 1000. and so fo­lowed on. For than the Christen fayth ve­ry muche decayed, vtterly declynynge from her accustomed strengthe and olde manlynesse, to a feble faynt folwyng, as mayde Hildegarde sheweth in her prophe­cye. For in many regyons of the Christia­nyte, were the rytes of the church poluted with mennys inuencyons, and the sacra­mentes wyth sorceryes defyled, the myni­sters becommynge both sothsayers and coniurers. Sorce­ryes. So that many thought, and not without cause, that Antichrist was than in full power, Benno sayth also in y ^e lyfe of Hilbebrand, that the relygyō of the clergy was none other in those dayes, thā a very treason or vtter betrayenge of the worldely gouerners, to maynteyne their insacyable ambycyon, couetousnesse, & le­cherie. Thus were y ^e golden calues had in [Page] honour in that age (sayth Wernerus) meanynge the glytterynge prelates, And the other sort slayne or yll handeled, by them vnderstandynge y ^e true symple preachers, as was Berengarius, Oclefe, and such o­ther lyke, impugnynge their newe ydola­tryes. 1094 Iohan Capgraue writeth, y ^t a great reformacyon (a dyfformacyon he shulde haue sayd) was than in the Scottish chur­che, by procurement of quene Margarete, whych was an Englysh woman borne. What changes were here in the church of Englande, I haue & wyll hereafter more plenteously declare.

☞ Hildegardes prophecy, with other notes and ex­amples.

IN the yeare after Christes incarna­cyon a thousande and an hundred (sayde mayde Hyldegarde) the Apostles doctryne and feruent righteousnesse, 1100. whych God had planted in the faythfull Christyanes, begonne to go backe and to change, as it were, into a doubtfull stag­gerynge. But that womāly or fyckle tyme wyll not so longe endure, as it hath bene in breadyng, Vincentius, li, xxix. ca. xxi. And Iacobus Meyer in chronicis Flandriae, sayth, y ^t in the yeare of our lord a M. and xcvi. 1096 auaryce, ambycyon, and lecherie, so strongely toke place in the head rulers of the clergy, that scarse one coulde be found out amōge [Page xlix] them to resyst the wycked, by the swerde of the sprete whych is the worde of God. Many starres than semed to fall frō hea­uen. Sigebertus sayth, Realyte they ioy­ned to their sacramentall breade, Realyte. to make the people beleue it to be Christes naturall body. They set vp scole doctryne and the Popes canō lawes, sophystycally to mainteyne all fylthie supersticions. Commenly they disputed with cheanes and imprison­mentes, to terryfye their withstanders. Mathew of Westminstre sayth, that Paulus the abbot of S. Albons, Paulus folowyng the fotesteppes of his father Lāfrancus, was than here in Englande a most busy doer, for so muche as in England, fraunce, and Italye, the great [...] [...] of men folow­ed in those dayes the opynyon of Berengarius, and Oclefe. [...], sayth Henry the fourt Emp [...]o [...], to hys sonne than hauyng the gouernaunce, and he beyng vndre him a wofull [...]ysoner. Those hypocrytes de­ceyue the, Decey­uers. for they instruct not the multy­tude. They seke not thyne honour, but de­nye it. Vndre the colour of fayth, they pre­pare the snares of deceyt, whyls they pre­ferre the tradycyons of men to Gods ho­ly commaundementes. Adelboldus Traiec­tensis in uita Henrici Caesaris.

☞The fyrst fytt of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus.

[Page]ANselmus a Normandy monke, at the instaunt request, labour, and longe sute of the clergye, 1094 was con­stytute archebyshopp of Canterbury, by kynge Wyllyam Rufus. The reason why he was of our prelates afore all o­thers preferred to that dygnyte, was t [...]ys. They perceyued in hym great co­pye of learnynge, pregnancy of wytt, a stought stomake, a boldenesse vnshame­fast, an aduenterouse and folehardy head, and a face without bashefulnesse. Anselme Wher­vpon they thought hym a man most mete to withstande the kynges procedynges, why [...]he were in those dayes nothynge to the [...]r contentacy [...]ns. For kynge Wylly­am was suche a man as wolde not in ma­ny poyntes agre to their horryble amby­syon, Kynge Wyllyā auaryce, & incontynencyes. Whych than they vsed without all shame, He ded not muche fauer the churche of Rome (Mathew Paris sayth) bicause the holy prelat [...]s were so vnsacyably gyuen there to fylthie lucre. Suche indygnacyon he had agaynst the Pope, by reason of the scysme, whyche than was at Rome, that he in hys parlement enacted it, that none of hys subiectes shulde thydrewarde re­payre vndre forfeture of body and goo­ [...]s or [...]is vndre payne of perpetuall ex­yle. They coulde not be Peters vycars (he Vycars sayd) that studyed so muche for coue­tousnesse. [Page l] Neyther shulde they seme to holde hys power, whose vertuouse lyfe they had not in practyse. Concludynge that the byshop of Rome neyther had nor yet shulde haue any thynge to do in hys realme. He also restrayned the Rome shott, Fabyane sayth. Wherupon Ansel­mus iudgynge the kynge a scysmatyke, Anselme a rebell, and a tyraunt, obstynatly withstode hym to the very face lyke a ruffelynge ro­uer. For the whyche he was reckened a traytour, as he was wele wurthie, the o­ther byshoppes holdynge their fyngars in their noses. Matthaeus Paris, Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, Radulphus de Diceto, Ioan­nes Capgraue, & Ioannes Scuysh.

☞ Fyne conueyaunces of these wylye wormes.

IT was no longe tyme after that, ere the byshop of Rome had know­ledge of this matter by secrete mas­sengers, Spyes. as the clergy hath euermore had their betrayers of prynces. Wherunto he made this wylye and foxish aunswere. Dum furor in cursu est, currenti cede furori. Whyls fury is in course, gyue place to it, as though he wolde at layser recompence it, whan he shulde se hystyme. 1095. The next yeare after was Gualtherus Albanensis a byshopp Cardynall sent into Englande [Page] from Pope Vrbane the second, bryngyng with hym the metropolycall mantell of Anselme, to augment hys cockysh autory­te. Thys Gualtherus craftely pacifyed y ^e wrath of the kyng, and colourably or dys­semblyngly reconcyled both Anselme and the Pope vnto hym, only to serue y ^e tyme. Anselme from thens fourth shewed a me­ry countenaunce (Mathew Paris sayth) to cause kyng Wyllyam to thynke that he bare hym no dyspleasure, False­hede but had forgot­ten all iniuryes. O most crafty foxe. Anon after vpon thys dyssymulacyon, he axed lycens of the kynge to go to Rome wyth thys Cardynall, whych he very prudent­ly denyed hym for doubt of wronge appellacyons and increase of scysme, vnlesse he wolde go & no more returne agayne. For there was no cause why he shulde go thy­dre, A tray­tour. hauynge hys prymates palle brought to hym, vnlesse it were to wurke some se­crete myschefe, as he ment no lesse by the­se fyue colours of deceyt. Than played he the part of a trayterouse renegate ryght out, fleynge out of the realme without ly­cens. All thys hath Mathew Paris in the seconde boke of hys ch [...]onycles, and Radulphus de Diceto.

☞ An other fytt of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus.

MArke the arrogaunt sprete of An­tichrist in this obstinate Anselme. [Page li] In a bitter malyce he sodenly departed frō the kynge, A Sathā not takynge hys leaue as beca­me a good subiect. To Canterbury he ro [...]e in poste haste, and so forth to Douer, pry­uely to steale a passage ouer by nyghte, more lyke a thefe than a true man. But where was than hys kynges obedyence, accordyng to thys doctryne of Paule? Let euery sowle submyt hymselfe to the hygh­ar power. For who so resysteth that pow­er, resysteth the set ordinaunce of God, Roma. xiij. Thys was farre frō our Anselme. Se now what folowed therfore. Whan thys packynge was ones knowne & detec­ted by secrete spyes, A rebell. the kynges offycer Wyllyam Warelwast preuented the pas­sage, searchyng by the kynges strayght cō maundement, all hys trusses, coffers, ma­les, bowgettes, sackes, satchels, sleues, purse, napkyn, and bosome, A search for letters and for moneye, and so lete hym go lyke a va­gabonde, all hys goodes seysed as a fore­feyture to y ^e kinges vse. Neuerthelesse whā he came ones to Rome, he was reuerently and ioyfully receyued of Pope Vrbane, & made lorde hygh presydent of all hys generall counsels. He persuaded the seyd Pope to take frō the tēporall prynces the whole power & autoryte of makynge byshoppes and abbotes, declarynge vnto hym, what cōmodyte and profyte he myght haue by the same. Sugges­tyon. He taught hym also many other [Page] fyne propertyes and feates, how to playe the Pope in dede, and how to become a full Antichrist in length and in bredthe, in pryde and in all other vngodlynesse. Loke Mathew Paris, and Iohan Capgraue.

☞ Anselmes good deuocyon and prayer for women.

RAnulphus and Treuisa sayth, that whan thys Anselme was yet but a lowsye abbot, 1089 in a certen counsell holden at Turon in Fraunce, Pope Vr­bane at hys instygacyon enacted it, that the Iewysh sabbot shulde be altogyther turned to the seruyce of our ladye, and that euery daye in the weke her mattens and houres shuld be sayd of all the whole cler­gye. Wherin I wolde this poynt to be specyally marked of all my readers. In the responde afore. Te deum at mattens, & in the anteme after Magnificat at euē songe was thys solempne petycyon both songe and sayde. Petyciō Ora pro populo, Interueni pro clero, Intercede pro deuoto foemineo sexu. Praye for y ^e people, be a gracyouse meane for the clergye, and make intercessyon for the deuo [...]te kynde of women, It thys de­uoute kynde had bene taken for the whole kynde of women, women. it had neuer bene placed so nygh the [...] But surely it was some [...] of women, that they there [...] for, And not [Page lij] only of them, that gaue aultre clothes and towels, waxe cādels and eches, masse grotes and trentals, but also of them that ser­ued their other secrete nedes, whan the naturall beates were importa [...]le. Tush, they neuer had hartes to do so great thynges, and contynually for nought, but a prouo­kynge cause there was in the waye. Tru­ly thys was a fryndly foundacyon of Anselme for prestly women, Fryndly though he were not very fryndely to their marryage, as afterwarde shall apere. What wurthie ac­tes he ded in the other. iij. counsels, at Cleremount, Baren, and Rome, the processe folowynge shall wele declare.

☞ Hys crafty conueyaunce in those. iij. counsels.

IN the yeare of our lorde a M. and xcvi. 1096 Vrb [...]nus helde a generall coū sell at Cle [...]emount in fraunce, wheras by the subtyle persuasyons of Anselme, he moued the Christen prynces to warre vpon the Turkes and Saracenes for the defence of Hierusalem and recouer of o­ther noble cyties of the holy lande, as they called it, gyuynge them a crosse to fyght vndre. And thys was chefely to occupye their ydell h [...]ades, whyls they were practysynge and bryngynge to passe other matters for the full establyshe­ment of Antychristes reygne. Practy­ses. Neuer. was there suche a knauerye practysed [Page] vndre so precyouse a colour, as was thys wynnynge of Hierusalem. Marke it for y ^e space of more than. ij. hondred yeares. For vndre that they brought all their false pac­kynges to passe, demynyshed the temporal power, wrought all their myschefes, and made themselues ryche without measure. The next yeare after, to occupye the tyme, was an other counsell holden at Baren in Apuita, 1097 where Anselmus played the man, dysputynge agaynst the Grekes for ha­uyng leuened breade in their communyon and for admyttynge the marryage of pre­stes. though the chronicles name an other thynge. For Sigebertus sayth, that Nichetas a learned Greke and monke of Cōstantynople, Niche­tas. had written a lytle afore, de azimis Latinorum ac sacerdotum nuptijs, of the vn­leuened breade of the Latynes and the ne­cessary wynyng of prestes, against y ^t blas­phemyes of the byshop of Rome. In the great synode at Rome the next yeare after that, 1098 was the stallynge of prel [...]tes and ad­myttynge to benefyces clerely takē awaye from the temporall rulers by the whose [...] sent of that counsell, at the importune cal­lynge on of our Anselme, all laye men be­ynge accursed that from thens forth shuld attempt it. I tolde ye afore, they wolde wurke wonders, wōders whan they were ones frō home that shulde haue cōtrouled their do­ynges. Matthaeus Paris, Rogerus houeden, Ra­dulphus [Page liij] de Diceto, Thomas rudborne, Ioannes Capgraue, & alij plures.

☞ A wonderfull ouerthrowe of the temporall power.

SIgebertus, Vincentius, Mathew Paris, and dyuerse other writers reporteth, that in these. iij. coūsels they both renewed & confirmed the wyc­ked decrees of Pope Hildebrande. Coūsels More­ouer they enacted that the churche, as they thā called their shorlynges, shuld be faythfull amonge themselues, shuld outwardly professe a chastyte, & be clerely exempted from the laye powee. They ordayned that byshoppes, abbotes, and prestes, shulde in no wyse receyue any spirytuall promocy­ons of prynces or kynges, for lucre neyther yet of any laye person, but only of the Pope for moneye, and that they shulde not medle with handy labours, whyche they called worldly occupyenges, but leade all theyr lyues in a slouthfull ydelnesse. They ap­poynted the laye people to fast y ^e lent, their masmongers and shauelynges Septuage­sime. aduent, rogacyon dayes, and quater-temper, and their whorysh orders only to be gyuen on their fastynge dayes. They ordayned also that he which robbed a pre­late shulde [...]e outlawed, Actes. and he that strake a prest, shulde be accursed. They decreed y ^t kyndredes shuld not marry to y ^e vij. or viij degre in bloude, in peyne of their great [Page] curse, that laye men shulde bye no tythes, that none shulde be chosen byshoppes vn­lesse they were preste [...] or deacons afore, neyther yet any prestes sonnes admytted to holy orders, Mōkes. except [...]hey had bene pro­fessed monkes, All th [...] [...] Mathew Paris, li. ij. historiae [...] bru­ynges had the Babylon buylders, whyls the vndyscrete prynces of Christendome were fightynge for Hierusalem amonge y ^e Turkes, they kepyng their wyues warme tyll they came fole home agayne. A con­ueyaunce was thys, I thynke neuer any so wylye and subtyle afore.

☞ Blasphemyes are vttered agaynst God and hys Christ.

Make spede.IN thys lattre counsell of Rome, as in the closyng vp of the whole, they went more sharpely to wurke than afore, Simeon of Durham and Roger Houeden sayth, in their chronycles. For than they gaue open sentence of excommunyca­cyon vpon all laye persones, what so euer they were, that shulde from thens fourth exhybyte any spirytuall promocyons, v­pon them also that receyued them of their handes, eyther yet shulde consecrate any suche receyuers. Moreouer they accur­sed all them that for benefyces or other promocyons shulde serue any great man, A curse. [Page liiij] kynge, prynce, duke, or earle, of the layte. For it was vnsemynge (they sayd) yea, they called it a thynge very execrable and wycked, that the handes whyche were conuerted into so hygh wurkynge, as was graunted to no Angell, that is to saye, to create hym wyth their crossyn­ges whyche created all (o abhomyna­ble Antichristes) and to offer hym vp for mannys redempcyon, o deuils. whyche rede­med all (o theues and sowle murthe­rers) vnsemynge it is (saye they) that their holy handes shulde be brought to suche a slauerye, as to be subiect to tho­se fylthye handes (o hypocryte knaues) whyche both daye and nyght are polu­ted wyth shamefull touchynges, Blas­phemy rob­beryes, and bloude shede. Thys was the closynge vp of that wycked counsell, the prestes clappynge their handes for ioye. Whyche turned all Christendome to a most heauye ruyne, as hereafter wyll apere. Simeon Dunelmensis, libro secundo. Rogerus Houeden, libro primo Radulphus de Diceto, & Capgraue. What was this counsell els, but the mouthe of the beast spea­kyng blasphemyes? A mouth Daniel. vij. & Apocal. xiij. Though these matters were first proponed at Cleremount in Fraunce, and after enacted at Baren in Apulia, yet were they not so strayghtly knyttt vp tyll they came to Rome.

[Page]Marke the good conueyaunce.

☞ Anselmus, made Pope of En­glande for hys practyses.

FOr the wyttie inuencyons, foreca­stynges, Sorce­ryes. polecyes, dysputacyons, & other laboryouse affayres of Ansel­me about the ouerthrowe of pryncely autoryte, and vprearynge of Antichristes ty­ranny, and for hys earnest prouocacyons to haue them perfourmed in y ^e crafty wurkynges of Sathan, to se hym horrybly, ho­nourably I shulde saye, rewarded for hys paynes, Pope Vrbanus appoynted both hym and them that shulde afterwarde suc­cede in the patryarcall seate of Canterbu­ry, A seate. to sytt at hys ryght fote in euery gene­rall counsell, and that he also ratifyed by a specyal decre. And thus was it proclamed whan that place was gyuen hym, in the o­pē synode. Includamus hunc in orbe nostro, tanquā alterius orbis Papan [...]. Lete vs include or admyt thys man in our worlde here, as y ^e Pope of an other worlde, meanynge great Brytayne or England, Englāde whych the old cos­mographers and famouse hystoryanes called an other worlde, for so much as it se­med from the great worlde by sea dyuy­ded, as Virgyll also sheweth in his Bucolyckes. Neuer was there any place peculyarly appoynted to the archebyshoppes of Canterbury afore that daye. All this hath Thomas Rudborne in medulla chronicorū, [Page lv] Iohan Capgraue in a maner confirmyng the same, where as he calleth him the Apostle and patryarke of the other worlde. I haue alwayes bene of thys opynyon, that S. Iohans Apocalyps hath as wele hys fulfyllynge in the partycular nacyons, A pope. as in the vnyversall churche. I speake it here for Anselme, whych was the great Pope or Antichrist of Englande. Marke it har­dely in hym, and a great sort more of hys wycked successours.

☞The chastyte of Anselme, and death of kynge Wyllyam.

ANselme anon after departed frō hys holy father Vrbanus, as he myghte wele spare him whan his turne was ones serued, and so came to Lyons, 1099 where as he remayned tyll y ^e death of kyng Wyllyam Rufus. In the meane tyme for hys recreacyon (Iohan Cagraue sayth) he sumtyme resorted to Hugh the abbot of Clunyake, and to hys, praty nōnes at Marceniacum. I thynke not the cōtrary, but it was to ease hym of some great burdene. For Roger Hourden, Mathew Paris, & other writers affirmeth, A sonne. that he had a ne­phewe called Iunior Anselmus, whych after the rule of the Romane prelates, is as mu­che to saye as a sonne. He behelde it in a visyon at Lyons (they saye) how S. Albone and other Englysh sayntes, sent fourth an euyll sprete to slee the seyd kyng Wyllyā, [Page] for oppressynge their abbeyes. But I be­shrewe their cruell hartes, their preuy le­gerdemaynes were not muche to be tru­sted, that kynge so sodenly slayne. They feyne in an other fable, A fable. that he tare with his tethe Christes fleshe from hys bones as he hyng on the roode, for witholdynge the landes of certen byshopryckes and abbeyes, Polydorus not beynge ashamed to rehearce it. Some where they call hym a reade dragon, some where a fyery ser­pent and a bloudy tyraunt, for occupyenge the fruites of their vacaunt benefyces ab­out hys pryncely buyldynges. Thus rayle they of their kynges wythout ey­ther reason or shame, in their legendes of abhomynable lyes. Loke Eadmerus, He­linandus, Raylers Vincentius, Mathew of Westmynstre, Rudborne, Capgraue, Wylly­am Caxton, Polydore, and others. Wher euer hearde ye afore, that their superflu­ouse, ydell, and slowe belly liuynges were Christes fleshe? eyther yet that an olde paynted roode had fleshe? Lete not thys be forgotten.

☞ Kyng Henry marryeth a votary without dyspensacyon.

1101.HEnry the first of that name, con­stytute kynge, Anselmus returned into England agayne, & marryed hym to a professed nonne of Wynchestre, called Maude, whych was the doughter [Page lvi] of Malcolme the kyng of Scottes. Much a do had her father and mother, cōfessour and abbesse (Mathew Paris sayth) to per­swade her to thys marryage, and to ob­tayne her consent in the ende, by reason of her former professyon and vowe. Yet cursed she the fruite that shulde come of her body, Yll chaūge. whyche afterward turned her chyldren to great mysfortune (Polydorus sayth) for therupon were her two sonnes Wyllyam and Richarde drowned in the sea, and her doughter Maude the empresse an infortunate mother in bryngynge forth Henry the seconde, whyche put vnto death holy Thomas Becket. Here was (I trowe) no bad iudgement. As scrupu­lose as Anselme was in other causes, yet founde he no faulte in thys marryage, No faulte. whan he coupled them togyther, neyther sought he to haue that vowe dyspensed with. If Ranulphus and Treuisa he brou­ght in to proue her vowe a dissymulacyō, and that the seyd Anselme so founde it. I haue Mathew Paris, Rudborne, Poly­dore, and other autours more to confound them, which largely hath declared it a full vowe & professyon. But of one thynge I sumwhat maruele, why they and Wyllyā of Malmesbury shulde iudge it an vnwor thie marriage, Iudge­mentes. & cōmende her for spending her substaūce so prodigally, vpō syngars, mynstrels, & poetes, delyghtynge in their [Page] balettes and vayne praysynges, & oppres­synge her tenauntes to maynteyne them. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis, li. v. de regibus, & Ranulphus. li. vij. ca. xvi.

☞ Anselme wurketh wyles, and Randolfe playne treason.

SOme writers haue thought, spe­cyally Mathew of Westminstre, that Anselmus bare with kynge Henry in thys matter concernynge hys marryage, A prac­tyse. to wynne hym in an other mu­che more wayghtie & profytable purpose. For in that generacion they are more wy­ly (Christ sayth) than are the chyldren of lyghte, Luce. xvi. But he fayled of hys purpose at that present. For immedyatly after y ^e kynge made Reinalmus y ^e quenes chaū ­cellour, byshopp of Herforde without the clergyes eleccyon, Lyke a kyng. and put hym in posses­syon without the Popes autoryte, contra­ry to the othe of hys coronacyon, as testy­fyeth Radulphus de Diceto, Mathew Pa­rts, and Roger Honeden. But whan Randolfe the byshop of Durham, whome the kynge put in the Tower of London for oppressyon and yll rule kepynge, had ones broken out of the pryson in the dronkēnesse of his kepers, and fledde into Normandy, persuadynge duke Robert Courtoys, to subdue the kynge hys brother, Rādolfe and so to vsurpe hys crowne, promysynge also that he had made hym fryndes within y ^e lande [Page lvii] by hys secrete counsell and letters. In hys commynge (as the seyd duke toke it ones vpon hym) a great commocion was with­in the realme, the prelates freshly reioy­cynge therat, and causynge it to be noysed a broade, that thys soden inuasyon was, for that kynge Henry had dysobeyed their holy father of Rome, defeated hys eldar brother, and marryed Christes professed spowse. And al this they subtylye had practysed, Practise to take the peoples hartes from him that he myght the more easely haue bene subdued (as they thought) to their commodyte. Yet God of hys great mercye gaue hym than, as he hed oft after that, the vic­tory ouer hys enemyes vnloked for, to their vtter shame and confusyon. Matthae­us Paris, & alij.

☞ The chast procedynges of dyuerse holy prelates.

IN the same very yeare, whych was the yeare of our lorde a M. a C. and one, 1101 Thomas the archebyshopp of Yorke, surnamed the eldar, whome Lan­francus proued a prestes sonne afore pope Alexandre the seconde, as is vttered afore, departed the worlde. Thys Thomas had a nephewe (Ranulphus sayth) called also Thomas the yongar. ij. Thomas. Ye knowe what a nephewe is by the rules of Rome, whose fotesteppes the fathers most studyously folowed in that age as naturall subiectes [Page] and chyldren of their creacyon. By ryght he shulde haue folowed hys father in that offyce, as a naturall inheritour to the my­ter, but he was preuented by one Gerarde (Wyllyam of Malmesbury, Gerard. Ranulphe, & Roger of Chestre saith) which was a man as the commen same went, gyuen all to lecherouse lyghtnesse & to sorcerouse witch­craftes. For whan he on a tyme was foūd dead in an herber, a boke of curiouse artes was foūd vndre his pyllowe, made by Iulius Firmicus, whom he vsed to reade to himelfe in the none tyde. For y ^e whych his owne clergye wold scarsely suffer hym to be buryed w ^tout the church vndre tyrfes or soddes of the grasse. Roger Houedē sayth, that thys yongar Thomas at the last be­ynge archebyshop of Yorke and lyenge in extremes, 1114. was a persuaded of hys phesycy­anes to take to hym a woman for remedy of hys dysease, whyche he vtterly refused to do, and so dyed. If thys were true, as I much doubt of it, than was he a phoenix in that generacyon, for Danyel sayth, that their hartes shulde be set all vpon women Danie. xi. But who so euer shall resort to hys doctryne and fruytes in Antichristes prelacie, doctrine shall fynde hym a virgyne of a farre other sort than Christe hath allowed in the scryptures.

☞ Prestes marryage condempned of our Anselme,

[Page lviij]HEnry of Huntyngton in the first boke of hys chronycles sayth, that in the yeare of our lorde a M. a C & ij. 1102. which was the iij. yeare of kyng Hen­ry the first, at the feast of S. Michael the archangell, Anselme the archebyshopp of Canterbury helde a great counsell at London, at Westmynstre some chronycles hath, whyche is all one. Kynge Wyllyam Rufus for hys tyme, wolde suffre the cler­gye to holde no such assemblyes, and ther­fore they mortally hated hym. In the whi­ch counsell (sayth the seyd Henry, Roger of Westchestre confirmynge the same) he forbad the prestes of Englande their wy­ues, neuer afore y ^e daye prohybeted. Marry­age. Mark this. Whyche semed to many (saye they) a very pure relygyon, but some men there were whyche thought it a matter full of parell, and wolde not haue had it so passe, least the prestes professynge a chastyte a­boue their strengthes, shulde therby fall into most horryble [...]yndes of fylthynesse (a Christen sentence) to the great blemysh and shame of Christianyte. Sodo­metrye And bicause I wolde thys poynt to be the more earnest­ly marked of my readers, to the confusyō of antichristes bullish buggerers of Anselmes & Hildebrandes brode, I put here y ^e v [...] ­ry wordes of those autours, as they stād in their latine workes. In quo concilio (inquiūt) [Page] Anselmus prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus An­glorum, marke it antea non prohibitas. Quod quibusdā mundissimum ursum est, quibusdam periculo­sum, ne, dum munditias uiribus maiores appe­terent▪ in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent. For o­ther Englysh writers sheweth not the mat [...]er so lyuely, as doth thys Henry & Roger.

☞ The actes of Anselmes great synode.

FIrst they enacted in thys counsell, by vertu of Hyldebrandes consty­tucyon and Vrbanes Bulle, Actes that the horryble vyce of symony shulde be condempned for euer, whyche was not com­mytted whan they solde bishopryckes, ab­beyes, deaneryes, prebendes, orders, dedy­cacyons, consecracyons, benefyces, or any other ecclesyastycall doynges or promocyons, but only whan the kynge or any other laye persone ded gyue them or dispose thē. Thys was their spirituall meanynge. Next vnto that, they enacted, that no ar­chedeacon (th [...]y spake of no byshoppes) preste, Exēpt. deacon, subdeacon, collygener nor canon, shulde from thens fourth marry a wyfe, nor yet kepe her styll, if he had bene marryed to one afore. They ordayned also that a preste kepynge company wyth hys wyfe, shulde be iudged vnlawfull, & that he shulde saye no masse, & if he sayd masse, [Page lix] that it shuld not be hearde. They charged that none were admytted to orders from that tyme forward (marke the tyme) vn­lesse they professed a chastyte, Chast professiō neyther yet that any prestes sonnes shulde clayme by heretage the benefyces of their fathers, as the custome had alwayes bene, Other ac­tes they made there els, concernynge pre­stes garmentes, shauynges, shopynges, of­ferynges, tythynges, buryenges, buyldyn­ges, confessynges, eatynges, and slepyn­ges (no preachynges) to folyshe to be re­hearced. Al a like Loke the boke of Anselmes. ccc. lxvij. epystles. Se here hardely, if the kyng were not as wele dyspatched of hys pryn­cely power and autoryte one waye, as the prestes of theyr wyues an other waye. O wylye wurkers in that kyngedome of inyquyte. Nothynge was done here by the worde of God to hys glorye, but by the byshop of Romes autoryte to their vayne glorye.

☞ Penaltees for them whych broke these actes.

BEsydes their synodall actes, these iniunccions gaue they to the prestes whych were dyvorced, Iniunc­tyons. First that they and their wyues shulde neuer more mete in one howse, neyther yet haue dwel­lynge within their parryshes. If any of them shulde be accused by ij. or. iij. wyt­nesses, and coulde not pourge hymselfe [Page] agayne by sixe able men of hys owne or­dre, he shulde be iudged a transgressour of the statute, depryued of hys benefyce, and made an infame or be put to the open re­proche of all men. Shamed He that rebelled, or in contempt of their newe statute helde styll hys wyfe, and presumed to saye masse, vpon the. viij. daye after shulde be solempnely excommunycated. All archedeacons and deanes were strayghtly sworne, Forfay­tes. not to colour their metynges, neyther yet to beare with them for moneye. And if they wolde not be sworne to thys, that than they shulde lose their offyces wythout re­couer. All the moueable goodes of them that were proued to transgresse the for­mer statute, remayned as forfaytes to the byshoppes, their poore wyues condemp­ned for commen whores. Anselmus in epi­stolis. Neuer was there any tyranny a­gaynst the let ordynaunce of God, lyke vn­to thys tyranny of Antichrist, sens the worldes begynnynge, neyther vndre Pharao, Antiochus, Nero, nor yet Dioclecya­ne. All thys tyme was not the shamefull sodometry, Bugge­rers. whych secretly lurked among the ydell monkes, ones refourmed nor yet spoken of. Was it not happye (thynke yow) for Englande, that these fylthie buyldynges of Antichrist, had y ^e good helpe of Whynchesters vowes of. xxi. yeare, to vphold thē 1539. whan they were droppyng away [Page lx] in this lattre age? If ye consydre it well, ywys it hath passed all stage playe.

☞ Abbotes deposed, and prestes in Northfolke depryued.

IN this solempne counsell a great nombre of abbottes were deposed and dysgraded, chefely these by na­me. Guye the abbot afperscour, Abbotes Aldewy­ne the abbot of Ramseye, Wymunde the abbot of Tauestoc, Godryck the abbot of Peterburgh, Haymo the abbot of Ceruel, Agelryck the abbot of Mydeltō, Richard the pryour of Hely, Robert the abbot of S. Edmondes Bury, the abbot of Mycel­ney, the abbot of Stoke, & certen others. I thynke it was for hauntyng of whores, For whores. or for bandy rule kepynge. For Simeon of Durham, Radulphus Niger, Roger Ho­ueden, Iohan Euersdene, and other histo­ryanes report, that they lyued without all honestie. Byshopp Herbert of Norwych had muche a do with the prestes of hys dyocese anon after this counsell. For they wolde neyther leaue their wyues, nor yet gyue ouer their benefyces. Herbert. Wherupon he wrote to Anselme the archebyshopp for counsell, what was to be done ther­in Whyche Anselme requyred hym by writinge to persuade the people of North­folke and Southfolke, that as they professed a Christianite, they shuld subdue [Page] them as rebelles agaynst the churche, and vtterly dryue both them and their marry­ed wyues out of the contreye with rebu­kes and shame, placynge monkes in their rowmes. Loke the C. & lxxvi. epystle of Anselme. Anselme This was the reuerence that the fallen starres had in those dayes of hypo­cr [...]sye, to that holye ordynaunce of marry­age, whych God had prouyded for man­nys naturall necessyte. O subtyle Sodo­mytes, how deuylyshely demented yow mennys eyes in that age, that they ded not perceyue your wycked sorceryes?

☞ The raylynge ryme of a folysh monke.

ABout the same tyme as malycyouse mōke or beast without all good learnynge, A iestar. made these folysh verses in dyspyght of the marryed prestes, and set them vpon doores and postes, to cause the people to abhorre thē for their marriages.

Thys founde I at Ramseye abbeye, in a lyttle treatyse de monachatu. Was it not good stuffe to confounde prestes marry­age with? Good stuffe. Where founde thys raskal mō ­ke, that marryage was a naughty lyfe? ey­ther yet that God euer hated the wyfe of a preste? consyderynge that Abraham, Aa­ron, and Peter, pleased their lorde God in marryage. Who wolde for righteousnesse thretten helle, but a fylthie Antichrist kna­ue? Anti­christ. Neuer was it Christes dere spowse that forbad the mynystracyon of a mar­ryed mynyster, but the sorcerouse syna­goge of the deuyll. They are godly wyse that withstande this hypocresy of Sathā, and no foles, though thys beastly fole so call them, of a spyghtfull hate agaynst the veryte of the lorde.

☞ The earnest resystaunce of Yorke dyocese.

GErarde the archebyshop of Yorke, whan he was ones satled at home after the aforesayd great counsell, [Page] laboured to sett that waye of wyckednesse in hys prouynce of Yorke, that Anselme had planted afore hym in the prouynce of Canterbury. For as the kynges had their regyons of God, so had these sorcerers their sorted out prouynces of the tyrannt of Rome, and wolde be aboue them with­in their owne nacyons, as their wycked maistre wolde be aboue God in hys mo­narchycall meddelynges. Whan thys Gerarde had begonne hys feates, Gerard. to de­pryue the prestes of their wyues, not on­ly ded they knytt hym vp with bytynge wordes, but also they manfully reasoned, argued, and dysputed with hym. And whan that wold not helpe, they sharpely threttened hym and reuyled hym, saynge, if they myghte not by the newe statute holde wyues of their owne, Wyues they wolde not spare the wyues of their neybers, make what lawes they wolde. Professy­on of chastyte wolde they none make, otherwyse than was their olde custome. Neyther coulde he cause them by any per­suasyon to take their newe orders, whyche had none orders afore, for doubt of the vowe annexed newly to them. And muche a do he had with the archedeacons sonne, whome for a certen summe of moneye he had made sure of hys fathers lyuynges afore hys dysseace. Bicause it was done afore that great synode, for lucre he wolde gladly [Page lxij] haue dyssolued it, but it wolde not so come to passe. Loke the epystles of Anselme, in the lattre ende.

☞ An other Synode at London for Sodomytes.

IN the next yeare after thys great counsel at Westmynstre for prestes diuorcementes, which was the yea­re of our lorde a M.a.C. and. iij. 1103. rumours and complayntes were brought to Ansel­me, that the lande was sore replenyshed with the execrable vyce of Sodometry. sens the clergye was inhybyted marrya­ge. Thus entered in thys plage here, with the wyckednesse of the Romanes for our vnbeleues sake, as S. Paule afore prophecyed, Roman. i. Than was Anselme com­pelled to call an other counsell at Paules within London, a synode where as he specyally e­nacted it amonge other matters, that eue­ry sondaye in the yeare, the Sodomytes shulde be pronounced excommunycate. Ranulphus. Rogerus & Treuisa. He orday­ned also that no cattell shulde be sold that daye, to seme to sytt vpon other matters so wele ae vpon y ^t, & sumwhat to shadowe y ^e filthienesse of his masmōgers. Wilye wer y ^e wurkers in y ^t wicked generaciō, to blind so y ^e syght of y ^e simple. The acte for Sodo­metrye was this. An acte. Sodomiticum flagitium fa­cientes, & eos in hac uoluntate inuātes, graui anathemate damnamus, donec poenitentia & [Page] confessione absolutionem mercantur. Wyth a greuouse curse we condempne both them that occupye the vngracyouse vyce of so­dometrye, Sodo­mytes. and them also that wyllyngly assyst them or be wycked doars with them in the same, tyll suche tyme as they maye deserue absolucyon by penaunce and con­fessyon. Is not here (thynke yow) good matter, and relygyously handeled? Wher was the learnynge of the lorde, yea, where were godly gouernours in thys wycked age? Oh that the people of God shulde be ledde by such helhoundes and theues, as these sodometrouse shauelynges were.

☞ A generall curse agaynst Buggerers.

NOw foloweth the rest of thys ac­te, marke it (good reader) & thou shalt beholde these holy canony­sed deuyls in their owne ryght colours. Saintes Qui uero in hoc crimine publicatus suerit, sta­tutum est, siquidem fuerit persona religiosi ordinis, ut ad nullum amplius gradum promouea­tur, & si quem habet, ab illo deponatur. Si au­tem laicus, ut in toto regno Anglie legali sua condignitate priuetur. Et ne huius criminis absolutionem ijs quise sub regula uiuere non nouerunt, aliquis nisi episcopus deinceps face­re praesumat, An acte. Statutum quo (que) est, ut per totam Angliam in omnibus ecclesijs & in omnibus diebus dominicis, excommunicatio praefata pu­blicetur ac renouetur.

[Page lxiij]It is enacted, that what so euer he is, that is noysed or proued to be of thys wycked­nesse, if he be a relygyouse persone, he shall from thens fourth be promoted to no de­gre of honour, and that whych he hath al­ready shall be taken from hym. If he be a laye person (a secular preste he meaneth) he shal be depriued of al his fredome within the lande (of benefyce he meaneth) and be no better than a foroner. Laye prest. And bicause that none els but a byshopp shal presume to as­soyle them that be not professed monkes, it is also enacted, that on euery sondaye in y ^e yeare, and in euery pareysh church of Englande, the seyd excommunycacyon or generall curse be publyshed and renewed. Publy­shed. Thys shall ye fynde in the volume of An­selmes epystles. Beholde (I praye yow) how nycely this matter is touched. I wys poore matrymonye thou cannyst fynde no suche tendre handelynge. No, thou shalt not dwell in the monasteryes, neyther yet abyde within the dyocese.

☞ A ryght vnderstandyng of the same.

SE how thys most shamefull mat­ter of bugrery is vntowardly tossed and conuayed here of these be­astly buggerers, Conueyaunce. the complayners therof fynely lawhed to scorne. So haue these holye fathers by their good discressyons qualyfyed the matter, that by confessyon and [Page] penaunce without repentaunce, of their owne appoyntynge, maye be able to dys­charge them. If he be a relygyouse father, as they haue appoynted relygyon, he shall haue no more harme but the losse of his dignyte tyll they restore hym agayne. Tēderly But if he be a laye man, he shal lose his fredome, that is to saye, if he were a secular prest, or one vnprested by them, he shuld clerly lose his benefyce, prebende, or other lyuynge, some sodometrouse monke takynge y ^e pro­fyghtes therof. None myghte dyspence with a laye preste, but hys byshop, whych than was most commenly a monke, to dy­spatche hym of hys lyuynge at hys plea­sure. Practise A buggerysh monke myghte be assoyled of his owne abbot at home, & remayne styll a fylthie buggerar for terme of lyfe, & neuer fele harme of it. This generall curse was only for prestes, deacons, subdeacōs, canons, and college men, whych the yeare afore thys lyued honestly in marryage, and now were becommen prodygyouse buggerers, Bugge­rers. as the monkes were in their cloysters, for want of their naturall wy­ues. The monkes were not threttened to be vndre thys curse, bicause they had vo­wed a symulate chastyte, and bicause that what myschefe so euer they ded, the monastery walles were able to hyde it.

☞This curse is publyshed, [Page lxiiij] and agayne dysolued.

ANselmus after this, declared by a large epystle to his archedeacon Wyllyam, Wyllyā what ordre he and the curates shulde take in the publyshynge of thys generall curse or excommuica­cyon for buggerye. He wylled them to shewe fauer in penaunce geuynge vndre hys autoryte, as wele to them that were ignoraunt of the constytucyon that was made, as to them that synned afore the acte. He admonyshed them also to con­sydre their ages, and to waye their con­tynuaunces in that synne, A rope with other cyrcumstaunces more, and whether they were such as had wyues afore or naye, that they myght so lose their benefyces. Anselmus in epistola. CC. lxxviij. Ye wold wondre to heare the whole tragedye. Here was a great reformacyon of thys horry­ble synne, wythout takynge awaye of the cause. O wycked and abhomynable hy­pocryte, Hypo­cryte. though thou be now a canony­sed deuyll. But marke I praye yow, what it came to in the ende. Thys generall curse was called backe agayne at the in­staunt sute of the monkes. Ye must knowe than, it towched them. They persuaded to Anselme, that the publy­cacyon or openynge of that vyce, ga­ue kyndelynges to the same in the A crafte. [Page] hartes of ydel persones, mynystryng occasyon of more boldenesse to do the lyke. So that it hath contynued euer sens in the clergye vnponnyshed. Ranulphus Cestrensis, Rogerus Cestrensis, & Ioannes Treuisa. I wold they had as wele consydered, that the se­crete occupyenge therof amonge themsel­ues, No, not so. had bene a most manyfest sygne of their dampnacyon, But that the blynde beastly asses remembred not, for styll it was noryshed in the monasteryes, & none yll spoken of it, to the vtter perdycyon of thousandes.

☞ Anselmus is at contencyon wyth the kynge.

IN the ende of thys yeare, a conten­cyon fell betwyn Anselme and the kynge, A stryfe. and thys was the full occa­syon [...]herof. The kynge had made one Roger which was his chaūcellour, bishop of Salisburye, and an other Roger whyche was hys larderer, the byshop of Herforde, for Reinalmus had gyuen it ouer, he made also Wyllyam Gyfforde the byshopp of Wynchestre. Thys myghte the kynge do by the lawes of God, Lawful for Dauid, Salomō Iosaphat, and Ezechyas, amonge the people of God had done the lyke, & were allo­wed in it. But bicause it was restrayned by the byshopp of Rome, thys Anselme swelled, fretted, and waxed so madde, that he wold neyther consent to it (Radulphus [Page lxv] de Diceto sayth) neyther yet confirme thē, nor communycate or talke fryndely wyth them. But spyghtfull and malycy­ously he called them abortynes or chyldrē of destructyon, dysdaynously rebukynge the gentyll kynge as a defyler of relygyō and polluter of their holye ceremonyes, as wytnesseth Polydorus. With this vn­comely outrage the kyng was muche dys­pleased, as he myght full wele, & requyred Gerard y ^e archebishop of yorke, as he ou­ght him allegeaūce, to cōsecrate thē, which without delaye he perfourmed, sauyng to Wyllyam Gyfforde whych refused it for doubte of Anselme. Anselme Thus in a great heate he ones yet agayne departed the realme with his dysgraded abbottes and the seyd Wyllyam Gyfforde, making of the kyng a sore complaynt to hys holye father as he came ones to Rome. to Rome The kyng anon after sent hys messengers after hym, to declare the truthe, that is to saye, byshop Herbert of Norwych, byshopp Robert of Lyche­felde, and Wyllyam Warelwast hys trusty and famylyar counsellour, Warel­wast. whyche in the ende depryued hym both of landes and goodes in the name of the s [...]yd kyng. Simeon Dunelmensis, Rogerus Houeden, Mat­thaeus Paris, Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ricardus praemonstratensis, Ranulphus, Euers­den, Capgraue, Caxton, & Fabiane.

☞ The matter on both sydes debated at Rome.

VPon a daye whā the matter shuld be reasoned afore Pope Paschall, Pascha­lis. Willyam Warelwast the kynges aturneye stode fourth in defence of hys cause, constauntly allegynge in the ende, y ^t the kynge wolde not lose the autoryte of inuestynge or admyttynge hys prelates within his owne domynyon, for y ^e crowne of hys rea [...]me. Wherunto that proude by­shop of Rome made this spightfull lewde answere. Though thy kynge (sayth he) wolde not lose the gyuynge of spirytuall promocyons in Englande for the losse of his crowne, as thou hast sayd here. Know thou t [...]ys determynatly, I speake it here afore God, that he shall not obtayne it at my hande, though he wolde also gyue his heade and all. O arrogaunt Antichrist, Anti­christ. ful ryghtly shewest thy selfe. This hath Ma­thew Paris, li iij. Anglorum historiae, and Iohan Capgraue. Whan Anselme was about to haue pleaded hys owne cause there, thynkynge to haue had therin the assistence of Richarde the pryour of He­lye, Richard whyche was a man that tyme both wyttie and learned, he vtterly fell from hym, and toke the kynges part very ear­nestly, confutynge all hys false accusacy­ons and malycyouse detrectyons, for the whyche in hys returne the kynge shewed [Page lxvi] hym muche fauer, as Radulphus de Diceto reporteth. Anon after Anselme intreated for hys dysgraded abbottes and vncon­firmed prelates, whyche was graunted foorthwith, and they restored to their dyg­nytees. restored. For that gentyll seate (Mathew Paris sayth) was neuer wonte to fayle. whan eyther reade or whyte came in the way. The nexte yeare after was Anselme clerely forbyd to returne into Englande, vnlesse he wolde obserue the good lawes of the lande, whyche he refused to do, the seyd Mathew sayth.

☞ The conueyaunces of Anselme by epistles and writynges.

Whan y ^e kynges massengers were returned home agayne with these croked newes, and with strayght commaundement from the cruell byshop of Rome, From Rome. that he shulde neuermore inter­meddle with appoyntynge out of prelates or by gyuynge to them the rynge and pas­torall hoke, but to leaue it only to hys ab­solute autoryte, he was sore displeased, turnynge all the possessyons & rychesse of An­selme to his own vse. What letters & craf­ty counsels, Knaue­ryes. blasphemouse bablyng [...]s and abhomynable wrastynges of the scriptu­res went betwyxt that lewde byshopp of Rome and Anselme, for the space of. iij. yeares after, it wolde requyre a great [Page] felde of matter to shewe, as I fynde in hys epystles. Moreouer it is a wondre to beholde there, the subtyltye that thys An­selme vseth, subtylte. to brynge hys deuylysh pur­pose to passe, for demynyshment of y ^e Christen prynces autoryte and augmentyng of Antichristes vsurpacyon. That prynce he flattereth to gyue ouer hys ryghte, and an other he commendeth in hys folyshness y ^t hath done it already, their folysh wyues alwayes suborned to put the cause for­warde. That doltyshe preste he prayseth, whych hath contempned hys prynces ly­beralyte, to an other he promyseth muche hyghar promocyon. These are the ingy­nes of a crafty d [...]uyll, if ye marke them. Hys letters to syster Frodelina, syster Ermengarda, syster Athelytes, syster Eula­lia, syster Madily, and syster Basyle, Systers to Maude to abbesse of Cane in Normandy, and to Maude the abbesse of Wilton here in Englande, declareth hym to be very fa­mylyar with nonnes. Ex epistolis Anselmi. He also made a treatyse about the same ty­me, called planctus amissae uirginitatis, a be­waylynge of maydenhede lost.

☞The first ordre of typpet men, or secular prestes.

IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. & v [...] beganne first the ordre of Sa­risburianes, 6. Mathew Paris sayth. What maner of ordre this shuld be, I can [Page lxvij] not coniecture, vnlesse it were the ordre of portasse men, typpet knightes, or newe shauen sir Iohans, professynge the vnsauery vse of Sarum. By lyke whan these men were ones clerely separated frō their marryed wyues, they were at the last conten­ted at their byshoppes suggestyon, to lyue peaceably vndre hym, to come, as it were into a vnyformyte of relygion in outward aperaunce, as the mōkes ded in their cloy­sters, and so to wynne agayne some fauer or good opynyō of the people, An ordre whych they for theyr wyues had lost. Than begā they first to shyne in one shewe, or to muster in one lyuerye, as the coltes of one mare, one short an other longe, one hygh an other lowe. For afore that tyme were they dys­persed by many dysgysinges, one dyuerse from an other. As the monkes had their cowles, caprones or whodes, and their botes, so had they than their longe typpettes their prestes cappes, Relygiō lyke. their syde gownes gyrt to them, & their portasses relygyously hangynge with great buttōs at their gyrd­les. They had also their crownes shauen, and their heare docked, lyke as the mon­kes had, though not so muche as they, to apeare also relygyouse rable. Whā they had on [...] receyued that marke of the beast in their foreheardes and ryghthandes, by the profession of a false chastyte they were made free of Antichristes marte, & myght [Page] by hys autoryte both bye and selle, Mer­chaūtes. Apoc. xiij Yet coulde they neuer obtayne of the saye multitude, so great an opynyon of holye perfectyon as ded the monkes, vnlesse it were here one hypocryte and there an o­ther, but in conclusyon contynued vndre y ^e slendre name of secular prestes or hedge chaplaines. Secular For in most places they dwelt vploude, and wanted relygyouse habyta­cyons to haue s [...]t them forewarde or made them mo [...]e Pope holye.

☞ How the emperour was vsed in the tyme of their sorceryes.

NEcessary were it, to marke an o­ther crafty conueyaunce of these holye helhoundes. A questyon myghte here be axed, A que­styon. where Henry the iiij. Emprour was for the tyme if thys tragycall turmoyle, that he loked not more nar­rowly to their hādes, being a man so wyse & so godly. Thys questyon is suffycyently answered by the chronycle writers of that age. The prelates occupied him with such mortall warres, from Hyldebrandes tyme hytherto, that he knewe not which way to turne him. They made hys owne subiec­tes in euery quarter to rebell agaynst him, O tray­tours. and his owne naturall sonne in the ende, vpon desyre of the crowne imperyal, most falsely to betraye hym, subdue hym, cap­tyue him, emprison him, and cruelly at the lattre to murther him. The storye is a matter [Page lxviij] very lamentable & heauye, as Athelbol­dus Traiectēsis, Barnesridus Vrspergensis, & Ioannes Nauclerus hath described it. Whan thys man whych was called Henry the v. was ones satled in the empyre, tydynges were brought hym y ^e next yeare after, that Paschall the byshop of Rome helde a ge­nerall councell at Trecas in Fraunce, 1106. a­gaynst hys father. Wherin he prosecuting the former actes of Hildebrande, prohyby­ted laye prynces the inuestyng of prelates, and the prestes their wyues in the realme of Fraunce as he had done in other nacy­ons, Anti­christ. dysgradynge those byshoppes and abbottes whome the Frenche kyng and em­prour had made. The seyd emprour hea­rynge of thys, sent learned men vnto him, gentylly requyrynge that he wold not take from him, that his predecessours without interrupcyon had vsed from the tyme of Charles the great, by the space of more than. CCC. yeares. The boshopp at that tyme deferred the answere tyll he came to Rome. Godfridus Viterbiensis, Deceyt. Albertus Crants, Paulus Aemilius, Iacobus Bergomas, Io­annes Stella, Ioannes Capgraue, li. i. de nobili­bus Henricis, & Robertus Barnes.

☞ The homblye handelynge of prelates at Rome.

Whan thys emprour se his tyme, 1112. he came into Italy w ^t a great host of mē, Paschall y ^e Romish bishop [Page] not pleased therwith, to whom he sent this massage. Gyue vnto Cesar that is Cesars meanynge the imperyall crowne and vnccyon, with power of inuestynge prelates. For he requyred also that he shulde con­firme the byshoppes whome he had ad­mytted afore, whyche all he refused to do. The emprour with that, set hys men of warre vpon hym and hys calkers, Cardynalles I shuld saye, whyche toke the very breches from their arses ( Christianus Mas­saus sayth) and committed them almost naked to pryson. Breches Wherupon in the ende, in all thynges he consented to the emprour, subscrybyng and sealyng vnto hym a per­petuall priuylege, for admyttynge byshoppes and abbottes within hys whole dominyon, cursynge all them that shulde at any tyme after that withstande it. But as he was ones departed out of Italy, he called an o [...]r synode at Laterane in Rome by counsell of our Anselme and suche other, A coūsel and dyssolued all agayne that he had graū ted, excommunycatynge the seyd emprour and dysdaynouslye changynge hys pryuylege to the scornefull name of a prauylege, or writynge that stode for nought. For Gesnerus sayth in hys vnyuersall Bi­blyotheke, that Paschalis wrote to Ansel­me an epystle for hys excuse. An ex­cuse. By lyke than he had layed it sumwhat sharpely to hys charge. Thus mocked they in that age the [Page lxix] great prynces of the worlde, depryued thē of power, and trode their hygh dygnytees vndre their fylthie fete, all contrary to the wholsome documentes byth of Christ and of hys Apostles. Thys story is tenderly towched of the Italysh writers for hur­tynge themselues, yet hath Robert Bar­nes described it at large in uitis Romanorū pontificum. Barnes. Ye shall vnderstande that thys was that emprour, whych marryed kynge Henryes doughter that was called Mau­de the empresse. Ioannes Capgraue li. i. de no­bilibus Henricis.

☞ Anselme bryngeth the kynge in subiectyon to An­tichrist.

MAthew Paris sheweth in y ^e third boke of hys large chronycle, that after kynge Henry the first had taken hys brother duke Robert prysoner, Kynge Henry. and obtayned other great vyctoryes, in the yeare of our lorde as M.a.C. &. vij. 1107. he receyued the archebyshop Anselme agayne in­to hys fauer at Becca in Normandy, restorynge hym to hys olde possessyons. And as touchynge the byshop of Rome (sayth he) the learned kyng neuer feared hym for hys spirytuall autoryte, but only for hys temporall power. In the same yeare was a great counsell holden in the kynges pa­lace at London, A coūsel where as the prelates wer agreed by the space of, iij. dayes, that the [Page] kyng shulde holde styll the autoryte of ad­myttynge prelates and appoyntynge spy­rytuall offyces, as other kynges hys pre­decessours ded, notwithstandynge the Popes late inhibicyon. Thys hath Simeon of Durham, and Roger Houeden. But whan Anselme was ones come, Anselme whiche was hygh president of that counsell and Pope of thys whole yle of Brytayne, all was clerely dashed agayne, and this con­traryouse sentence of hys toke place, that from that daye forward no byshop nor abbot shulde receyue rynge or pastorall hoke of the kynge or yet of any other laye man­nys hande within Englande. He added moreouer thys spyghtfull clause vnto it, O tray­tour. that whan a prelate was ones chosen, the want of due homage to hys kynge shulde be no impedyment of hys consecracyon. Loke Radulphus de Diceto, Mathew Pa­ris, Mathew of Westminstre, and Roger Houeden. O manyfest traytour without all shame and honest obedyence. Than cō ­secrated he. vij. byshoppes at ones, A Pope. whych neuer was seane in England afore, but at one tyme. Thus gote Anselme (Iohan Capgraue sayth) the vyctory longe loked and laboured for, for the churches ly­berte.

☞ An other synode of An­selme, for dyssoluyng prestes marryage.

[Page lxx]IN the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and viij. 1108. Anselme helde an other great synode at London, wherin yet ones againe he made solempne processe agaynst all prestes, deacons, and subdea­cons, that had marryed wyues, renuynge all hys former statutes and actes made a­gaynst them, by consent of the kynge and hys barons. For afore that tyme, they ded all without their consent, whyche they af­terwardes founde not in all poyntes to their myndes commodyouse. No women were from thens fourth permytted to dwell in howse with them, Women sauynge only they whyche were so nygh of kynne as they myght not marry wyth (though they laye with some of them at tymes) as mother, syster, grandame, aunte, and suche lyke. Vtterly was it forbydden them euer after to haue any talke with them that had bene their wyues, vnlesse it were in the open stretes before two able witnesses. Simeon Dunelmensis, & Roge­rus Houeden. Wytnesses. Who wolde thus so vngod­ly and presumptuously haue taken vpon hym to haue separated those whom God had ioyned, but proude Antichrist and his dyabolycal rable of sorcerouse Gomorre­anes? How stode this with the holy Gho­stes doctryne vttered of S. Paule, i. Co­rinth. vij. Antichristes. Vnto the marryed (sayth he) [Page] commaunde not I but the lorde, that the wyfe be not separated from the man? But what els went these execrable hypo­crytes about in all these their vngracyouse procedynges, Papy­stes. but to make Gods holye cō ­maundementes of none effecte, for their fylthie rathers tradicyons? and with their newe doctryne of deuyls in hypocresye, to polute the Christianyte with the prodygy­ouse occupyenges of stynkynge Sodome.

☞ The closynge vp of Anselmes vnsauery doynges.

ALl the next yeare after, ded Anselme bestowe in a straunge kynde of scol­dynge, with Thomas the newly e­lected archebyshopp of Yorke, 1109. tyll suche tyme as death clerely toke hym from the worlde. He vtterly forbad hym the pasto­rall cure, tyll suche tyme as he had sub­mytted hymselfe to hys Papacye, and professed a canonycall obedyence, whyche he called a submyssyon to the churche of Canterbury. If thou wylt not do thus (sayth he) we charge all the byshoppes of Eng­lande, A Pope. vndre payne of the great curse, that none of them presume to consecrate y ^e, neyther yet to receyue the for a byshop, if thou any where els be consecrated, with many other obprobryouse tauntes. Matthaeus Pa­ris, & Radulphus de Diceto. Many ydell matters dysputed thys Anselme, with ve­ry weake, rawe, and fryuolouse reasons, [Page lxxi] as is to be seane in his feble wurkes of the sowles orygynall, wurkes. of leauen and breade vnleauened, of the measurynge of the crosse, of the mouynge of the aultre, of Maryes concepcyon, of the churches offyces, and suche lyke, whyche Christ calleth gnatt strayuynge. I maruele with what conscy­ence Polydorus called him that good she­peherde, whyche daungereth hys lyfe for the shepe, and in the myddes of all his fal­se packynges. A wolfe He doth Christ much wrōge therin whych only fulfylled it in eff [...]ct. He doth no pastours offyce that robbeth Christen kynges of their pryncely power & au­toryte, to enhaunce the tyrannouse vsurpacyons of Antichrist, as thys Anselme ded, but rather he sheweth the fashyons and roberyes of a thefe. I can awaye at no hand with so blasphemouse handelynge of the scriptures.

☞ The mone was darkened and what it syg­nyfyed.

MAthew Paris writeth, Mathewe of Westmynstre repetynge the same, that in the yeare of our lord a M.a C. and x. 1110. the mone apered all darke without lyghte. Wherby God declared in the open face of y ^e worlde, that hys church by the monkes hypocresy in that age was darkened with a beastly ignoraūce of hys [Page] lyuely doctryne. For the mone betoke­neth commenly in the scryptures, the congregacyon of the lorde. About thys tyme (sayth Iohan Tritemius) ente­red all the craftye learnynge. Trite­mius. Yea, the subtyle phylosophye of the paganes be­gan here to defyle our sacred theologye with her vnprofytable curyosytees The Gospell was put a part, sauynge only to be red by parcels in the temple, in a foren language without vnderstandynge, and the corrupted doctryne of fylthie bastar­des Peter Lumbarde, Peter the great ea­ter, and Gracyane the monke, which were thre chyldren of one bawdy nonnes fornycacion, iij. ba­stardes. receyued and only had in pryce for it. The monkes of that age (sayth Iohan Carion in hys chronycles) perceyuynge the knowledge of the holy scriptures to waxe faynt and to be nought set by, for the study of the popysh lawers, they thought also to practyse a newe kynde of dyuyny­te, Dyuy­nyte. and set vp scholasticall dysputacyons of diuyne matters. But be ware of subtyle sophysters in the doctryne of the churche (sayth Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum. viij. quest.) For their pro­perty is to withstande the veryte, and to snarle mennys conscyences by darkenyng the clere lyghte therof. If it be to the con­trary reasoned (sayth he) that sophystycall argumentes are fytt to confounde herety­kes [Page lxxij] by. I vtterly denye that reason. For only is it the open veryte that must con­founde them. As for sophysiues, their wycked nature is to brynge in all errour and heresyes. All thys hath Baconthorpe. Bacon­thorpe.

☞ Raufe the archebyshop of Canter­bury, honoureth hys kynge.

IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xiij. 1113. the kynge was mynded to haue gyuen the archebyshopryck of Canterbury, to Faricius the abbot of A­bendon. But at the instaunt request & sute of the clergye in the counsell of Wynde­sore, he altered hys purpose, and gaue it to Raufe the byshopp of Rochestre, Raufe. a ruffe­lar to their myndes. Hym he adourned w ^t hys owne pryncely handes, mynystrynge vnto hym both the ryng and metropoly­call crosse. For than ones agayne (Ma­thew Paris sayth) he had taken an earnest stomake agaynst the byshop of Romes vnshamefast procedynges, hys brother du­ke Robert imprysoned, and hys other ene­myes brought vndre. In the yeare of our lord a thousand a.C. and xv. 1115. was the seyd Raufe consecrated, & receyued hys patry­archal palle of Anselme y ^e other Anselmes nephewe, whych was thā the popes great legate a latere. As the kynge was same yeare marryed, after his first wyfes [...]sse­ace, to Adelphe y ^e duke of Loraines doughter [Page] and was agayne crowned with her by the byshop of Wynchestre, thys heady archebyshopp fell into a palseye for wodenesse, and sayd vnto hym the next day after, that eyther he shulde leaue that crowne, The crowne. vnlawfull (he sayd) for so much as it was not ta­ken of hym, or els he wolde leaue of hys masse sayng, which was no small matter. And y ^e lordes about him had much a do to staye the lunetyke prelate, from strikynge downe the crowne from the kinges heade and stampynge it vndre hys fote. Yet ded the gentyll kynge gyue him fayre wordes, the chronycles sayth. Loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury, li. i de pontificibus, Ranulphus li. xij. ca. xv. Rogerus, Au­thours. li. vij. and Iohan Capgraue, li. ij. de nobilibus Henricis And Treui­sa addeth vnto it in fyne Englysh, that thys hawtie prelate was a great Iaper, the terme is sumwhat homelye. Ded I not tell yow afore, that kynges for their power, had sped as yll, as the prestes for their wyues? And I thynke, I tolde the truthe.

☞ Of Pope Calixtus and the heade churche of Wales.

MVche were it to rehearce the tur­moylynges of Pope Calixte the seconde, Calixtus, for renuynge of the exe­crable actes of hellysh Hyldebrande and prestygyouse Paschall, agaynst the mar­ryage [Page lxxiij] of prestes and power of prynces for inuestyture of prelates. In the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and .xix. 1119. He helde coun­sel at Remis in Fraunce, and in the yeare a M.a.C. &. xxiij. 1123 he helde an other wyth CCC. byshoppes at Rome. And in these ij. counsels he depryued all prestes of the commen Christianyte, that held styll their wyues, wyllynge them from thens fourth to be taken for no better thā paganes and helhoundes, and to want their Christē bu­ryall. The prynces that had gyuen out ec­clesyastycall offyces, he condempned of sacrilege, preposterously allegynge the scriptures, Scrip­turs. that they whych were admytted by them, entered not by the dore, but they scattered from Christe, dyuydynge hys coote without seme. As though in their exceding pryde and couetousnesse, they had bene the same Christe whyche was full of Godly symplycyte and lowlynesse, and their glytterynge synagoge that symple coote with­out seme. 1123 In thys lattre yeare dyed Raufe the heady archebishop of Cāterbury, and Wylliam Curbo [...]l, which was a chanon, succeded. Frō the tyme of Augustyne tyll that daye, by the space of more than fyue hondred and. xxiiij. yeares, none occupyed that seate but monkes, and that caused so many corrupcyons to entre into y ^e church of England, for all they maynteyned An­tichrist, A lytle afore this, that is to saye, [Page] in the yeare a. M.a.C. and. ij. 1102. bicame the archebyshopryck of Meneuia or Pryma­tes seate of. S. Dauid in wales, fyrste sub­iect to the churche of Canterbury. And from the dayes of kynge Lucy to the yeare a. M.a.C. and. xv. 1115 none other were archebyshoppes there than Brytaynes or Wel­chemen, and all that tyme had their mini­sters wyues. Wiues. But sens the Englyshe mon­kes occupyed, they haue had concubynes for wyues, and wyll not change at thys daye, men saye. Thus entered fylthienesse in that quarter also, the time wolde be marked. Suncon Dunelmensis, Rogerus Houeden, Giraldus Cambrensis, & Ranulphus.

☞ Kynge Henry plaged, for suffe­ringe marriage to be con­dempned.

ALl foren warres ended, and contro­uersyes pacifyed, in the yeare of our Lorde a. M.a C. and xx. 1120 King Hen­rye the fyrst with great ioye and triumphe departed out of Normandye, and entered after hys great victoryes, by sea into En­glande. But within fewe dayes folowinge was thys gladnesse turned into a moste heauye and horryble sorowe. For Willi­am and Rycharde his. ij. sonnes & Marye hys doughter, with Otwell their tutoure & scholemaystre, Rycharde the earle of Chestre and hys wyfe the kynges nece, [Page lxxiiij] all the merye chaplaynes, companions, and ruflars of the courte, chambrelay­nes, buffares, and seruytours, the Ar­chedeacon of Herforde, the Prynces playe fellowes, syr Jeffrey Rydell, syr Robert Malduyte, syr Wyllyam Bygot, wyth manye other greate heyres, lordes, Lordes. knyghtes, and gentylmen, ladyes and gentylwomen, Ladies. to the nombre of a.C. and xl. Besydes the yeomen and maryners, whiche were more than halfe an hondred, takynge passage by nighte, were al drow­ned in the bottom of the sea, excepte one man, theyr bodyes neuer founde. Guilhel­mus Malmesbury, Simeon Dunelmensis, Ro­gerus Houeden, Matthaeus Paris, & Ioannes Capgraue. Libro. ij. De nobilibus Henricis. Some monkyshe wryters hath iudged the curse of quene Mande, writers. whyche was a professed votarye, to be the cause of thys ruyne, as is sayde afore, some other attrybuteth it to the vyce of sodometrye, whyche manye of them hadde learned of the monkes and the prestes after the so­lempne professyon of theyr newe vowe of chastyte. But I do thynke it to be a plage of God vpon the kynges poste­ryte, A plage. for sufferynge so greate a mys­chefe to entre in hys tyme wythoute contradyccyon as that sodometry was, and as was the condempnacion of the [Page] Christen ministers marryages. For in hym (Polydorus sayth) vtterly ended the dissent of the Normannes bloude in the male kynde, accordynge to the wyse man­nys sentence, Sap. iiij. The plantes of ad­uoutry shall take depe rotynge. As he was the sonne of a bastarde, Bastard and suffered thys preposterouse religyon or bastardye of prestes without wyues, to take place here in hys dayes, to the vprayse of buggery, and neuer resysted it beynge gods im­medyate mynistre.

☞ Celsus an archebyshop had both a wyfe and chyldern.

CElsus the great archebyshop of Ar­mach and hygh prymate of Irelād, Celsus had both a wyfe and chyldren in y ^e tyme of hys archebyshoprye, accordynge to the vsage of that contreye. That arche­byshopryck, S. Bernard sayth) with the primacye of the whole lande, was holden as an inherytaunce in one kyndred, by xv. generacyons, the sonne alwayes succeding hys father. And. viij. of them he reporteth to be wonderfully wele learned, but all­wayes they toke their orders for that long season, without any vowe of professyon. No vowe. Neyther wolde the people suffer any other to take that hygh offyce, saue only them whyche were of the same howse and pro­genye. [Page lxxv] Thys hath S. Bernard in uita Ma­lachiae, so hath Vincentius, Antoninus, Petrus Equilinus, and Iohan Capgraue in their historyes of sayntes. What a beastly fole is Iohan Eckius than, Eckius. whyche reporteth in hys Enchiridion, that it hath not bene hearde sens the death of Christe, that any prest hath married a wyfe, doctour Coole and other Papistes maynteinynge y ^e same here in England? Thys Celsus at the lat­tre, beynge an olde dottynge man, and se­duced by them whyche taught lyes in hy­pocrisye, was the first that brought into y ^t regyon, that doctryne of deuyls whyche condempned marriage in the clergye. For he sent hys wyfe in a vysyon (they saye) a woman of a large and reuerende counte­naunce, Reuerēd to surrendre, as he laye a dyenge, he pastoral crosse to one Malachias which had professed chastyte about the yeare of our lord a M.a.C. & xx. 1120. Many mad pac­kynges were amonge these Romysh sayn­tes, whan the byshopryckes waxed fatt. Pope Adryane the. iiij. xxxiiij. yeares after whych was an Englysh man, and Pope Alexander the thirde. xvi. yeares after y ^t, Irel [...] in their tyrannye commaunded kyng Henry the seconde, to subdue the Iryshe nacyō as heretykes and rebelles, bicause the peo­ple there withstode their procedynges for their byshoppes and prestes marryages. And for that victory they confirmed hym [Page] lorde of Irelande. Loke the chronycles of Nicolas Treueth and Iohan Hardynge.

☞ A lecherouse Cardynall con­demneth prestes marryage.

IOannes de Crema, the prest Cardy­nall of S. Grilog in Rome, was sent into England and Scotlande, from Pope Honorius the seconde, as high commissyoner and legate from hys ryght syde. in the yeare of our lord a M.a.C. & xxv. 1125. to se that all thynges were wele there in the clergye to hys behoue. Besydes hys generall commissyon, he sent pryuate let­ters to the kynges and the prelates of both those regyons, to receyue hym as his own dere sonne and as S. Peters holy vycar, whyche declareth his autoryte not small. This legate with great pompe thus ente­rynge into Englande about the feast of Eastre, A legate was horrybly, honorably I shuld saye, receyued of the prelates, and went banketynge and prowlynge from byshop to bishop, and from abbot to abbot, tyll he came to the water of Twede and the tow­ne of Rorburgh in Scotlande, where as he founde Dauid the Scottysh kynge. His legacye there perfourmed and all his bagges we [...]e stuffed, Bagges he returned agayne to London and at Westmynstre vpō y ^e ix. daye of Septēb. he helde with. ij. archeby­shoppes. xxiiij. byshops. xl. abbottes, & an [Page lxxvi] innumerable multitude of the clergye and commen people, a great synode. Where as he rygorously and stoughtly replyed a­gaynst those prestes, that wold for no commandement forsake their marryed wiues, repetynge oft this vnsemynge sentence, Sentēce that it was a shamefull matter to ryse frō the sydes of an whore to make Christes bodye. A clause was this in qualyte not vn­lyke to hym that vttered it, whyche was an ydolatrouse whoremonger. He orday­ned in that synode, that prestes shuld kepe company with no kynde of women, he condempned marryage to the. vij. degre in bloude, and that no prestes sonne shulde clayme churche or prebende by inhery­taunce, folyshely concludynge with thys verse of Dauid, A verse. Psal. lxxxii. Pone illos ut rotam, &c. Make of them a whele, lorde, that saye, we wyll haue the howses of God in possessyon. Simeon Dunelmensis, Rogerus Houeden, Henricus Huntendunensis, Radulphus de Diceto, Matthaeus Paris, Ranul­phus & Rogerus Cestrensis at (que) alij.

☞ This Cardynall sheweth the first fruites of that chastyte.

THe prestes beyng moued with y ^e furiouse acte of this Cardinal, Cardy­nall. & ther­with perceyuyng him to be a mā of lighte conuersacion, so narrowly watched him y ^e night folowyng, that they [...]oke him in bed with a notable whore. The matter [Page] was very open (sayth Roger Houeden) for it was done at London, where great plen­ty is of wytnesses. It coulde not wele be hydden (sayth Henry of Huntyngton in y ^e viij. boke of hys chronycles) neyther was it fy [...]t to haue bene kept secrete from the knowledge of men. Secrete. If any be offended (sayth he) that a prest shulde marry, lete him kepe it to him selfe, leest he fall in lyke daunger as ded thys lordely legate. Thys Cardynal was he (Polydorus sayth) that behelde a small mote in an other mannys eye, and could not perceyue the great bea­me in hys owne. The prestes ded hym no wronge, that in thys case dysobeyed hys vniust procedynges. Nothyng was found more vnfytt, Vnfytt. than to require to strayghtly of others y ^t hys leife could not do. Thus he that entered with honour and pompe, went home agayne to his father with sha­me and confusion. The actes of S. Peters vycar were all turned ouer, and the religyouse syttynges of the prelates there, were vtterly laughed to scorne. The byshoppes and fat ab [...]ottes departed thens wyth reade chekes, Asha­med. not glad of the bawdy chaū ce that happened, and they lete that mat­ter passe for the space of more than thre ye­res after. For the slaundre was not small, Mathew Paris sayth. So returned the prestes ones agayn to their wyues, & were muche more bolde than afore. Praefati auto­res [Page lxvij] cum Polydoro & Fabiano.

☞ The kyng derydeth the byshop­pes procedynges.

NOt all forgetfull of their wycked fathers affayres, the prelates of Englande in the yeare of our lord a M.a.C. and. xxix. 1129. gathered themselues togyther at London yet ones agayne, in y ^e first daye of August, to put the prestes cle­rely from their wyues. At this great coun­sell (sayth Ricardus Premonstratensis) were all the bishoppes of England, except. iiij. whych dyed, as it chaunced, y ^e same yeare, that is to saye, of Wynchester Durham, Chestre and Herforde. Their processe was all agaynst the cocasses or she cookes of y ^e curates, Processe that they shuld not dwell in house with them. For after the prestes had bene compelled to renounce the tytles of their wyues, they kept them in most places vn­dre the name of their cocasses, lawnders, and seruyng women. The kyng percey­uyng the malyce of the bishoppes, and se­ynge aduauntage to growe therupon, Lucre. by thys propre polycye deceyued them. He toke vpon hym the correction of them, and promysed to execute true iustyce. But in the ende (Mathew Paris sayth) he laug­hed them all to scorne, and takyng a pen­syon of the prestes, he permytted them styl peaceably to holde their wyues. Polydo­rus reporteth, that the kynge gote of the [Page] clergye thys autoryte ouer the prestes, by a fyne craft of conueyaunce. A craft. And whan he had so done, mysused it. A very fyne iudgement of a man learned, so to dyffyne of a prynces power. The kyng deceyued them (Roger Houeden sayth) by the symplycy­te of Wyllyam the archebyshop of Can­terbury. For whan they had ones vncir­cumspectly graunted hym to execute iu­styce vpon the prestes wyues, Wyues it turned in the ende to their rebuke and shame, the prestes for moneye set agayne at lyberte for them. Praedicti autores cum Ranulpho, Matthaeo VVestmonasteriensi, & Rogero Ce­strensi.

☞ A myddle swarmynge of An­tichristes sectes in England.

FOr causes dyuerse, whych some of my readers shall fynde necessary to be knowne, I haue added here the tymes whe [...]in the seconde swarme of locustes, or synnefull sectes of Antichrist hath entered into this realme of Eng­land. Sectes. The first swarme was of the Bene­dictynes and chanons of S. Augustyne, called the blacke monkes and blacke cha­nons, of whose fattynge vp I haue reaso­nably treated both in the first part of this wurke, and also in thys seconde. The first of this lattre swarme▪ were the Cisteanes, Cisteās. otherwyse called y ^• whyght mōkes, which came into this lande in the yeare of our [Page lxxviij] lorde a M. a. C. and. xxxij. settynge their first foundacion in the deserte of Blachou­mor by the water of Rhie, wherupon their monastery was called Rhieuallis. Saint Robertes fryres began at Gnaresborough in Yorke shyre in the yearr of our lorde a M.a.C. and xxxvij. S. Ro­bert. And the ordre of Gil­bertines at Sempynghā in Lincolne shire in the yeare of our lorde a M.a.C. &. xlviij The Premonstratensers or white chanōs, came in to the realme & buylded at New­howse in Lyncolne dyocese in the yeare of our lord a M.a.C. and xlv. The Chartre­howse monkes came into the lande & were placed at Wytham in the dyocese of Ba­the, Charterers. in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. & lxxx. I recken not the hospytelers & Tem­plars, with such lyke. Ioannes Hagustalden­sis, Ricardus Praemonstratensis, Ioannes Cap­graue, Thomas Scrope, & Polydorus Vergi­lius. All these at their first enteraunce, were very leane locustes, Locu­stes. as they are in S. Io­hans reuelacyon described, barren, poore, and in outwarde aperaunce very symple. But in processe of tyme, through symulate holynesse, they grewe fat lyke their fello­wes. Fatte. They gote them lyons faces, and were able to buckle with kynges. Their lecherouse actes, I shall hereafter de­clare.

☞ Kynge Steuen professeth a slauery to Antichrist.

[Page]HOw kyng Steuen bicame an in­strument to their wycked vse, in y ^e yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xxxv. 1135. it is easely knowne by y ^e othe which they compelled hym to make at hys coro­nacyō, what though he ded not in all poyntes obserue it. Thys is the othe, as Ricar­dus prior Hagustaldensis hath written it in hys small treatyse de gestis regis Stephani. Marke it. I Steuen by the grace of God, Steuen. good wyll of the clergye, and consent of y ^e commens, elected kynge of England, and by Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canter­bury and legate of the holye Rome church vndre Pope Innocent the seconde, confir­med, make faithful promyse to do nothing here in Englande in the ecclesyastycall af­fayres, A vowe. after the rules of symonye, but to leaue, admyt, and confirme the power, or­dre, and distrybucyon of all ecclesyastycal persones, and their possessyons, in the handes of the byshoppes and prelates of the same. The auncyent dignitees of y ^e church confirmed by olde priuyleges, and their customes of longe tyme vsed, Custo­mes. I promyse, appoynt, and determyne inuiolably to contynue. All the churches possessyōs, holdes, and tenementes, which they hytherto haue had, I graunt them from hens forwarde without interrupcyon, peaceably to pos­sesse, etc. Beholde here what popettes these lecherouse luskes made of their kynges, Mark it & [Page lxxix] se (I praye yow) if they sought any other commen welthe than of their ydell belly­es in that proude kingdome of Antichrist? Was thys a folowynge of Christ after y ^e Gospell, thus to illude their Christen go­uernours? Naye, it was rather a ronnyng after Sathan in the blasphemouse imyta­cyon of y ^e byshop of Romes decrees. The last plage of God lyghte vpon thys vn­faythfull generacyon, A plage. if they wyll not yet beholde these euyls of their wycked fa­thers, and abhorre them from the harte.

☞The rebellyon and cantels of byshoppes agaynst the kynge.

IN the next yeare folowynge, not­withstandyng thys othe, 1036. kyng Steuen reserued to hymselfe the inue­stynge of prelates, Mathew Paris sayth, and shewed vnto the clergye many other displeasurs. Wherfore in processe, they caused Maude the empresse, contrary to their othes of allegeaunce, to come into y ^e realme, and to make clayme to the crowne and strongely to warre vpon hym. For y ^e whych he enprysoned and bannyshed cer­tayne of the byshoppes, Prela­tes. chefely Alexandre of Lyncolne, Nigellus of Helye, and Ro­ger of Salisbury. He feared not to go vnto Oxforde, and to sytt there in open parlya­ment, whyche no kynge myght do (they [Page] sayde) wythoute a shamefull confusyon. From Roger the byshoppe of Salisbury he toke the. ij. Castels of Vyses and Sher­burne, fyndynge in them more than. xl. thousande markes in moneye, wherwith he perfourmed the greate marryage bet­wene Constaunce the Frenche kynges si­stre and Eustace hys sonne and heyre. A helpe. Thys byshoppes sonne (by lyke he hadde a wyfe) whyche had bene the other kinges chauncellour, this kinge handeled harde, to come to hys purpose. He kepte hym fastenynge, threttened him hangynge, and at the lattre bannyshed hym the realme, whyche cost the byshoppe his lyfe. A na­turall father. A sinode Anon after the byshoppe of Wynchestre beyng the popes great legate and perceyuynge the clergye not to be re­garded, the realme beynge than in diuy­syon betwixt them bothe, that is to saye, the kynge and Maude the empresse, he called a counsel of prelates and enacted it for a lawe, that what so euer he were, that layed violent handes vpon a churche man, he stode accursed wyth boke, Accur­sed. belle, and candell, and mighte of none be assoy­led, but of the popes owne persone. He ordeyned also that no preste frō thens fourth shulde assiste any kinge in his warres, Io­annes Hagustaldensis in historia xxv. annorū, Rogerus Houeden, Giraldus Cambrensis, Mattheus Paris, Polydorus, & Ranulphus.

☞ The kynge enprisoneth the canons wiues of Paules.

RAdulphus de Diceto doth shewe it plainely in his abreuiaciōs of chronycles that in the yeare of our lord 1137. 1137. The kinge was in displeasure with William the deane, Raufe Langforde, Ri­charde Belmeis, and th [...] other canons of Paules at London, about the eleccion of their bishop. For cōtrary to his expectaci­on they had chosen Amselme the other Anselmes nephew, which was than abbot of Burie, & a man of suspected liuing, as witnessed Turstanus in an epistle to the pope. Turstā. Wherupon the king toke all their wiues otherwise called their kichine maydes for doubt of the spiritual lawes, in their best apparelinges, and put thē all in the tower of London. Where as they were kept very straightly, and not deliuered againe with­oute bodily shame, deminishment of their fame, and greuouse expenses, y ^e storie saith The bishoppes, archedeacōs, Prela­tes. chaūcellou­res, & deanes were in those daies most cō ­menly, al of one kindred, as the seide Ra­dulphus reporteth. The bishop of Ro. In­nocēt, than wrote into England, y ^t Peters litle ship being long tossed on y ^e water vexed, troubled, & oppressed of enemies, was very like, if remedy were not foūd in time to be ouer rowne & drouned, the shourges of scismatikes & of heretikes wer so great. [Page] Loke Ricardus Hagustaldensis in hys small treatyse de bello Standardico, Herety­kes. & Ioānes hagu­staldēsis in descriptione eiusdem belli. By the scysmatykes he ment those prestes, whych wolde not leaue their wyues at hys wyc­ked persuasyons, and by the lytle shyppe, hys owne sorcerouse synagoge of besme­red shauelynges.

☞ An other counsell holden agaynst prestes and their wyues.

VPon thys occasyon came Alberi­cus y ^e byshop of Hostyense, in post from Rome, in the yeare of our lorde a M.a.C. and. xxxviij. 1138. as the vycege rent of Pope Innocent the second in En­glande and Scotlande. Thys Albericus called a synode at Westmynstre in the xiij daye of Decembre, for thys whole regyō, wherin he had to assocyate hym. xviij. by­shoppes and. xxx. abbottes, besydes the greate nomber of other dysgysed prelates. Hys chefe actes were, that no preste, deacō nor subdeacon shulde holde a wyfe or wo­man within hys howse, No wife vndre payne of dysgradynge from his Christendome, and playne sendynge to helle. That no prestes sonne shuld clayme any spirytuall lyuyng by heretage. That none shulde take bene­fyce of any laye man. That none were ad­mytted to cure whyche he had not the letters of hys orders. That prestes shuld do no bodyly labour. And that their transubstancyated [Page lxxxi] God shuld dwell but. viij. dayes in the boxe, for feare of worme eatynge, mow­ly [...]ge, or stynkynge, with such lyke. In all their counsels they songe styll one song, folowynge the rustye voyces of Hyldebrāde and Paschall. Ricardus & Ioannes Hagu­staldenses. Wonders were seane in the skye about thys tyme, Mathew Paris sayth. In England was felte a palpable darke­nesse with a terryble earthquake, 1140. y ^e sunne aperynge lyke sacke clothe, Apo. vi. Such an horryble eclyps (sayth he) was ouer all thys lande, that men feared the heauens to haue bene decayed. The sunne in some places ( Ioannes Hagustaldēsis sayth) apered lyke quycke syluer, Mark it to the wonderynge of manye. These maruels wolde be marked of them, whych couete to vnderstande the mysteryes of tymes after the holye scryp­tures.

☞ The true meanynge of sygnes in the firmament declared.

BY thys tyme had the prelates a nombre of crafty wyttes in the vni­uersytees, Wyttes whych were as able by schole learnynge to defende a falshede, as euer were Christes dyscyples by hys hea­uenly doctryne to maynteyne a veryte. These by a contynuall exercyse in dispu­tacyons, bicame very crafty and subtyle. They toke it for an ornature of learnyng, and for a thynge very conducyble to the [Page] vnderstandyng of the scriptures, to define and diuyde all thynges, Define. as ded the peripa­tetyckes or naturall philosophers of Ari­stotles secte, and so to proue them by natu­rall demonstracyons. Gloryenge in the sublymyte of their wyttes, they wolde be taken for men much wyser than were the Apostles and prophetes, and in their do­ynges preferred the Idees or ymagynacy­ons of Plato, Plato. to y ^e eternal sprete of Christ. In the rowme of the lyuely phylosophie of God, they placed faynt and vnfruite­full allegoryes, as ded the olde Esseanes, and as doth in our tyme the wycked secte of Anabaptistes, imputyng those thynges to our synnefull wurkes, whych only per­tayneth to the kyngdome of faythe. Thus ded the wysdome of the fleshe erect her selfe agaynst Gods heauenly wysdome, Wysdo­me. preparynge a waye to Antichrist and the deuyll. These doctours busyly dysputed of Peters autoryte, and of the worthie­nesse of monkery, to make good the pryde of the byshopp of Rome, and to confirme the shynynge shewe of hypocresye. Of thys nombre was Ricardus de Sancto Victore a Scott in Paris, 1140. Alexandre Nequam and Robert Crikelade here in England, all regular chanons. By thys maye ye vnderstande, what it ment, that the sunne apeared so darke in the skye. [Page lxxxij] For the heauens (Dauid sayth) declareth the glorye of God, Dauid, and the firmament she­weth hys handye wurke, or dedes of hys permyisyon, Psal. xviij.

☞ More examples, declarynge those marueyles.

ABout the same tyme were the by­shop of Romes lawes brought into thys realme, 1140 by Baldewyn the ar­chebyshop of Canterburye. But so sone as kynge Steuen had knowledge therof, he condempned them by acte of Parle­ment, commaundynge by proclamacy­ons and streygth iniunctyons, that no man shulde retayne them vndre great pe­nalte. By meanes whereof, they were in some places torne to peces, and in some places brent in the fyre, as by good mennis iudgement they were no lesse worthie. Decrees For they were verye muche agaynst the commodyte of kynges and their com­mē welthes, christē magistrates & powers Ioannes Sarisburiensis in Polycratico de nu­gis aulicorum libro viij. cap. xxij. Both the monke Gracianus whych collectyd togy­ther the Popes decrees into our volume, called the concorde of lawes dyscordaunt, and also Peter Lombarde hys brother, in the rablement of hys vnsauery senten­ces, complayned very sore, Petrus. that many in their tyme beleued, the only substaunce [Page] of breade to remayne in the sacrament of Christes bodye. Yea, the best learned mai­sters of Paris (Iohan Tyssyngton sayth, in his boke agaynst the confessyon of Wycleue) were at the same season of thys opynyon, that in the sacramental wordes, Esse was to be taken for significare. Esse. Agaynst whom these adulterouse chyldren, Gracianus and Petrus, brought forth thys smo­kye conclusion, not out of the scriptures, but frō their owne soystered wyttes. That the only symylytude of bread and wyne remayned, but not the substaunce of them. Many suche mystes of madnesse were brought in, thys season, only to darken the clerenesse of the sunne, To dar­ken. or to turne the veri­te into a [...]ye, Roman. i. But as dust at the lattre shall they vanysh from the earthe. We partly beholde it nowe.

☞ Prestes marryage at Norwyche, praysed and scorned.

SAint Wyllyam of Norwyche, a martyr. whych was ther shryned in Christes church abbeye, in the yeare of our lorde a. M.a. C. &. xliiij. 1144. was crucifyed of the Iewes dwellyng than in a place yet called Abrahams hawle. El­wina thys S. Wyllyams mother, had a prest to her father, whose name was cal­led Wulwarde, Wul­warde. whyche was a man fa­mouse, the storye sayth, both in good lyfe and learnynge, plentuously hauynge the [Page lxxxiij] gyft of expowuyng secrete misteryes. Her other syster Liuina, beynge also thys pre­stes dough [...]er, was ioyned in lawfull marryage to an other preste, called Goodwin. Good­wyn. Thys prest had a sonne called Alexandre, whych was a marryed deacon, and loked after the decease of hys father, to enioye hys benefyce by inherytaunce. Eyther must thys legende of S. Wyllyam, writtē of Thomas Monmouth a monke of the same abbeye, be a wycked thynge for al­lowyng these two prestes marryages, Marry­age. ey­ther els that cytie of Norwyche hath had most wycked and tyrānouse rulers in this our tyme. For a v. yeares ago, which was the yeare of our lorde a. M. D. and xlv. 1545. vpon the x [...]v. daye of Iune, Corbet Rugge a cruel iustyce and as wycked a mayre within the same cytie of Norwych, enprisoned a faythfull woman, and sought to put her to most shame­full and cruell death, hauynge none other matter agaynst her, but only that she had bene the wyfe of a preste, whych had bene (wele bestowed) a preacher amonge them. Men godly. But God in conclusion prouyded a lear­ned lawer and a ryghteouse iudge for her delyueraunce to both their confusyons. A wonderfull thyng, that thys shuld be cry­ed lawfull in their cathedrall church with ryngyng, syngynge, and sensynge, and in their yelde haste condempned for felonye and treason. There ded they worshyp it in [Page] it in their scarlet gownes with cappe in hande, and here they improued it with scornes and with mockes, mockers grennying vpon her lyke termagauntes in a playe. But lete them no more loke to be forgotten of their posteryte, than were Iudas and Pylate whome the worlde yet speaketh of. Beast­ly bussardes and ignoraunt asseheades, more fyt kepe swyne, than to rule Gods people.

☞ The tyrannye of those wycked ministers of Antichrist.

HEr comming to that cytie was to se, as became a mother, A mo­ther. an ordre for her chylde, whych had vndys­cretely bounde hymselfe prentyfe within yeares, to one whych was neyther honest nor godly. As this false iustyce & as fran­tyck a mayer, had knowledge of her being there, they sought not to rectifye her iust cause, beynge a desolate woman, but they conuented her afore them as she had bene an yll doar, and layed vnto her charge both fellonye and treason. They strayghtly first examyned her, where and whan she was marryed, Examy­nacyon. and what they were whych were at that marryage. And whan she had made them a true and honest an­swere, they lawhed, toyed, and scorned, de­maundynge of her, if she were not asha­med of that doynge. But lete them be ashamed of synne, of oppressyon, brybery, ydo­latry, [Page lxxxiiij] and tyranny whyche they haue lar­gely vsed, for there belongeth no shame to the holy instytucyon of God, No shame. sanctyfyed of hym to mannys vse, though the great deuyl of Rome hath made them beleue so. Than as wyse as. ij. wyspes and as god­ly as. ij. goselynges, they examined her what her beleue was in the sacrament, to brynge her into more depe daunger of death, callynge her husbandes doctryne, erroneouse, heretycall, and sedicyouse doctrine. But this I protest vnto them, which am her husbande in dede, that I wyll be able to defende my doctryne, doctrine whan they shall not be able to iustifye their most cru­ell and wycked example, in defendynge of the byshopp of Romes tyrannye. I am depely in their bokes, men saye, therfore lete them not blame me, if they be in my bokes agayne. It is the nature alwayes of an historye to declare the goodnesse and malyce of tymes by the dyuerse actes of men, to the warnynge of others, whyche I in my writynges haue decreed to fo­lowe. I. Bale. I haue knowne their cytie in my ty­me greuously plaged with fyre, water, pe­stylence, and warre, aboue all other cyties within this realme. Lete them therfore re­pent their wyckednesse, least the lattre pla­ge be most greuouse of all.

☞ Of Tundalus vysyons, and the pre­stes with their sea crabbes.

[Page]TVndalus a knight of Irelād, which had in hys youth ben a man giuē to muche myschefe, 1148. had in hys lattre age many straunge apparicyons, and tal­ked in helle (they saye) both wyth deuyls, and angels. A boke he made of those appa­ricions, which y ^e fathers reserued as most precyouse treasure, to terryfye therwyth y ^e weake consciences of the symple, that they shulde gladly gyue theyr moneye to be de­lyuered from the fearfull fyre of purgato­ry. terrour. Loke Vincentius, Antoninus, and Corne­lius Agrippa. Iohan Hagena charterouse monke, by a commentary had enlarged it, to set the matter in his time forward. Loke Tritemius and Gesnerus. To maintayne the marte of money masses, the prestes practy­sed both in thys realme and others, manye fyne seates in that age, and one of thē was thys. Where as they dwelled not farre frō the sea syde, they toke of these sea crabbes and tyed eches vnto them light, Crab­bes. and so put thē vpon dead mennys graues in the dark within theyr churche yeardes, to make the contreye ydyotes to beleue that theyr spre­tes ded walke. But in one place y ^e persone was deprehended in hys falshede, and all the others therby dyscouered. Dysco­uered. For the carpenters and masons commyng thydre the nexte daye after all sowle nyghte, to theyr wurkes, founde amonge the tymbre and broken bryckes, a certen of these crabbes [Page lxxxv] wyth theyr candels out. Thys preste was not wyse ynough byleke, that he toke no better hede where his spretes bicame. But I thynke these wucke men came sonner than he loked for. Ioannes Riuius de spectris & apparitionibus, Autores Andreas [...]ssiander in con­iecturis, & Erasmus in epistolis. I could here shewe ye wonders of weping roodes, and sweatynge ladyes, but I lete it passe for lengthe.

☞ An Englyshe pope hath a monke to hys father.

POpe Adrian the fourt was an Englishman, bredde, borne, & brought fourth at S. Albons. xx. miles frō London, and afore hys papacye was na­med Nicolas of S. Albons. Nicolas Thys Adry­ane, or Nicolas whether ye wyll, is repor­ted of certen olde writers, to be the natural sonne of a ryche and fat abbot of the same monastery, hys mother not ones remem­bred. And whan he requyred after hys fa­thers decease to be taken in a monke amōg them, A mōke. they contemptu [...]usly refused hym. Wherfor he went ouer the sea into fraūce and made hym selfe there a regular cha­non, becommynge at the lattre the abbot of S. Rufus in prouynce. Thus clome he vp from one degre to an other tyll he gote the Papacye, wherin he wroughte suche wonders as ded hys predecessoures. Oft tymes in famylyare talke with Iohan of [Page] Salisbury hys contrey man, Salisbury he had these fyne tryckes and sentences most true. To take the Papacye (sayth he) is to succede Romulus in murther, and not Peter in shepe fedynge. For neuer is it gotten wythoute the shedynge of oure brothers bloude. None is more wretched than the Romyshe byshoppe, nether is any mannis condicyon more myserable than hys. The seate is thornye and hath sharpe pryckes on euerye syde, All true. and the crowne is fyerie, fearce, and as hote as helle, wyth suche other lyke. Thys hath Helinandus Monachus, Radulphus de Diceto, Ranulphus of Chestre, and chefely Ioannes Salisburiensis, lib. viij. &. ca. xxiij. De nugis aulicorum. At the last was the breathe of this Adriane stopped vp with a flye, 1159. whiche entered in­to his throte, and the Papacye left to an other, in the fyft yeare of the same.

☞S. William of yorke. S. Wul­fryck, and S. Ro­bert.

ME thynketh, it is a very straunge thynge to consydre the ende of S. William y ^e archebishop of Yorke whiche dyed in the yeare of our lorde a.M a. C. and. liiij. conplynge it with the degre of hys sayntwode. S. Wil­lyam. For he dyed a martir, and is allowed in theyr temple seruice, but for a confessour only. But I thynke, there hangeth some mystery in it, Roger Houe­den [Page lxxxvi] sayth, that he was poysened at hys masse, Poyse­ned. by the treason of his owne chaplay­nes. And Mathewe Paris sheweth, that in the tyme of hys celebracyon, suche a deadely venym was put into hys chalyce, as dep [...]yued him of lyfe. Iohan Euersden commeth after, and he declareth the same. Whye shulde he not than be allowed for a martyr? I suppose the answere to rest in this poynt. They were no laye men that put hym to deathe, but anoynted and spi­rituall confessours. Spiritu­all. And the shepe of theyr slaughter can become no martyrs, as a­pereth by al them whome they haue slaine and brent, sens Sathan went at large. It is ynough (I trowe) that they haue made hym a saynt for hys recompens, for other vertues we reade none that he hadde. If yorke minstre had had afore as other great churches had, Yorke. a shryned patrone, he might wele haue chaunced to haue lost that pro­mociō. O subtyle sorocerers, your craftes now apere, so that ye can not hyde them. I shulde wryte of S. Wulfrycke, whyche dyed the same yeare, bicause he so con­ningly, 1154. with colde water could quenche the whote flames of hys fleshe, and dys­charge so manye prestes of theyr leche­rouse heates. I shulde also shewe the vertue of. S. Roberte, 1159. the religyouse abbot of Guaresborough, that so fami­liarly ded visite good wholsome matrones [Page] But at thys tyme I leaue it to Iohan Capgraue and such other, for want of layser.

☞ The marryage of Marye the abbesse of Ramseye.

MArye the doughter of kynge Ste­uen, beyng a professed nonne, and abbesse of the famouse monastery of Ramseye, 1155. in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lv. bicame werye of her professy­on, and cōsented to marry with Mathew the earle of Bolayne, preferrynge gods holye instytucyon to the vngodly yoke of the Romysh byshop. Mathew Paris & Thomas Rudborne sayth, that beynge in the cluystre, she was afore that, infamed of lyghte conuersacyon. No bet­ter. Coulde there be any better waye than, for cuttynge of that vn­comely slaundre, than Gods first ordy­naunce? Well, she marryed hym & he her, some writers saye, by dyspensacyon, and some saye, without dyspensacyō. But how so euer it came to passe, she had two dou­ghters by hym, called Ida and Matilda. Thomas Becket that tyme beynge hygh chauncellour of Englande, Becket. shewed hym selfe to thys marryage a contynuall aduersarye, but he could not therin preuayle, the kyng and the great lordes of the realme so depely holdynge therwith. But of thys a­rose the first grudge that the kynge had a­gaynst hym, as some of the historyanes reporteth it. In the ende, after that she had [Page lxxxvij] contynued with her husband by the space of xvi. yeares, she was compelled by y ^e by­shop of Romes tyrannye & Beckettes cal­lynge on, to returne agayne with manye slaunderouse rebukes of the world, rebukes. to her cloystre. Thys hath Robertus Montensis in additionibus Sigeberti, & Ricardus Premon­stratensis in annalibus Anglorum. Thus ded that wycked Antichrist treade vndre hys fylthie fete, all power in heauen and in earth, exaltynge hymselfe aboue the great God of all, ij. Thes. ij.

☞ The begynnynge of the or­dre of Gylbertynes.

IOcelyne a knyght of Lyncolneshire, perceyuynge hys sonne Gyl­bert to be a man muche deformed & not fyt for the worlde, Gylbert procured hym to be made a preste, & gaue hym the two fat be­nefyces of Sempyngham and Tiryngton within hys owne domynyon. The exer­cyse of this Gilbert, was chefely to teache boyes and gyrles, of whom, as they were growne to more persyght age, he made a newe relygyon, called of his name the or­dre of Gilbertynes. As he ones became person of Sempyngham, A ordre. with hys p [...]r­rysh prest was he hosted in the howse of one whych had a fayre doughter, as y ^e cu­stome hath bene alwayes of prestes for the most. And beyng tangled with her bewtie on a tyme as she had serued at the table, he [Page] a dreammed the nyght folowynge, that he had put hys hande so farre in her bosome, as he coulde not pull it backe agayne. Thys mayde (sayth the legende) was one of the fyrste. vij. of whome he began that holye religyon. He secluded them from the talke of the worlde and from the syght of men, 1148. enclosynge them vp within hygh walles, teachynge them monasterye rules. Hys buyldynges were suche, that thoughe he had both men and women wythin one monastery, yet were the men so disseuered frō the women, that they coulde not mete, and they hadde dyuerse rules. The monkes obserued the rule of S. Augustyne, Rules and the nonnes the rule of S. Benedyct, but who kepte S. Christes rule there, I can not tell. Thyrtene couentes he had wyth­in the realme, containing afore his death, to the nombre of. DCC. bretheren and a. M and. D. systers. Loke Iohan Capgraue in uita Gilberti confessoris.

☞A nonne at watton biget with chylde by a monke.

EThelredus the abbot of Ryenall, vt­tereth in hys small treatyse de quo­dam miraculo, 1159. that in an howse of the same ordre, at Watton in yorke shire, was a yonge nonne, put thydre by Hen­ry Murdach the archebyshop a Cysteane monke, whan she was but. iiij. yeares olde. I praye God she were not hys doughter [Page lxxxiij] in the darke, for of suche packynges were plenti in those dayes. As thys wenche grewe in yeares, so grewe she in lascyuy­ousnesse. Her eyes, her talke, her pase, all were vnsober, wylde, and wanton. Thys nonne fel in loue with a yong mōke of that howse, Wāton. which was sumwhat plea­saunt. She loked smothely vpon him (the storye sayth) and he as gentyllye vysed her agayne. They began wyth louynge lokes, and continued with beckes for breakynge of sylence. At the lattre they came to talkes and to nygthe metynges, tyll she was left wyth chylde. For Nigellus Wireker sayth in Speculo stulto rum which he wrote in the same age. Nigel­lus.

Can haue no metynges, but late in the darke. And thys ye knowe wele, is an [Page] heauye warke. Whan this yonge monke ones perceyued that her bellye was vp, he threwe of his disgysed garmētes, and fled by nyght out of the monasterye, thynkyng at his layser to haue conuayed her awaye also. Hefled. But she poore sowle tarryed behinde, beynge vnreasonably beaten and ponny­shed in the pryson.

☞ The nonne dismembreth the monke, and is delyuered.

AS thys yonge man resorted to y ^e ab­beye agayne, myndynge in the dead of the nyght to haue stollen awaye hys louer, Retur­ned. the nonnes watched hym and toke hym. Yea, they stript hym all naked, & bounde him fast to a stole. Than brought they forth the yonge nonne & put a sharpe knyfe in her hande, compellynge her by most cruell enforcementes, to gelde him. And whan she had vnconnygly perfour­med that acte, whores. they toke vp the peces, and with violence thrust them into her mouth. The yong mōke was neuer heard of after for I thynke, he coulde non other but dye of that incision. The nonne returned to pryson agayne. 1153. Whā the houre was come of her delyueraunce, Henry Murdach the archebyshop of Yorke sumtyme, whyche was dead more thā. vi. yeares afore, brou­ght with him (the story sayth) two hansom mydwyues from heauen, whych dischar­ged her of her chylde without peyne, and [Page lxxxix] toke it fourth with them, (if the iakes swellowed it not in) so that it neuer was seane after. Their holye father Gylbert allow­ed thys miracle by hys lyfe tyme, and de­clared it to the forseyd Etheldred, that he shulde chronycle it. A shyfte If this be not an ho­nest conueyaunce to excuse these shameful murthers, I report me to yow. But thys storye was not alone, if there had bene more Etheldredes to haue brought them to lyghte. Of these double Gylbertynes of both genders, men and women, thus writeth the forseyd Nigellus. Nigel­lus.

☞ The chastyte of all other monkes and nonnes in that age.

NIgellus the forseyd Poete, doth largely touche the corrupt lyuing and hypocresye of hys tyme, Hypocresy. che­fely in byshoppes, prestes, abbottes, mon­kes, chanons, and nonnes. Hys boke is all in olde latyne verses, and is named the glasse of foles, that euery dyssolute pre­late [Page] myghte beholde hys folye therin. Of the abbottes thys iudgement he gyueth a­monge other.

☞Malcolmus, S. Edwarde, and abbot Eldrede.

OF Malcolmus y ^e kyng of Scottes whiche was the. iiij. of that name, Mal­colme. we reade that at the suggestion of supersticiouse monkes, he vowed neuer to marrye. Arnoldus the bishopp of S. An­drewes, hauynge knowledge therof, and cōsyderyng the inconuenyence that might ensue for want of successyon, wysely and Godly dyssuaded hym agayne from that vayne purpose. He required hym to consi­dre, by the sayng of Plato, that he was not borne only to himselfe, neither stode it w ^t hys vocacion, beynge y ^e hygh head or king of that commen welthe, A kynge to dye wythout [Page] an heyre of hys owne bodye, wyth other necessary counsels. Hector Boethius, li, xiij, Scotorum historiae. If our great S. Edward had had store of suche good counsellers, as he had of Romysh hypocrytes (I thinke the c [...]owne of this realme had neuer bene distamed with the bastardes bloude, firste of the Normannis and than of the frenche men, the noble Englyshe bloude so extyn­guyshed, and the lande decayed, tyll God rayled it vp agayne. But as Iohan Maior thought in his Scottysh chronycle of thys Malcolmus, Maior. so do I thynke of our S. Edwarde. that he mighte wele be nombred a­mong the folysh virgynes. Which seking heauen by that kinde of virginite, ded find the gate shut vp agaynst them, Math. xxv Thomas Becket of a great deuocyon to chastyte, by lycens of pope Alexandre the iij. transl [...]ted the cor [...]upted carkeys of thys Edwarde in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and. lxiij. 1163. and set a shryne ouer it, garnyshed with golde, syluer, pearle, and precyouse stone, to cause the people to do therunto ydolatry. Thomas Rudborne in medulla chronicorum. Water. Colde water was of great vertu in thys age byleke. For Iohan Capgraue sayth, that Ethelredus the ab­both of Rieuall, not only by it abbated the ardent heates of his fleshe, but extynguy­shed also the flames of all other vyces.

Sentences wonderful in those dayes vttered.

PEirus Blesensis a worthye learned man, 1160. beynge at sondry tym [...]s the archedeacon of Bathe, of London and of Canterbury, spared not at tymes, sharpely to reprehende the enormitees of the clergye. Dyuerse of hys epistles are yet to be seane, wherin he eloquently tow­cheth and rebuketh the puffed vp arrogancye of Thomas Becket the archebyshopp of Canterbury. Oft he compared the cler­gy to Samaria and Edom, and called our hyghe countenaunced prelates, sumtyme the glytterynge calfes of Bethell and the ydolles of Egypte, Calfes. sumtyme the fatt hul­les of Samaria, the chaplaynes of Baal, and those iudges whyche made wycked lawes, wyth such lyke. To take y ^e lord with the housholde (sayth he) nothinge is more dampnable than is a byshoppes howse, if ye seke vertu. Nothynge further from ho­nestye, if ye loke for maners. Nothinge more fylthye, if ye iudge after conscience. Nothynge more rebukeable, if ye respect fame. Fame Nothynge more pernycyouse, if ye marke the example. O lorde (sayth he) delyuer thy howse from the greate y­doll, breake the hornes of that synnefull one. At Rome filthy lucre peruerteth all thinges, & suffereth mōkes to perfourm theyr lykynges, in all kyndes of fleshely [Page] abusyons, whyche they redeme by a yearlye pensyon. Theyr lewdenesse is tolde in the Pauylyons of Geth, and publy­shed also in the open stretes of Ascalon. Thus is theyr head captayne becomen the prynce of Sodome, Anti­christ. hys dyscyples accompanyenge hym in the chayre of pestylence, wyth a great nombre more of the lyke. Wernerus coucludeth in fasciculo tempo­rum, that it was than a rare thynge to fynde a chaste monke in the cloystre, and a more rare thynge to fynde an honeste preste abroade.

☞ The freshe and lustye begyn­nynges of Thomas Becket.

AS those autours reporte, whyche chefely wrote Thomas Beckettes lyfe, whose names are Herbert Bo­seham, writers. Iohan Salisbury, Wyllyam of Canterbury, Alen of T [...]ukesbury, Benet of Peterburgh, Steuen langton, and Ry­charde Croilande, he bestowed hys youth in al kind [...]s of lasciuiouse lightnesse and lecherouse wantonnesse. After certen roderi­es, rapes, and murthers commytted in the kyng [...]s warres at the siege of Tolouse in L [...]ngu [...]docke and in other places els, Tolouse as he was commen home againe into En­glande, he gaue hyms [...]lfe to greate stu­dye, not of the holye scriptures, but of the byshoppe of Romes lowsye lawes, [Page xcij] wherby he fyrste of all obtayned to be ar­chedeacon of Canterburye vndre Theo­balde the archebyshop, than hygh chaun­cellour of Englande, metropoly [...]ane, ar­chebyshop, prymate, pope of Englande, and greate legate from Aut [...]christes owne ryghte syde. Becket. In the tyme of hys hyghe chauncellourshyppe, beynge but an ale bruars sonne of Londō, Iohan Ca [...]graue saith, that he toke vpon him as he had ben a prince. He played the courtyer all togy­ther, and fashyoned hymselfe wholly to the kynges delyghtes. He ruffled it out in the whole clothe wyth a myghtye rable of digised ruffianes at his tayle. A ruflar He sought the wordly honour with him that soughte it moste. He thoughte it a plesaunt thinge, to haue the flatteringe prayses of the mul­tytude. Hys brydle was of syluer, hys saddle of veluet, hys styruppes, spores, and bosses double gylte, hys expen­ses farre passynge the expenses of anye earle. pleasure That delyghte was not on the earthe, that he hadde not plentye of. He fedde with the fatteste, was cladde wyth the softeste, and kepte companye with the plesauntest. Was not this (thinke yow) a good meane to lyue chaste? I trow it was.

☞ Hys chastyte at Stafforde, and stoughtnesse at Cla­rendon.

[Page]IN the towne of Stafford was (Willyam of Canterbury sayth, a wēche Iohan Capgraue confirmynge the same) a lusty mynion, a trulle for the nones, a pece for a prynce, with whome by report, the kynge at tymes was very famylyar. Be­twixt this wanton damsell or prymerose peerlesse & Becket the chauncellour, went store of presentes, and of loue tokens plen­tye, for loue and also the louers met at tymes. For whan he resorted thydre, at no place wold he be hosted and lodged, but where as she helde resydence. In the dead tyme of the nyght (the storye sayth) was it her general custome, to come alone to h [...]s bedcham­bre with a candell in her hande, to toye & tryfle with hym. Men are not so folysh, but they can wele conceyue, what chastyte was obserued in those praty, All chast nyce, & wan­ton metynges. But they saye, he sore amended whan he was on [...]s consecrated arche­byshop of Canterburye, and left we [...]e hys accustomed enbracynges after the rules of loue, & became in lyfe relygyouse, that afore in loue was lecherouse. At hys seyd consecracion was he made a preste, which requy [...]ed a change of lyfe. Change He receyued a monkes cowle from Pope Alexandre (Mathew Paris sayth) made our ladye hys generall aduocate, and shryued the body of S. Edward a vyrgyne, and therfor he could no longar be vnchaste. In the [Page xciij] yeare of our lord a M. a. C. & lxiiij. 1164. at Clarendon, Iohan of Oxforde beynge hygh presydent of the counsell, many thynges were proponed concernynge the inuestytures, offyces, and enormytees of the clergy, Prestes. and lawes made therupon. Wherunto the archebyshopp Becket with the other by­shoppes condescended and were sworne. But whan he ones perceyued y ^t they were repugnaunt to the terrestryall godhede of the byshop of Rome, he fretted for wode­nesse, and was angrye with himselfe, ad­dynge to hys othe thys subtyle clause to make it of none effecte, Addicyō salou in omnibus or­dine meo, & honore sanctae ecclesiae, myne or­dre saued alwayes, and the honour of ho­lye churche reserued. By thys he was able to denye all agayne at hys pleasure. Mat­thaeus Paris, & alij.

☞ Antichrist he preferreth to hys kynges obedyence.

WHithin the same yeare the kynge made an acte, An acte. y ^t men of the church commyttynge offences notable, shulde be exautorysed or dysgraded by the byshop of the dyocese, a iustyce beynge present, & so delyuered to secular kepyng, tyll he suffered accordynge to hys demery­tes. The occasyon of thys acte was one Philippe Broic a preste and canon of Bedforde, A preste. whych conwardly had kylled a man. Thys proude sturdy canon bearyng [...] him [Page] selfe very bolde vpon his Romysh orders, was at vtter contempt and diffyaunce of the iustyce, geuyng him full many obpro­bryouse wordes, as though hys offyce had bene but a slauerye to hys oylye prest­hode. Than stirt vp Becket, and starkeled lyke a lyon, sekynge by all trayterouse meanes to brynge the kynge vndre, Vndre. and to exalte the tyrannouse kyngedome of An­tichrist to the very heauens. He furyous­ly contended with hym to the very death, that prestes and other within oylye or­ders, ought not for thefte, murther, bug­gery, and other lyke deadly offences, to be examyned and ponnyshed by the publy­que magistrates, as the laye sort were. He affirmed it also with stomache, Becket. that the churches fredom was suche, as the tem­porall kynges h [...]d nothynge ado with thē whiche were anoynted and shauen, they beynge therby the Romysh Popes creatu­res and not hys. Radulphus Niger, Radul­phus de Diceto, Matthaeus Paris, Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis, Rogerus Houeden. Ri­cardus Croilande, Autour. Nicolaus Treueth, & alij pleri (que) An excedyng great thynge were it, to declare the subtyle practyses, deu [...]ses, dysguysynges, craftes, colours, conueyaū ­ces, & other tryfelynges, to brynge all hys matters to p [...]sse agayn [...]t the kynge, and a werynesse to the reader to rehearce them, wherfore I lete them ouer passe.

☞ Artycles, for whome Bec­ket is admitted the Po­pes martyr.

DIuerse of our chronycle writers, doth testyfye in their workes, that these were the artycles wherfor he stroue with the kynge. articles. That no spirituall cause ought to be pleaded in the temporall court. No clarke may be compelled to an­swere in matters before the kynges offy­cers. Patr [...]nes maye lawfully and frely gyue benefyces without the kynges allo­wance. A byshop or pastour maye frely go out of the realme without the kynges ly­cens, for the ryght of his churche. Cursed. He that is ones excommunycated, must haue hys discharge of the spirituall court, and not of the kynge. The clergye and layte must be clered of their offences by the ordyna­ryes, and not by the kynges iustyces. Ap­pellacyons made from one degre to an o­ther, as from lowar o [...]dynary to the hyghar, maye be ended without the kyn­ges consent. Landes and teneamentes maye lawfully be gyuen to the clergye in almes, wythout the kynges commyssyon. Spirytuall promocyons ought only to re­mayne in the handes of the superiour ordynaryes, whā theyr occupyers are dead, No king till others succede in their roumes, and not in the handes of tēporal mē. Religiouse men [Page] men ought not in the quarell of their kyn­ges, to go to the warres. They that flee vnto sayntwaryes, ought there to be socou­red agaynst the temporall power, & their dedes made open to the iudge ecclesyasty­call. Clarkes, Clarkes curates, and prestes, are not bounde to come to the commen iudgementes at sessyons, or assyses, neyther yet to be at them though they be commaunded. Se what good stuffe here is, to make a mar­tir. All is to demynyshment of a kynges power, and nothynge els.

☞Becket stayeth the Popes churche, by confoundynge heretykes.

IN the same yeare of our lorde a M. a C and. lxiiij. 1164. was Thomas Bec­ket reckened (Mathew Paris sayth) suche a mightye, stedefast, and strong sure pyllour, as the whole church both leaned vpon, and was also staied by. But ye must consydre, that it was the Popes churche that he ment and not Christes, for that hath a staye stronge ynough of him with­out mannys helpe. Marke the forseyd ar­tycles. The church (sayth he) shaken, was ready to haue fallen, and the Pope which was set vp as a staffe to haue staied it, a church was at that tyme so broken, that the shyuers or peces wounded him, Thomas lokyng for nothynge els, but martyrdome for the churche. In the same yeare were in Eng­land certen godly men, whome some Po­pysh [Page xcv] writers dysdaynously calleth Waldeanes, some publycanes, some false Apo­stles. Christyanes. Th [...]se were at Oxforde straightly examyned of the byshoppes, and so brou­ght to iudgement by this Becket, for hol­dynge these opynyons. That the churche of Rome was that whore of Babylon, whych had forsaken the fayth of Christe, and that barren fygge tree without fruite whych he reproued, and that no Christen man was bounde to obeye the Pope and hys byshoppes. That monkerye was as the dead carreyne that stynketh, Mon­kery. and that their vowes were fryuolouse, ydell, and abhomynable, beynge the vpspryngynge braunches of Sodome. That their orders were the great beastes characters, and their temples the wurse for their hallow­ynges. That purgatory, sayntes worshyppyng, masses, and prayenges for the dead, with such lyke, were most deuylysh inuencyons. For maynteynynge these and other lyke opynyons, Opyny­ons. agaynst the proude syna­goge of Rome, they were sealed in the fa­ces at Oxforde, wyth whote fyerye keyes, and so bannyshed the realme for euer. Ra­dulphus de Diceto, Matthaeus Paris, Guido Perpinianus de heresibus, Thomas VValden ad Martinum quintum, & Bernardus Lutzen­burgus.

☞ Hys trayterouse ende, and aduaunce­ment aboue Christ.

[Page]Whan Becket was returned again into Englande, in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a.C. and. lxxi. 1171. after. vi yeares exyle, he outragiously troubled certen of the byshoppes, to the kynges great dyshonour. Mathewe Parys sayth. For the only cause why he so hatefullye perse­cuted them, was, for that they hadde fulfylled the kynges desyre, in anoyntynge his sonne Henry y ^e yongar to raygne after hym, not hauynge hys consente beynge pope of Englande. For thys he entered the pulpet, more lyke a mad Bedlem thā a sober preacher. franrick Not to teache Chryste in mekenesse, but in hys wode furye to ex­ecrate those byshoppes, to curse thē wyth boke, belle, and candell, and by the po­pes autoryte to condempne them to helle. Vpon thys the kynges seruauntes fell on hym, in purpose (as they toke it) to reuenge their liege lordes great iniury, and hys sonnes dyshonoure. They pared his pylde crowne wyth theyr swerdes, and cut of the popes marke to hys very braiue whyls he in ydolatry cōmended himselfe and the cause of hys churche, Idola­trye. to hys pa­trone S. Deuyse, beynge but a deade y­mage there standyng vpon the aultre. Ste­phanus Langton, Richardus Croilande, Ro­gerus Houeden, Nicolaus Treueth, & Ioannes Capgraue Thus ended he his lyfe in most ranke treasō, & was for his labour made a [Page xcvi] god of y ^t papistes. Yea, they charged christ in y ^e ende by cōmaundement, A deuyll to delyuer vs heauen frely by the shedynge of Thomas bloud, as though y ^t had bene a payment of satisfaction for our synnes. And as therby apered, they put Christ cleane out of office for him, by this cōiuracion. Tu per Thome sanguinem, quē pro te impēdit, fac nos Christe scandere, quo Thomas ascedit. O thou Christ suffre vs to clyme vp to that place, by the bloud of Thomas whych he shed for y ^t, to y ^e which Thomas māfully ascēded. Mar­ke this hardely, for suche a defeccyon frō Christ as Saynt Paul speaketh of, Defec­cyon. and for the stronge delusyon that they shulde haue whyche beleued lyes, that they my­ghte be dampned. ij. Thessalo. ij For here Thomas redemeth Christe and ascendeth to hauen, leauynge vs hys bloude to cly­me thydre by. Were there euer greater he­retykes, theues, & sowle murtherers, than were our Papistes? I can not thynke it.

☞ The false miracles, and ca­nonisacyon of Becket.

OF Christe and of all hys Apostles and prophetes, are not written so many great miracles, Mira­cles. as of this one Becket. As that so many sycke, so many blynde, so many bleare eyed, bedred, croked, broused, mangled, lamed, drow­ned, palseyd, leprosed, sorowful, exyled, wyth chylde, enprysoned, hauged, and [Page] deade, were by them as by him deliuered. Neyther were there euer so many writers of any popyshe saintes lyfe, or so manye great volumes made as of hys, as is she­wed afore. And all thys was to blemyshe the kynge, Bokes. and to depresse the hygh power both in hym and in all his successours kinges after him. In the thyrd yeare after his deathe, 1173. was he proclamed a saynt by the popes autoritie, and his daye triumphasit­ly celebrated ouer all Englande, hys masse beginnynge with Gaudeamus. The king came in all naked, sauynge that he hadde a liuen breche about hys nether partes. He receyued of the monkes a discipline wyth roddes, and was so absolued of them in theyr chaptre howse. Assoiled He resygned his po­wer vpon their hygh aultre, consented to their vsurped lybertees, and professed him selfe a perpetuall subiect to Antichrist and the serpent, Apo. xiij. O blasphemers of God, and shamelesse mockers of men. But Cesarius sayth in the. viij. boke of hys dy­aloges. ca. lxix. that in the. xlvij. yeare af­ter hys deathe, 1220. a questyon was moued in y ^e open scholes at Parys, whether he were saued or dampned. Where as Roger Nor­man proued hym wurthie to be dampned for obstynate rebellyon against his kinge, A rebell whiche was Gods appoynted mynyster, Peter the great chauntre of Paris hauing nothinge to obiect in the churches quarell [Page xcvij] to the contrary, but his miracles, whiche were most manifest lyes and illusions.

☞Kynge Henry smelleth out Antichrist and is agayne blynded.

SVmwhat must I saye here of the kynge, called Henry the seconde, Henry. ij whyche was a verye wyse, well learned, and godly prince, Petrus Blesensis sayth, in epistola ad Gualterum archiepisco­pum Panorimtunum. Though he in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and. lxvi. 1166. permitted at the popes request, a grote to be giuen of euery plough lande within all his domini­ons, for ayde of the christen warres a­gaynst the Turkes, yet perceyuinge. [...]. yeares after, the crafty bestowynge therof, 1168. and how the seide pope had mayteined the treason of Becket agaynste him, he caused all hys people to forswere his obedience, from the childe of. xij. yeares to them of extreme age Loke Mathew of Westminstre li. ij de floribus historiarum. 1169. In the next yeare after, to please hym agayne, pope Alexan­dre confirmed vnto him the bulle of Adri­ane the. iiij. for the conquest of Irelande, and made him the hygh lorde of that regi­on vndre him, the Peter pens for euerye chymney that smoked, alwayes to hys fa­therhede reserued. And thys was (Iohan hardynge sayth in hys chronycle) for an errour whiche the Iryshe men helde, Errour. against the spyrytualte, and for certen heresyes [Page] wherwyth they hadde bene long infected. In the yeare therfor of our lorde a.M.a. C. and. lxxi. 1171. were bothe the nobylyte and clergye of the lande sworne vnto hym, to take the kynges of Englande for their lor­des euer after. Rogerus Houeden. A lyke chaunce hadde the Scottes in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a.C. and. lxxxviij. 1188. Pope Clement the thyrde in hys hyghe dysplea­sure subiectynge that whole realme to the crowne of Englande, wyllynge their kinges, nobylyte, and clergye, to gyue al­wayes to the kynges of Englande, theyr othe of obedyence, as to theyr superioure lordes. Nicolaus Treueth.

☞ A patronage proued lawfull by v. marryed prestes.

NOwe wyll I brynge a matter, whyche Barnes rehearseth in his boke of prestes marryage, Barnes. bicause it fell in thys age. In the tyme of pope A­lexandre the. iij. (sayth he) there was a controuersye for the patronage of a bene­fyce, betwene the priour of Plympton in Deuenshyre, and one Iohan de Valletor­da. 1176. Iudges were deputed to heare the master, Rycharde the archebyshoppe of Canterbury, and Roger the byshoppe of Wynchestre. Before whome the priour of Plimpton proued his personage, by reason that he was in possession therof, A priour & had gyuen it out afore to dyuerse persones. [Page xcviij] Fyrste (he sayde) there was a preste of Plympton called Alphege, whych hadde by the gyft of the seyd pryour of Plymp­ton, the benefyce of Sutton, nowe called Plymmouth. Thys Alphege hadde a sonne called Cedda, Alphege whyche hadde also the benefyce after hys father. And after thys Cedda was there an other preste cal­led Alnodus whyche hadde the benefyce lyke wyse. Thys Almodus hadde a sonne called Robert Dunpruste, which after the decease of hys father had also the seyd be­nefyce. And after thys Robert Dun [...]rust William Bakon hys sonne, Bakon. enioyed the benefyce lyke wyse▪ Ex monumentis eius­dem coenobij. Thys is a wytnesse suffy­cyente, to proue that it is no newe lear­nynge, nor yet so longe a go sens prestes hadde lawfull wyues, as the ydell hea­ded papystes do make the ignoraunt mul­tytude beleue. And thys was in those dayes an vse throughe oute the realme, that the sonne shulde in benefyces succede the father, the sōne eyther els the next of his kinne that was learned, tyll the monkes hypo­cresye procured the alteracyon for theyr bellyes sake.

☞ Examples dyuerse that prestes in that age hadde wyues.

FVrthermore the seyde pope Alex­andre, in hys epistles decretall sheweth manye of the [...]yke examples. Exāples [Page] And in one, to Iohan of Oxforde than by­shop of Norwyche, he commaundeth, that Wyllyam the newe person of Dysse, for claymynge the benefyce by inheritaunce after the decease of his father person Wulkerell, whyche begate him in his presthode shulde be dyspossessed, no appellacyon ad­mitted. The deane and chaptre of Salis­bury in an other place he chargeth, not to admyt Hughe Howet to the prebende of Baphorde whyche was hys fathers afore hym, Prestes least it so shulde growe agayne into a custome. The lyke he wrote to the Ar­chedeacon of Lyncolne, and to other di­uerse prelates of the realme, specyallye to the byshoppe of Excestre, of one Iohan a prestes sonne, whyche after lyke sorte wolde haue succeded hys father. successe. To the byshop of Wyncestre he sheweth there al­so, that the monkes of Lenton abbeye by Notyngham, molested one Oliuer a prest whiche had peceably holden the benefyce of Mapleshalle by the space of. xxx. yea­res. The greattest matter they hadde agaynste hym, was, that he hadde bene that prestes sonne, whyche had bene cu­rate of the same parryshe afore hym. But in thys he defeated the monkes, and she­wed hym fauer, Curates bicause he hadde there contynued so longe. The exampels of thys kynde are so manye, that I leaue [Page xcix] them for tedyousnesse. Lete those lewde papystes be ashamed than, whyche folo­wynge, the lowsye learninge of that bawdye dronkarde Iohan Eckius, Eckius. in hys fo­lyshe. Enchiridyon, reporteth wyth hym and wyth doctour Coole in theyr igno­raunt frenesye, that it hath not bene heard sens Christes ascensyon, that a preste euer marryed, or had a wyfe. Questyonlesse theyr brutysh heades are to blockysh.

☞Remedyes taughte of S. God­rycke for vowes ke­pynge.

SAynte Godrycke borne at Wal­pole in Northfolke, went firste abroade with pedlary wares, Pedlar. and afterwardes on pilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem. In hys returne he professed the chast life of an hermyte at Fynkale by Durham, and bicame the great foūder of dyspersed Hermytes here in Englande. Muche was he tempted wyth the sprete of fornycacyon, and had no small a do to kepe hys vowe of chastyte. To abate the great heates of hys fleshe, Heates. he soughte dy­uerse remedyes, but marryage was none of them, for that was not thought in those dayes holye, though it were of God. He tombled all naked among bryres and thor­nes. He wore sumtyme a shyrte of heare, and sumtyme a coote of mayle nexte hys skynne. Of barelles he made wythin hys [Page] own chapell a welle, Water. wherin he stode to y ^e chynne in y ^e tyme of hys heates, For in the night alwaies was he most greuously tēp­ted with she deuyls. But one of them trans­fourmed into an he deuyll, turned vp hys brode bumme, (if deuils haue buttockes) & made suche a shewe there, as I am asha­med to wryte. He that hath deuocyon to knowe the whole storye, lete hym resorte to the holye legende of hys lyfe, Legēde. that was wont to be redde vpon hys feastfull day­es wyth no small deuocyon. Thys deuyll hadde a nombre of yonge deuils folowing hym, lyke pratye blacke boyes wyth sha­uen crownes, and I thynke he was the great abbot of our votaryes. So was S. Godrycke terryfyed wyth this lecherouse deuyll, Geares. that all the heares of hys holye bo­dye (the legende saith) stode vp lyke sowes brystles. Suche men as hadde barren wi­ues, complayned to thys holye Godrick, and he made them frutefull by tyenge hy [...] gyrdle aboute them. Thys fat carle and fowle fornycatoure (the storye sayth) dy­ed at Fynkale in the yeare of oure lorde a. M. a.C. and. lxx. 1170. doynge more than CC. and. xxviii. myracles wythin fewe yeares, and was made a saynte wyth Thomas Becket. Loke Iohan Cap­graue.

☞A counsell at Rome agaynste Buggerers.

[Page C]THe buggerye of prestes and rely­gyouse prelates was in that age so noysed abrode and complayned of, that in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C & lxxix. 1179. Pope Alexandre was compelled to call a generall counsell at Rome, of. CCC and. x. byshoppes. Where as he ordeyned agayne that prestes in anye wyse shulde lyue chaste. And if it chaunced anye of thē to be found a buggerer (as they were none other but sodo [...]ytes and whoremongers all y ^e packe) he shuld be fyrste excōmunycated, and than hydden from the syghte of the people, Seque­stred. tyll suche tyme as they dys­pensed wyth hym. Here was a sore pon­nyshemēte for so horryble a myschefe, but that they sumwhat tēdered them selues in the same, as occupyers in one arte. He ordeyned also that archebyshoppes shulde ryde in vysytacyons, Ryders. wyth no more than halfe an hondred horses, byshoppes wyth. xxx. legates wyth. xxv. archede­acons wyth. vij. and deanes wyth. ij. sequestrynge all ecclesyastycall persones from the iudgementes of the laye magistrates. For by that tyme had they gotten of king Henry the second, a ful reuocacion of [...]egal customes, a cōfirmaciō of the chur­ches liberties, y ^t they might frely appeale to y ^e pope against all powers, y ^t no clarke shuld be brought afor a lay iudg for no maner of wickednesse, Pryuyleges & y ^t he whiche strake a [Page] priest shulde be alway [...]s ponnyshed at the by­shoppes pleasure. Matthaeus Paris, & Mat­thaeus VVes [...]monasteriensi [...] ▪ About this tyme were the se [...]ular can [...] remoued from Waltham by this Popes autoryte, Walthā bi­cause some of them had wyues, and regu­lar chanons whyche were men without wyues, vnlesse they were other mennys, placed in their rowmes, the kynge of gen­tylnesse recompensynge Guye the deane & certen other of those canōs an other way. Radulphus de Diceto, Rogerus Houeden, Ra­nulphus, Treuisa, & Ioannnes Euersden.

☞ Notable sentences of a learned man in thys age.

IOhan Salisbury, a chaplayne first of the court, and afterwardes by­shop of Carnote in Fraunce, 1120 beyng a man exercysed in all kyndes of good ly­terature, and perceyuynge abuses intolle­rable dayly to encrease in y ^e clergye, with very sharpe rebukes as with fyerye dar­tes, oft touched them, both in his famy­lyar epistles and also in hys great wurke called Polycraticon. In the Rome church (sayth he) sytteth the scrybes and the pha­rysees, and vpon mennys shulders they laye burdens importable. Burdēs The great by­shop ther is greuouse to all men, and scant to be suffered of any man. Hys legates are so furyouse and ragynge mad, that a man wolde thynke, as they steppe foewardes, [Page Ci] that Sathan were sent from the face of God to flagelle the churche. They noye where they go, and therin are they lyke to the deuyll. Ryght iudgem [...] with them, is none other than an open byenge and sellynge. Gayne take they for godlynesse, & the gatherynge of goodes for most high religion. Lucre. For moneye they iustifye y ^e wic­ked, and ouerloade the afflicted conscien­ces. They decke their tables with golde & syluer, and reioyce in thynges which are most wycked. They eate the synnes of the people, & are clothed with the same. Yea, they diuersly abuse themselues in lykyn­ges of the fleshe, whyls the true worship­pers worshyp God their heauenly father in sprete and veryte. He that in any poynt dyssenteth from their doctryne, Dissent. is eyther iudged an heretyke or a scysmatike. Christ therfore of mercye in this age shewe hym­selfe, and teache vs what waye we maye walke a right to his pleasure, with manye suche other clauses. Ex lib. v. cap. xvi. & ex li. vi. ca. xxiiij. Polycratici.

☞ The insacyable glottonye of Benettes monkes.

GIraldus Cambrensis reporteth in hys wurthye wurke called Speculū ecclesiae, 1187. li, ij ca. iij. that as kyng Hē ­ry the seconde was huntynge at Gilde­forde, y ^e pryour of S. Swithunes of Wynchestre and. xiij. of hys monkes, fell down [Page] vpō their knees afore him i [...] the [...]apre, and with wepynge teares complayned, that Richarde More their bishop, had demynyshed their face of. iij. dishes at euery meale whyche their founders had allowed them for the maintenaunce of Gods seruyce. Dyshes The kynge demaunded of them, how ma­ny remayned? They answered, but. x. on­ly, where as afore of custome they had xiij contynuynge from the dayes of S. Swy­thune to that present. With that the kynge called hys lordes vnto him, and swore, as hys fashyon was. By the eyes of God (quoth he) I iudged of these monkes, that their howse had bene brent, or that some o­ther yll chaunce had fallen vnto them. And now I perceyue their matter is none other, but that their byshop hath shortened them of their bellye chere. Bellye If their bishopp do not by thē, as I whiche am their king, do by my court, that is to saye, brynge them to. iij. dyshes, I praye God, he be hanged. Than sayd the monkes. Thys re­quest of ours, is chefely to refreshe the poore therby. No (sayd the kynge) it is ra­ther to pamper your glottonouse mawes, Pāper. whiche neuer are satisfyed. The poore maye otherwyse and in more honest ordre be prouyded for, than to rede of your so glottonouse leauynges, to the publyque slaundre of Christianyte. A lyke storye he sheweth of the monk [...] of Christes church [Page Cij] at Canterbury, whyche were serued with xvi. dysh [...]s euery daye, Dyshes and of other more. He [...] that the cattell whyche was th [...] [...] fed, were as ra [...]e as stoned horses, and as vnable to perfou [...] ­me their vowe of chastyte, as euer were they. Sancti ordinis professores, de ferculo­rum numerositate contendunt, sayth Petrus Blesensis vpon Iob. They are holye vota­ryes that stryue for so many fat dyshes.

☞ The abhomynable leche­rye of the same monkes.

IN the dyocese of S. Dauid in Wa­les, and within the prouynce of Goer, the pryour of Langenith whych was a celle of the ordre of Cluny­akes or monkes without botes, A priour behol­dyng a certen yonge woman, first by wanton lokes, and after by other lewde entycementes, made her at his pleasure, to serue hys lascyuyouse purpose. And whan it was ones growne to a publyque infa­my, that all men spake yll of it, with mo­neye he corrupted the offycyals, Conueyaunce. to es­cape the open reproche. And whan none other waye els wolde serue, he gaue her in marryage to a yonge man not farre of. Yet left he not so her compa­nye, but abused her after as he had done [Page] afore, tyll suche tyme as he was deposed by the dyocesyane, and lo with shame exy­led the contreye. The lyke was done also by two other monkes of Northwales, of whom one was priour of Sagia, Two priours. an other of Breckennoch, both celles of Clunyakes and not farre frō the hauen of Myluerd. Whych were for their whoredomes most shamefully deposed and bannyshed. Yea, the seyd Geralde reporteth it to be a com­men thynge among them, where as suche celles were buylded, and wyshed for hys tyme, that not one of them had bene with­in the whole realme of Englande, for the myschefes that he knewe by them. And whan they went abroade (he sayth) about the affaires of their religiō or howses, Abroade they wolde in none other innes be lodged, but where as they might haue whores at their pleasures. Giraldus Cambrensis in Speculo ecclesiae, li ij. ca. i. Was not this (thynke you) an holye religion, and an high profession of chastyte?

☞ Of two Englysh votaries, one a traytour, the other a thefe.

AS Heraclius the patriarke of Hieru­salem was returned home agayne out of England, in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. lxxxvi. 1086. an Englysh votary of the ordre of Templars, called Robert of S. Albons, betrayed that holye cytie with all the Christen inhabytauntes [Page Ciij] to Saladinus the souldane of Babylon, v­pon thys couenaunt, that he shulde haue his nece to marrye. And so it came to passe in the ende, the kynge taken prysoner, prisoner and the patryarke compelled to flee, so that the kyngdome was destroyed foreuer. An o­ther Englyshe votarye of the same ordre of Templars, called Gylbert Ogerstan, kynge Henry appoynted with certen o­thers to gather vp the moneye whyche he had determyned to be gyuen to releue the holye lande and cytie of Hierusalem agaynst the Turkes. And whan he had deprehended him in an horryble thefte in doynge the same, A thefe. to the mayntenaunce of hys accustomed lecheryes, where as he mighte iustlye haue hanged hym, he onely commytted hym to the maystre of the temple at London, that he shulde pon­nysh hym accordynge to their statutes. Rogerus Houeden libro secundo, historiae An­glorum. The hospytelers and Templars were two fygtinge orders, ij. orders instituted firste in the contreye of Palestyne or holy land, as they call it, for the only defence of Christen pylgrymes goyng to and fro. In pro­cesse of tyme they grewe to so great rych­esse, that as the adage goeth, the dough­ter deuoured the mother. They exempted themselues frō the pa [...]ryarkes iurysdyc­cyon, whiche was their first father and foundar, and bicame seruauntes to the [Page] great Antichrist of Rome. They serue. Not onely to fyll all that lande with his fylthie super­sticyons, but also to brynge the profygh­tes to his insacyable handes that were gath [...]red from all other nacyons. For where as colleccyons were, to maynteyne those warres (Roger Hourden sayth) that alwayes a Templar was one gathe­rer, and an hospyteler was an other. But in the ende, about the yeare of our lorde a thousand thre hundreth and twelue, 1312. they had their deserued rewarde, for than were the Templars destroyed, Matthaeus Paris, Ranulphus, Aegidius Faber, Ioannes Paleony­dorus, Ioannes Nauclerus, Paulus Phrigio at­que Polydorus.

☞ A crowne of Pecockes fe­thers, sent to kynge Henrye.

ROger Houeden writeth it, as a matter seryouse and earnest, that in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lxxxvi. 1186. Pope Vrbane the thirde hea­rynge tell that kynge Henry had appoyn­ted his yongar sonne Iohan to the lattre conquest of Irelande, sent hym a crowne of Pecockes fethers fynely wouen and wrought togyther with golde. The next yeare after he sent one Octauian a Car­dynall, 1187. and Hugh Nouaunt, whyche was byshopp of Couentry and Chestre, as le­gates from hys ryghte syde, to haue [Page Ciiij] crowned the seyd Iohan kynge of Ire­lande. But the kynge not beynge so Pe­cockysh as he iudged hym, dyscretely and wysely deferred the tyme, tyll the Cardy­nall was gone. Se what fyue toyes these fōde fathers had in their crafty heades, to mocke Christen prynces with for aduaun­tage. mockers Here was a gnat workemanly stray­ned out to swalowe in a camell for it. He was at great cost that sent Pecockes fe­thers. So was it a precyouse kyngedome towardes, whose kynge shuld haue bene crowned with them. But I maruele that he sent not therwith, a foxes tayle for a scepture, and a whode with two eares. Rightly hath the scriptures set out thys generacyon for moc [...]rs. Hierem. xx. A great dissensyon arose the same tyme at Canterbury, 1187. betwene Baldewyne the archebyshopp and the couent of monkes, bicause he had begonne to buylde a newe college of secular prestes next ioynynge to them. They caused Pope Vrbane the thirde, to dyssolue it agayne, fearynge therby in processe to haue lost their pry­uylege of electynge their archebyshop­pes, and so not to haue their pleasures as they had afore. Plea­sure Wherupon he was com­pelled, to remoue his buyldynge from thens to Lambheth by Westmynstre, Ra­dulphus de Diceto, Rogerus Houeden, Ranul­phus, Treuisa, & Fabianus.

☞A bishop made both an earle and high iustyce.

IMmedyatly after kynge Rycharde the fyrste was crowned, and sworne to defende all Antichristes affaires, in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. &. lxxxix the byshop of Durham Hugh Pusath, 1189. for a great summe of moneye bought of hym the earledome of Northumberlande. And whan the kynge shulde do the ceremonye ouer hym of makynge an earle, and was girdynge the swearde about him. Se (saith he to his lordes and noble men) what a miracle I can do. miracle I can make of an olde by­shop, a yong earle. Am not I (thinke yow) a very connynge artyfycer? Lyke frates he played manye in the same yeare, in ma­kynge prelates barons and vycountes, to haue ryches to hys pleasure. In thys the kynge thought, he mocked them, but they mocked hym after a farre other sort in the ende. Thys dotyng byshop was not yet all satisfied, Durhā but added therunto a. M. markes more to be admytted the high iustyce of Englande. And for that he myght dwel at home wythoute checke, and polle at his pleasure, he gaue to the pope an vnreaso­nable summe of moneye, to be dispensed wyth for his vowe to the holye lande, and obtayned it. After thys he decreed wyth hymselfe, to lyue longe on the earth, Longe lyfe. vpon thys admoniciō of Godryck the Hermite, [Page Cv] whych sayd, that he shuld be starke blinde vij. yeares afore he shulde dye. But he vn­derstode not, that ther was as wele a blin­denesse in sowle as in body. And that made hym so vnready whan he shulde haue dy­ed, and also so wretchedly soeth to departe from thys worlde. Mattheus Paris, Radul­phus de Diceto, Ranulphus, Rogerus Treuisa & Polidorus. autours Se here, howe they kepe theyr owne spirituall lawes, for intermedlynge with temporal matters. But that for lucre they maye breake all ordre.

☞ The preuye membre of a fyshe, swaloweth in a monke.

GIraldus Cambrensis declareth in the second parte of his wurke, Giral­dus. cal­led the glasse of the church, ca. vij. That by the sea coast a she fish was foūde of a wonderfull greatnesse, called a thirle­poole. The people in great nombre came from all quarters there about, some to be­holde the monstruouse shappe of the fyshe and same to cut it in peces and to carry thē home to theyr howses, to so [...]ne profytable vse. Among other ther was a monke more quycke and sterynge to perceyue all thin­ges than anye other there. A mōke. Thys monke drawynge very nygh to the fyshe, beheld, vewed, and marked the preuye parte ther­of aboue all. Which was (the storie sayth) as it hadde bene the openynge of a greate dore or gate. He loked therupon verye se­riouslye, [Page] and muche wondered, neyther coulde he in anye wyse be satysfyed wyth the syghte therof. At the laste wythoute modestye, shame, and all bashefulnesse, he approched so nyghe, A falle that by the slyme and fat [...]esse therof, whyche than laye v­pon the sayde, hys fotynge fayled hym,- and he fell flat into the fowle hole, so be­ynge swalowed vp of that whyche hys le­cherouse harte most desired. So that these adages myght than haue bene founde true Suche saynte, suche shryue, suche bere, suche bottell, such treasure, suche trust. As muche was it to recouer hym and to saue hys lyfe as all they coulde do which stode about, with long pooles, pro [...] hokes, liues ropes, and other hasty prouisyons. A sub­tile enemye was it (sayth Giraldus) that prouided him so ridiculouse and obprobrioule a falle. Drow­ned. But this is the good fortune of our votaries. In y ^e ende they fall heade lin­ges into y ^e gulfe of y ^t filthinesse whych they haue so ardētly, all their life time affected.

☞The lasciuiouse hart of an other monke per [...]eiued.

AN other like storie sheweth the seyd Giraldus in the nexte chaptre folo­wing, Canter­bury. of a mōke of Glastenbury. It chaunced (saith he) at the kinges request & sute of the abbot, that the graue of king Arthour betwen. ii. high pilers of stone, was opened within y ^e holy Saintwary of Aua­lon. [Page Cvi] There founde they the fleshe bothe of hym and of hys wyfe Guenhera turned all into duste, wythin theyr coffynes of stronge oke, the bones only remaynynge. A monke of the same abbeye standynge by, 1101. and beholdynge the fyne bruydin­ges of the womannis heare, so yelowe as golde, there stil to remayne. As a man ra­uyshed, or more than halfe from his wittes he leaped into the graue. xv. fote depe, to haue caught them sodenlye. But he fayled of his purpose. For so sone as they were towched, they fell all to powder. No lesse was this monke (sayth Giraldus) a figure of that insaciable helle of lecherie, Giral­dus. than was the other monke, for he shewed as de­pely the sygnes of a shamelesse mynde, as ded the other. Giraldus lib. ij cap, viij. Specu­li ecclesiastici, & in opere de institutione principis, Radulphus Cogeshale, Ioannes Fiberius, Richardus Premonstratensis, Autores Mattheus VVestmonasteriensis, Ranulphus, Rogerus, Treuisa, & Ioānes Lelandus in assertione Arturij. All this maketh good the foresayenge of Tamel, y ^t the hartes of thē in this generacion shulde be all vpon women Dame. xi. I wolde not that thys also were forgotte [...]n in thys age by the waye, Stryses but marked and remem­bred, for it includeth a greate mysterye. Whan stryfes and controuersyes were rysen betwen monkes and their bishoppes for sleuelesse matters the kynge mighte not [Page] meddle in so spirituall causes, but a legate must all wayes come from Rome to do it.

Notate uerba, signate mysteria.

☞King Richarde is sent abrode, and a bishop ruleth.

NEuer were there anye people, ey­ther scarse any deuyls of helle, in craftes and wordlye wiles com­parable to these spretes of Rome, Wiles. the by­shoppes, monkes and prestes. They could sende kynges abrode on Pilgrymage, and in the meane tyme occupye their whole realmes to their Romyshe maisters behoue. Kynge Richarde the first, for his stoughte stomacke called Cor de Lyon, 1191. was sent in to the lande of Palestyne, to fyghte wyth the great Turke for Hierusalem, whyche an Englyshe votarye and byrde of theyr vncleane cage, had both betrayed and lost a lytle afore, and coulde neuer be reco­uered sens. For the tyme of hys absence, one Wyllyam Longeshampe, being chaū cellour of Englande and byshop of Helie, holdynge the gouernaunce of the whole realme, A rular. wonderfully oppressed the same. Ha­uynge the kinges whole power and his popes autoryte, he rode contynually with no lesse than a. M. horse, the noble mennys sonnes beynge glad to become slaues to hym. Wyth the beste barons and earles maryed he hys cosynes, neces, and kynswomen, yet was hys grande father a [Page Cvij] poore plough man and hys owne father a cowherde. Beynge and holye votarye, a votary he refused the vse of women, and in hys bed chambre abhomynablye occupyed wyth buggerye boyes, as the commen rule was than of that myscheuouse spyrytualte. So longe he ruffled it oute in all kyndes of tyrannye, tyll at the laste, Iohan the kinges brother, beynge than the greattest duke wythin the lande, began to couple wyth hym. Than fearynge to haue bene called to a verye strayghte reckenynge, he fled wyth a small companye of hys moste trusty seruauntes to the castell of Doue [...], Accomptes. myndynge in the nyghte to haue stollen o­uer the sea. But as herafter shall folowe, he came to shorte of that passage. Hugo Nouaunte in libello de fuga Guilhelmi Heli­ensis, & Rogerus Houeden. li. ij. Anglorum historiae.

☞This byshop counterfetteth a wo­man, and is taken.

INuentynge a newe crafte of con­ueyaunce, he came downe haltynge from the castell aboue, to the seaside byneth, Disgy­sed. appareled in al pointes lyke a woman, whose kynde neuerthelesse aboue al thinges he abhorred. A syde grene gar­ment he had vpon him, and a cloke wyth wide sleues of the same colour. His heade was al couered with a fair great k [...]rchief and his face with a propre muff [...]ar. In his [Page] ryght hande he bare a pece of lynen cloth, A sow­ster. and in the left hande a met yearde. And as he was set vpon a great stone, a fysher man commynge from the water, and inpyosynge hym to be an whore, ran fast vpon hym, and clasped one hande about hys necke, with the other he searched for hys preuye partes. Whan he ones vn­derstode hym to be a man and no wo­man, he called to them about and desyred them to come and to se a maruele, for he had founde (he sayd) a man in a wo­man. Hys seruauntes therwith drewenygh, A mon­stre. and with gentyll wordes pacyfyed this fysher. Anon after approched two women, requyrynge to knowe the pryce of hys lynen clothe. He played momme chaunce and wolde make none answere. With that they suspectynge the matter, plucked of hys mufflar from hys face, and so perceyued hym to be an olde man newly shauen. Than called they to them more company, A preste. and cryed with lowde voyces. Lete vs stone thys wylde mon­stre, whiche hath deformed both kyndes. Than threwe they of all that was vpon hys heade, and made hys prestes crowne all bare. They rated hym, reuyled hym, rayled vpon hym, A playe. byspatled hym and by­spitted him. Yea, they threw hym downe on the gr [...]unde, and dragged hym from place to place vpon the sandes, some by [Page Lviij] the armes, and some by [...]he legges. Hys seruauntes not able in anye wyse to helpe hym. A [...] the last they brought hym into a darke sellar, where as they cawched hym wyth rebuke and shame, tyll the hygh counsell of the realme sent for hym. Hugo Nouaunt, & Rogerus Houeden, in praefatis opuscalis.

☞He dieth, & is lamented of an old rood.

AFter thys was he brought to the Tower of London, enprysoned, exa­myned, depryued, Depry­ued. dyscharged of his gouernaunce, and so permytted to depart out of the lande, and Walter Constaunce the archebyshop of Rohan beynge an Englysh man borne, by the kynges letters was placed in hys rowme. He that wyll se this storye treated of, more at large, lete him resort to the forseyd wurkes of Hugh Nonaunt and of Roger Houeden. Dy­erse other aunours maketh mencyon of the same, as Radulphus de Diceto, Meue [...] Ricardus Praemonstrataensis, Mathew Paris, Iohan Euersden, Iohan Scuysh, Robert Fa­hyane, and Polydorus Vergilius, but not so copyously. Hugh Nouaunt wysheth in the ende of hys small treatyse, the excesse of thys lewde prelate so to be ponnyshed, that the kynges dignyte myght be conser­ued, and the order of presthode not vtterly confounded. After longe trauayle in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xcvii. 1197. [Page] He came to the cytie of Pictanis or Poty­ers where as he ended his lyfe. And so longe as he laye in extremes, a certen rode (they saye) in the cathedrall churche there, whiche was called the churche of Saint Mar [...]yale, ded pyteously wepe & lament, so that the teares fell downe from his ey­es, as it had bene a floude of water. Belike the byshop had bene some great frynde to that rode, A frynd that he toke his death so heauy­lye. But they saye, it was his accustomed vse, alwayes to mourne whan a byshopp departed. Loke Roger Houeden. And it maye wele be, for the scripture sayth, that both they are ydolles, that is to saye, both the paynted rode, and the bishop that preacheth not, Baruch. vi. & Zacha. xi.

☞ Antichrist detected, by Ioachim abbas.

Wils kynge Richarde was yet in the lande of Palestyne, 1191 he sent to the Ile of Calabria for abbas Ioachim, of whose famouse learnyng & won­derfull prophecyes he had hearde muche. Among other demauades, he axed hym of Antichrist, what tyme and in what place he shulde chesely apere. Antichrist (sayth he) is already borne in the cytie of Rome, and wyll set hym selfe yet hyghar in the seat Apostolycke. Anti­christ. I thought (sayd y ^e king) that he shuld haue bene borne in Antyoche or in Babylon, and to haue comen of the [Page Cix] stocke of Dan. I reckened also that he shulde haue raigned in the temple of God within Hierusalem, and only haue trauayled for the space of thre yeares and a halfe where as Christ trauayled, and to dispute agaynst Enoch and Helias. Not so (sayth Ioachim) but as the apostle reporteth, Ioa­chim. he is that onely aduersary whyche extolleth hymself aboue all that is called God. For where as the lorde is called but holye, he is called the most holy father. Thus Anti­christ shall be opened, and him shall God destroye with the sprete of hys mouth, and lyghte of his commynge. Whā thys was ones knowne in Englande and in other quarters of the kynges dominyon, the pre­lates begonne to starkie. Yea, Walter Constaunce the kynges deputie, with o­ther archebyshoppes, byshoppes, abbot­tes, and prelates of the clergye, prelates. cast their heades togyther, impugnynge thys newe doctryne with all power possyble. And though they brought fourth many stronge argumentes in aperaunce (saith Roger Houeden) yet coulde they neuer to thys daye brynge their matter to a full conclusion, Argu­mentes. but left it alwayes in doubt. Rogerus Houeden, & Radulphus Cogeshale.

☞ Antichrist apereth in hys full pryde.

CElestine the thyrde Pope of that na­me, crowned y ^t Emproure at Rome, 1191. [Page] called Henry the. vi. and gaue hym a vo­tarye to wyfe whyche was named Con­stantia, a professed nonne of Panorme in Cycyll, and the doughter of kynge Ro­ger. Thys coronacyon was celebrated on this wyse. He first met the Emprour with­out the churche dore, and afore hys ente­raunce toke a solempne othe of hym, that he shulde for tearme of lyfe, with swerde defende holy church, Defend. support all her customes, lawes, and lybertees, & fynally pre­serue y ^e patrymony of S. Peter. Whā this was ones graunted, the entered into the churche, where as the same Pope erected into a trone of magnificence most marue­louse, toke the imperyall crownes betwixt hys. ij. fete, and with them crowned first y ^e emprour and than the empresse hys wyfe. Thys done, with hys ryght fote he spur­ned the Emprours crowne of his heade a­gayne, Anti­christ. addyng thys vnshame fast clause, y ^t he had as wele power to depose hym, as to crowne hym. And the crowne fell to the grounde. The Cardynalles standyng by, toke it vp agayne, & set it vpon the seyd emprours heade. Rogerus Houeden, Ranulphus & Rogerus Cestrensis, ac Treuisa, Thys story haue I here rehearsed, Mark it that my readers might therby know, y ^e Antichrist was now at y ^e highest, & in the full of hys abhominable pryde, both in this Celestyne, and also in hys predecessour Alexandre the thirde▪ [Page Cx] whyche Alexandre made the father of this emproure, called Fridericus Barbarossa, in S. Markes churche at Venyce, to lye flat at hys fete vpon the pauymente, he settynge hys fote in hys necke, and vnseso­nably vtterynge thys sentence. o Inciset Vpon the adder and cockatryce shalt thu walke, the lyon and dragō shalt thu treade vndre fote Psal. xc. Loke Iacobus Bergomensis. Hart­mānus Shedel, Ioannes Nauclerus, Ioannes Stella, and Barnes,

☞An archebyshop execrated, and a byshop wounded.

IN the next yeare followynge whych was the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. &. xcij. 1192 Geffrey the archebishop of yorke, which was y ^e kinges bastard brother, resorted to Londō by cōmaundemēt. And as he came towardes Westmynstre with his crosse borne afore him, y ^e bishop of Londō with certen other prelates met him full in y ^t face, Charite & without frindely salutaci­on excōmunicated him for that only acte, & suspended the newe tēple both from syn­ging & rynging, where he was lodged, so that he was compelled to depart again frō London, y ^e purpose of his cōming not per­fourmed. Rogerus Houedē. Lo here was much a do for a thynge of nought. And no smal matter was it in those daies, to breake their apishe tradicions: about the same ty­me: Hugh Nonaunt the byshop of Chestre Nouant [Page] droue all the blacke monkes out of Couentre, and turned their monastery into a col­lege of prestes, sortyng their lyuynges in­to prebendes. The cause was this. They had kepte noughty rule, and wolde not be refourmed. Moreouer they were in dayly contencyon with the byshopp, Conten­cion. so that on a tyme, not only they vyolently strake him, but also they drewe bloude of hym afore their high aultre. Radulphus de Diceto, Ra­dulphus Cogeshale, Ricardus Diuisiensis, Ri­cardus Praemonstratensis, Rogerus Houeden, Matthaeus Paris, Ranulphus, Treuisa, & Fabianus. 1198. About. vij. yeares after thys, at the cō ­maundement of Pope Celestine the third, the monkes were restored agayne and the prestes reiected, by Hubert the archeby­shop of Canterbury, Hubert. Hugh the byshop of Lyncolne, & Samson the abbot of S. Ed­mondes Bury. Radulphus de Diceto, Ioānes Euersdē in Anglorū aunalibus, at (que) Polydorus.

☞ Prestes prouyded poysons dyuerse wayes.

AS a certen chaplayne belongynge to the archebyshop of Yorke, and cal­led Raufe Wygetoft, in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and xcvi. 1196. laye vpō his death bed at Rome, he openly cōfessed that he had sent into Englande false letters and poysons to the dyspachement of hys enemyes, And whan diligent searche [Page Cxi] was made at London, by them that folo­wed Roger of Rippun a prest which was the conueyar therof, it was so founde in dede, This poyson was brought thydre, Poyson. to haue destroyed maistre Simon the deane of Yorke and certen of the canons there. And chefely it was in a rynge and girdle, which both were brent at Totehyll before a great multytude of people, y ^e prest enpri­soned. This myschefe was layed to the ar­chebishop Geffreye of hys enemyes, but it was founde otherwyse. Rogerus Houeden & Radulphus Cogeshale. Was not thys (thynke yow) a vertuouste studye of these holye votaryes? Studye. At the same tyme was there a crafty knaue, an holye monke, I shulde saye, in the abbeye of Euesham, whiche laye long in a traunce. And after­wardes he wrote a newe Apocalips or bo­ke of reuelacions, concerning the paynes of helle and ioyes of heauen, not vnlyke to Tundalus. praefati autores cū Ioanne Scuish. An other false tole was there in the dyo­cese of London, whyche about the same season, Sisions. had visyons wonderfull (they say) of the peynes of purgatorye. Thus went the deuyll about in this doubtfull age, af­ter dyuerse sortes to deceyue the ignoraunt multytude, and very fewe there were thā, whiche in the true fayth resysted him.

☞ A byshop and an archedeacon taken in the warres.

[Page]IN tyme of the warres, whych were betwixt the frenche kynge and kyng Richarde Cor de lyon, Iohan y ^e kynges brother and Marchades a great cap­tayne went abrode with a nombre of horsemen to [...]roue mastryes. Iohan. Anon as Phylyp the byshop of Beluace, a man more gyuen to warre than to preachynge, had know­ledge therof, thynkynge them to be a mete praye for him, came freshly out of the cytie with sir Wyllyam Marlon and his sonne and a great nombre more of valeaunt war­ryours. Warry­res. In the ende, the byshop, the arche­deacon, and all the chefe captaynes were taken, the resydue all slayne and dysper­sed. These. ij. prelates Iohā presented with great tryumphe to the kynge hys brother, as those whyche had bene afore tyme hys great enemyes. I haue gotten (sayth he) y ^e great chaunter. A chaunter. and a good quere man to answere hym in t [...]e same note, and here I delyuer them to you. The kyng smyled, as one very glad that they were taken, consyderynge the displeasurs whiche they had done, and commaunded them, armed as they were, to be enprysoned. Pope Cele­styne hearynge therof by the canons of that churche, commaunded hym to de­lyuer agayne hys sonnes. Canons To whome he sent their armour with thys massage in questyon. Are these the garmentes of thy sonnes, or mete apparelynges for thy [Page Cxij] chyldren? No (sayth the Pope) nor yet of my bretherne, but rather they are the ve­stures of the chyldren of Mars. And so he lete them be styll, at the kynges plea­sure. Where as they remayned for y ^e spa­ce of. iiij. yeares after. Matthaeus Paris, Cōtimae Mat­thaeus VVestmonasteriensis, Rogerus Houe­den, Rogerus Cestrensis, Ranulphus, Tre­uisa, Nicolaus Treueth, Ioannes Euersden, & Ioannes Scuish.

☞ Fulco for the marryage of. iij. spirituall wyues.

Wyls these warres yet endured, theee came vnto kynge Richarde, one Fulco a frenche prest, 1197. whiche had preached very muche against vsurers and whores, This Fulco required y ^e kyng in any wyse to put from hym. iij. abhomy­nable doughters whych he had, and to cō ­myt them to marryage, least God ponny­shed hym for them. Lytle was marryage beholden to suche a preacher. Thou lyest hypocryte (saith y ^• kinge) to thy very face, for all the world knoweth, that I haue not one doughter. I lye not (sayth Fulco) for thou hast. iij. doughters. One of thē is called Pryde, an other couetousnesse, and the third lecherie. With that the kynge called vnto him, his lordes & his barons. This hypocryte (sayth he) hath requyred me here, Hypocrite. to marry fourth my thre doughters. [Page] And now that I haue founde out apte husbandes for them, Husban­des. I wyll do it in effecte, I therfore biquethe my pryde to the hygh mynded Templars and Hospytelers, for they are as proude as helle. My couetous­nesse I gyue to the Cisteane monkes, for they couere the deuyll and all. My leche­rie I commytt to the prelates of y ^e church, for they haue therin most felicyte. Wyth this was the preacher cōfused, for he knew it was no lye. Fulco. Compendium noui chronici, Matthaeus Paris, Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis, Rogerus Houeden, Radulphus Cogeshale Ranulphus, Rogerus, Treuisa, & Ioannes Scuish. To this agreeth that which Giraldus Cambrensis writeth, li iij. ca. xij. Speculi ecclesiastici. Which is, that Pope Alexandre the thirde was wont to saye, that he had iij. howses whome he inteyrly loued, Thre howses. that ab­oue all others enioyed hys specyall pro­tection. Whyche were the thre religy­ons of Templars, Hospytelers, and Cy­steanes. Ye maye be sure, it was for no goodnesse, that they so highly stode in his fauer.

☞ Men possessed of deuyls, and Ci [...]teane monkes.

ROger Houeden sheweth, li. ij. histo­riae Anglorum, that in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. and xcviij. 1198. many were possessed of deuyls & vexed with horryble freuesyes, For remedye of this [Page Cxiij] many monkes were sought to, as men of most holy conuersacyon, chefelye the Cy­steanes. Amonge whome there was an abbot whyche toke vpon hym to expell them in the name of Christ. And as he was do­yng with one, the euyll prete spake in him and said. We are the same legion of deuils whiche Christe droue out of the Gergesy­tes into the heard of swyne, Legion. and that drowned them in the sea, Math. viij. A power we haue receyued to entre into all blasphemers, as we haue found some in this citie, If we therfor be expelled out of these mad men, we will next of all entre into the, thu hipocryt, and into thy dyssemblyng ordre, and torment yow as we haue done the o­thers. Not passinge. iij. yeares afore (sayth the seyd Roger) certen paganes, 1196. wastinge the lande of Sanctius the kyng of Portin­gale, came towardes an abbeye of the Cy­steanes to destroy it. The monkes hauing knowledge therof, came fourth and sub­mytted themselues, desyerynge their liues with teares. The paganes cōmended their conuersacyon, and sayde, that they myght in that ordre be saued, if they hadde wo­men. The monkes iudged of thys true sentence, as they hadde done of marriage, Womē. that it was verye whoredome. But the paganes thoughte of the monkes, as the truth was, that vndre that colour of religion they were filthie buggerars. And so the [Page] paganes were much better than the sodo­metrouse monkes were. Ex eodem Rogero.

☞ Two archebyshoppes rebuked, for collegys buyldynge.

MAnye greuouse accusacyons were made the same yeare to pope In­nocent the thyrde, 1198. by the monkes of Canterburye, agaynste Hubert their archebyshop. Chefely that he hadde builded a chapell at Lambeth, to the horryble pre­iudyce of the mother churche of Canter­bury, placynge prestes or secular canons therin, and appoyntynge them lyuynges oute of theyr yearlye rentes to theyr vtter vndoynge. For there he intended (they sayed) to consecrate byshoppes, cōsecrat and to depryue them of theyr eleccyons, contra­rye to their auncyent customes. So that they much feared that the dygnyte of there churche, whyche alwayes had bene a true handemayde to the church of Rome, shuld haue bene trāslated to that chapel Aposta­trice, as they thā called it ful wisely. Thus was the archebishop at y ^e last cōpelled, as was Baldewin his predecessour, Balde­wyn. to stryke it downe flat to the grounde, whome af­ter lyke forte they had also vexed for buyl­ding the like at Canterbury. Neyther was the kynge nor yet all the realme, at that daye able to staye them. Raufe Cogeshale sayth. For they feared therby also to haue lost their prerogatyue in chosinge alwaies [Page Cxiiij] the archebishop. They muche disdayned prestes in those dayes (Ranulphus saith) & iudged them men of much lesse perfection than they were of, Prestes for their monkish cow­les sake. But these. ij. archebishoppes were men of good knowledge (Treuisa saith) for they vnderstode that Christ which was the only heade of y ^e church, reckened no perfecciō in mōkes & frires, whā he left his poor Apostles y ^e gouernours therof. apostles Loke Ro­ger Houedē, Mathew Paris, Mathew of Westmin, Raufe Cogeshale, Ranulphus, Treuisa, Fabian, and Iohan Scuish.

☞A lecherouse votarye assoyled at Rome for money.

IN an olde boke of confessyon rec­kenynges, 1199. and of absoluciōs sought at Rome by bawdye prestes and monkes of thys realme, and obtayned for moneye, I founde thys abhomynacy­on to close vp my boke wyth, wherat I much wondered. The petycyon of an ho­lye votray of England (it shuld serue that he was a prebēd of Lincoln) to Anselme y ^e bishop of Albanense, cōtained this heauy cōplaint. That he at times by y ^e deuils suggestiō, had accupied al sortes of womē as wele in y ^e churches as in other sacred pla­ces. Occupied. He began first with the mothers, and thā folowed on with y ^e doughters, neces, & nigh kinswomen, From thē he went to the [Page] nonnes, and had to do with a sort of them also. For the whiche he honestly desyereth absolucyon for his moneye, and hath it as honestly of this byshopp beynge the Po­pes deputie, after this fourme. To your discressyon (sayth thys byshop by writing to the byshop of Lyncolne) do we commit it, Discres­syon. to assoyle this clarke in forma ecclesiae, from the sentence of excommunicacyon, in case he hath ronne into the daunger therof for hys fornycacyons, aduoutryes, ince­stes, and other synnes. We wyll yow also to enioyne hym pena [...]ace, as ye shall se it conuenyent, for the helthe of hys sowle. Datum &c. A great, nombre of these baw­dy bruynges, founde I in that boke, A boke. called poenitentiarium Romanum. Se how ten­dre these fathers are to their owne lecherouse occupyenges, and maryage amonge them is yet in­dyspensable O deuyls byr­des and promoters of all prodygyouse whore­domes and kna­ueryes.