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
Salomons prouerbes Whosoeuer coÌ„mendeth the wicked saieth he and reporteth them righteouse or holye the same shall ones haue the course of the people and the comminalte shall abhorre hym Plentuouse hath the Popes clergie bene in his poynt speciallye in the churche here of Englande Not onlye haue they commaunded vnto vs whoremongers bawdes brybers Idolaters hypocrytes trayters and most fylthy Gomorreanes as Godlye men and women but also they haue canonysed theÌ„ for most holye sayntes set them vp gylt Images in their temples commaunded their vigils to be fasted appoynted them holy dayes and the peoples to do them honoure with euensonges howres processioÌ„s lightes masses ryngynges synginges sensynges and the deuyll and al of suche heythnyshe wares They haue done by vs as theyr olde predecessours the Idolatrouse prestes ded by the auncyent Romanes They haue set vs vp a sorte of lecherouse Goddes to be worshypped in oure temples to be our aduocates and to helpe vs in our nedes In stede of Iupiter Saturne Mercurye Mars Iuno Proserpina Diana and Venus whiche ded all their feates in whoredome as the poetes verefyeth they haue geuen vs Wenefryde Cuthbert Dunstane Oswalde Anselme Bâ—tket Brigyde Audrye Modwen Edith Osith Ethelburge and a greate sort more of vnpure workers out of marryage Marke the lyues of their Englyshe sayntes almoste from the begynnynge ye shall not fynde one of them canonysed for preachynge Christes veryte a ryghte neyther yet for leadynge a lyfe after the perfyght rules of the Gospell Not one commende they for worshyppynge God wythoute mennys tradycyons nor yet for executynge the workes of Mercye vnlesse yt were to their aduauntage Neuer reckened they wedlock anye Godlye estate of lyuynge thoughe yt were an onlye ordre instytuted of God in the begynninge yea for hys prestes also Commonlie they haue dyswaded bothe men and women from yt as from a most pernycyouse euyll or from a myschefe of all myschefes callynge yt folyshnesse fylthynesse beastlynesse a walkynge in darkenesse a mayntenauÌ„ce of lechery a fulfillinge of fleshlye desyres a grounde of all vyce an entraunce of deathe a corruptynge of maydenhode a lake of myserye a clay pytt of vnclennesse a thraldome of Egipt a neâ—te of Sathan a snare of the deuyll a ponde of perdicyon loke Iohan Capgraue in Catalago sanctorum Anglie speciallye in the lyues or legendes of Clarus Eanswyde kyneswyde Etheldrede wenefrede Mylburge and Myldrede wyth suche other lyke and ye shall fynde my wordes moste true In the hystorye of Saynt Vrsula haue they named theÌ„ Angels of darkenesse whiche hath persuaded marryage laufull Of whose noÌ„bre was firste God the eternall Father and than Moses and the Prophetes for the olde lawe And afterwarde Iesus Christe hys eternall Sonne wyth Peter Paule the other apostles for the newe lawe Were not the men thynke yow we le ouerseane So peruerse stomakes haue they borne to women that the more parâ—e of their temptynge spretes they haue made she deuyls loke their Saintes legendes but he that tempted Christ was an he deuyll a relygyouse deuyll and a prestlye deuyll WhaÌ„ they haue bene tempted wyth lecherouse spretes in the lykenesse of women they haue they saye by the suffren vertu of holy water turned them into deuyls agayne But neuer were they yet so connynge with all their holye water as to make of theyr whores honest marryed women No yt is not their ordre to do suche myracles In the lyfe of Saynt Godrick is mencyon of a she deuyll but in the conclusion he apereth with hangynge ware of no small quantyte hauinge hys yonge ones folowynge hym wyth shauen crownes Of a lykelyhode therfor he was some spirituall he tempted hys chyldren wythin holye orders Such power had Saynt Guthlake ouer those watchinge wormes that he made them to tarry with hym and to buylde hym vp a monastery at Ascendyck now called Crowlande some saye To be short in thys matter Their sayntes in a maner were all vnmaried If anye were maryed that wolde nedes be sayntes they were anon compelled by othe or by the waye of penaunce to leaue their makes to the occupieng of others the man his wyfe and the woman her husbande as ye shal beholde in this boke by most plentuouse examples For matrimony hath euer bene suche a blacke bugge in their sinagoge and churche that neuer wolde canonysacyon serue yet where as was in place Notwithstanding we are throughly assertayned by innumerable scripturs and argumentes that matrimonye is of God and by their innumerable examples of fylthynesse that their vowed wyuelesse and husbandelesse chastyte is altogyther of the deuyll Sens the gloriouse aperaunce of the Gospell haue that Sodomiticall swarme or brode of Antichrist that ye call the spiritualte bene oft tymes admonyshed of their fleshlye errours by the manyfest scripturs therof that they shulde ones repente theyr most horryble myschefes and graunt vnto maryage the fredome due therunto And what haue they done thynke you Nothynge els at all but laughed them to scorne reportynge them to be but fables and lyes The learned allegacyons reasons and argumentes of Philyp MelaÌ„chton Luther Lambert Pomerane Barnes and suche other they haue hearde but the answere is yet to make They mocke and mowe at them like Iack a napes or lyke them which went vp downe by the crosse whan Christ was crucyfyed and that is ynough for them For they haue it of their popes lawe to answere no man yea although they wryte their abhominacions to the vttermoste vnlesse they haue hym in preson I haue therfor thought yt best seynge they regarde not the sacred scrypturs to laye before them their abhomynable practyses and examples of fylthynesse by their owne legendes Chronicles and sayntes Liues that all men maye knowe what legerdemaynes they haue vsed and what lecherouse liues they haue led here in Englande â–ª sens the worldes beginninge Lete them now be ashamed of their beastlynesse or els put on their mothers face altogither In the first part of this boke maye men breuelie beholde how and by whome this realme was firste inhabited which thynge hath bene hytherto in all Englysh Chronicles doubtfullie vnagreablye yea and vntrulie treated vpon coniecturs fantasies and lies onlye by reason of ignoraunce in the scripturs and moste auctorised histories They shall also perceyue what peoples haue here by all ages remained what doctrines hath bene thaught by their true and false prophetes what worshippinges of God they haue vsed and what lawes in religion they haue folowed Finallie they shall knowe clerelie the deceytfull workemanship of the instrumentes of Sathan their Bishoppes prestes monkes with other disgised locustes of the same generacion Whose contynuall stodye labour and seking was alwaies to blinde them by a colour of chast lyuynge makinge them to beleue that their maryenge of wiues was a prophane layte a brutishe beastlynesse and a thynge which greatlye dyspleased God Their owne vowynge of vyrgynyte was againe
euer after the names of iij. Goddeses He called Bezola venus Roza Iuno and Stephana Zemele Of these harlottes one made Boso her bastarde Byshop of Placencia the other made Theobaldus her mysbegetten the archedeacon of Myllayne and the third was not all behynde with her fylthye frute also LiuthyraÌ„dus TicineÌ„sis li. 3. Ca. 6. That vowe of chastite I trowe is sumwhat worth whan it hath suche feates in bawdye bytcherye as all the worlde besydes is ignoraunt of It were great pytie but it were so hygh aduaunced and maynteyned by pryncelye polityque lawes they becommynge seruauntes therunto by makynge lawes for the vpholdynge therof ¶ A most hygh example of holye churches chastyte ALbericus the sonne of Marozia by her first husbande Albert beynge Marques of Hetruria and kynge of Italye compelled the Romanes hys subiectes partlye by great rewardes partlye by stronge threttenynges to admyt hys sonne Octauyane to the papacye whiche was geuen to al ryot and vyce from his very infancye Notwithstandynge for hys pleasure they agreed thervnto in the year of our lorde DCCCC and. lvi and named hym Iohan the. xij Thys holy successour of Peter and vycar of Christ as they call popes was accused of his Cardinalles and Byshoppes vnto the Emperour Otho in the generall Synode at Rome that he woulde saye no seruice he massed without consecracion he gaue holye orders in hys stable he made boyes Byshoppes for money he woulde neuer blesse hymselfe he forced not to be periured and made the holy palace of Laternense a verye stewes For he kepte therein Raynera the wyfe of hym that was knyght for hys own body and gaue her great possessioÌ„s with benefices goldeÌ„ chalyces and crosses He helde also Stephana and her syster whiche had bene his fathers concubine and had by her a bastarde not long afore He occupied at hys pleasure Anna a freshe wydowe her doughter also and doughters doughter He spared neyther hygh nor lowe olde nor yonge poore nor rytche fayre nor foule they sayd so that no womeÌ„ durst come vnto Rome on pylgrymage in hys tyme. Neyther reuerenced he anye place but would do it euery where yea vpon their very aulters He woulde hawke hunte daunce leape dyce sweare fyght ryot ronne straye abrode in the nyght breakynge vp dores and wyndowes and burne manye mennes howses One of hys Cardynalles he gelded he put out an others eyes whiche had bene hys Godfathers Of some he borowed an hande of some a tounge a fynger a nose an eare In his dyce playnge would he cal vpon yll spirites and drynke to the deuyll for loue Thus was he in the ende deposed tyll his dere diamondes sett handes vnto it for they ruled all and caused the Romaynes to set hym in agayne ¶ Dunstanes autoryte against marryed priestes THe papacye helde this Iohan the xij for the space of ix yeares iij. monthes and. v dayes and was striken of the deuyl they saye as he was lyenge in bedde with a mans wyfe and so dyed within viij dayes after without howsell or shrift they saye All this writeth of hym the forsayd Liuthprandus lib. 6. Cap 6. and so furth v. chapters more to the ende almoste of his boke whiche at the same self tyme dwelt at Ticina in Italy This is he of whom the byworde ryse As myrye as Pope Iohan. Vnto thys holye vycar of Sathan successour of Symon Magus went Dunstane out of Englande in the yeare of our Lorde DCCCC and. lx to be confirmed archebyshop of Caunterburye And there receyued therewith for a great summe of money autorise power of the Beast Apoc. 13. vtterlye to dyssolue priestes maryage that hys monkes by that meanes myght possesse the cathedral churches of Englande as within a whyle after they did This Dunstane as witnesseth IoaÌ„ Capgraue was the first that in this real me compelled men and women to vowe chastyte and to kepe claustrale obedyence agaynst the fre doctryne of Saynte Paule 1. Cor. 7. Gal. 5. Forbyddynge marryage instytuted of God whiche is the verye doctrine of deuyls 1. Timot. 4 Thys is the worthye orygynall and first foundacion of monkes and priestes professed chastyte in Englande Marke it with the sequele and tell me hereafter whethâ—r it be of the deuyll or naye ¶ Dunstane execute hys deuylyshe commission THis craftye merchaunde Dunstone as he was returned agayn into England by autorite of this most execrable monstre and wycked Antichrist gaue a strayght commaundemeÌ„t that priestes out of haÌ„de shuld put away their lawfull wyues whoÌ„ that brent coÌ„scienced hypocryte called the vessels of fornycacyon els would he he sayd accordyng to hys commission put them both from benefyce and lyuynge And where as he perceyued the benefyces most welthye there was he most gredye â—pon them and shewed most vyolence â—yranny For whan the hygh deanes of â—athedrall churches masters of colleges prebendes persones and vycars would not at so beastly a commaundement leaue their wyues and chyldren so desolate without all naturall ordre he gote vnto hym the great power of kyng Edgare to assyst that cruell commyssyon of hys procured for moneye of the former Antichrist of Rome and by force thereof in manye places most tyrannously expelled them IoaÌ„nes Capgraue In Catologo sanctorum Anglie Reade all the Byble and Chronycles ouer of Nemroth Pharao Antioche Nero Decius Traianus with other lyke and I thynke ye shall not fynde a more tyrannouse example No not in cruell Herode hys selfe For though he slewe the innocent babes yet demynyshed he not the lyuynge of the fathers and mothers but thys tyraunt toke all with hym If he had sought a Godlye reformacion where marryage was abused it had bene sumwhat commendable But hys huntynge was to destroye it all togyther as an horryble vyce in priestes and in place therof to sett vp Sodome and Gomor by a sort of Hypocryte Monkes so chaungynge all Godlye ordre ¶ Kynge Edgare is brought vndre thereby THus became the face first of the Brytonysh and then of the Englysh churche sore changed blemyshed and by whoryshe commyssions froÌ„ the whoryshe byshoppes of the whorysh Synagoge of Rome was made all togyther whoryshe Proue me here in a lyer and an heretike if ye can for I wyl by the helpe of God stande by that I write here to the ende of my lyfe If ye can not I speake onlye to yow papistical byshoppes and priestes graunt your selues to be the most theues heretikes seducers of the people that euer yet reigned vpon the earthe for maynteynynge for holynesse so deuelysh a knauerye Immediatlye after thys be fell a sore chaunce as God would Kyng Edgare which was euer a great whore mastre and a tyraunte as the Chronycles report hym had a do with a yonge mayde called wilfrith brought vp in the nondrye of wylton parauenture to their
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
the least the fathers of them were neuer yet knowen Saynt Dubrice that was afterwarde the great archebyshoppe of Cairlegion and metropolytane of all the lande had a mayde to his mother called Eurdila but neuer wold she confesse hym to haue any father Saynt Kentigerne byshoppe of glasghon that ye now call Saynt Asses or Asaphes had in lyke case a fayre mayde to hys forth bryngar but farther would she graunt none to hym for no coÌ„pulsion Merlyne also the great sothsayer of wales was an holy Nonnes sonne in saynt Peters of Cairmardyne no father yet knowne to him but a sprete of the ayre The first ij sheweth Iohan Capgraue in Catalago sanctorum Anglie And this lattre wondre is mencioned of all famouse writers A great sort of these histories could I rehearse but these are ynough at this time ¶ Like examples are among the Turkes SOche an other knauerye is vsed among the Turkes religyouse buggerers to this present daye and those children that are begotten among them are holden for most holy sayntes as these were They take it for no maruele that Christ was borne of a virgine for they say they haue such among them at all times But to turne agayn to my purpose The cause why the fathers of the afore seyde chyldren might not than be knowne was this Iohan Capgraue sayth The â—â—w was that time in Britayne that if a yong wenche had be begotten with childe in her fathers howse or any where els this was her iudgement She shuld haue bene brought vnto an high mountayn and there throune downe headlonges her corruptour being byheaded Yf this law had still continued and neuer so bene put to the spirituall court without conscyence neuer had the vowe of their chastite ronne so farre as it hath done to many a thousandes dampnacion ¶ More Sayntes yet begatten in whoredome SAynt Dauid of wales the great archebyschop of Meneuia whiche had so manye prophecyers and so manye Angels sente afore to geue warnynge of his comming xxx yeares ere he was borne was begotten out of maryage in stinkynge whoredome For hys mother was a Nonne and his father the earle of a contrey there called Cairdigam shyre A prynce called Dyhocus in Kynge Arthurs tyme inflamed at the deuyls suggestyon with fleshlye loue of his owne naturall doughter begat of her saynt Kynede the holy hermyte that in Wales wrought so manye great myracles One Dubtacus an Irysh man begate holy saynt Brigide of his mayde seruaunt called Brocsech eueÌ„ vnderuech hys wyues nose to spyght her wyth it which had so many reuelacyon from heauen and so many popes pardons from Rome Saynt Cuthbert the great God of the Northe and he that was wonte to defende vs from the Scottes was a misbegotten also for his mother was vnmarried And his father in Irelande to haue the good occupieng of her slewe both her father and mother These were the spirituall beginninges of the Sayntes of that age If ye beleue not me loke Iohan Capgraue in Catalpgo sanctorum Angliae and he shall tell ye much more of the matter I coude shew yow many more yet of such holy sayntes birthes but lete these for this time suffise ¶ Whoredome estemed most holinesse MArke how abhominable whoryshnesse in all these whorish frutes is auaunced of that whorish Rome churche to the great blemyshynge of Godly marryage The spirituall Sodomites and knaues hath not bene ashamed to write it in the liues and lieng legendes of al these that is to saye of Dubricius Dauid Kinedus Kentigerne Cuthberth and Brigide with soche like and solempnely so to reade and sing it as Gods seruyce in their temples that they were sanctifyed in their mothers wombes Se what aduauncementes they haue for stynking whoredome and how litle deuocion to chast marriage instituted of God Neuer were the sonnes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob of Moyses Eleazar and Phinees so paynted out with miracles and wonders nor yet so pranked vp with tabernacles and lightes sensinges and massinges as these whoresbirdes Thus iudge they whoredom holynesse wholsome mariage sinne Come out of Sodome ye whoremongers and Hipocrites popish bishoppes and prestes for as yet ye haue not refourmed this abhominacion but still vpholde it for your Romish Gods seruice Come our theues and knaues come out ¶ Women greuouse and solaciouse What a do these holy sayntes of theirs had and their vowers whaÌ„ they come ones to vowes makinge for women and with womeÌ„ as to kepe them out of their monasterirs to make theÌ„ beare children whan they were barreÌ„ it were an infinite thing to write Saynt Dauids monkes were skeared way with naked women at a broke side in Rosidaeualle So were Saynt Theliaes hermites also in an other place not farre from thens Saynt Dubrices bretherne had many hote mouinges in their fleshe and were fayne oft tymes to stande naked in the colde riuer Saynt Kentigernes disciples toke great paynes vpon them to make baren women frutefull Whan saynt Brigida was at the very poynt of marryage she stole away preuely with her iij. maydes and wayted longe after vpon bishop Machill doing many great cures in his seruyce with holy water Saynt Modwen also after such an other sort wayted vpon bishop Hiber and his bretherne with her maydes A woman the same season accused Bishop Broon for begetting her wyth childe and Brigide like a good body by a charme or ij made all safe agayne As one of her maydes was going to her louer a prestes bed for returninge agayne in time she coude her muche thanke All these holy histories shall ye finde in Iohan Capgraue ¶ A spirytuall example of a votarye SAint Iltute or Elcute which had bene alwayes a moste valeaunte captayne amonge the Brytaynes at the suggestion of saint Cadoc an Hermite put from him his moste vertuouse and chast wyfe leauyng her nothing els to lyue vpon but barly breade and water on homelye repast for her that hadde bene a lady and tenderly brought vp And as she on a tyme resorted vnto him only to haue heard the swete worde of the Lorde her comminge thydre so sore discontented hys mynde that with a charme he put out both her eyes For I an certayn it came by no Godly power he beinge ledde of so Godly a sprete If this be saynt Paules learning a man so miserably to leaue his wife and so vngodly to vse her for axynge good counsell I report me to yow Yet must he be still a saynt in the Popes holy churche bycause he was a tiraunt to marriage for non other holynesse had he Such sayntes recken I more fit for hell than for heauen We le this story hath also IohaÌ„ Capgraue in Catalogo sanctorum Anglye ¶ Vrsula with her sort appoynted to marrye OF Vrsula and her xi thousande companions haue the spirituall hypocrites
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
terrestryall aungelles of the folyshe worlde whan they were the very drosse of the deuyll and poyson of all Christyanyte A great nombre therfore of godly men both in Germany Fraunce perceyuynge the great abhomynacyons that wolde folowe therof myghtely styll resysted both Hyldebrande the Pope and also hys great synode of Italysh prelates callynge hym a cruell heretyke and authour of pernycyouse doctryne and them the malygnaunt counsell of Sathan This wyckednesse is wrought saye they not by any sprete of God but by the only suggestyon of Sathan For their most deuylysh decre is directly repugnaunt to the worde of God Christ sayde that no man can awaye with that sayenge saue they to whoÌ„ it is gyuen S. Paule had no commaundement for virgynyte The Apostles wolde not requyre it the olde counsels durst not attempt it But alwayes was marryage fre to them that could not refrayne What meane these hypocrites than to compell naturall men by force of tyranny to lyue the lyfe of Angels whych is a thynge impossyble to their weake nature By thys cruell constytucyon they make open the way to all fylthynesse in the fleshe If they wyll haue such mynysters lete theÌ„ fatche them from heauen for in the earth they are not to be had Thys was the clamour of them whych in that age feared God doubted the myschefes of Antichrist Lambertus Sigebertus Vrspergius Nauclerus Robertus Barnes ☞ Hyldebrande made the church a full Sodome NO small commendacyons hath thys sorcerouse monke and vicar of the deuyll among the hystorianes and chronycle writers after his tyme. As were Otho Frisingensis Platina Stella Sabellicus Blondus Bergomas Aeneas VVicelius and suche other He is magnyfyed aboue the starres for his rebellyouse treason and tyranny agaynst the vertuouse emprour holden of them for a most earnest myghty and constaunt defender of Antichristes oyled kyngedome whyche they call holy churche Thys maistre of myschefe and organe of the deuyll brought by that meanes the mynysters to an ydelnesse and defyled the church with most execrable buggery Amonge all his canon lawes and synodall constytucyons he gaue out no commaundement that prestes shulde do no lecherie nor yet get chyldren but only that they shulde not marry And thys was to put in full practyse that God had afore premonyshed hys churche of by his sonne Iesus Christe by hys holye Angell by Iohan hys electe Apostle thre able wytnesses Apoca. i. That is to saye the great cytie whych is called a spirytualte and is the churche malygnaunt shulde be in effecte a very Sodome and Egipte Apoca. xi Of necessyte myghte that be no fable that was of so able witnesses vttered afore hande so earnestly Some therfore must haue fulfylled it no remedy and none so effectually as thys hellysh sodomyte Hyldebrand by forbyddynge of marryage in hys clergy and by deifyenge the Eucharistycall breade These ij poyntes chefely made the Romysh churche a Sodome and an Egipte by dyssemblynge vowes and a couÌ„terfet presthode How nondryes anon after were buylded boyes apes and bytches prouyded to qualyfie the breche heates of these holy buggerers and to saue the outward shyne of their boasted chastyte it requyreth further processe to be declared ☞ Marryed prestes are bayted wyth a bulle ROger Houeden plainely reporteth it in the first boke of hys chronycles that the clergy contempnyng the byshop of Romes malycyouse threttenynges chose rather to dwell styll vndre hys great curse than to leaue their marryed wyues ThaÌ„ practysed the seyd byshop to vexe them and to ponnysh them by others as testyfieth Mathew of Westmynstre in the thyrde boke of hys flowres of historyes procurynge the commen people to be the instrumeÌ„tes of his tyranny That he myght the more fearcely chastyse them sayth he and so vtterly dryue them from the embracinges of their wyues he forbad the laye people to heare their masses and charged them fynally to destroye their lyuynges by thys bulle folowynge Gregory the Pope otherwyse called HyldebraÌ„â— the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God sâ—ndeth the Apostles blessyng to all theÌ„ within the kyngdomes of Italy Germany that sheweth their true obedience vnto S. Peter If there be any prestes deacons subdeacons that styll wyl remayne in the synne of fornycacyon we forbyd them the churches enteraunce by the omnypotent power of God and by the autoryte of S. Peter tyll tyme they amende and repent But if they perseuer in their synne we charge that none of yow presume to heare their seruyce For their blessyng is turned into a curse and their prayer into synne as the lorde doth testifye by hys prophete I wyll curse your blessynges ce Thys bulle hath Symeon of Durham and Roger Houeden the one in the seconde the other in the first boke of their chronycles besydes other wryters ☞ Laye people worshyppeth the beast and hys Image MVche good stuffynge is in thys bulle whan it iudgeth marryage a fornycacyon condempnyng it by S. Peters autoryte whose doctryne to thys daye both alloweth it and commendeth it for a state of ryghteousnesse coÌ„parynge the marryed persones to AbrahaÌ„ and Sara i. Pet. iij. Neyther is the blessyng of any man turned into a curse or his prayer into synne for marryage but rather for seducynge of Gods people by supersticyons and hypocresy wylfully resystyng the holy ghost Mala. ij Psal. cviij as in thys handy bulle maker and hys other bullish begles whose blasphemouse actes are wele knowne Radulphus de Diceto sayth in hys Image of storyes that in the yeare of our lorde a M. and lxxv thys terryble turmoylyng agaynst prestes marryage gaue more occasyon of blasphemouse slaundre than euer ded heresy in the church For by that meanes sayth he the laye people contempned holy orders they reiected ecclesyastycall subiectyon and abhorred the mysteryes of God They despysed the presthode of their curates in fury madnesse they brent their tythes trode vndre their fylthie feie their consecrate hostes Thus honoured they the fowled beast and hys ymage Apocal. xiij But thys gaue a great rayse to Antichristes proude and ambycyouse reigne as herafter shall apere Thomas Rudborne and Mathew of Westmynstre sayth that in the nexte yeare folowynge was a terryble earthquake with a certen blusterynge noyse ouer all EnglaÌ„d wherby God declared to the worlde hys anger for suche excedyng wyckednesse as he hath done other tymes more at the lattre daye to be reuenged vtterly ☞ The treason of prelates and extorsyon of byshop Walter BYshoppes abbotes and prelates of the Englysh brode not hauyng Wyllyam conquerour a kynge to their myndes caused it by lytle and lytle to be noysed a broade amonge the people in the seyd yeare of our lorde a M. ixxv. how it neither stode with reason nor yet with conscyence that a bastarde or mysbegetten man as he was shulde haue the Englysh nacyon in gouernauÌ„ce what
vytayles but also of the fowles fode Amos. viij Whych is the veryte of God and sede of saluacyoÌ„ Marke chronicon Sigeberti Mathew Paris Mathew of Westmynstre Roger Houeden Scalamundi and chronicon chronicorum Yea to make the matter more playne vnto vs for the fulfyllynge of those hydden scryptures in our owne nacyon Radulphus de Diceto Sigebertus and Thomas Rudborne in their chronycles addeth thus muche to the storye Amonge the whych fallen starres saye these autours one which was the greatest of theÌ„ all semed to fall on the other syde of the sea in Fraunce as it had bene a blasyng fyre brand And whan the place was marked in Normandy and dylygently sought out the searchers behelde a fearful flutteryng and terryble boylynge in a serten water an horryble stynkynge smoke arysynge therof By thys partycular fallen starre is signyfyed first Lanfrancus afterwardes Anselmus ij Normandy moÌ„kes archebyshoppes of Canterbury by whome in those dayes was all the hurly hurly turmoyle and change in relygyon here in Englande Lanfrancus conteÌ„ding for transubstancyacyon of the Eucharysticall breade to aduaunce ydolatry and Anselmus condemnynge the marryage of prestes and autoryte of prynces for inuestynge of prelates to sett vp sodometry impunyte of synne in the clergye Wherby the one was constytute the adoptyue sonne of Antichrist and the other the pope of England as hereafter wyll apere The water betokeneth the wauerynge multytude and the stynkynge smoke the fylthie doctryne of those fallen starres ☞ Of a lecherouse byshop and ij supersticyouse earles RObert Bloet whyche had bene a monke of Euesham abbeye went not thens so poore but that he was able to gyue for the byshopryck of Lyncolne fyue thousand pounde in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcij. after the death of Remigius By lyke he had bene abbot of the place that he was so wele mouyed Never was Orpheus Palemon nor Sardanapalus more expert they saye in the fyne feates of lecherie than he was For Wylliam of Malmesbury reporteth that he was totus libidinosus all gyuen to fylthie lyuynge And yet he was brought vp in the cloystre vndre Saint Benets rule a great professour of chastyte and a worthie gouernour in that relygyon At the last he dyed sodenly and was buryed at Lyncolne where as the church kepers were sore anoyed they saye with his sowle and other walking spretes tyll that place was pourged by prayers Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis li iiij de pontifi Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas Rudborne ac Polydorus Whan Roger the earle of Shrowesbury perceyued ones that he coulde not lyue muche longar he sent Reynolde the pryour of Shrowesbury to Clunyake in Fraunce for the kyrtle of holy Hugh the abbot there that by lycence of Adelyse hys wyfe he myght for socour of hys sowle depart to God in the heate of hys holynesse As muche mede had he therof Treuisa sayth as had Malkyn of her maydenhede whych no man was hasty on Hugh the olde earle of Chestre beynge spoke vnto death in the same selfe yeare caused by the entysement of Anselme the prestes clerely to be expelled out of the high churâ—he of Westchestre and the monkes to be placed there for them So frantyck were the worldly rulers in thys age Henricus huntendune li. xi Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa Fabianus alij ☞ Of byshop Herbert whych buylded Christes church at Norwych Thys Herbert was called by surname losinga the father whyche bigate hym was Robert the abbot of Wynchestre But who was hys mother the story telleth not to leaue it as a secrete matter within relygyon First was he here in Englande by fryndeshyp made abbot of Ramseye and afterwardes byshop of Thetforde by flattery and fat payment in the yeare of our lorde a M. xci For the which he is named in the chronycles yet to this day the â—yndelyng matche of symony and that noteth hym no small doar in that feate Notwithstandyng he so repented that symony they saye that he went to Rome and there resigned vp hys ryng pastorall hoke to Pope Vrbanus the seconde in the yeare of our lord a M. xciiij not without an other great summe of moneye ye maye be sure for there myghte nothynge passe without ready payment But here ye maye axe me whye the byenge of a byshoprycke was symony in England and not at Rome Wherunto I answere For in Englande a kynge receyued the moneye whych hath none autoryte to meddle in that marte of byenge sellynge wantyng the character or marke of the beast whych they haue at Rome Apo. xiij Also they haue lyberte in that generacyon to iudge blacke whyte euyll good sower swete and darkenesse lyghte also to wurke therafter Esa. v. And whan he had ones returned home agayne by vertu of Antichristes commissyon he remoued hys seate of poysenynge Christes flocke from Thetforde to Norwyche in the yeare of our lorde a M. xcvi dyspossessynge the prestes and theyr wyues and placynge the monkes in their rowmes to make that church a Sodome Guilhelmus Malmesburiensis Radulphus de Diceto Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus VVestmonasteriensis Ranulphus Rogerus Thomas rudborne Ioannes Eucresden Ioannes Capgraue Fabianus alij ☞ The robbery symony and sacrilege of the seyd Herbert OF thys byshop Herbert were many straunge thynges written but yet very couertly and craftely I thynke to hyde the open shewe of hys euyls because he was so great an abbeye foundar Some there were that scoffyngly bestowed vpon hys predecessour Arfastus and hym thys texte Non hunc sed Barrabam Ioan xviij Not hym but Barrabas For Arfastus had translated the byshopryck from Helmam to Thetforde whyche were in those dayes but vyllages But he traÌ„slated it froÌ„ theÌ„s to Norwych whyche was a famouse towne and of great occupyenge An other sort gaue thys texte by the waye Amice ad quid uenisti Mathae xxvi Frende wherfore art thou come Thus slyely they compared hym to Barrabas and Iudas whych both were theues Malmesburius Ranulphus Treuisa Moreouer a Poete or versyfyer of that age made these verses of hym Surgit in ecclesiam monstruÌ„ genitore losinga Simonidum secta canonum uirtute resecta Petre nimis tardas nam Simon ad ardua tentat Si praesens esses non Simon ad altauolaret Proh dolor ecclesiae nuÌ„misuenduntur aere Filius est praesul pater abba Simon uterque Quid non speremus si nummos possideamus Omnia nummus habet quod uult facit addit aufert Res nimis iniusta nummis fit praesul abba ¶ A monstre is vp the sonne of Losinga Whyls the lawe seketh Symony to flea Peter thou slepest whyls Simon taketh tyme If thou wert present Symon shulde not clyme Churches are prysed for syluer golde The soÌ„ne a bishop the father an abbot olde What is not gotten if we haue rychesse Moneye obtayneth in
Abbotes deposed and prestes in Northfolke depryued IN this solempne counsell a great nombre of abbottes were deposed and dysgraded chefely these by name Guye the abbot afperscour Aldewyne the abbot of Ramseye Wymunde the abbot of Tauestoc Godryck the abbot of Peterburgh Haymo the abbot of Ceruel Agelryck the abbot of MydeltoÌ„ Richard the pryour of Hely Robert the abbot of S. Edmondes Bury the abbot of Mycelney the abbot of Stoke certen others I thynke it was for hauntyng of whores or for bandy rule kepynge For Simeon of Durham Radulphus Niger Roger Houeden Iohan Euersdene and other historyanes report that they lyued without all honestie Byshopp Herbert of Norwych had muche a do with the prestes of hys dyocese anon after this counsell For they wolde neyther leaue their wyues nor yet gyue ouer their benefyces Wherupon he wrote to Anselme the archebyshopp for counsell what was to be done therin Whyche Anselme requyred hym by writinge to persuade the people of Northfolke and Southfolke that as they professed a Christianite they shuld subdue them as rebelles agaynst the churche and vtterly dryue both them and their marryed wyues out of the contreye with rebukes and shame placynge monkes in their rowmes Loke the C. lxxvi epystle of Anselme This was the reuerence that the fallen starres had in those dayes of hypocrâ—sye to that holye ordynaunce of marryage whych God had prouyded for mannys naturall necessyte O subtyle Sodomytes how deuylyshely demented yow mennys eyes in that age that they ded not perceyue your wycked sorceryes ☞ The raylynge ryme of a folysh monke ABout the same tyme as malycyouse moÌ„ke or beast without all good learnynge made these folysh verses in dyspyght of the marryed prestes and set them vpon doores and postes to cause the people to abhorre theÌ„ for their marriages O male uiuentes uersus audite sequentes Vxores uestras quas odit summa potestas Linquite propter euÌ„ tenuit ê— morte trophaeuÌ„ Quod si non facitis inferni claustra petetis Christi spoÌ„sa iubet ne presbyterille ministret Qui tenet uxoreÌ„ domini quia perdit amorem Contradicentem fore dicimus insipientem Non exrancore loquor haec potius sed amore Ye prestes that lyue so naughtyly Heare these my verses by and by Your wyues forsake whome God doth hate For the lambes sake immaculate If ye do not ye shall to helle The spowse of Christ bad me so telle She wylleth no prest any masse to saye Whych hath a wyfe but that he decaye We call hym a fole that beleue not thus I speake not of hate by swete Iesus Thys founde I at Ramseye abbeye in a lyttle treatyse de monachatu Was it not good stuffe to confounde prestes marryage with Where founde thys raskal moÌ„ke that marryage was a naughty lyfe eyther yet that God euer hated the wyfe of a preste consyderynge that Abraham Aaron and Peter pleased their lorde God in marryage Who wolde for righteousnesse thretten helle but a fylthie Antichrist knaue Neuer was it Christes dere spowse that forbad the mynystracyon of a marryed mynyster but the sorcerouse synagoge of the deuyll They are godly wyse that withstande this hypocresy of SathaÌ„ and no foles though thys beastly fole so call them of a spyghtfull hate agaynst the veryte of the lorde ☞ The earnest resystaunce of Yorke dyocese GErarde the archebyshop of Yorke whan he was ones satled at home after the aforesayd great counsell laboured to sett that waye of wyckednesse in hys prouynce of Yorke that Anselme had planted afore hym in the prouynce of Canterbury For as the kynges had their regyons of God so had these sorcerers their sorted out prouynces of the tyrannt of Rome and wolde be aboue them within their owne nacyons as their wycked maistre wolde be aboue God in hys monarchycall meddelynges Whan thys Gerarde had begonne hys feates to depryue the prestes of their wyues not only ded they knytt hym vp with bytynge wordes but also they manfully reasoned argued and dysputed with hym And whan that wold not helpe they sharpely threttened hym and reuyled hym saynge if they myghte not by the newe statute holde wyues of their owne they wolde not spare the wyues of their neybers make what lawes they wolde Professyon of chastyte wolde they none make otherwyse than was their olde custome Neyther coulde he cause them by any persuasyon to take their newe orders whyche had none orders afore for doubt of the vowe annexed newly to them And muche a do he had with the archedeacons sonne whome for a certen summe of moneye he had made sure of hys fathers lyuynges afore hys dysseace Bicause it was done afore that great synode he wolde gladly haue dyssolued it but it wolde not so come to passe Loke the epystles of Anselme in the lattre ende ☞ An other Synode at London for Sodomytes IN the next yeare after thys great counsel at Westmynstre for prestes diuorcementes which was the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. iij. rumours and complayntes were brought to Anselme that the lande was sore replenyshed with the execrable vyce of Sodometry sens the clergye was inhybyted marryage Thus entered in thys plage here with the wyckednesse of the Romanes for our vnbeleues sake as S. Paule afore prophecyed Roman i. Than was Anselme compelled to call an other counsell at Paules within London where as he specyally enacted it amonge other matters that euery sondaye in the yeare the Sodomytes shulde be pronounced excommunycate Ranulphus Rogerus Treuisa He ordayned also that no cattell shulde be sold that daye to seme to sytt vpon other matters so wele ae vpon that sumwhat to shadowe the filthienesse of his masmoÌ„gers Wilye wer the wurkers in that wicked generacioÌ„ to blind so the syght of the simple The acte for Sodometrye was this Sodomiticum flagitium facientes eos in hac uoluntate inuaÌ„tes graui anathemate damnamus donec poenitentia confessione absolutionem mercantur Wyth a greuouse curse we condempne both them that occupye the vngracyouse vyce of sodometrye and them also that wyllyngly assyst them or be wycked doars with them in the same tyll suche tyme as they maye deserue absolucyon by penaunce and confessyon Is not here thynke yow good matter and relygyously handeled Wher was the learnynge of the lorde yea where were godly gouernours in thys wycked age Oh that the people of God shulde be ledde by such helhoundes and theues as these sodometrouse shauelynges were ☞ A generall curse agaynst Buggerers NOw foloweth the rest of thys acte marke it good reader thou shalt beholde these holy canonysed deuyls in their owne ryght colours Qui uero in hoc crimine publicatus suerit statutum est siquidem fuerit persona religiosi ordinis ut ad nullum amplius gradum promoueatur si quem habet ab illo deponatur Si autem
the kynge and Maude the empresse he called a counsel of prelates and enacted it for a lawe that what so euer he were that layed violent handes vpon a churche man he stode accursed wyth boke belle and candell and mighte of none be assoyled but of the popes owne persone He ordeyned also that no preste froÌ„ thens fourth shulde assiste any kinge in his warres Ioannes Hagustaldensis in historia xxv annoruÌ„ Rogerus Houeden Giraldus Cambrensis Mattheus Paris Polydorus Ranulphus ☞ The kynge enprisoneth the canons wiues of Paules RAdulphus de Diceto doth shewe it plainely in his abreuiacioÌ„s of chronycles that in the yeare of our lord 1137. The kinge was in displeasure with William the deane Raufe Langforde Richarde Belmeis and thâ— other canons of Paules at London about the eleccion of their bishop For coÌ„trary to his expectacion they had chosen Amselme the other Anselmes nephew which was than abbot of Burie a man of suspected liuing as witnessed Turstanus in an epistle to the pope Wherupon the king toke all their wiues otherwise called their kichine maydes for doubt of the spiritual lawes in their best apparelinges and put theÌ„ all in the tower of London Where as they were kept very straightly and not deliuered againe withoute bodily shame deminishment of their fame and greuouse expenses the storie saith The bishoppes archedeacoÌ„s chauÌ„celloures deanes were in those daies most coÌ„menly al of one kindred as the seide Radulphus reporteth The bishop of Ro. InnoceÌ„t than wrote into England that Peters litle ship being long tossed on the water vexed troubled oppressed of enemies was very like if remedy were not fouÌ„d in time to be ouer rowne drouned the shourges of scismatikes of heretikes wer so great Loke Ricardus Hagustaldensis in hys small treatyse de bello Standardico IoaÌ„nes hagustaldeÌ„sis in descriptione eiusdem belli By the scysmatykes he ment those prestes whych wolde not leaue their wyues at hys wycked persuasyons and by the lytle shyppe hys owne sorcerouse synagoge of besmered shauelynges ☞ An other counsell holden agaynst prestes and their wyues VPon thys occasyon came Albericus the byshop of Hostyense in post from Rome in the yeare of our lorde a M.a. C. and. xxxviij as the vycege rent of Pope Innocent the second in Englande and Scotlande Thys Albericus called a synode at Westmynstre in the xiij daye of Decembre for thys whole regyoÌ„ wherin he had to assocyate hym xviij byshoppes and. xxx abbottes besydes the greate nomber of other dysgysed prelates Hys chefe actes were that no preste deacoÌ„ nor subdeacon shulde holde a wyfe or woman within hys howse vndre payne of dysgradynge from his Christendome and playne sendynge to helle That no prestes sonne shuld clayme any spirytuall lyuyng by heretage That none shulde take benefyce of any laye man That none were admytted to cure whyche he had not the letters of hys orders That prestes shuld do no bodyly labour And that their transubstancyated God shuld dwell but. viij dayes in the boxe for feare of worme eatynge mowlyâ—ge or stynkynge with such lyke In all their counsels they songe styll one song folowynge the rustye voyces of HyldebraÌ„de and Paschall Ricardus Ioannes Hagustaldenses Wonders were seane in the skye about thys tyme Mathew Paris sayth In England was felte a palpable darkenesse with a terryble earthquake the sunne aperynge lyke sacke clothe Apo. vi Such an horryble eclyps sayth he was ouer all thys lande that men feared the heauens to haue bene decayed The sunne in some places Ioannes HagustaldeÌ„sis sayth apered lyke quycke syluer to the wonderynge of manye These maruels wolde be marked of them whych couete to vnderstande the mysteryes of tymes after the holye scryptures ☞ The true meanynge of sygnes in the firmament declared BY thys tyme had the prelates a nombre of crafty wyttes in the vniuersytees whych were as able by schole learnynge to defende a falshede as euer were Christes dyscyples by hys heauenly doctryne to maynteyne a veryte These by a contynuall exercyse in disputacyons bicame very crafty and subtyle They toke it for an ornature of learnyng and for a thynge very conducyble to the vnderstandyng of the scriptures to define and diuyde all thynges as ded the peripatetyckes or naturall philosophers of Aristotles secte and so to proue them by naturall demonstracyons Gloryenge in the sublymyte of their wyttes they wolde be taken for men much wyser than were the Apostles and prophetes and in their doynges preferred the Idees or ymagynacyons of Plato to the eternal sprete of Christ. In the rowme of the lyuely phylosophie of God they placed faynt and vnfruitefull allegoryes as ded the olde Esseanes and as doth in our tyme the wycked secte of Anabaptistes imputyng those thynges to our synnefull wurkes whych only pertayneth to the kyngdome of faythe Thus ded the wysdome of the fleshe erect her selfe agaynst Gods heauenly wysdome preparynge a waye to Antichrist and the deuyll These doctours busyly dysputed of Peters autoryte and of the worthienesse of monkery to make good the pryde of the byshopp of Rome and to confirme the shynynge shewe of hypocresye Of thys nombre was Ricardus de Sancto Victore a Scott in Paris Alexandre Nequam and Robert Crikelade here in England all regular chanons By thys maye ye vnderstande what it ment that the sunne apeared so darke in the skye For the heauens Dauid sayth declareth the glorye of God and the firmament sheweth hys handye wurke or dedes of hys permyisyon Psal. xviij ☞ More examples declarynge those marueyles ABout the same tyme were the byshop of Romes lawes brought into thys realme by Baldewyn the archebyshop of Canterburye But so sone as kynge Steuen had knowledge therof he condempned them by acte of Parlement commaundynge by proclamacyons and streygth iniunctyons that no man shulde retayne them vndre great penalte By meanes whereof they were in some places torne to peces and in some places brent in the fyre as by good mennis iudgement they were no lesse worthie For they were verye muche agaynst the commodyte of kynges and their commeÌ„ welthes christeÌ„ magistrates powers Ioannes Sarisburiensis in Polycratico de nugis aulicorum libro viij cap. xxij Both the monke Gracianus whych collectyd togyther the Popes decrees into our volume called the concorde of lawes dyscordaunt and also Peter Lombarde hys brother in the rablement of hys vnsauery sentences complayned very sore that many in their tyme beleued the only substaunce of breade to remayne in the sacrament of Christes bodye Yea the best learned maisters of Paris Iohan Tyssyngton sayth in his boke agaynst the confessyon of Wycleue were at the same season of thys opynyon that in the sacramental wordes Esse was to be taken for significare Agaynst whom these adulterouse chyldren Gracianus and Petrus brought forth thys smokye conclusion not out of the scriptures but froÌ„ their
was of great vertu in thys age byleke For Iohan Capgraue sayth that Ethelredus the abboth of Rieuall not only by it abbated the ardent heates of his fleshe but extynguyshed also the flames of all other vyces Sentences wonderful in those dayes vttered PEirus Blesensis a worthye learned man beynge at sondry tymâ—s the archedeacon of Bathe of London and of Canterbury spared not at tymes sharpely to reprehende the enormitees of the clergye Dyuerse of hys epistles are yet to be seane wherin he eloquently towcheth and rebuketh the puffed vp arrogancye of Thomas Becket the archebyshopp of Canterbury Oft he compared the clergy to Samaria and Edom and called our hyghe countenaunced prelates sumtyme the glytterynge calfes of Bethell and the ydolles of Egypte sumtyme the fatt hulles of Samaria the chaplaynes of Baal and those iudges whyche made wycked lawes wyth such lyke To take the lord with the housholde sayth he nothinge is more dampnable than is a byshoppes howse if ye seke vertu Nothynge further from honestye if ye loke for maners Nothinge more fylthye if ye iudge after conscience Nothynge more rebukeable if ye respect fame Nothynge more pernycyouse if ye marke the example O lorde sayth he delyuer thy howse from the greate ydoll breake the hornes of that synnefull one At Rome filthy lucre peruerteth all thinges suffereth moÌ„kes to perfourm theyr lykynges in all kyndes of fleshely abusyons whyche they redeme by a yearlye pensyon Theyr lewdenesse is tolde in the Pauylyons of Geth and publyshed also in the open stretes of Ascalon Thus is theyr head captayne becomen the prynce of Sodome hys dyscyples accompanyenge hym in the chayre of pestylence wyth a great nombre more of the lyke Wernerus coucludeth in fasciculo temporum that it was than a rare thynge to fynde a chaste monke in the cloystre and a more rare thynge to fynde an honeste preste abroade ☞ The freshe and lustye begynnynges of Thomas Becket AS those autours reporte whyche chefely wrote Thomas Beckettes lyfe whose names are Herbert Boseham Iohan Salisbury Wyllyam of Canterbury Alen of Tâ—ukesbury Benet of Peterburgh Steuen langton and Rycharde Croilande he bestowed hys youth in al kindâ—s of lasciuiouse lightnesse and lecherouse wantonnesse After certen roderies rapes and murthers commytted in the kyngâ—s warres at the siege of Tolouse in Lâ—nguâ—docke and in other places els as he was commen home againe into Englande he gaue hymsâ—lfe to greate studye not of the holye scriptures but of the byshoppe of Romes lowsye lawes wherby he fyrste of all obtayned to be archedeacon of Canterburye vndre Theobalde the archebyshop than hygh chauncellour of Englande metropolyâ—ane archebyshop prymate pope of Englande and greate legate from Autâ—christes owne ryghte syde In the tyme of hys hyghe chauncellourshyppe beynge but an ale bruars sonne of LondoÌ„ Iohan Caâ—graue saith that he toke vpon him as he had ben a prince He played the courtyer all togyther and fashyoned hymselfe wholly to the kynges delyghtes He ruffled it out in the whole clothe wyth a myghtye rable of digised ruffianes at his tayle He sought the wordly honour with him that soughte it moste He thoughte it a plesaunt thinge to haue the flatteringe prayses of the multytude Hys brydle was of syluer hys saddle of veluet hys styruppes spores and bosses double gylte hys expenses farre passynge the expenses of anye earle That delyghte was not on the earthe that he hadde not plentye of He fedde with the fatteste was cladde wyth the softeste and kepte companye with the plesauntest Was not this thinke yow a good meane to lyue chaste I trow it was ☞ Hys chastyte at Stafforde and stoughtnesse at Clarendon IN the towne of Stafford was Willyam of Canterbury sayth Iohan Capgraue confirmynge the same a lusty mynion a trulle for the nones a pece for a prynce with whome by report the kynge at tymes was very famylyar Betwixt this wanton damsell or prymerose peerlesse Becket the chauncellour went store of presentes and of loue tokens plentye and also the louers met at tymes For whan he resorted thydre at no place wold he be hosted and lodged but where as she helde resydence In the dead tyme of the nyght the storye sayth was it her general custome to come alone to hâ—s bedchambre with a candell in her hande to toye tryfle with hym Men are not so folysh but they can wele conceyue what chastyte was obserued in those praty nyce wanton metynges But they saye he sore amended whan he was onâ—s consecrated archebyshop of Canterburye and left weâ—e hys accustomed enbracynges after the rules of loue became in lyfe relygyouse that afore in loue was lecherouse At hys seyd consecracion was he made a preste which requyâ—ed a change of lyfe He receyued a monkes cowle from Pope Alexandre Mathew Paris sayth made our ladye hys generall aduocate and shryued the body of S. Edward a vyrgyne and therfor he could no longar be vnchaste In the yeare of our lord a M. a. C. lxiiij at Clarendon Iohan of Oxforde beynge hygh presydent of the counsell many thynges were proponed concernynge the inuestytures offyces and enormytees of the clergy and lawes made therupon Wherunto the archebyshopp Becket with the other byshoppes condescended and were sworne But whan he ones perceyued that they were repugnaunt to the terrestryall godhede of the byshop of Rome he fretted for wodenesse and was angrye with himselfe addynge to hys othe thys subtyle clause to make it of none effecte salou in omnibus ordine meo honore sanctae ecclesiae myne ordre saued alwayes and the honour of holye churche reserued By thys he was able to denye all agayne at hys pleasure Matthaeus Paris alij ☞ Antichrist he preferreth to hys kynges obedyence WHithin the same yeare the kynge made an acte that men of the church commyttynge offences notable shulde be exautorysed or dysgraded by the byshop of the dyocese a iustyce beynge present so delyuered to secular kepyng tyll he suffered accordynge to hys demerytes The occasyon of thys acte was one Philippe Broic a preste and canon of Bedforde whych conwardly had kylled a man Thys proude sturdy canon bearyngâ— him selfe very bolde vpon his Romysh orders was at vtter contempt and diffyaunce of the iustyce geuyng him full many obprobryouse wordes as though hys offyce had bene but a slauerye to hys oylye presthode Than stirt vp Becket and starkeled lyke a lyon sekynge by all trayterouse meanes to brynge the kynge vndre and to exalte the tyrannouse kyngedome of Antichrist to the very heauens He furyously contended with hym to the very death that prestes and other within oylye orders ought not for thefte murther buggery and other lyke deadly offences to be examyned and ponnyshed by the publyque magistrates as the laye sort were He affirmed it also with stomache that the churches fredom was suche as the temporall kynges
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