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
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
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
head shauinge other vnsauerye ceremonies and wrote afterwarde an earnest treatyse agaynst Agilbertus a frenche man and at that tyme byshop of Wynchestre All thys myght not helpe then but in processe of tyme they had theyr whole myndes magry al their hartes Bedas Giruninus li. 3. ca. 25. De gestis Anglorum Guilhelmus Malmesburye li. 3. De Pontificibus Ranulphus lib. 5. cap. 17. Iohannes Caphraue and other ¶ Religiouse examples dysuadynge mariage After Laurentius folowed Melitus in the archebyshoppes seate of Caunterburye in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xix whiche they saye both alyue dead dysuaded yonge men from christen marryage As Saynt Columbanus a Scott about the same tyme came to the sell of an holye Nonne for ghostlye counsell She bad hym awaye least wanton youthe would bryng them togyther wylde they nylde they Saynt Edwyne kynge of Northumberland gaue vnto saint Paulinus the archebyshop of yorke hys yonge doughter Eanfleda so sone as she was baptysed in the yeare of our lorde DC and. xxvi that he shuld make her an vnholye Nonne And the daye after the said Edwyne was slayne he toke with hym both the doughter and mother and so fled with them vnto Rochestre in kent be water neuer returning thydre agayne Saynt Fiacre a Scottysh heremyte had so great malyce vnto women that he plaged so many of them with the fowle euyll as came within the precynct of hys monasterye because one woman had ones complayned to the byshop of hys prodygyouse charmynges Hector Boethius Saynt Foillanus an Irysh Byshop with his brethren was very famylyar and seruysable vnto Saynt Gertruyde and her nonnes at Nigella made dyuerse barren women full graciouslye to conceyue Saynt keynwirye a virgyne of wales contempnynge marryage fled from thēs to Saynt Myhels of the mounte to kepe her vowed virginite amonge the holye fathers there as vower with vowers All these storyes hath Iohan Capgraue ¶ Other relygyouse examples of that age SEbba kyng of the East Saxōs was so by wytched of the Byshop of Londō and his calkyng collygeners there for hys substaunce that he had made hymselfe a monke leauynge vnto them both hys wyfe and possessyons yf she had bene no wyfe then he nor more godly dysposed Yet was she by their incantacyons at the last deceyued they hauynge of hym an innumerable summe of money and he nothynge of them agayne but a mangye monkes cowle and hys buryall in Paules Whan Saynt Egbynes father was ones departed in wales his mother resorted wyth hym to the Abbeye of Saynt Sampson and there receyued of hym the habyte of a Nonne bestowyng the rest of her lyfe amonge the good bretherne there Saynt Eanswyde abbesse of Folkstane in kent inspyred of the deuyll dyffyned christen marryage to be barren of all vertues to haue but transytoryouse frutes and to be a fylthye corruptyon of virginite Yet ware Marye Iohan Baptyst and Iesus Christ swete frutes therof the iust fathers of the olde lawe not rekened Saynt Paule sayeth also that by vertue of marryage the vnfaythfull man is sanctyfyed by the woman that is faythfull i. Cor. vij Neither dyd he at anye tyme teache marryage to be eyther a corrupcion or yet an impedyment of christen virginite whan he coupled the Corintheanes whiche continued styll marryed a chaste virgine to Christ. 2. Cor. ii But thys gentylwoman Eanswyde was muche better acquaynted with the monkes learnyng then with Christes and with a chastyte rather to their behoue than to hys Yet droue she out all the gantes or bystardes there yf their churche legende be true These storyes shewed Iohan Capgraue ¶ The wanton toyes of the holye fathers ABout thys same tyme sent Pope Bonyface the fyft a shyrte with a golden collor and a fyne petycote of straunge makynge vnto kynge Edwyne with the blessynges of Peter and Paule And vnto hys wyfe Ethelburge a syluer glasse and a combe of yvorye with the same to vpholde them in thys newe christianite Se these wanton fathers what toyrs they vse to set vp their kyngdome here Neuer shall ye reade that Christes dysciples had anye suche wyttye polycyes Saynt Petrock an her myte of Cornewale was fayne euerye nyght from the crowe of the cocke to the sprynge of the mornynge to stande naked in a pyt to abate the hote mouynges of hys fleshe And neuer coulde he haue remedy of that dysease tyll he went onpilgrimage to Rome and Hierusalem Here was a newe sought out salue for that sore Saynt Pyrane a Byshop also in Cornewale had a fayre dammesell in the monastery of hys mother wyngell called Brunet whom the Lord of the soyle toke vp for his occupieng At the last he agreed with him no longer to haue her then the bernacle or butture shuld breake him of his slepe which chaunced sone after thā he sent her home agayn If these be not good honest legendes to be redd in the Popes holy church tel me Plēteouse shall ye finde Iohā Capgraue in the rehersall of them and suche other The ghostly bestowing of their vowes A Nonne belonging to saynt Cota and a monke perteyning to saynt Pyrane about the same tyme strake vp a couenaunt of loue And as they met in a wode for performance of the same a yong pigeon fell betwixt them and made them both ashamed so they went home agayne A lyke matter Such an other pagent was played at yorke but it was longe after The monkes of saynt Mary abbeye and the nonnes of Clement thorpe mett togyther there at hay making the abbottes fole being wyth them And as the abbot enquired of him at supper for pastyme where he had bene all that daye He fell in a great laughynge and declared before all hys gestes that a sore battayle had bene foughten that after none betwixt hys monkes and the monkes of clement thorpe But he thanked God that hys monkes had the best for they laye euer aloft Bycause that one of Saynt modwens maydes had layed her beste beloues shoes at her beddes head the spretes of heauen that were wonte to vysyte her wolde not come there that nyght After she had bene at Rome and was comen home agayne she dwelt at Scaleselyf where as an holye hermyte ded oft tymes vysyte her and muche refreshe her wyth a legende boke of sayntes lyues But no tydinges was there among them of Christes holy Gospell Loke Iohan Capgraue ¶ Erkenwalde and Osith with their Nondryes SAynt Erkenwalde the sonne of Vffa the fyrst King of the east angres abbot of Chertesye and Bishop of London buylded a Nondrye at Berkynge And bycause there were at that time in Englande no Nonnes to his mynde for Hilda hys kynswoman was to great a scripture woman in those dayes he sent ouer the see for an old acquayntaunce of hys called Hildelitha learned in arte
farre from orlyaunce in the yeare of our lorde DC.li. These ij monasteries floriake and fulda with their olde inhabitauntes would I counsel al Chronycle readers to marke as they fall in their waye for wonders whiche hath comen from thens as wyll apeare after A custome the holye fathers had in those dayes to leade nonnes about with them in straunge landes where they went As we reade of walburga Hadeloga Lieba and suche other I thynke it was to helpe them to beare their chastite whose carryage was sumtyme verye comberouse vnto them and they founde not then in all cotreyes suche plentye of Nondryes as hath bene sens Sigebertus Capgraue Tritemius Nauclerus Vuicelius ¶ Oxforde shurned And Alcuinus monkes AShamed are not these prestygiouse Papystes to vtter it in their storyes and reade it in their Sayntes legendes in contempt of their christeÌ„ gouernours that no kynge maye entre the towne of Oxforde without a mychefe because one Algar a Prince aboute thys age would haue had Saynt frideswyde to wyfe As though to be a kynge were a farre vyler or vnworthyer offyce than to be a pylde shytten Nonne O blynde bludderynge Balaamytes without all iudgementes godlye Of God only yâ— the worhy offyce of a King Prouer. 8. where as your fisting Nonnes were of Antichrist and the deuill Capgraue Fabiane Polidorus Aboute the same tyme was Alcuinus a doctour of England made abbot of Turonia in Fraunce by the gift of Charles the great which on a nyght founde all his monkes dead in the dorter by the soden stroke of God for their Sodometrye one only excepted Odo cluniacensis Guilhelmus Malmesburye Vincencius Antoninus Ranulphus Capgraue postuitam Ythamari A great matter had it bene in the popes bokes yf these men had had wiues For than he could not haue sent them to the deuill so fast accordinge to the generall commission whiche he had of Sathan his great mastre in that vycarship of his ¶ English men ponnished at Rome AFter Kyng Ethelwolphe beynge subdeacon and prest through wanton occupieng had had a bastard by the popes dispensacion he married Olburga his butlers doughter and had by her iiij sonnes which all succeded Kynges after him Guilhelmus Malmesbury et Ioannes Harding As this Kinge on a tyme chaunced to be at Rome he se many English men there wearynge fetters and gyues of Iron as they had bene murtherers or theues And as he enquyred what the cause shuld be answere was made hym that it was for spyrytualll offences done For those wylye watchers by that tyme had put manye thynges in practyse by force of their penytenciall Summe made by Theodorus afore They myght than make what synnes they wolde and sende vnto Rome whome so euer yt pleased them vpon the reseruacyons of cases Pontifycall and papall or by reason of the aggrauacyons of circumstaunces of synnes makynge men beleue they coude not dyspense wyth them whan the matter was not worth ij haste nuites And thys was the cause of their greuouse correccyons than For redresse of this the Kynge conuenaunted than with the Pope to geue him by yearâ— a penye of euery fyre howse within hys lande as Inas and Offa had done before him for their domynyons He promysed hym also in acquytynge the churches trybutes to geue him iij. C. marke yearlye And finally he repared the English hospitall there which had bene decayed by fire Ranulphus Platina Petrus Equilinus Fabianus et Polidorus ¶ An English monkes peramoure is a Pope THe monastery of fulda in Germanye was in those dayes much frequented of Englysh monkes byâ—â—use it was first buylded of the forseyd Archebyshop Boniface whych was an Englyshe man borne A yonge wenche borne and brought vp in Maguncia therebye Gilberta by name so mynded one of those monkes that she changed her apparell and went awaye wyth him lyke a waytynge boye or lackeye into straunge landes and became in all scyences of learnynge verye counynge and was called Englyshe Iohan. As yt chaunced thys monke to dye she get her vnto Rome and became there a common reader of publique lectours and was had in soche wonderfull estymacyon that Pope Leo the fort beynge dead she was solempnelye elected and intronysed Saynt Peters vycar in the yeare of oure Lorde DCCC.Liiij called Iohan the viij after dyuerse wryters By helpe of a Cardinall her most familier chamberlayne she was in conclusyon begett wyth chylde whan she had bene pope almost ij yeares and an halfe And in a most solempne procession to Laterane whan their churche was in the most pride by fall of the empire and subieccion of christeÌ„ princes the prelates in their most pompouse aparell the daye shynynge verye fayre she was openlye delyuered of chylde without midwife and so dyed Wherin God declared mâ—nifestlye to the worlde that their glitteringe churche was altogyther an whore to make good that was wrytten in the reuelacion of Saynt Iohan. Apo. 17. Oh he that had seane the countenaunce of the prelates than shuld haue beholden a great thange ¶ Popes chosen from thens fourth by their N. SEns that tyme hath popes alwayes bene chosen as stoned horse are in a colte feyer by their doutye dimiceries that they can no more be deceyued that way For at the solempne stallynge of them the last deacon Cardynall doth grope them brechelesse at an hole made in the seate for that ghostlye purpose and than cryeth yt out before all the multitude that he hath ware suffycyent to proue hym no woman Moreouer the strete where she was delyuered hath euer sens bene shurned in all generall precessyons for feare of yll happes As is of women a serten brydge in a Scottysh I le called Leuissa where as yf but one woman shuld paste ouer they saye there are no salmons seane in that ryuer all the yeare after Hector Boethius in Scoteci regni descriptione For the hystorye afore reherced of thys woman Pope was yt partlye my desyre that ye shuld â—arke that monasterye of fulda For she was one chast frute of our Englysh clergye yssuynge from thens ye may chaunce after thys yet to heare of more Such an enemye to prestes marryage was not in hys tyme as was that Boniface which was therof the first buylder For euery where ded he in all his gâ—nerall Synodes condempne yt for aduoutery by the popes canon lawes For the scripturs wolde not serue hym The life of this female pope sheweeh more at large Iacobus Bergomas in li. De claris mulieribus Platina Sabellicus Martinus Carsulanus Volateranus Nauclerus Mantuanus Ioannes Stella Ioannes textor Robertus Barnes in uitis Romanorum Pontificum ¶ Holy water with a boke against marriage IN the yeare of our Lore DCCC LVIII as a serten day deuill at the forsayd Maguncia was hunted of the prestes wyth procession and holye water for dyuerstye vexynge the
Fabiane parte vi cap. ccx ☞ S. Edwarde voweth chastyte in bedde REported it is in the legende of lyes which was wonte with solemnyte to be redde in temples of the Papistes that after thys kynge Edwarde was marryed to Editha the doughter of earle Goodwyne they both brynge togyther in bedde vowed a perpetuall chastyte and therin perseuered to the end of their lyues There contynued in them sayth the legende a coniugall loue without coniugall act and fauorable imbracynges without the deflourynge of byrgynite As though marryage were an enteraunce into vyoleÌ„t whoredome a fylthye deflourer of virgynyte whych rather sanctyfyeth it to increace to Gods honour as in Abraham Sara Zachary and Helisabeth For in theÌ„ was marryage a great blessynge of God Gene. xxi and a waye of ryghteousnesse without reproue Luce. i. as it is in all theÌ„ whych be of lyke faythe Edwarde was beloued sayth the legende but not corrupted Editha had fauer yet was she not touched As a newe Abisag she warmed the kyng with loue but she lowsed hym not by lecherouse lust She delyted hym wyth swete obsequyes yet made she hym not plyaunt to fleshly desyres In the same lowsy legende more ouer is it written that thys Edwarde called marryaged a fearfull shyp wrecke of maydenhede comparynge it to the fyery fornace of the Caldeanes Dani. iij. to the mantell whych Ioseph left in the handes of an whore Gene. xxxix to the lascyuyouse outrage of the. ii false prestes whych wolde haue oppressed Susanna Dani. xiij and to the fylthy intycementes of dronken Holophernes towardes fayr Iudith the seruaunt of God Iudith xij Of a farre other sprete was S. Paule than was thys Edwarde whan he called the marryed Corintheanes a chast virgyne coupled to Christ for their ChristeÌ„ beleues sake ij Cor. xi ☞ The Chronycles confuteth this deuylysh dreame FOr a confutacyon of thys practysed fable most deuylysh errour lete vs se what the Chronycles sheweth of the matter whych contayne muche more truthe than their quere legendes Ricardus Diuisiensis sayth that by feare terrour of deathe Edwarde was compelled to the marryage of Editha And Polydorus reporteth that for hate of her father whyche had slayne hys elder brother Alphrede he vtterly refused her agayne feysynge her goodes at hys pleasure Ranulphus and Anonymus sheweth that he depryued her of all quenely honour and put her into the abbeye of warwell with one only mayde to wayte vpon her so coÌ„myttynge her to the streyght kepynge of the abbesse there Wyâ—lyam of Malmesbury Marianus Scotus sayth that after he had marryed her he neyther put her froÌ„ hys bedde nor yet carnally knew her But whether that was for hate of her kyndred or in purpose of chastyte they can not dyffyne And Robert Fâ—byane confesseth the same in hys chronycle parte vi ca. ccx These testymonyes consydered se what sure grounde these oyled hypocrytes the monkes and the prestes haue to aduaunce in Edwarde their sodomytycal chastyte agaynst Gods fre instytucyon magnyfyenge hys wyfe to the starres in their letanyes with Sancta Editha ora pro nobis Iohan Capgraue rehearceth that the peeres of his realme had persuaded hym to marry that hys owne lawfull chyldren myght succede hym in that gouernaunce therof to the godly quetyng of the same as ded Dauid Salomon Ezechias Iosias and other holy kynges of the Hebrues But se what plage folowed of this Edwardes hypocresy by the peruerse counsell of those ydell whysperers and lecherouse leaders Such an whores byrde bastarde straunger enemy obtayned the crowne as brought Englysh people in most myserable subieccyon that wele was he which within hys owne nacyon myght saye I am none Englysh man Ranulphus Mattheus Paris Capgraue Fabianus Polydorus ☞ A voyce hearde but not much regarded NEuerthelesse it is redde of thys Edwarde the lyenge on hys death bedde he hearde thys voyce in a dreame The inyquyte of Englande of the clergy it wuld haue sayd prouoked God to wrathe The prestes haue swerued froÌ„ the lordes testament with poluted herte handes do their offyce vnpurely These be no natural shepherdes but hyred strauÌ„gers These defende not the flocke but suffer the wolffe to take hys pleasure of theÌ„ They only seke the mylke the wolle the shepe they care not for that helle is now redye to swellowe them in both The gydes of the people are bycome vnfaythfull next coÌ„panyons to theues robbers of their contrey Neyther feare they God nor regarde the lawe The veryte they hate the ryght they conteÌ„pne cruelte they only regarde Neyther haue the prelates ryghteousnesse nor their chaplaines curates any godly discipline Therfor wyll the lord whet his swerde hys bowe hath he bent made it redy Hys yre indignacyoÌ„ wyll he shewe to the people send them yll angels to vexe them accordynge to hys appoyntment All thys and much more hath Iohan Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum anglicorum Yet were not those lecherouse lubbers by these forewarnynges amended But thys Edwarde they exalted aboue the mone and for hys vnprofytable chastyte yea most hurtefull myschefe vnto thys whole realme they haue euer sens placed hym next Mary the mother of Christ and the holy Euangelist Iohan. Neyther omytted they Editha in their letanyes nor yet Emma hys mother in their commendacyons whych had bene so depely in loue with Alwyne the forenamed byshop of Wynchestre that she both forgate hym and hys brother Ricardus Diuisiensis cum caeteris autoribus ☞ The Papacye ordre of Cardynalles and Swanus GRegory the vi about the same tyme founde the Papacy so impoueryshed and the possessyons therof so demynyshed by the lecherouse rule ryot excesse of hys bawdy predecessours in the yeare of our lorde a M. and xlvi that he had nothynge left hym to sustayne hys owne holy fathered and hys Cardynalles with in the relygyon of spirytuall ydelnesse but the bare offerynges and a fewe rentes there besydes Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis de regibus Vincentius li. xxv ca. xxij Ioannes de columna Antoninus parte ij tit xvi ca. i. About thys tyme Iohan Carion sayth the gloriouse name of Cardynalles came into an vse estymacyon or fame and so was noysed abrode Whose proude estate to maynteyne in all voluptuouse pleasurs thys Gregory toke in hande the materyall sworde and ded therwith suche murther and myschefe that the prelates their selues denyed hym Cristen buryall Ranulphus cestriensis ac Platina in uitis ponti ficum Swauus the first sonne of Goodwyne the earle of West saxons of Kent laye many tymes with Edgyne the abbesse of Leof about the yeare of our lorde a M. and xlix myndynge in the conclusyon to haue marryed her And was therfore compelled of kynge Edwarde to flee the realme of EnglaÌ„de into Flanders tyll such tyme as hys peace were procured by Aldrede than
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
they depriued the Englyshe successyon of regall regyment to aduaunce the Danysh bloude to the crowne of England Than brought they in the NormeÌ„nes and Frenche men procuring theyr bastarde a banner from Rome to subdue the lande And whan they were stayed by the sufferaunce of God for the synnes of the people than ded they turmoyle wyth them also They rebelled agaynste kynge Wyllyam conquerour and laboured to subdue him bicause they sayd he was both a bastarde and a tyraunt They sent fourth S. Albon if dead meÌ„ myght straye abrode to kylle kynge Wyllyam Rusus bicause he was their enemye They made their dead bishoppes to pricke at kynge Henry the first with their pastorall hokes the chronycles sayth bicause he had much dyspleased them They tell of kynge Steuen that their maker flewe awaye whan he shulde haue receyued hym the taper in hys hande ded breake and the pixte fell out of hys tabernacle at his coronacyon Of kynge Henry the seconde they report that he came of the deuyll by the fathers syde and from the curse of God by the mothers for kyllynge Thomas Becket and yet he kylled hym not They senâ— fourth kynge Richard Cordelyon to fyght for Hierusalem whyls they occupyed hys realme here at home dyffamynge hym of lecherye pryde and couetousnesse Thus haue they handeled their kinges hytherto How they vsed the rest of them ye shall knowe God wyssynge in my next ij bokes folowynge Breuely to conclude vpon that is sayde afore concernynge the dacayed autoryte of princes and condempned marryage of prestes whyche wonderfully gaue waye to Antichristes vsurpacyons The pretence of those wycked workemen whych thus pranked hym vp with vntempered buyldynges was in their generall counsels to condempne the fowle heresye of Simonye and lecherouse commixtion of Nicolaitanes Suche were the prodygyouse and fylthie names that they gaue to the inuestytute of prelates in the handes of a prynce and the marryage of Christen ministers at that tyme at lyberte to make their own wycked actes to apere very godly They sayd 〈◊〉 was the great errour of SimoÌ„ Magus 〈◊〉 a kynge shuld admyt a byshop eyther yet haue power to gyue fourth any spirytuall promocyon yet Simon Magus was no kynge but a membre of their spiritualte They affyrmed it also to be the abhominacyon of the Nicolaitanes whan a Christen mynistre toke to hym a wyfe and yet the Apostles had power to leade about with them systers to wyues i. Corin. ix But doubtlesse they fowly forgote themselues in these matters For Simon Magus wolde haue soâ—â—e the holy Ghost as they ded all their spirituall promocyons and cures And Nicolaus Antiochenus made hys wyfe common as they haue done other mennys wyues to their owne lecherouse vses besydes boyes bytches and apes For the seyd Nicolas was neuer condempned for marryage but for abusynge that honourable estate By these maye ye measure their other buyldynges tyll more matter come forwarde and sawde the eternall God for the lyghte â—â—yche we haue in this aâ—â— receiued both to knowe them and to beware of them So be it ☞ Thus endeth the second pâ—rt of this wurke called The Actes of Englysh votaryes Collected by Iohan Bale Anno. M.D.L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 24 Romish sayntes Olde goddes newe Dyffa MacioÌ„s of Marriage Blasphemye The deuyls Sayntes vnmaried Votaries Christen doctors The autour Chronicles Prestes Marriage Virginite Faythe 2. Cor 11 Mat. 7. Miracles Autours Bishoppes Gospell Errour Face of Antichaist Narriage maketh lay nobilite Kynge Henry Christ. Matrimony the first religion Vnmaryed prestes Gods-aduersaries Cain Nonnes Monkes Sodomites Prestes wiues Priestes wyues Haters of the Pope Barnes The autours EnglaÌ„d Afore Noe. The flod Iapheth Phaleg Samothes gigas Albion gigas Neptunus Samothythes Vestals Chastite TyraÌ„ny now Bruns syluius Druydes Athens Whores One god Beastes worshypped Priestes maryed Votaries Zacharie marryed Marrye a wyfe No nonne Peter marryes No vowes coÌ„mauÌ„ded Peters wyfe Paule maryed Philip maryed Ioseph of Arimathe Anno 63. Scrope Gospell Kynge Lucius Rome Anno domini 179. Churches Autours Christianite Dyoceses paryshes TeÌ„ples MoÌ„kery Heresies Pelagiâ— Fre wyl Seuerus Leporiê° 432. Autours Agricola 446. partrick 361. Martinus Patriciê° Benignus Modwenna Chastite Dubricius KeÌ„tigernus merlinê° Turkes A awe Iudgement Dauid kinetus brigida cuthbert Capgraue whoredome is holy Their Gods seruyce The Popes chaplaynes women Dauid dubricius KeÌ„tigernus Brigida Saynt ModweÌ„ brigida Iltutus hys wyfe Not Poles learnyng Vrsula cum xi millibus Armorica 390. Diounus Dionothus For maryage Drowned autours Wyth lyes Pylgry Dan. 11. Hiere 5 Names feyned Historiours Proue the spretes Only to marry NoÌ„nes of Coleyne CoÌ„staÌ„s 443. Maglocunus Gildas 552. Mempricius Gildas prophecyeth SaxoÌ„s EnglaÌ„d Christyanyte Gregory Instede of marryage Angly Wares Marutus 500. Ethelwolphus 847 Apo. 13. Tymes 607. 596. Augustinus MoÌ„kes crafty scyence Ignoraunt apostles Miracles WomeÌ„ Saye angrye sayntes Festyuall Ethelbert Procession lyberte Etheriê° 600. Instrumentes Doroberna Caunterburye NoÌ„bres primitie Synodê° Christyanytye Brytaynes Princes 600. 666. Antichrist 602. Synodê° Solynarye man Christen counsell A proud Monke Thre poyntes A tyrauÌ„t A murtherer A carnal Synagoge Bloody Syon Iohan Leyland Brytayn churche Englysh churche 607. full age The Papacye Apoc. 13. 2. Tes. 2. MoÌ„kes autorite Esa. xi A false chastite Gregori ExaÌ„ple MoÌ„kes chastyte iij. wayes Coloured Sodomye Stewes diuinite votaries learning maryage contempned Laye with tayles Dorset Stroude Laurencius cuÌ„ alijs Synodê° the feast of easter Women Sore bellies Venus Ceremomonies rytes Good men Hilda â—t Colmannus 664. Agilberbertus melitus 619. Columbanus Paulinê° 626. Fiacriê° Foillanus Keyna Sebba is monked Egbinê° SaÌ„pson Eanswida Frutes of marryage Eanswida babyshe toyes Petrocus Piranus legeÌ„des Chastyte of votaryes Vowes obserued Modwenus Heremita Erkenwaldus Ethelburga Ositha Spirituall knauery 653. Theodorus Apo. 13. The fully coÌ„plete age NoÌ„â—re of the beast crafty scieÌ„ces Theodatus Theodorus shauing 668. Adrianus A scole Straunge sciences Adrianus Character 672. sinodus Ceddas OrdinauÌ„ces IoaÌ„nes de Molinis 680 Synodus AgathoÌ„ No Gospell Synodus generalis Masse Mildreda Vitiza Chastyte fre Hipocresye worketh Monasteries oswius 684. SuÌ„ma penitencialis Drithelmus 671 FouÌ„dacyon of purgatorye Illusyons Confession Masses Canonysed deuyls Cuthbertus NoÌ„nes Verca Colfridus ShaueÌ„ crownes WaldeÌ„ A comete RegnuÌ„ et sacerdotium Apo. 13. ij hornes Augustinus 596. Berinus 636 ij sectes Papacy Kingdomes popishe Britaynes 689. cadwallader Marke it 1533. englaÌ„de Roma et Babylon merline Brute of God SaxoÌ„s merlyne Balaam The. x. hornes of the beast Apo. 17. Apo. 18. Winker of wyles Sedia Guenhera Oswaldus Bebla Ebba Etheldreda Wilfridus knauery Theodorus A waytynge hound The autour Pylgrimes Inas Ethelredus CoÌ„redê° Offa. 709. Kenredê° Colwolphus Bastardes Adelmê° Synodê° ij bokes Sergiê° Egwinê° Images Lady of worcestre Brithwaldus Sonodê° 709. Guthlacus Bartellinus MoÌ„kes Dispersed The Popes apostles Wenefridus Bonifacius Synodê° 710. Daniel Apostle of Germanie Alia bestia Apo. 13. Character Actes of this
William Cowper Esqr. Clerk of the Parliaments FAX MENTIS HONESTAE GLORIA The first two partes of the Actes or vnchast examples of the Englysh votaryes gathered out of their owne legenades and Chronycles by Iohan Bale and dedycated to our most edoubted soueraigne kynge Edward the syxte â–ª ¶ Beware of the leuen of the pharisees which is hypocrisye But there is nothing hyd that shall not be dyscouered neyther secrete that shall not be knowne Therfor what so euer they haue done in darkenesse that same â—â—all be known in the light Lu. xiâ— To the most vertuouse myghtye and excellent prynce kynge Edwarde the. vi by the grace of God kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendar of the faythe and in earthe vndre Christe of the churches of the seyde England and Ireland the supreme heade his most humble subiect Iohan Bale wisheth all honour helthe and felycyte LIke as man was of ij substaunces constytuted most worthie and excellente prynce that is to say of sowle and of bodye so were there for his specyall coÌ„modyte in them both for hys wholsome continuaunce in longe successyon ordayned of God ij necessary functyous or administracyons from the worldes begynnynge Neyther myghte the one of them without the other at any time be nomore than the bodie without the sowle but anon after a deadly decaye therupon folowed in that common welthe In the bokes of kynges and of Paralipomenoâ— is this so playnely declared â—or the diuided kingdomes of Israel and Iuda that at no hand it can be denyed The fyrste of them was the explanacion of the heauenly doctryne whom we now cal the godly office of a preacher The other we vnderstande to be the publique or politique regimet which is in the high gouernauÌ„ce autorite power oâ— a king The first of these ij most necessary offices the eternal soÌ„ne of God instituted in paradise The other toke beginning of god the father which held an euerlasting monarchy befor the worldes constitucioÌ„ and on the earth by his speciall gifte it toke successe in man Through me do kinges reigne sayth he through me do princes make iust lawes Prouer. viij In the Godhed are they here alone but in person diuerse The one gouerneth the other teacheth The seid sonne of God as an euerlastinge prest bishop first called Adam Eua to repentaunce by the voyce of such a lawe as both detected and rebuked their synne Furthermor he published the promise coÌ„cerning the holy seed of the womaÌ„ which shuld breake the head of the wicked serpeÌ„t Thus preached he than the fyrste Gospell of saluacyon whyche is a ioyfull massage declarynge full remyssyon to be gyuen frelye in Chryste or for Christes only sake a righteousnesse in the holy ghost folowing therupon â–ª with the life euerlastinge As Adam was confyrmed the ymage of God appointed to rule the whol earth Gen. i. He succeded him his eternall sonne in these ij hygh offices of Gouernaunce and of doctryne through the gydaunce of hys holye sprete so be comminge to the one a vicegerent or liefe tenaunt and to the other an hygh vycar general He instructed his posteryte in the ryght rules of fayth for that age and prudently vsed theyr politique regyment In thys perfyghte trade succeded the fathers Enos Cainan Malalehel Iared Henoch Mathusalah and Lamech one after an other tyll the dayes of Noe. Whyche gouerned most godly and preached repentaunce for an hondred and. xx yeaâ—es space After the generall floude stode Noe vp agayne and executed these ij offyces more earnestly than afore Melchysedech hys sonne was both a kynge and a preste so was faythfull Abraham and hys chyldren after hym as apereth both by their warres and sacryfyces And all though Moyses at tymes executed but one of these ij offyces and Aaron hys brother the other yet were they afterwardes agayne both vnyted in Iosue and hys successours assysted by the byshoppes and Leuytes tyll the Iewes despred a kynge Than helde Saul the temporall domynyon and Samuel the hygh presthode Dauid and Abiathaâ— SalomoÌ„ and Sadoch in the same trade folowyng tyll the realme was deuyded into Israell and Iuda for the wyckednesse of rulars And as the false worshyppynges or execrable ydolatryes began to increase by the deuylyshnesse of false prestes God raysed vp the prophetes with an earnestnesse to rebuke them and agayne to renewe the heauenly doctryne and gouernaunce And as their course was out by a myserable mutacyon through warres and captyuyte that lyuely doctryne of saluacyon by the sectes of pharysees Saducees Esseanes was yet ones agayne obscured and the hygh gouernaunce clerely decayed and also remoued from the chosen flocke of God the scepture traÌ„slated to Herode a cruel strauÌ„ger The sonne of God the eternall father called Iesus Christe than entered into the fleshe at hys tyme appoynted and became our hygh kyng and preste euerlastynge by hys tryumphaunt passyon and ascensyon restorynge these ij offyces and reseruynge them in hys gloryfyed humanyte to a sempyternall monarchye To hys Apostles and dyscyples he appoynted the admynystracyon of hys heauenly word leauynge to the worldely rulars the hygh gouernaunce of peoples Thys hath bene breuely the very ordre course and processe concernynge these ij most hygh offyces sens the worldes begynnynge How the great aduersary of God Antichrist hath sens Christes ascensyoÌ„ wrought in hys wycked course to depraue these ij mynystracyons of God and to cause them to serue his moste blasphemouse and fylthie affectes the fyrste ij partes of my Englyshe votaryes here presente dothe plenteously shewe And my hope is that the ij lattre partes whyche wyll God wyllynge most spedylye folowe shall declare it yet muche more at large I haue therin decreed for difference of the bokes and apt argumentes of the matters contayned in them to gyue them iiij seuerall tytles of rysynge buyldynge holdynge and falling For the fyrst part treateth of theyr vp ryspng to myschefe by the olde ydolatours in the reygne of perdycyon The seconde parte sheweth of theyr hastye buildynge by the hypocrytyshe monkes to establish the wicked kingedome of Antichrist The thirde part wil declare the crafty vpholdinge of their prowde degrees possessyons by the wilye and subtile slayghtes of the. iiij orders of frires And the fort part shal manifest their horrible fall in this lattre age by that grouÌ„ded doctrines of the true preachers writers These votaries do I take for those instrumeÌ„tes of SathaÌ„ which coÌ„tinually from time to time haue destroied these ij hygh mynistracions by darkenynge the doctryne of God and peruerting iustyce in the rulars Next to the scriptures I take their moste wicked examples for witnesses in that matter If your learned maiestye in thys second part do marke theyr wycked procedynges in takynge from princes the inuestynge of prelates and from the churches minysters theyr marryed wyues ye shall fynde them the greattest traytours that euer were on thys earthe both to God and to man For by takynge from prynces
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
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
other Saynt Augustyne both blacke which came in wyth Byrinus the Archebyshop of Dorcestre in the yeare of our Lord. DC xxxvi from Pope Honorus the fyrste to deceyue the west Saxons For yche Pope and byshopp preferred euermore the secte he was of These ij wrought so their wycked feates in those dayes with lyenge sygnes in hypocresy that they caused the afore named starres Regnum et Sacerdocium Regalite and presthode to fall clerely from heauen Iohan Capgraue Ranulphus et Polidorus ¶ The fall of kingdoms and rayse of the Papacy MArke in the Chronicles and ye shall fynde thys moste true That lyke as the Papacye had hys fyrste rayse in and of the fall of the Empyre so had those kingdomes whiche fyrste obeyed it their orygynall begynninges of the ouerthrowe of the inferyour kingdomes As Englande vndre King Inas by the fall of the Brytaynes and Fraunce vnder Kinge Pypyne by the puttinge a sydy of the Merouyngeanes Sens these lecherouse locustes crepte first into Englande neuer throne that kingedome of the auncyent Brytaynes whose spyrituall heade was God alone but euerye daye more and more decayed tyll it was fullye ended Marke it hardelye from the fyrste comminge hither of the seyd Augustyne tyll the yeare of our Lord. DC lxxxix wherin Cadwallader their last Kyng dyed a most desolate pilgrime at Rome offeringe hymselfe vp there moste myserablye to the Pope Euer sens hath yt bene to hym obediente in all blasphemouse errours and doctrynes of Deuilles by the space of DCCC and. xliiij yeares tyll the yeare of our Lord. M. CCCCC and. xxxiij wherin at our noble kynges moste wholsome request we vtterlye by othe renounced that odyouse monstre Nowe is it Gods owne kingdome agayne and our King his immedyate ministre That Lorde graunte of hys infynyte mercye that lyke as we haue put a syde hys name we maye euen frome the harte also cast ouer hys Idolatrouse yokes folowing from henceforth the vncorrupt rules of the Gospell A like comparison hath Paulus Orosius lib. 2. Cap. 4. Historiarum mundi of Babilon and Rome Very like begynnynges sayth he had Babilon and Rome like powers like prides like continuaunces like fortunes and like ruynes sauynge only that Rome arose of the fall of Babilon and so fourth ¶ An olde prophecy of Merlyne disclosed AS I was in wrytynge this matter an old Prophecy of Merline came vnto my remembraunce That after the manyfolde irrupcions of straungers the kinges of thys realme shuld be ones agayn crowned wyth the Dyademe of Brute and beare his auncyent name the new name of straungers so vanishinge awaye He that applyeth vnto this a right vnderstandinge shall fynde it very true The Diademe of Brute is the pryncely power of thys whole region immediatly geuen of God without any other meane mastry worker to Antichristes behoue Fre was that power from the great whores domynyon which is the Rome churche tyll the violent conquest of the English Saxons which they had of the Brytaynes for their iniquities sake And now prayse be vnto that Lorde it is in good waye to that fredome agayne and would fullye attayne therunto were here heythnysh yokes in religion ones throwne a syde as I doubt it not but they will be within short space As well may ye geue credeÌ„ce to this Merlyne whan he vttereth the verite as vnto olde Balaam the sothsayer whiche at a tyme prophecyed the commynge of Christ. Num. xxiiij And as coÌ„cernyng the returne of the name marke in thys age the wrytynges of lerned meÌ„ ye shall wel perceyue the change for now commonly do they wryte vs for Englyshemen Brytaynes ¶ The whores fleshe eaten of the. x. hornes THE. x. hornes of the first Beast whiche were kyngdomes maynteynyge that whore now ioyned all into one doth mortallye hate her at this present instaunt is makynge her desolate and maked in Englande In the ende they shall eate her fleshe and clerely consume her with the fyre appointed Englande was sumtyme into vij kyngdomes deuyded by the consent of al writers and wales into ij called Venedotia Demetia or north wales South wales Ireland makyng vp the truth Or if ye holde wales but for one let Scotland supplye that rowme whiche oweth vnto Englande perpetuall homage â–ª As all these are now in one moste worthye and victoryouse Kyng but one so wyll God put into all their hartes one consent to fulfyll hys will and to geue her kyngdome vnto the beast or to sende it agayn to the deuell from whens it fyrst came Apoca. xvij Consydre with your selues the late ouerthrowe of the monasteries couentes collegis and chaunteries alleages of vncleane spretes and holdes of moste hatefull byrdes by the manifest worde of God And thynke not but the fyltye habitacions of the great mastre deuyls wyll folowe sone after Apoca. xviij Let the gogle eyed Gardyner of wyncestre gyrde at it tyll his rybbes ake and an hondred dyggynge deuyls vpon his syde yet shall not one Iote of the lordes promes be vnfulfylled at the tyme appoynted for that blasphemouse whores ouerthrowe hys moste holye mother Praye in the meane season good christen readers praye praye praye that hys heauenly wyll be done in earth and not mannys and fashyon your lyues to the fourme of his moste dere sonne Iesus Christes doctryne Amen ¶ Actes of vowed virginite for that age NOw to returne agayne to their spiâ—ituall actes of chastyte for that age WhaÌ„ one Sedia the father of saynt Aidus perceyued that he by no meanes could haue a chyld by his wyfe he brought her to these continent fathers for remedy of her barrennesse she was spede the next nyght after by a miracle for all were miracles they dyd IoaÌ„ Cap. Guenhera a Cornysh woman whoÌ„ som writers call fayre Elyne that made king Arthure a cuckolde was after his death deuoutely receiued into Ambesbury non drye as a penitent to their spirituall vse Guilhelmus Malmesbury Saynt Oswalde sayd his wyfâ— Bebla in bed with a relygiouse hermyte And wheÌ„ the great heate came vpoÌ„ him as the spiritual fathers are hasty she found the meanes that he was cast in cold water to abate his hote corage This is one of the holy actes wherupon the pope hath made the sayd Oswald a saint IohaÌ„ hardyng Saint Ebba whiche was in those dayes the mother of all noÌ„nes was generate of an whore as were al her fathers childreÌ„ besides her ij of theÌ„ only excepted This Ebba had in the monastery of Coldyngham not farre â—â—om Barwyck both men womeÌ„ dwellyng togyther fell by fell as the maner was than of all Nondryes in England which exercysed the battayles of chastyte so longe that in their nyght metynges they went to bed togyther by couples theyr religiouse loue was then so great tyll God sent a wylde fyre vpon them for that contempt of
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
of Pope Iohan the. xiij whyche was the other popes bastarde a renouacyon of hys former autoryte to double the whoryshnesse therof And by force of the same he made Edwarde kinge in spyght of them all and shewed himselfe Iohan Capgraue sayth a verye naturall father vnto hym euer after Neuerthelesse yt coste hym hys lyfe in the forth yeare of hys reygne Than to make all holy towardes their side and to blemyshe the other partye specyallye to stoppe mennis mouthes abrode for many thynges were in those dayes spoken they canonysed hym a Saynt fyndynge the meanes to shewe myracles for hym and that made all whole euerye waye Prefati Autores ¶ The prestes with their wiues restored ANon after this kinges coronacion Alpherus the Duke of Mercia wyth other great men by counsell of the quene droue the monkes out of the cathedrall churches and restored agayne the prestes wyth their wyues and chyldren For the prestes had layed for them selues that it was vncomlye vncharitable yea and vnnaturall to put oute an olde knowne dweller for a newe vnknone A neyber a cytyzen and a chylde brought vp amonge them for a forouer a straunger They knewe it they seyd to be vnpleasynge vnto God that man shuld take from them that he had ones geuen them Fynally they alleged this grounded precept of God for them selues Lete men do non otherwise than they wolde gladlye be done to The Monkes on the other syde layed for their parte that Christ cared not an half peny for the olde dweller but allowed hym onlye that wolde take the crosse of penaunce vpon hym Whether that be in a monkes cowle wythoute iust tyttle to enter into an other mannys possessyons or no. I put it to the iudgemente of them that are christenlye learned The troblouse cares in marryage as are the necessarye prouisyons for howse kepynge the vertuous bryngynge vp of children and the daylye helpynge of pouertie shulde rather seme a christen crosse to Godly wyse men than easye Idelnesse in monkerye In the rude of thys controuersye the greatter part both of the nobles and commons iudged the prestes to haue great wronge and sought euery where by all meanes possible to bringe them agayne to their olde possessions and dignitees Yea sumwhere with good ernest blowes and buffettes Robertus Fabiane cum antedictis Autoribus ¶ Dunstane maketh an Idoll to speake THis caused Dunstane in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and lxxv to call an other solempne counsell But that was where they thought themselues most stronge and might best do their feates at Wynchestre Where after great wordes had betwen the duke of Marche and the earle of East sexe which were than appoynted as arbyters Dunstane perceyuynge all to go with the prestes brought fourthe his former commission thinkinge therby to stoppe their mouthes And whan that wolde not serue they sought out a practyse of the olde Idolatrouse prestes which were wont to make their Idolles to speake by the art of Necromancy wherin the monkes were in those dayes expert A roode there was vpon the frayter wall in the monâ—stery where the counsel was holden and as Vincent Antoninus testifieth Dunstane required them all to praye therunto which was not thaÌ„ ignoraunte of that spyrytuall prouysyon In the myddes of their prayer the roode spake these wordes or els a knaue monke behynde hym in a truncke through the wall as Boniface ded after for the papacye of Celestyne God forbyd sayth he ye shuld change this ordre taken Ye shuld no do wele now to alter it Take Dunstanes wayes vnto ye for they are the best All thys worke of the deuill at al they were astayned that knewe not therof the crafty conueyaunce If thys were not cleaue legerdemayne tell me Oh that there was not a Iohan Boanerges at that time to proue the spretes of that workemanshyp 1. Ioan. 4. If there had bene but one Thomas Cromwell they had not so clerelye escaped wyth that knauery Polidorus Vergilius whych alloweth them in many other lewde poyntes smelled out their bouery in this and reporteth diuerse other to do the same at that day ¶ That Idoll is crowned King of England IN remembraunce of this knauery myracle they say were afterward written vpon the wall vndre that roodes fete these verses folowing Humano more crux presens edidit ore Coelitus affata que perspicis hic subarata Absit ut hoc fiat cetera tunc memorata Wyth lye and all Whom Iohan Capgraue reporteth that he se there more thaÌ„ CCCC years after the roode translated from thens into the churche for hys myracles sake Aboute the yeare of oure Lorde a. M. and. xxxvi as Kynge Canutus beynge at Southampton was boasted of one of hys knyghtes to be the great Lorde of the sea he thought to proue it by a commaundement of obedience And as he wele perceyued that yt wolde obeye hym in no poynt he toke the crowne from hys owne head acknowlegynge that there was a Lord much hygher of more power than himself was And therefor he promised neuer more to weare yt but to rendre yt vp vnto hym for euer Wyth that Egelnothus than Archebyshopp of Caunterburye infourmed him of thys roode whyche had dysolued prestes matrimonye and done manye other great miracles Whyche prouoked hym anon after to go to Wynchestre and to resygne vnto hym his regall crowne constytutynge hym than King of this realme Was not thys thynke yow good wholsom counsell of thys Idolouse Byshop Zachary II. yf a man had nede of it A playne token is it that they were than the Images of the Beaste Apoca. 13. no godlye gouernours yea verye Idolles no Kinges that were vndre suche ghostly fathers Henricus Huntyngtonensis Archidiaconus li. 6. Ranulphus li. 6. Ca. 20. Fabianus li. 1. Ca. 206 Polydorus li. 7. with other autours more ¶ An example of Claustrall virginite MArianus Scotus and serteÌ„ other writers besydes do testyfye in their Chronycles that whan thys Canutus coulde haue no frute by hys wyfe Elgiue of hampton and was not trouglye contented therwyth She fearynge that he shulde eyther caste her vp or els resort to some other gote her amonge relygyouse chast women to knowe what good chere was amonge them And anon she founde one to her mynde whyche was bygge with childe by a monke not wythstandynge the great chastite that was boasted afore But Marianus sayth she was a presbyteresse or a prestes leman to saue the honoure of that ordre bycause he was a monke hys selfe Algyne had thys nonne be of good chere and yf she wode agre vnto her it shulde be to her great honoure But yt must she sayd be kept wonderfullye close Immedyatly after the quene fayned herselfe to be great wyth chylde and by the conueyaunce of a mother B. goynge
betwixt them both at the tyme appoynted of labourynge she was delyuered of the nonnes childe making the King to beleue it was his to no small reioyce of them both This childe was called Sweno and the yeare afore Canutus died was constitute King of Norwey Some writers haue thought that Heraldus the first which after succeded King of Englande to come fourth also the same way and his owne brother Harde canutus reporte it no farre otherwise Ranulphus li 6 Ca 20 cum ceteris autoribus ¶ Dunstane disputeth with sorcerye and murther NOw let vs returne vnto Dunstane agayn Though the aforesayd controuersye betwene the prestes and the monkes ceased for a time by reason of their legerdemayne in the roode yet was it not all finished For some men of wysdome there were in those dayes which smelled somwhat as Polydorus reporteth iudging it to be as it was in dede verye subtyle knauerye And playnely Ranulphus saith that the spech came from the wall Marke it hardelye Wherupon Alpherus the Duke of Marche with his company in the yeare folowing whych was from Christes incarnacyon DCCCC and. lxx vi sent into Scotlande for a certen learned Bishop whych was knowne both eloquent and wytty to dispute the matter wyth them Than was the place appoynted in a strete or vyllage of the Kinges called Calna for they trusted no more close howses in the monasteries And whan the Bishopp had layed for the married prestes suche inuincible scripturs reasones and argumentes as Dunstane and his dodypoll monkes were not able to auoyde the blinde asse had non other shift but to laye these faynte excuses for him self As that he was an aged man sore broken in the labours of holy churche and that he had at that tyme geuen ouer all studye and onely addycted hym self vnto prayer But for as much he sayd as they wolde not leaue the disquietynge of hym but styll vexe him with olde quarellynges they might wele sem to haue the victory yet shuld they not haue their mindes And with that he arose in a great furye for a colour committinge his cause vnto Christ but he sett the Deuill by his necromancy to worke For so sone as he was gone with such as it pleased his pontificall pleasure to call with him sodenly sayth Fabyane Antonyne Vincent and Iohan Capgraue the ioystes of the loft fayled and they that were vndre it peryshed there ¶ Dunstanes prouysyon in Englande for Sathan THys haue thys moste cruell and wycked generacyon contynuallye buylded their synnefull Syon in blood Michee 3. and are not yet ashamed of these their manyfest knaueryes For those belly founders theues and mourtherers of theirs yet aduaunce they for their pryncipall Sayntes And whan theyr feastfull dayes come they are yet in the papystyck churches of Englande with no small solempnite mattensed massed candesed lyghted processyoned sensed smoked perfumed and worshypped the people brought in beleue that the latyne readynge of their wretched actes there in their legendes ys Gods dyuyne seruyce beynge without fayle the most dampnable seruyce of the deuyll Like as holye Iohan Baptyst by preachyng repentaunce prepared a playne pathwaye to Christ and hys kyngedome Luce. 3. So ded thys vnholye Dunstane by sowynge of all superstycyons make redye the waye to Sathan and hys filthye kyngedome agaynste hys commynge fourth from the bottomlesse pytt after the full thousande of years from Christes incarnacyon Apoca. 20. whych is the sprete of Antichrist He raysed vp in Englande the pestylent ordre of monkes he buylded them monasterieâ— he procured them substaunce innumeâ—â—ble finally he brought â—nto theâ—r handes the cathedral churches with the fre elecciâ—n of byshoppes that nothing should there be donâ— within that realme but after their lust and pleasure Theâ— was Christes kyngdome cleâ—elye put a syoâ— and his immaculate spouse or churche vpon hys worde only dependynge compelled to flee into desart Apoc. xvi Men and women that ryghtly beleued durst not than confesse their fayth but kept al close within them For then was Sathan alâ—â—de these monkes euery where assistynge hym in the fournyshynge out of that proude paynted churche of Antichrist Supersticion hypocresye and vayne glorye were afore that tyme suche vyces as men were glad to hyde but now in their gandyshe ceremonyes they were taken for Gods dyuyne seruyce ¶ Sygnes and plages folowynge these myschefes BVt now se what folowed of these afore rehersed myscheues In the yeare of our lorde DCCCC and lxxxviij which was the. xij yeare before that full thousande departed this Dunstane as warme of deuyls frequentynge hys tombe as I shal in the next boke shewe more playnelye Within the same yeare aptare a bloudye cloude in the skye whiche couered all Englande â—as witnesseth Iohan Hardinge with diuers other Chronyclers and it rayned bloud ouer all the lande After that entered the Danes so fast sayth Ranulphe at euery porte that no where was the Englyshe nacyon able to withstande them And the monkes to helpe the matter we le forewarde by counsell of theyr Archebyshop Siricius gaue them x. thousande pounde to beginne with that they might lyue in rest and not be hyndered For lytle cared they what became of the reste so their precious bodies were safe After thys by dyuerse compulsyons they augmented that summe from x. to xvi to xx to xxiiij to xxx â—nd so fourth tyll they came to the sharpe payment of xl thousande pounde and tyll they had nomore money to geue For the more the Danes had the more couetouse and cruell they were euermore Thus dyd they to the lande innumerable harme in sekynge their owne priuate commodite so brought their owne natyue people in moste myserable thraldome For by that meanes were the Danes made stronge and the Englyshe nacion became feble and weake yea so wretched at the last that they were fayne to call euerye vyle slaue amonge the sayde Danes theyr gâ—oâ— lorde But now â—arke the ende â—â—cernynge these monkes In the yeare of our lorde a thousande xij whyche was the. xxiiij yeare from Dunstanes departynge and the. xij from the deuyls goingge fourth the Danes after manye great vyctoryes within the realme fyered the cytie of Caunterburye and enprysoned the Archebyshop than Elphegus And as he and hys monkes were able to geue no more money they tythed them after thys sorte They slewe alwayes ix and reserued the tenth to perpetuall sorowe and seruytude tyll they had mourtered of them to the nombre of more than ix hondred there and in other quarters abrode And the moste part of them they hynge vp by the members whiche was a playne sygnifiâ—aon that plage to come then vpon them for their Sodometrye and moste violeÌ„t contempt of christen marriage Ranulphus Cestrensis lib. 6. Ca. 13. et 15. Fabianus par 1. Ca. 199. ¶
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
that our lady gaue sucke to an olde byshopp a thousand yeares almost after her death Marke thys poynt for your learnynge ☞ The coÌ„ueyaunce of prelates in this age BVt ye must consydre that at Carnotus was a churche of our ladye in buyldynge whych coulde not wele be fynyshed without such clarkely coÌ„ueyaunces And by thys meanes bycame Canutus a great benefactour therunto The prelates as byshoppes abbotes and prestes for their coÌ„modyte ye must wele knowe were so good to this Danysh vsurper the cronycle sayth that they in receyuyng hym for their kynge at Southampton vtterly renouÌ„ced by othe the successyoÌ„ of their naturall Englysh kynge Etheldrede causinge the noâ—ylyte to coÌ„sent to the same Yea to bryng the spyghtful enterpryse of theirs to full effâ—ct they hyred a cruell traytour called Edricus to slee kynge Edmonde â—ronsyde hys naturall heyre and caused yeâ—eyd Canutus to sende his ij sonnes Edmonde and Edwarde into Denmarke to be slayne to extynguysh that successyon or â—yscent of Englysh bloude so to ouerâ—hrowe the maiestie of thys nacyon for there â—ryuate commodyte Alphredus Beuerlacenâ—is Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Ioannes Capâ—raue Polydorus atque alij historiographi By meanes of thys Achelnotus also an hunâ—red talentes of syluer and one talent of â—olde were gyuen at Papia in Italy for â—he wythered arme of S. Augustyne therâ—ith to augment the ydolatry here in Enâ—lande Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de â—gibus And as concernynge Burye abâ—eye afore mencyoned It was first a colâ—ge of prestes founded by kynge Ethelâ—ane in the yeare of our lorde DCCCC â—â—v and nowe at the sute of Ailwyne â—yshopp of Helmam in Southfolke it â—as changed by kynge Canutus to a moâ—â—sterye of Benettes monkes in the yeare of our lorde a M. and xxi the prestes with their wyues and chyldren dyscharged Chronicon Buriense ac â—oannes Lelandus in commentario cygneae cantionis ☞ The Emprour maryed Canutus doughter IN the yeare of our lord a M. and xxxvi Henry the second Emprour of that name marryed Guynylde the doughter of the aforeseyd Canutus the kynge of Euglande Thys Henry had a systre whych was a professed nonne So inteyrly he loued thys systre of hys that oft tymes he wolde haue her to lye within hys palace very nygh to hys owne preuye chaÌ„bre In a wynter nyght a sowle chaplayne of the courtelaye with her which had bene dyuerse tymes complayned of afore In the mornynge least hys fotynge shuld be seane in the snowe newly fallen that nyght she toke hym vp in her necke and carryed hym out of the courte towardes hys chambre The Emprour chaunced to ryse at that houre as hys custome was to make water and se the pageaunt Anon after fell a byshopryck whych the prest gaped for and the gouernaunce of a nondrye whych the nonne desyred Wherupon the Emprour called them vnto hym the one after the other Take that benefyce to you sayth he to the priest but saddle no more the nonne And you the abbeye sayth he to hys systre and horse no more the prest Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li. ij de regibus Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxi Polychronici Vincentius li. xxv ca. xviij Speculi historialis Here were a couple of no badde gouernours in that spirytualte but al was chast relygyon so longe as marryage was absent Thus coulde the worldely rulers thaÌ„ laugh vpon wyckednesse and suffre vertu and ryghteousnesse to dwell vndre contempt wyth Christ. ☞ Two dyuerse examples for that age ANother nonne was ther at the same very tyme whom a certen ryche maÌ„ toke out of the monastery and marryed not farre from the seyd Emprour bycause she complayned her that she could not lyue chast The byshopp of the dyocese hauynge knowledge therof by thys Emprours assystence dyssolued that marryage and sent her agayne to the cloystre Afterwarde thys man whan he se hys tyme toke her out agayne and kept her in howse with hym In the ende they were both excommunycated of the byshop and could neuer obtayne their absolucyon Antedicti autores cum Ioanne Treuisa This Emprour had also in hys chapell a syngynge maÌ„ a prest whych had both a good voyce and was wele learned but inordynatly he loued a certen whore not farre of whych was not vnknowne vnto him On a daye to proue a mastry the Emprour coÌ„maunded hym to saye masse before hym whych he vtterly refused to do for so muche as he had lyen with that whore the nyght afore If thou saye no masse sayth the Emprour I bannysh the both the courte and contrey I am wele contented sayth the prest and so by and by with hys stuffe departed The Emprour with that called the prest agayne and much commendynge hys constauncy rewarded hym with the next byshopryck that fell autores praefati cum Antonino Thus is whoredome muche made of styll but marryage whom God left for an honest yea and an holy remedy for that dysease is not yet by the doctryne of S. Paule persuaded i. Cor. vij ☞ Lecherie for lucre doth great myracles ALwinus the byshopp of Wynchestre in the yeare of our lorde a M. xliiij was of S. Edwarde the kyng commytted with imprysonment to the examynacyon of the clergye for beynge to famylyar with Emma his mother or for lyenge with her whether ye wyll she put to the nondry of Warwell tyll the daye of her purgacyon It was layed to her charge sayth Polydorus that she of myschefe had marryed Canutus the Tane whych was a cruel enemy to the land consequently that she had nothynge holpeÌ„ but rather hyndred her naturall chyldren in exyle whom she had afore by kyng Etheldrede fynally the rumour was that she had dysceytfully sought their destruccyoÌ„s to preferre the Danysh bloude to the crowne of Englande to the great derogacyon of the same Ricardus Diuâ—siensis reporteth that Robert the archebyshop of Canterbury gaue euydence agaynst her that she had coÌ„sented to the murther of her elder sonne Alphrede procured poyson for her yongar sonne S. Edwarde that she had ioyned her self in that treason with her louely peramoure the byshopp of Wynchestre afore named But se what folowed in the ende After she had ones commoned with the spirituall prelates and gyuen vnto S. Swythunes abbeye in Wynchestre the possessyon of ix lordeshyppes or mayners she was able by helpe of S. Swythune to go barefoted vpon ix burnynge plough shares of Iron for that byshoppes tryall and hers On. iiij for her selfe on v. for her swete louer to do other myracles besydes But ye must first coÌ„sidre that she was borne ouer them betwyn ij byshoppes whych knewe afore hande how to qualyfy those heates that the kyng beynge a simple man was easy to deceyue Ricardus Diuisiensis Guilhel Malmes Marianus Scotus Thomas Rudborne IoaÌ„nes Capgraue post uitaÌ„ vvlstani Robertus
were sumtymes cast in the tethe that their conuersacyon was not accordynge to the Apostles lyuâ—s they made a mocke at it commenly excusynge themselues by thys hombly verse Nunc aliud tempus alij pro tempore mores Now is it an other maner of tyme than was than and requyreth a farre other fashyon of lyuynge Marianus Scotus Ranulphus lib. vi ca. xxiiij Pabianus par vi ca. ccxij Polydorus li. ix About the yeare of our lorde a M. and. lxxxij one Wyllyam byshopp of Durhan dyspossessed the prestes of the college or cathedrall church of Durham bycause of their wyues and placed the monkes there in their rowmes as witnesseth Polydorus li. ix Anglicae historiae as he had hearde that kynge Edgare had done long afore in the churche of Excestre Olyuer a monke of Malmesbury of some authours called Elmer was at the same tyme so we le seane in Necromancy that he couâ—de with wynges flye abroade and worke many wonders Ranulphus li. vi ca. xxviij Vincentius Nauclerus alij ☞ Saynt Freswydes and Westmynster sanctuary IN the yeare of our lorde a M. and lx was the church of S. Frideswyde in Oxforde gyuen vnto the moÌ„kes by the chast kynge Edwarde of whoÌ„ we haue spoken afore at the request of Pope Nycolas the. ij in recompence of hys pylgrymage that he vowed to Rome the prestes wyth their wyues dysplaced vtterly Yet was it afterwarde restored to them agayne by hys successour kynge Haralde whyche with other lyke matter agaynst our prelates cost hym parauenture hys lyfe the monastery at the last consumed with fyre Ioannes Capgraue in uita Pridesoâ—dâ—e This Romysh Antichrist Nycolas coÌ„stytuted kyng Edward hys vycar here in Englande bycause he was a chast vower that he and hys successours shuld se that hys sodometrouse chastyte were wele there maynteyned Moreouer he gaue fredome to the sanctwary of Westminstre for theues and for whores not only to be vnto them a place of refuge but also a sauegarde from ponnyshment for terme of their lyues Ioannes Capgraue in uita Edâ—uar di cum alijs autoribus O â—hostly founders of chastyte Thys great patryaeke of Sodome sent fourth Petrus Damianus a monke and Cardynall to preache S. Gregories Dyaloges agaynst marryed prestes For he afterwarde wrote a boke Antoninus sayth par ij â—i xvi ca. viij De direptione nuptiarum of the takynge awaye or vtter dyssoluynge of marryage Tritemius mencyoneth also that he wrote ij bokes agaynst marryed prestes one de incontinentia sacerdotum an other de clericorum uxoribus and. ij for the vnmarryed monkes the one called regula solitariorum the other de monachorum profectu ☞ Berengarius and the synode of Wynchestre MVche a do had Berengarius Turonensis the archediacon of Angew with the foreseyd Popet Nycolas for Christes naturall presence in the eucharisticall breade whych he had in opeÌ„ preachynge and disputacyon denyed callynge both hym hys masmongers pulpifices that is to saye fleshe makers in his boke de Eucharistia Truely not an holy churche sayth he haue the veryte proued that congregacyon but a malignaunt churche a counsel of vanyte and the very seate of Sathan Lanfrancus contra Berengarium Whych opynyon he afterward compelled hym to recant not by force of argument but by terrour of cruell threttenynges Notwithstandynge he returned agayne persystyng more stroÌ„ge than afore Anon after in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxix in the generall synode at Wynchestre were many byshoppes and abbotes deposed by the legates of Pope Alexander the seconde for yll rule kepynge in bankettes of baudry Amonge whom Stigandus was one whych myserably dyed in preson Ricardus Diuisiensis Guilhelmus Malmesbu li. i. de pontificibus Ranulphus lib. vij ca. i. Fabianus Polydorus li ix Thys Alexander made a constytucyon generall that none shuld heare the masse of prest whych kept a concubyne vndre payne of excommunycacyon meanynge a marryed wyfe Gracianus monachus in uolumine decretorum VVernerus in fasciculo temporum Iacobus Bergomas Yet graunted he that prestes sonnes myght by the Apostles autoryte receyue holy orders whych includeth contradiccyon Idem Gracianus ☞ Lanfrancus and hys lowsye legerdemaynes A Yonge monke assystynge Lanfrancus the archebyshopp of Canterbury at hys masse not farre from the shryne of Dunstane beheld a swarme of deuyls and was sodenly possessed of one of them Anon he opened hys mouthe and vttered the good rule of hys lecherouse bretherne suche matters sayth the storye yea so abhomynable and fylthie as are not to be spoken Than were they all called to the chapterhowse where as it was amonge them decreed that all the holye bretherne shuld be shryueÌ„ of Lanfrancus Wherby they were anon so newe bournyshed that in their returne the deuyll had nothynge to laye agaynst them For the vertu of confessyon and absolucyon is suche they saye that it taketh from the â—euyll both hys wyttes and remembraunce that he hath no longar any power to accuse them Forget not thys workemanshypp but marke it wele So good was the foreseyd Dunstane they saye to thys Lanfrancus that iiij score yeares after hys death he taught hym how to recouer agayne the possessyons and landes pelfered awaye by the kynges from hys archebyshopryck He made open vnto hym if dead men maye speake the craftes of all hys enemyes and shewed good wayes to recouer at their handes to auoyde their cantels Ioannes Capgraue in uitis Dunstani Lanfranci Vincentius li. xxv ca. xxxvii Antoninus par ij ti xvi ca. x. The whyche Antoninus sayth that Lanfrancus played the same part agayne at Rome suche tyme as he impugned there the doctryne of Berengarius concernynge the sacrameÌ„t For the whyche lordely acte Pope Alexander gaue hym ij maÌ„tels or Legates robes one of honour an other of loue Ranulphus cum caeteris autoribus ☞ Byshoppes change their seates and tytles IN the dayes of kynge Wyllyam the bastarde the Popes baâ—tard byshoppes here in Englande changed their seates and tytles from the meane vyllages to the most famouse cities of the realme to apere more gloryouse in the reigne of their father Antichrist As from Dorcestre to Lyncolne froÌ„ Lychefelde to Westchestre from Thetforde to Norwych froÌ„ Shirborne to Salysbury from Wellys to Bathe from Kyrton to Excetur froÌ„ Selwey to Chychestre with such lyke And this was done some writers sayth in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxviij by a decre of the Popes canons Ranulphus li. i. ca. lij Vndre the same kynge also a solempne othe and profession by writynge to the bastarde byshop of Rome was demauÌ„ded and taken by hys vycar Lanfrancus in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxix and so euer after continued from thens fourth A sore stryfe besell in the same selfe yeare betwyn these bastarde byshoppes specyally betwyn
Lanfrancus of Canterbury Thomas Norman of Yorke whych of them shuld be hyghest in that mytred kingdome of ydelnesse And as they mette at Rome they fell into a great dysputacion of that matter afore Pope Alexandre Where as Lanfrancus to amende hys owne matter proued the seyd Thomas to be a prestes sonne Remigius the byshopp of Dorsett beynge present whych Fabyane sayth was a prestes sonne also In the ende thys Lanfrancus by the helpe of Aristotles logyck Gregoryes olde constytucyon and the popes authoryte obtayned both at Rome at Wyndesore in Englande that Canterbury shuld from thens fourth haue the superporyte ouer the see of Yorke He that wyll beholde the mad folyshnesse of thys doltysh disputacyon lete hym loke Wyllyam of Malmesbury li. i. de pontificibus Ranulphi Polychronicon lib. vij ca. ij Antoninum Fabianum atque Polydorum li. ix ☞ An olde bawdy byshopp slayne of a wenche IN the dyocese and cytie of Herford was a graye headed byshopp called Walter that inordynatly loued a yonge wenche there whych was very connynge sowster in the yeare of our lord a M. and lxx Yet remembrynge in hym self sayth the storye that nothynge was more busemynge than an olde dottynge fole specyally a byshop so to rage oft tymes withdrewe froÌ„ folowyng that affect At the lattre as the deuyll wolde she entered the byshoppes bed chambre by entycementes of hys chamberlaynes the preteÌ„ce beynge that she shuld there cutt them out shyrtes and napkyns And as she was in doynge her werke those preuy prouyders auoyded and the old bawdy byshop came in as was appoynted He fell to the talke of as fyne brothelry as anye craftes man in that art myght vtter And whan that wold not helpe he fell to her by force wrastelynge and tomblynge with her for the best game But se what folowed immedyatly As she perceyued her self ouercomen and that she was no longar able to withstande hys lecherouse purpose she thrust her sharpe sheres whom she had in her haÌ„des vp into hys share or vndre hys preuy meÌ„bers with vyolence and so slewe that Babylonysh bore or ij horned gote of the deuyll as chast Iudith ded Holophernes Guil. Malmes li. iiij de pontificibus Ranulphus li. vij ca. ij A commen practyse of chast relygyon kepynge haue thys bene amonge the horned prelates and oyled prestes in all ages of Antichrist Wold God those ydell bellygoddes had alwayes in that fylthie occupyenge bene thus worthely handeled For than had not the worlde bene so depely deceyued in them and their knaueryes ☞ Cecila kyng Wyllyams doughter and Thurstinus MAtthaeus VVestmonasteriensis in the floures of hystoryes and Polydorus Vergilius in the ix boke of his chronycle reporteth that Cecyly the doughter of kyng Wyllyam Bastarde professed her self a nonne in the yeare of our lord a. M. and. lxxv to serue the deuyll in the monkes hypocresy in the burnynge heates of Sodome So daynty mowthed wer these greasy grouteheades and so crafty in their generacyon that they could fynde out kynges doughters to serue their lustes and yet apere chast ghostly fathers to the world Thurstinus a monke of Cane in Normandy was of the seyd kyng Wyllyam constytute abbot of Glastenbury for a great summe of moneye in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxxiij Thys holy abbot consumed the substaunce and possessyons of that ryche abbey in all kyndes of lecherie and other prodygyouse fylthynesse On a tyme there fell betwyn hym hys monkes a great stryfe for that he had restrayned their accustomed fare He brought in men of armes to defende hys cause the monkes layed about them lyke praty men with stoles pottes and candelâ—â—yckes tyll the warryours heades were wele fauerdly broken In the ende of the batayl were iiij monkes founde slayne and xviij greuously wounded their bloude flowing on the pauyment Henricus huntington li. vi Guilhel Malmes li. ij de pontificibus Matthaeus Paris in historia anglorum Ranulphus li. vi ca. iij. Fabianus par vij ca. ccxxij Was not thys thynke yow a relygyouse rule Had it not bene muche pytie but the commens of this realme had bene beggered for their mayntenaunce beynge suche ghostly vowers O blyndnesse and madnesse of vngodly gouernours ☞ Hildebrande by sorcery and murther obtayneth the Papacy HIldebrandus a monke of Clunyake beynge hygh archedeacon of Rome was taught the arte of Necromancye by Theophilactus afore mencyoned whose custome was in wylde forestes and on hygh hylles to do sacryfyce to deuyls by magycall arte to make women both to loue hym and folowe hym Other instructours he had besydes sayth Cardynall Benno whych had bene Syluesters dyscyples were most connynge in that speculacyon that is to saye Laurence an archebyshop Iohan Gracyan afterwarde called Pope Gregory the syxte In shakynge hys sleues or myttaynes to delude the eyes of the symple many tymes he sent out sparkles of fyre whyche was iudged a wonderfull myracle a signe of holynesse in hym For so muche as the deuyll sayth Benno coulde not persecute Christ in the open face of the worlde he sought fraudulently to deface his name honour by thys hypocryte false monke Hyldebrande vndre a monasticall coate coloured pretence of relygyon Thys Iudas â—ote of hys maistre Pope Gregory the sixte to be the hygh stewarde of S. Peters aulter so receyued the offerynges of pylgrymes tyll all hys bagges were full Than hyred he one Gerardus Brazutua a man gyuen to myschefes incomparable This forcerouse wurker to make hym Pope in the space of xiij yeares poysened vi of hys predecessours one after another that is to saye Clement the. ij Damasus the. ij Leo the. ix Victor the. ij Steuen the. ix Benedict the. x. Nycolas the. ij hys owne selfe poysened and vyolently murthered Alexander the. ij in preson Thus by great and outragyose murthers he enioyed the papacy was called Gregory the. vij hys first ordynaunces were these He transubstancyated the Eucharistycall breade condempned the marryage of prestes commaunded monkes to abstayne from flesh Valerius Anselmus Ryd ☞ The first busy buyldynges of this Hyldebrande BEnno Cardinalis reporteth of thys hellysh Hyldebrand that in the first entraunce of his Romysh Papacy he had all these deuylysh prouysyons to wurke hys myscheues with The scriptures he had so trayned with the rules of logycke that by them he was able to maynteyne all falshede The temporall powers he prouyded by all flattery false fryndeshyp gyftes and other subtyle meanes to depresse He had for moneye hys secrete spyes and trayterouse searchers in the emprours and euery great prynces howse to knowe thynges to hys mynde After demaundes and answers agayne from deuyls he toke vpoÌ„ him to prophecie lyes in hypocresye Hys excedynge tyranny was suche that hys enemyes he neuer spared but gaue them death without remyssyon to the terryfyenge of
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
meÌ„ Paschall the Romish bishop not pleased therwith to whom he sent this massage Gyue vnto Cesar that is Cesars meanynge the imperyall crowne and vnccyon with power of inuestynge prelates For he requyred also that he shulde confirme the byshoppes whome he had admytted afore whyche all he refused to do The emprour with that set hys men of warre vpon hym and hys calkers Cardynalles I shuld saye whyche toke the very breches from their arses Christianus Massaus sayth and committed them almost naked to pryson Wherupon in the ende in all thynges he consented to the emprour subscrybyng and sealyng vnto hym a perpetuall priuylege for admyttynge byshoppes and abbottes within hys whole dominyon cursynge all them that shulde at any tyme after that withstande it But as he was ones departed out of Italy he called an oâ—â—â—r synode at Laterane in Rome by counsell of our Anselme and suche other and dyssolued all agayne that he had grauÌ„ted excommunycatynge the seyd emprour and dysdaynouslye changynge hys pryuylege to the scornefull name of a prauylege or writynge that stode for nought For Gesnerus sayth in hys vnyuersall Biblyotheke that Paschalis wrote to Anselme an epystle for hys excuse By lyke than he had layed it sumwhat sharpely to hys charge Thus mocked they in that age the great prynces of the worlde depryued theÌ„ of power and trode their hygh dygnytees vndre their fylthie fete all contrary to the wholsome documentes by th of Christ and of hys Apostles Thys story is tenderly towched of the Italysh writers for hurtynge themselues yet hath Robert Barnes described it at large in uitis RomanoruÌ„ pontificum Ye shall vnderstande that thys was that emprour whych marryed kynge Henryes doughter that was called Maude the empresse Ioannes Capgraue li. i. de nobilibus Henricis ☞ Anselme bryngeth the kynge in subiectyon to Antichrist MAthew Paris sheweth in the third boke of hys large chronycle that after kynge Henry the first had taken hys brother duke Robert prysoner and obtayned other great vyctoryes in the yeare of our lorde as M.a. C. vij he receyued the archebyshop Anselme agayne into hys fauer at Becca in Normandy restorynge hym to hys olde possessyons And as touchynge the byshop of Rome sayth he the learned kyng neuer feared hym for hys spirytuall autoryte but only for hys temporall power In the same yeare was a great counsell holden in the kynges palace at London where as the prelates wer agreed by the space of iij. dayes that the kyng shulde holde styll the autoryte of admyttynge prelates and appoyntynge spyrytuall offyces as other kynges hys predecessours ded notwithstandynge the Popes late inhibicyon Thys hath Simeon of Durham and Roger Houeden But whan Anselme was ones come whiche was hygh president of that counsell and Pope of thys whole yle of Brytayne all was clerely dashed agayne and this contraryouse sentence of hys toke place that from that daye forward no byshop nor abbot shulde receyue rynge or pastorall hoke of the kynge or yet of any other laye mannys hande within Englande He added moreouer thys spyghtfull clause vnto it that whan a prelate was ones chosen the want of due homage to hys kynge shulde be no impedyment of hys consecracyon Loke Radulphus de Diceto Mathew Paris Mathew of Westminstre and Roger Houeden O manyfest traytour without all shame and honest obedyence Than coÌ„secrated he vij byshoppes at ones whych neuer was seane in England afore but at one tyme. Thus gote Anselme Iohan Capgraue sayth the vyctory longe loked and laboured for for the churches lyberte ☞ An other synode of Anselme for dyssoluyng prestes marryage IN the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and viij Anselme helde an other great synode at London wherin yet ones againe he made solempne processe agaynst all prestes deacons and subdeacons that had marryed wyues renuynge all hys former statutes and actes made agaynst them by consent of the kynge and hys barons For afore that tyme they ded all without their consent whyche they afterwardes founde not in all poyntes to their myndes commodyouse No women were from thens fourth permytted to dwell in howse with them sauynge only they whyche were so nygh of kynne as they myght not marry wyth though they laye with some of them at tymes as mother syster grandame aunte and suche lyke Vtterly was it forbydden them euer after to haue any talke with them that had bene their wyues vnlesse it were in the open stretes before two able witnesses Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Who wolde thus so vngodly and presumptuously haue taken vpon hym to haue separated those whom God had ioyned but proude Antichrist and his dyabolycal rable of sorcerouse Gomorreanes How stode this with the holy Ghostes doctryne vttered of S. Paule i. Corinth vij Vnto the marryed sayth he commaunde not I but the lorde that the wyfe be not separated from the man But what els went these execrable hypocrytes about in all these their vngracyouse procedynges but to make Gods holye coÌ„maundementes of none effecte for their fylthie rathers tradicyons and with their newe doctryne of deuyls in hypocresye to polute the Christianyte with the prodygyouse occupyenges of stynkynge Sodome ☞ The closynge vp of Anselmes vnsauery doynges ALl the next yeare after ded Anselme bestowe in a straunge kynde of scoldynge with Thomas the newly elected archebyshopp of Yorke tyll suche tyme as death clerely toke hym from the worlde He vtterly forbad hym the pastorall cure tyll suche tyme as he had submytted hymselfe to hys Papacye and professed a canonycall obedyence whyche he called a submyssyon to the churche of Canterbury If thou wylt not do thus sayth he we charge all the byshoppes of Englande vndre payne of the great curse that none of them presume to consecrate the neyther yet to receyue the for a byshop if thou any where els be consecrated with many other obprobryouse tauntes Matthaeus Paris Radulphus de Diceto Many ydell matters dysputed thys Anselme with very weake rawe and fryuolouse reasons as is to be seane in his feble wurkes of the sowles orygynall of leauen and breade vnleauened of the measurynge of the crosse of the mouynge of the aultre of Maryes concepcyon of the churches offyces and suche lyke whyche Christ calleth gnatt strayuynge I maruele with what conscyence Polydorus called him that good shepeherde whyche daungereth hys lyfe for the shepe and in the myddes of all his false packynges He doth Christ much wroÌ„ge therin whych only fulfylled it in effâ—ct He doth no pastours offyce that robbeth Christen kynges of their pryncely power autoryte to enhaunce the tyrannouse vsurpacyons of Antichrist as thys Anselme ded but rather he sheweth the fashyons and roberyes of a thefe I can awaye at no hand with so blasphemouse handelynge of the scriptures ☞ The mone was darkened and what it sygnyfyed MAthew Paris writeth Mathewe of Westmynstre
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
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
Iob. They are holye votaryes that stryue for so many fat dyshes ☞ The abhomynable lecherye of the same monkes IN the dyocese of S. Dauid in Wales and within the prouynce of Goer the pryour of Langenith whych was a celle of the ordre of Clunyakes or monkes without botes beholdyng a certen yonge woman first by wanton lokes and after by other lewde entycementes made her at his pleasure to serue hys lascyuyouse purpose And whan it was ones growne to a publyque infamy that all men spake yll of it with moneye he corrupted the offycyals to escape the open reproche And whan none other waye els wolde serue he gaue her in marryage to a yonge man not farre of Yet left he not so her companye but abused her after as he had done afore tyll suche tyme as he was deposed by the dyocesyane and lo with shame exyled the contreye The lyke was done also by two other monkes of Northwales of whom one was priour of Sagia an other of Breckennoch both celles of Clunyakes and not farre froÌ„ the hauen of Myluerd Whych were for their whoredomes most shamefully deposed and bannyshed Yea the seyd Geralde reporteth it to be a commen thynge among them where as suche celles were buylded and wyshed for hys tyme that not one of them had bene within the whole realme of Englande for the myschefes that he knewe by them And whan they went abroade he sayth about the affaires of their religioÌ„ or howses they wolde in none other innes be lodged but where as they might haue whores at their pleasures Giraldus Cambrensis in Speculo ecclesiae li ij ca. i. Was not this thynke you an holye religion and an high profession of chastyte ☞ Of two Englysh votaries one a traytour the other a thefe AS Heraclius the patriarke of Hierusalem was returned home agayne out of England in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. lxxxvi an Englysh votary of the ordre of Templars called Robert of S. Albons betrayed that holye cytie with all the Christen inhabytauntes to Saladinus the souldane of Babylon vpon thys couenaunt that he shulde haue his nece to marrye And so it came to passe in the ende the kynge taken prysoner and the patryarke compelled to flee so that the kyngdome was destroyed foreuer An other Englyshe votarye of the same ordre of Templars called Gylbert Ogerstan kynge Henry appoynted with certen others to gather vp the moneye whyche he had determyned to be gyuen to releue the holye lande and cytie of Hierusalem agaynst the Turkes And whan he had deprehended him in an horryble thefte in doynge the same to the mayntenaunce of hys accustomed lecheryes where as he mighte iustlye haue hanged hym he onely commytted hym to the maystre of the temple at London that he shulde ponnysh hym accordynge to their statutes Rogerus Houeden libro secundo historiae Anglorum The hospytelers and Templars were two fygtinge orders instituted firste in the contreye of Palestyne or holy land as they call it for the only defence of Christen pylgrymes goyng to and fro In processe of tyme they grewe to so great rychesse that as the adage goeth the doughter deuoured the mother They exempted themselues froÌ„ the paâ—ryarkes iurysdyccyon whiche was their first father and foundar and bicame seruauntes to the great Antichrist of Rome Not onely to fyll all that lande with his fylthie supersticyons but also to brynge the profyghtes to his insacyable handes that were gathâ—red from all other nacyons For where as colleccyons were to maynteyne those warres Roger Hourden sayth that alwayes a Templar was one gatherer and an hospyteler was an other But in the ende about the yeare of our lorde a thousand thre hundreth and twelue they had their deserued rewarde for than were the Templars destroyed Matthaeus Paris Ranulphus Aegidius Faber Ioannes Paleonydorus Ioannes Nauclerus Paulus Phrigio atque Polydorus ☞ A crowne of Pecockes fethers sent to kynge Henrye ROger Houeden writeth it as a matter seryouse and earnest that in the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. and. lxxxvi Pope Vrbane the thirde hearynge tell that kynge Henry had appoynted his yongar sonne Iohan to the lattre conquest of Irelande sent hym a crowne of Pecockes fethers fynely wouen and wrought togyther with golde The next yeare after he sent one Octauian a Cardynall and Hugh Nouaunt whyche was byshopp of Couentry and Chestre as legates from hys ryghte syde to haue crowned the seyd Iohan kynge of Irelande But the kynge not beynge so Pecockysh as he iudged hym dyscretely and wysely deferred the tyme tyll the Cardynall was gone Se what fyue toyes these foÌ„de fathers had in their crafty heades to mocke Christen prynces with for aduauntage Here was a gnat workemanly strayned out to swalowe in a camell for it He was at great cost that sent Pecockes fethers So was it a precyouse kyngedome towardes whose kynge shuld haue bene crowned with them But I maruele that he sent not therwith a foxes tayle for a scepture and a whode with two eares Rightly hath the scriptures set out thys generacyon for mocâ—â—rs Hierem. xx A great dissensyon arose the same tyme at Canterbury betwene Baldewyne the archebyshopp and the couent of monkes bicause he had begonne to buylde a newe college of secular prestes next ioynynge to them They caused Pope Vrbane the thirde to dyssolue it agayne fearynge therby in processe to haue lost their pryuylege of electynge their archebyshoppes and so not to haue their pleasures as they had afore Wherupon he was compelled to remoue his buyldynge from thens to Lambheth by Westmynstre Radulphus de Diceto Rogerus Houeden Ranulphus Treuisa Fabianus ☞ A bishop made both an earle and high iustyce IMmedyatly after kynge Rycharde the fyrste was crowned and sworne to defende all Antichristes affaires in the yeare of our lord a. M. a. C. lxxxix the byshop of Durham Hugh Pusath for a great summe of moneye bought of hym the earledome of Northumberlande And whan the kynge shulde do the ceremonye ouer hym of makynge an earle and was girdynge the swearde about him Se saith he to his lordes and noble men what a miracle I can do I can make of an olde byshop a yong earle Am not I thinke yow a very connynge artyfycer Lyke frates he played manye in the same yeare in makynge prelates barons and vycountes to haue ryches to hys pleasure In thys the kynge thought he mocked them but they mocked hym after a farre other sort in the ende Thys dotyng byshop was not yet all satisfied but added therunto a. M. markes more to be admytted the high iustyce of Englande And for that he myght dwel at home wythoute checke and polle at his pleasure he gaue to the pope an vnreasonable summe of moneye to be dispensed wyth for his vowe to the holye lande and obtayned it After thys he decreed wyth
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
beast To worshyp the first Beast Hildericus Pipinê° Kyngdomes traÌ„slated antichrist Apo. xiij Alderbertus Claudiê° Errours doctrine Canonistes Rome Open sale of whores Ethelbaldus Colfredus Osredus geraldus geilepus Fulda 744. Lieba Monasterium fuldeÌ„se Floriacus 651. To ease their vowes Oxford Frideswyde A king Alcuinus Autoures Ethelwolphus Penitentes at Rome Syt in the consâ—â—ences The Rome shott Hospytall Fulda Gilberta A womâ— pope 854. Pryde hath a fall An whore Popes chosen by their stones An exaÌ„ple Fulda Matrimony coÌ„deÌ„pned 858. A prest Holy water 875. Gabriel A boke of xij chapters Diuerse Gabriels Odulphus Fredericus Clarus The Danes Coldyngham Elphegus Ghostly fathers CoÌ„teÌ„cioÌ„ Egelricus a married prest Marriage conteÌ„pned A married prest ethelstâ—nus a monke maryed A miracle Elpe Brithgida Wilfhilda Odo 946. Floriaâ—us The kinges concubines Cinstitucions Oswalde Floriacus The sacrameÌ„t Miracles DuÌ„stanus magnus musyck sorcerye Carniâ—ge autours A caste or feate Ethelstanus Athelmus Elphegus a moÌ„kes cowle Hypocrytes Edmondus rex DuÌ„stanes deuil worketh homely Playe tyme I trowe GlasteÌ„burye Edwinus alfgina Odo caÌ„tuariensis CoÌ„fession Masse of requiem Alfgina loueth Stronge loue Cadina loueth Edwinê° rex The coÌ„mens ryse iij. swerdes Maryed priestes Apoc. 9. Hiere 5. Rome chastite 907 Sergius Marosia Formosus TyraÌ„ny Autours Theoracum filiabus Ioannes raueÌ„nas Ioan ye. x 915. whores rule all Guido Mazozia 929. IoaÌ„ xi hugo rex Italie Leo et Stephanus Writers deceiued iij. whores 930 Hugo rex Goddeses for Whoredom spiritual chastite Albericê° Octauianus 956. Ioan. xij Synodê° Rome Rainera Anna. Rome sacrifice he might be chast Their spiritual father Ioan. xij LiuthpraÌ„dus Byworde 960. Dunstanus The first compulsion Foundacion of chastite The deuyls coÌ„myssyoner A thefe A tirauÌ„t Kynge Edgare Tiranny spiritual mariage condemned Facies ecclesiarum Heretikes and theues wilfrith penauÌ„ce An apyshe slaue The beastes autorite A proude knaue No king but a fole A witles Beast Practyse Craft Priestes go out A colour Edward Editha Al sayntes The mother duÌ„stane Editha Great loue shewed A narrow sercher Edgare Image Bestie sinodus 969 An Acte for sodome TiraÌ„ny Visitours For mariage Bulles Dunstane accused Edgare alfreda Oratio ad clersi knauery A deuilish Illusion wolues Act. 20. Cant. 2. Monasteries Ethelwoldus impostor magus Heretykes a colour a father Ioan. 13 Stephana Oswaldus magus Floriacus Prestes expelled Apoc. 9. a colour iij false knaues 975 Scisms Alpherus Ethelredus Edwardus legatus Ioan. 13 a father A deceyt Alpherus Prestes restored The prestes The moÌ„kes A crosse in mariage Backare sir monke 975. sinodus coÌ„missioÌ„ A roode knauery The rood speaketh 1 IoaÌ„ 4 thomas croÌ„well Verses Capgraue 1036 Canutus The crowne Egelnothus An Idol made king Image of the Beast canutus Elgiua Claustrall chastite A monkes bastarde Sweno Heraldus Dunstanus knauery Alpherus 976 a lerned Bishop Dunstane an asse A blind beast a limme of the deuill Mich. 3 sayntes Gods seruyce Precursor Antichristi Apo. 20. miracles the churche Apo. 12. Sathan Vyces 988 Deuils A bloudye cloude Danes Siricius MoÌ„kes were Englandes destruccioÌ„ The Danes streÌ„thened Lorde Dane 1012 Caunterburye Elphegus Tythynges A iust Plage Extent of thys boke The other boke 1551. Sathan at large Good workes Sodomites Mat. â— Mar. iiij Luc. 12. Christ to buketh Mat. 23. Vespasianus Titus Captyues ExaÌ„ple Magystrates Englysh Saintes The Autour Starres Fallen starres Holye dayes Peter Paule secular laye Called Startsmen Tayles whores â–ª Face of the Seâ—pent Dunstanes deuil Noble men Kynge Henry Saynt George What maketh noble Lawes Doctrine Deuyls ij part A dogge False teachers Romanes Nahor Cechim Romulus Ilia Rhea Lupa Lupanaria Chloris Floralia Spurij Priapus A God Romysh goodes Iulius Nero. Aurelius Clergy Constantinus TeÌ„ples ij soÌ„nes Emperour French kynge Childericus Angisus Pipinus TeÌ„ples Olympus Whores Aristotle Simon Magus Bishoppes Sergius Rome Sodomytes Roma Papistes Examples Adam Holy churche The author tarryed Ghostly fruytes Doctryne Sathan 1000. Syluester ij Darkenesse Saturnus Chastite 1000. Saturnus Vesta Aurelius Palumbus An offerynge Syluestre Apo. xx Dyscyples Fathers Sorcerers Two prynces Necromaâ—cy Oblacyon Prynces Promocyons Papacy 1001. IooÌ„nes Baconthorpe Decrees Empyre 1002. Germanes Yongar sonne Electours 1002. Chauncellers Princes Pyllars The Egle. An ydol Odilo abbas 1010. Purgatory Osbernus 1010. Hypocresy Phylosophy Sodome A prest 1010. A weÌ„che Deuyls Wilfhilda Barkinge Good chere Ethelgarus Siricius 990. Elphegus 1010. ij deuils Their power A cowle The vertue Hypocrytes S. 〈◊〉 The water S. Walstane 1016. Capgraue meÌ„bers 1017. A starre Canutus Abbeyeâ— Rome shott Bastardes Fulbertus Gene sucke A church O traytours O caytyfes For Idolatry Bury abbey 925. 1021. 1036. A chaplayne Coueyaunce Promocyons All holy A nonne As a wyfe A prest Saye Masse Whoredom Alwinus 1044 Emma Danysh bloude A traytour Myracles An ydyote Edward Marryage Legenda Blasphemy S. Paul Errour Testymonyes Editha Hypocrytes Examples Subieccyon A voyce Straungers Prelates Lubbers Newe sayntes Gregory 1046 Cardynalles Swauus 1049 Penaunce Palumbus Deuyls Members A wytch Masses Holy churche 1053. Wenches Victor 1056. Poyson ChristiaÌ„ O trayters Hypocresy Duke Robert Brotheis A bastarde Autores Stigandus 1054. A Byshopp Versus 1082. WyllyaÌ„ Olyuer 1060. Edward Nicolas Westminster Petrus Damianus Berengarius Churche 1069. Wynchestre Alexander A prouiso Lanfrancus A counsell Confession Dunstanus Dead men Lanfrancus Bishopryckes 1068. An othe 1069. A stryfe Lanfrancus Canterbury Walter 1070 A weÌ„che Ouercome A practyse Cecilia 1075. Thurstinus 1083. A battayle ij slayne CoÌ„meÌ„s HildebraÌ„dus Dyscyples Aduersary vij Popes poysened A murtherer Practyses A traytour Deuyls A traytour God stryketh Myschefe ij cantels Sorcerer God brent Autores 1074 Depryued ExaÌ„ples TyrauÌ„t Autoreâ— Cestes Scysme Seducers Maude An whore A crafte Resystaunce Sathan Marryage Angels Vycar Holy church Warnynge Wytnesses Prouysyons Prestes TyraÌ„ny A bulle Masses Preposterously Deceyuers 1075. ConteÌ„pt Antichrist WyllyaÌ„ 1075. RebellioÌ„ 1076 Walker Satisfactyon 1080. DurhaÌ„ Reason Confirmed 1083. Kepers Boso Turgotus VysyoÌ„s A token Pylgrymage Prestlyke 1076. Prydee 1077. A bastard Lanfrancus A warryour 1077 Blasphemer 1083. Osmundus Canonysed 1087. KeÌ„redus Exempcyon Nobylyte Roberyes Styngers Anselme Wyues 1097. Tribute 1090. Styngers Walkinus Walterus Tryall Warnynge 1095. Starres The place A chaÌ„ge Mark it symony 1092. A lechour Spretes 1093. Reward Chestre Herbert 1091. 1094 No merchaunt 1095. 1096 Testymonyes Norwych A monstre Money Symoners A deuyll Simon Richard Peche Ethelwolf A bishop 803 A bastard Wulstane Louers to blesse A fable Wolstone Hardinâ— Cisteanes 1098. 1135. Sectes fasciculus 1000. Sorceryes 1094 1100. 1096 Realyte Paulus Deceyuers 1094 Anselme Kynge WyllyaÌ„ Vycars Anselme Spyes 1095. Falsehede A traytour A SathaÌ„ A rebell A search Suggestyon 1089 PetycioÌ„ women Fryndly 1096 Practyses 1097 Nichetas 1098 woÌ„ders CouÌ„sels for lucre Actes MoÌ„kes Make spede A curse o deuils Blasphemy A mouth Sorceryes A seate EnglaÌ„de A pope 1099 A sonne A fable Raylers 1101. Yll chauÌ„ge No faulte Iudgementes A practyse Lyke a kyng RaÌ„dolfe Practise 1101 ij Thomas Gerard. 1114. doctrine 1102. Marryage Sodometrye marke it Actes ExeÌ„pt Chast professioÌ„ Al a like Iniunctyons Shamed Forfaytes Buggerers 1539. Abbotes For whores Herbert Anselme A iestar BabyloÌ„ Monkelyke Good stuffe Antichrist Gerard. Wyues for lucre 1103. a synode An acte Sodomytes Saintes An acte Laye prest Publyshed Conueyaunce TeÌ„derly Practise Buggerers WyllyaÌ„ A rope Hypocryte A crafte No not so A stryfe Lawful Anselme to Rome Warelwast Paschalis Antichrist Richard restored From Rome Knaueryes subtylte Systers 6. An ordre RelygioÌ„ lyke MerchauÌ„tes Secular A questyon O traytours 1106. Antichrist Deceyt 1112. Breches A couÌ„sel An excuse Barnes Kynge Henry 1107. A couÌ„sel Anselme O traytour A Pope 1108. Women Wytnesses Antichristes Papystes 1109. A Pope wurkes A wolfe 1110. Tritemius iij. bastardes Dyuynyte Baconthorpe 1113. Raufe 1115. The crowne Authours Calixtus 1119. 1123 Scripturs 1123 1102. 1115 Wiues 1120 Lordes Ladies writers A plage Bastard Celsus No vowe Eckius ReuereÌ„d 1120. Irel â— 1125. A legate Bagges SenteÌ„ce A verse Cardynall Secrete Vnfytt Ashamed 1129. Processe Lucre. A craft Wyues Sectes CisteaÌ„s S. Robert Charterers Locustes Fatte 1135. Steuen A vowe Customes Mark it A plage 1036. Prelates A helpe A sinode Accursed 1137. TurstaÌ„ Prelates Heretykes 1138. No wife 1140. Mark it Wyttes Define Plato Wysdome 1140. Dauid 1140 Decrees Petrus Esse To darken 1144. Wulwarde Goodwyn Marryage 1545. Corbet Rugge Men godly mockers A mother Examynacyon No shame doctrine I. Bale 1148. terrour Crabbes Dyscouered Autores Nicolas A moÌ„ke Salisbury All true 1159. S. Willyam Poysened Spirituall Yorke 1154. 1159. 1155. No better Becket rebukes Gylbert A ordre 1148. Rules 1159. WaÌ„ton Nigellus Gilbertynes Hefled Returned whores 1153. A shyfte Nigellus ij sortes Hypocresy Theues Mark it all voyd Nigellus Fruitfull Malcolme A kynge Maior 1163. Water 1160. Calfes Fame Antichrist writers Tolouse Becket A ruflar pleasure a weÌ„che for loue All chast Change 1164. Prestes AddicyoÌ„ An acte A preste Vndre Becket Autour articles Cursed No king Clarkes 1164. a church Christyanes Monkery Opynyons 1171. franrick Idolatrye A deuyll Defeccyon Miracles Bokes 1173. Assoiled 1220. A rebell Henry ij 1166. 1168. 1169. Errour 1171. 1188. Barnes 1176. A priour Alphege Bakon the soÌ„ne ExaÌ„ples Prestes successe Curates Eckius Pedlar Heates Water LegeÌ„de Geares 1170. 1179. Sequestred Ryders Pryuyleges WalthaÌ„ 1120 BurdeÌ„s Lucre. Dissent 1187. Dyshes Bellye PaÌ„per Dyshes A priour Conueyaunce Two priours Abroade 1086. prisoner A thefe ij orders They serue 1312. 1186. 1187. mockers 1187. Pleasure 1189. miracle DurhaÌ„ Longe lyfe autours Giraldus A moÌ„ke A falle Drowned Canterbury 1101. Giraldus Autores Stryses Wiles 1191. A rular a votary Accomptes Disgysed A sowster A monstre A preste A playe Depryued Meueâ— 1197. A frynd 1191 Antichrist Ioachim prelates Argumentes 1191. Defend Antichrist Mark it o Inciset 1192 Charite Nouant Contencion 1198. Hubert 1196. Poyson Studye Sisions Iohan. Warryres A chaunter Canons CoÌ„timae 1197. Hypocrite Husbandes Fulco Thre howses 1198. Legion 1196. WomeÌ„ 1198. coÌ„secrat Baldewyn Prestes apostles 1199. Occupied Discressyon A boke Actes Yeares Sathan no stop Hydden Mistes Lighte Autour iiij paroes coÌ„tentes The last Diuerse Craftes ij offices the firste Wiues oportet Wretches women Buggerers The. ij Autorite Deceyt o SathaÌ„ Mockers Traytours Curses An hidre Fauer Traytours rebelles Blasphemers Deceyuers ij matters Verlettes Simon Magus Iudge
laicus ut in toto regno Anglie legali sua condignitate priuetur Et ne huius criminis absolutionem ijs quise sub regula uiuere non nouerunt aliquis nisi episcopus deinceps facere praesumat Statutum quoque est ut per totam Angliam in omnibus ecclesijs in omnibus diebus dominicis excommunicatio praefata publicetur ac renouetur It is enacted that what so euer he is that is noysed or proued to be of thys wyckednesse if he be a relygyouse persone he shall from thens fourth be promoted to no degre of honour and that whych he hath already shall be taken from hym If he be a laye person a secular preste he meaneth he shal be depriued of al his fredome within the lande of benefyce he meaneth and be no better than a foroner And bicause that none els but a byshopp shal presume to assoyle them that be not professed monkes it is also enacted that on euery sondaye in the yeare and in euery pareysh church of Englande the seyd excommunycacyon or generall curse be publyshed and renewed Thys shall ye fynde in the volume of Anselmes epystles Beholde I praye yow how nycely this matter is touched I wys poore matrymonye thou cannyst fynde no suche tendre handelynge No thou shalt not dwell in the monasteryes neyther yet abyde within the dyocese ☞ A ryght vnderstandyng of the same SE how thys most shamefull matter of bugrery is vntowardly tossed and conuayed here of these beastly buggerers the complayners therof fynely lawhed to scorne So haue these holye fathers by their good discressyons qualyfyed the matter that by confessyon and penaunce without repentaunce of their owne appoyntynge maye be able to dyscharge them If he be a relygyouse father as they haue appoynted relygyon he shall haue no more harme but the losse of his dignyte tyll they restore hym agayne But if he be a laye man he shal lose his fredome that is to saye if he were a secular prest or one vnprested by them he shuld clerly lose his benefyce prebende or other lyuynge some sodometrouse monke takynge the profyghtes therof None myghte dyspence with a laye preste but hys byshop whych than was most commenly a monke to dyspatche hym of hys lyuynge at hys pleasure A buggerysh monke myghte be assoyled of his owne abbot at home remayne styll a fylthie buggerar for terme of lyfe neuer fele harme of it This generall curse was only for prestes deacons subdeacoÌ„s canons and college men whych the yeare afore thys lyued honestly in marryage and now were becommen prodygyouse buggerers as the monkes were in their cloysters for want of their naturall wyues The monkes were not threttened to be vndre thys curse bicause they had vowed a symulate chastyte and bicause that what myschefe so euer they ded the monastery walles were able to hyde it ☞ This curse is publyshed and agayne dysolued ANselmus after this declared by a large epystle to his archedeacon Wyllyam what ordre he and the curates shulde take in the publyshynge of thys generall curse or excommuicacyon for buggerye He wylled them to shewe fauer in penaunce geuynge vndre hys autoryte as we le to them that were ignoraunt of the constytucyon that was made as to them that synned afore the acte He admonyshed them also to consydre their ages and to waye their contynuaunces in that synne with other cyrcumstaunces more and whether they were such as had wyues afore or naye that they myght so lose their benefyces Anselmus in epistola CC. lxxviij Ye wold wondre to heare the whole tragedye Here was a great reformacyon of thys horryble synne wythout takynge awaye of the cause O wycked and abhomynable hypocryte though thou be now a canonysed deuyll But marke I praye yow what it came to in the ende Thys generall curse was called backe agayne at the instaunt sute of the monkes Ye must knowe than it towched them They persuaded to Anselme that the publycacyon or openynge of that vyce gaue kyndelynges to the same in the hartes of ydel persones mynystryng occasyon of more boldenesse to do the lyke So that it hath contynued euer sens in the clergye vnponnyshed Ranulphus Cestrensis Rogerus Cestrensis Ioannes Treuisa I wold they had as wele consydered that the secrete occupyenge therof amonge themselues had bene a most manyfest sygne of their dampnacyon But that the blynde beastly asses remembred not for styll it was noryshed in the monasteryes none yll spoken of it to the vtter perdycyon of thousandes ☞ Anselmus is at contencyon wyth the kynge IN the ende of thys yeare a contencyon fell betwyn Anselme and the kynge and thys was the full occasyon â—herof The kynge had made one Roger which was his chauÌ„cellour bishop of Salisburye and an other Roger whyche was hys larderer the byshop of Herforde for Reinalmus had gyuen it ouer he made also Wyllyam Gyfforde the byshopp of Wynchestre Thys myghte the kynge do by the lawes of God for Dauid SalomoÌ„ Iosaphat and Ezechyas amonge the people of God had done the lyke were allowed in it But bicause it was restrayned by the byshopp of Rome thys Anselme swelled fretted and waxed so madde that he wold neyther consent to it Radulphus de Diceto sayth neyther yet confirme theÌ„ nor communycate or talke fryndely wyth them But spyghtfull and malycyously he called them abortynes or chyldreÌ„ of destructyon dysdaynously rebukynge the gentyll kynge as a defyler of relygyoÌ„ and polluter of their holye ceremonyes as wytnesseth Polydorus With this vncomely outrage the kyng was muche dyspleased as he myght full wele requyred Gerard the archebishop of yorke as he ought him allegeauÌ„ce to coÌ„secrate theÌ„ which without delaye he perfourmed sauyng to Wyllyam Gyfforde whych refused it for doubte of Anselme Thus in a great heate he ones yet agayne departed the realme with his dysgraded abbottes and the seyd Wyllyam Gyfforde making of the kyng a sore complaynt to hys holye father as he came ones to Rome The kyng anon after sent hys messengers after hym to declare the truthe that is to saye byshop Herbert of Norwych byshopp Robert of Lychefelde and Wyllyam Warelwast hys trusty and famylyar counsellour whyche in the ende depryued hym both of landes and goodes in the name of the sâ—yd kyng Simeon Dunelmensis Rogerus Houeden Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ricardus praemonstratensis Ranulphus Euersden Capgraue Caxton Fabiane ☞ The matter on both sydes debated at Rome VPon a daye whaÌ„ the matter shuld be reasoned afore Pope Paschall Willyam Warelwast the kynges aturneye stode fourth in defence of hys cause constauntly allegynge in the ende that the kynge wolde not lose the autoryte of inuestynge or admyttynge hys prelates within his owne domynyon for the crowne of hys reaâ—me Wherunto that proude byshop of Rome made this spightfull lewde answere Though thy kynge sayth he wolde not lose
the gyuynge of spirytuall promocyons in Englande for the losse of his crowne as thou hast sayd here Know thou tâ—ys determynatly I speake it here afore God that he shall not obtayne it at my hande though he wolde also gyue his heade and all O arrogaunt Antichrist ful ryghtly shewest thy selfe This hath Mathew Paris li iij. Anglorum historiae and Iohan Capgraue Whan Anselme was about to haue pleaded hys owne cause there thynkynge to haue had therin the assistence of Richarde the pryour of Helye whyche was a man that tyme both wyttie and learned he vtterly fell from hym and toke the kynges part very earnestly confutynge all hys false accusacyons and malycyouse detrectyons for the whyche in hys returne the kynge shewed hym muche fauer as Radulphus de Diceto reporteth Anon after Anselme intreated for hys dysgraded abbottes and vnconfirmed prelates whyche was graunted foorthwith and they restored to their dygnytees For that gentyll seate Mathew Paris sayth was neuer wonte to fayle whan eyther reade or whyte came in the way The nexte yeare after was Anselme clerely forbyd to returne into Englande vnlesse he wolde obserue the good lawes of the lande whyche he refused to do the seyd Mathew sayth ☞ The conueyaunces of Anselme by epistles and writynges Whan the kynges massengers were returned home agayne with these croked newes and with strayght commaundement from the cruell byshop of Rome that he shulde neuermore intermeddle with appoyntynge out of prelates or by gyuynge to them the rynge and pastorall hoke but to leaue it only to hys absolute autoryte he was sore displeased turnynge all the possessyons rychesse of Anselme to his own vse What letters crafty counsels blasphemouse bablyngâ—s and abhomynable wrastynges of the scriptures went betwyxt that lewde byshopp of Rome and Anselme for the space of iij. yeares after it wolde requyre a great felde of matter to shewe as I fynde in hys epystles Moreouer it is a wondre to beholde there the subtyltye that thys Anselme vseth to brynge hys deuylysh purpose to passe for demynyshment of the Christen prynces autoryte and augmentyng of Antichristes vsurpacyon That prynce he flattereth to gyue ouer hys ryghte and an other he commendeth in hys folyshness that hath done it already their folysh wyues alwayes suborned to put the cause forwarde That doltyshe preste he prayseth whych hath contempned hys prynces lyberalyte to an other he promyseth muche hyghar promocyon These are the ingynes of a crafty dâ—uyll if ye marke them Hys letters to syster Frodelina syster Ermengarda syster Athelytes syster Eulalia syster Madily and syster Basyle to Maude to abbesse of Cane in Normandy and to Maude the abbesse of Wilton here in Englande declareth hym to be very famylyar with nonnes Ex epistolis Anselmi He also made a treatyse about the same tyme called planctus amissae uirginitatis a bewaylynge of maydenhede lost ☞ The first ordre of typpet men or secular prestes IN the yeare of our lorde a M. a. C. vâ— beganne first the ordre of Sarisburianes Mathew Paris sayth What maner of ordre this shuld be I can not coniecture vnlesse it were the ordre of portasse men typpet knightes or newe shauen sir Iohans professynge the vnsauery vse of Sarum By lyke whan these men were ones clerely separated froÌ„ their marryed wyues they were at the last contented at their byshoppes suggestyon to lyue peaceably vndre hym to come as it were into a vnyformyte of relygion in outward aperaunce as the moÌ„kes ded in their cloysters and so to wynne agayne some fauer or good opynyoÌ„ of the people whych they for theyr wyues had lost Than begaÌ„ they first to shyne in one shewe or to muster in one lyuerye as the coltes of one mare one short an other longe one hygh an other lowe For afore that tyme were they dyspersed by many dysgysinges one dyuerse from an other As the monkes had their cowles caprones or whodes and their botes so had they than their longe typpettes their prestes cappes their syde gownes gyrt to them their portasses relygyously hangynge with great buttoÌ„s at their gyrdles They had also their crownes shauen and their heare docked lyke as the monkes had though not so muche as they to apeare also relygyouse rable WhaÌ„ they had onâ—â— receyued that marke of the beast in their foreheardes and ryghthandes by the profession of a false chastyte they were made free of Antichristes marte myght by hys autoryte both bye and selle Apoc. xiij Yet coulde they neuer obtayne of the saye multitude so great an opynyon of holye perfectyon as ded the monkes vnlesse it were here one hypocryte and there an other but in conclusyon contynued vndre the slendre name of secular prestes or hedge chaplaines For in most places they dwelt vploude and wanted relygyouse habytacyons to haue sâ—t them forewarde or made them moâ—e Pope holye ☞ How the emperour was vsed in the tyme of their sorceryes NEcessary were it to marke an other crafty conueyaunce of these holye helhoundes A questyon myghte here be axed where Henry the iiij Emprour was for the tyme if thys tragycall turmoyle that he loked not more narrowly to their haÌ„des being a man so wyse so godly Thys questyon is suffycyently answered by the chronycle writers of that age The prelates occupied him with such mortall warres from Hyldebrandes tyme hytherto that he knewe not which way to turne him They made hys owne subiectes in euery quarter to rebell agaynst him and his owne naturall sonne in the ende vpon desyre of the crowne imperyal most falsely to betraye hym subdue hym captyue him emprison him and cruelly at the lattre to murther him The storye is a matter very lamentable heauye as Athelboldus TraiecteÌ„sis Barnesridus Vrspergensis Ioannes Nauclerus hath described it Whan thys man whych was called Henry the v. was ones satled in the empyre tydynges were brought hym the next yeare after that Paschall the byshop of Rome helde a generall councell at Trecas in Fraunce agaynst hys father Wherin he prosecuting the former actes of Hildebrande prohybyted laye prynces the inuestyng of prelates and the prestes their wyues in the realme of Fraunce as he had done in other nacyons dysgradynge those byshoppes and abbottes whome the Frenche kyng and emprour had made The seyd emprour hearynge of thys sent learned men vnto him gentylly requyrynge that he wold not take from him that his predecessours without interrupcyon had vsed from the tyme of Charles the great by the space of more than CCC yeares The boshopp at that tyme deferred the answere tyll he came to Rome Godfridus Viterbiensis Albertus Crants Paulus Aemilius Iacobus Bergomas Ioannes Stella Ioannes Capgraue li. i. de nobilibus Henricis Robertus Barnes ☞ The homblye handelynge of prelates at Rome Whan thys emprour se his tyme he came into Italy with a great host of