to counterfeit Acts when they have none that are true Mr. Wheloâ— quotes an old Saxon Schedule of the endowments of our ancient Monasteries before the Conquest which he says is in the same Volume with King Aelfred's Paraphrastical version of Bede's History in the Cottonian Library and yet the learned Publisher of the Catalogue of those Manuscripts takes no notice of any such Tract in the place where if at all it ought to have been mention'd We are also told of an Historical Account of the Benedictines in England from King Edgar's time to the Conquest which is as high as that Order could be traced in this Kingdom For whatever may be argued to the contrary 't is very plain that our first Saxon Monks knew nothing of St. Bennet's Rule but lived under the Discipline brought from Ireland which was very much different from what was afterwards introduced by St. Dunstan If Augustine himself was of this Order and planted it at Canterbury which is much questioned by very Learn'd Men 't is demonstrable the Rules were soon forgotten or laid aside even in the southern Parts of the Island and in the North Columbanus and the Men of Hy were the Founders of all our Monastic Schemes After the Norman Invasion we had several Members of particular Monasteries that apply'd themselves to write the Histories of their own Houses but few that had any such concern for the Honour of their Orders in general The first I can hear of was Henry Crump a Cistertian Monk about the Year 1380 and Dr. of Divinity in the University of Oxford who wrote an Account of the Foundation of all the Monasteries of England from the time of St. â—irin the first Bishop of Dorchester down to that of Bishop 〈◊〉 But 't is to be fear'd this is now lost since it could not be found by one whom hardly any thing of that kind could escape After him John Boston a Monk of St. Edmondsbury who will be remember'd hereafter on another Occasion Collected the Histories of the Foundations of his own and some other Religious Orders which I suppose was done in those three Books which bore the Title of Speculum Coenobitarum The next Writer on this Subject was William Buttoner who is also named Buttonius and William of Worcester who is said to have written De Civitatibus Monasteriis Abbatiis deque Longitudine Latitudine eorum which Treatise we are assured is in the Library of Bennet College I am very confident that the Topographical Description of England which has been already mention'd in the first part is the whole of this Gentleman's Labours and that this Treatise has been sub-divided into 〈◊〉 deal of lesser Tracts such as his Itinerary of Bristol History of Osney c. by the same Powers that sliced the Man himself into three several Authors Sir Henry Savile did certainly make a draught of a future History of the English Monasteries but is supposed to have laid aside those Thoughts upon John Speed's intermixing something of that Nature in his General History The Annual Revenues of the Abbies c. in Speed were had from Sir Robert Cotton whose Copy has a double Valuation of computed and clear Profits whereof the former is only given by Speed and the latter by Dugdale The Reason why the former of these Writers is so frequently mistaken in assigning the right Counties to the several Monasteries was because he follow'd the List brought in by Cromwell's Commissioners who were chiefly sollicitous in learning the Value and Income without being too nice in the Topographical part of their Account This is what we have from a very learn'd Pen To which let me add what another worthy Person who has been very happy in his searches into these Matters has further told us That Catalogue he observes was drawn up by William Burton out of Leland's Papers and the Original Book of Valuations which Book differs indeed from that ancient Copy which Sir William Dugdale transcrib'd from the Cottonian Library Nor are these to be reconcil'd by deducting of Reprises as appears from the History of those in Dugdale's Warwickshire where all those common Burthens of Pensions Corrodies Alms c. are summ'd up so that he inclines to the Opinion that there were several Rates taken of our Monasteries upon various Surveys and at different Times especially since he meets with some Valuations in Leland's Notes that will not agree with either of these Richard Broughton who has been once remember'd before wrote a small Book of indigested Tales which he entitl'd Monasticon Britannicum or A Historical Narration of the first Founding and flourishing State of the Ancient Monasteries Religious Rules and Orders of Great Britain in the Times of the Britains and Primitive Church of the Saxons c. This was printed a dozen Years after the Death of the Author by some of his Friends so that 't is probable we have it much more imperfect than he intended and in such an unfinish'd Condition as the mistaken Kindness of Executors too frequently send things abroad The same Year was publish'd the First Volume of the famous Monasticon Anglicanum to which a Second and Third were afterwards added The two former of these were as the Title-Pages will inform us owing to the joint Labours of Sir Will. Dugdale and Mr. Dodsworth who had also the Assistance of a great many other eminent Antiquaries and Well-wishers to our English History These were indeed chiefly the Work of R. Dodsworth whose Father was Register at York and Dugdale had only so much share in it Vt Authoris alterius Titulum optime meritus sit as Sir John Marsham expresses it That is as the Oxford-Antiquary explains it to us He took care in the Methodizing and Publishing of them in Correcting the Sheets at the Press and in Composing very useful Indexes Accordingly tho' Dodsworth was dead before the printing of the First Volume yet he has the glory given him in the Title of the principal Author of both Tomes The former of these gives us the Records of the Benedictine Monasteries and their Off-spring the Cluniacenses Cistertians and Carthusians And the latter affords those of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine Hospitalers Templars Gilbertines Praemanstratenses and the Maturines or Trinitarians We have in them the Remains of all those Orders digested into a good Method without any thing intermix'd either by the Collector or Publisher The Latin Pieces are printed off exactly as they found them and those in Saxon as also Leland's English Notes were translated by Will. Somner The Collector ought to be reckon'd amongst those worthy Benefactors to the Publick that have made it their Business to preserve our ancient Historians such as Twisden Fell Gale c. Great and many are the Advantages which all the several Branches of our History not only in Ecclesiastical but Civil and Martial Occurrences will derive from this
very probable that good Master Sammes never read so much as the Preface to his Book Or else either he or Mr. Wood must be under the misfortune of a very treacherous Memory Something of value might have been expected from the many Years Labours and Collections of that excellent Antiquary John Aubrey Esquire Fellow of the Royal Society if the Proposals he lately made for the publishing of his Monumenta Britannica had met with a suitable Reception The World is not come to that Ripeness we hope for as duely to relish Works of this Nature but how well his have deserv'd a better Encouragement than hitherto they have met with is apparent from the little Tasts we have of 'em in the late Edition of the Britannia especially in Wiltshire Herefordshire and Wales He would have given us if we had been so kind to our selves as to have accepted his Pains a good view of the Temples Religion and Manners of the Ancient Druids of the Camps Castles Military Architecture c. of both Britains and Romans But we rejected his offers and may possibly too late repent of our Folly As to the Roman Writers there are hardly any that treat of the Affairs of this Isle any otherwise than occasionally only and by the bye The Design of Caesar's Commentaries is to give the World an Account of the most glorious Passages of his own Life and what he says of Britain as well as Germany is apparently what he could pick up from uncertain Tattle and Hear-say Something better bottom'd are the Stories we meet with afterwards in Tacitus Dio Cassius Suetonius Eutropius Spartianus Capitolinus Lampridius Vopiscus c. who may all be suppos'd to have had the perusal of such Memorials as were from time to time sent to the Emperours from their Lieutenants and other chief Officers in this Province In the use of these the Reader ought to take a deal of Leisure and Caution For most of 'em seem to have been loose Indigested Adversaria such as had not the last Examination and Thoughts of their Authors and do therefore want the Regard that should be had to Order and Time Besides the several Tracts are not well ascertain'd to their Genuine and Proper Writers the not heeding whereof may draw one unawares into very dangerous mistakes These Defects are happily supply'd by the famous Mr. Dodwell in his late Learned Praelectiones Camdenianae which will be highly serviceable to all such as shall hereafter engage in these Studies Indeed Tacitus's Life of Agricola especially as improv'd by Sir Henry Savil's most admirable Translation and Learned Notes looks something like a Just Treatise upon that great General 's Conduct here and is done with that Fairness and Respect to the Natives that I cannot see but Galgacus is made to talk as Bravely Gracefully and Eloquently as the best of his Enemies Many Defects in these Accounts have been likewise supply'd as well as good store of Conjectural Mistakes in more Modern Authors rectify'd by the Roman Inscriptions and Coins found in several parts of our Island and there are daily new Discoveries of both these sorts Since the acceptable Services done to the Students of Antiquities by Gruterus and Reynesius the Inscriptions on Altars and other Monuments have carry'd a very high price and among others the Antiquaries of our own Nation have fansy'd that our History has had great Improvements from such as have been discover'd here Those that Mr. Camden met with were all preserv'd as choice Ornaments in his Britannia and some few have been added in the late Edition of that Work Many more might undoubtedly be had for seeking after And 't is no small Unhappiness that among the many Advancements of Learning in this Age the Recovery of these precious Treasures should be so much neglected The Persons employ'd in these Searches ought to be Men of Probity as well as Knowledge Religiously scrupulous in obtruding any thing upon the World under the Venerable Name of Antiquity which has not an honest Title to that Character Annius of Viterbo's scandalous Project of raising the Credit of that City by some forg'd Inscriptions which he had caus'd to be hid in the Neighbouring Fields and afterwards discover'd in a Boasting Triumph has been justly resented and exploded by all true Lovers of ancient Learning But the Inclinations of all Men are so naturally bent upon doing Honour and Service to their Native Country in their own way and the Temptations that we meet with in these Studies are so many and strong that a very great share of Integrity is requisite to the making of a Complete Antiquary Mr. Camden tells us that from the Time of Claudian to that of Valentinian about five hundred years the Roman Coin only was current in this Nation And that whereas all Money for this part of the World was for a long time coin'd either at Rome Lions or Treves Constantine the Great erected a Mint at London Some of his Pieces which were there coin'd I have in my poor Collection and they are not uncommon in many of the Musaea in England But long before his Days his Predecessors took occasion to magnify their Exploits in this other World of Great Britain on the Reverse of their Coins from whence several good Illustrations of that part of our History may be had What are given us of this kind in the Britannia are very valuable But their Numbers might be further enlarg'd and we are the more encouraged to look after those we want because I have not yet heard that our Trayterous English Money-makers have hitherto busy'd themselves in Counterfeiting any Coin of so ancient a Date Such Rogueries are common in France and Germany where most of their old Medals have been Copy'd and many New Ones of the first Caesar's stamp'd and minted by Modern Artists And yet even there those that relate to the Affairs of this Isle are always allow'd to be True and Genuine CHAP. IV. Of the Histories and other Monuments that relate to the Times of the Saxons and Danes THe Dispatch that Sir William Temple makes of the Saxon times is very short and pithy and the Character he gives of their Writers is so full of Contempt that if we were sure it came from a proper Judge 't would save an Antiquary a great deal of trouble and pains The Authors he says of those barbarous and illiterate Ages are few and mean and perhaps the rough course of those Lawless Times and Actions would have been too ignoble a subject for a good Historian The times were not so lawless nor the Authors so few and mean as he imagines A great many of the Records of those days we own are lost but there are still more remaining than any of our Neighbour-Nations can pretend to shew relating to the Transactions of those Ages We know not what 's become of the Book King Aelfred wrote against Corrupt Judges of his Collection
He was a choice Collector of the Flowers of former Historians from whence and from the Title of his Book he is usually styl'd Florilegus His chief Benefactoris Matthew Paris whom he so accurately transcribes that he cannot be perswaded to leave him even when he warmly treats of the particulars of his own Monastery of St. Albans Nay he sometimes refers in Paris's very words to that Author's Addilamenta as to a Work of his own composure and hence some have concluded that the whole even that part which precedes the Conquest was borrow'd from the same hand But I can hardly agree to that since the same heedless way of writing unbecoming the Accuracy of M. Paris runs through both of ' em Hence Vnde Reges Cantiae usque hodie Aeskynges vocantur with a thousand more of the like 'T is most likely as has been already observ'd that R. de Wendover was a common Parent to both the Matthews and the main of what is publisht under both their Names came from that hand There was an Edition of Westminster's history before that at Francfort but abominably corrupt and imperfect especially after the year 1245. the Author 's punctual Relation of the brisk behaviour of our Kings and Nobility in opposition to the Encroachments of the Roman See being wretchedly mangled and purloynâ—d Upon this bottom John Pits divides the History into two several Works whereof the former he calls Historia ampla which says he is that which was publish'd at London and the other Historiarum Flores The Distinction he had from Bale tho the Application be his own This Report seems to have had some slender Foundation since we are told that amongst my Lord Clarendon's Manuscripts there 's another historical Work which bears the Name of Flores Historiarum which is very different from the Printed Copy and is continu'd near forty years further But the Reader ought to know that there are many anonymous Historians in this Kingdom who beginning at the year 1307 manifestly shew that they chiefly intended to continue the Work of Matthew of Westminster The most eminent indeed of his Continuators was Adam Merimuth Canon Regular of St. Paul's and an eminent Civilian who in the latter end of his days gave himself wholly to the reading and writing of English History He begins his Work at 1302. and his first part reaches only to 1343. which I suppose makes the Enlargement in my Lord Clarendon's Copy but the second continues the Story to in all likelihood the year of his own Death A. D. 1300. 'T is observable that his History commences at Michaelmas and for that reason he always afterwards begins the New Year at that Feast A few more of an inferior Rank may probably be reckoned amongst the Historians of this Age. As 1. John Staffort a Franciscan â—â—iar who is supposed to have written an English History about the year 1800. Tho. Fuller observes very well that the exact time when he wrote or liv'd is not known 〈◊〉 only being a Francisean and that I doubt is not very certainly known neither he must have flourished after the year 1226. when that Order first came into England and being quoted by John Ross must come in before 1400. 2. William de Packington Secretary and Treasurer to the Black Prince in Gascoigne wrote a Cronique in French from the Ninth year of King John down to his own time 1380. out of which several Collections have been made by Leland Stow and others 3. Henry de Knyghton one of the Canons of Leicester whose History may be said to begin at the Conquest since he has only a short Abstract of the Saxon Affairs in his first Book It is continued down to the year 1395. He fairly owns what he transcribes from Ralph Higden whom he imitates also in the Crotchet of making the fifteen first Chapters of his Second Book give his Name in their Initial Letters thus HENRICVS CNITTON 'T is plain that neither Leland Bale nor Pits had ever seen this Work An Encouragement to the industrious Antiquaries of this Age to continue their Enquiries after such Histories as are presum'd to be irrecoverably lost 4. Galf Lingius a Franciscan of Norwich about the year 1390. is also said to have compil'd a History of this Kingdom from the coming in of Brutus down to his own Time 1401. The fifteenth Century was one of the most rude and illiterate Ages and therefore we are not to look for a large Harvest of Historians in a Dearth and Scarcity of Persons eminent in other parts of Learning Sir John Froissart sometime Canon and Treasurer of Chimay in the Diocess of Liege justly deserves to be placed first as having ended his Life and Story about the beginning of it His Work contains a General History of the Affairs of France Spain and other parts of Europe as well as England tho it chiefly insists on those of this Nation The Author was a Frenchman born but was brought up in his Youth in the Court of our King Edward the Third and many years after familiarly conversant in King Richard the Second's He wrote in his own Native Language which was also in his Time the Court-Language of England The Copies that were taken of him in French as well Manuscript as in Print are generally faulty and corrupt in Names and Numbers whereas the Author himself being perfectly acquainted with the English Court and Customs could not well mistake Most of these Errors are corrected in the English Edition which was published by Sir John Bourchier Deputy of Calais at the Command of King Henry the Eighth towards the latter end of his Reign His Account of matters seems to be plain and honest and perhaps none gives a better of the Affairs of Edward the Third and his unfortunate Successor Richard the Second Sleidan epitomiz'd his History in Latin but has not done it with that impartiality and fairness that might have been expected from a Man of his great Name Take the Censure which our learned Humphry Lhuid long since gave of that piece and its Author Dum Gallico Nomini nimium faveret Anglorum Nobilissima Gesta aut Silentio praeteritt aut ab Authore dissentiens aliter quam á Froissardo scriptum est literis commendavit After him follow down to the middle of the Century a set of very ordinary Scriblers such as 1. Tho. Otterburn a Franciscan Friar of some of our English Monasteries about the year 1411. whose MS. History is said to be in our publick Library at Oxford 2. Tho. Radburn Bishop of St. Davids and Câ—ancellor of the University of Oxford A. D. 1420. He is usually quoted by the Name of Radburn â—enior to distinguish him from another little Chronicler of both his Names who was a Monk of St. Swithin's in Winchester and Joh. Ross's great Acquaintance This latter wrote two Books of our General History
give the Pope a true Account of Becket's Behaviour But whether he did really draw up a Journal of his Embassy with an Apology for his Master I cannot assuredly inform the Reader tho' Hector Boethius pretends to have seen it and recommends it as a Treatise highly worth the Perusal Three of Gyraldus Cambrensis's many Historical Books are likewise reported to be written on this Subject And Mr. Wharton mentions a Manuscript History of the same Reign by Benedictus Some say that the Life of this King as we now have it in Speed's Chronicle was composed by Dr. Barcham Archbishop Bancroft's Chaplain and penn'd chiefly in Confutation of one Bolton a Papist who had newly enlarg'd too far in the Justification of Becket's Insolent Carriage to his Prince These are mostly the King's Friends and such as engaged on the behalf of our English Monarchy What was to be said on the other hand for good Saint Thomas must be learn'd from those that have recorded the Actions Sufferings and Miracles of that worthy Roman Saint and Martyr An Account whereof shall be given in their proper place Richard the First 's Meritorious Expedition into the Holy Land gain'd him so much Repute that he 's as highly extoll'd by the Monkiâ—h Writers of that and the following Ages as his Father is reproach'd for his Persecution of their St. Thomas The chief Remarkables in his Life that part of it especially which was spent in the Levant are largely treated on by Rich. Divisiensis i. e. of the Devises in Wiltshire a Monk of Winchester Walter Constantiensis Bishop of Lincoln who accompany'd him in some of his Travels Will. Peregrinus so call'd from the Peregrination he also made in Attendance on this King and Rich. Canonicus Augustine Canon of St. Trinity in London another of his Retinue Jos. Iscanus or of Exeter had the like Curiosity follow'd the Fortunes of his Prince in the Holy War and at his Return celebrated his Acts in a Book which he thought fit to call Aâ—tiocheidos 'T is in Heroick Verse and in a Style and Strain of Poetry much beyond what one would expect to meet with in the Writings of that Age. John Leland who thought himself as great a Master and Iudge in Poetry as History says of this Author that he was Poeta Britannus omnibus Numeris Elegantissiâ—us and calls his Book Opâ—s Immortale His Life is also said to have been written by Stephen Laugton Archbishop of Canterbury and Alexander de Hales the Famous School-man But we have not so particular Directions where to look for these as for â—n Anonymous Manuscript to the same purpose in the Library of Magdalene College in Oxford The Learned Dr. Gale has obliged us with one of the largest of this King's Journals taken by one Jeâ—ffrey Vinesauf or de Vino Salâ—â— whom he takes to be the same Man with the foremention'd Walter Constantiensis who sometimes he says is also call'd Walter Oxoniensis He likewise believes that Richard of the Devises and Richard the Canon were the same Person So that instead of having our Store enlarged by what he has done for us we have lost some of our former Stock King John's Unhappy Reign was not a Subject so taking as that of his Brother and therefore has not been enquired into by so many Curious Authors John de Forda or Fordeham who is ignorantly confounded with John Fordon the Scottish Historian by John Pits was the first that attempted it and being this King's Chaplain had Opportunities enough of knowing the Truth if he was a Person of such unbyass'd Honesty as to reveal it Gyraldus Cambrensis living also at the same time is said to have likewise penn'd his Story and we may believe it will discover that warmness of Temper which runs through all that Author's Writings Some of the Learned Men of the present Age have thought the Extraordinary Freaks of this Prince worth their Considering and have therefore bestow'd good Pains in Collecting and Methodizing the most Notable Transactions of his Reign Of these Dr. Barcham's History is as we have already observ'd publish'd in Speed's Chronicle and is so well done that an Industrious Antiquary gives this Character of it That it shews more Reading and Judgment than any Life besides in that History And another witty Author says 'T is the King of all the Reigns of that Book for profound Penning The Voluminous Will. Prynne has also carefully and largely inform'd us of the publick Occurrences of this Reign as well as the two next following in order to the Asserting and Vindicating of the ancient Sovereignty of our English Monarchs against all Foreign Incroachments and Innovations whatever Henry the Third's long Reign might seem to afford Matter enough to employ one Man's Pen and yet till the Disturbances given him in the latter end of his time by S. Monfort and the other Barons so few memorable things happen'd in so many years that it has not hitherto been very nicâ—ly enquir'd into In a late Edition of the learned Sir Robert Cotton's Remains the Table of the several Discourses reckons the last of the Sixteen The Life and Reign of Henry the Third compil'd in a Critical way But the Reader to his great Disappointment will meet with no such thing in the Book Perhaps it is to be had in a former Edition of that Treatise as published by James Howel Edward the First was a brave and Victorious Prince and his Atchievements in Scotland deserv'd to be Recorded by some Person of Abilities suitable to so Noble an Undertaking To this purpose he carry'd Robert Baston Prior of Scarborough with him into that Kingdom to describe his Battels and particularly the Famous Siege of Sterling This was done in pretty Elegant Heroicks But the Author being the next year unfortunately taken Prisoner by the Scots was by the over-powering Commands and Severities of R. Bruce oblig'd to recâ—nt all and to extol the Scotch Nation as highly as he had lately magnify'd the English Will. Rishanger who was Historiographer-Royal during this King's whole Reign compos'd a special Treatise of the Annals of Edward the First whereof I presume three other Tracts of the same Man 's Writing entitul'd by J. Pits and others De Joanne Baileolo Rege Super Electione Regis Scotorum and De Jure Regis Anglorum ad Scotiam are only so many several Parts Edward the Second's Misfortunes are very honestly without either Flattery or Contempt written by Stephen Eiton or Eden a Canon Regular of Warter in Yorkshire sometime about the Year 1320. His Life was more accurately penn'd in French by Sir Thomas de la More who was Knighted by Edward the First was Counsellor to Edward the Second and liv'd to the beginning of Edward the Third's more prosperous Reign It was first Translated into Latin by Walter Baker or Swinburn Canon of Osney
some farther Account anon For the present the Reader is only to be inform'd That the excellent Publisher of those Collections has prefix'd to them an Elaborate and Learn'd Discourse of his own touching the first Preachers of the Gospel in this Country our British Metropolitans and the State of the Churches under them The next that engaged in these dark Enquiries was our Learn'd Dr. William Lloyd then Bishop of St. Asaph now of Coventry and Lichfield in his Historical Account of Ancient Church-Government in Great Britain and Ireland The Undertaking became a Bishop of our English Church and the Performance answered the great Opinion that Men of Learning have always had of this worthy Prelate His Aim in it was the encountring an Objection against the Order of Episcopacy from the Story of the Scotch Culdees An Argument put into the Mouths of our Schismaticks by Blondel and Selden out of the abundant Kindness they had for our Establishment In the answering of the several Cavils of these Learned Men the Bishop thought himself obliged to give a short History of the first planting of the Scots in Great Britain which thwarted the common Road of their Historians since the Days of Hector Boethius and bereaf'd them of about Forty of their first Monarchs This shortening of the Royal Line His Majesty's Advocate of Scotland the late Ingenious and Learn'd Sir Geo. Mackenzie presently resented as an Affront little short of what the Lawyers of that Country call Lese-Majesty and therefore publish'd a Defence of the Antiquity of the Royal Line of Scotland In this Tract the zealous Author was so wholly on Fire that 't was not safe for the Bishop himself to approach him but his incomparable Friend Dr. Stillingfleet took the Pains to confirm at large the Bishops Positions and to answer the most considerable of Sir George's Objections Soon after the Advocate published a Reply to his new Antagonist under the Title of The Antiquity of the Royal Line of Scotland further clear'd c. I am not now concern'd to enquire whether these two great Opponents or their no less ingenious Answerer had the better in these Debates tho' I may perhaps hereafter weigh some of the Arguments on both sides if I live to publish my Notes on the Scotch and Irish Historians For the present I shall only observe that the Cause of our Church in this Controversie was thought long since to have been secur'd in few words by Sir John Marsham Columbanus says he postquam in Hybernia Armachanum Monasterium fecerat Anno 565. Britanniam venit ad Pictos Australes autem Pictos Nynias Brito ad Veritatem converterat Anno 412. hii Insulam Episcopatus sedem fecerat This last particular was more than needed and is what he could not prove from his avow'd Author Venerable Bede who says no such thing He never speaks of Nynias's being at Hy but expresly tells us that his Church was at Whithern The latest of our British Church-Historians and who shall come after him is the renown'd Dr. Stillingfleet not Bishop of Worcester whose Origines Britannicae have perfected all the Collections of former Writers on that Subject The Design of the Book is to vindicate the Liberties of the ancicient British Church against the pretended Jurisdiction of the Bishops of Rome so that it reaches only from the first appearance of the Christian Faith in this Island to the Conversion of the Saxons 'T is penn'd with an Accuracy of Judgment and Purity of Style peculiar to its great Author and clears many doubtful Passages that had escaped the diligence of the famous AB of Armagh He tells us in the conclusion of his Preface that it comes forth as a Specimen of a greater Design to clear the most important difficulties of Ecclesiastical History He rejects for very good Reasons the Glastonbury-Legend of Ioseph of Arimathea but confirms the Story of St. Paul's planting a Church in this our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The History of King Lucius he endeavours to set free from the Monkish Fopperies and Contradictions that clog it in other Authors explains the Subscriptions of the British Bishops in the Council of Arles shews the probability of some of 'em being present in the Council of Nice excellently illustrates the State of Arrianism and Pelagianism c. The Picts he thinks contrary to Camden's Opinion to have been a People originally distinct from the ancient Britains and agrees with Hector Boethius for better Reasons than ever he knew that they were some of the old Maritime Inhabitants of the Baltic Sea He teaches his Reader how to judge of the Antiquities and Antiquaries of Scotland and Ireland and concludes with a very particular and full Account of the great Revolution in this Island upon the coming in of the Saxons His Preface as we have already hinted was attaqu'd by Sir George Mackenzie and the Book it self by Emanuel a Schelstrate Keeper of the Vatican Library in his Dissertation concerning Patriarchal and Metropolitical Authority To the latter there needs no other Reply than only to tell him 1. The probable Arguments alledg'd for St. Paul's preaching Christianity in this Isle are not to be overthrown by less probable ones on the behalf of St. Peter Nor should the Man that admits King Lucius's and Pope Eleutherius's Epistles as genuine reject the MS. account of Abbot Dinoth and his Monks 2. Mr. Launoy and Dr. Beverege agree with Dr. Stillingfleet in their Exposition of the sixth Canon of the Nicene Council as well as the Anonymous French Author of the Treatise De Disciplina Ecclesiae who exactly jumps with our great Prelate in his Notion about the Suburbicarian Churches Dr. Basire's four Positions asserting the Legitimate Exemption of the British Church from the Roman Patriarchate contain only a short Essay towards the proof of what we have more amply advanc'd and more clearly demonstrated in the Origines not to mention that the greatest part of 'em are borrow'd from John Barnes's Catholico Romanus Pacificus The Lives of our British Saints must be read with the allowance that 's usually given of those of our Neighbouring Nations and we are not under any great difficulties to learning what Opinion even the Romanists themselves have of the Writings of their Monks on these Subjects Dolenter hoc dico says Melchior Canus multo severius a Laertio vitas Philosophorum scriptas quam a Christianis vitas Sanctorum longeque incorruptius integrius Suetonium Res Caesarum exposuisse quam exposuerint Catholici non res dico Imperatorum sed Martyrum Virginum Confessorum 'T is the sense of the gravest and best Writers of that Church and what will very well agree to those of the Times and Country we are now mentioning There cannot be bolder nor more inconsistent Miracles than those we meet with in the Stories of St. Alban and St. Patrick And the whole Treasury of Legends seems
an Historical Collection of I know not how many Hundreds of exercrable Treasons Conspiracies c. of the British English French Scotch and Irish Bishops against our Kings and Kingdom But 't is time to rid our Hands of this Filth and Nastiness The most ancient Register Books and Records of our several Dioceses and Cathedral Churches will less sully our Fingers S. ASAPH The History of the Bishops and Deans of this Place was composed by the late learned and industrious Mr. Wharton whose Book was publish'd soon after his Death as a Specimen of what his general Work of all the Dioceses in England would have been if he had liv'd to have finish'd it To this Treatise as well as to the other that is prefix'd to it there is an Appendix of Authentic Instruments out of the Register Books c. According to the Method first taught him by Dr. Burnet In the Lives of the Bishops he frequently quotes the Liber ruber Assavensis an old Cartulary of that Church of good Value BANGOR Godwine mentions a Catalogue of the Bishops of this See in the Archives of the Church of Bangor which I suppose was a very Empty one since upon the two first Editions of his Book he had not any thing to say of this Diocese BATH and WELLS What has been lately done for this Diocese is already taken notice of by Mr. Tanner whose Collections and References let it be here observ'd once for all I shall not repeat but shall wish the Reader himself to consult his very useful Book saving only that some of those Authors he barely quotes where I am able to do it shall be set in the truest Light I can give them Let it be here also noted that when ever he refers his Readers as he does in this place to one or the other Volume of Anglia Sacra they are there sure to meet with a good view of such old Writers as have treated of the ancient History of this or that Diocess or else they have at least a composure of Mr. Wharton's very valuable for the Pains that Author took in adjusting the true Chronological succession of our Bishops Dr. Thomas Chandler sometime Warden of New College in Oxford and Chancellour of this Church wrote a Treatise de Laudibus Bathoniae Welliae which I suppose would afford us some such Light as the same learn'd Person has given in those Lives that have been gratefully penn'd by him and will be taken notice of in another place I guess the Historia de tempore Primaevae inchoationis Sedis Episcopalis Wellensis c. which was made ready for the Press by the noble Publishers of the Decem Scriptores is part of what we have had since from Mr. Wharton who also must be thought to have enrich'd his own Notes out of the great Treasure of Collections which was gather'd and communicated to him by the Reverend and Learn'd Dr. Matt. Hutton BRISTOL This See having only been erected by King Henry the Eighth can have no Records of any great Antiquity but 't is hop'd its entire Story may be had out of such Registers as are in the Hands either of the Bishop or Dean and Chapter of the Church CANTERBVRY as in Justice it ought has had the most and best learn'd Preservers of its History and Antiquities of any Diocess in England The first of these was Arch-bishop Deusdedit or Adeodatus who is said to have recorded the Acts of all his Predecessors which was no mighty Undertaking since himself was only the Sixth from Augustine The eldest of those Writers whose Works are now Extant is Gotseline the Monk who besides the Life of Augustine publish'd by Mr. Wharton wrote also those of the Six following Arch-bishops These are now in MS. in Sir Joh. Cotton's Library but being only Collections out of Bede with the enlargement of a few Romantic Miracles they have not hitherto been thought worth the Printing About the same time Osbern was Precentor of Christ-Church and upon the unhappy Fire which destroy'd most of their Records A. D. 1070. took a deal of Pains in recovering the Histories of the Arch-bishops several of whose Lives were written by him besides those we have in Print Gervasius Dorobernensis that is Monk of Canterbury has left three good Treatises on this Subject which bear the following Titles 1. Tractatus de Combustione Reparatione Dorobernensis Ecclesiae 2. Imaginationes de Discordiis inter Monachos Cantuarienses Archiepiscopum Baldewinum 3. Vitae Dorobernensium Archiepiscoporum R. de Diceto's History of these Primates was discover'd in the Norfolk Library after some others amongst whom he should have been rank'd were publish'd And 't would not have been any great loss if we had still wanted it being very short and mostly stuff'd with Matters foreign to the Purpose Mr. Pits sends us to the Library at Bennet College to enquire after a Manuscript Copy of Arch-bishop Langton's Annals of his Predecessors But he that runs on his Errand will find himself mistaken There are indeed in that Library some Collections out of the last mention'd Author's History of our Kings which relate chiefly to the Affairs of this See the transcriber whereof had some thoughts of Copying out St. Langton's History of Richard the First and so prefaced his Work with the Title of Annales Stephani Archiepiscopi But he soon quits that Subject and so imposes upon a careless Catalogue-monger The next in Order of time was Tho. Spott Spottey or Sprott a Benedictine Monk of Canterbury in the Year 1274. whose Book has been vainly enquired after by some of our most Industrious Antiquaries and particularly by one whom hardly any thing on this Subject could escape The Truth is Mr. Somner seems to think 't was rather a Chronicle of the City of Canterbury than of the Arch-bishops and if W. Thorn who was a Monk of the same House in the Year 1380. either Epitomiz'd or Enlarged it it may probably prove only the same with his History of the Abbots of St. Augustines St. Birchington's Performance is largely accounted for by his late Publisher who has assur'd us that nothing that either this Writer or any of the former can afford us has been omitted by the diligent Author of the Antiquitates Britannicae Archbishop Parker was generally reputed the Author of this admired Book till Mr. Selden transferr'd the Honour of it to His Grace's Chaplain Mr. Josseline who has since enjoy'd it I confess I am far from being of AB Bramhal's Opinion That the conclusion of the Preface proves the Acrhbishop himself to have been the Author of that Book But it does fairly intimate that the Composer of it whoever he was did desire the World should believe that most of his Materials were handed to him by that Learn'd Metropolitan who was also he saies the Directer and Overseer of the
turn'd into a common Stable by the Rebel Army as it was within ten Years after that into a heap of Rubbish by the dreadful Fire of London NORWICH There are not many Histories of this Diocess All that Mr. Wharton could pick up was out of a couple of General Histories of England written by Bartholomew de Cotton and another anonymous Monk of that Church He quotes indeed a short Chronicle of Norwich in the same Library whence he had the former of these But the late Publisher of the Catalogue of those Manuscripts is mistaken if there be any such Book in the Place referr'd to There is indeed in another Class a piece which bears the Title of Festa synodalia Norwicensis Dioeceseos which begins with St. Foelix the Burgundian their first Bishop The oldest Register-Book which I have yet heard of in this See is that of Bishop Bateman the Magnanimous Founder of Trinity Hall in Cambridge A short Account of the Bishops and Deans of this Church by Tho. Searle A. D. 1659. is among the MSS. of the present worthy Bishop of the Diocess OXFORD is of so late an Erection that it cannot want an absolute and entire History of all its Prelates since its Foundation by Henry the Eighth And we have already observ'd that its Parochial Antiquities preceeding that Time are happily preserv'd by an Ingenious and Learn'd Person who has spar'd no Pains in Collecting out of a vast number of Neighbouring Records and Evidences whatever was worth the Treasuring up and transmitting to Posterity Anth. Wood Collected the Sepulchral and Fenestral Inscriptions of the several Parishes in the County of Oxford which are now amongst those many Papers he left to the University PETERBVRGH was one of the most Rich and Flourishing Monasteries in this Kingdom and was turn'd into one of the poorest Bishopricks by Henry the Eighth The most of those many excellent Histories that concern this Place in its Pristine State have been noted by Mr. Tanner tho' some few have escap'd his great Diligence He has taken no notice of two old Registers given by my Lord Hatton to the Cottonian Library nor of some ancient Grants and Donations to that Monastery He has also omitted Hugh White Abbot of Peterburgh who in Leland's Character is Rerum Petroburgi gestarum luculentus plane Scriptor To these there 's little to be added since the Foundation of the Episcopal See of any great value saving what has been carefully preserv'd in St. Gunton's History which will be this Churches everlasting Monument Some Inscriptions are said indeed to have been defaced before the Survey taken by this Author but those we are told were also to be had amongst the Manuscripts of Franc. Thynne who Collected them in the Year 1592. 'T was happy that Sir William Dugdale and Mr. Gunton drew up their Collections at so seasonable and lucky a time as the Year 1641. For within two years after that in April 1643. this Cathedral was most miserably abused by Cromwell's Regiment who among other shameless outrages broke into the Chapter-House ransack'd the Records broke the Seals tore the Writings and left the floor cover'd over with torn Papers Parchments and Seals ROCHESTER The most venerable Monument of Antiquity that belongs to this Church is the Textus Roffensis which may justly challenge a Respect more than ordinary It was written by Bishop Ernulf who dy'd in the Year 1124. And besides the Affairs of this Cathedral which are accounted for by Mr. Wharton furnishes us with the Laws of four Kentish Kings Ethelbert Hlothere Eadred and Withred omitted by Lambard together with the Saxon Form of Oaths of Fealty and Wager of Law the old Form of cursing by Bell Book and Candle of Ordale c. I suppose this Book was wisely committed to the care of Sir Roger Twisden during the confusions of our late Civil Wars For in his Custody I find it often referr'd to by Sir William Dugdale in a Work which he Compos'd during those Troubles Hadenham and Dene's Histories have been pickt and their choicest Flowers are preserv'd in the Anglia Sacra And the Chronicon Claustri Roffensis is the same with the Textus SALISBVRY Somewhat of the History of the ancient Bishops of Sherburn may be had among L. Noel's Collections and the defects of those down to the Year 1357. may be supply'd from the Chronicle of the Church of Sarum This Chronicle begins at the Creation and has some special Remarks touching the Affairs of our ancient British Church wherein it seems to be singular The Registers also of several of their Bishops as Mortival Wivil Waltham Medford Aiscough and Beauchamp are still extant WINCHESTER There can hardly be any more said of this Ancient and Famous See than what we have from Tho. Rudburn and other Authors lately publish'd out of Sir John Cotton's inexhaustible Treasury Unless for the more modern Times we had that Continuation of the Bishops which was made by John Trussel who brought their History as low as the Sufferings of Bishop Curl and his Order in the beginning of our English Anarchy WORCESTER As this Church was one of the most flourishing in the whole Island under the Government of our Saxon Kings so it had the fortune to preserve its Charters and other Instruments relating to those Times much better than its Neighbours In the Year 1643. Sir William Dugdale drew a Catalogue of no less than 92 such original Donations none whereof fell lower than the Reign of Henry the First To these there have been fifteen more now in the Archives of that Church and not mentioned in the Monasticon added by Dr. Hickes who also believes that among Mr. Lambard's MSS. now in the Archives at Canterbury there are several Saxon Grants belonging to the Church of Worcester After these we are to have recourse to the Anonymous Compilers of the Annals of this Cathedral and the continuation of them by their learn'd Publisher who by the way tells us that Hemming's Book has much more in it than either he or Sir W. Dugdale have given themselves the trouble of transcribing John Rosse the Renown'd Hermit of Guy's Cliff is said to have written a Treatise de Episcopis Wigorniae which I should not much have believed upon the single Credit of my first Author had I not seen the Book it self quoted by our late industrious Naturalist Doctor Plott Some part of Mr. Abingdon's Collection of the Antiquities of Worcestershire mention'd in the former part of this Historical Library is also reported to bear the Title of A History of the Bishops of Worcester which I cannot but once more heartily wish were committed to the Inspection and Care of the Learn'd Dr. Hopkins Prebendary of that Church who we know is throughly versed in the Antiquities of his own