was this counsell els but the mouthe of the beast speakyng blasphemyes Daniel vij Apocal. xiij Though these matters were first proponed at Cleremount in Fraunce and after enacted at Baren in Apulia yet were they not so strayghtly knyttt vp tyll they came to Rome Marke the good conueyaunce ☞ Anselmus made Pope of Englande for hys practyses FOr the wyttie inuencyons forecastynges polecyes dysputacyons other laboryouse affayres of Anselme about the ouerthrowe of pryncely autoryte and vprearynge of Antichristes tyranny and for hys earnest prouocacyons to haue them perfourmed in the crafty wurkynges of Sathan to se hym horrybly honourably I shulde saye rewarded for hys paynes Pope Vrbanus appoynted both hym and them that shulde afterwarde succede in the patryarcall seate of Canterbury to sytt at hys ryght fote in euery generall counsell and that he also ratifyed by a specyal decre And thus was it proclamed whan that place was gyuen hym in the opē synode Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquā alterius orbis Papan◠Lete vs include or admyt thys man in our worlde here as the Pope of an other worlde meanynge great Brytayne or England whych the old cosmographers and famouse hystoryanes called an other worlde for so much as it semed from the great worlde by sea dyuyded as Virgyll also sheweth in his Bucolyckes Neuer was there any place peculyarly appoynted to the archebyshoppes of Canterbury afore that daye All this hath Thomas Rudborne in medulla chronicorū Iohan Capgraue in a maner confirmyng the same where as he calleth him the Apostle and patryarke of the other worlde I haue alwayes bene of thys opynyon that S. Iohans Apocalyps hath as wele hys fulfyllynge in the partycular nacyons as in the vnyversall churche I speake it here for Anselme whych was the great Pope or Antichrist of Englande Marke it hardely in hym and a great sort more of hys wycked successours ☞ The chastyte of Anselme and death of kynge Wyllyam ANselme anon after departed frō hys holy father Vrbanus as he myghte wele spare him whan his turne was ones serued and so came to Lyons where as he remayned tyll the death of kyng Wyllyam Rufus In the meane tyme for hys recreacyon Iohan Cagraue sayth he sumtyme resorted to Hugh the abbot of Clunyake and to hys praty nōnes at Marceniacum I thynke not the cōtrary but it was to ease hym of some great burdene For Roger Hourden Mathew Paris other writers affirmeth that he had a nephewe called Iunior Anselmus whych after the rule of the Romane prelates is as muche to saye as a sonne He behelde it in a visyon at Lyons they saye how S. Albone and other Englysh sayntes sent fourth an euyll sprete to slee the seyd kyng Wyllyā for oppressynge their abbeyes But I beshrewe their cruell hartes their preuy legerdemaynes were not muche to be trusted that kynge so sodenly slayne They feyne in an other fable that he tare with his tethe Christes fleshe from hys bones as he hyng on the roode for witholdynge the landes of certen byshopryckes and abbeyes Polydorus not beynge ashamed to rehearce it Some where they call hym a reade dragon some where a fyery serpent and a bloudy tyraunt for occupyenge the fruites of their vacaunt benefyces about hys pryncely buyldynges Thus rayle they of their kynges wythout eyther reason or shame in their legendes of abhomynable lyes Loke Eadmerus Helinandus Vincentius Mathew of Westmynstre Rudborne Capgraue Wyllyam Caxton Polydore and others Wher euer hearde ye afore that their superfluouse ydell and slowe belly liuynges were Christes fleshe eyther yet that an olde paynted roode had fleshe Lete not thys be forgotten ☞ Kyng Henry marryeth a votary without dyspensacyon HEnry the first of that name constytute kynge Anselmus returned into England agayne marryed hym to a professed nonne of Wynchestre called Maude whych was the doughter of Malcolme the kyng of Scottes Much a do had her father and mother cōfessour and abbesse Mathew Paris sayth to perswade her to thys marryage and to obtayne her consent in the ende by reason of her former professyon and vowe Yet cursed she the fruite that shulde come of her body whyche afterward turned her chyldren to great mysfortune Polydorus sayth for therupon were her two sonnes Wyllyam and Richarde drowned in the sea and her doughter Maude the empresse an infortunate mother in bryngynge forth Henry the seconde whyche put vnto death holy Thomas Becket Here was I trowe no bad iudgement As scrupulose as Anselme was in other causes yet founde he no faulte in thys marryage whan he coupled them togyther neyther sought he to haue that vowe dyspensed with If Ranulphus and Treuisa he brought in to proue her vowe a dissymulacyō and that the seyd Anselme so founde it I haue Mathew Paris Rudborne Polydore and other autours more to confound them which largely hath declared it a full vowe professyon But of one thynge I sumwhat maruele why they and Wyllyā of Malmesbury shulde iudge it an vnwor thie marriage cōmende her for spending her substaūce so prodigally vpō syngars mynstrels poetes delyghtynge in their balettes and vayne praysynges oppressynge her tenauntes to maynteyne them Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. v. de regibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. xvi ☞ Anselme wurketh wyles and Randolfe playne treason SOme writers haue thought specyally Mathew of Westminstre that Anselmus bare with kynge Henry in thys matter concernynge hys marryage to wynne hym in an other muche more wayghtie profytable purpose For in that generacion they are more wyly Christ sayth than are the chyldren of lyghte Luce. xvi But he fayled of hys purpose at that present For immedyatly after the kynge made Reinalmus the quenes chaūcellour byshopp of Herforde without the clergyes eleccyon and put hym in possessyon without the Popes autoryte contrary to the othe of hys coronacyon as testyfyeth Radulphus de Diceto Mathew Parts and Roger Honeden But whan Randolfe the byshop of Durham whome the kynge put in the Tower of London for oppressyon and yll rule kepynge had ones broken out of the pryson in the dronkēnesse of his kepers and fledde into Normandy persuadynge duke Robert Courtoys to subdue the kynge hys brother and so to vsurpe hys crowne promysynge also that he had made hym fryndes within the lande by hys secrete counsell and letters In hys commynge as the seyd duke toke it ones vpon hym a great commocion was within the realme the prelates freshly reioycynge therat and causynge it to be noysed a broade that thys soden inuasyon was for that kynge Henry had dysobeyed their holy father of Rome defeated hys eldar brother and marryed Christes professed spowse And al this they subtylye had practysed to take the peoples hartes from him that he myght the more easely haue bene subdued as they thought to their commodyte Yet God of hys great mercye gaue hym than as he hed
all his successours kinges after him In the thyrd yeare after his deathe was he proclamed a saynt by the popes autoritie and his daye triumphasitly celebrated ouer all Englande hys masse beginnynge with Gaudeamus The king came in all naked sauynge that he hadde a liuen breche about hys nether partes He receyued of the monkes a discipline wyth roddes and was so absolued of them in theyr chaptre howse He resygned his power vpon their hygh aultre consented to their vsurped lybertees and professed him selfe a perpetuall subiect to Antichrist and the serpent Apo. xiij O blasphemers of God and shamelesse mockers of men But Cesarius sayth in the. viij boke of hys dyaloges ca. lxix that in the. xlvij yeare after hys deathe a questyon was moued in the open scholes at Parys whether he were saued or dampned Where as Roger Norman proued hym wurthie to be dampned for obstynate rebellyon against his kinge whiche was Gods appoynted mynyster Peter the great chauntre of Paris hauing nothinge to obiect in the churches quarell to the contrary but his miracles whiche were most manifest lyes and illusions ☞ Kynge Henry smelleth out Antichrist and is agayne blynded SVmwhat must I saye here of the kynge called Henry the seconde whyche was a verye wyse well learned and godly prince Petrus Blesensis sayth in epistola ad Gualterum archiepiscopum Panorimtunum Though he in the yeare of our lord a. M.a. C. and. lxvi permitted at the popes request a grote to be giuen of euery plough lande within all his dominions for ayde of the christen warres agaynst the Turkes yet perceyuinge â— yeares after the crafty bestowynge therof and how the seide pope had mayteined the treason of Becket agaynste him he caused all hys people to forswere his obedience from the childe of xij yeares to them of extreme age Loke Mathew of Westminstre li. ij de floribus historiarum In the next yeare after to please hym agayne pope Alexandre confirmed vnto him the bulle of Adriane the. iiij for the conquest of Irelande and made him the hygh lorde of that region vndre him the Peter pens for euerye chymney that smoked alwayes to hys fatherhede reserued And thys was Iohan hardynge sayth in hys chronycle for an errour whiche the Iryshe men helde against the spyrytualte and for certen heresyes wherwyth they hadde bene long infected In the yeare therfor of our lorde a. M.a. C. and. lxxi were bothe the nobylyte and clergye of the lande sworne vnto hym to take the kynges of Englande for their lordes euer after Rogerus Houeden A lyke chaunce hadde the Scottes in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxxviij Pope Clement the thyrde in hys hyghe dyspleasure subiectynge that whole realme to the crowne of Englande wyllynge their kinges nobylyte and clergye to gyue alwayes to the kynges of Englande theyr othe of obedyence as to theyr superioure lordes Nicolaus Treueth ☞ A patronage proued lawfull by v. marryed prestes NOwe wyll I brynge a matter whyche Barnes rehearseth in his boke of prestes marryage bicause it fell in thys age In the tyme of pope Alexandre the. iij. sayth he there was a controuersye for the patronage of a benefyce betwene the priour of Plympton in Deuenshyre and one Iohan de Valletorda Iudges were deputed to heare the master Rycharde the archebyshoppe of Canterbury and Roger the byshoppe of Wynchestre Before whome the priour of Plimpton proued his personage by reason that he was in possession therof had gyuen it out afore to dyuerse persones Fyrste he sayde there was a preste of Plympton called Alphege whych hadde by the gyft of the seyd pryour of Plympton the benefyce of Sutton nowe called Plymmouth Thys Alphege hadde a sonne called Cedda whyche hadde also the benefyce after hys father And after thys Cedda was there an other preste called Alnodus whyche hadde the benefyce lyke wyse Thys Almodus hadde a sonne called Robert Dunpruste which after the decease of hys father had also the seyd benefyce And after thys Robert Dunâ—rust William Bakon hys sonne enioyed the benefyce lyke wyse â–ª Ex monumentis eiusdem coenobij Thys is a wytnesse suffycyente to proue that it is no newe learnynge nor yet so longe a go sens prestes hadde lawfull wyues as the ydell headed papystes do make the ignoraunt multytude beleue And thys was in those dayes an vse throughe oute the realme that the sonne shulde in benefyces succede the father eyther els the next of his kinne that was learned tyll the monkes hypocresye procured the alteracyon for theyr bellye 's sake ☞ Examples dyuerse that prestes in that age hadde wyues FVrthermore the seyde pope Alexandre in hys epistles decretall sheweth manye of the â—yke examples And in one to Iohan of Oxforde than byshop of Norwyche he commaundeth that Wyllyam the newe person of Dysse for claymynge the benefyce by inheritaunce after the decease of his father person Wulkerell whyche begate him in his presthode shulde be dyspossessed no appellacyon admitted The deane and chaptre of Salisbury in an other place he chargeth not to admyt Hughe Howet to the prebende of Baphorde whyche was hys fathers afore hym least it so shulde growe agayne into a custome The lyke he wrote to the Archedeacon of Lyncolne and to other diuerse prelates of the realme specyallye to the byshoppe of Excestre of one Iohan a prestes sonne whyche after lyke sorte wolde haue succeded hys father To the byshop of Wyncestre he sheweth there also that the monkes of Lenton abbeye by Notyngham molested one Oliuer a prest whiche had peceably holden the benefyce of Mapleshalle by the space of xxx yeares The greattest matter they hadde agaynste hym was that he hadde bene that prestes sonne whyche had bene curate of the same parryshe afore hym But in thys he defeated the monkes and shewed hym fauer bicause he hadde there contynued so longe The exampels of thys kynde are so manye that I leaue them for tedyousnesse Lete those lewde papystes be ashamed than whyche folowynge the lowsye learninge of that bawdye dronkarde Iohan Eckius in hys folyshe Enchiridyon reporteth wyth hym and wyth doctour Coole in theyr ignoraunt frenesye that it hath not bene heard sens Christes ascensyon that a preste euer marryed or had a wyfe Questyonlesse theyr brutysh heades are to blockysh ☞ Remedyes taughte of S. Godrycke for vowes kepynge SAynte Godrycke borne at Walpole in Northfolke went firste abroade with pedlary wares and afterwardes on pilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem In hys returne he professed the chast life of an hermyte at Fynkale by Durham and bicame the great fouÌ„der of dyspersed Hermytes here in Englande Muche was he tempted wyth the sprete of fornycacyon and had no small a do to kepe hys vowe of chastyte To abate the great heates of hys fleshe he soughte dyuerse remedyes but marryage was none of them for that was
counterfett presthyde was than throughly salted and placed there the Actes of the. iiij generall counsels receyued in stede of the. iiij Euangelies In the next yeare following was a generall Synode kept at Constantynople in Grece where as marryage was for euer permytted vnto the Greke prestes and vtterly forbidden the latynes or all other besydes them the latine masse receyuynge there his first confirmacion But Theodorus hys monkes were at a good indyfferent poynt for that which had veyled wythin in one monastery in the I le of Thanete lxx Nonnes makynge fayre Myldrede their abasse Loke IohaÌ„ Capgraue Ranulphe and other English autours In spight of the former acte dâ—d Vitiza the king of Spayne permyt hys prestes by a lawe newelye made to kepe so manye concubines as ther wolde Michael Ricius de regibus Hispanie Paulus Constantinus Phrâ—gio in Chronidis regnorum ¶ Chastyte Monkes Monasteries and Penaunce Wernerus Cartusiensis sayth in Fasciculo temporum that vowynge of chastyte was fre wythout constraynt in the tyme of saynt Gregory and sumwhat after Bedas reporteth li 3 ca. 6 De gestis Anglorum Ioannes Maior in gestis Scotorum li. 2. Ca. 11. That a monkes cowle after they had ones vowed chastyte was holden in suche reuerence that no maÌ„ wolde in a maner than iourney vnlesse he had their blessinges Into a most wonderfull madnesse were the people than brought by their hypocryticall wytcherye the verye elect persones scant frefrom that damnable errour Math. 24. Marcy 13. For the vnthankefulnesse of men sayth Iob in settynge his veryte lyght doth God permytt the Hypocrytes to reigne ouer them in all power of deceytfull wonders Iob. 34. Thessal 2. They ded than spedelye set vp monasteries without nombre all the realme ouer Iohan Hardynge sayth in his Chronicle that King Oswye buylded within Northumberlande xij in one yeares space In the yeare of our Lorde DC and lxxxiiij helde Theodorus yet an other counsell in the North partyes at Twyforde where as he publyshed a serten boke of his owne makynge called A penytencyall summe commaundynge his clergye to put it euerye where in practyse Therin were contayned all maner of synnes and excesses with aggrauacions reseruacions penaltes sorowes penaunces and ponnishmentes And this was to terryfye captyue and snare the wretched consciences of men euen to vttre desperacion And where coude haue bene sought out a practyse of more deuilishenesse Sigebertus Sabellicus Tritemius Scriptores ferme omnes ¶ The foundacyon of their Purgatorye AT the same verye tyme was there one Drithelmus in Nortoumberlande whych leauynge both wyfe and children in the yeare of our Lorde DC and. lxxi made himself a monke at Mailros Saynt Cuthbert than beynge abbot there The sayd Drithelmus fayned himselfe on a tyme to be dead here was knauerye vpon knauerye and reported in his returne that he had seane by an Angels demonstracion both purgatory and paradise hell and heauen After that he had subtillye declared thys vnto Kynge Alphrede and other greate men of the contreye there at the request of the monkes muche people resorted vnto hym for counsell for their sowles from all quarters of Englande So redy are the foles of thys worlde to heare lyes and illusyons whyche neuer had loue to the veryte Thys knaue euermore commended vnto them confessyon and penaunce fastynge prayer and almes dedes specyallye and aboue all other masse saynges and monasteryes buyldinge Was not thys thynke yow a vertuouse chrystyanyte of these chaste fathers to kegynne theyr holye churche wyth Were yt not pytye but they were canonysed sayntes and their feastfull dayes solemnysed twyse in the yeare wyth ryngynges syngynges sensynges and massynges as thys Cuthbertes wer and are yet to thys daye I thynke the Turkes churche had neuer more knaues to their Sayntes than these For this Drithelmus ys one of their sayntes also Iohan Capgraue post uitam Adriam Sigebertus Vincencius Antoninus wyth dyuerse other ¶ Chastyte of Cuthbert and doctrine of Colfride SO cruell was this Cuthbert vnto women after he became a Saynt of theirs that non might come wythin hys sayntuaryes they say at Doilwem Cornen and Mailros in Scotlande nor yet at Durham Tyâ—mouth and Lynde farne here in Englande vndre payne of soden death their chambers and selles exempted alwayes Yet was the seyd Cuthbert verye famylyar in his time wyth Ebba Elsteda and Verca iij holy abbasses and builded for his pleasure a solempne uondry at Carliell Fynallye for the specyall good loue he had vnto Verca aboue all other he commaunded in hys testament that his bodye after his departinge shuld be wrapped in the fyne lynnen clothe that she had geuen hym Ye may se by thys that these chast fathers had their louers and set sumwhat by their owne precyouse bodyes Saynt Colfride abbot of Girwin in Northumberland wrote vnto Athon kinge of the Pyctes that it was as necessary for the vowe of a monke or degre of a prest prestes were than no vowers to haue a shauen crowne for restraynt of their lustes as for any christen man to blesse him agaynst spretes whan they come vpon him What wise learning thys ys I report me vnto yow Yet yt ys regestred of Bedas in hys v. boke De gestis Anglorum and also of Thomas Vualden in hys volume De sacramentalibus ii 9. Ca. 80 to stoppe heretikes mouthes with besydes that IohaÌ„ Capgraue hath sayd in yt ¶ The fallen starre and. ij Hornes of the Beast ABout thys tyme were many wonderfull thynges seane in dyuerse quarters of the worlde specyally a great Comete or blasyng starre which semed wyth flamynges of fyre to fall in to the sea great morren folowynge both of beast and man Not all vulyke was thys to that is described Apoca. 8. And betokened than in my opynyon both the vttre fall of the pryncelye gouernaunce and also the christen presthode or of both vndre one as powers of one God For both they beynge as starres in the firmament or powers from aboue Romano 13 most wredchedly than delcined from the true obedyence and faythfull admynystracyon of Gods eternall veryte vnto the beastly subieccyons and tradycyons of that execrable Pope Sens that tyme haue they comen from the sea They haue taken their autoryte of that Beaste â—hych rose out of the sea Apoca. 13 tyll now at late dayes the. ij hornes of the other Beast that is to saye of hypocresye pryckynge them than forewarde Those ij hornes of that earthlye Beaste were here in England the. ij monkysh sectes that in those dayes fyrste entered The fyrste of them were the blacke monkes of Saynt Bernet whych entered first of all wyth the afore named Augustyne in the yeare of our Lord. CCCCC and xcvi to peruerte the South Saxons and kentysh men The other were the blacke Chanons of the
that are exercysed in Chronycles and Sayntes Lyues marke for that age what is written of Columbanus Colomannus Tolimannus Vuenefridus Vuilibrordus Vuilibaldus Vuenebaldus Burghardus Kilianus Vuigbertus Egbertus Heuuadus the whyght and the blacke Etto Bertuuinus Elcquius Lullius Lebuinus Liuinus Ioannes Embertus Gallus Gaudus Gaiabaldus Gregorius Megingoius Sturmio and a great sort more with their women and ye shall se in them practises wonderfull I wyll geue ye out one here breuelye for an example for to muche yt were to write of them all Wenefridus was admitted of Pope Gregory the seconde for the Archebyshop of Magunce and great Apostle of all Germany and for hys bolde countenaunce was of hym named Bonifacius In Excestre was he first borne and professed a black Monke at Exancestre now called Excestre vndre abbot wolfharde After the great Synode holden at London by the afore named Brithwalde about the yeare of our Lorde DCC and. x. where as priestes Marryage was iudged fornication and the honouryng of Images accepted for a christen relygyon Daniel then Byshop of Wynchestre sent this Wenefride to Rome with hys letters of commendacion for hys manfulnesse there shewed Iohannes Capgraue geor-Vuicellius in Hagiologo de sanctis ecclesie ¶ The great Apostle of all Germanye THe Pope after certayn communicacions perceyuynge hym in all poyntes fytt for hys purpose sent hym anon into Germanye wyth hys fulle aucthoryte as afore is specyfyed to do his false feates there and to brynge that styffe necked people vndre hys wycked obedyence whome they call the holye Christen beleue I thynke sens Christes incarnacion was there neuer none that more lyuelye wrought the propertees of the other Beaste in Saynt Iohans Apocalyps whyche ryse out of the earthe hauynge two hornes lyke the Lambe yf ye marke it well Apocalipsis xiij For he was next in aucthoritie to the Pope by the Popes owne wytnesse suche tyme as he came with the hygh legacye from hys owne ryght syde into all the quarters and prouynces of the sayed Germanye An hondred thousande conscyences dyd he seale with the Popes hote Ironâ—câ— aduste with his Romyshe faythe in the lande of Bauarye besides that he dyd in Thuringia Hassia Saxonia Frislande Swethen Denemarke and in other regions there more He helde many great counsayls he ordeyned byshoppes he buylded monasteries he canonysed sayntes he commaunded relyques to be worshypped he sent nonnes aboute a preachynge contrary to the doctrine of saynt Paule with manye other wonders and all by force of the Popes decrees Of kynges he made monkes and caused emprours to kysse the Popes fete Princes to leade his brydell and Dukes to holde his steruppes Loke in the Chronicles of Ioannes Nauclerus Generacione 25. 26. Loke also Vuicelius Vincencius Antoninus Capgraue and Vuilibaldus in uita Bonifacij and ye shall fynde all thys there and a great sorte of wonders more For there are they shewed at large ¶ Kynges deposed with other myracles BY suche autorite as he receyued of pope Zachary he afterward deposed kyng Hylderyck of Fraunce dysheretynge in hym for euer the moste laufull successyon of kynge Merouens whiche first receyued the true christen â—â—yth there as witnesseth Sabellicus admittinge in hys rowme Pypyne with hys aduonterouse stocke for receyuynge their false faythe by othe to reigne there euer after for their carnall commodyte He also assoyled all the people from the othe of allegeaunce made afore to the sayd Hylderich and his of sprynge as testyfyeth Paulus Aemillius Platma Nauclerus Tritemius Otto Phrisingensis and other In conclusyon by thys meanes became the noble kyngdome of Lumbardye the vnlaufull patrimonye of Saynt Peter the myghtye empyre of Rome was wonderfullye translated from the Greekes to the Germanes These were no small myracles if ye marke them well If Antichrist turned not here the rootes of the trees vpwarde neuer dyd he it in hys lyfe All these thynges wrought thys Bonyface or wenefride that the dwellers vpon earth should worshyp the first Beast Apoca. 13. Innumerable multitudes of peoples brought he to the Popes faythe in Germany and in Fraunce and in some other places more by terryble coaccyons then by anye gentyll callynges For extremelye dyd he handle with cruell inprisonmentes one Adelbert a frenche man and Claudius Clemens a Scott ij learned meÌ„ for reasonyng with hym concernyng vowed chastyte rellyques Images the Popes prymarye Kynges deposicions othes breakynge and suche like errours Loke the workes of Nauclerus Vuicelias â—ernardus Lutâ—â—enburg Alphonsus de castro ¶ Doctrine of Bonyface with sale of whores MOste dampnable was the doctrine of this Boniface concernynge the Pope In a sertayne Epistle of his we fynde this moste execrable sentence That in case the sayd pope were of moste filthye lyuynge and so forgetfull of hym self and of the whole christente that he led with hym to hell innumerable sowles yet ought no man to rebuke his yll doyng For he he saith hath power to iudge all men and ought of no man to be iudged agayne Thys haue the Canonistes regestâ—red in the popes decrees for a perpetuall lawe and for a necessarye artycle of Christen beleue Dist. xl Ca. â—i Papa Yet wrote he at an other tyme to Pope Zacharye to se the manifest abusions of Rome reformed speciallye their maskynges in the nyght after the paganes maner and their open sellynge of whores in the marke in there For they were he sayd sore impedimentes to his preachynges For they that had seane those reuelynges there mistrusted muche that faythe He wrote also vnâ—o kyng Ethelbalde and other great men in England requiring them to leaue the aduouterouse occupyeng of nonnes least suche a plage fell on theÌ„ as chauÌ„ced vpoÌ„ kyng Colfrede and kyng Osrede for lyke doinges And though this Boniface allowed not christen matrimoney in priestes but hated it yet after that oâ—e Geraldus a maryed byshop was slayn in Thuringia in time of the warres there he permytted hys sonne Geilepus to succede hym in that office Helinandus monachus Vincencius Antoninus Capgraue c. ¶ The monasteries of fulda floryake HE buylded the great monastery of Fulda in Germanye in the yeare from Christes incarnacioÌ„ DCC xliiij Into the which no womeÌ„ myght entre but only Lieba Tecla ij Englysh nonnes his best beloues The body of the sayd Lieba he commaunded by hys lyfe of most teÌ„dre loue to be buryed in one graue with hys owne precyouse body So ryche was that monasterye within fewe yeares after that it was able to fynde the emperour in his warres lx thousand meÌ„ For the which the abbot had alwayes thys priuylege to syt vpon the ryght hande of the sayd emperour at the hygh feastes An other abbeye was buylded afore that at floriake in fraunce and not
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
though they had afore with all practyses possyble assysted hym to the same Wherupon grewe wonderfull commocyons in dyuerse quarters of the realme specyally at Norwych Helye and Yorke the great earles Raufe Roger and Waldeof aydyng the rude coÌ„mens in that rebellyon whyche prouoked hym to shewe double hatred to the Englysh nobilyte The next yeare folowyng as the earle Waldeof of NorthumberlaÌ„d was worthely depryued and at Wynchestre byheaded for the same Walkerus a lecherouse monke ambycyouse prelate not fyndynge hymselfe satisfyed with the ryche byshopryck of Durham bought thaÌ„ of the kynge that earledome to augment hys pompe possessyons and vayne gloryouse dygnite He brought thydre a swarme of ydell and lascyuyouse monkes out of other partyes thynkynge therby to be eueÌ„ with God and with their howlynge and wawlynge to pacyfie his anger what mischefe so euer he had done afore But se what folowed about v. yeares after For his outragyouse oppression and tyrannye the commens fell vpon hym and slewe both hym and an hundred of hys best meÌ„ Simeon Dunelmensis Henricus Huntendunensis Matthaeus Paris Rogerus houeden Thomas Rudborne alij ☞ The monkes dyspossesseth the prestes at Durham AFter hym succeded in the byshoprycke one Wyllyam an abbot a man of more wordes the story sayth than of godly wytt Thys prelate as Simeon wryteth in chronicis Dunelmà persuaded the kyng that the prestes of the church of Durham were vycyouse lyuers bycause they had wyues and wold not leaue them and that byshopp walkers monkes were the holye Ghostes chyldren most fytt to kepe S. Cutbert bicause they were wyuelesse watchemen He recyted vnto hym by the chronycle of Bede and by other olde writynges that from the tyme of Aidanus their first byshop tyll the vyoleÌ„t slaughter of the Danes it had bene possessed of monkes The kynge not muche regardynge the matter had hym consulte with Pope Hildebrande as he resorted vnto hym to Rome for hys confirmacyon as all bishoppes were than confirmed by the great Antichrist of that synnefull synagoge The whyche ones perfourmed to hys mynde he returned home with Hyldebrandes commyssyon And in the yeare of our Lorde a M. and lxxxiij obtaynynge therwith the whole consent of the prelates in the kynges parlemâ—nt at Westmynstre he droue the marryed canons their wyues out of hys cathedrall churche of Durham and placed ydell monkes in their rowmes to kepe Saint Cuthbertes shryne vniustly depryuynge them of all possessyon Rogerus houeden li. i. Polydorus li. ix Other prelates anon after ded wurke the lyke in dyuerse other quarters of the realme and fylled all the land with the secrete occupyenges of wycked Sodome and Gomor as wele apered in their last vysytacyon in our tyme the regestre yet remaynynge ☞ The vysyon of Boso and acte of Tostius chaplayne IOHAN Capgraue reporteth in Saint Cuthbertes lyfe that one Boso a knyghte was rapte or deprâ—â—ed of all maner of felynge by the space of more than two dayes And in the thyrde daye as he was commen agayne to hym selfe he instauntly desyred to be confessed to the pryour of Durham at the tyme called Turgotus to whome he declared what vysyons he had in that wonderfull traunce He behelde he sayd on the one syde of helle all the monkes of his abbeye goynge sadly in processyon on the other syde a sort of wanton gyglot wenches reioycinge in fleshely delyghtes and vncomely entycementes He sawe there also in a darke desolate place an hygh howse all of yron And whyls the dore therof oft tymes opened and speared agayne at the last he behelde Wyllyam their byshop which had bene HildebraÌ„des commissyoner puttynge forth hys heade callyng for Godfrey the monke whych was at that tyme the generall procurator of hys whole dyocese And thys was iudged a token that they two shulde not lyue longe after Se what noble successe thys decre of Hildebrande had here in thys realme The wyfe of Tostius sumtyme earle of Northumberlande called Iudith gaue many ryche ornamentes about the same tyme to S. Cuthbertes churche Thys lady bad a lusty chaplayne whych commyng of deuocyon to Tynmouth abbeye to se the translacyon of the body of S. Oswyne kyng martyr as martyrs went than could within the towne haue no lodgynge for the excedyng resort of people that than was there Howbeit vpon acquayntaunce he founde suche fauer that a bed was prepared for hym within the parrysh churche And bycause he thought it not pleasaunt to lye a loue he conuayed in a wenche in the darke to kepe hym company that nyghte But as he began to fall to hys accustomed nyght worke all the whole churche moued the story sayth as it wolde haue fallen vpon them Wherby he was than compelled to leaue hys occupyenge Ioannes Capgraue in uita Osvuini martyris ☞ The myracles of Lanfrancus the archebyshop LAnfrancus the archebyshop of Canterbury helde a synodall counsell at Paules in London in the yeare of our Lorde a M. and lxxvi Where as it was enacted by their coÌ„men consent that byshoppes from thens forth shuld sytt in counsels parlementes by lyke they stode on fote afore with cappe in hande that they shulde generally remoue their seates from the meane vyllages to the cyties of name as some had done afore to apere more notable and to augment their autoryte and fame Was not thys a great study thynke yow for the Christen commen welthe Thus clome they vp from one degre of pryde to an other tyll they bycame here in EnglaÌ„d lyke their father at Rome exaltynge themselues as S. Paule prophecyed of them aboue God and hys Christ ij Thes ij Thys Lanfrancus the next yeare after made one Paulus a yonge monke of Lane in Normandy the abbot of S. Albons This Paule was his nephew some saye hys sonne whych is all one amonge the Italyane prelates as he was one sauynge that nephew is a name more spirytuall Other great myracles thys LanfraÌ„cus ded in hys lattre age At Canterbury he enryched the monkes with great landes sumptuouse buyldynges and with precyouse ornamentes He repared their temples appoynted straunge worshyppynges He wonderfully augmented the pryde here of the clergye fynally buylded ij great hospytalles for pylgrymes to encreace the dayly ydolatryes whych thaÌ„ began to spryng Simeon Dunelmensis Matthaeus VVestmonast Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus CestreÌ„sis Rogerus Cestren Thomas rudborne Ioannes Capgraue Fabianus alij ☞ Of Osmunde the byshopp and of Salisbury vse OSmundus was a man of great aduenture polycye in hys tyme not only concernynge roberyes but also the slaughter of men in the warres of kyng Wyllyam coÌ„querour Whervpon he was first the grande captayne of Saye in Normandy afterwardes earle of Dorsett and also hygh chauncellour of Englande As Herman the byshop of Salisbury was dead he gaue ouer all and succeded hym in
oft after that the victory ouer hys enemyes vnloked for to their vtter shame and confusyon Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ The chast procedynges of dyuerse holy prelates IN the same very yeare whych was the yeare of our lorde a M. a C. and one Thomas the archebyshopp of Yorke surnamed the eldar whome Lanfrancus proued a prestes sonne afore pope Alexandre the seconde as is vttered afore departed the worlde Thys Thomas had a nephewe Ranulphus sayth called also Thomas the yongar Ye knowe what a nephewe is by the rules of Rome whose fotesteppes the fathers most studyously folowed in that age as naturall subiectes and chyldren of their creacyon By ryght he shulde haue folowed hys father in that offyce as a naturall inheritour to the myter but he was preuented by one Gerarde Wyllyam of Malmesbury Ranulphe Roger of Chestre saith which was a man as the commen same went gyuen all to lecherouse lyghtnesse to sorcerouse witchcraftes For whan he on a tyme was fouÌ„d dead in an herber a boke of curiouse artes was fouÌ„d vndre his pyllowe made by Iulius Firmicus whom he vsed to reade to himelfe in the none tyde For the whych his owne clergye wold scarsely suffer hym to be buryed wtout the church vndre tyrfes or soddes of the grasse Roger HouedeÌ„ sayth that thys yongar Thomas at the last beynge archebyshop of Yorke and lyenge in extremes was a persuaded of hys phesycyanes to take to hym a woman for remedy of hys dysease whyche he vtterly refused to do and so dyed If thys were true as I much doubt of it than was he a phoenix in that generacyon for Danyel sayth that their hartes shulde be set all vpon women Danie xi But who so euer shall resort to hys doctryne and fruytes in Antichristes prelacie shall fynde hym a virgyne of a farre other sort than Christe hath allowed in the scryptures ☞ Prestes marryage condempned of our Anselme HEnry of Huntyngton in the first boke of hys chronycles sayth that in the yeare of our lorde a M. a C ij which was the iij. yeare of kyng Henry the first at the feast of S. Michael the archangell Anselme the archebyshopp of Canterbury helde a great counsell at London at Westmynstre some chronycles hath whyche is all one Kynge Wyllyam Rufus for hys tyme wolde suffre the clergye to holde no such assemblyes and therfore they mortally hated hym In the which counsell sayth the seyd Henry Roger of Westchestre confirmynge the same he forbad the prestes of Englande their wyues neuer afore the daye prohybeted Mark this Whyche semed to many saye they a very pure relygyon but some men there were whyche thought it a matter full of parell and wolde not haue had it so passe least the prestes professynge a chastyte aboue their strengthes shulde therby fall into most horryble â—yndes of fylthynesse a Christen sentence to the great blemysh and shame of Christianyte And bicause I wolde thys poynt to be the more earnestly marked of my readers to the confusyoÌ„ of antichristes bullish buggerers of Anselmes Hildebrandes brode I put here the vâ—ry wordes of those autours as they staÌ„d in their latine workes In quo concilio inquiuÌ„t Anselmus prohibuit uxores sacerdotibus Anglorum antea non prohibitas Quod quibusdaÌ„ mundissimum ursum est quibusdam periculosum ne dum munditias uiribus maiores appeterent â–ª in immunditias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent For other Englysh writers sheweth not the matâ—er so lyuely as doth thys Henry Roger. ☞ The actes of Anselmes great synode FIrst they enacted in thys counsell by vertu of Hyldebrandes constytucyon and Vrbanes Bulle that the horryble vyce of symony shulde be condempned for euer whyche was not commytted whan they solde bishopryckes abbeyes deaneryes prebendes orders dedycacyons consecracyons benefyces or any other ecclesyastycall doynges or promocyons but only whan the kynge or any other laye persone ded gyue them or dispose theÌ„ Thys was their spirituall meanynge Next vnto that they enacted that no archedeacon thâ—y spake of no byshoppes preste deacon subdeacon collygener nor canon shulde from thens fourth marry a wyfe nor yet kepe her styll if he had bene marryed to one afore They ordayned also that a preste kepynge company wyth hys wyfe shulde be iudged vnlawfull that he shulde saye no masse if he sayd masse that it shuld not be hearde They charged that none were admytted to orders from that tyme forward marke the tyme vnlesse they professed a chastyte neyther yet that any prestes sonnes shulde clayme by heretage the benefyces of their fathers as the custome had alwayes bene Other actes they made there els concernynge prestes garmentes shauynges shopynges offerynges tythynges buryenges buyldynges confessynges eatynges and slepynges no preachynges to folyshe to be rehearced Loke the boke of Anselmes ccc lxvij epystles Se here hardely if the kyng were not as wele dyspatched of hys pryncely power and autoryte one waye as the prestes of theyr wyues an other waye O wylye wurkers in that kyngedome of inyquyte Nothynge was done here by the worde of God to hys glorye but by the byshop of Romes autoryte to their vayne glorye ☞ Penaltees for them whych broke these actes BEsydes their synodall actes these iniunccions gaue they to the prestes whych were dyvorced First that they and their wyues shulde neuer more mete in one howse neyther yet haue dwellynge within their parryshes If any of them shulde be accused by ij or iij. wytnesses and coulde not pourge hymselfe agayne by sixe able men of hys owne ordre he shulde be iudged a transgressour of the statute depryued of hys benefyce and made an infame or be put to the open reproche of all men He that rebelled or in contempt of their newe statute helde styll hys wyfe and presumed to saye masse vpon the. viij daye after shulde be solempnely excommunycated All archedeacons and deanes were strayghtly sworne not to colour their metynges neyther yet to beare with them for moneye And if they wolde not be sworne to thys that than they shulde lose their offyces wythout recouer All the moueable goodes of them that were proued to transgresse the former statute remayned as forfaytes to the byshoppes their poore wyues condempned for commen whores Anselmus in epistolis Neuer was there any tyranny agaynst the let ordynaunce of God lyke vnto thys tyranny of Antichrist sens the worldes begynnynge neyther vndre Pharao Antiochus Nero nor yet Dioclecyane All thys tyme was not the shamefull sodometry whych secretly lurked among the ydell monkes ones refourmed nor yet spoken of Was it not happye thynke yow for Englande that these fylthie buyldynges of Antichrist had the good helpe of Whynchesters vowes of xxi yeare to vphold theÌ„ whan they were droppyng away in this lattre age If ye consydre it well ywys it hath passed all stage playe ☞
repetynge the same that in the yeare of our lord a M. a C. and x. the mone apered all darke without lyghte Wherby God declared in the open face of the worlde that hys church by the monkes hypocresy in that age was darkened with a beastly ignorauÌ„ce of hys lyuely doctryne For the mone betokeneth commenly in the scryptures the congregacyon of the lorde About thys tyme sayth Iohan Tritemius entered all the craftye learnynge Yea the subtyle phylosophye of the paganes began here to defyle our sacred theologye with her vnprofytable curyosytees The Gospell was put a part sauynge only to be red by parcels in the temple in a foren language without vnderstandynge and the corrupted doctryne of fylthie bastardes Peter Lumbarde Peter the great eater and Gracyane the monke which were thre chyldren of one bawdy nonnes fornycacion receyued and only had in pryce for it The monkes of that age sayth Iohan Carion in hys chronycles perceyuynge the knowledge of the holy scriptures to waxe faynt and to be nought set by for the study of the popysh lawers they thought also to practyse a newe kynde of dyuynyte and set vp scholasticall dysputacyons of diuyne matters But be ware of subtyle sophysters in the doctryne of the churche sayth Iohan Baconthorpe in prologo quarti sententiarum viij quest For their property is to withstande the veryte and to snarle mennys conscyences by darkenyng the clere lyghte therof If it be to the contrary reasoned sayth he that sophystycall argumentes are fytt to confounde heretykes by I vtterly denye that reason For only is it the open veryte that must confounde them As for sophysiues their wycked nature is to brynge in all errour and heresyes All thys hath Baconthorpe ☞ Raufe the archebyshop of Canterbury honoureth hys kynge IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and xiij the kynge was mynded to haue gyuen the archebyshopryck of Canterbury to Faricius the abbot of Abendon But at the instaunt request sute of the clergye in the counsell of Wyndesore he altered hys purpose and gaue it to Raufe the byshopp of Rochestre a ruffelar to their myndes Hym he adourned with hys owne pryncely handes mynystrynge vnto hym both the ryng and metropolycall crosse For than ones agayne Mathew Paris sayth he had taken an earnest stomake agaynst the byshop of Romes vnshamefast procedynges hys brother duke Robert imprysoned and hys other enemyes brought vndre In the yeare of our lord a thousand a. C. and xv was the seyd Raufe consecrated receyued hys patryarchal palle of Anselme the other Anselmes nephewe whych was thaÌ„ the popes great legate a latere As the kynge was same yeare marryed after his first wyfes â—â—sseace to Adelphe the duke of Loraines doughter and was agayne crowned with her by the byshop of Wynchestre thys heady archebyshopp fell into a palseye for wodenesse and sayd vnto hym the next day after that eyther he shulde leaue that crowne vnlawfull he sayd for so much as it was not taken of hym or els he wolde leaue of hys masse sayng which was no small matter And the lordes about him had much a do to staye the lunetyke prelate from strikynge downe the crowne from the kinges heade and stampynge it vndre hys fote Yet ded the gentyll kynge gyue him fayre wordes the chronycles sayth Loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i de pontificibus Ranulphus li. xij ca. xv Rogerus li. vij and Iohan Capgraue li. ij de nobilibus Henricis And Treuisa addeth vnto it in fyne Englysh that thys hawtie prelate was a great Iaper the terme is sumwhat homelye Ded I not tell yow afore that kynges for their power had sped as yll as the prestes for their wyues And I thynke I tolde the truthe ☞ Of Pope Calixtus and the heade churche of Wales MVche were it to rehearce the turmoylynges of Pope Calixte the seconde for renuynge of the execrable actes of hellysh Hyldebrande and prestygyouse Paschall agaynst the marryage of prestes and power of prynces for inuestyture of prelates In the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. and .xix. He helde counsel at Remis in Fraunce and in the yeare a M.a. C. xxiij he helde an other wyth CCC byshoppes at Rome And in these ij counsels he depryued all prestes of the commen Christianyte that held styll their wyues wyllynge them from thens fourth to be taken for no better thaÌ„ paganes and helhoundes and to want their ChristeÌ„ buryall The prynces that had gyuen out ecclesyastycall offyces he condempned of sacrilege preposterously allegynge the scriptures that they whych were admytted by them entered not by the dore but they scattered from Christe dyuydynge hys coote without seme As though in their exceding pryde and couetousnesse they had bene the same Christe whyche was full of Godly symplycyte and lowlynesse and their glytterynge synagoge that symple coote without seme In thys lattre yeare dyed Raufe the heady archebishop of CaÌ„terbury and Wylliam Curboâ—l which was a chanon succeded FroÌ„ the tyme of Augustyne tyll that daye by the space of more than fyue hondred and. xxiiij yeares none occupyed that seate but monkes and that caused so many corrupcyons to entre into the church of England for all they maynteyned Antichrist A lytle afore this that is to saye in the yeare a. M.a. C. and. ij bicame the archebyshopryck of Meneuia or Prymates seate of S. Dauid in wales fyrste subiect to the churche of Canterbury And from the dayes of kynge Lucy to the yeare a. M.a. C. and. xv none other were archebyshoppes there than Brytaynes or Welchemen and all that tyme had their ministers wyues But sens the Englyshe monkes occupyed they haue had concubynes for wyues and wyll not change at thys daye men saye Thus entered fylthienesse in that quarter also the time wolde be marked Suncon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Ranulphus ☞ Kynge Henry plaged for sufferinge marriage to be condempned ALl foren warres ended and controuersyes pacifyed in the yeare of our Lorde a. M. a C. and xx King Henrye the fyrst with great ioye and triumphe departed out of Normandye and entered after hys great victoryes by sea into Englande But within fewe dayes folowinge was thys gladnesse turned into a moste heauye and horryble sorowe For William and Rycharde his ij sonnes Marye hys doughter with Otwell their tutoure scholemaystre Rycharde the earle of Chestre and hys wyfe the kynges nece all the merye chaplaynes companions and ruflars of the courte chambrelaynes buffares and seruytours the Archedeacon of Herforde the Prynces playe fellowes syr Jeffrey Rydell syr Robert Malduyte syr Wyllyam Bygot wyth manye other greate heyres lordes knyghtes and gentylmen ladyes and gentylwomen to the nombre of a. C. and xl Besydes the yeomen and maryners whiche were more than halfe an hondred takynge passage by nighte were al drowned in the bottom of the
sea excepte one man theyr bodyes neuer founde Guilhelmus Malmesbury Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Matthaeus Paris Ioannes Capgraue Libro ij De nobilibus Henricis Some monkyshe wryters hath iudged the curse of quene Mande whyche was a professed votarye to be the cause of thys ruyne as is sayde afore some other attrybuteth it to the vyce of sodometrye whyche manye of them hadde learned of the monkes and the prestes after the solempne professyon of theyr newe vowe of chastyte But I do thynke it to be a plage of God vpon the kynges posteryte for sufferynge so greate a myschefe to entre in hys tyme wythoute contradyccyon as that sodometry was and as was the condempnacion of the Christen ministers marryages For in hym Polydorus sayth vtterly ended the dissent of the Normannes bloude in the male kynde accordynge to the wyse mannys sentence Sap. iiij The plantes of aduoutry shall take depe rotynge As he was the sonne of a bastarde and suffered thys preposterouse religyon or bastardye of prestes without wyues to take place here in hys dayes to the vprayse of buggery and neuer resysted it beynge gods immedyate mynistre ☞ Celsus an archebyshop had both a wyfe and chyldern CElsus the great archebyshop of Armach and hygh prymate of IrelaÌ„d had both a wyfe and chyldren in the tyme of hys archebyshoprye accordynge to the vsage of that contreye That archebyshopryck S. Bernard sayth with the primacye of the whole lande was holden as an inherytaunce in one kyndred by xv generacyons the sonne alwayes succeding hys father And. viij of them he reporteth to be wonderfully wele learned but allwayes they toke their orders for that long season without any vowe of professyon Neyther wolde the people suffer any other to take that hygh offyce saue only them whyche were of the same howse and progenye Thys hath S. Bernard in uita Malachiae so hath Vincentius Antoninus Petrus Equilinus and Iohan Capgraue in their historyes of sayntes What a beastly fole is Iohan Eckius than whyche reporteth in hys Enchiridion that it hath not bene hearde sens the death of Christe that any prest hath married a wyfe doctour Coole and other Papistes maynteinynge the same here in England Thys Celsus at the lattre beynge an olde dottynge man and seduced by them whyche taught lyes in hypocrisye was the first that brought into that regyon that doctryne of deuyls whyche condempned marriage in the clergye For he sent hys wyfe in a vysyon they saye a woman of a large and reuerende countenaunce to surrendre as he laye a dyenge he pastoral crosse to one Malachias which had professed chastyte about the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. xx Many mad packynges were amonge these Romysh sayntes whan the byshopryckes waxed fatt Pope Adryane the. iiij xxxiiij yeares after whych was an Englysh man and Pope Alexander the thirde xvi yeares after that in their tyrannye commaunded kyng Henry the seconde to subdue the Iryshe nacyoÌ„ as heretykes and rebelles bicause the people there withstode their procedynges for their byshoppes and prestes marryages And for that victory they confirmed hym lorde of Irelande Loke the chronycles of Nicolas Treueth and Iohan Hardynge ☞ A lecherouse Cardynall condemneth prestes marryage IOannes de Crema the prest Cardynall of S. Grilog in Rome was sent into England and Scotlande from Pope Honorius the seconde as high commissyoner and legate from hys ryght syde in the yeare of our lord a M.a. C. xxv to se that all thynges were wele there in the clergye to hys behoue Besydes hys generall commissyon he sent pryuate letters to the kynges and the prelates of both those regyons to receyue hym as his own dere sonne and as S. Peters holy vycar whyche declareth his autoryte not small This legate with great pompe thus enterynge into Englande about the feast of Eastre was horrybly honorably I shuld saye receyued of the prelates and went banketynge and prowlynge from byshop to bishop and from abbot to abbot tyll he came to the water of Twede and the towne of Rorburgh in Scotlande where as he founde Dauid the Scottysh kynge His legacye there perfourmed and all his bagges weâ—e stuffed he returned agayne to London and at Westmynstre vpoÌ„ the ix daye of SepteÌ„b he helde with ij archebyshoppes xxiiij byshops xl abbottes an innumerable multitude of the clergye and commen people a great synode Where as he rygorously and stoughtly replyed agaynst those prestes that wold for no commandement forsake their marryed wiues repetynge oft this vnsemynge sentence that it was a shamefull matter to ryse froÌ„ the sydes of an whore to make Christes bodye A clause was this in qualyte not vnlyke to hym that vttered it whyche was an ydolatrouse whoremonger He ordayned in that synode that prestes shuld kepe company with no kynde of women he condempned marryage to the. vij degre in bloude and that no prestes sonne shulde clayme churche or prebende by inherytaunce folyshely concludynge with thys verse of Dauid Psal. lxxxii Pone illos ut rotam c. Make of them a whele lorde that saye we wyll haue the howses of God in possessyon Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Henricus Huntendunensis Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus Rogerus Cestrensis atque alij ☞ This Cardynall sheweth the first fruites of that chastyte THe prestes beyng moued with the furiouse acte of this Cardinal therwith perceyuyng him to be a maÌ„ of lighte conuersacion so narrowly watched him the night folowyng that they â—oke him in bed with a notable whore The matter was very open sayth Roger Houeden for it was done at London where great plenty is of wytnesses It coulde not wele be hydden sayth Henry of Huntyngton in the viij boke of hys chronycles neyther was it fyâ—t to haue bene kept secrete from the knowledge of men If any be offended sayth he that a prest shulde marry lete him kepe it to him selfe leest he fall in lyke daunger as ded thys lordely legate Thys Cardynal was he Polydorus sayth that behelde a small mote in an other mannys eye and could not perceyue the great beame in hys owne The prestes ded hym no wronge that in thys case dysobeyed hys vniust procedynges Nothyng was found more vnfytt than to require to strayghtly of others that hys leife could not do Thus he that entered with honour and pompe went home agayne to his father with shame and confusion The actes of S. Peters vycar were all turned ouer and the religyouse syttynges of the prelates there were vtterly laughed to scorne The byshoppes and fat abâ—ottes departed thens wyth reade chekes not glad of the bawdy chauÌ„ce that happened and they lete that matter passe for the space of more than thre yeres after For the slaundre was not small Mathew Paris sayth So returned the prestes ones agayn to their wyues were muche more bolde than afore
hâ—d nothynge ado with theÌ„ whiche were anoynted and shauen they beynge therby the Romysh Popes creatures and not hys Radulphus Niger Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Rogerus Houeden Ricardus Croilande Nicolaus Treueth alij plerique An excedyng great thynge were it to declare the subtyle practyses deuâ—ses dysguysynges craftes colours conueyauÌ„ces other tryfelynges to brynge all hys matters to pâ—sse agaynâ—t the kynge and a werynesse to the reader to rehearce them wherfore I lete them ouer passe ☞ Artycles for whome Becket is admitted the Popes martyr DIuerse of our chronycle writers doth testyfye in their workes that these were the artycles wherfor he stroue with the kynge That no spirituall cause ought to be pleaded in the temporall court No clarke may be compelled to answere in matters before the kynges offycers Patrâ—nes maye lawfully and frely gyue benefyces without the kynges allowance A byshop or pastour maye frely go out of the realme without the kynges lycens for the ryght of his churche He that is ones excommunycated must haue hys discharge of the spirituall court and not of the kynge The clergye and layte must be clered of their offences by the ordynaryes and not by the kynges iustyces Appellacyons made from one degre to an other as from lowar oâ—dynary to the hyghar maye be ended without the kynges consent Landes and teneamentes maye lawfully be gyuen to the clergye in almes wythout the kynges commyssyon Spirytuall promocyons ought only to remayne in the handes of the superiour ordynaryes whaÌ„ theyr occupyers are dead till others succede in their roumes and not in the handes of teÌ„poral meÌ„ Religiouse men men ought not in the quarell of their kynges to go to the warres They that flee vnto sayntwaryes ought there to be socoured agaynst the temporall power their dedes made open to the iudge ecclesyastycall Clarkes curates and prestes are not bounde to come to the commen iudgementes at sessyons or assyses neyther yet to be at them though they be commaunded Se what good stuffe here is to make a martir All is to demynyshment of a kynges power and nothynge els ☞ Becket stayeth the Popes churche by confoundynge heretykes IN the same yeare of our lorde a M. a C and. lxiiij was Thomas Becket reckened Mathew Paris sayth suche a mightye stedefast and strong sure pyllour as the whole church both leaned vpon and was also staied by But ye must consydre that it was the Popes churche that he ment and not Christes for that hath a staye stronge ynough of him without mannys helpe Marke the forseyd artycles The church sayth he shaken was ready to haue fallen and the Pope which was set vp as a staffe to haue staied it was at that tyme so broken that the shyuers or peces wounded him Thomas lokyng for nothynge els but martyrdome for the churche In the same yeare were in England certen godly men whome some Popysh writers dysdaynously calleth Waldeanes some publycanes some false Apostles Thâ—se were at Oxforde straightly examyned of the byshoppes and so brought to iudgement by this Becket for holdynge these opynyons That the churche of Rome was that whore of Babylon whych had forsaken the fayth of Christe and that barren fygge tree without fruite whych he reproued and that no Christen man was bounde to obeye the Pope and hys byshoppes That monkerye was as the dead carreyne that stynketh and that their vowes were fryuolouse ydell and abhomynable beynge the vpspryngynge braunches of Sodome That their orders were the great beastes characters and their temples the wurse for their hallowynges That purgatory sayntes worshyppyng masses and prayenges for the dead with such lyke were most deuylysh inuencyons For maynteynynge these and other lyke opynyons agaynst the proude synagoge of Rome they were sealed in the faces at Oxforde wyth whote fyerye keyes and so bannyshed the realme for euer Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Guido Perpinianus de heresibus Thomas VValden ad Martinum quintum Bernardus Lutzenburgus ☞ Hys trayterouse ende and aduauncement aboue Christ. Whan Becket was returned again into Englande in the yeare of our lorde a. M. a. C. and. lxxi after vi yeares exyle he outragiously troubled certen of the byshoppes to the kynges great dyshonour Mathewe Parys sayth For the only cause why he so hatefullye persecuted them was for that they hadde fulfylled the kynges desyre in anoyntynge his sonne Henry the yongar to raygne after hym not hauynge hys consente beynge pope of Englande For thys he entered the pulpet more lyke a mad Bedlem thaÌ„ a sober preacher Not to teache Chryste in mekenesse but in hys wode furye to execrate those byshoppes to curse theÌ„ wyth boke belle and candell and by the popes autoryte to condempne them to helle Vpon thys the kynges seruauntes fell on hym in purpose as they toke it to reuenge their liege lordes great iniury and hys sonnes dyshonoure They pared his pylde crowne wyth theyr swerdes and cut of the popes marke to hys very braiue whyls he in ydolatry coÌ„mended himselfe and the cause of hys churche to hys patrone S. Deuyse beynge but a deade ymage there standyng vpon the aultre Stephanus Langton Richardus Croilande Rogerus Houeden Nicolaus Treueth Ioannes Capgraue Thus ended he his lyfe in most ranke treasoÌ„ was for his labour made a god of that papistes Yea they charged christ in the ende by coÌ„maundement to delyuer vs heauen frely by the shedynge of Thomas bloud as though that had bene a payment of satisfaction for our synnes And as therby apered they put Christ cleane out of office for him by this coÌ„iuracion Tu per Thome sanguinem queÌ„ pro te impeÌ„dit fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascedit O thou Christ suffre vs to clyme vp to that place by the bloud of Thomas whych he shed for that to the which Thomas maÌ„fully asceÌ„ded Marke this hardely for suche a defeccyon froÌ„ Christ as Saynt Paul speaketh of and for the stronge delusyon that they shulde haue whyche beleued lyes that they myghte be dampned ij Thessalo ij For here Thomas redemeth Christe and ascendeth to hauen leauynge vs hys bloude to clyme thydre by Were there euer greater heretykes theues sowle murtherers than were our Papistes I can not thynke it ☞ The false miracles and canonisacyon of Becket OF Christe and of all hys Apostles and prophetes are not written so many great miracles as of this one Becket As that so many sycke so many blynde so many bleare eyed bedred croked broused mangled lamed drowned palseyd leprosed sorowful exyled wyth chylde enprysoned hauged and deade were by them as by him deliuered Neyther were there euer so many writers of any popyshe saintes lyfe or so manye great volumes made as of hys as is shewed afore And all thys was to blemyshe the kynge and to depresse the hygh power both in hym and in
the. iiij partes of my votaryes actes that my reader maye knowe the dyfference of them by theyr diuerse groundes and argumentes In the fyrste parte after longe engenderynge bredynge and brynynge my votaryes haue rysen faste by the craftye inuencyons of Idolatours In the seconde parte they haue buylded faste by the wyttye practyses of a monkes and chanons In the thyrde parte shal they holde faste by the busye calkynges of the. iiij orders of fryres And in the forte parte shall they fall faste by the myghtye assaultes of the preachers and wryters The fyrste parte comprehendeth all the tyme from the worldes begynning to a full thousand yeares after Christes incarnacyon The seconde parte contayneth CC. yeares more from that thousand of yeares to the reigne of king IohaÌ„ the third part shall contynue for CC. yeares after that which is froÌ„ the enterauÌ„ce of king IohaÌ„ to the reygne of kynge Henry the fort And the last parte shall conclude wyth an hondred and fyftye yeares whyche is from the fyrste yeare of kynge Henry the forte to the lattre end of this present yeare from Christes incarnacyon a. M. D. and. l. or thys next after that whyche is li. Thus maye these iij. bokes be knowne dyuerse the one from the other by theyr diuerse titles of fast rysyng fast building fast holding and fast fallinge though all they procede out of one only argument of Englysh votaryes He that shall wyth wysdome consydre in thys seconde part the wylye procedynges of these Babylon buylders howe they pranked vp their stought sturdye Antychrist aboue God and hys Christe he shal fynde that these were theyr chefe practyses of myschefe They perceiued that God of hys infynyte wysdome had placed ij hygh admynystracyons in the christianite for the conseruacion therof and that they were the publyque autoryte of noble prynces and the gracyouse office of godly preachers The one was for the outward welthe of the bodye the other for the inward welth of the sowle They thoughte if these ij were not peruerted and poysened they shulde neuer come to theyr full purpose Wherfore they sought firste of all to bring them vndre by sophistycall sorceryes And fyrste they began with the weaker concernynge the worlde whyche were the curates preachers or ministers of Gods wurd for they were as apered the more easie to ouercome Christe the sonne of God the holye Apostles and the godly fathers of the primatiue churche vpon diuerse consideracions permitted them to haue wiues S. Paule most earnestly wrote it both to Timothe and Titus that it shuld stande as a buildinge vnremoueable Oportet episcopuÌ„ irreprehensibilem esse unius uxoris maritum i Timo. iij. Tit. i. A bishop must be vnrebukeable A pastour must be the husbande of one wyfe Marke wele that Muste be If this wiuinge thought they might be brought to an yll opinion that the people might treckeÌ„ it nought thaÌ„ shuld we make that office of pastorall cure whiche afore serued God in paineful study of his wurd to serue vs in all vanitees and plesures of the fleshe To bryng this to good passe we must pretende a perpetuall chastyte We must outwardly professe neuer to towche a womaÌ„ what so euer we do els in that dark By thys shal we haue these commoditees We shall apere more holie than other people We shal haue the preachers obedient to our affectes They shall not rebuke our horryble darke doynges by the Gospell No for they shall for wante of women haue vncomelye lustes in theyr hartes wherby they wyll be gyuen ouer of God to themselues So shall they become buggerers and whoremaisters Yea and suche blynde bussardes and beastes as wyll be able to abyde no truthe So shall our wyckednesse in the syght of people become a lyfe of perfectyon and holynesse By these chefely and by other lyke practyses came that admynystracyon for the sowles behoue to an vtter decaye and ruyne as is shewed at large in thys former boke Now lete vs go to the other whych is the Christen regyment of prynces and declare by what wayes these wycked buylders brought that also to a counterfet shadowe of Christen gouernaunce they beynge made the dumme ymages of the beaste Apoca. xiij All for the publyque welthe and conseruacyon of Christen comâ—ynaltees had they their attorite and powâ—r Thys administracyon sought these enemyes to destroye an other waye They first toke from kynges the inuestynge of prelates or the power of admyttynge them to spirytuall offyces They made the great prynces beleue that they were but laye men and myghte not intermedle in spirituall causes or in the appoyntynge of the ecclesyastycall funccyons Se here how one myschefe grewe vpon another as that ouerthrowe of Christen princes autoryte vpon the condempnacyon of prestes marryage They seyd it was vnconuenyent that he whych had touched a woman as the kynges ded their wyues shulde laye handes vpon hym or admyt hym to offyce that shulde make Christes bodye O blasphemause buggerers Where founde these execrable hypocrytes that it was euer synne a man to touche that vessell whych was sanctifyed to his vse Eyther yet where was power graunted to their buggerysh generacyon to make Christes bobye O deuyls merydyane as the Prophete doth call yow whan wyll ye leaue to illude both God and man But to conclude By this meane at the last they had their full purpose and therby made the Christen prynces to become their slaues Yea to holde their stiroppes with cappe in hande to kysse their fylthie fete to leade their mules and their horses Yea they played with those worldly rulers for all their great power and wysdome as the bearwardes do with their apes and their beares They led them in the cheaues of their iniquyte and compelled them at tymes to do suche feates as they appoynted theÌ„ Moreouer whan they wolde not obeye to theyr myndes they feared them with the whyppe They terryfyed them with their blacke curses They fraybugged theÌ„ with the thundreboltes of theyr excommunycacyons and interdiccyons and threttened to set all other nacions vpon them But our noble kyng Edward and hys valeaunt father kinge Henry afor hym threwe of from theyr shulders the execrable yoke of those obstinate infidels Neyther nedeth he to feare to treade styll vndre hys fete that odyouse hydre and his singe serpent of Rome For the eternall God whiche hath giuen to him the power of a king is strongar than is Sathan their great maistre Long were it to treate how these lecherouse locustes haue vsed theyr kinges here in Englande bothe afore the conqueste and after Before the conquest they shewed fauer â—o none saue onlye to them that were monastery buylders The other lyke locustes they vexed and soughte by all meanes to suppresse them They haue not much rested sens theyr maistre the deuill was at large after hys thousand yeares inprisonment Fyrste
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
euer after the names of iij. Goddeses He called Bezola venus Roza Iuno and Stephana Zemele Of these harlottes one made Boso her bastarde Byshop of Placencia the other made Theobaldus her mysbegetten the archedeacon of Myllayne and the third was not all behynde with her fylthye frute also LiuthyraÌ„dus TicineÌ„sis li. 3. Ca. 6. That vowe of chastite I trowe is sumwhat worth whan it hath suche feates in bawdye bytcherye as all the worlde besydes is ignoraunt of It were great pytie but it were so hygh aduaunced and maynteyned by pryncelye polityque lawes they becommynge seruauntes therunto by makynge lawes for the vpholdynge therof ¶ A most hygh example of holye churches chastyte ALbericus the sonne of Marozia by her first husbande Albert beynge Marques of Hetruria and kynge of Italye compelled the Romanes hys subiectes partlye by great rewardes partlye by stronge threttenynges to admyt hys sonne Octauyane to the papacye whiche was geuen to al ryot and vyce from his very infancye Notwithstandynge for hys pleasure they agreed thervnto in the year of our lorde DCCCC and. lvi and named hym Iohan the. xij Thys holy successour of Peter and vycar of Christ as they call popes was accused of his Cardinalles and Byshoppes vnto the Emperour Otho in the generall Synode at Rome that he woulde saye no seruice he massed without consecracion he gaue holye orders in hys stable he made boyes Byshoppes for money he woulde neuer blesse hymselfe he forced not to be periured and made the holy palace of Laternense a verye stewes For he kepte therein Raynera the wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys own body and gaue her great possessioÌ„s with benefices goldeÌ„ chalyces and crosses He helde also Stephana and her syster whiche had bene his fathers concubine and had by her a bastarde not long afore He occupied at hys pleasure Anna a freshe wydowe her doughter also and doughters doughter He spared neyther hygh nor lowe olde nor yonge poore nor rytche fayre nor foule they sayd so that no womeÌ„ durst come vnto Rome on pylgrymage in hys tyme. Neyther reuerenced he anye place but would do it euery where yea vpon their very aulters He woulde hawke hunte daunce leape dyce sweare fyght ryot ronne straye abrode in the nyght breakynge vp dores and wyndowes and burne manye mennes howses One of hys Cardynalles he gelded he put out an others eyes whiche had bene hys Godfathers Of some he borowed an hande of some a tounge a fynger a nose an eare In his dyce playnge would he cal vpon yll spirites and drynke to the deuyll for loue Thus was he in the ende deposed tyll his dere diamondes sett handes vnto it for they ruled all and caused the Romaynes to set hym in agayne ¶ Dunstanes autoryte against marryed priestes THe papacye helde this Iohan the xij for the space of ix yeares iij. monthes and. v dayes and was striken of the deuyl they saye as he was lyenge in bedde with a mans wyfe and so dyed within viij dayes after without howsell or shrift they saye All this writeth of hym the forsayd Liuthprandus lib. 6. Cap 6. and so furth v. chapters more to the ende almoste of his boke whiche at the same self tyme dwelt at Ticina in Italy This is he of whom the byworde ryse As myrye as Pope Iohan. Vnto thys holye vycar of Sathan successour of Symon Magus went Dunstane out of Englande in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. lx to be confirmed archebyshop of Caunterburye And there receyued therewith for a great summe of money autorise power of the Beast Apoc. 13. vtterlye to dyssolue priestes maryage that hys monkes by that meanes myght possesse the cathedral churches of Englande as within a whyle after they did This Dunstane as witnesseth IoaÌ„ Capgraue was the first that in this real me compelled men and women to vowe chastyte and to kepe claustrale obedyence agaynst the fre doctryne of Saynte Paule 1. Cor. 7. Gal. 5. Forbyddynge marryage instytuted of God whiche is the verye doctrine of deuyls 1. Timot. 4 Thys is the worthye orygynall and first foundacion of monkes and priestes professed chastyte in Englande Marke it with the sequele and tell me hereafter whethâ—r it be of the deuyll or naye ¶ Dunstane execute hys deuylyshe commission THis craftye merchaunde Dunstone as he was returned agayn into England by autorite of this most execrable monstre and wycked Antichrist gaue a strayght commaundemeÌ„t that priestes out of haÌ„de shuld put away their lawfull wyues whoÌ„ that brent coÌ„scienced hypocryte called the vessels of fornycacyon els would he he sayd accordyng to hys commission put them both from benefyce and lyuynge And where as he perceyued the benefyces most welthye there was he most gredye â—pon them and shewed most vyolence â—yranny For whan the hygh deanes of â—athedrall churches masters of colleges prebendes persones and vycars would not at so beastly a commaundement leaue their wyues and chyldren so desolate without all naturall ordre he gote vnto hym the great power of kyng Edgare to assyst that cruell commyssyon of hys procured for moneye of the former Antichrist of Rome and by force thereof in manye places most tyrannously expelled them IoaÌ„nes Capgraue In Catologo sanctorum Anglie Reade all the Byble and Chronycles ouer of Nemroth Pharao Antioche Nero Decius Traianus with other lyke and I thynke ye shall not fynde a more tyrannouse example No not in cruell Herode hys selfe For though he slewe the innocent babes yet demynyshed he not the lyuynge of the fathers and mothers but thys tyraunt toke all with hym If he had sought a Godlye reformacion where marryage was abused it had bene sumwhat commendable But hys huntynge was to destroye it all togyther as an horryble vyce in priestes and in place therof to sett vp Sodome and Gomor by a sort of Hypocryte Monkes so chaungynge all Godlye ordre ¶ Kynge Edgare is brought vndre thereby THus became the face first of the Brytonysh and then of the Englysh churche sore changed blemyshed and by whoryshe commyssions froÌ„ the whoryshe byshoppes of the whorysh Synagoge of Rome was made all togyther whoryshe Proue me here in a lyer and an heretike if ye can for I wyl by the helpe of God stande by that I write here to the ende of my lyfe If ye can not I speake onlye to yow papistical byshoppes and priestes graunt your selues to be the most theues heretikes seducers of the people that euer yet reigned vpon the earthe for maynteynynge for holynesse so deuelysh a knauerye Immediatlye after thys be fell a sore chaunce as God would Kyng Edgare which was euer a great whore mastre and a tyraunte as the Chronycles report hym had a do with a yonge mayde called wilfrith brought vp in the nondrye of wylton parauenture to their
Paulus Constantinus Christianus Massaeus and Ioannes Functius in their Chronolagies besydes that Ioannes Annius ded therin afore them Now lete vs consydre how lady Lecherie the virgynall Goddesse of the Sodomyticall Papistes hath compassed in thys great cytie on euery syde with her fleshly fylthynesse And fyrst let vs begynne with Romulus and Remus the first setters vp or aduauncers therof These ij bloudy bretherne had an whore to their mother called Rhea ilia whych beynge a professed nonne to Venus committed whoredome both wayes that is to saye both in sowle and in bodye For vndre the vowe of chastyte she serued the ydolles as the maner was that tyme and so dallyed besydes in the darke as was well perceyued by her game ¶ After the myndes of Virgil Ouide and such other fabulouse Poetes these ij cruell captaynes Romulus and Remus receyued their first nurryshment of a she wolffe whom they sucked in sygnyfycacyon of the wonderfull tyranny whych shuld folowe in that great cytie Rome wherof they were the fyrst amplyfyers Other authours report that they were first nourced of an harlot called Lupa not farre froÌ„ the floude of Tyber where as the Romish Pope holdeth now hys palace of whome all brothel houses stewes or places where suche fylthynesse is wrought haue their names and are called to thys houre Lupanaria Romulus thus preserued by a thefe called Paustulus nurryshed by a wolfe and brought vp by an whore gyueÌ„ also of him selfe to outragyouse lecherie couetyse and ambycyon bycame suche a traytour to his owne stocke as in the ende most cruelly slewe hys naturall brother Remus to establysh hys great buylded cytie in the wyckednesse of cursed Cain Marke for thys storye Titus Liuius Plutarchus Bedas and Iohan Boccatius Chloris otherwyse called Flora a most notable harlot obtaynynge infynyte ryches by her execrable whoredome made Rome her heyer and the only inheritour of her fylthy possessyons execrated of God Deuter. xxiij For the whych the Romanes admytted her for a great Goddesse and dedycated vnto her ones in the yeare in Apryle certayne feastes called Floralia sacra Thys hath Marcus Cicero whych calleth her the mother of the Romanes so hath Aulus Gellius and Iohan Textor ¶ Of these autoryte amonge these Romanes were there many both consuls and senatours whych were named by thys vncomly worde Spurius signifyeÌ„ge a bastard as is to be seane in the chronycles of Eusebius and Paulus Constantinus by Spurius Verginius Spurius Tarpeius Spurius Carbilius Spurius Posthumus Spurius Scruilius Spurius Largus Spurius Cassius Spurius Nautius Spurius Medullinus Spurius Vectius Spurius Furinus Spurius Herminius Spurius Paulus Spurius Oppius Spurius Crassus a great sort more By thys shuld it seme that vnchast liuing was not only vnpoÌ„nyshed but also aduauÌ„ced to great honoure amoÌ„g the Romanes Priapus called in the Byble Miplezeth iij. Reg. xv and. ij Parasip xv was suche a disformed chylde of Venus and most execrable ydoll of the Cananytes as had neuer the lyke for in hys groues the baudes of that lande both wrought theyr fylthynesse and also taught the fowle feates of the same hys storye is farre to vncomely to be rehearced Yet was he so deifyed of the Romanes that he both became the God of theyr gardenes and had hys feastfull dayes euery yeare wyth solempnyte obserued a garlande of floures sett vpon hys heade and an he asse alwayes offered in sacryfyce to hym Ouidius primo libro fastorum Textor Althamerus ac Cibenius Non other were admitted in those dayes by the hygh senate of the Romanes neyther yet by commaundement and custome worshypped but suche lecherouse monsters as these were of whom they had great nombre ¶ Resort we now to the Empyre of thys Rome after the ouerthrowe of the other thre generall monarchyes of the worlde of the Assyreanes Perseanes and Grekes and se what enteraunce and progresse ladye lecherie had therin With Cleopatra the quene of Aegipt whych was a woman as testifyeth Egesyppus of a most corrupt lyfe Iulius Caesar the first Emprour had very longe occupyeÌ„ge without all honestie Loke Bedas de temporum ratione Iacâ—bus Bergomas and other lyke authours Of Nero Domicius whose fleshely appetyte coulde not with women be fully satisfyed the doynges were to execrable to be here rehearâ—ed As Marcus Aurelius for the debylyte of nature coulde no longar folowe in that fylthye course of lyuynge whych he had contynued in from hys youth he caused his owne preuye partes to be cut awaye and so dedicate hymselfe to Venus takynge vpon hym from thens fourth the name and offyce of a woman to proue thâ—t vncomely occupyenge in an other prodygyouse kynde Freculphus hath thys in the first chaptre of hys secoÌ„de Tome so hath Ado Viennensis with others more What acceptacyâ—n and fauer thys most deuylysh example hath obtayned in our Romysh spirytualte geldynge excepted the sequele of thys boke shall declare Bede also reporteth in his former treatyse de temporum ratione that Constantius the Emperour begate greate CoÌ„stantine here in Englande of Elene hys concubyne Whych Constantine as a great nombre of Romysh authours testyfyeth was the first that buylded Christen temples at Roâ—e that fournyshed the clergy therâ—e wyth such possessyons and body ease as in processe brought them into all kyndes of wantonnesse in the fleshe ¶ In contynuaunce of yeares the Romysh Emprour became the elder sonne of Antichrist by professyon and othe to defende the patrymony of S. Peter as they call their theuysh possessyons and so to maynteyne them in all ydelnesse pryde lecherie The Frenche kynge also on the other syde became hys yongar sonne beynge sworne alwayes at hys coronacyon with fyre and with swerde to support the same Of our Englysh kynges I speake not whych neuerthelesse were hys adoptyue chyldren from the dayes of kynge Alpheede the great to the myddle age of kyng Henry the. viij The Emprour after that was appoynted by offyce to holde the Popes styroppe whyls he leaped on hys mule and the Frenche kyng to holde hys brydell and to wayte vpon hys Ienet of Spayne Ex Christophoro Marcello in ritibus Romanae Ecclesiae Tedyouse were it to declare here the whole cyrcumstaunce how lecherie reigned in this seconde sonne also As how Childericus the Frenche kyng beyng expulsâ—d for hys vnsacyable aduoutrye begate Clodoucus of an whore whych was an other mannys wyfe of whom descended as they report all their Christened kynges Loke Gaguinus Iohan Liectenberger and Franciscus Bonadus in Anacephaleosi Angisus the sonne of Arnolde byshopp of Metis vsurpynge the hygh stewardshyp of Fraunce at layser made the kynge to go pyke a salett defeated hym of hys crowne by helpe of the prestes as wytnessyth Abbas Vespergensis Tritemius in compendio and Ioannes Nauclerus The kynges by that meanes sayth Otho Phrisingensis became very idyotes Pipinus of a bastarde stocke
shewed themselues sore greued with this prest for redemynge sowles by latyne Psalmes out of their darke dominioÌ„ Loke Iohan Capgraue postuitam Vuâ—fini episcopi ☞ Other hystoryes more of this age Wilfhilda was a younge wenche whom kynge Edgare ones chaced in the waye of lecherie from Wynchester to Warwell and from Warwell to Wylton And as she by the secrete counsell of monkes was become a professed nonne he gaue her the nonnery of Barkynge addynge therunto the reuenewes of xxiiij vyllages gorgyously to maynteyne both her and her systers to the relygyouse occupyenge of byshoppes and of monkes For whan Ethelwolde byshopp of Wynchester came thydre on visytacyon her loue was so plentuouse and myghty towardes hym that there was no good chere to seke Though the tappe were all daye sterynge the storye sayth yet was there o drynke wantynge at nyght and all by myracle of the seyd Wilfhilda â–ª Neuerthelesse at the last by specyall helpe of Altrude the quene the prestes with theyr wyues â—btayned Barkynge the monkes veyled spowses remoued from thens to Horton for more than xx yeares space Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ioannes Capgraue A lyke example to this latter acte shewed Ethelgarus the archebyshop of Canterbury after the death of Dunstane whych more than xx yeares afore droue the monkes out of Canterbury brought in the prestes with their wyues But he was shortly dyspatched for hys labour not contynuynge in that rowme a yeare â–ª And Siricius a monke succedynge in that offyce restored agayne the hypocryâ—yâ—h moÌ„kes in the yeare of our lord DCCCC and. xc the prestes wyth vyolence expelled Anonymus quidam in historiarum rhapsodijs Many such turmoylynges had England in those dayes by Sathans procurement to make that Romysh spirytualte a very Sodome and stynkynge iakes of helle ☞ Deuyls buffetynge and temptynge of monkes IN the cytie of Bathe Elphegus buylded a great monastery of monkes whych in processe fell to so corrupt kyndes of lyuynge that one of them whych had bene a rynge leader in theyr nyght potacyous and lecherouse watchynges sodenly fell madde and dyed The abbot at mydnyght hearynge a noyse loked out at the wyndowe and behelde ij deuyls lashynge vpon the monkes carkeys And as that wretche saith the storye made clayme to the suffrages of the masse they gaue hym thys answere Thou obeydest not God therefore we wyll not obeye the. Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de pontificibus Ranulphus Cestrensis li. vi ca. xvi Rogerus Cestrensis li. vi ca. xxiij By thys ye maye se that the deuyls power is greater than is the power of the popes masse or yet of a monkes cowle Yet fynde we it written that in an other monastery a monke shewed vnto hys abbot how greuously he was in hys fleshe tormented by the fiery concupiscence therof Anon he gaue hym hys owne coate to do on and with that hys lust so abated that euer after he was founde chast the deuyll makynge great lamentacyon for it Vincentius in speculo Antoninus in secundo historiarum toâ—â—o Thys story confoundeth the other a monkes cowle so terryfyenge the deuyll and asswagynge the heates of the fleshe A wonderfull thynge was it that so muche vertu could not be founde in wholsom maryage beynge Gods necessary instytucycyon as in the superstycyouse coate of a handy brothell moÌ„ke God of a likelyhode was not wyse ynough in hys first prouysyons that he so neglygently forgate these monkysh remedyes agaynst those heates in the fleshe O hypocryte knaues and Sodomytes ☞ Saint Iues water and Saint Walstanes myracles SAint Iues water was in those dayes about the yeare of our lorde a M. and. xij very wholsom for the femynyne gender For a certen woman complayned her vnto the pryor of Ramsey in in confession that a lecherouse sprete had many nyghtes occupyed with her in the lykenesse of an hare I praye God it were not some hongry sorcerer of that abbey And he gaue her couÌ„sel deuoutly to drinke of that water whych was vnto her euer after the storye sayth as a water welle agaynst all hys busye assaultes If ye searche Iohan Capgraue in uita Iuonis episcopi ye shall fynde it a matter more vncomely than maye wyth honestye be expressed Saynt Walstane of Bawburgh iij. myles from Norwych was neyther monke not prest yet vowed he they saye to lyue chast without a wyfe and perfourmed that promyse by fastynge of the frydaye and good sayntes vygyls without any other grace or gyft gyuen of god He dyed in the yeare of our lord a M. and xvi in the thyrde calendes of Iune and became after the mâ—ner of Priapus the God of their feldes 〈◊〉 Northfolke and gyde of their haruestes 〈◊〉 mowers and sythe folowers sekynge hym ones in the yeare Loke his legende in the Cataloge of Iohan Capgraue prouyncyall of the Augustyne fryres and ye shal finde there that both men and beastes whych had lost their preuy partes had newe members agayne restored to them by thyâ— Walstane Marke thys kynde of myracles for your learnynge I thynke ye haue seldome redde the lyke ☞ A blasynge starre Canulus and Fulbertus IN the yeare of our lord a M. xvij apared in the skye by the space of iiij monthes a most wonderfull blasyng starre in maner of a great burnynge beame as sheweth Sigebertus and Sabelâ—icus Many haue iudged thys to be the same starre whych fell from heauen lyke a flamynge creshet Apoca. viij for the alteracyon of doctryne and of conuersacyon whych in those dayes chaunced in the vnyuersall churche and specyally hâ—re in Englande For Canutus a Dane beâ—nge the same yeare constytute kynge of England folowed much the superstycyouse counsell of Achelnotus than archebyshopp of Canterbury as wytnesseth Polydorus Fabyane and Caxton He buylded the abbeyes of S. Benettâ—s in Northfolke and S. Edmonds Bury in Sothfolke he translated the stynkynge bones of Elphegus from London to Canterbury and prouoked the people to worshypp them He went vndyscretly on pylgrymage to Româ— and there founded an hospytall for Englysh pylgrymes He gaue the Pope most pâ—ecyouse gyftes and burdened hys lande with an yearely trybute called the Rome shott He shrymed the body of Berinus and gaue both landes ornamentes to the cathedrall church of Wynchestre Anonymus quidam Alphredus Beuerlacensis Ricardus Diuisiensis Yea by the sorcerouse inchauntmentes of that lechour Achelnotus he feared dead men he iudged monkes bastardes to be hys owne chyldren he crowned an ydoll with the crowne of thys realme and beleued that Mary Christes mother nurryshed Fulbertus the byshopp of Carnote in Fraunce with the mylke of her brestes in hys syckenesse Radulphus Niger Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis VVernerus Vincentius Se here what power the deuyll had in thys kyngdome of darkenesse The prelates were able in those dayes to make the great prynces of the worlde to beleue
archebyshop of Yorke and byshopp of Worcestre also Wherupon in hys returne he slewe earle Beorne his own vncle for that he had therof accused hym At the last was he sent to Hierusalem in penaunce and dyed in that iourney towardes Licia of a colde Marianus Scotus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiij Fabianus par vi ca. ccxij ☞ Palumbus the prest and the witche of Barkeley PAlumbus a prest at Rome a great Necromanser and a myghty worker of knaueryes spirytual which after some writers had a Pope to hys sonne wrought innumerable sorceryes legerdemaynes of lecherie for that holy chast prelates there to brynge euery mannys wyfe doughter or seruaunt that they coueted to their beddes in the darke So connynge he was in his feates of coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce and myght do so muche amonge the spretes of venery that if an other workeman of hys speculacyon had sent fourth a deuyll of that scyence he coulde cause hys deuyll to supplant that deuyll and so conueye the woman where hys mynde was to bestowe her Whych in conclusyon set the deuils at variaunce and made theÌ„ crye out of God for so longe tyme sufferynge that Palumbus in hys wyckednesse to reigne And whan thys holy masmonger shuld dye he cut of hys owne meÌ„bers as is afore rehearced and gaue them to the deuyl byquethyng hys euyl dedes which were myscheues vnspeakable to the holy churche cytie of Rome Anonymus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li ij de regibus Vincentius li. xxv ca xxix Ranulphus li. vi cap. xxvi Antoninus par ij ii xvi ca. vii A lyke example fynde we in our Englysh Cronycles of Heyla the woman of Barkeley in Barkeshyre whyche was both a wytche and a bawde knowynge all necessary feates in spirytuall prouysyon at nede As thys woman was dead whych had alwayes bene a frynd to holy church the deuyll rode away with her they laye vpon a blacke horse Forty masses a daye wyth other good suffrages prouyded by her sonne and doughter an holy monke and a nonne were not able to stoppe that passage Guilhelmus Malmesâ—uri li. ij de regibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxv Pabianus par vi ca. ccxiij VVernerus Hermannus Shedel In these ij examples ye maye behold what wholesom study holy churche had in those dayes what labours the ghostly gouernours toke vpon them to obserue their solempne vowe of chastyte whyche maye not yet be dyspensed with ☞ Other chast myracles about the same tyme. IN the yeare of oure lorde a M. and liij a solempne fatherly prest in Irelande pretendynge muche sobernesse kept a great scole of laddes and yonge wenches And for so muche as he had shorne some of those wenches and apareled them lyke boyes the more aptely to come to the flâ—shely occupyenge of theÌ„ he was anon after perceyued taken and with shame bannyshed that lande Marianus Scotus Ranulphus Treuisa li. vi cap. xxiiij This feate hath bene among our votaryes muche practysed in tyme of their prodygyouse heatâ—s as an holy spyrytuall remedy Victor the second Romysh Pope of that name in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lvi helde a generall synode at Florence in Italy where as he deposed many byshoppes abbottes for symony and fornycacyon Guil. Mal. li ij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxiiij Martinus carsulanus Plâ—tina Ioannes stella A subdeacon they say whych mynystred to hym at masse put venym in hys chalyce so poysened hym for hys labour Benno cardinalis Valerius anselmusryd Edwarde the sonne of kynge Edmonde Ironsyde had ij doughters beynge in exyle Margrete and Christiane Margarete was godly marryed to Malcomus the kyng of Scottes and had viij chyldren by hym of whom iiij reigned as kynges after hym Christiane by counsel of lascyuyouse monkes bycame a superstycyouse nonne abhorrynge marryage as Polydorus reporteth her by theyr doctryne of deuyls in hypocresy so becummyng a folysh vyrgyne or els a mete damsell to serue them in the darke ☞ They laugh at lecherie that frowne at marryage NEuer yet came plage of myschefe to thys realme that the Prelates haue not turned to their pryuate commodyte and fynely laughed and sported the rat in the ende To promote the Danysh bloude to the crowne of Englande they sought vnnaturally to destroye the Englysh bloude ryall and through fyne conueyaunce brought it wele to passe as is written afore And whan it was restored agayne in Edwarde they threwe hym into suche a colde of hypocresy or symulate chastyte whether ye wyll that he dyed without yssue to gyue place to the Normanes our most greuouse enemyes in the basse bloude of a Bastarde And se what a toye they made therof to shewe themselues no lesse ioyfull of hys baudy concepcyon in whoredome than the people of Iury were in the blessed natyuyte of holy Iohan Baptist in godly marryage As Robert the duke of Normandy saye they rode through the towne of Faloys he behelde a skynners doughter called Arlet daunsyng amonge maydens whom he toke with hym from thens to hys bedde for her bewtyes sake And as he was commyng towardes her to accomplysh hys fleshly desyre she rent her smocke froÌ„ the chynne to the fete to make roume for him And as he enquyred what she ment therby she made hym this praty answere saye they It were neyther fytt nor comely that the nether part of my smocke shuld be turned vp so touche the lyppes of my lord At thys mery sentence the duke had great sporte and so haue the prelates had euer sens for they caused it to be regestred holy matrymony frowned at and euermore set at nought At thys fylthy fytt was Wyllyam Bastard begett which was afterwarde called the great conquerour of Englande to the great mysfortune yea to the vtter shame confusyon and vndoynge therof in those dayes he beynge a straunger a mylbegotten and so cruell a tyrauÌ„t as in the wrath of God he shewed himself there for the ponnyshement of their synnes Anonymus Guil. Malmes li-iij de regibus Vincentius li xxv ca. xxxix Ranulphus li. vi ca. xix Pabianus par vi ca. ccvij Polidorus li. viij ☞ Of Stigandus a lecherouse monke with lyke companyons STigandus an hypocryte couetouse â—echerouse and vnlearned whych had defyled hys fathers bedde Iohan Capgraue sayth dyuersly oppressed the poore for hys good rule kepynge about the yeare of our lorde a M. and liiij bycame byshopp of Shirborne than of Wynchestre and fynally archebyshopp of Canterbury He made hauock of the churches goodes and spent them in most prodygyouse fylthynesse And as wytnesseth Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. ij de pontificibus vnmete was he rekâ—ned to be a byshopp in those dayes that could not ruffle it out with all pompouse aparel horses galaunt seruauntes wanton meates and women in all lecherie and sew denesse And as they
terrestryall aungelles of the folyshe worlde whan they were the very drosse of the deuyll and poyson of all Christyanyte A great nombre therfore of godly men both in Germany Fraunce perceyuynge the great abhomynacyons that wolde folowe therof myghtely styll resysted both Hyldebrande the Pope and also hys great synode of Italysh prelates callynge hym a cruell heretyke and authour of pernycyouse doctryne and them the malygnaunt counsell of Sathan This wyckednesse is wrought saye they not by any sprete of God but by the only suggestyon of Sathan For their most deuylysh decre is directly repugnaunt to the worde of God Christ sayde that no man can awaye with that sayenge saue they to whoÌ„ it is gyuen S. Paule had no commaundement for virgynyte The Apostles wolde not requyre it the olde counsels durst not attempt it But alwayes was marryage fre to them that could not refrayne What meane these hypocrites than to compell naturall men by force of tyranny to lyue the lyfe of Angels whych is a thynge impossyble to their weake nature By thys cruell constytucyon they make open the way to all fylthynesse in the fleshe If they wyll haue such mynysters lete theÌ„ fatche them from heauen for in the earth they are not to be had Thys was the clamour of them whych in that age feared God doubted the myschefes of Antichrist Lambertus Sigebertus Vrspergius Nauclerus Robertus Barnes ☞ Hyldebrande made the church a full Sodome NO small commendacyons hath thys sorcerouse monke and vicar of the deuyll among the hystorianes and chronycle writers after his tyme. As were Otho Frisingensis Platina Stella Sabellicus Blondus Bergomas Aeneas VVicelius and suche other He is magnyfyed aboue the starres for his rebellyouse treason and tyranny agaynst the vertuouse emprour holden of them for a most earnest myghty and constaunt defender of Antichristes oyled kyngedome whyche they call holy churche Thys maistre of myschefe and organe of the deuyll brought by that meanes the mynysters to an ydelnesse and defyled the church with most execrable buggery Amonge all his canon lawes and synodall constytucyons he gaue out no commaundement that prestes shulde do no lecherie nor yet get chyldren but only that they shulde not marry And thys was to put in full practyse that God had afore premonyshed hys churche of by his sonne Iesus Christe by hys holye Angell by Iohan hys electe Apostle thre able wytnesses Apoca. i. That is to saye the great cytie whych is called a spirytualte and is the churche malygnaunt shulde be in effecte a very Sodome and Egipte Apoca. xi Of necessyte myghte that be no fable that was of so able witnesses vttered afore hande so earnestly Some therfore must haue fulfylled it no remedy and none so effectually as thys hellysh sodomyte Hyldebrand by forbyddynge of marryage in hys clergy and by deifyenge the Eucharistycall breade These ij poyntes chefely made the Romysh churche a Sodome and an Egipte by dyssemblynge vowes and a couÌ„terfet presthode How nondryes anon after were buylded boyes apes and bytches prouyded to qualyfie the breche heates of these holy buggerers and to saue the outward shyne of their boasted chastyte it requyreth further processe to be declared ☞ Marryed prestes are bayted wyth a bulle ROger Houeden plainely reporteth it in the first boke of hys chronycles that the clergy contempnyng the byshop of Romes malycyouse threttenynges chose rather to dwell styll vndre hys great curse than to leaue their marryed wyues ThaÌ„ practysed the seyd byshop to vexe them and to ponnysh them by others as testyfieth Mathew of Westmynstre in the thyrde boke of hys flowres of historyes procurynge the commen people to be the instrumeÌ„tes of his tyranny That he myght the more fearcely chastyse them sayth he and so vtterly dryue them from the embracinges of their wyues he forbad the laye people to heare their masses and charged them fynally to destroye their lyuynges by thys bulle folowynge Gregory the Pope otherwyse called HyldebraÌ„â— the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God sâ—ndeth the Apostles blessyng to all theÌ„ within the kyngdomes of Italy Germany that sheweth their true obedience vnto S. Peter If there be any prestes deacons subdeacons that styll wyl remayne in the synne of fornycacyon we forbyd them the churches enteraunce by the omnypotent power of God and by the autoryte of S. Peter tyll tyme they amende and repent But if they perseuer in their synne we charge that none of yow presume to heare their seruyce For their blessyng is turned into a curse and their prayer into synne as the lorde doth testifye by hys prophete I wyll curse your blessynges ce Thys bulle hath Symeon of Durham and Roger Houeden the one in the seconde the other in the first boke of their chronycles besydes other wryters ☞ Laye people worshyppeth the beast and hys Image MVche good stuffynge is in thys bulle whan it iudgeth marryage a fornycacyon condempnyng it by S. Peters autoryte whose doctryne to thys daye both alloweth it and commendeth it for a state of ryghteousnesse coÌ„parynge the marryed persones to AbrahaÌ„ and Sara i. Pet. iij. Neyther is the blessyng of any man turned into a curse or his prayer into synne for marryage but rather for seducynge of Gods people by supersticyons and hypocresy wylfully resystyng the holy ghost Mala. ij Psal. cviij as in thys handy bulle maker and hys other bullish begles whose blasphemouse actes are wele knowne Radulphus de Diceto sayth in hys Image of storyes that in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxv thys terryble turmoylyng agaynst prestes marryage gaue more occasyon of blasphemouse slaundre than euer ded heresy in the church For by that meanes sayth he the laye people contempned holy orders they reiected ecclesyastycall subiectyon and abhorred the mysteryes of God They despysed the presthode of their curates in fury madnesse they brent their tythes trode vndre their fylthie feie their consecrate hostes Thus honoured they the fowled beast and hys ymage Apocal. xiij But thys gaue a great rayse to Antichristes proude and ambycyouse reigne as herafter shall apere Thomas Rudborne and Mathew of Westmynstre sayth that in the nexte yeare folowynge was a terryble earthquake with a certen blusterynge noyse ouer all EnglaÌ„d wherby God declared to the worlde hys anger for suche excedyng wyckednesse as he hath done other tymes more at the lattre daye to be reuenged vtterly ☞ The treason of prelates and extorsyon of byshop Walter BYshoppes abbotes and prelates of the Englysh brode not hauyng Wyllyam conquerour a kynge to their myndes caused it by lytle and lytle to be noysed a broade amonge the people in the seyd yeare of our lorde a M. ixxv. how it neither stode with reason nor yet with conscyence that a bastarde or mysbegetten man as he was shulde haue the Englysh nacyon in gouernauÌ„ce what
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
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
was of great vertu in thys age byleke For Iohan Capgraue sayth that Ethelredus the abboth of Rieuall not only by it abbated the ardent heates of his fleshe but extynguyshed also the flames of all other vyces Sentences wonderful in those dayes vttered PEirus Blesensis a worthye learned man beynge at sondry tymâ—s the archedeacon of Bathe of London and of Canterbury spared not at tymes sharpely to reprehende the enormitees of the clergye Dyuerse of hys epistles are yet to be seane wherin he eloquently towcheth and rebuketh the puffed vp arrogancye of Thomas Becket the archebyshopp of Canterbury Oft he compared the clergy to Samaria and Edom and called our hyghe countenaunced prelates sumtyme the glytterynge calfes of Bethell and the ydolles of Egypte sumtyme the fatt hulles of Samaria the chaplaynes of Baal and those iudges whyche made wycked lawes wyth such lyke To take the lord with the housholde sayth he nothinge is more dampnable than is a byshoppes howse if ye seke vertu Nothynge further from honestye if ye loke for maners Nothinge more fylthye if ye iudge after conscience Nothynge more rebukeable if ye respect fame Nothynge more pernycyouse if ye marke the example O lorde sayth he delyuer thy howse from the greate ydoll breake the hornes of that synnefull one At Rome filthy lucre peruerteth all thinges suffereth moÌ„kes to perfourm theyr lykynges in all kyndes of fleshely abusyons whyche they redeme by a yearlye pensyon Theyr lewdenesse is tolde in the Pauylyons of Geth and publyshed also in the open stretes of Ascalon Thus is theyr head captayne becomen the prynce of Sodome hys dyscyples accompanyenge hym in the chayre of pestylence wyth a great nombre more of the lyke Wernerus coucludeth in fasciculo temporum that it was than a rare thynge to fynde a chaste monke in the cloystre and a more rare thynge to fynde an honeste preste abroade ☞ The freshe and lustye begynnynges of Thomas Becket AS those autours reporte whyche chefely wrote Thomas Beckettes lyfe whose names are Herbert Boseham Iohan Salisbury Wyllyam of Canterbury Alen of Tâ—ukesbury Benet of Peterburgh Steuen langton and Rycharde Croilande he bestowed hys youth in al kindâ—s of lasciuiouse lightnesse and lecherouse wantonnesse After certen roderies rapes and murthers commytted in the kyngâ—s warres at the siege of Tolouse in Lâ—nguâ—docke and in other places els as he was commen home againe into Englande he gaue hymsâ—lfe to greate studye not of the holye scriptures but of the byshoppe of Romes lowsye lawes wherby he fyrste of all obtayned to be archedeacon of Canterburye vndre Theobalde the archebyshop than hygh chauncellour of Englande metropolyâ—ane archebyshop prymate pope of Englande and greate legate from Autâ—christes owne ryghte syde In the tyme of hys hyghe chauncellourshyppe beynge but an ale bruars sonne of LondoÌ„ Iohan Caâ—graue saith that he toke vpon him as he had ben a prince He played the courtyer all togyther and fashyoned hymselfe wholly to the kynges delyghtes He ruffled it out in the whole clothe wyth a myghtye rable of digised ruffianes at his tayle He sought the wordly honour with him that soughte it moste He thoughte it a plesaunt thinge to haue the flatteringe prayses of the multytude Hys brydle was of syluer hys saddle of veluet hys styruppes spores and bosses double gylte hys expenses farre passynge the expenses of anye earle That delyghte was not on the earthe that he hadde not plentye of He fedde with the fatteste was cladde wyth the softeste and kepte companye with the plesauntest Was not this thinke yow a good meane to lyue chaste I trow it was ☞ Hys chastyte at Stafforde and stoughtnesse at Clarendon IN the towne of Stafford was Willyam of Canterbury sayth Iohan Capgraue confirmynge the same a lusty mynion a trulle for the nones a pece for a prynce with whome by report the kynge at tymes was very famylyar Betwixt this wanton damsell or prymerose peerlesse Becket the chauncellour went store of presentes and of loue tokens plentye and also the louers met at tymes For whan he resorted thydre at no place wold he be hosted and lodged but where as she helde resydence In the dead tyme of the nyght the storye sayth was it her general custome to come alone to hâ—s bedchambre with a candell in her hande to toye tryfle with hym Men are not so folysh but they can wele conceyue what chastyte was obserued in those praty nyce wanton metynges But they saye he sore amended whan he was onâ—s consecrated archebyshop of Canterburye and left weâ—e hys accustomed enbracynges after the rules of loue became in lyfe relygyouse that afore in loue was lecherouse At hys seyd consecracion was he made a preste which requyâ—ed a change of lyfe He receyued a monkes cowle from Pope Alexandre Mathew Paris sayth made our ladye hys generall aduocate and shryued the body of S. Edward a vyrgyne and therfor he could no longar be vnchaste In the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. lxiiij at Clarendon Iohan of Oxforde beynge hygh presydent of the counsell many thynges were proponed concernynge the inuestytures offyces and enormytees of the clergy and lawes made therupon Wherunto the archebyshopp Becket with the other byshoppes condescended and were sworne But whan he ones perceyued that they were repugnaunt to the terrestryall godhede of the byshop of Rome he fretted for wodenesse and was angrye with himselfe addynge to hys othe thys subtyle clause to make it of none effecte salou in omnibus ordine meo honore sanctae ecclesiae myne ordre saued alwayes and the honour of holye churche reserued By thys he was able to denye all agayne at hys pleasure Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ Antichrist he preferreth to hys kynges obedyence WHithin the same yeare the kynge made an acte that men of the church commyttynge offences notable shulde be exautorysed or dysgraded by the byshop of the dyocese a iustyce beynge present so delyuered to secular kepyng tyll he suffered accordynge to hys demerytes The occasyon of thys acte was one Philippe Broic a preste and canon of Bedforde whych conwardly had kylled a man Thys proude sturdy canon bearyngâ— him selfe very bolde vpon his Romysh orders was at vtter contempt and diffyaunce of the iustyce geuyng him full many obprobryouse wordes as though hys offyce had bene but a slauerye to hys oylye presthode Than stirt vp Becket and starkeled lyke a lyon sekynge by all trayterouse meanes to brynge the kynge vndre and to exalte the tyrannouse kyngedome of Antichrist to the very heauens He furyously contended with hym to the very death that prestes and other within oylye orders ought not for thefte murther buggery and other lyke deadly offences to be examyned and ponnyshed by the publyque magistrates as the laye sort were He affirmed it also with stomache that the churches fredom was suche as the temporall kynges
hymselfe to lyue longe on the earth vpon thys admonicioÌ„ of Godryck the Hermite whych sayd that he shuld be starke blinde vij yeares afore he shulde dye But he vnderstode not that ther was as wele a blindenesse in sowle as in body And that made hym so vnready whan he shulde haue dyed and also so wretchedly soeth to departe from thys worlde Mattheus Paris Radulphus de Diceto Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Polidorus Se here howe they kepe theyr owne spirituall lawes for intermedlynge with temporal matters But that for lucre they maye breake all ordre ☞ The preuye membre of a fyshe swaloweth in a monke GIraldus Cambrensis declareth in the second parte of his wurke called the glasse of the church ca. vij That by the sea coast a she fish was fouÌ„de of a wonderfull greatnesse called a thirlepoole The people in great nombre came from all quarters there about some to beholde the monstruouse shappe of the fyshe and same to cut it in peces and to carry theÌ„ home to theyr howses to soâ—ne profytable vse Among other ther was a monke more quycke and sterynge to perceyue all thinges than anye other there Thys monke drawynge very nygh to the fyshe beheld vewed and marked the preuye parte therof aboue all Which was the storie sayth as it hadde bene the openynge of a greate dore or gate He loked therupon verye seriouslye and muche wondered neyther coulde he in anye wyse be satysfyed wyth the syghte therof At the laste wythoute modestye shame and all bashefulnesse he approched so nyghe that by the slyme and fatâ—esse therof whyche than laye vpon the sayde hys fotynge fayled hym and he fell flat into the fowle hole so beynge swalowed vp of that whyche hys lecherouse harte most desired So that these adages myght than haue bene founde true Suche saynte suche shryue suche bere suche bottell such treasure suche trust As muche was it to recouer hym and to saue hys lyfe as all they coulde do which stode about with long pooles proâ— hokes liues ropes and other hasty prouisyons A subtile enemye was it sayth Giraldus that prouided him so ridiculouse and obprobrioule a falle But this is the good fortune of our votaries In the ende they fall heade linges into the gulfe of that filthinesse whych they haue so ardeÌ„tly all their life time affected ☞ The lasciuiouse hart of an other monke perâ—eiued AN other like storie sheweth the seyd Giraldus in the nexte chaptre folowing of a moÌ„ke of Glastenbury It chaunced saith he at the kinges request sute of the abbot that the graue of king Arthour betwen ii high pilers of stone was opened within the holy Saintwary of Aualon There founde they the fleshe bothe of hym and of hys wyfe Guenhera turned all into duste wythin theyr coffynes of stronge oke the bones only remaynynge A monke of the same abbeye standynge by and beholdynge the fyne bruydinges of the womannis heare so yelowe as golde there stil to remayne As a man rauyshed or more than halfe from his wittes he leaped into the graue xv fote depe to haue caught them sodenlye But he fayled of his purpose For so sone as they were towched they fell all to powder No lesse was this monke sayth Giraldus a figure of that insaciable helle of lecherie than was the other monke for he shewed as depely the sygnes of a shamelesse mynde as ded the other Giraldus lib. ij cap viij Speculi ecclesiastici in opere de institutione principis Radulphus Cogeshale Ioannes Fiberius Richardus Premonstratensis Mattheus VVestmonasteriensis Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa IoaÌ„nes Lelandus in assertione Arturij All this maketh good the foresayenge of Tamel that the hartes of theÌ„ in this generacion shulde be all vpon women Dame xi I wolde not that thys also were forgotteâ—n in thys age by the waye but marked and remembred for it includeth a greate mysterye Whan stryfes and controuersyes were rysen betwen monkes and their bishoppes for sleuelesse matters the kynge mighte not meddle in so spirituall causes but a legate must all wayes come from Rome to do it Notate uerba signate mysteria ☞ King Richarde is sent abrode and a bishop ruleth NEuer were there anye people eyther scarse any deuyls of helle in craftes and wordlye wiles comparable to these spretes of Rome the byshoppes monkes and prestes They could sende kynges abrode on Pilgrymage and in the meane tyme occupye their whole realmes to their Romyshe maisters behoue Kynge Richarde the first for his stoughte stomacke called Cor de Lyon was sent in to the lande of Palestyne to fyghte wyth the great Turke for Hierusalem whyche an Englyshe votarye and byrde of theyr vncleane cage had both betrayed and lost a lytle afore and coulde neuer be recouered sens For the tyme of hys absence one Wyllyam Longeshampe being chauÌ„cellour of Englande and byshop of Helie holdynge the gouernaunce of the whole realme wonderfully oppressed the same Hauynge the kinges whole power and his popes autoryte he rode contynually with no lesse than a. M. horse the noble mennys sonnes beynge glad to become slaues to hym Wyth the beste barons and earles maryed he hys cosynes neces and kynswomen yet was hys grande father a poore plough man and hys owne father a cowherde Beynge and holye votarye he refused the vse of women and in hys bed chambre abhomynablye occupyed wyth buggerye boyes as the commen rule was than of that myscheuouse spyrytualte So longe he ruffled it oute in all kyndes of tyrannye tyll at the laste Iohan the kinges brother beynge than the greattest duke wythin the lande began to couple wyth hym Than fearynge to haue bene called to a verye strayghte reckenynge he fled wyth a small companye of hys moste trusty seruauntes to the castell of Doueâ— myndynge in the nyghte to haue stollen ouer the sea But as herafter shall folowe he came to shorte of that passage Hugo Nouaunte in libello de fuga Guilhelmi Heliensis Rogerus Houeden li. ij Anglorum historiae ☞ This byshop counterfetteth a woman and is taken INuentynge a newe crafte of conueyaunce he came downe haltynge from the castell aboue to the sea-side byneth appareled in al pointes lyke a woman whose kynde neuerthelesse aboue al thinges he abhorred A syde grene garment he had vpon him and a cloke wyth wide sleues of the same colour His heade was al couered with a fair great kâ—rchief and his face with a propre muffâ—ar In his ryght hande he bare a pece of lynen cloth and in the left hande a met yearde And as he was set vpon a great stone a fysher man commynge from the water and inpyosynge hym to be an whore ran fast vpon hym and clasped one hande about hys necke with the other he searched for hys preuye partes Whan he ones vnderstode hym to be a man and no woman he called to them about and desyred them
euery busynesse In Herbertes waye yet it is a fowle blot That he by symonye is byshop abbot Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. iiij de regibus Great sute made the monkes of Norwych to haue had thys Herbert a canonysed saynt But suche impedimentes were alwayes in the waye that it coulde not be obtayned ☞ Other anoynted prelates of the lame race SImon the hygh Deane of Lyncolne occupyed that rowme not without a cause For his father Robert Bloet was the lecherouse bulle byshop I shuld saye of that large dyocese This Simon was a lusty bloude the scory sayth as good a treadyng cocke as euer was his father with sterne lokes on both sydes as proude as a pecock Henricus huntendunensis in libro de contemptu mundi Ranulphus in polychronico Guilhelmus Horman in fasci rerum Britannicarū It is also reported of Radulphus de Diceto in hys chronycle called Imagines historiarum that Robert Peche the byshop of Chestre Couentre and Lychefelde begate Richarde Peche the archedeacon of Couentre whyche afterwarde as reason was succeded hys father as byshop on same dyoceses by inheritaunce Radulphus praefatus Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis in opere de pontificibus Guilhelmus Hormā in abreuiatione etusdē The thyrde example wyll I there bryng iii though it chaunced longe afore whych I haue left out in the first part of my votaryes Ethelwolf the sonne of kynge Egbert was professed a monke at Wynchestre and receyued the ordre of a subdeacon vndre byshopp Helmestane Afterwardes ascendynge from one degre to an other he was constytute byshop of Wynchestre and a Cardynall as some chronycles hath about the yeare of our lorde viij hundreth and iij. By dyspensacyon of Pope Gregory the fourth he reygned kynge after hys father and marryed Osburga hys owne butlers doughter by whom he had foure sonnes whyche all reygned kynges after hym and one doughter In the tyme of hys monkery afore he was marryed he begate a bastard called Adelstane whome he made vndre him the duke of Westsaxons Rogerus houeden Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Henricus Bradsha Iacobus Mayer Ionnnes Scuysh ☞ Of Wulstane the mysbegotten byshop of Worcestre Wulstanus the canonysed bishop of Worcestre had a monke of that abbeye to hys father called Estanus and a nonne not farre of to hys mother that was named Vulgena By byshop Brithegus was he made a monke so was sent fourth to the monastery of Peterburg to be instructed and so brought fourth in the ydel rules of monkery Whā it came to passe that he was ones byshop muche loue they saye he had of fayre women and yet lyued alwayes a vyrgyne whych is a matter very harde to be beleued The pontyfycall rynge wherwith he blessed the stretes in stede of Christen preachynge he wolde neuer put from him no not at hys very death but commaunded it to be buryed wyth him I thynke to blesse therwith whan he shulde aryse at the lattre daye Matthaeus paris Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Ranulphus Rogerus Radulphus de Diceto Thomas Rudborne Ioannes Capgraue alij Olde wyues in Worcestre shyre by the helpe of ydle headed monkes to whom parauenture they had bene bawdes practysed vpon the Ethymology of hys name a most shamefull and folyshe fable whych yet remayneth amonge them Hys father they sayde wyllyng to haue a do with hys mother vpon good frydaye and she not consentynge therunto for the dayes sake was compelled to leaue his begettynge vpon a stone which she fyndyng there lamentynge the losse therof wrapped it vp in a locke of wolle and so noryshed him vp vndreneth her arme hole By this meanes they saye he was first called Wulstone Thys had bene a straunge begettynge of a chylde but that it was in monkery whose wayes were not in that wurkynge lyke other mennys wayes O most prodygyouse sodomytes how haue ye illuded the symple with hypocresye and lyes ☞ Of Steuen Hardynge and hys Cysteanes STeuen Hardyng was first a monke of S. Benets errour ordre I shuld saye at Sherborne not farr from Salysbury Thys man to sprede abroade the braunches of hypocresye went from thens into Scotlande and so fourth into Fraunce and Italye tyll he came to Rome We reade not all thys tyme that euer he taught any Christen doctryne by the godly offyce of preachynge or yet of writynge But after he had visyted Rome and wandered ouer all Italye muche good stuffe ye maye thynke he gathered there he returned into the prouynce of Burgundy and there made hymselfe a monke agayne Yet was he not so quyeted marke the subtyle workynge of Sathan but he toke with hym a certen of hys ydell companyons and fled into the wyldernesse of Cistercium and there he began the wycked secte of Cisteanes otherwyse called the whyte monkes to be noysed abroade a newe authour of relygyon And thys was in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcviij It remayneth yet to the glory of Englande sayth Wyllyam of Malmesbury that the ordre of Cisteanes was firste begonne by an Englysh man Vincentius Antoninus Houeden Capgraue Bergomas Aegidius Faber Thomas Scrope Ioannes Paleonydorus ac Polydorus Vergilius de iuentoribus rerum Of the ambycyon lecherie and couetousnesse of thys abhomynable secte and how it came first into Englande I wyll shewe more at large hereafter About thys tyme arose other sectes of perdycyon as the Grandimontensers Camalduleanes Cartusyanes darke alleye bretherne Rhodyanes Templers Hospytelers Premonstrates Iosephytes and others with innumerable swarmes of their laysye leaue locustes crepynge slowly out of the smoky bottomlesse pytt Apocal ix ☞ Graue sentences declarynge the malyce of thys age Wernerus Roleuinke a Charterouse monke of Coleyne thus reporteth in hys wurke called fasciculus temporum that we commynge after shulde marke therof the daunger A wanton tyme sayth he beganne about the yeare of our lorde a thousande and so folowed on For than the Christen fayth very muche decayed vtterly declynynge from her accustomed strengthe and olde manlynesse to a feble faynt folwyng as mayde Hildegarde sheweth in her prophecye For in many regyons of the Christianyte were the rytes of the church poluted with mennys inuencyons and the sacramentes wyth sorceryes defyled the mynisters becommynge both sothsayers and coniurers So that many thought and not without cause that Antichrist was than in full power Benno sayth also in the lyfe of Hilbebrand that the relygyō of the clergy was none other in those dayes thā a very treason or vtter betrayenge of the worldely gouerners to maynteyne their insacyable ambycyon couetousnesse lecherie Thus were the golden calues had in honour in that age sayth Wernerus meanynge the glytterynge prelates And the other sort slayne or yll handeled by them vnderstandynge the true symple preachers as was Berengarius Oclefe and such other lyke impugnynge their newe ydolatryes Iohan Capgraue writeth that a great reformacyon a dyfformacyon he
shulde haue sayd was than in the Scottish churche by procurement of quene Margarete whych was an Englysh woman borne What changes were here in the church of Englande I haue wyll hereafter more plenteously declare ☞ Hildegardes prophecy with other notes and examples IN the yeare after Christes incarnacyon a thousande and an hundred sayde mayde Hyldegarde the Apostles doctryne and feruent righteousnesse whych God had planted in the faythfull Christyanes begonne to go backe and to change as it were into a doubtfull staggerynge But that womaÌ„ly or fyckle tyme wyll not so longe endure as it hath bene in breadyng Vincentius li xxix ca. xxi And Iacobus Meyer in chronicis Flandriae sayth that in the yeare of our lord a M. and xcvi auaryce ambycyon and lecherie so strongely toke place in the head rulers of the clergy that scarse one coulde be found out amoÌ„ge them to resyst the wycked by the swerde of the sprete whych is the worde of God Many starres than semed to fall froÌ„ heauen Sigebertus sayth Realyte they ioyned to their sacramentall breade to make the people beleue it to be Christes naturall body They set vp scole doctryne and the Popes canoÌ„ lawes sophystycally to mainteyne all fylthie supersticions Commenly they disputed with cheanes and imprisonmentes to terryfye their withstanders Mathew of Westminstre sayth that Paulus the abbot of S. Albons folowyng the fotesteppes of his father LaÌ„francus was than here in Englande a most busy doer for so muche as in England fraunce and Italye the greatâ—◠〈◊〉 of men folowed in those dayes the opynyon of Berengarius and Oclefe 〈◊〉 sayth Henry the fourt Empâ—â—oâ— to hys sonne than hauyng the gouernaunce and he beyng vndre him a wofull â—â—ysoner Those hypocrytes deceyue the for they instruct not the multytude They seke not thyne honour but denye it Vndre the colour of fayth they prepare the snares of deceyt whyls they preferre the tradycyons of men to Gods holy commaundementes Adelboldus Traiectensis in uita Henrici Caesaris ☞ The fyrst fytt of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus ANselmus a Normandy monke at the instaunt request labour and longe sute of the clergye was constytute archebyshopp of Canterbury by kynge Wyllyam Rufus The reason why he was of our prelates afore all others preferred to that dygnyte was tâ—ys They perceyued in hym great copye of learnynge pregnancy of wytt a stought stomake a boldenesse vnshamefast an aduenterouse and folehardy head and a face without bashefulnesse Whervpon they thought hym a man most mete to withstande the kynges procedynges whyâ—he were in those dayes nothynge to theâ—r contentacyâ—ns For kynge Wyllyam was suche a man as wolde not in many poyntes agre to their horryble ambysyon auaryce incontynencyes Whych than they vsed without all shame He ded not muche fauer the churche of Rome Mathew Paris sayth bicause the holy prelatâ—s were so vnsacyably gyuen there to fylthie lucre Suche indygnacyon he had agaynst the Pope by reason of the scysme whyche than was at Rome that he in hys parlement enacted it that none of hys subiectes shulde thydrewarde repayre vndre forfeture of body and gooâ—â—s or â—is vndre payne of perpetuall exyle They coulde not be Peters vycars he sayd that studyed so muche for couetousnesse Neyther shulde they seme to holde hys power whose vertuouse lyfe they had not in practyse Concludynge that the byshop of Rome neyther had nor yet shulde haue any thynge to do in hys realme He also restrayned the Rome shott Fabyane sayth Wherupon Anselmus iudgynge the kynge a scysmatyke a rebell and a tyraunt obstynatly withstode hym to the very face lyke a ruffelynge rouer For the whyche he was reckened a traytour as he was wele wurthie the other byshoppes holdynge their fyngars in their noses Matthaeus Paris Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Radulphus de Diceto Ioannes Capgraue Ioannes Scuysh ☞ Fyne conueyaunces of these wylye wormes IT was no longe tyme after that ere the byshop of Rome had knowledge of this matter by secrete massengers as the clergy hath euermore had their betrayers of prynces Wherunto he made this wylye and foxish aunswere Dum furor in cursu est currenti cede furori Whyls fury is in course gyue place to it as though he wolde at layser recompence it whan he shulde se hystyme The next yeare after was Gualtherus Albanensis a byshopp Cardynall sent into Englande from Pope Vrbane the second bryngyng with hym the metropolycall mantell of Anselme to augment hys cockysh autoryte Thys Gualtherus craftely pacifyed the wrath of the kyng and colourably or dyssemblyngly reconcyled both Anselme and the Pope vnto hym only to serue the tyme. Anselme from thens fourth shewed a mery countenaunce Mathew Paris sayth to cause kyng Wyllyam to thynke that he bare hym no dyspleasure but had forgotten all iniuryes O most crafty foxe Anon after vpon thys dyssymulacyon he axed lycens of the kynge to go to Rome wyth thys Cardynall whych he very prudently denyed hym for doubt of wronge appellacyons and increase of scysme vnlesse he wolde go no more returne agayne For there was no cause why he shulde go thydre hauynge hys prymates palle brought to hym vnlesse it were to wurke some secrete myschefe as he ment no lesse by these fyue colours of deceyt Than played he the part of a trayterouse renegate ryght out fleynge out of the realme without lycens All thys hath Mathew Paris in the seconde boke of hys châ—onycles and Radulphus de Diceto ☞ An other fytt of Anselme with kynge Wyllyam Rufus MArke the arrogaunt sprete of Antichrist in this obstinate Anselme In a bitter malyce he sodenly departed froÌ„ the kynge not takynge hys leaue as became a good subiect To Canterbury he roâ—e in poste haste and so forth to Douer pryuely to steale a passage ouer by nyghte more lyke a thefe than a true man But where was than hys kynges obedyence accordyng to thys doctryne of Paule Let euery sowle submyt hymselfe to the hyghar power For who so resysteth that power resysteth the set ordinaunce of God Roma xiij Thys was farre froÌ„ our Anselme Se now what folowed therfore Whan thys packynge was ones knowne detected by secrete spyes the kynges offycer Wyllyam Warelwast preuented the passage searchyng by the kynges strayght coÌ„maundement all hys trusses coffers males bowgettes sackes satchels sleues purse napkyn and bosome for letters and for moneye and so lete hym go lyke a vagabonde all hys goodes seysed as a forefeyture to the kinges vse Neuerthelesse whaÌ„ he came ones to Rome he was reuerently and ioyfully receyued of Pope Vrbane made lorde hygh presydent of all hys generall counsels He persuaded the seyd Pope to take froÌ„ the teÌ„porall prynces the whole power autoryte of makynge byshoppes and abbotes declarynge vnto hym what coÌ„modyte and profyte he myght haue by the same He taught hym also many other fyne propertyes and feates how to