head shauinge other vnsauerye ceremonies and wrote afterwarde an earnest treatyse agaynst Agilbertus a frenche man and at that tyme byshop of Wynchestre All thys myght not helpe then but in processe of tyme they had theyr whole myndes magry al their hartes Bedas Giruninus li. 3. ca. 25. De gestis Anglorum Guilhelmus Malmesburye li. 3. De Pontificibus Ranulphus lib. 5. cap. 17. Iohannes Caphraue and other ¶ Religiouse examples dysuadynge mariage After Laurentius folowed Melitus in the archebyshoppes seate of Caunterburye in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xix whiche they saye both alyue dead dysuaded yonge men from christen marryage As Saynt Columbanus a Scott about the same tyme came to the sell of an holye Nonne for ghostlye counsell She bad hym awaye least wanton youthe would bryng them togyther wylde they nylde they Saynt Edwyne kynge of Northumberland gaue vnto saint Paulinus the archebyshop of yorke hys yonge doughter Eanfleda so sone as she was baptysed in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xxvi that he shuld make her an vnholye Nonne And the daye after the said Edwyne was slayne he toke with hym both the doughter and mother and so fled with them vnto Rochestre in kent be water neuer returning thydre agayne Saynt Fiacre a Scottysh heremyte had so great malyce vnto women that he plaged so many of them with the fowle euyll as came within the precynct of hys monasterye because one woman had ones complayned to the byshop of hys prodygyouse charmynges Hector Boethius Saynt Foillanus an Irysh Byshop with his brethren was very famylyar and seruysable vnto Saynt Gertruyde and her nonnes at Nigella made dyuerse barren women full graciouslye to conceyue Saynt keynwirye a virgyne of wales contempnynge marryage fled from thēs to Saynt Myhels of the mounte to kepe her vowed virginite amonge the holye fathers there as vower with vowers All these storyes hath Iohan Capgraue ¶ Other relygyouse examples of that age SEbba kyng of the East Saxōs was so by wytched of the Byshop of Londō and his calkyng collygeners there for hys substaunce that he had made hymselfe a monke leauynge vnto them both hys wyfe and possessyons yf she had bene no wyfe then he nor more godly dysposed Yet was she by their incantacyons at the last deceyued they hauynge of hym an innumerable summe of money and he nothynge of them agayne but a mangye monkes cowle and hys buryall in Paules Whan Saynt Egbynes father was ones departed in wales his mother resorted wyth hym to the Abbeye of Saynt Sampson and there receyued of hym the habyte of a Nonne bestowyng the rest of her lyfe amonge the good bretherne there Saynt Eanswyde abbesse of Folkstane in kent inspyred of the deuyll dyffyned christen marryage to be barren of all vertues to haue but transytoryouse frutes and to be a fylthye corruptyon of virginite Yet ware Marye Iohan Baptyst and Iesus Christ swete frutes therof the iust fathers of the olde lawe not rekened Saynt Paule sayeth also that by vertue of marryage the vnfaythfull man is sanctyfyed by the woman that is faythfull i. Cor. vij Neither dyd he at anye tyme teache marryage to be eyther a corrupcion or yet an impedyment of christen virginite whan he coupled the Corintheanes whiche continued styll marryed a chaste virgine to Christ. 2. Cor. ii But thys gentylwoman Eanswyde was muche better acquaynted with the monkes learnyng then with Christes and with a chastyte rather to their behoue than to hys Yet droue she out all the gantes or bystardes there yf their churche legende be true These storyes shewed Iohan Capgraue ¶ The wanton toyes of the holye fathers ABout thys same tyme sent Pope Bonyface the fyft a shyrte with a golden collor and a fyne petycote of straunge makynge vnto kynge Edwyne with the blessynges of Peter and Paule And vnto hys wyfe Ethelburge a syluer glasse and a combe of yvorye with the same to vpholde them in thys newe christianite Se these wanton fathers what toyrs they vse to set vp their kyngdome here Neuer shall ye reade that Christes dysciples had anye suche wyttye polycyes Saynt Petrock an her myte of Cornewale was fayne euerye nyght from the crowe of the cocke to the sprynge of the mornynge to stande naked in a pyt to abate the hote mouynges of hys fleshe And neuer coulde he haue remedy of that dysease tyll he went onpilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem Here was a newe sought out salue for that sore Saynt Pyrane a Byshop also in Cornewale had a fayre dammesell in the monastery of hys mother wyngell called Brunet whom the Lord of the soyle toke vp for his occupieng At the last he agreed with him no longer to haue her then the bernacle or butture shuld breake him of his slepe which chaunced sone after thā he sent her home agayn If these be not good honest legendes to be redd in the Popes holy church tel me Plēteouse shall ye finde Iohā Capgraue in the rehersall of them and suche other The ghostly bestowing of their vowes A Nonne belonging to saynt Cota and a monke perteyning to saynt Pyrane about the same tyme strake vp a couenaunt of loue And as they met in a wode for performance of the same a yong pigeon fell betwixt them and made them both ashamed so they went home agayne A lyke matter Such an other pagent was played at yorke but it was longe after The monkes of saynt Mary abbeye and the nonnes of Clement thorpe mett togyther there at hay making the abbottes fole being wyth them And as the abbot enquired of him at supper for pastyme where he had bene all that daye He fell in a great laughynge and declared before all hys gestes that a sore battayle had bene foughten that after none betwixt hys monkes and the monkes of clement thorpe But he thanked God that hys monkes had the best for they laye euer aloft Bycause that one of Saynt modwens maydes had layed her beste beloues shoes at her beddes head the spretes of heauen that were wonte to vysyte her wolde not come there that nyght After she had bene at Rome and was comen home agayne she dwelt at Scaleselyf where as an holye hermyte ded oft tymes vysyte her and muche refreshe her wyth a legende boke of sayntes lyues But no tydinges was there among them of Christes holy Gospell Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ Erkenwalde and Osith with their Nondryes SAynt Erkenwalde the sonne of Vffa the fyrst King of the east angres abbot of Chertesye and Bishop of London buylded a Nondrye at Berkynge And bycause there were at that time in Englande no Nonnes to his mynde for Hilda hys kynswoman was to great a scripture woman in those dayes he sent ouer the see for an old acquayntaunce of hys called Hildelitha learned in arte
meÌ„ Paschall the Romish bishop not pleased therwith to whom he sent this massage Gyue vnto Cesar that is Cesars meanynge the imperyall crowne and vnccyon with power of inuestynge prelates For he requyred also that he shulde confirme the byshoppes whome he had admytted afore whyche all he refused to do The emprour with that set hys men of warre vpon hym and hys calkers Cardynalles I shuld saye whyche toke the very breches from their arses Christianus Massaus sayth and committed them almost naked to pryson Wherupon in the ende in all thynges he consented to the emprour subscrybyng and sealyng vnto hym a perpetuall priuylege for admyttynge byshoppes and abbottes within hys whole dominyon cursynge all them that shulde at any tyme after that withstande it But as he was ones departed out of Italy he called an oâ—â—â—r synode at Laterane in Rome by counsell of our Anselme and suche other and dyssolued all agayne that he had grauÌ„ted excommunycatynge the seyd emprour and dysdaynouslye changynge hys pryuylege to the scornefull name of a prauylege or writynge that stode for nought For Gesnerus sayth in hys vnyuersall Biblyotheke that Paschalis wrote to Anselme an epystle for hys excuse By lyke than he had layed it sumwhat sharpely to hys charge Thus mocked they in that age the great prynces of the worlde depryued theÌ„ of power and trode their hygh dygnytees vndre their fylthie fete all contrary to the wholsome documentes by th of Christ and of hys Apostles Thys story is tenderly towched of the Italysh writers for hurtynge themselues yet hath Robert Barnes described it at large in uitis RomanoruÌ„ pontificum Ye shall vnderstande that thys was that emprour whych marryed kynge Henryes doughter that was called Maude the empresse Ioannes Capgraue li. i. de nobilibus Henricis ☞ Anselme bryngeth the kynge in subiectyon to Antichrist MAthew Paris sheweth in the third boke of hys large chronycle that after kynge Henry the first had taken hys brother duke Robert prysoner and obtayned other great vyctoryes in the yeare of our lorde as M.a. C. vij he receyued the archebyshop Anselme agayne into hys fauer at Becca in Normandy restorynge hym to hys olde possessyons And as touchynge the byshop of Rome sayth he the learned kyng neuer feared hym for hys spirytuall autoryte but only for hys temporall power In the same yeare was a great counsell holden in the kynges palace at London where as the prelates wer agreed by the space of iij. dayes that the kyng shulde holde styll the autoryte of admyttynge prelates and appoyntynge spyrytuall offyces as other kynges hys predecessours ded notwithstandynge the Popes late inhibicyon Thys hath Simeon of Durham and Roger Houeden But whan Anselme was ones come whiche was hygh president of that counsell and Pope of thys whole yle of Brytayne all was clerely dashed agayne and this contraryouse sentence of hys toke place that from that daye forward no byshop nor abbot shulde receyue rynge or pastorall hoke of the kynge or yet of any other laye mannys hande within Englande He added moreouer thys spyghtfull clause vnto it that whan a prelate was ones chosen the want of due homage to hys kynge shulde be no impedyment of hys consecracyon Loke Radulphus de Diceto Mathew Paris Mathew of Westminstre and Roger Houeden O manyfest traytour without all shame and honest obedyence Than coÌ„secrated he vij byshoppes at ones whych neuer was seane in England afore but at one tyme. Thus gote Anselme Iohan Capgraue sayth the vyctory longe loked and laboured for for the churches lyberte ☞ An other synode of Anselme for dyssoluyng prestes marryage IN the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and viij Anselme helde an other great synode at London wherin yet ones againe he made solempne processe agaynst all prestes deacons and subdeacons that had marryed wyues renuynge all hys former statutes and actes made agaynst them by consent of the kynge and hys barons For afore that tyme they ded all without their consent whyche they afterwardes founde not in all poyntes to their myndes commodyouse No women were from thens fourth permytted to dwell in howse with them sauynge only they whyche were so nygh of kynne as they myght not marry wyth though they laye with some of them at tymes as mother syster grandame aunte and suche lyke Vtterly was it forbydden them euer after to haue any talke with them that had bene their wyues vnlesse it were in the open stretes before two able witnesses Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Who wolde thus so vngodly and presumptuously haue taken vpon hym to haue separated those whom God had ioyned but proude Antichrist and his dyabolycal rable of sorcerouse Gomorreanes How stode this with the holy Ghostes doctryne vttered of S. Paule i. Corinth vij Vnto the marryed sayth he commaunde not I but the lorde that the wyfe be not separated from the man But what els went these execrable hypocrytes about in all these their vngracyouse procedynges but to make Gods holye coÌ„maundementes of none effecte for their fylthie rathers tradicyons and with their newe doctryne of deuyls in hypocresye to polute the Christianyte with the prodygyouse occupyenges of stynkynge Sodome ☞ The closynge vp of Anselmes vnsauery doynges ALl the next yeare after ded Anselme bestowe in a straunge kynde of scoldynge with Thomas the newly elected archebyshopp of Yorke tyll suche tyme as death clerely toke hym from the worlde He vtterly forbad hym the pastorall cure tyll suche tyme as he had submytted hymselfe to hys Papacye and professed a canonycall obedyence whyche he called a submyssyon to the churche of Canterbury If thou wylt not do thus sayth he we charge all the byshoppes of Englande vndre payne of the great curse that none of them presume to consecrate the neyther yet to receyue the for a byshop if thou any where els be consecrated with many other obprobryouse tauntes Matthaeus Paris Radulphus de Diceto Many ydell matters dysputed thys Anselme with very weake rawe and fryuolouse reasons as is to be seane in his feble wurkes of the sowles orygynall of leauen and breade vnleauened of the measurynge of the crosse of the mouynge of the aultre of Maryes concepcyon of the churches offyces and suche lyke whyche Christ calleth gnatt strayuynge I maruele with what conscyence Polydorus called him that good shepeherde whyche daungereth hys lyfe for the shepe and in the myddes of all his false packynges He doth Christ much wroÌ„ge therin whych only fulfylled it in effâ—ct He doth no pastours offyce that robbeth Christen kynges of their pryncely power autoryte to enhaunce the tyrannouse vsurpacyons of Antichrist as thys Anselme ded but rather he sheweth the fashyons and roberyes of a thefe I can awaye at no hand with so blasphemouse handelynge of the scriptures ☞ The mone was darkened and what it sygnyfyed MAthew Paris writeth Mathewe of Westmynstre
Iob. They are holye votaryes that stryue for so many fat dyshes ☞ The abhomynable lecherye of the same monkes IN the dyocese of S. Dauid in Wales and within the prouynce of Goer the pryour of Langenith whych was a celle of the ordre of Clunyakes or monkes without botes beholdyng a certen yonge woman first by wanton lokes and after by other lewde entycementes made her at his pleasure to serue hys lascyuyouse purpose And whan it was ones growne to a publyque infamy that all men spake yll of it with moneye he corrupted the offycyals to escape the open reproche And whan none other waye els wolde serue he gaue her in marryage to a yonge man not farre of Yet left he not so her companye but abused her after as he had done afore tyll suche tyme as he was deposed by the dyocesyane and lo with shame exyled the contreye The lyke was done also by two other monkes of Northwales of whom one was priour of Sagia an other of Breckennoch both celles of Clunyakes and not farre froÌ„ the hauen of Myluerd Whych were for their whoredomes most shamefully deposed and bannyshed Yea the seyd Geralde reporteth it to be a commen thynge among them where as suche celles were buylded and wyshed for hys tyme that not one of them had bene within the whole realme of Englande for the myschefes that he knewe by them And whan they went abroade he sayth about the affaires of their religioÌ„ or howses they wolde in none other innes be lodged but where as they might haue whores at their pleasures Giraldus Cambrensis in Speculo ecclesiae li ij ca. i. Was not this thynke you an holye religion and an high profession of chastyte ☞ Of two Englysh votaries one a traytour the other a thefe AS Heraclius the patriarke of Hierusalem was returned home agayne out of England in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. lxxxvi an Englysh votary of the ordre of Templars called Robert of S. Albons betrayed that holye cytie with all the Christen inhabytauntes to Saladinus the souldane of Babylon vpon thys couenaunt that he shulde haue his nece to marrye And so it came to passe in the ende the kynge taken prysoner and the patryarke compelled to flee so that the kyngdome was destroyed foreuer An other Englyshe votarye of the same ordre of Templars called Gylbert Ogerstan kynge Henry appoynted with certen others to gather vp the moneye whyche he had determyned to be gyuen to releue the holye lande and cytie of Hierusalem agaynst the Turkes And whan he had deprehended him in an horryble thefte in doynge the same to the mayntenaunce of hys accustomed lecheryes where as he mighte iustlye haue hanged hym he onely commytted hym to the maystre of the temple at London that he shulde ponnysh hym accordynge to their statutes Rogerus Houeden libro secundo historiae Anglorum The hospytelers and Templars were two fygtinge orders instituted firste in the contreye of Palestyne or holy land as they call it for the only defence of Christen pylgrymes goyng to and fro In processe of tyme they grewe to so great rychesse that as the adage goeth the doughter deuoured the mother They exempted themselues froÌ„ the paâ—ryarkes iurysdyccyon whiche was their first father and foundar and bicame seruauntes to the great Antichrist of Rome Not onely to fyll all that lande with his fylthie supersticyons but also to brynge the profyghtes to his insacyable handes that were gathâ—red from all other nacyons For where as colleccyons were to maynteyne those warres Roger Hourden sayth that alwayes a Templar was one gatherer and an hospyteler was an other But in the ende about the yeare of our lorde a thousand thre hundreth and twelue they had their deserued rewarde for than were the Templars destroyed Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus Aegidius Faber Ioannes Paleonydorus Ioannes Nauclerus Paulus Phrigio atque Polydorus ☞ A crowne of Pecockes fethers sent to kynge Henrye ROger Houeden writeth it as a matter seryouse and earnest that in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lxxxvi Pope Vrbane the thirde hearynge tell that kynge Henry had appoynted his yongar sonne Iohan to the lattre conquest of Irelande sent hym a crowne of Pecockes fethers fynely wouen and wrought togyther with golde The next yeare after he sent one Octauian a Cardynall and Hugh Nouaunt whyche was byshopp of Couentry and Chestre as legates from hys ryghte syde to haue crowned the seyd Iohan kynge of Irelande But the kynge not beynge so Pecockysh as he iudged hym dyscretely and wysely deferred the tyme tyll the Cardynall was gone Se what fyue toyes these foÌ„de fathers had in their crafty heades to mocke Christen prynces with for aduauntage Here was a gnat workemanly strayned out to swalowe in a camell for it He was at great cost that sent Pecockes fethers So was it a precyouse kyngedome towardes whose kynge shuld haue bene crowned with them But I maruele that he sent not therwith a foxes tayle for a scepture and a whode with two eares Rightly hath the scriptures set out thys generacyon for mocâ—â—rs Hierem. xx A great dissensyon arose the same tyme at Canterbury betwene Baldewyne the archebyshopp and the couent of monkes bicause he had begonne to buylde a newe college of secular prestes next ioynynge to them They caused Pope Vrbane the thirde to dyssolue it agayne fearynge therby in processe to haue lost their pryuylege of electynge their archebyshoppes and so not to haue their pleasures as they had afore Wherupon he was compelled to remoue his buyldynge from thens to Lambheth by Westmynstre Radulphus de Diceto Rogerus Houeden Ranulphus Treuisa Fabianus ☞ A bishop made both an earle and high iustyce IMmedyatly after kynge Rycharde the fyrste was crowned and sworne to defende all Antichristes affaires in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. lxxxix the byshop of Durham Hugh Pusath for a great summe of moneye bought of hym the earledome of Northumberlande And whan the kynge shulde do the ceremonye ouer hym of makynge an earle and was girdynge the swearde about him Se saith he to his lordes and noble men what a miracle I can do I can make of an olde byshop a yong earle Am not I thinke yow a very connynge artyfycer Lyke frates he played manye in the same yeare in makynge prelates barons and vycountes to haue ryches to hys pleasure In thys the kynge thought he mocked them but they mocked hym after a farre other sort in the ende Thys dotyng byshop was not yet all satisfied but added therunto a. M. markes more to be admytted the high iustyce of Englande And for that he myght dwel at home wythoute checke and polle at his pleasure he gaue to the pope an vnreasonable summe of moneye to be dispensed wyth for his vowe to the holye lande and obtayned it After thys he decreed wyth
they depriued the Englyshe successyon of regall regyment to aduaunce the Danysh bloude to the crowne of England Than brought they in the NormeÌ„nes and Frenche men procuring theyr bastarde a banner from Rome to subdue the lande And whan they were stayed by the sufferaunce of God for the synnes of the people than ded they turmoyle wyth them also They rebelled agaynste kynge Wyllyam conquerour and laboured to subdue him bicause they sayd he was both a bastarde and a tyraunt They sent fourth S. Albon if dead meÌ„ myght straye abrode to kylle kynge Wyllyam Rusus bicause he was their enemye They made their dead bishoppes to pricke at kynge Henry the first with their pastorall hokes the chronycles sayth bicause he had much dyspleased them They tell of kynge Steuen that their maker flewe awaye whan he shulde haue receyued hym the taper in hys hande ded breake and the pixte fell out of hys tabernacle at his coronacyon Of kynge Henry the seconde they report that he came of the deuyll by the fathers syde and from the curse of God by the mothers for kyllynge Thomas Becket and yet he kylled hym not They senâ— fourth kynge Richard Cordelyon to fyght for Hierusalem whyls they occupyed hys realme here at home dyffamynge hym of lecherye pryde and couetousnesse Thus haue they handeled their kinges hytherto How they vsed the rest of them ye shall knowe God wyssynge in my next ij bokes folowynge Breuely to conclude vpon that is sayde afore concernynge the dacayed autoryte of princes and condempned marryage of prestes whyche wonderfully gaue waye to Antichristes vsurpacyons The pretence of those wycked workemen whych thus pranked hym vp with vntempered buyldynges was in their generall counsels to condempne the fowle heresye of Simonye and lecherouse commixtion of Nicolaitanes Suche were the prodygyouse and fylthie names that they gaue to the inuestytute of prelates in the handes of a prynce and the marryage of Christen ministers at that tyme at lyberte to make their own wycked actes to apere very godly They sayd 〈◊〉 was the great errour of SimoÌ„ Magus 〈◊〉 a kynge shuld admyt a byshop eyther yet haue power to gyue fourth any spirytuall promocyon yet Simon Magus was no kynge but a membre of their spiritualte They affyrmed it also to be the abhominacyon of the Nicolaitanes whan a Christen mynistre toke to hym a wyfe and yet the Apostles had power to leade about with them systers to wyues i. Corin. ix But doubtlesse they fowly forgote themselues in these matters For Simon Magus wolde haue soâ—â—e the holy Ghost as they ded all their spirituall promocyons and cures And Nicolaus Antiochenus made hys wyfe common as they haue done other mennys wyues to their owne lecherouse vses besydes boyes bytches and apes For the seyd Nicolas was neuer condempned for marryage but for abusynge that honourable estate By these maye ye measure their other buyldynges tyll more matter come forwarde and sawde the eternall God for the lyghte â—â—yche we haue in this aâ—â— receiued both to knowe them and to beware of them So be it ☞ Thus endeth the second pâ—rt of this wurke called The Actes of Englysh votaryes Collected by Iohan Bale Anno. M.D.L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 24 Romish sayntes Olde goddes newe Dyffa MacioÌ„s of Marriage Blasphemye The deuyls Sayntes vnmaried Votaries Christen doctors The autour Chronicles Prestes Marriage Virginite Faythe 2. Cor 11 Mat. 7. Miracles Autours Bishoppes Gospell Errour Face of Antichaist Narriage maketh lay nobilite Kynge Henry Christ. Matrimony the first religion Vnmaryed prestes Gods-aduersaries Cain Nonnes Monkes Sodomites Prestes wiues Priestes wyues Haters of the Pope Barnes The autours EnglaÌ„d Afore Noe. The flod Iapheth Phaleg Samothes gigas Albion gigas Neptunus Samothythes Vestals Chastite TyraÌ„ny now Bruns syluius Druydes Athens Whores One god Beastes worshypped Priestes maryed Votaries Zacharie marryed Marrye a wyfe No nonne Peter marryes No vowes coÌ„mauÌ„ded Peters wyfe Paule maryed Philip maryed Ioseph of Arimathe Anno 63. Scrope Gospell Kynge Lucius Rome Anno domini 179. Churches Autours Christianite Dyoceses paryshes TeÌ„ples MoÌ„kery Heresies Pelagiâ— Fre wyl Seuerus Leporiê° 432. Autours Agricola 446. partrick 361. Martinus Patriciê° Benignus Modwenna Chastite Dubricius KeÌ„tigernus merlinê° Turkes A awe Iudgement Dauid kinetus brigida cuthbert Capgraue whoredome is holy Their Gods seruyce The Popes chaplaynes women Dauid dubricius KeÌ„tigernus Brigida Saynt ModweÌ„ brigida Iltutus hys wyfe Not Poles learnyng Vrsula cum xi millibus Armorica 390. Diounus Dionothus For maryage Drowned autours Wyth lyes Pylgry Dan. 11. Hiere 5 Names feyned Historiours Proue the spretes Only to marry NoÌ„nes of Coleyne CoÌ„staÌ„s 443. Maglocunus Gildas 552. Mempricius Gildas prophecyeth SaxoÌ„s EnglaÌ„d Christyanyte Gregory Instede of marryage Angly Wares Marutus 500. Ethelwolphus 847 Apo. 13. Tymes 607. 596. Augustinus MoÌ„kes crafty scyence Ignoraunt apostles Miracles WomeÌ„ Saye angrye sayntes Festyuall Ethelbert Procession lyberte Etheriê° 600. Instrumentes Doroberna Caunterburye NoÌ„bres primitie Synodê° Christyanytye Brytaynes Princes 600. 666. Antichrist 602. Synodê° Solynarye man Christen counsell A proud Monke Thre poyntes A tyrauÌ„t A murtherer A carnal Synagoge Bloody Syon Iohan Leyland Brytayn churche Englysh churche 607. full age The Papacye Apoc. 13. 2. Tes. 2. MoÌ„kes autorite Esa. xi A false chastite Gregori ExaÌ„ple MoÌ„kes chastyte iij. wayes Coloured Sodomye Stewes diuinite votaries learning maryage contempned Laye with tayles Dorset Stroude Laurencius cuÌ„ alijs Synodê° the feast of easter Women Sore bellies Venus Ceremomonies rytes Good men Hilda â—t Colmannus 664. Agilberbertus melitus 619. Columbanus Paulinê° 626. Fiacriê° Foillanus Keyna Sebba is monked Egbinê° SaÌ„pson Eanswida Frutes of marryage Eanswida babyshe toyes Petrocus Piranus legeÌ„des Chastyte of votaryes Vowes obserued Modwenus Heremita Erkenwaldus Ethelburga Ositha Spirituall knauery 653. Theodorus Apo. 13. The fully coÌ„plete age NoÌ„â—re of the beast crafty scieÌ„ces Theodatus Theodorus shauing 668. Adrianus A scole Straunge sciences Adrianus Character 672. sinodus Ceddas OrdinauÌ„ces IoaÌ„nes de Molinis 680 Synodus AgathoÌ„ No Gospell Synodus generalis Masse Mildreda Vitiza Chastyte fre Hipocresye worketh Monasteries oswius 684. SuÌ„ma penitencialis Drithelmus 671 FouÌ„dacyon of purgatorye Illusyons Confession Masses Canonysed deuyls Cuthbertus NoÌ„nes Verca Colfridus ShaueÌ„ crownes WaldeÌ„ A comete RegnuÌ„ et sacerdotium Apo. 13. ij hornes Augustinus 596. Berinus 636 ij sectes Papacy Kingdomes popishe Britaynes 689. cadwallader Marke it 1533. englaÌ„de Roma et Babylon merline Brute of God SaxoÌ„s merlyne Balaam The. x. hornes of the beast Apo. 17. Apo. 18. Winker of wyles Sedia Guenhera Oswaldus Bebla Ebba Etheldreda Wilfridus knauery Theodorus A waytynge hound The autour Pylgrimes Inas Ethelredus CoÌ„redê° Offa. 709. Kenredê° Colwolphus Bastardes Adelmê° Synodê° ij bokes Sergiê° Egwinê° Images Lady of worcestre Brithwaldus Sonodê° 709. Guthlacus Bartellinus MoÌ„kes Dispersed The Popes apostles Wenefridus Bonifacius Synodê° 710. Daniel Apostle of Germanie Alia bestia Apo. 13. Character Actes of this
beast To worshyp the first Beast Hildericus Pipinê° Kyngdomes traÌ„slated antichrist Apo. xiij Alderbertus Claudiê° Errours doctrine Canonistes Rome Open sale of whores Ethelbaldus Colfredus Osredus geraldus geilepus Fulda 744. Lieba Monasterium fuldeÌ„se Floriacus 651. To ease their vowes Oxford Frideswyde A king Alcuinus Autoures Ethelwolphus Penitentes at Rome Syt in the consâ—â—ences The Rome shott Hospytall Fulda Gilberta A womâ— pope 854. Pryde hath a fall An whore Popes chosen by their stones An exaÌ„ple Fulda Matrimony coÌ„deÌ„pned 858. A prest Holy water 875. Gabriel A boke of xij chapters Diuerse Gabriels Odulphus Fredericus Clarus The Danes Coldyngham Elphegus Ghostly fathers CoÌ„teÌ„cioÌ„ Egelricus a married prest Marriage conteÌ„pned A married prest ethelstâ—nus a monke maryed A miracle Elpe Brithgida Wilfhilda Odo 946. Floriaâ—us The kinges concubines Cinstitucions Oswalde Floriacus The sacrameÌ„t Miracles DuÌ„stanus magnus musyck sorcerye Carniâ—ge autours A caste or feate Ethelstanus Athelmus Elphegus a moÌ„kes cowle Hypocrytes Edmondus rex DuÌ„stanes deuil worketh homely Playe tyme I trowe GlasteÌ„burye Edwinus alfgina Odo caÌ„tuariensis CoÌ„fession Masse of requiem Alfgina loueth Stronge loue Cadina loueth Edwinê° rex The coÌ„mens ryse iij. swerdes Maryed priestes Apoc. 9. Hiere 5. Rome chastite 907 Sergius Marosia Formosus TyraÌ„ny Autours Theoracum filiabus Ioannes raueÌ„nas Ioan ye. x 915. whores rule all Guido Mazozia 929. IoaÌ„ xi hugo rex Italie Leo et Stephanus Writers deceiued iij. whores 930 Hugo rex Goddeses for Whoredom spiritual chastite Albericê° Octauianus 956. Ioan. xij Synodê° Rome Rainera Anna. Rome sacrifice he might be chast Their spiritual father Ioan. xij LiuthpraÌ„dus Byworde 960. Dunstanus The first compulsion Foundacion of chastite The deuyls coÌ„myssyoner A thefe A tirauÌ„t Kynge Edgare Tiranny spiritual mariage condemned Facies ecclesiarum Heretikes and theues wilfrith penauÌ„ce An apyshe slaue The beastes autorite A proude knaue No king but a fole A witles Beast Practyse Craft Priestes go out A colour Edward Editha Al sayntes The mother duÌ„stane Editha Great loue shewed A narrow sercher Edgare Image Bestie sinodus 969 An Acte for sodome TiraÌ„ny Visitours For mariage Bulles Dunstane accused Edgare alfreda Oratio ad clersi knauery A deuilish Illusion wolues Act. 20. Cant. 2. Monasteries Ethelwoldus impostor magus Heretykes a colour a father Ioan. 13 Stephana Oswaldus magus Floriacus Prestes expelled Apoc. 9. a colour iij false knaues 975 Scisms Alpherus Ethelredus Edwardus legatus Ioan. 13 a father A deceyt Alpherus Prestes restored The prestes The moÌ„kes A crosse in mariage Backare sir monke 975. sinodus coÌ„missioÌ„ A roode knauery The rood speaketh 1 IoaÌ„ 4 thomas croÌ„well Verses Capgraue 1036 Canutus The crowne Egelnothus An Idol made king Image of the Beast canutus Elgiua Claustrall chastite A monkes bastarde Sweno Heraldus Dunstanus knauery Alpherus 976 a lerned Bishop Dunstane an asse A blind beast a limme of the deuill Mich. 3 sayntes Gods seruyce Precursor Antichristi Apo. 20. miracles the churche Apo. 12. Sathan Vyces 988 Deuils A bloudye cloude Danes Siricius MoÌ„kes were Englandes destruccioÌ„ The Danes streÌ„thened Lorde Dane 1012 Caunterburye Elphegus Tythynges A iust Plage Extent of thys boke The other boke 1551. Sathan at large Good workes Sodomites Mat. â— Mar. iiij Luc. 12. Christ to buketh Mat. 23. Vespasianus Titus Captyues ExaÌ„ple Magystrates Englysh Saintes The Autour Starres Fallen starres Holye dayes Peter Paule secular laye Called Startsmen Tayles whores â–ª Face of the Seâ—pent Dunstanes deuil Noble men Kynge Henry Saynt George What maketh noble Lawes Doctrine Deuyls ij part A dogge False teachers Romanes Nahor Cechim Romulus Ilia Rhea Lupa Lupanaria Chloris Floralia Spurij Priapus A God Romysh goodes Iulius Nero. Aurelius Clergy Constantinus TeÌ„ples ij soÌ„nes Emperour French kynge Childericus Angisus Pipinus TeÌ„ples Olympus Whores Aristotle Simon Magus Bishoppes Sergius Rome Sodomytes Roma Papistes Examples Adam Holy churche The author tarryed Ghostly fruytes Doctryne Sathan 1000. Syluester ij Darkenesse Saturnus Chastite 1000. Saturnus Vesta Aurelius Palumbus An offerynge Syluestre Apo. xx Dyscyples Fathers Sorcerers Two prynces Necromaâ—cy Oblacyon Prynces Promocyons Papacy 1001. IooÌ„nes Baconthorpe Decrees Empyre 1002. Germanes Yongar sonne Electours 1002. Chauncellers Princes Pyllars The Egle. An ydol Odilo abbas 1010. Purgatory Osbernus 1010. Hypocresy Phylosophy Sodome A prest 1010. A weÌ„che Deuyls Wilfhilda Barkinge Good chere Ethelgarus Siricius 990. Elphegus 1010. ij deuils Their power A cowle The vertue Hypocrytes S. 〈◊〉 The water S. Walstane 1016. Capgraue meÌ„bers 1017. A starre Canutus Abbeyeâ— Rome shott Bastardes Fulbertus Gene sucke A church O traytours O caytyfes For Idolatry Bury abbey 925. 1021. 1036. A chaplayne Coueyaunce Promocyons All holy A nonne As a wyfe A prest Saye Masse Whoredom Alwinus 1044 Emma Danysh bloude A traytour Myracles An ydyote Edward Marryage Legenda Blasphemy S. Paul Errour Testymonyes Editha Hypocrytes Examples Subieccyon A voyce Straungers Prelates Lubbers Newe sayntes Gregory 1046 Cardynalles Swauus 1049 Penaunce Palumbus Deuyls Members A wytch Masses Holy churche 1053. Wenches Victor 1056. Poyson ChristiaÌ„ O trayters Hypocresy Duke Robert Brotheis A bastarde Autores Stigandus 1054. A Byshopp Versus 1082. WyllyaÌ„ Olyuer 1060. Edward Nicolas Westminster Petrus Damianus Berengarius Churche 1069. Wynchestre Alexander A prouiso Lanfrancus A counsell Confession Dunstanus Dead men Lanfrancus Bishopryckes 1068. An othe 1069. A stryfe Lanfrancus Canterbury Walter 1070 A weÌ„che Ouercome A practyse Cecilia 1075. Thurstinus 1083. A battayle ij slayne CoÌ„meÌ„s HildebraÌ„dus Dyscyples Aduersary vij Popes poysened A murtherer Practyses A traytour Deuyls A traytour God stryketh Myschefe ij cantels Sorcerer God brent Autores 1074 Depryued ExaÌ„ples TyrauÌ„t Autoreâ— Cestes Scysme Seducers Maude An whore A crafte Resystaunce Sathan Marryage Angels Vycar Holy church Warnynge Wytnesses Prouysyons Prestes TyraÌ„ny A bulle Masses Preposterously Deceyuers 1075. ConteÌ„pt Antichrist WyllyaÌ„ 1075. RebellioÌ„ 1076 Walker Satisfactyon 1080. DurhaÌ„ Reason Confirmed 1083. Kepers Boso Turgotus VysyoÌ„s A token Pylgrymage Prestlyke 1076. Prydee 1077. A bastard Lanfrancus A warryour 1077 Blasphemer 1083. Osmundus Canonysed 1087. KeÌ„redus Exempcyon Nobylyte Roberyes Styngers Anselme Wyues 1097. Tribute 1090. Styngers Walkinus Walterus Tryall Warnynge 1095. Starres The place A chaÌ„ge Mark it symony 1092. A lechour Spretes 1093. Reward Chestre Herbert 1091. 1094 No merchaunt 1095. 1096 Testymonyes Norwych A monstre Money Symoners A deuyll Simon Richard Peche Ethelwolf A bishop 803 A bastard Wulstane Louers to blesse A fable Wolstone Hardinâ— Cisteanes 1098. 1135. Sectes fasciculus 1000. Sorceryes 1094 1100. 1096 Realyte Paulus Deceyuers 1094 Anselme Kynge WyllyaÌ„ Vycars Anselme Spyes 1095. Falsehede A traytour A SathaÌ„ A rebell A search Suggestyon 1089 PetycioÌ„ women Fryndly 1096 Practyses 1097 Nichetas 1098 woÌ„ders CouÌ„sels for lucre Actes MoÌ„kes Make spede A curse o deuils Blasphemy A mouth Sorceryes A seate EnglaÌ„de A pope 1099 A sonne A fable Raylers 1101. Yll chauÌ„ge No faulte Iudgementes A practyse Lyke a kyng RaÌ„dolfe Practise 1101 ij Thomas Gerard. 1114. doctrine 1102. Marryage Sodometrye marke it Actes ExeÌ„pt Chast professioÌ„ Al a like Iniunctyons Shamed Forfaytes Buggerers 1539. Abbotes For whores Herbert Anselme A iestar BabyloÌ„ Monkelyke Good stuffe Antichrist Gerard. Wyues for lucre 1103. a synode An acte Sodomytes Saintes An acte Laye prest Publyshed Conueyaunce TeÌ„derly Practise Buggerers WyllyaÌ„ A rope Hypocryte A crafte No not so A stryfe Lawful Anselme to Rome Warelwast Paschalis Antichrist Richard restored From Rome Knaueryes subtylte Systers 6. An ordre RelygioÌ„ lyke MerchauÌ„tes Secular A questyon O traytours 1106. Antichrist Deceyt 1112. Breches A couÌ„sel An excuse Barnes Kynge Henry 1107. A couÌ„sel Anselme O traytour A Pope 1108. Women Wytnesses Antichristes Papystes 1109. A Pope wurkes A wolfe 1110. Tritemius iij. bastardes Dyuynyte Baconthorpe 1113. Raufe 1115. The crowne Authours Calixtus 1119. 1123 Scripturs 1123 1102. 1115 Wiues 1120 Lordes Ladies writers A plage Bastard Celsus No vowe Eckius ReuereÌ„d 1120. Irel â— 1125. A legate Bagges SenteÌ„ce A verse Cardynall Secrete Vnfytt Ashamed 1129. Processe Lucre. A craft Wyues Sectes CisteaÌ„s S. Robert Charterers Locustes Fatte 1135. Steuen A vowe Customes Mark it A plage 1036. Prelates A helpe A sinode Accursed 1137. TurstaÌ„ Prelates Heretykes 1138. No wife 1140. Mark it Wyttes Define Plato Wysdome 1140. Dauid 1140 Decrees Petrus Esse To darken 1144. Wulwarde Goodwyn Marryage 1545. Corbet Rugge Men godly mockers A mother Examynacyon No shame doctrine I. Bale 1148. terrour Crabbes Dyscouered Autores Nicolas A moÌ„ke Salisbury All true 1159. S. Willyam Poysened Spirituall Yorke 1154. 1159. 1155. No better Becket rebukes Gylbert A ordre 1148. Rules 1159. WaÌ„ton Nigellus Gilbertynes Hefled Returned whores 1153. A shyfte Nigellus ij sortes Hypocresy Theues Mark it all voyd Nigellus Fruitfull Malcolme A kynge Maior 1163. Water 1160. Calfes Fame Antichrist writers Tolouse Becket A ruflar pleasure a weÌ„che for loue All chast Change 1164. Prestes AddicyoÌ„ An acte A preste Vndre Becket Autour articles Cursed No king Clarkes 1164. a church Christyanes Monkery Opynyons 1171. franrick Idolatrye A deuyll Defeccyon Miracles Bokes 1173. Assoiled 1220. A rebell Henry ij 1166. 1168. 1169. Errour 1171. 1188. Barnes 1176. A priour Alphege Bakon the soÌ„ne ExaÌ„ples Prestes successe Curates Eckius Pedlar Heates Water LegeÌ„de Geares 1170. 1179. Sequestred Ryders Pryuyleges WalthaÌ„ 1120 BurdeÌ„s Lucre. Dissent 1187. Dyshes Bellye PaÌ„per Dyshes A priour Conueyaunce Two priours Abroade 1086. prisoner A thefe ij orders They serue 1312. 1186. 1187. mockers 1187. Pleasure 1189. miracle DurhaÌ„ Longe lyfe autours Giraldus A moÌ„ke A falle Drowned Canterbury 1101. Giraldus Autores Stryses Wiles 1191. A rular a votary Accomptes Disgysed A sowster A monstre A preste A playe Depryued Meueâ— 1197. A frynd 1191 Antichrist Ioachim prelates Argumentes 1191. Defend Antichrist Mark it o Inciset 1192 Charite Nouant Contencion 1198. Hubert 1196. Poyson Studye Sisions Iohan. Warryres A chaunter Canons CoÌ„timae 1197. Hypocrite Husbandes Fulco Thre howses 1198. Legion 1196. WomeÌ„ 1198. coÌ„secrat Baldewyn Prestes apostles 1199. Occupied Discressyon A boke Actes Yeares Sathan no stop Hydden Mistes Lighte Autour iiij paroes coÌ„tentes The last Diuerse Craftes ij offices the firste Wiues oportet Wretches women Buggerers The. ij Autorite Deceyt o SathaÌ„ Mockers Traytours Curses An hidre Fauer Traytours rebelles Blasphemers Deceyuers ij matters Verlettes Simon Magus Iudge
occasion as all writers agre Gregory the first of that name now called Saynt Gregory behelde in the open market at Rome 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 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 We le may they be called Angly sayth he for they haue very Aâ—gelyck vysages Se how curyouse these fathers were in the we le eyenge of their wares Here was no circumstaunce vnloked to perteining to the sale 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 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 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. DCCC xlvij 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. 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 This story hath Vuyllyam of Malmesburye li. 2. 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 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 a Romysh monke called Augustyne not of the ordre of Christ as was Peter 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 IoaÌ„nes Petrus Rufinianus Paulinus and a great sort more to the nombre of xl all monkes and Italyanes We le armed were they with Aristotles artilery as wyth logyck Philosophy and other crafty sciences but of the sacred scripturs they knewe lytle or nothyng 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 the best learned among theÌ„ These toke with them a great nombre of frenche interpretours 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 whan he bad vs in any wise to be ware of theÌ„ Math. 24. For this story marke specyally Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie Sigebertus VinceÌ„cius 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 specyallye at a vyllage called Saye wythin the couÌ„tye 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 for the dyspleasure there shewed them than yet ded thy but laugh vpon theÌ„ This sheweth AlexaÌ„drethe prior of Esseby in hys Annuall of Sayntes by these verses Cetus aput Saye uexauit eos mulierum Quas peccasse probat lux noua foÌ„sque nouus Plebs parat ecclesiaÌ„ mulieribus haud reseraÌ„daÌ„ IntroituÌ„tentat una sed inde perit This story hath also Iohan Capgraue and the olde Englysh Festyuall of Sayntes whych was somtime 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 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 synging the Letany We le 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 and no man constrayned to their 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 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 dyd Gregorye sende vnto hym from Rome hys prymates pall with super altares chalyces copes 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 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
marryage Ioannes Maior libro secundo Capite 12. Ioannes Capgraue in catalogo sanctorum Anglie ¶ A spirituall conueyaunce to be marked ETheldred whom ye cal Saynt Andrye of helye marryed ij great prynces Tombert of the South Girwyes and Egfride the Kyng of Northumberlande mockynge them both by the space of more then xiij yeares in not geuynge them due beneuolence accordyng to the holy doctrine of saynt Paul i. Cor. vij And in occasioninge them to aduouterouse lyuynge The lattre of theÌ„ knowynge that she mynded wylfryde then byshop of yorke muche more then hym for the storye sayeth that she loued that monke aboue all the men lyuyng requyred him in Gods behalfe to admonysh her of her dewtye that he myght accordyng to hys lawes haue increase of succession by her And he lyke a false traytour knaue notwithstandinge hys promes to the contrarye perswaded her to perseuer in her obstynacye and vtterlye to resyst hym allegynge her vowe and requyrynge a diuorcement from hym Wherupon he was then compelled to marrye an other wyfe called Ermenburgis and Etheldrede was professed a NoÌ„ne in ColdynghaÌ„ with Ebba by the sayd wylfryde This kyng after that perceyuynge his knauerye by assent of Theodorus the archebyshop of Caunterbury bannyshed hym out of hys lande Then folowed she after a pace and whyles he was byshop of Eastsexse she became abbasse of hely not farre from his elbone Marke thys conueyaunce for your learnynge If this were not knauerye where shal we fynde knauery Yet was this gentylman conueyer admytted for a saynte because he buylded a college at Rippon where my selfe was ones bayted of his Basan bulles for mainteining the kynges prerogatiue agaynst their pope as good mastre IohaÌ„ Hercye can fulwell tell Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Etheldrede Vuilfridi ¶ Kynges became pylgrymes and their wyues Nonnes A Verye proper cast the women had in those dayes by the ghostlye counsell of the prelates They sent theyr hâ—sbandes to Rome on pylgrymage by heapes whyls they kept them spyrituall company at home Ethelburg made great haste and left no callyng on tyll her husbande kyng Inas was thydrewardes with scrippe haâ—â—e and staffe she lokyng for his no more coming home in the abbeye of Berkynge Thys Inas became a monke there and was the first that clogged the west Saxons with payment of the Rome shott or Peter Pens to the Pope Volateranus Fabiane After hym folowed Ethelrede kynge of Mercia in lyke fashion of pylgrymage and became afterwarde abbot of Bardeney Iohan Capgraue Conredus also kyng of the same prouynce dyed a folyshe monke at Rome So dyd kynge Offa of the East Saxons the selfe same yeare of our Lorde DCC and. ix besydes KeÌ„redus Ethelwolphus and a great sort more Hermannus Contractus Platina Polidorus Colwolphus kynge of Northumberlande returned agayne to Gyrwyn and there dyed a monke Robert Fabiane Great layser would it requyre to shewe here how many of suche kynges the ghostly fathers sent at dyuerse seasons vnto Rome that they for the tyme might haue the spirituall occupyenge of theyr wyues and how many of their own bastardes they made kynges for them And therfore at thys tyme I passe them ouer Innumerable knaueryes wrought they in those dayes and all vndre the coloure of vowed chastyte ¶ Great experymentes of virginite AS Saynt Aldelmus the byshop of Sherborne that ye now cal Salysbury chaunced to be at Rome the people there made a fowle exclamacion vpon Pope Sergius the first for begettynge a wenche with chylde whyche he they saye by a lytle straunge workynge pacyfyed In whose returne a Synode was holden in Englande agaynst the Brytaynes or welshe men for not conformynge their churches to the Romysh obseruacions he there required to inueye agaynst them Vpon the which mocion he wrote then two bokes one for the Eastre celebracion and an other in the prayse of virgynes to blemyshe the marriage of their priestes there and also to aduauÌ„ce their newlye professed chastyte For that he had also in commandement of Sergius notwithstandynge hys owne knowne lecherye This Aldelmus neuer refused women but would haue them coÌ„monly both at borde at bedde to mocke the deuyll with In the tyme he was abbot of Malmesbury he appoynted oft tymes to hys fleshe this martyrdoÌ„ As he felte any sore mouynges therof he layed by him naked the fairest mayde he could get so longe tyme as an whole Dauids psalter was in saynge And when hys heate was past he sent her home agayne as good a mayde as he left her Is not this thynke you a stronge argument to proue that all priestes may lyue chast This telleth Bedas Ranulphus Iohan Capgraue and manye other Englyshe autours more ¶ Images admytted with chast examples ABout the same tyme saynt Egwine abbot of Euesham and byshop of Worcestre then called wickes hearynge tell that labour was made to the pope to haue the christen temples replenyshed with Images to promote that market forewarde he hyed hym a peace to Rome And there he declared to the holye father the secrete reuelacions and commaundementes of our ladye that he had to set vp an Image of her to be worshypped at Worcestre delyueryng hym a booke whiche he had written of the same apparycyons besydes the lyfe of Aldelme The pope then called Constantine the fyrst hearing this newe wondre sent hym home agayne with hys bulles of autoryte commaundynge Brithwalde then Archebyshop of Caunterburye wyth all haste to call a generall Synode of all the clergye for confirmaâ—â—on of the same the kynges required not to be absent that daye And this was done in the yeare of our Lorde DCC and ix This Brithwalde beynge also a moÌ„ke was the first Englysh man that was Archebyshop of Caunterburye Marke it Saynt Guthlake an heremyte of Rependon tolde a certayne abbot the same tyme that goynge homewarde he shuld fynde in a wydowes howse ij of his holy monkes whiche had lyeu with her the nyght afore for easement of their chastite Saynt Bartellyne heremyte of Stafforde stale out of Irelande the kynges doughter there And as she was afterwarde trauelynge of chylde in a forest whyles he was sekynge the mydwyfe a wolfe came and deuoured both her and her chylde These storyes hath at large Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglie Guilhelmus Malmesbury et Ranulphus ¶ Englysh monkes become Antichristes Apostles IN those dayes the moÌ„kes of Englande were becomen so myghtye in supersticiouse learnynge that they were able to peruert all other christen regyons as they dyd then in dede Some of them went into Germanye some into Fraunce some into Italye and Spayne and became the Popes instrumentes of all falshede fasshioning hym vp there a newe kyngdome of all deuylyshnesse to withstande the manyfest glory of God and subduynge therunto an pryncely Powers Yow
of lyfe 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 of the history and he loued her excedyngly agayne And wheÌ„ he ones became the kynges corectour mastre yea rather his kynge Emperour sayth the text by her meanes he was elected Byshop of wynchestre after the decease of Eâ—phegus But he enioyed it not by reason of his tyranny against kynge Edwyne that succeded hym Whose coÌ„cubynes he can sed the archebyshop Odo as is sayd afore to seale in the face with hote Irons and to bannysh theÌ„ specially one he sore blemyshed sent into Ireland And wheÌ„ Dunstane was for this presumptuouse pageant exyled the moÌ„kes caused the coÌ„mons to ryse against him from the water of Humbre to the flood of Thamis so to depose hym Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Dunstani Odonis Neuer were the coÌ„cubines of Dauid Salomon thus ordered of Samuel Achimelech Abiathar Sadoch the byshop of that age In a serten vision receyued Dunstane iij. swerdes they saye of iij. apostles Peter Paule Andrewe with the administracioÌ„ of iij. byshoprickes in EnglaÌ„d Worcestre LoÌ„don CauÌ„terbury to kepe the kynges vndre to bringe moÌ„kes into the plentuouse possessions of the cathedrall churches that priestes with their wyues children by violeÌ„te expelled Of him also yâ— forsayd Odo thus prophecied at his coÌ„secracioÌ„ This will be a most mighty captaine come downe knawes come downe valeaunt warriour against the worldly pryncâ—s VinceÌ„cius Antoninus Capgraue Thus grewe the hoÌ„gry leane locustes into most sturdy wild horses with lyoÌ„s heades Apo. ix neyeng after mennis wyues 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 In the yeare of our lord DCCCC and vij was one Sergius a man without all vertu and learnyng made Pope and became the thirde of that name This Sergius kepte a yonge whore in the tyme of hys holy papacye called Marozia had by her a bastarde which was pope loÌ„ge after hym called IoaÌ„ the. xi and reigned in all fylthinesse more theÌ„ vij yeares Some writers holde that he begate of her IohaÌ„ the. x. also but the coÌ„trarye of that shall apeare herafter This filthy tyrauÌ„t caused pope formosus whom his predecessour Steuen had afore disgraded buried among the profane laye multidude to be taken vp agayne 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 Se if there were euer any tyrannye lyke vnto the tyranny of these spirituall Antichristes thus cruelly handelynge â— man that is dead This sheweth more at large Liuthprandus Ticinensis lib. 2. Capi. 13. ac lib 3. Cap. 12. rerum Europicarum BloÌ„dus Flauius Baptista Platina Ioannes Stella abbas Vrspergensis Ptolemeus LuceÌ„sis Vincencius Antoninus Bergomas alij ¶ The chastite of holy churche there THeodora a most execrable whore 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 theÌ„ 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. 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 xiij yeares and more Liuthprandus Ticinensis lib. 2 Cap. 13. rerum per Europam gestarum It is easye to se by this open experiment that she and her ij doughters myght do muche in the holye college of cardynalles 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 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 and called IohaÌ„ the. 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 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 spiritualte Liuthprandus li. 3. Ca. 12. Pope Leo the. vi which folowed the next helâ— the papacy not iij. quarters of a yeare And after hym Steuen the. vij litle moâ—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 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 aboute the yeare of our lorde DCCCC and. xxx 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 he euer after abhorred hys other wyfe Berta a ladye most fayre and bewtyfull And for their connyng feates in that bawdye occupacyon he gaue them
that byshopryck to lyue as it were in a securyte or ease in hys lattre age For than was the church become Iesabels pleasaunt and easy cowche Apoca. ij hys cantels were not so fyne in the other kynde for destructyon of bodyes but they were also as good in thys for destructyon of sowles To obscure the glory of the Gospell preachynge and augment the fylthynesse of ydolatry he practysed an ordynary of Popysh ceremonyes the whyche he entytled a Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche Hys fyrst occasyon was thys A great battayle chaunced at Glastenburye whyls he was byshopp betwene Turstinus the abbot and hys monkes wher in some of them were slayne and some sore wounded as is sayd afore The cause of that battayle was thys Turstinus contempnynge their quere seruyce than called the vse of Saint Gregory compelled hys monkes to the vse of one Wyllyam a monke of Fiscan in Normandy Vpon thys Osmundus deuysed that ordynary called the vse of Sarum Whyche was afterwardes receyued in a maner of all Englande Irelande and wales Euery syr Sander Slyngesby had a boke at hys belte therof called hys portasse contaynynge many superstycyouse fables and lyes the testament of Christ set at nought For thys acte was that brothell byshop made a Popysh God at Salisbury Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Rogerus Capgraue Houeden alij ☞ Of Kenredus a prest whych was gelded AN acte was made in the yeare of one lorde a M. lxxxvij by kyng Wyllyam conquerour that who so euer were founde stelynge of dere he shuld lose one of hys eyes and he that was deprehended in rauyshynge a woman shulde lose both his stones without redeÌ„pcyon This hath Henricus Huntendunensis li. v. Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vij ca. iiij Rogerus Cestrensis li vij Ioannes Treuisa Not many yeares after a preste called Kenredus was taken in the I le of Anglesey by the Englysh captaynes and gelded some saye for offendynge the statute though the monkysh chronicles farre of otherwyse interprete that matter By reason of this and many other lyke examples for he was not alone in that age ye maye be sure whan they were so strayghtly sequestred from women the clergy sought busyly to be exempted from the laye or secular power in fyne made lecherie a spiritual matter to haue the correctyon therof in their spirytual courtes I thynke the deuyll was neuer more crafty than they haue bene to shadowe their fylthie enormytees by a vayne shewe of holynesse whyche is playne hypocresy But how so euer they prospered in those dayes the nobylyte and commens of this realme were wonderfully oppressed Mathew of Westmynstre sayth so that both noble men and gentyll men of the Englysh bloude depryued of their possessyons and beynge ashamed to begge were with their chyldren and famylyars compelled to spoyle and robbery whan huntynge wolde no longar serue them Of thys preste Kenredus writeth Simeon Henry Huntendune Ranulphus HouedeÌ„ Iohan Capgraue and Fabyane ☞ Prestes payed a trybute for theyr wyues MVche a do had kynge Wyllyam Rufus with Odo the proude byshop of Bayon hys vncle which was also earle of Kent with Egelwinus the byshop of Durham with Raufe the byshop of Chichestre and with other lyke heady prelates specyally with Anselme whome of a beggerly monke he had made archebyshop of Canterbury The seyd Anselme sought vtterly to depryue hym and all hys successours of the inuestynge of prelates or makyng of byshoppes and abbotes within hys own realme labouryng to turne that autoryte from the lawful power of Christen princes to the vsurped iurisdictyon of the proude Romysh byshop as it anon after came to passe for the whych he was worthely exyled this realme This kyng WyllyaÌ„ Rufus partly of pytie but chefely of couetousnesse for he had thaÌ„ many buyldynges in hande permytted the prestes for an yearly trybute to holde styll their wyues in spyght of the prelates specyally in suche dyoceses as had monkes than to their byshoppes whych strayghtly had commaunded Hyldebrandes wycked constytucyon to be obserued that no preste hauynge a wyfe shulde holde hys benâ—fyce Raufe the byshop of Chichestre than stode vp lyke a praty man not only rebuked the kynge for takynge that trybute whych lyke an a dust conscyenced hypocryte he called the fyne of fornycacyon but also he withstode his offycers stoppynge vp the churche porches with great stakes thornes and bryres and interdyctynge the temples But whan the gentyll kynge had ones gyuen hym that trybute for hys owne dyocese he coulde take it wele ynough and make no great noyse therof Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ix Rogerus li. vij Fabianus ☞ Varyaunce amonge byshoppes for marryed prestes A Lytle afore that is to saye in the yeare of our lord a M. and xc a sore contencyon had bene amonge the byshoppes They that had bene prestes and no monkes fauourably permytted the prestes to remayne with their wyues in their dyoceses at the least sayth Roger of Chestre some of them helde their peace and wolde not se them The other sort whych had bene monkes vexed them troubled them and most greuously molested them depryuynge them of their lyuynges and most cruelly bannyshynge them out of their contreys For the which vyolence some of those byshoppes that had bene prestes thrust the monkes out of their cloysters and put in secular prestes as they called them in their rowmes Of this bande or factyon was Walkinus the byshopp of Wynchestre the chefe doar or begynner hauynge the kynges agrement â—o the same But in the ende they preuayled not first Lanfrancus and than Anselmus beynge both monkes and archebyâ—hoppes of Canterbury and wrytynge â—o the Romysh NeÌ„roth agaynst theÌ„ Notâ—ithstaÌ„dyng whan Walter was byshopp of Durham whyche succeded Egelwinus and had bene the kynges chaplayne to spyght the monkes therwith he compelled them to leaue their frayter to dyne in hys open halle and to eate such meates as by their rule were forbydden them He also caused them to be serued at the table with women whych were not very sober neither in aparel nor yet in gesture or couÌ„tenaunce And all was to trye out their hypocresye But some of theÌ„ I thynke toke not the matter very greuously Guilh. Malli i. iij. de ponti Ranulphus li vij ca. xi xi Polychronici Rogerus li. vij Ioannes Treuisa alij ☞ God by sygnes manyfesteth the myschefe of thys age BVt marke how God fulfylled in thys age that he had secretly shewed afore to S. Iohan the Euangelist Apoca. vi viij For a fore warnynge to hys electes Many starres were seane fallynge downe from heauen in the yeare of our Lorde a M. xcv specyally a blasynge starre in lykenesse of a great burnyng beame reachynge from the south to the north a wonderfull derth folowynge not only of
vytayles but also of the fowles fode Amos. viij Whych is the veryte of God and sede of saluacyoÌ„ Marke chronicon Sigeberti Mathew Paris Mathew of Westmynstre Roger Houeden Scalamundi and chronicon chronicorum Yea to make the matter more playne vnto vs for the fulfyllynge of those hydden scryptures in our owne nacyon Radulphus de Diceto Sigebertus and Thomas Rudborne in their chronycles addeth thus muche to the storye Amonge the whych fallen starres saye these autours one which was the greatest of theÌ„ all semed to fall on the other syde of the sea in Fraunce as it had bene a blasyng fyre brand And whan the place was marked in Normandy and dylygently sought out the searchers behelde a fearful flutteryng and terryble boylynge in a serten water an horryble stynkynge smoke arysynge therof By thys partycular fallen starre is signyfyed first Lanfrancus afterwardes Anselmus ij Normandy moÌ„kes archebyshoppes of Canterbury by whome in those dayes was all the hurly hurly turmoyle and change in relygyon here in Englande Lanfrancus conteÌ„ding for transubstancyacyon of the Eucharysticall breade to aduaunce ydolatry and Anselmus condemnynge the marryage of prestes and autoryte of prynces for inuestynge of prelates to sett vp sodometry impunyte of synne in the clergye Wherby the one was constytute the adoptyue sonne of Antichrist and the other the pope of England as hereafter wyll apere The water betokeneth the wauerynge multytude and the stynkynge smoke the fylthie doctryne of those fallen starres ☞ Of a lecherouse byshop and ij supersticyouse earles RObert Bloet whyche had bene a monke of Euesham abbeye went not thens so poore but that he was able to gyue for the byshopryck of Lyncolne fyue thousand pounde in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcij. after the death of Remigius By lyke he had bene abbot of the place that he was so wele mouyed Never was Orpheus Palemon nor Sardanapalus more expert they saye in the fyne feates of lecherie than he was For Wylliam of Malmesbury reporteth that he was totus libidinosus all gyuen to fylthie lyuynge And yet he was brought vp in the cloystre vndre Saint Benets rule a great professour of chastyte and a worthie gouernour in that relygyon At the last he dyed sodenly and was buryed at Lyncolne where as the church kepers were sore anoyed they saye with his sowle and other walking spretes tyll that place was pourged by prayers Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li iiij de pontifi Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas Rudborne ac Polydorus Whan Roger the earle of Shrowesbury perceyued ones that he coulde not lyue muche longar he sent Reynolde the pryour of Shrowesbury to Clunyake in Fraunce for the kyrtle of holy Hugh the abbot there that by lycence of Adelyse hys wyfe he myght for socour of hys sowle depart to God in the heate of hys holynesse As muche mede had he therof Treuisa sayth as had Malkyn of her maydenhede whych no man was hasty on Hugh the olde earle of Chestre beynge spoke vnto death in the same selfe yeare caused by the entysement of Anselme the prestes clerely to be expelled out of the high churâ—he of Westchestre and the monkes to be placed there for them So frantyck were the worldly rulers in thys age Henricus huntendune li. xi Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Fabianus alij ☞ Of byshop Herbert whych buylded Christes church at Norwych Thys Herbert was called by surname losinga the father whyche bigate hym was Robert the abbot of Wynchestre But who was hys mother the story telleth not to leaue it as a secrete matter within relygyon First was he here in Englande by fryndeshyp made abbot of Ramseye and afterwardes byshop of Thetforde by flattery and fat payment in the yeare of our lorde a M. xci For the which he is named in the chronycles yet to this day the â—yndelyng matche of symony and that noteth hym no small doar in that feate Notwithstandyng he so repented that symony they saye that he went to Rome and there resigned vp hys ryng pastorall hoke to Pope Vrbanus the seconde in the yeare of our lord a M. xciiij not without an other great summe of moneye ye maye be sure for there myghte nothynge passe without ready payment But here ye maye axe me whye the byenge of a byshoprycke was symony in England and not at Rome Wherunto I answere For in Englande a kynge receyued the moneye whych hath none autoryte to meddle in that marte of byenge sellynge wantyng the character or marke of the beast whych they haue at Rome Apo. xiij Also they haue lyberte in that generacyon to iudge blacke whyte euyll good sower swete and darkenesse lyghte also to wurke therafter Esa. v. And whan he had ones returned home agayne by vertu of Antichristes commissyon he remoued hys seate of poysenynge Christes flocke from Thetforde to Norwyche in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcvi dyspossessynge the prestes and theyr wyues and placynge the monkes in their rowmes to make that church a Sodome Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas rudborne Ioannes Eucresden Ioannes Capgraue Fabianus alij ☞ The robbery symony and sacrilege of the seyd Herbert OF thys byshop Herbert were many straunge thynges written but yet very couertly and craftely I thynke to hyde the open shewe of hys euyls because he was so great an abbeye foundar Some there were that scoffyngly bestowed vpon hys predecessour Arfastus and hym thys texte Non hunc sed Barrabam Ioan xviij Not hym but Barrabas For Arfastus had translated the byshopryck from Helmam to Thetforde whyche were in those dayes but vyllages But he traÌ„slated it froÌ„ theÌ„s to Norwych whyche was a famouse towne and of great occupyenge An other sort gaue thys texte by the waye Amice ad quid uenisti Mathae xxvi Frende wherfore art thou come Thus slyely they compared hym to Barrabas and Iudas whych both were theues Malmesburius Ranulphus Treuisa Moreouer a Poete or versyfyer of that age made these verses of hym Surgit in ecclesiam monstruÌ„ genitore losinga Simonidum secta canonum uirtute resecta Petre nimis tardas nam Simon ad ardua tentat Si praesens esses non Simon ad altauolaret Proh dolor ecclesiae nuÌ„misuenduntur aere Filius est praesul pater abba Simon uterque Quid non speremus si nummos possideamus Omnia nummus habet quod uult facit addit aufert Res nimis iniusta nummis fit praesul abba ¶ A monstre is vp the sonne of Losinga Whyls the lawe seketh Symony to flea Peter thou slepest whyls Simon taketh tyme If thou wert present Symon shulde not clyme Churches are prysed for syluer golde The soÌ„ne a bishop the father an abbot olde What is not gotten if we haue rychesse Moneye obtayneth in
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 Statutum quoque est ut per totam Angliam in omnibus ecclesijs in omnibus diebus dominicis excommunicatio praefata publicetur ac renouetur 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 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 the yeare and in euery pareysh church of Englande the seyd excommunycacyon or generall curse be publyshed and renewed 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 the complayners therof fynely lawhed to scorne So haue these holye fathers by their good discressyons qualyfyed the matter that by confessyon and 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 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 the 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 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 subdeacoÌ„s canons and college men whych the yeare afore thys lyued honestly in marryage and now were becommen prodygyouse 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 and agayne dysolued ANselmus after this declared by a large epystle to his archedeacon Wyllyam 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 we le 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 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 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 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 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 and thys was the full occasyon â—herof The kynge had made one Roger which was his chauÌ„cellour 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 for Dauid SalomoÌ„ 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 de Diceto sayth neyther yet confirme theÌ„ nor communycate or talke fryndely wyth them But spyghtfull and malycyously he called them abortynes or chyldreÌ„ of destructyon dysdaynously rebukynge the gentyll kynge as a defyler of relygyoÌ„ 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 the archebishop of yorke as he ought him allegeauÌ„ce to coÌ„secrate theÌ„ which without delaye he perfourmed sauyng to Wyllyam Gyfforde whych refused it for doubte of 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 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 whyche in the ende depryued hym both of landes and goodes in the name of the sâ—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 whaÌ„ the matter shuld be reasoned afore Pope Paschall Willyam Warelwast the kynges aturneye stode fourth in defence of hys cause constauntly allegynge in the ende that the kynge wolde not lose the autoryte of inuestynge or admyttynge hys prelates within his owne domynyon for the crowne of hys reaâ—me Wherunto that proude byshop of Rome made this spightfull lewde answere Though thy kynge sayth he wolde not lose
Praefati autores cum Polydoro Fabiano ☞ The kyng derydeth the byshoppes procedynges NOt all forgetfull of their wycked fathers affayres the prelates of Englande in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and. xxix gathered themselues togyther at London yet ones agayne in the first daye of August to put the prestes clerely from their wyues At this great counsell sayth Ricardus Premonstratensis were all the bishoppes of England except iiij whych dyed as it chaunced the same yeare that is to saye of Wynchester Durham Chestre and Herforde Their processe was all agaynst the cocasses or she cookes of the curates that they shuld not dwell in house with them For after the prestes had bene compelled to renounce the tytles of their wyues they kept them in most places vndre the name of their cocasses lawnders and seruyng women The kyng perceyuyng the malyce of the bishoppes and seynge aduauntage to growe therupon by thys propre polycye deceyued them He toke vpon hym the correction of them and promysed to execute true iustyce But in the ende Mathew Paris sayth he laughed them all to scorne and takyng a pensyon of the prestes he permytted them styl peaceably to holde their wyues Polydorus reporteth that the kynge gote of the clergye thys autoryte ouer the prestes by a fyne craft of conueyaunce And whan he had so done mysused it A very fyne iudgement of a man learned so to dyffyne of a prynces power The kyng deceyued them Roger Houeden sayth by the symplycyte of Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury For whan they had ones vncircumspectly graunted hym to execute iustyce vpon the prestes wyues it turned in the ende to their rebuke and shame the prestes for moneye set agayne at lyberte for them Praedicti autores cum Ranulpho Matthaeo VVestmonasteriensi Rogero Cestrensi ☞ A myddle swarmynge of Antichristes sectes in England FOr causes dyuerse whych some of my readers shall fynde necessary to be knowne I haue added here the tymes wheâ—in the seconde swarme of locustes or synnefull sectes of Antichrist hath entered into this realme of England The first swarme was of the Benedictynes and chanons of S. Augustyne called the blacke monkes and blacke chanons of whose fattynge vp I haue reasonably treated both in the first part of this wurke and also in thys seconde The first of this lattre swarme â–ª were the Cisteanes otherwyse called yâ— whyght moÌ„kes which came into this lande in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and. xxxij settynge their first foundacion in the deserte of Blachoumor by the water of Rhie wherupon their monastery was called Rhieuallis Saint Robertes fryres began at Gnaresborough in Yorke shyre in the yearr of our lorde a M.a. C. and xxxvij And the ordre of Gilbertines at SempynghaÌ„ in Lincolne shire in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. xlviij The Premonstratensers or white chanoÌ„s came in to the realme buylded at Newhowse in Lyncolne dyocese in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. and xlv The Chartrehowse monkes came into the lande were placed at Wytham in the dyocese of Bathe in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. lxxx I recken not the hospytelers Templars with such lyke Ioannes Hagustaldensis Ricardus Praemonstratensis Ioannes Capgraue Thomas Scrope Polydorus Vergilius All these at their first enteraunce were very leane locustes as they are in S. Iohans reuelacyon described barren poore and in outwarde aperaunce very symple But in processe of tyme through symulate holynesse they grewe fat lyke their fellowes They gote them lyons faces and were able to buckle with kynges Their lecherouse actes I shall hereafter declare ☞ Kynge Steuen professeth a slauery to Antichrist HOw kyng Steuen bicame an instrument to their wycked vse in the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xxxv it is easely knowne by the othe which they compelled hym to make at hys coronacyoÌ„ what though he ded not in all poyntes obserue it Thys is the othe as Ricardus prior Hagustaldensis hath written it in hys small treatyse de gestis regis Stephani Marke it I Steuen by the grace of God good wyll of the clergye and consent of the commens elected kynge of England and by Wyllyam the archebyshop of Canterbury and legate of the holye Rome church vndre Pope Innocent the seconde confirmed make faithful promyse to do nothing here in Englande in the ecclesyastycall affayres after the rules of symonye but to leaue admyt and confirme the power ordre and distrybucyon of all ecclesyastycal persones and their possessyons in the handes of the byshoppes and prelates of the same The auncyent dignitees of the church confirmed by olde priuyleges and their customes of longe tyme vsed I promyse appoynt and determyne inuiolably to contynue All the churches possessyoÌ„s holdes and tenementes which they hytherto haue had I graunt them from hens forwarde without interrupcyon peaceably to possesse etc. Beholde here what popettes these lecherouse luskes made of their kynges se I praye yow if they sought any other commen welthe than of their ydell bellyes in that proude kingdome of Antichrist Was thys a folowynge of Christ after the Gospell thus to illude their Christen gouernours Naye it was rather a ronnyng after Sathan in the blasphemouse imytacyon of the byshop of Romes decrees The last plage of God lyghte vpon thys vnfaythfull generacyon if they wyll not yet beholde these euyls of their wycked fathers and abhorre them from the harte ☞ The rebellyon and cantels of byshoppes agaynst the kynge IN the next yeare folowynge notwithstandyng thys othe kyng Steuen reserued to hymselfe the inuestynge of prelates Mathew Paris sayth and shewed vnto the clergye many other displeasurs Wherfore in processe they caused Maude the empresse contrary to their othes of allegeaunce to come into the realme and to make clayme to the crowne and strongely to warre vpon hym For the whych he enprysoned and bannyshed certayne of the byshoppes chefely Alexandre of Lyncolne Nigellus of Helye and Roger of Salisbury He feared not to go vnto Oxforde and to sytt there in open parlyament whyche no kynge myght do they sayde wythoute a shamefull confusyon From Roger the byshoppe of Salisbury he toke the. ij Castels of Vyses and Sherburne fyndynge in them more than xl thousande markes in moneye wherwith he perfourmed the greate marryage betwene Constaunce the Frenche kynges sistre and Eustace hys sonne and heyre Thys byshoppes sonne by lyke he hadde a wyfe whyche had bene the other kinges chauncellour this kinge handeled harde to come to hys purpose He kepte hym fastenynge threttened him hangynge and at the lattre bannyshed hym the realme whyche cost the byshoppe his lyfe A naturall father Anon after the byshoppe of Wynchestre beyng the popes great legate and perceyuynge the clergye not to be regarded the realme beynge than in diuysyon betwixt them bothe that is to saye
the kynge and Maude the empresse he called a counsel of prelates and enacted it for a lawe that what so euer he were that layed violent handes vpon a churche man he stode accursed wyth boke belle and candell and mighte of none be assoyled but of the popes owne persone He ordeyned also that no preste froÌ„ thens fourth shulde assiste any kinge in his warres Ioannes Hagustaldensis in historia xxv annoruÌ„ Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Mattheus Paris Polydorus Ranulphus ☞ The kynge enprisoneth the canons wiues of Paules RAdulphus de Diceto doth shewe it plainely in his abreuiacioÌ„s of chronycles that in the yeare of our lord 1137. The kinge was in displeasure with William the deane Raufe Langforde Richarde Belmeis and thâ— other canons of Paules at London about the eleccion of their bishop For coÌ„trary to his expectacion they had chosen Amselme the other Anselmes nephew which was than abbot of Burie a man of suspected liuing as witnessed Turstanus in an epistle to the pope Wherupon the king toke all their wiues otherwise called their kichine maydes for doubt of the spiritual lawes in their best apparelinges and put theÌ„ all in the tower of London Where as they were kept very straightly and not deliuered againe withoute bodily shame deminishment of their fame and greuouse expenses the storie saith The bishoppes archedeacoÌ„s chauÌ„celloures deanes were in those daies most coÌ„menly al of one kindred as the seide Radulphus reporteth The bishop of Ro. InnoceÌ„t than wrote into England that Peters litle ship being long tossed on the water vexed troubled oppressed of enemies was very like if remedy were not fouÌ„d in time to be ouer rowne drouned the shourges of scismatikes of heretikes wer so great Loke Ricardus Hagustaldensis in hys small treatyse de bello Standardico IoaÌ„nes hagustaldeÌ„sis in descriptione eiusdem belli By the scysmatykes he ment those prestes whych wolde not leaue their wyues at hys wycked persuasyons and by the lytle shyppe hys owne sorcerouse synagoge of besmered shauelynges ☞ An other counsell holden agaynst prestes and their wyues VPon thys occasyon came Albericus the byshop of Hostyense in post from Rome in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. xxxviij as the vycege rent of Pope Innocent the second in Englande and Scotlande Thys Albericus called a synode at Westmynstre in the xiij daye of Decembre for thys whole regyoÌ„ wherin he had to assocyate hym xviij byshoppes and. xxx abbottes besydes the greate nomber of other dysgysed prelates Hys chefe actes were that no preste deacoÌ„ nor subdeacon shulde holde a wyfe or woman within hys howse vndre payne of dysgradynge from his Christendome and playne sendynge to helle That no prestes sonne shuld clayme any spirytuall lyuyng by heretage That none shulde take benefyce of any laye man That none were admytted to cure whyche he had not the letters of hys orders That prestes shuld do no bodyly labour And that their transubstancyated God shuld dwell but. viij dayes in the boxe for feare of worme eatynge mowlyâ—ge or stynkynge with such lyke In all their counsels they songe styll one song folowynge the rustye voyces of HyldebraÌ„de and Paschall Ricardus Ioannes Hagustaldenses Wonders were seane in the skye about thys tyme Mathew Paris sayth In England was felte a palpable darkenesse with a terryble earthquake the sunne aperynge lyke sacke clothe Apo. vi Such an horryble eclyps sayth he was ouer all thys lande that men feared the heauens to haue bene decayed The sunne in some places Ioannes HagustaldeÌ„sis sayth apered lyke quycke syluer to the wonderynge of manye These maruels wolde be marked of them whych couete to vnderstande the mysteryes of tymes after the holye scryptures ☞ The true meanynge of sygnes in the firmament declared BY thys tyme had the prelates a nombre of crafty wyttes in the vniuersytees whych were as able by schole learnynge to defende a falshede as euer were Christes dyscyples by hys heauenly doctryne to maynteyne a veryte These by a contynuall exercyse in disputacyons bicame very crafty and subtyle They toke it for an ornature of learnyng and for a thynge very conducyble to the vnderstandyng of the scriptures to define and diuyde all thynges as ded the peripatetyckes or naturall philosophers of Aristotles secte and so to proue them by naturall demonstracyons Gloryenge in the sublymyte of their wyttes they wolde be taken for men much wyser than were the Apostles and prophetes and in their doynges preferred the Idees or ymagynacyons of Plato to the eternal sprete of Christ. In the rowme of the lyuely phylosophie of God they placed faynt and vnfruitefull allegoryes as ded the olde Esseanes and as doth in our tyme the wycked secte of Anabaptistes imputyng those thynges to our synnefull wurkes whych only pertayneth to the kyngdome of faythe Thus ded the wysdome of the fleshe erect her selfe agaynst Gods heauenly wysdome preparynge a waye to Antichrist and the deuyll These doctours busyly dysputed of Peters autoryte and of the worthienesse of monkery to make good the pryde of the byshopp of Rome and to confirme the shynynge shewe of hypocresye Of thys nombre was Ricardus de Sancto Victore a Scott in Paris Alexandre Nequam and Robert Crikelade here in England all regular chanons By thys maye ye vnderstande what it ment that the sunne apeared so darke in the skye For the heauens Dauid sayth declareth the glorye of God and the firmament sheweth hys handye wurke or dedes of hys permyisyon Psal. xviij ☞ More examples declarynge those marueyles ABout the same tyme were the byshop of Romes lawes brought into thys realme by Baldewyn the archebyshop of Canterburye But so sone as kynge Steuen had knowledge therof he condempned them by acte of Parlement commaundynge by proclamacyons and streygth iniunctyons that no man shulde retayne them vndre great penalte By meanes whereof they were in some places torne to peces and in some places brent in the fyre as by good mennis iudgement they were no lesse worthie For they were verye muche agaynst the commodyte of kynges and their commeÌ„ welthes christeÌ„ magistrates powers Ioannes Sarisburiensis in Polycratico de nugis aulicorum libro viij cap. xxij Both the monke Gracianus whych collectyd togyther the Popes decrees into our volume called the concorde of lawes dyscordaunt and also Peter Lombarde hys brother in the rablement of hys vnsauery sentences complayned very sore that many in their tyme beleued the only substaunce of breade to remayne in the sacrament of Christes bodye Yea the best learned maisters of Paris Iohan Tyssyngton sayth in his boke agaynst the confessyon of Wycleue were at the same season of thys opynyon that in the sacramental wordes Esse was to be taken for significare Agaynst whom these adulterouse chyldren Gracianus and Petrus brought forth thys smokye conclusion not out of the scriptures but froÌ„ their
the gyuynge of spirytuall promocyons in Englande for the losse of his crowne as thou hast sayd here Know thou tâ—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 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 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 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 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 the kynges massengers were returned home agayne with these croked newes and with strayght commaundement from the cruell byshop of 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 blasphemouse bablyngâ—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 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 to brynge hys deuylysh purpose to passe for demynyshment of the 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 that 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 dâ—uyll if ye marke them Hys letters to syster Frodelina syster Ermengarda syster Athelytes syster Eulalia syster Madily and syster Basyle 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. vâ— beganne first the ordre of Sarisburianes Mathew Paris sayth What maner of ordre this shuld be I can 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 froÌ„ 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 moÌ„kes ded in their cloysters and so to wynne agayne some fauer or good opynyoÌ„ of the people whych they for theyr wyues had lost Than begaÌ„ 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 their syde gownes gyrt to them their portasses relygyously hangynge with great buttoÌ„s 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 WhaÌ„ they had onâ—â— 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 by hys autoryte both bye and selle 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 the slendre name of secular prestes or hedge chaplaines For in most places they dwelt vploude and wanted relygyouse habytacyons to haue sâ—t them forewarde or made them moâ—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 where Henry the iiij Emprour was for the tyme if thys tragycall turmoyle that he loked not more narrowly to their haÌ„des 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 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 very lamentable heauye as Athelboldus TraiecteÌ„sis 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 the next yeare after that Paschall the byshop of Rome helde a generall councell at Trecas in Fraunce 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 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 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 he came into Italy with a great host of