There had been begun some time ago at Oxford by the Munificence chiefly of the Duke of Glocester a lofty and magnificent Structure the upper part of which was design'd for a Library and the lower for the publick Divinity Laid out a great Sum on the Structure begun by the Duke of Glocester Schools To this Work the Archbishop gave a great Sum of Money himself and was very earnest in solliciting all the Bishops and Peers who came to the Parliament at Westminster to contribute something toward it all which is gratefully acknowledg'd by the University in their t Epist Acad. Oxon. 26. Letters to him And Two hundred Marks to the publick Chest of the University He also gave Two hundred Marks to the publick Chest of the University which he order'd to be kept by three Masters of Arts two Regents and one Non-regent who were to be chosen yearly and were bound by an Oath to the faithful discharge of that Trust out With the Method of its disposal of which the University might borrow for the publick use Five Pounds every particular College Five Marks a Master of Arts Forty Shillings a Licentiate or Batchelour Two Marks and an Undergraduate One with this Condition That every one should deposite a sufficient Pawn which if the Money were not repaid within a Month was to be forfeited Besides the Decree mentioned concerning graduated Dignitaries He also did the University a signal piece of service by that Decree which we mention'd before concerning the bestowing Benefices upon those only that had taken Degrees which was made by the Synod at his intercession For they esteem'd it as a singular kindness and often u Epist Acad. Oxon 1. 124 125 143 144. in Archiu return'd him thanks upon this account with the highest expressions of gratitude for before this Constitution was made Men though they had attain'd to the knowledge of all Sciences spent their whole Life in the University These and many other Favours conferr'd by him upon the University are honourably mention'd by them in their Letters and that the memory of them might remain for ever it was ordain'd by a x Stat. cist Chich in Archiv publick Decree that his Name should be register'd His Name decreed to be Registred among the Benefactors of Oxford University among their Benefactors and read every Year in the Publick Schools by the Chaplain of the University and that a solemn Mass should be said for him on the Anniversary of his Death All this was justly due to him who had increas'd the glory of the University by Having founded two Colleges c. the soundation of two Colleges and by so many publick Benefactions beside his private Charities to many poor Students to whom he allow'd yearly Stipends as appears out of his private Accounts He adorned the Cathedral of Canterbury Repaired Christ's Church there building and furnishing a Library c. Beside this he very much adorn'd his Cathedral Church of Canterbury he there laid out a great deal of Money in repairing Christ's Church and building a Library and Steeple he also gave a great many Jewels and Ornaments to that Church and furnish'd the Library with many valuable Books in all kinds of Learning which are all reckon'd up in a publick Instrument made by the Prior and Monks of Canterbury and describ'd among the publick Acts of that Church in which they promise on their part that his Body should be laid in the Tomb that he had caus'd to be built on the North side of the Chancel and that no one beside should ever be buried in that place which they and their Successors would take care to see perform'd He also gave very liberally toward Gave liberally towards the building of Croydon Church and Rochester Bridge the building of Croydon Church and Rochester Bridge I omit the rest of his Benefactions lest the enumeration of every smaller Deed of Charity should seem to detract from the glory of his more Illustrious Actions Thus having left the Monuments of his Piety and Liberality in all Places being worn out with Age he departed this Life on the 12 th of April in the His Death Apr. 12. 1443. and magnificent Burial Year 1443. His Body was laid in the Tomb which he had built himself as we said before in the upper part of which is his Statue very handsomly cut in White Marble and on the side of it this Epitaph is written Hic jacet HENRICUS CHICHELE Legum Doctor quondam Cancellarius Sarum qui anno septimo Henrici IV. Regis ad Gregorium Papam XII in ambasciata transmissus in civitate Senensi per manus ejusdem Papae in Menevensem Episcopum consecratus est Hic etiam Henricus anno secundo Henrici quinti Regis in hac sancta Ecclesia in Archiepiscopum postulatus à Joanne Papa XXIII ad eandem translatus est qui obiit anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quadragesimo tertio mensis Aprilis die XII Here lies HENRY CHICHELE Doctor of Laws and sometime Chancellor of Salisbury who in the Seventh Year of King Henry the Fourth was sent Ambassador to Pope Gregory the XIIth and was consecrated Bishop of S. David's by the hands of the Pope in the City of Siena The said Henry in the Second Year of King Henry the Fifth was demanded for Archbishop in this Holy Church and translated to it by Pope John the Twenty third He died in the Year of our Lord 1443. on the 12 th of April Soon after which a Fatal Change in England Soon after his death follow'd a very deplorable Turn in the State of this Kingdom For Queen Margaret a Woman of a Masculine Spirit by the assistance and Counsels of William Pole Duke of Suffolk got the Government of the King and the whole management Which came to be governed by Queen Margaret Whence the Kingdom was divided and the People oppressed The French also under a Female Revolt to King Charles Normandy then Aquitain lost after 300 years possession of the Kingdom into her own hands upon which the Nobility was divided into Factions and drew along with them the rest of the People who were oppress'd with Exactions The French also who were under the English Dominion being encouraged by our Divisions revolted to King Charles and first we lost Normandy and then all Aquitain which we had held ever since the time of King Henry the Second almost Three hundred years The Kingdom was embroil'd in Civil Dissentions within and labour'd under a Foreign War without For the Kentish men under Jack Cade Jack Cade 's Insurrection took Arms and rais'd an Insurrection the French invaded the Coast of Kent on one side and the Scots on the other ravaged the Northern Borders and to compleat all our Miseries the Family The French invade Kent and the Scots the Borders The Civil War from the House of York in which King Henry was imprison'd exil'd
War lest he who the last Year was Conqueror in the Battel of Agincourt should now upon the account of his late Losses seem not to give but to receive Conditions of Peace Wherefore having setled his Affairs in France he return'd soon after into England and held a Parliament at Westminster of which he easily obtain'd a supply of Men and Money for the service of the War with France the next Year At the same time the Archbishop came back from Calais and by the King's Command call'd a Synod at London on the 9 th of November in which at the request of Henry Beaufort Bishop of Winchester the Earl Marshal and Henry Ware who from Chancellor of Canterbury had some time before been made Keeper of the Privy Seal who for that purpose were sent thither by the King he prevail'd with them to grant the King two Tenths for his Expedition into France There was nothing else done in that Synod but on the Days of John of Beverley and of Crispin and Crispinian Martyrs on which the Battel of Agincourt hapned were made Holidays The King having commanded the Nobility to attend him and having levied a choice Army and equip't his Fleet sail'd over into Normandy on the 1 st of August 1417. leaving John Duke of Bedford to govern the Kingdom in his absence When he was gone the Archbishop commanded all the Bishops of his Province to cause solemn Processions to be made to all Churches and Chappels for the safety of the King and the success of his Arms. The same Year by a signal Example of his Justice and Courage he shew'd how much all People whatsoever in that Age stood in awe of the Authority of the Church For on Easterday the Lord Strange with the Lady Elizabeth his Wife and a great Train of Servants attending them coming to St. Dunstan's Church to Vespers and meeting Sir John Trussel there with whom he had an ancient Quarrel his Servants drew their Swords in the Church wounded Sir John his Son and some others of his Family and kill'd one Thomas Petwardy a Citizen of London who to accommodate the matter between them had thrust himself into the Scuffle The Matter being brought before the Archbishop he interdicted the Church which had been polluted with Blood the Authors and Accomplices of the Crime were publickly excommunicated and curs'd before the People at Paul's Cross and the Archbishop sitting as Judge in St. Paul's Church after he had examined into the Fact impos'd this Penance on the Lord Strange and his Lady who fell on their knees before him and humbly begg'd pardon of the Church That their Servants in their Shirts and Drawers only and he and his Wife with Tapers in their hands should go through the great Street of the City from St. Paul's to St. Dunstan's all which was accordingly perform'd with great solemnity and when the Archbishop purified St. Dunstan's Church the Lady Strange fill'd the Vessels with Water they were also commanded to offer each of them a Pyx and Altarcloath In the mean time the matter was hotly debated in the Council of Constance about taking away the Schism in the Church by the creation of a new Pope and restraining those Persons who with a great deal of liberty inveigh'd against the Pride of the Popes the Luxury of the Clergy the lazy Lives of the Monks and the innumerable Corruptions of the Church of Rome Of these John Wickliff was accounted the chief who in the Reign of Edward the Third and Richard the Second by his publick Lectures at Oxford and afterwards by his Books which he put out drew to his Party a great many not only of the Students of that University but also of the Nobility and common People By him the Seeds of sound Doctrine were dispers'd among other Christian Nations and particularly among the Bohemians who embrac'd his Tenets so readily that they had already in a manner renounced the Pope To put a stop to their progress John Wickliff was pronounced a Heretick by a Decree of the Council and it was further ordained that his Memory should be accurs'd that his Bones should be taken out of his Grave and burnt and that all those who maintain'd his Opinions should be prosecuted as guilty of Heresy Then they proceeded to the Bohemians and having likewise condemned their Opinions John Huss and Hierome of Prague were adjudg'd Arch-hereticks and condemn'd to the Flames The death of these two Persons brought a great deal of infamy upon the Emperor Sigismond and the whole Council for being cited to Constance they came thither under the security of the publick Faith which Sigismond had engag'd to Ladislaus King of Bohemia for their safe return Which being so shamefully violated the Bohemians were so incens'd that having made John Zisca a valiant Commander their General they afterwards brought the Emperor into very great Straits But the Council to take away the infamy of this Action decreed that Faith was not to be kept with Hereticks having first consulted Panormitanus and Ludovicus Romanus two Lawyers of great repute who deliver'd this as their Opinion as did also some others whom the Fathers of the Council could sway by their Authority Notwithstanding the more Modern Lawyers were of a contrary Opinion and the Papists themselves were so asham'd of this Decree that they did not offer to violate the publick Faith given to Luther at the Dyet of Worms and afterwards to the Protestants which came to the Council of Trent For what can be more absurd or indeed more impious than that Christians should make no account of their word which was always esteem'd sacred even by the Heathens themselves After these things the Council was wholly intent upon composing the Differences between the Popes For when the Emperor Sigismond was return'd out of England several hainous Crimes were alledg'd against John the Twenty third because he had not laid down the Papacy as he had solemnly promis'd whereupon he fled privately and in disguise from Constance into Austria but being pursued by the Emperor he was taken in the Habit of a Fencer or a Huntsman and brought before the Council by whom he was committed to Prison and some of the chief Men out of every Nation there present being deputed to examine into his Actions he was accused before them of Adultery Incest Witchcraft Murther and other horrid Crimes particularly of Simony that being first made Cardinal and afterwards Pope through Bribery he had set to sale Livings Dignities Bishopricks and Cardinalships Orders Indulgences and all other things belonging to the Church all which being prov'd by Witnesses by the Sentence of the Council he was divested of the Papacy and condemned to Imprisonment There remain'd yet Gregory the Twelfth and Benedict the Thirteenth Gregory when he saw that he must submit sent Charles Malatesta Prince of Ariminum as his
but came to no conclusion For the French shew'd up and down the Picture of Catharine King Charles's Daughter very curiously drawn whom they propos'd in Marriage to King Henry but the English demanding for her Dowry a Million of Crowns together with Normandy Aquitain and the County of Ponthieu independent of the Sovereignty of France the French at length openly refus'd all Terms of accord conceiving that King Charles was not capable of transacting any thing having lately lost his Senses nor the Dauphin who acted in right of another and not for himself nor the Duke of Burgundy who had no power to alienate the Dominions of the Kingdom of France All this while the People of Roan held out very obstinately though they were reduc'd to the greatest Extremities For after six Months siege in which Six thousand Men perished partly by the Sword and partly by Famine those that remain'd were forc'd to feed upon the most loathsome Animals as Dogs Horses and Mice and they were reduc'd to so great a scarcity of all things that as it is reported an Apple was sold for Three Shillings and a Dog for Ten nor could they any longer hope for Relief for King Charles was not well in his Wits and the Princes were engag'd in a Civil War in which all France was involv'd being divided between Charles the Dauphin and John Duke of Burgundy Wherefore two of the Nobility two of the Clergy and two of the Citizens with a Herald were sent out of the Town who falling down at the King's Feet humbly sued for Peace The King sent them to the Archbishop's Tent to whom he had given power together with the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury the Lord Fitz-hugh Sir Walter Hungerford Sir Gilbert Vmfrevil and Sir John Robsert to treat with the Besieged about the Conditions of Surrender The Articles being agreed on which were That the Inhabitants should be safe both in their Persons and their Fortunes and that they should pay 365000 Crowns they deliver'd up the Town This was in the beginning of the Year 1419. and on the 19 th of January the King entred the Town with his Army in a triumphant manner and having fortified it with some new Works he setled there his Exchequer and the principal Court of Judicature for all matters relating to the Province of Normandy After this he conquer'd the rest of Normandy in a little time For first he took Meudon and then Pontoise by storm The other Towns being terrified by the example of that of Roan surrender'd of their own accord The Archbishop of Canterbury staid some time with the King at Roan being entertain'd in a Convent of Preaching Fryers there and afterwards attended him in his Camp at Meudon and Pontoise serving him both in the quality of a Confessor and a Counsellor and did not leave him till the end of August At which time he return d into England that he might hold a Synod and take care of the Government of his Province This Synod was appointed to be held at London on the 30 th of October that the Clergy might consult about granting a supply of Money to the King who was carrying on the War in France with success which the King had given in charge to the Archbishop at his departure out of France and again very lately by Letters The Synod granted half a Tenth upon all Livings and it was also agreed that those that held Chappels or Chantries or that receiv'd Stipends for saying Mass should pay to the King 6 s. 8 d. each but withal a publick Protestation was made by William Lyndewood in the name of the Proctors for the Clergy that this Concession should be no prejudice to them hereafter nor be made a Precedent for succeeding Ages There was brought before this Synod one Richard Walker a Priest in the Diocess of Worcester who was accus'd of Witchcraft and several Books Waxen Images Stones and other Instruments of Charms and Conjuration were produc'd which were afterwards own'd by him and burnt at Paul's Cross John Welles Bishop of Landaff preaching a Sermon upon the Occasion He himself having done solemn Penance in a publick Procession abjur'd that wicked Art After this some Persons were accus'd before the Synod for embracing the Tenets of John Wicklyff who were forc'd to recant and thus the Synod broke up The Archbishop afterwards order'd Processions to be made to all Churches for the King's success in France who at this time by the Providence of God began to conceive some hopes of reducing the Kingdom of France without bloodshed through the Divisions of the French For Philip Duke of Burgundy in revenge of his Father's death whom Charles the Dauphin had treacherously slain at Montereau under pretence of conserring with him made a private League with King Henry by his Ambassadors and promis'd him the Lady Catharine in marriage with all other assistances for the prosecution of his Conquests He only desir'd him to come in person to Troyes and there conclude a Peace publickly with King Charles The Duke of Burgundy had at that time in his power King Charles Queen Isabel and their Daughter Catharine with Paris the chief City of the Kingdom and the whole management of the Government for Isabel who hated the Dauphin had put him by and advanc'd the Duke of Burgundy to the Regency The King that he might not let slip so fair an opportunity of managing all things to his own advantage and being much taken with the great Beauty of the Lady Catharine came with all speed to Troyes where he receiv'd her in marriage at the hands of Charles and Isabel upon these Terms That King Henry during the life of Charles his Father-in-law should have the Government of France with the Title of Regent after whose death he or his Children begotten of the Lady Catharine should succeed in the Kingdom and that the Dauphin should be look'd upon as disinherited and a publick Enemy To these Conditions the Princes and Nobles of France who were there present in great number gave their assent and with the Duke of Burgundy who first took the Oath swore Allegiance to King Henry for they conceiv'd a greater esteem of his Wisdom and Courage when they saw him present amongst them than they had done before from the bare admiration of his Actions at a distance It was toward the end of May 1420. when the Nuptials were solemnized at Troyes the News of which being brought into England the excess of joy wherewith it was universally receiv'd almost lessen'd the belief of the truth of it The Archbishop of Canterbury having left the Office of Vicar general to John Prior of Canterbury and that of Auditor to William Lyndewood on the 10 th of June took shipping at Winchelsea and sail'd over into France to congratulate the King upon his late Marriage and by his Counsels to confirm his new Government He arriv'd