III. for sorrow died, and Gregory VIII., the next pope after him,

lived not two months. Then, in the days of Pope Clement III., news and son-ow growing daily for the loss of Palestine, and the destruction of the Christians ; King Plenry of England, and Philip, the French king, the duke of Burgundy, the earl of Flanders, the earl of Champagne, with divers other christian princes, with a general ^ ^,^^,g ^ consent, upon St. George's day, took the mark of the cross upon against them, promising together to take their voyage into the Holy Land. ' '^ "'' ^" At this time the stories say, the king of England first received the "^^rence red cross, the French king took the white cross, the earl of Flanders "f the took the green cross; and so likewise other princes diversly divers lirftTame colours, thereby to be discerned every one by his proper cross. But '"■ King Henry, after the three years were expired, in Avhich he promised to perform his voyage, sent to the pope for further delay of his pro- mise, offering for the same to erect three monasteries ; which thing
(I) Ex chronico bibliothecas Cariensis. (2) Jomalerisis. (3) Ibid.
(4) Ex vetusto maiiuscripto cxcm|ilaii liistoriie Carieiisis. (.i) Kx vetusto chron. Acep!:aIo.
272 THE FUEXCH JCIXg's ril,i;K IM AGE TO CAXTEHBURY.
^'■"'•■'/ 't- lie tlius pcrionncd : in the cliurcli of Waltham he thrust out the
A.D. secular priests, and set in monks instead of them. Secondly, he
1189. repaired Amcsbury, and brought in the nuns again, who before
' were excluded for their incontinent life. And thus performed he his
promise made before to the pope, a.d. 1173. King of The king of Scots' did his homage and allegiance to the king of doing ho- England and to his son, and to his chief lords ; promising that all "('""king '1>^ C'irls and barons of Scotland should do the like with their poste- of En- rity. Item, all the bishops and abbots of the church of Scotland promised subjection and submission to the archbishop of York, A. D. 1175.^
The custom was in this realm, that if any had killed any clerk or priest, he was not to be punished with the temporal sword, but only excommunicated and sent to Rome for the pope's grace and abso- lution ; which custom, in the days of this king, began first to be altered bv the procurement of Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, A.D. 1176.' London London-bridffc first besran to be made of stone by one Peter,
bridge . ° ^ ^
° ' priest of Colcchurch, a. d. 1176.*
St. William of Paris was slain by the Jews on Maundy-Thursday, for which the Jews were burned, and he counted a saint, a. d. 1177. ii?bdued Ireland subdued to the crown of England by this king, a.d. 1177.^ to En- About the five and twentieth year of the rcicrn of the said Kins;
I'iigri'm- Henry, Louis the French king, by the yision of Thomas Beckct Canter- appearing unto him in his dream, and promising to hiiu the recoyery '"">■ of his son, if he would resort to him at Canterbury, made his iournev
sprang up . ' . . .' " . ..'',•,
from a into England to yisit St. Thomas at Canterbury, with Philip, carl of vuion. Flanders ; where he offered a rich cup of gold, with other precious jewels, and one hundred yesscls of wine yearly to be given to the covent of the church of Canterbury : notwithstanding, the said Philip in his return from England, taking his journey to Paris to visit St. Dennis, in the same his pilgrimage was stricken with such cold, that he fell into a palsy, and was benumbed in the right side of his body, a.d. 1178."
Stephen, bishop of Rennes, was wont to make many rhjiues
and gaudish prose to delight the ears of the multitude ; to whom a
little before his death this verse was sounded in his ear, " Desine
ludere temere, nitere propere surgere de pulvere :" a. d. 1178.^
Tranaub- The Albigcnscs of the city of Toulouse, denied transubstantiation
tinr-aiji- ^^ ^^^ sacrament of Christ's body and blood ; also that matrimony
said. was a sacrament, &c. a. d. 1178.*
Queen King Hcnry separated himself from his wife Elenor, and held lier
hiw^ many years in prison, as some think, for the love of Rosamond ;
6onc(i. which seemeth to me to be the cause why God afterward stirred up
all his sons to war against him, and to work him much sorrow ;
(1) William, brother of Malconi IV., is the monarch here referred to. He wa.s taken prisoner before Alnwick, by a stratagem, by Rob. Stutevill and Ralph de Glanville, two of King Henry's nobility, and was transported to Falaise, in Normandy, where he was compelled to sign a dis- graceful treaty. He returned to Scotland, and in the year 1175 Henry summoned him to meet him at York. All the nobility and landholders of Scotland accompanied him thither; the disgraceful treaty of Falaise was confirmed, and Scotland found herself under the protection of Henry, deprived of lil)erty and honour. — Ed.
(2) Nicol. Trivet. (3) Ibid.
(4) EiChron. cujus initium: "In diehus sanrtissirai regis Edvardi," kc. Ex BibHcth. Cancns!. .1) Rx variis Chron. (6) Jornalensis, et alii. (7) Nic. Trivet. (8) Ibid.
THE STORY OF SIBYLLA AND GUIDO. 273
A. D, 1179;^ notwitlistanding, the said Elenor was shortly after //cwry //. icconciled to him.
St. Frideswide was translated unto Oxford in the same year. n'so.
In the year 1180, there came to the council of Pope Alexander, ^^^^ one Burgundio of Pisa, a man very cunning Iwth in Greek and sitions fjatin, who brought and presented to the council the homilies of cifrfso^-^ Ciirysostome upon the gospel of St. John, translated out of Greek tiTom into Latin, and said that he had translated likewise a great part of ^'^'^j'^'''' liis Exposition upon Genesis; saying moreover, that the said ment^.' C'hrysostome had made expositions in Greek of the whole of the Old 'J'estament, and also of the New.
The monks of Charterhouse first entered into this land, a.d. 1180.
In the year 1181, Richard Pech, bishop of Coventry, before his The death renounced his bishopric, and became a canon in the church of ^'^'^'"p °^f St. Thomas by Stafford.^ rJ'nmln-'
About the latter time of this King Henry, one Hugo, whom men btlhopdc. were wont to call St. Hugh of Lincoln, born in Burgundy, and o,'Li^".fi|'„ prior of the monks of Charterhouse, was preferred by the king to the bishopric of Lincoln, who after his death is said to have done great iiiiracles, and therefore was counted a saint, a. d. 1186,'
Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, began the building of his new house and church of Lambeth ; but by the letters of Pope Clement III., he was forbidden to proceed in the building tliercof. A. D. 1187.*
I find likewise in the aforesaid old written chronicle remaining in the King hunds of one William Cary, citizen of London, that King Henry II. "ft^-'t'J.p gave to the court and church of Rome for the death of Thomas church of Bccket, forty thousand marks of silver, and five thousand marks of theT-atii
^yold. A.D. 1187. ofBecket.
Mention was made a little above of Almaric, king of Jerusalem, who destroyed Babylon, so that it M'as never after to this day restored, bat lieth waste and desolate; wherein was fulfilled that which by the prophets, in so many places, was threatened to Babylon before. This Almaric had a son named Baldwin, and a daughter called Sibylla. Baldwin, from the beginning of his reign, was a leper, and liad the falling-sickness, being not able, for feebleness of bodv, although valiant in heart and stomach, to satisfy that function.
Sibylla, his sister, was first married to one William, marquis of a «oitiiy Mount Ferrat, by whom she had a son, called also Baldwin. After s'jb^na' him she was man'ied to another husband, named Guido de Lusignan, ajut earl of Joppa and of Ascalon. Upon this it befel that the aforesaid Baldwin the leper, son of Almaric, being thus feeble and infirm, as is said, called his nobles together, Avith liis mother and the patriarch, declaring to them his inability, and by their consents committed the under-government of the city unto Guido, the husband of Sibylla, liis sister. But he being found insufRcient, or else not lucky in the government thereof, the office was translated to another, named Raimund, earl of Tripolis. In the mean Avhile, the soldan with his Saracens mightily prevailed against the Christians, and overran the country of Palestine, during which time Baldwin the king departed;
(11 Nic. Trivet. C-) Ex Chronico pervctusto, cui initiura, " In cliehus Sanctis regis " S-c
(3) Flores. Hist. (4) Nic. Trivet.
VOT,. IT. T
274 CHARACTER OF KIXG HKXRV II,
Henry II. wlicrcby tlic kinfjdom fell next to Baldwin (the son of Sibylla, bylicr ~^ D first husband, William), who, being but five years old, was put to 1189. the custody of the above Rainiund. This Baldwin also died in l»is minority, before he came to his crown, whereby the next suc- cession by descent fell to Sibylla, the wife of Guido above mentioned. The peers and nobles, joining- together in council, offered unto the said Sibylla, as to the lawful heir to the crown, that she should be their queen, with this condition, that she should sequester from her, A worthy by solcuin divorcement, the aforesaid Guido, her husband ; but she of a"t'rue Tcfuscd tlic kingdom offered to her on that condition, till at last hu^annd''^ the magistrates, with the nobles in general, granted unto her, and by their oaths confirmed the same, that whomsoever she would choose to be her husband, all they would take and obey as their king. Also Guido, her husband, with like petition among the rest, humbly requested her that the kingdom, for his sake, or for his private loss, might not be destitute of government. At length, she, with tears consenting to their entreaty, was contented, and solemnly was crowned their queen, who, after the custom, again received their fidelity by their oath ; whereupon Guido, without any hope either of wife or kingdom, departed home quietly to his own. This done, the queen, assembling her states and prelates together, entered talk with them about the choosing of the king, according to that which they had promised, and sworn unto her, namely, to obey him as their king, whom she would name to be her husband. Thus, while they were all in great expectation, Avaiting every man whom she Avould nominate, the queen, with a loud voice, said to Guido, that stood amongst them : " Guido, my lord, I choose thcc for my husband, and yielding myself and my kingdom unto you, openly I protest you to be the king." At these words all the assembly being amazed, wondered that one simple woman so wisely had beguiled so many wise men ; and worthy was she, no doubt, to be commended and extolled for her singular virtue, both of faithful chastity and high prudence; so tempering the matter, that she both obtained to her luisband the kingdom, and retained to herself again her husband, whom she so faithfully loved, a. d. 1186.'
As I have hitherto described the public acts of King Henry, so now I mean to touch something of his private conditions. He was of mean stature, eloquent and learned, manly and bold in chivalry, fearful of the mutability and chance of war, more lamenting the death of his soldiers dead, than loving them alive ; none more courteous and liberal for the obtaining of his purpose ; in peace and tranquillity none more rough ; stubborn against the stubborn ; sometimes merciful to those whom he had vanquished ; straight to his household servants, but liberal to strangers; publicly, of public things, liberal, sparing of his own ; whom once he took a displeasure against, hardly, or never, would he receive again to favour; some- what lavish of his tongue ; a willing breaker of his promise ; a lover of his own ease, but an oppressor of his nobility; a severe avenger and furtherer of justice ; variable of word, and crafty in his talk ; an 0])cn adulterer ; a nourishcr of discord amongst his children ; more- over, the papists, bearing him for Thomas Beckct's quaiTcl and such
(1) Ex nistoria manuscriiitn ciii iiiitium, " Rex Pictoruin, " ex Biljliothcra Cariensi mutuata.
THK KING ADMONISHED TO KEFORM. 215
like, as may be gathered, no good will, term him an adversary of the Henry ii. i'aith, the mall and beetle of the cluirch. ' . .,
Also in the chronicle entitled ' Scala Mundi' I find of him, that he ] i so!
followed the steps, manners, and conditions of Henry I. his grand- father, in every point. He preserved firm peace, and executed strict justice, through all his dominions. He loved marvellous well his forests ; and again, those who were transgressors either to his crov>n or person, he most severely punished.
Moreover, in a certain history entitled ' De Regibus Anglice'' I find, that this king was sundry times admonished to reform and amend his life, and first by one who was an old man, in the castle of Cai'dif in Wales, on the Sunday which is called ' Dominica in albis,' the eighth day after Easter ; where also, after that he heard mass, and was going to take his horse, there stood a certain man by him, some- what yellowish, his hair being rounded, lean, and ill-favoured, having on a white coat, and being barefoot, who looked upon the king, and spake in German on this wise — " Good old king ;'' that done, thus he proceedeth — " Christ and his blessed mother, John Baptist and The kin!? Peter, salute you, and straitly charge you, that upon the Sundays, nf"hed to throughout all your dominions, there be no buying and selling, or ^m'-nii other servile business (those only excepted which appertain to the Sunday preparation of meat and drink) ; which thing if thou shalt observe, from buy- whatsoever thou takest in hand, thou shalt happily finish and bring to ^gfi;'^"'' pass." Then spake the king, in French, unto the knight that held his horse by the bridle : " Ask of this churl whether he dreamed this or not .''" And in the mean while that the knight should have inter- preted the king's words in English, he spake in German as before, and said, " Whether this be a dream or not, mark Avell what day this is ; for unless thou do these things and amend thy life, such news shalt thou hear within these twelve months, as will make thee lament and mourn till thy dying day." And when these words Avere spoken, the man vanished out of his sight ; and within one year after, Henry, Geffrey, and Richard, his sons, forsook him, their father, and took part with the French king. The king of Scots, and the earls of Chester and Leicester, made an insurrection against the king. Many other premo- nitions were given also to the king, but all these did he little esteem. The second who did admonish him, was a certain Irishman, giving him The se- certain secret signs. And thirdly, a certain knight of Lindesey,^ named ^^l^f, '^'^'.' Philip de Easterby, sailing with him over into France, declared unto monition the king, in Normandy, seven articles which he should amend ; which idn '' thing if he would do, he should reign seven years most honourably, and should take the holy cross from his enemies ; or else he, in the fourth year, should die in great ignominy. The three first things were these, which he at his coronation sware to observe, that is, to defend the church, to enact good laws, and to condemn no man to death without judgment ; the fourth was, for the restoring of inheri- tance wrongfully taken ; the fifth was, in doing justice without reward ; kin
the sixth was, of the due payment of men's wages and stipends ; the
seventh was, of expelling the Jews, leaving them some money to depart '"'};|!.'*','|,. withal. But the king not amending his life, there rose up against him grimace.
(I) The following anecdote is in Brompton, Script. X. p. 1079, whence several inaccuracies in the text are corrected. -Eu. (2) One of the three divisions of Lincolnshire.— Ed.
a- ^2.
reform his life.
victory falsely
276 PKUSKCUTIOX OF THE JEWS.
uichardi. three stroiig enemies ; that is to say, his three sons, aUing witli the n^ j3 Freneh king. But, after the king, forsooth, had gone a pilgrimage to 1189. tlie martvr's tomb, barefoot, William, king of Scots, and the earls of ■,.,,^jj3„, Chester and Leicester, were taken at Alnwick.*
mufiiry In the five and tliirticth year of his reign, being in the castle of July Gth. Cliinon in Normandy, he died ; at whose death those who were present ADiisy. y.^^^^ gy greedy oF the sj)oil, tliut they left the body of the king naked, and not so much could be found as a cloth to cover it, till that a page coming in and seeing the king so ignominiously to lie, threw his cloak upon his nether parts ; wherein, saith the author, was verified the sur- name which from Ids youth he bare, being called Henry Court Mantil.
RICHARD THE FIRST.2
A.l). In the year above recited, which was a.d. 1189, King Richard,
1 I8f), the eldest^ son of Henry H., succeeding his father, entered his crown ;
sept'''Y(i ^^ which time Pope Clement sat at Rome, succeeding after Gregory,
who died a little before with sorrow for the loss of the holy cross.'* No Jew During the time of his coronation, it befel, that notwithstanding theplface ^^^^ hiug, tlic day before his coronation, by public edict commanded or cimrrh \f()\\x tlic .Tcws,''' and their wives, not to presume to enter either the
(luring , , I'l ^ ■ \^ i-,- o ^ •
Hiciiards cluircli or his palace, dunng the solemnization 01 his coronation,
lioM."^ amongst his nobles and barons ; yet, while the king was at dinner, the
chief men of the Jews, with divers others of the Jewish affinity and
superstitious sect, against the king's prohibition, together with other
press, entered the court gates. Whereat a Christian man being offended,
struck one of them with his hand or fist, and bade him stand further
from tlie court gate, as the king had given commandment ; whose
example others also following, being displeased with the Jews, offered
them the like contumely. Others also, supposing that the king had
so commanded indeed, as using the authority of the king, fell upon
all the Jews that stood by without the court gate. And first they
beat them with their fists, but afterwards they took up stones and such
other things as they could get, and threw at them, and beat them
therewith. And thus driving them from the court gates, some of
them they wounded, some they slew, and some they left for dead.
A Jew There was amongst this number of the Jews one called 'Benedict,'
iv-arba''- ^ '^'^^^ ^^ York, who was so sorely wounded and beaten with the rest,
tized. that, for fear of his life, he said he would become a Christian, and
was indeed of William, the prior of the church of St. Mary of York,
baptized ; whereby he escaped the great peril of death he was in,
and the persecutors'' hands. In the mean wliile there was a great
rumour spread throughout all the city of London, that tlie king had
commanded to destroy all the Jews. Whereupon, as well the
citizens, as innumerable people more, being assembled to see the
The Jews kiug's corouation, armed themselves and came together. The Jews
slain." " thus bcing for the most part slain, the rest fled into their houses,
where for a time, through the strong and sure building of tliem, they
(1) See Appendix, for an error here. — Ed.
'2) Edition 1.16.1, p. 70. Ed. 158.3, p. 234. Ed. 1597, p. 213. Ed. 1G84, vol. i. p. 26.'i.— Ed. (3) His Uiird son. though the eldest surviving.— Ed. (4) See Appendix.
^5) The atrocities against the unfortunate Jews here recorded, are fully related in W.ilter Heraingford, Uale Script, vol. ii. pp. 514—518, and Bronipton.— Ed.
An unad- vised i
A TRAGICAL SCKNK AT YOUK. 277
were defended. Bat at length their houses were set on fire, and they inciiardi. destroyed therein. A~D~
These things being declared to the king, whilst he with his nobles 1189. and barons Avere at dinner, he sendeth immediately Kanulfe do Glan- vile, the lord high steward of England, with divers other noblemen xhesmaii to accompany him, that they might stay and restrain these so bold [heTobu enterprises of the Londoners : but all was in vain, for in this so great '''y '" '" a tumult none there was that either regarded what the nobility said, insurVcc- or else any whit reverenced their personages, but rather with stern '"'"'*■ looks and threatening words advised them, and that quickly, to depart. Whereupon they, with good deliberation, thinking it the best so to do, departed ; the tumult and insurrection continuing till the next day. At which time' also the king, sending certain of his officers into the city, gave them in commandment to apprehend and present some, sucli as were the chief of the malefactors : of whom three were condemned to be hanged, and so were ; the one, for that he had robbed a Christian's house in this tumult ; and the other two, for that they fired the houses, to the great danger of the city. After this, the king sent for him who from a Jew was converted to Christianity, and in the presence of those who saw when he was baptized, the king asked him whether he was become a Christian or not ? He answering the king, said. No, but to the intent that he might escape death, he per- mitted the Christians to do with him what they listed.'' Then the king asked the archbishop of Canterbury, other archbishops and bishops beinff present, what were best to be done with him ? Who unad- "ver of
^ . . . an arch-
visedly answering, said, " If he will not be a man of God, let him be Mshop. a man of the devil :" and so revolted he again to Judaism.
Then the king sent his writs to the sheriffs of every county, to inquire for the authors and stirrers of this outrage ; of whom three were hanged, divers were imprisoned. So great was then the hatred of Englishmen against the Jews, that as soon as they began to be repulsed in the court, the Londoners taking example thereof fell upon them, set their houses on fire, and spoiled their goods. The country again, following the example of the Londoners, scmblably did the like. And thus the year, which the Jews took to be their jubilee, was to them a year of confusion ; insomuch that in the city of York, the Jews obtaining the occupying of a certain castle for their preservation, and afterwards not being willing to restore it to the Christians again, when they saw no other remedy, but by force to be vanquished, first they offered much money for their lives ; when that would not be taken, by the counsel of an old Jew amongst them, a misera- every one, with a sharp razor, cut another's throat, whereby a thou- lJe*ser'ved sand and five hundred of them were at that time destroyed.' Neither ''.''*^™^: was this plague of theirs undeserved ; for every year commonly then- Jews, custom was, to get some Christian man's child from the parents, and on Good Friday to crucify him, in despite of our religion.*
King Richard, after the death of his father, coming unto remem- brance of himself, and of his rebellion against his father, sought for absolution of his trespass ; and, in part of satisfaction for the same, agreed with Philip, the French king, at a certain interview,' to take
(1) " Sequent! die," Brompton. — Ed.
(2) " Permisit a Christianis sibi fieri quod volebant," Id. — Ed.
(3) Next year, Friday, March 16th, 1190. Hovsden. See Appeiuii.x.— Ed.
(4) Ex Chron. Westm. cui initium, " /Eiieas cum Ascaiiio," S-i-. (.'>) July 22d, 1 ISD. Hoved. Gcrv. Uruiup. See Appeiidi.x. — Ln.
278 i:ka( TioN's for tiik crusades.
Ficiiardi. liis voj'agc 'witli liiiii lor tlic recovery of Christ's patrimony, Avliich ^ j3 they called the Holy Land. Whereupon the said King Kieliard, 1189. immediately after his coronation, to prepare himself the better towards The cove- ^''s journey, set to sale divers of his manors, whereof Godfrey Lucy, tousgrce- tjicn bisliop of Winchester, bought a couple for two thousand marks; bishops" to wit, ^Vcr B"e-r*"^for a thousand marks, called Middlesay, or Mildenhall. Hugh lordships. Puzas, bisliop of Durham, bought the lordship of Scggesfield or Sedberga, with the wapentake, and all the appurtenances thereto belonging: he bought also the earldom of Northumberland, whom Avhen the king should solemnize after the manner of secular earls, merrily with a mocking jest, " Lo," said he, " of an old bishop I have made a young earl." And because the said bishop had pro- fessed before by a solemn vow to visit the Holy Land, to be released of his vow, he compounded Avith the pope for a great sum of money therefor ; and moreover gave to the king a thousand marks to remain at home, as the chief justice of England. *At that time it appearcth that these taxes, tolls, exactions, and subsidies, either were not known, or not so much had in use ; by reason whereof this king was driven to make other shifts, by selling offices, liberties, and privileges.*' Sleights Over and besides, the king set out all that he had to sale, woods, luontV. castles, townships, lordships, earldoms, baronages, * and, as he said himself, he would have sold London also, if he could have found any able to buy it ;* ordaining also divers new bishops, and not without some advantage, as appeared, to his purse; feigning more- over his old seal to be lost, that they which had lands to hold might be driven to renew their writings again by the new seal, whereby A tenth great substance of money was gained. Above all this, by the com- fimmgh^ mandment of Pope Clement KL, a tenth also was exacted of the all Eng- whole realm, in such sort as that the Christians should make up for the king seventy thousand pounds, the Jews sixty thousand pounds.' Philip the French king, in the time of his parliament at St. Denis, in the month of November, sent Rotrou, earl of Perche, with certain carls and barons, to King Richard, desiring him to remember his promise made for the recovery of Christ's holy patrimony out of the Philip Saracens' hands ; certifying him how he had bound himself by solemn ard c^n-''" ^atli, dcposing upon the Evangelists, that he, the next year following, ciudinsto about the time of Easter, had certainly preBxed to address himself
travel to i i • • • i • i-i • r •! l i
the Holy towards that journey : requiring him likewise not to tail, but to be
ready at the term above limited, appointing also the place where both
the kings should meet together. Unto whom he sent word again,
solemnly swearing on the Evangelists, that he would be ready at the
appointed time and place. Whereupon he applied himself diligently
to prepare ; but especially his care was to make unity and concord
between parties that were at variance, and to set thein together at one.
and fide- Aftcr wliicli tlic king, in the month of December, sailed to France,
twee'^n" wlicrc the Frcucli king and he conferring together, for the more con-
Phiiipii.. tinuance of their iournev assured themselves bv solemn oath, swear-
French mg fidelity one unto the other ; the form of wliose oath was this : —
Kichardi. That either of them should defend and maintain the honour of the
(1) This and the succeeding passage, between single asterisks, are from the Edition of 15G3, p.'69.— Ed. (!') Ex Ocrv. fol. 134. [X Script, col. 152!). Stowe's Ann., .\ -a. 1IS8. See Appendix.— Ed.]
DISGRACEFUL BRAWL IN YORK CATHEDRAL. 279
other, and bear true fidelity unto him of life, members, and worldly mchardi. honour ; and that neither of them should fail one the other in their ^ j) affairs; but that the French king shovdd aid the king of England udo. in defending his land and dominions, as he would himself defend his own city of Paris, if it were besieged ; and that Richard, king of England, likewise should aid the French king in defending his land and dominions, no otherwise than he would defend his own city of Rouen, if it Avere besieged, &c. But how slenderly this oath did hold between these two kings, and by Avhose chief occasion first it fell asunder, the sequel of the story (the Lord willing) shall declare here- after. But because they could not make ready by Easter, according to the former appointment, they concluded to take a longer day, proroguing their voyage till after Midsummer. In the mean time, the king occupying himself in redressing and establishing such things as further were to be ordered, there determined that Geffrey and John, his brethren, should not enter into England within three years after his departure; nevertheless he released that bond afterward to his brother John.
The next year ensued, which was A.b.1190, in the beginning of a.d.hoo. which year, upon Twelfth-even, fell a foul northern brawl, which turned frn "brawl well near to a fray, between the archbishop newly elected of the church ^",5|g';„.j^, of York and his company, on the one side, and Henry, dean of the cimrchof said church, with his catholic partakers, on the other side, upon occa- Heno'. sion as followeth : Gaufi-id, or Geffrey, son of King Henry II. and y"" "and brother to King Richard, whom the king had elected a little before to Bucard, the archbishopric of York, upon the even of the Epiphany, which we \4V,m,l' call Twelfth-day, was disposed to hear evensong with all solemnity in j-^^ueir the cathedral church, having with him Hamon the precentor, with arch-
' p rni 1 1 ■ 1 • 1 ■ bishop.
divers canons of the church. Ihe archbishop tarrying sometlnng long, belike in adorning and attiring himself, in the meanwhile Henry the dean, and Bucard the treasurer, disdaining to tarry his coming, with a bold courage lustily began their holy evensong, with singing their psalms, ruffling of descant, and merry piping of organs. Thus, this catholic evensong, with as much devotion begun, as to God's high service proceeding, was now almost half complete, when as at length (they being in the midst of their mirth) cometh in the newly-elect with his train and gardeviance, all full of wrath and indignation, for that they durst be so bold, not waiting for him, to begin God's service, and so eftsoons commanded the quire to stay and hold their peace. The Jif^ f^e^" precentor likewise, whose name was Hamon, by virtue of his office, surer comniandeth the same. But the dean and treasurer, on the other cease side, willed them to proceed ; and so they sung on, and would not at the""" stint. Thus, the one half crying against the other, the whole quire ^^.'^^-^ , was in a roar, their singing was turned to scolding, their chanting to com- chiding; and if instead of the organs they had had a drum, I doubt mem. they would have ' sol-fa-ed ' by the ears together.
At last, through the authority of the archbisbop, and of the prse- bishop i)e- centor, the quire began to surcease and give silence. Then the newly fv""so,',„ elect, not contented Avith what had been sung before, with certain of ^sain. the quire, began the evensong over again. The treasurer, upon the J,Iit 'pm". same, * not thinking to take such a foil,* caused, by virtue of his office, tetii out *all the tapers and* the candles to be put out, * and so their unhappy au-s"""
2S0 CLAIMS OF THE MONKS OF CHUISTCHUKCH.
liichardi. evensong was ceased again.'* For, like as without the light and ~\~Q~ beams of the sun there is nothing but darkness in all the world, even 1190. so you must understand the popc''s eliurch can see to do nothing, *and ,^^ that the popish evensong is blind without candlelight, yea, though pope's the sun sliould shine in the quire never so clear and bright ; by reason en" do whereof they went away cvensongless, and so left their God in the wuhou? church, that night, unserved.* This being so, the archbishop, thus camiie disa))pointed on every side of his purpose, made a grievous plaint, The declaring to the clergy and to the people what the dean and treasurer Yo"rk sus^ bad done ; and so upon the same, suspended both them and the church pcndid {Yq,^^ .^j] (divine service, till tliey should make to him due satisfaction service, for tlicir trcspass.
* Where note, by the way, good reader, that either the singing of the popish service doth little serve to God''s honour, or else how could this archbishop be so injurious to God, to stop him of his honour because they had dishonoured him P But to the purpose again.*
The next day, which was the day of Epiphany, when all the people of the city were assembled in the cathedral church, as their manner was (namely, in such feasts), devoutly to hear divine service, as they call it, of the churcb, there were also present the archbishop and tlie precentor, with the residue of the clergy, looking when the dean and treasurer would come and submit themselves, making satisfaction for Thedcnn their crimc. But they, still continuing in their stoutness, refused so sufc'r'do ^° ^^' exclaiming and uttering contemptuous words against the arch- not sub- bishop and his partakers. Which when the people heard, they in a the arch- grcat ragc would have fallen upon them ; but the archbishop would The"^' "ot suffer that. The dean then and his fellows, perceiving the stir of r^e'^cd ^^^ people, for fear, like pretty men, were fain to flee, some to the against toml) of St. William of York ; some ran unto the dean''s house, and * '^'"' there shrouded themselves, whom the archbishop then accursed. And
so, for tliat day, the people returned home without any service.^ ronton- At which time the long contention began also to be appeased, betwixt '^bich so many years had continued between Baldwin, archbishop of Baldwin, Canterbury, and his monks of Christchurch ; the discourse whereof, i)ishopof although it be somewhat tedious, to be set forth at large, being r>s'and'" cnougli to make a whole tragedy, yet to the intent the age now of nui"t-' P'^'^sent may see what great conflicts and disquietness, upon what rburch. little trifles, have been stirred up, what little peace and unity hath been not only in this church, but commonly in all other churches under the pope's catholic regiment, I thought it not labour ill bestowed somewhat to intermeddle in opening to the eyes of the bishops of reader the consideration of this matter ; wherein first is to be under- ry cmn-" stood, that the archbishops of Canterbury, commonly being set up we"r"'Hont ^y ^^^^ pope> especially since the time of the Conquest, have put the to work kings of this land to much sorrow and trouble, as appeared by oM;ng'-° William Rufus and Lanfranc, and also Ansclm ; by Henry I. and J^;;;!,^ ATiselm ;' King Stephen and Theobald ; Henry II. and Bccket, &c. sorrow. For which the kings of this land have used the more care and circum-
(1) For the words between asterisks, see Ed. 1503, p. 70. — Ed.
(2) Ex veteri Chronico manuscripto, qui initium, ' Anno gratiac millesimo,' &c.
(3) " Anselm, who broupht in the conception of our Lady to be liailov.ed, stirred coals in England against his king, Henry." Ed. 1503, p. 31. — Ed.
Jeremy, prior of Canter-
ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTEKBUUY. .281
spection, to liavc such archbishops placed in the sec as cither shoukl Riciuinii. stand with them, or at the k^ast should not be against them.^ ~a!7)~
Now to the purpose of our matter intended. First, after Lan- 1137 franc, who was archbishop twenty years, the see standing vacant five to years, succeeded Anselm, and sat fifteen years; after whom, the ^^^^' see standing vacant five years, succeeded Rodulph, and continued, o^ixieun eight years ; then followed William, who sat thirteen years, and died reckraf A.D. 1137; after whom came Theobald, in the time of King Stephen. This Theobald, being no great favourer of the monkish generation, fell out with Jeremias, prior of the house of Canterbury, for certain causes between them ; for which the arclibishop, taking stomach against the prior, would lay the sentence of interdiction against him. The prior, seeing that, to save himself, made his appeal to Pope je Innocent. The archbishop, provoked the more by that, deposed him ^'^^.^^, from his priorship, and placed one Walter in his room. Jeremias, »'"'■>'• '■>?- notwithstanding, making his complaint and appeal to Rome, obtained To Pope letters from the pope to Henry bishop of Winchester, being the ^°"'"^^"*- pope's legate, by virtue whereof, he, against the heart of the arch- bishop, was restored, and Walter displaced. Nevertheless, the said Jeremy, not willing there to continue with displeasure of the arch- bishop, shortly after, of his own accord, renounced his priory, and Walter again was received in his stead. Not long after this followed the general council at Rheims, a.d. 1148. To that council, Theo- bald, contrary to the commandment of the king, would needs resort, to show^ his obedience to the pope ; wherefore, at his returning home again, the king took such displeasure with him, that, within a while after, the archbishop was driven to void the realm, and fly into France, where he, by censure of interdiction, suspended divers churches and religious houses which reftised to come to the council ; and also, hearing how the king had seized upon all his goods, he interdicted likewise all the king's land whatsoever, belonffine- to the
111'* Oo
crown : so that the kmg, m conclusion, was fain to compound with him, and fall to agreement, which was about a.d. 1148.^
After this, a.d. 1151, after the death of Hugh, abbot ofAfrivo- St. Austin's in Canterbury, Silvester was elected by the covcnt to {," "'veeif^ be their abbot in the reign of King Stephen. When this Silvester Tiieobaw, came unto Theobald the archbishop, to make his profession of sub- bishop, jection unto him, and to receive of him consecration, the archbishop Tetxlt was contented, if that the abbot would come to Christchurch in f^'^l^l Canterbury, and there make his profession. But to this, Silvester in tin's. no case would yield to take his consecration there ; but, in any other church, wheresoever the archbishop would, he was contented. To this, when the archbishop in nowise would agree, Silvester, making a sihester great bag of money, went to Rome, where he obtained of the pope fo°Rome. for money (for what cannot money do at Rome ?) letters that the archbishop should consecrate the abbot in his own church of St. Austin, and also not exact of him any profession of canonical subjection. Hereupon the archbishop was compelled, against his "will, to come to the abbot's church, and there, at the pope's com- mandment, to consecrate him simply, and without any further profession to be required.
(1) F.x Oiron. Gen-as. (2) Ibid.
282 FRIVOLOUS CON'TKXTIOXS AMONG CHURCHMKN.
Rich, nil. Thou ^Valtcr, prior of Cliristcliurcli in Canterbury, .seeing that,
^13 and pereeiving how prejudicial and derogatory the example thereof
1137 would be to the honour and majesty of their church, through counsel
to of his brethren, vent thither ; and, notwithstanding the doors were
nao^ straitly watched and kept, yet, by means, he at last got in ; and as he
I'l's saw the archbishop attired in his pontificalibus, ready to minister
Christ"- consecration to the abbot, he stepped straight to the archbishop, and
asainlt ^^ ^^'-^ appcalctli liiiH up to Home, for the great injury wrought
ni"" k ag-i'ist the church of Canterbury, forbidding him in the name of him
St. Aus- to whom he appealed, to proceed any further. And so this holy
tin
consecration was for the present time staid, for Avhicli Silvester, with trudRith a new purse of money, was fain to travel and trot again to Rome, Ro'ine.'" where he, complaining of the archbishop, and accusing him of con- tempt of the pope, in not executing the commandment sent down, obtaineth again new letters vni\\ more effectual charge to the aforesaid archbishop, that he, Avithout any profession, simply should give to Silvester his consecration in liis own church, " omni occasione et appellatione remota," " all manner of stay, or let, or appellation to the contrary notwithstanding."" And so, in conclusion, the abbot, contrary to whatsoever the archbishop and all the monks of Canter- ronse^'^'^ bury could do, was, in his own church, made abbot, and had the crated victory for that time. Notwithstanding, the archbishop left not the hisow'n matter so, but within five years after obtained of Pope Adrian, that church. Silvester should make profession of his obedience to the archbishop, and so he did.^
In a few years after this died King Stephen, a.d. llo-i; and after him Theobald, the archbishop, a.d. 1161, after he had sat three and twenty years ; after whom, through the instant procurement of King Henry II., was placed Thomas Becket, the king's chancellor, A.D. 1162, of Avhose sturdy rebellion against the king because sufficient hath been said before, it shall not need to make a double labour now about the same.
After the death of Becket, much ado tliere was between King Henry II. and Odo, prior of Canterbury, about the election of a new archbishop. For the king seeing the realm so oftentimes encumbered by those popish archbishops, and fearing lest the monks of Canter- bury should elect such another as would follow the steps of Thomas Becket, most humbly, with cap in hand, and courtesy of knee, desired odo, prior C)do the prior, that at his request, and for contentation of his mind, ofcanter- gudj j^ q-^c might be elected as he would appoint (appointing and naming a certain bishop, who was a good simple man after the king''s liking) ; but the prior dissemblingly answering the king again, that he Richard, neither could nor would, without the consent of his covcnt, give Dover" ])romise to any man ; in fine, contrary to the king's so humble arch-*^*^ request, he agreed to the election of another, who was the prior of cantw"'^ Dover, called Richard, a.d. 1173, and who continued in that see bury. eleven years.
Another Aud here was renewed again the like variance between this arch- cont°in"' bisliop, and Roger, abbot of the Austin monks in Canterbury, as lion was before mentioned between Theobald and Silvester ; for. when
(1) E.x Gcrvas.
A COUNCIL HELD AT LATERAN. 283
the said Roger, after his election to be abbot, must needs take his mdiardf. consecration at tlie archbishop''s hand, tlie archbishop -would not grant it unto him, imless lie made profession of obedience, according to the ancient custom of his predecessors. Then Roger, consulting ■with his monks, at first refused so to do ; but at length was con- tented, so it might not be done in the archbishop''s church, but in any other church where he avouM, underwriting this clause withal, " salvis utriusque ecclesise privilcgiis ;" that is, "■ saving the privileges of both churches." To this the arclibishop said again, first, that he should make his due and canonical profession, and that he should not come to him with writing or underwriting, but should say in his heart, " salve sancta parens," or " salve festa dies," not " salvis privi- lcgiis," or any such like thing. Whereunto when the Austin monks in no case Avould consent, nor the archbishop other^vise would grant his benediction, Roger the abbot was fain to post to Rome, and there to bring the archbishop in hatred in the court of Rome, and made his abbey tributary to Pope Alexander, a.d. 1177.
The pope, well contented with this, not only granteth the abbot ^^ ^^^^^^ his desire, but also, in contumely of the archbishop, dubbeth the abbot abbot with all such ornaments as to a prelate appertain ; and so, home"^ a.d. 1178, sent home the abbot triumphantly with his ring and mitre, Jfu'Jnp],. and other ensigns of victory, with letters also to the archbishop, enjoining him, immediately upon the sight thereof, to consecrate the abijot in his own church, and without making any profession. Although with these letters the archbishop was shrewdly pressed, yet, notwithstanding, his stout heart would not stoop for this ; but he laid his appeal against the same, and so the consecration for that time was suspended.
Then Roger, for his more defence, getting the king's letters, travelled up the second time to Rome, where grievously he com- plained to Pope Alexander of the archbishop. At the same time a general council was summoned to be kept at Lateran, where Richard f.^^^^^, the aforesaid archbishop was also looked for amongst other bishops to um Late be present, who came as far as Paris, but, being there, durst approach sub AJex- no further, and so retired home again ; whereupon the pope being ^'^^° oflTended with his contempt, without any more delay, exalted the Roger abbot with his own consecration, and invested him with all pomp and ^^^^ ^^ glory ; howbeit, providing before that the said consecration should ^°^'^- redound to no prejudice against the liberties of the mother church of crated! Canterbury, and so, upon the same, wrote to the archbishop his letters of certificate, with this addition annexed, " salvo jm-e et dignitate Cant, ecclesiae :" that is to say, " saving the liberties and dignities of the church of Canterbury."
The council ended, Roger the abbot returneth home, although with an empty purse, yet full of victory and triumph. The arch- bishop, again thinking to work some grievance to the Austin monks, had procured, in the mean time, letters from Pope Alexander to the bishop of Durham and the abbot of St. Alban''s, that they should cause the said Roger, abbot of the Austin monks, to show unto the archbishop all the old privileges of his house ; which indeed, being showed, seemed to be rased and new wiitten, with bulls of lead, not after the manner or style of that age, nor pretending any such
28 1
DIFKll'ULTIKS IN CHOOSING AX AUCHUISHOl'.
A. D.
ii;57
to 1190.
Richard, the arch- bishop.
The Romish court set men at variance to get their money.
Richardi. antiquity as slionUl sccni to reach from tlie time of Austin, but rallicr ncwlv counterfeit.
All this notwithstanding, the abbot, bearing liim bold upon the pope's favour, ceased not still to disquiet and overcrow the archbisho)) i)V all wavs he could, in exempting all his priests and laymen belonging to his jurisdictitjn from the archbishop's obedience ; forbidding also that any of liis should come to his chapters or synods, or fear any sentence of his curse or excommunication. Whereupon the arch- bishop, about the month of November the same year, sailing over to th"'k-^* Normandy, where the king was, thought to take his journey to tlie pope to complain of the abbot ; but being stayed by the king, ho was not suffered to pass any further, the king labouring what he could to bring them to agreement. Nevertheless the pojie and his " Romans,'" saith my story, " caring more for gold and silver, than for justice, still stirred coals of sedition and debate between them."'
In the year ensuing, which was a.d. 1184, died Richard, the archbishop aforesaid, in the eight and thirtieth year of King Henry II., after whose decease much trouble happened about the election of a new archbishop, between the king and the monks of Monks of Canterbury. And now, to enter here into the story of Baldwin, bur)' sent .ibove mentioned : first, the king sent to the monks, that they should Hennii. consider with themselves about the election of their archbishop, and be ready against the time that he would send for them to the court. Upon this the covent, gladly assembling together, agreed in themselves upon one, whom they thouglit chiefly to prefer; yet naming four more, that if the king should refuse one, the other yet might stand. Now the practice of the monks was, first, to keep the election in their own hands only, as much as they could. And secondly, ever to give the election either to some prior or monk of their own house, or to some abbot or bishop who sometimes had been of their company ; whereby, as much inconvenience and blind superstition was bred in the church of England, so the same disliked both the king and the bishops not a little.
As this past on. King Henry IT., when he saw his time, willed
the monks of Canterbury to be cited or sent for, to understand what
they had concluded in their election. Whereupon the monks sent
up their prior, called Alanus, with certain other monks, to Reading,
where the king then lay, about the month of August ; who at first
were courteously entertained, but, after the king had intelligence
whom they had nominated and elected, they were sent home again
The king with cold chccr ; the king willing them to pray better, and to advise
v![ui"''^'* more earnestly upon the matter amongst themselves. Alanus, the
Alan, the prior, witli his fellows, thus departed ; who coming home, in conclu-
prior, and . iii i i i ^ ^ -i •
vith the sion, SO concluded amongst themselves, that they would remit no jot rn'.Inks'of ^^ ^^^^^ liberties to the king, without the pope's consent and know- ledge. The king understanding hereof, sent his ambassadors likewise to the pope, for the fortil'ying of his cause, being in the mean time grievously oflrndcd with the prior, saying, that he was proud, and would make archbishop whom he listed, and would be the second pope in England, &c.
ahout choosing their arch- bishop.
Sent for to the king a second time.
Canter bury..
f 1) " Aurum et arponfum magis quam justitiam sitientcs, scditiones inter cos et litigis commo- vebint." — Ex Historia Gcrvasii.
f
THE POPF/s letter. 28")
Not long after this, as these letters were sent up to Rome, tlie Bicimrdr. king sent for Alanus, the prior, and more of the monks, to come to ^ ^) him; whom he entreateth, desiring them in gentle speech that they ii:j7 would show as much gentleness and favour to him being their lord to and king (as becometh his friends and subjects to do), as to confer ^^'^^- with the bishops of the realm about this matter, and to take some better counsel, such as might redound to God's glory, his honour, and the wealth of the public state, with other like words to the same effect ; to whom when the prior had answered again, with thanks ^-^^^ and due reverence, according to the king"'s request, the bishops and ofKng- monks went to confer together about the matter. And first, the daim to bishops marvelled why the monks should exclude them out of the 't'Jr^est'in election, seeing they were professed and suffragans to the said church the eiec- of Canterbury ; " Neither is there any prince," quoth the bishop of theard.- Bath, " that will refuse our counsel." " There be some counsels," oTcan'ter- said the monks, " whereat you may be called ; but as touching the ''"^>- doing of this election, it pertaineth not unto you further than to publish only, and denounce the party whom we have chosen." The bishop of London then asked if they had already made an election ? " No election," said the prior, " as yet, but only we have denomi- nated the persons." " Then have ye proceeded further," quoth he, " than ye ought, having commandment from the pope not to proceed without us." And with that was brought forth the pope''s letter, commanding that within forty days the bishops of England, and the "^j^Z-s prior and covent of Canterbury, should elect an able and fit person i'^"'^'- for their archbishop. About the scanning of these letters was much ado. The bishops said, they were first named, and therefore ought to have most interest in this election. The monks said again, that they also were not excluded, and required to have a transcript of the letter, whereof much doubt was made.
After long concertation, when they covdd not agree, the king, j^.^ coming between them both, called away the bishops from the monks; Henry ii supposing, by separating the one from the other, to draw both parties rafe^ththe to his sentence. But that would not be ; for the monks, stiffly ^oJjj°?f,e standing to their liberties, would lose no pre-eminence of their church, monks. still alleging how, by the ancient privileges of the church of Canter- m'j.nks bury, the covent should choose their pastor and bishop, and the prior ^i" ^"[^ was but to publish and denounce the person. The bishops again eminence replied, " That it was their right to appoint their archbishop and church, metropolitan, who were bishops and suffragans ; and namely, the bishop of London, also being dean of the said church of Canterbuiy." The king then, as umpire between them, yet favouring rather the side of the bishops, desired them to agree together in peace. When that would not prevail, he set the lord steward, and other noblemen, to entreat the prior to draw to some agreement ; at least to be contented with this form of election, which was, that the bishop of London, or some other bishop, should declare the election in these words : —
" We bishops, and the prior and covent of Christ^s church, in ^ ^_^^^ Canterbury, with the assent of our lord the king, do choose sucli a ofeiection person to be archbishop," &c. Or else thus, that the prior should ard.bi- pronounce the election in these words, saying : " The bishops of ^°p-
286
OIM'OSTTIOX OF THE MOXKS TO TllK lilSHOi'S.
Hichardi. Eiiijland, ail 1 I prior, ami the covciit of Canterbury, witli the assent
A.D. "t our hud anil kin
1137 U j)on this, t!ic prior said he would convent with his covent. The
to latter, with much ado, were content to yield to the lving"'s desire; but
J. •'^- afterward, beiu^^ required to put down the same in writing, that thev
The bi- refused to do ; yet notwithstanding, relented at last to the kin
shops nnd , , .•' , o i i f i •
monks liut v.lieu tlic bisliops made excuses tor the absence ot their lellow aKre't- ""' bisliops, tlic matter for that time staid ; and the king, sending home fo'nn'of''^ the monks again to their house in peace, deferred that business to election, a further day, which was till the first day of December ; command- ing the prior with his fellows the same day not to fail, but to be at tiono'f'^'^ London about the choosing of the archbi.sliop. .x.d. 1184. bi's'^hop'^de- -'^^ '-^"- ^'^y prefi.xcd came, the prior with his company were also ferrt-a. present ; who, giving attendance all that dav, and also the day following, were thus driven off till the third dav after. At length the lord steward, with other nobles of the realm, were sent to then\ from the king, to declare, that whereas the king before had divided the bishops from the monks, that they both might have their election by themselves, after the form of a bill which was put down in writing: now, the mind of the king was, that the monks, taking another way, should join with the bishops, and so, having the matter in talk together, should proceed jointly in the election.
Against this, many things were alleged by the prior and his mates, complaining much of the bishops, who said, that the bishops had ever holdcn with the kings, against the liberties of their church and arch- bishops. As first, they stood against Anselm for King William ; then against Theobald for King Stephen ; after that against Becket for King Henry ; and after him, did supplant the election of Richaj-d, their archbishop ; and now again, went about to practise and work against this their election present. At last, the prior with his fellows concluding, desired they might speak with the king himself; who, presently coming unto them, willed them as good men to be con- tented, and go talk with the bishops about the election, promising, that whom they agreed upon, he also would grant his assent unto the same. To whom, when the prior again had objected the writings that before were made ; " True it is," said the king, " such writings were made, but I neither may nor will go against the council of my realm ; and therefore agree," said he, " with my bishops and abbots, and remember that the voice of the people is the voice of God." The Upon this the prior with his monks, seeing no other remedy, went
cmter- °^ ^^ ^^^^ bisliops to Confer, according to the king's request, about the ''eiud*'™ election ; who then were willed by the bishops to nominate whom against they would, and the bishops would likewise name theirs. So, when to'join' * the prior with his accomplices had named three, after their choosing, i.Vshops! ^^^^ bishops said they would nominate but one ; and so did, who touching -was the bishop of Worcester ; willinof the imor to ffo home, and
the elec- p-ii- >
tion of to confer with Ins covent about the same, to whom, shortly after, buhop.'*" the bishops sent certain priests, to signify to the covent, that they, ac- cording to the pope''s letters, should repair to the bishops concerning the election of the archbishop ; and to declare, moreover, to thera, that the persons whom they had named were good men, but that
BALDWIN ELECTED ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. 287
he whom they had nominated was a more worthy man, whom they ^' both had nominated, and also would elect. The monks, marvel- A. D. ling hereat, sent two monks with the archdeacon of Canterbury ^^'-^"^
*^^*'^.^^"-• . 1190. This done, immediately after the retm-n of the priests, the bishops —
caused all the bells of the city to be rung, and ' Te Deum"' to be sung shops'" for the archbishop newly elect ; and when the two monks brought J^efr'^eier- tidings to the covent at Canterbury of what was done at London, they ^^",","''' were all in a marvellous dump. The king hearing this, and perceiv- monks^of ing the stiffness of the monks, in all haste sent messengers to Canter- bury"' bury, with gentle words, to will the prior to come to the king, and certify him of the purpose of his monks. Unto whom the prior, soon coming, declareth in the name of the whole covent, that in no ^^^^^^ case he nor the monks would ever, while the world stood, agree to that tions pre- election of the bishops, unless the king, in his own person, would the uns" come to Canterbury, and there openly, before the whole covent, ^^n^^ ^f would protest, by his oami mouth, the aforesaid election to be nought canter- and void ; and so returning to London again, would likewise openly, the'^mti'f[- before the clergy and people, repudiate and reject the same : and, the?arch- furthermore, that the party also elected should openly, in the same bishop ^ place, protest and say, that he neither would nor ought to take that thebi-^ function upon him, unless he entered with the consent of the prior "'"''"' and covent of Canterbury ; and that all this should be done in the same place where the bishops had made their election before ; and so, peradventure, said they, at the king's so earnest suit and request, they would gratify his will, and ratify the said election with the voices of their consent. To make the story short, after great hold between the secular clergy on the one side, and the regular order on the other side, and after the king's indignation against the prior, and the swooning of the prior before the king, at length the king to take up the matter, and to save the prior's life, was hiin to perform in his o^vn person all those conditions above prescribed by the monks.^ a.d. 118-i. Baldwin
And thus have ye heard the tragical election of the bishop of wfrcL-^ Worcester, named Baldwin, made archbishop of Canterbury. Now '//p^'^f ^'^ what a troublesome time the said Baldwin had with the monks in shop of governing the church of Canterbury, here followeth likewise not bu"y" unworthy to be considered.
THE TROUBLES BETWEEN BALDWIN, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTER- BURY, AND THE MONKS OF THE SAME CHURCH.
In the first year the archbishop showed himself friendly and loving A. D. to the monks; the year following he began to appear somewhat 1184 rough unto them. The manner then was of the house of Christ- , ,^^ church, toward the time of the Nativity and of Easter, to receive certain presents or gifts of their farmers or tenants, which the cellarer should take and lay up. Those presents the archbishop began first to intercept from the monks, and to bestow them upon his secular clerks. After this he took three churches or benefices, which the
1190.
(1) Ex Gcrvas. fol. KO.
to 1190.
288 COXTKNTIOX BETWEEN' THE MONKS AND THEIR ARCHBISHOP.
RichardT. j^ionks claiiuccl as proper to tliemsclves, and placed in them three of A.D. his chaphiins. After this he cncroacheth to his hands certain tene- 1184 ments, revenues and victuals, belonging before to the monks, as they said, and eonnnitted the custody thereof to certain of his own clerks and household servants, monks of The monks, who had borne so much with the archbishop before, bury"p- seeing this, could forbear with him no longer, but needs would make 'l*^""" their appeal ainiinst him. The archbishop, not much regarding that,
tlie ])ope '^',1 f> • !• II 111
against waxcd thereby the more tierce agmmst them, msomuch that sucii farms L'chbi- and tenements as he before had let alone, he now received to his own K.xoMci- occuj)ying, with many other gi'ievances wherewith he greatly ve ed liation the monks, so that three abbots were fain to come and reconcile the the' arch- arclilMsliop and the monks ; which reconciliation was this, that the Bi?d the nionks should let fall their appeal, and the archbishop should restore "'""^^•., acrain to them their firms and tenements. But as touchini: the
which did ,~ „ , , , 1 1 • 1 -11 1 1 • 1 •
not hold benchccs and the presents, the archbishop still kept them in Ins ""^' hands for a further trial of their obedience and patience. Neverthe- less, some there were of the ancient monks Avho in no case would give over the aforesaid appeal, before the archbisho]) made a full resti- tution of all together. The After this agreement, such as it was, between the monks and him,
ti.on^" the archbishop soon after sent up to Rome one of his chaj)lains, seniieth uuto wlioiii lic had givcn one of the benefices aforementioned, partly pope. for confirmation of his benefice, partly also to f)btaiu license for the archbishop to build a church, which he intended to erect, of secular priests near unto the town of Canterbury. Which being obtained of Jrchbi- '^''P pf^pc, the archbishop, not a little glad thereof, began now more KhopRo- .,,jj iDore to wax fierce amiinst the monks, not only in taking from
elh about . '^ . . * . ''
t.) pluck them their churches and oblations, but also in aggravating the whole
pride of' statc of tlicir liousc, which he intended either to subvert or greatly to
jiionks diminish, to pluck down the pride and stubbornness of the monks.
Wherefore, taking with him certain other bishops, who, he knew,
bare no good will to that monkish generation, he went to the king,
declaring how he had a good purpose in his mind to erect a new
and a solemn church, in honour of St. Thomas of Canterbury, o*'
secular priests or canons, and therefore desired of the king to have hie
favourable license to the same. The king, right well perceiving the
])urposc of the archbishop whither it tended, as to the bridling of the
stitl-neeked monks, was the more willing to give assent, if he were
not also the chief worker of that matter himself.
The pur- Tlic intent of the archbishop in planting of that new church, was
the ardi ^0 found thcrc divers prebends, and to make both the king and every
buiiduiL" ^'s^^oP' heing his suffragans, prebendaries thereof, so that every one of
his new tlicm sliould coufcr one prebendship on the same foundation ; mind-
caiiur- ing there to consecrate bishops, to make his chrismatory, to celebrate
''"'■y- his synods, and to administer all other things belonging unto the
function of his see, and the same to be called Hakington church.
I^^^l^^ 'i'he monks, not ignorant how the archbishop privily intended the
aiiepd desolation and subversion of their house and liberties, consultin^^
the ar*^h- upon thc matter, determined at length among themselves to appeal
bishop by ^^ j^Ijp g(,j, pf Home, for these three causes against thc archbishop;"'
monks, namely, first, for spoiling them of their gifts and oblations: secondly,
I
THE MONKS APPRAI. TO ROMF,. 289
for depriving them of tlicir churches and benefices : and tliinlly, for Ricimrdi. erecting a new foundation of secular canons, to tlic derogation and ^y j) overthrow of their religious order; giving admonition to the arch- iks4 bishop beforehand by their monks sent to him, of this their appella- to tion. To whom the archbishop answered, that th.e foundation, which ^ ^ •'^^- he went about, was to no derogation, but rather to the fortification and honour of their house. Who answered again, that it was, and could not otherwise be, but to their subversion. " And what should let me then," said the archbishop, " but I may build on my own ground what I will ?" " No,"'"' said they, " no gi-ound of yours, but The your ground is our ground, as all other things that you have by right ciThi"^ an are oiu-s, forasmuch as you have them not of yourself, but of the of'jif™'^^ church, and for the church"'s cause. All which things have been arch- given neither to you nor to the archbishops, but unto the church ThJ"''' of Christ; and therefore,'" said they, "all such as appertain unto us "ytth^n^. inwardly and outwardly, with the persons also, and the whole state selves of our church, we submit under the pope's protection, and now here house in make our appeal to the see apostolic, assigning also the term when to pJoux-'' * prosecute the same." t'""-
The archbishop receiving this appellation, and saying that he would answer to the same either by himself or by his responsal, "within three days after, which was the sixteenth of December, came to Canterbury, where the monks, understanding how he was in mind to place new secular priests in the church of St. Stephen, where the monks had served before, came to the church, to stop the proceeding of the archbishop by way of appeal. Whereof the archbishop having warning beforehand, deferred the matter till the next day, on which day the monks, again being sent by Honorius, the prior, into the church, charged the archbishop in the name of Almighty God, and by virtue of their appeal made to the apostolic see, to surcease those his doings ; forbidding also the parson of the church in any wise to suffer those secular clerks to be admitted into the church : all which yet notwithstanding, the archbishop proceedeth in his business. And xhe prior first, placing in his clerks, he suspendeth the prior from his adminis- J^[,rf"u7/ tration. Then he abjureth the parters of the gate, upon their oath, reiuied. to let none of the monks pass out of the house without his license. The monks likewise he commanded, by virtue of obedience, not to stray any where abroad without his leave. And furthermore, one of the aforesaid monks, who served the appeal against him, he utterly banished from that covent. Upon this, on the day following, Hono- rius, the prior, trusting, saith the story, on God and St. Thomas, took his way to Rome, sent in commission by the covent, to prosecute the appeal against the archbishop.
In the mean season, a new jar began between the said archbishop Another and the monks, about their rents and revenues, which the arch- uvel-n uic- bishop would have committed to the receiving and keeping of three """ii-^ . monks, but the sub-prior Geffery, with the covent, in no case would arcii- sufferthat: whereabout there was a foul stir. The archbishop craving ^"*''°p- the aid of the king, first had three bishops sent down to him, namely, those of Coventry, Norwich, and Worcester, who, being instant with the monks to submit their cause into the king's hands, like as the archbishop had done, they utterly refused it ; especially seeing tlicy
VOL. II. "u
'?nO I.KTTKllS BKTWKKK T!IK POPE AND THE A IMIl RISHOP.
HidiardT. had alri'iulv ri'lcrred the whole state of their cause to the tlctcr- A.D. niinatioii (tf tlie apostolieal see. The king, seeing no other remedy, ^^^^ came liimself witli the arelibishop into the chapter-house; wliere he 1190 t''>'ii'ii:i'i*hMl first tlie doors to be kej)t fast, tliat none should enter but
— - those who by name were called for. Among whom were two bishops,
comeiir* to wit, thosc of Norwich and Durham, and one Peter of Blois, a ci'iapuTof learned man, whose epistles be yet extant in libraries, a chief worker cmiter- Jn this matter against the monks. Then was called in GcfFery, the "'^^" sub-prior, with a few other monks whom he brought with him. The king then first talking with the archbishop and his company, and afterwards with the monks, laboured to entreat them that they would let fall their appeal, and so stand to the arbitrcment of him and of the bishops, concerning the cause which was between the archbishop and them in traverse. T'le To this the monks answered, that these were good words, but
rcfu"e to served not for that time, forasmuch as their cause was already trans- matter"^ latcd to tlic court of Romc, and now was presently in hearing before from the tlic pope''s liolincss ; and therefore they neither could nor would do tlie king's that injury to their lord pope, to refuse him, and to put the matter hearing, ^j^^q ^j^g judgment of any other. Then was it required of the monks, that they would put the matter in compromise, in case the prior would consent thereto ; upon this intent, that if the prior consented, and the monks not, then should they run in contempt and disobedience ; or if the monks would consent, and the prior not, then should the prior be excluded the realm. The wily monks, Tlic ^ being not unprovided of this subtilty, made their answer, that seeing excuse they had sent their prior forth in their commission, it stood not with uiig** ^^v[ honesty to give any determinate consent without the knowledge and before the return of the said prior, unless the archbishop first would promise to make full restitution of all that he had wrong- fully wTcsted from them. When the king could get no other answer of the monks, neither could move the archbishop to release the sen- tence of their suspension, unless they would confess and acknowledge their fault, he, so })arting from them, passed over into France. The first Not loug after this came a messenger from Rome, bringing letters PoD^'ur- from Pope Urban to the archbishop, wherein the pope, considering uaiVwin ^"^ tendering, as he said, the enormous grievances done against the arch- monks, straitly enjoined and commanded him, within ten days after cantlfr" the receiving thereof, to release the sentence of his suspension against '""^*' the prior and others of the said covent, and also to retract and restore again to the monks whatsoever he had plucked from them, since the time of their appeal first made. Who, in case he should deny, or foreslack the doing hereof, commission was given to three abbots, those of Battle, Fcversham, and St. Austin''s, with ample authority to perform the same, &c. The archbishop, receiving these letters brought to him by a monk of the aforesaid house, first made his The an- excuse that the pope was misinformed. But the monks not contented Tiie'arch- witli that cxcusc, wlicu tlicv would nccds know what answer he would Inaketh "^^'^^ ^" ^^^^ ])ope's nuucio, his answer was, that " he had yet ten days iiis oil given him of the pope." In the mean time the archbishop went to cream at Tiondou, and tlicrc, in the church of St. Paul, consecrated his holy oil and cream (making one of the poj^jc's seven sacraments), which was
Loiidun.
PLEADINGS r.KFORK THE I'OI'E. 291
giicvously taken in tlie clmrcli of Canterbury. At last, the ten days mchmdi. being ended, when the archbishop refused to aeconiplish that whicli was in the pope's letter enjoined him, the three abbots aforesaid, to execute the pope''s commandment, came at their day assigned to Canterbury, and there assoilcd all such as the archbishop before had suspended, and, in the end, certified Pope Urban by letters what they had done.
The archbishop, hearing this, within four days after, sent two of his clerks, who appealed the three abbots aforesaid up to Rome ; and he xiicaich- liimsclf, in the mean time, prepared busily for the building of his jJew"'"* church, sending to all churches in England upon rel easement from cUurch
1 • • c 1 1 11 1 o made of
tlien- sms, to conier unto the same ; and to make the more haste, for ^vood. lack of freestone he made up his building with timber, and such other stuff as he could get.
The prior Honorius all this while remained still at the court of a letter of Rome, giving attendance upon the pope, who, having intelligence of urban tlie archbishop's doings, procured another letter of Pope Urban to thearcu- tlie whole clergy of England, straitly enjoining them that none I'isiiop. should confer with the new fraternity of Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury. To these letters the archbishop showed such reverence, tliat whereas before he had planted his chapel of wood and boards, now he provided the same to be builded of lime and stone.
By this time Peter of Blois, with other messengers of the Tiie arch- archbishop, seeing Honorius the prior to be gone from the court melt^n- to France, resorted to the covirt of Rome, bringing with them frthe""'" letters of credit from the king, from the archbishop, and also from P"p«^'s'
, ■*■ court
other bishops of the realm ; but the pope, reading only the king's Letters of letters, and the archbishop's, the residue he cast into a window by, fue arch! saving, he would read them at further leisure. Then the pope efivinof i^'sjiop,
■'t ■ 1 • • 1 1 • f • -n apd ot
audience m his consistory to near their cause, first came m Peter other b!- of Blois, with the agents of the archbishop, exhibiting their letters, the^pVp^e. and propounding their requests to the pope, which were, that resti- tution should be made by the monks to the archbishop, wherein they had injured him. Secondly, That the things which had been gi-anted before to the prior in the court, might be called in again. Thirdly, That the archbishop might have license to proceed in building his Mr.Piiie- collcge of canons, &c. After this was called in ISIaster Pilleus, the ncyfnui'J attorney for the monks of Canterbury, who, alleging many great pope's things against the archbishop, for his contempt and disobedience to the the pope's precepts, required that he should rather make restitution cai'ter-" to the monks for the injuries he had done to them ; and also that ''"""J- his new foundation of secular canons, tending to the overthrow of the conventual church of Canterbmy, should be utterly rased and thrown down to the gTOund. Thus between these parties pleaing and repleaing one against tlic other, much hard hold there was ; but, in conclusion, for all the king's letters, and for all that the archbishop's and bishops' could do, the matter went on the monks' side ; so that there was no remedy, but the pope would needs have the archbishop's new building to come doAvn, and the monks to be restored again to their full possessions : the execution whereof was committed to tlie three abbots aforesaid, to wit, those of Battle, Feversham, and St. Austin's, Canterbury, and to Geffrey, sub-prior of Canterbury.
u S
292 SECOND LETTEn FROM THE I'OPE.
Richardi. Thcsc tilings bcing thus determined at Rome, Radulpli Granville,
^ J) lord steward of England, writing to the said abbot of Battle, and to
li84 the sub-prior and covent of Canterbury, commandetli tlicm, in the
to king's name, and upon their oath and fealty given unto him, that
^^QQ- ncitlier they nor any of them do proceed in this controversy between
The pope tlic monks and the archbishop of Canterbury, before they come and
to'ti.t-'' talk with him, there to know further of the king's pleasure : and,
monks fxirtbcrmore, char^xiner the covent of Canterbury not to enter further
against '.~^ . ■^ ii-ii
tiie king into any exammations concenimg the archbishop s matters ; and also Bhops'of citing the sub-prior of the said house to appear before him in London, tiajeaim. ,^|. ^{^^ ^^^^^ ^j.' gt. Jamcs, the same year, which was a. D. 1187. pope's Notwithstanding, he excusing himself by sickness, sent two monks com- in his stead, and so kept himself at home ; to whom commandment ^oun^ ^^'as given, that the monks of Canterbury, within fifteen days, should proceed g.^Q Qy^r to Nomiandv to the kin the arch cvidcuces of thcir privileges ; and also that such stewards and bailiffs "'^''^' as they had placed in their farms and lordships, contrary to the will of the archbishop, should be removed. And likewise the three abbots, in the king's name, were commanded in no wise to execute the pope's commandment against the archbishop. Not long after this, the archbishop took shipping at Dover, and w^ent over to the king, where he ordained three principal officers over the monks of Christ- church — the sacrist, the cellarer, and the chamberlain, contrary to the will of the covent, with other grievances more, whereby the monks Another were not a little offended, so that upon the same they made a new \\J\fou\iti appellation to the pope ; whereupon Pope Urban, by the setting on monks Qf Honorius the prior, who was now come again to the comi, wrote
agamst tip. i ii
the arch- to him auotlicr letter after a sharper and more vehement sort, to the IS op. Q^^Q^ jjg followeth.
The tenor of Pope Urban's Letters to Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury.'
In that we have borne with yoiu- brotlierhood hitherto, and have not pro- ceeded in such a grievous manner against you as we might, although being thereto greatly provoked ; the chiefest cause was this, that we supposed your heart would have relented from the oppression of the conventual church of Canterbury, committed unto you ; if not for our reverence, which you seem to have contemned more than became you, yet at least for fear of God's judgment. Note how For well we hoped, our conscience persuading us to the same, that after vou *'"-' P"P" had obtained that high state and dignity in the church of England, you would m,o„ " have been an example to others of obedience and reverence to be given to the their see apostohc of all ecclesiastical persons. Wherefore, at the first beginning honour. |)ot]^ of om- ^jjj ^\^q ^f y^^jj. pi-omotion, we did not spare to advance and honour you as we have done few others besides, thinking no less than that we had found a faithful friend of the church for our honour; wherein we perceive now, which maketh us not a little to marvel, our expectation greatly deceived, and him whom we well trusted to be a sure stay for the maintenance of our estate, we now find a persecutor against us in our members. The pope For whereas we sundry times have written to you in the behalf of our Jntetlf "" ^r with disquieting them, and not vex or disturb their liberties, at least for reverence of
]b?'cmi" '^^ ' ^^^' "°' ""'^ '" *^"^' ^^^ '" "^^'^^ things more, as commonly is reported tem'pTof "^ you in all places, setting at light our letters and appellations made unto the his see. apostohcal see ; what you have wrought against them after their so manifold
(I) "Urbanus cpiscopus, servus servorum Dei, Baldwino Cantuar. archiepiscopo et apostolic* sedis legato, salutem ct apostolicam bcncdictionem," &c.
DEATH OF POPE URBAN. 293
appellations laid unto us, and our inhibitions again unto you, we are ashamed Richanii.
to utter. But revolve and consider in your mind, if ye have well done, and
advise in your own conscience what you have done. We, for our part, because we ''^- ^• neither may nor ought with deaf ears to pass over the clamours of tlie brethren, ^ 1 ^ ^ and sucli contempt of the apostolic see, although our biddings and warnings ^o given to you seem to be all in vain ; yet, notwithstanding, we send our mandates ^^^^- again unto your brotherhood, in these apostolical writings, directly and in virtue The arch- of obedience, commanding you, that whether you be present in your church, or '"'^liop to absent, all that notwithstanding, whatsoever you have done in building of your ,io™n j^e chapel, which you to the destruction of the monastery of Canterbury have building erected, after the time of their appeal made to us, or our inhibition sent to you, J'J^Jj.'^ you fail not of your proper costs and charges to demolish ; undoing again and duircii.of making void whatsoever ye have begun and innovated, concerning the institution '■'* """ of the canons, and other things belonging to the erection of the said chapel ; ac- '^"^'''" counting moreover and reputing the place where the chapel was, to be accursed and profane ; and also that all such, whosoever have celebrated in the same place, shall stand suspended till the time they appear before cmr presence. Command- ing, furthenuore, that all those monks whom you lune })resumed to remove xorestore from tlieir office, or to excommunicate, since the time of their appeal made, the you shall restore and assoil again, rendering also and restoring all such farms, ™°"'^^, manors, tenements, and oblations, as you, after their appeal made, have did de- inveigled from them ; and, finally, that you innovate nothing touching the P"^'e !»nd state of that monastery, during the time of this controversy depending; before f,f,?°!"'' us : givmg you to understand that m case you shall contmuo m your stubborn- cate. ness and rebellion upon this present warning, or defer the execution of this J^^ '"■^'''" precept thirty days after the receiving thereof, we shall appoint others to threaun- execute the same; enjoining also your suffragans, that as you shall show yourself tdby the disobedient and rebelling to us, so they all shall refuse likewise to give any ^°^^' obedience or reverence unto you, &c. — Given at Ferrara, 5th Non. Oct. 1187.
Another letter besides tliis tlie pope also sent to the three abbots rp,jg aforesaid, for the correction of these enormities. Likewise another '>vriteth u, letter was sent to King Henry II., wherein the pope enjoineth and bots, ami requireth hun, upon remission of his sins, not to dissemble and bear king.'' with the archbishop in his oppression of his monks, but to help those things to be amended, wherein he hath trespassed against them.
These pontifical letters were -wiitten a.d. 1187, tlie third day of October; and on the eighth day after, the eleventh of the same month, the said Pope Urban died. In the which year, and about the which PopeUr- month, Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, was taken with many noblemen Baid«'i'i!l' of Saladin the Saracen, and Jerusalem lost, after that it had been in i^ing of the possession of the Christians and had so continued the space of i'-m, with eighty-eight years and eighty days, from the time tliat Godfrey of bk",u-"' Bouillon did first win it from the infidels. km of the
T-, TT • Saracens,
A fter the receiving of those letters of Pope Urban above specified, ^^^ ">«
both the king and archbishop, with all the bishops of the realm, were The
marvellously quailed, glad now to please, and speak fair to the monks, ^"'thl
promising all thinQ:s to be done and restored to them after the best I''*''" -1 11- 11 11-1 1 • • '■'""'
sort; neither were now the king and the archbishop so submissive, over the
but the monks on the other side were as brag and jocund, being fully shop and
assured that all now was their own: in the narration of which ""^'""°-
history, as it is set forth in Gervasius at large, this we have to note
by the way, in what fear and thraldom kings in those days were The mi-
under the pope, who could not be masters over their own subjects, Ulil-^lc.
but that every pilled monk, or pelting prior, upon virtue of their J^'j|'',"1„
appeal to the court of Rome, and making their house tributary to the the pope.
294 CONTIXL'Iil) DISSEXSIOXS.
Richardi. pope, was al)lc not only to niatdi, but to j,avc checkmate unto the . best kiii^' christcncil, us not in this story only may appear. 1184 ^^ followeth then in tlic story of these monks, that as they were to thus in the midst of their joy and jollity, suddenly eometh news of 1190. the death of Pojje Urban, their great caliph,* and also how that Gref^ory VIII. was placed in his room, who was a special friend and favourer of the archbishop ; which as it did greatly encourage the kinu and the archbishop, so the monks, on the other side, were as much discomforted, so that now all Avas turned upside down. For whereas, before, the king and the archbishop thought they had lost all, and were glad to compound with the monks, and to seek their favour, now were the monks on the contrary side fain to crouch to the king, and glad to have a good countenance ; who then resorting to him, and finding him altered both in word and gesture, desired he would confirm and grant that which of late before he had promised. The To whom it was answered again by the king, that seeing the arch- answer bishop had granted to them their sacrist, their chamberlain, and their ''"? t cellarer, they should have no more restored bv him : neither would caiitcr- he suffer the liberties and privileges of the archbishop to be impaired, or take any wrong. " As touching the new chapel of St. Thomas," said he, " whereabout ye strive so long, with the canonships and other buildings belonging thereto, the same I receive into my hands, so that none shall have any thing to do therein but myself," &c. In like manner from the archbishop such another like answer they received, and from bishops little better. So the monks, sent away with a flea in their car, went home again out of Nonnandy unto their cell.
Now the archbishop having the monks where he would, wrought Pope Ore- them luuch grievance; but that continued not very long. For d^etiu'"' "^^'ithin two months after and less died Pope Gregory VIII., about the sixteenth day of the December following. After him succeeded Pope He- Pope Clement III., who, following the steps of Urban, bent all his ment III. p„^^rgf ^r\^^ j-j^g mouks against the archbishop, sending divers precepts and mandates in the year following, which was a.d. 1188, with an Letters to-imperious letter, willing and commanding him to desist from his buhop! oppression of the monks, and to throw down liis new chapel. Here- upon the archbishop made his appeal, and minded to go to Rome, but was called back by the king, being ready to sail over. In the Honorius, samc year Honorius, the prior, died at Rome of the plague, which orcanur- "^^^s soiuc help and comfort to the archbishop, for whom the arch- at^Kome^ bishop made Roger Noris, prior, against the wills of the covent. The After this, about the latter end of the same year. Pope Clement iHtTrlif sent down his legate, called Radulph, a cardinal, to Canterbury, mXt t^o*"" ^^ '^^' another letter more sharply written to the same effect unto the the arch- arclibishop.^ Hcn°ry H. Furthermore, in the year next after, he wrote also the third letter died.' to him. In the same year also died King Henry II., after whom "'Sied succeeded King Richard, his son, who joining likewise with the arch- vriih the bishop, took his part strongly against the said monks. At last, after
bishop.
(1) Caliph is the high priest of the Saracens sitting in Damascus, to whom all the sultans were subject, as our princes now are to the pope. [Caliph is the title assumed by the successors Of Maliomet. — Ed.]
(2) Ex Hist. Gervas.
RECONCILIATION BETWEEN BALDWIN AND THE MONKS. 295
much ado on both parts, and after great disturbance, and imprisoning Ruhardi. divers of the monks. King Ricliard, preparing his voyage towaids ~\~\y~ Jerusalem, and studying first to set peace between them, consulted iisi and agreed with the bishops and abbots about a final concord in this to matter, between the archbishop and monks of Canterbury ; which at ^^^^- length on both parts was made, upon these conventions which follow : —
P'irst, That Roger Noris should be deposed, whom the archbishop had made prior against their wills : whom the king then at the request of the archbishop promoted to be abbot of Evesham.
Item, That the archbishop should pluck down his chapel, which he builded in the suburbs of Canterbury, against the minds of the monks.
Item, That the aforesaid monks should make profession of their obedience and subjection to the archbishop, as they had done to his predecessoi's.
Item, As touching all other complaints and injuries (except only the chapel, and the deposition of Roger Noris, the prior), the monks should stand to the arbitrement of the king, the archbishop, and the prelates.
Item, That the monks kneeling down before the king in the chapter-house, should ask the archbishop forgiveness.*
This being done, they went altogether to the church, and sang Te Deum for this reformation of peace ; the next day, the archbishop coming into the chapter, restored to the covent their manors and farms again ; also he discharged the prior whom he had made before ; desiring them likewise, that if he had offended them either in word or deed, they would, from their heart, remit him. This reconciliation having been made between the archbishop and the covent, the archbishop then going about to dissolve the building of his new church, though he changed the place, yet thought not to change his intent, and therefore, making exchange of lands with the bishop and monks of Rochester, piu-chased of them Arch- their ground in Lambeth, a.d. 1191. Which done, he came to his cant'er-" clerks whom he had placed to be canons in his new college of ^^^^pJ',"'^" Hakington, and also willed them to remove all their goods and land in furniture to Lambeth, over against Westminster, where he erected to buiid for them another church, and there placed the said canons. About upo,^.""^^ which college of Lambeth afterwards much trouble likewise ensued, by the stirring of the said monks of Canterbury, in the time of Hubert, the archbishop, in the reign of the said King Richard, A.D. 1196. Furthermore, after the deposing of Roger Noris, prior of Canterbury aforesaid, Baldwin, the archbishop, being enforced to grant them another prior by the assent of the king and of the covent, assigned Osbern to be their prior, who had taken part before Avith the archbishop ; but the monks not pleased with him, after the death of Baldwin, the archbishop, removed him again.
And thus have you the tedious discourse of this catholic tragedy Three between the monks of Canterbury and their archbishop, scarce worth be" b" the rehearsal ; notwithstanding, this I thought to give the reader to ti^[J's'tory see, in order, first, to show forth unto the world the stout sturdiness """"'f of this monkish generation, who, professing profound humility in their coat, what little humility they had in their heart, what pride and arrogancy in their conversation, and what hy]iocrisy in their religion, ^J^°\ that one example, among a thousand others, may give some experience monkery
(1) Ex lib. anonynio, et ex Hist. Gcrvasii Monachi Cantuariensls.
296 so UNITY IN THE roric's CHunoir.
liichardi. Secondly, tluit postcrity now may sec Low little kin
YD in their own realms, for the pope. And thirdly, to the intent it may
1184 more notoriously appear to all readers, what strife and debate, what
to dissension and division, what little unity and concord hath always
^^^Q- followed the pope's catholic church, wheresoever the corrupt rcli
KiiK^ and usurped auil)ition of the pope prevailed. For, not to speak only of
sulcs this monkish house of Canterbury, what church, cathedral, collegiate,
p"pp'""^or conventual; what see, church, monastery, or chapel, was entirely
No con- under the pope's government, but ever there happened sonic variance,
un'iVi'u cither between the king and the archbishop, as between King William
popish r^y^^\ Lanfranc, Kintj Henry I. and Anselm, King Stephen and
CilUTCnCS. _.. ^ CD J / cj i
Theobald, King Henry H. and Bccket, King John and Stephen Langtjn, King Henry III. and Boniface, &c. ; or else between archbishop and archbishop, for making profession, for carrying the cross, for sitting on the right hand of the pope's legate, &c. ; or else between archbishops and their sutFragans, or between archbishoi)S and their covents, or between bishops and monks, between dean and chapter, between monks and secular priests, monks of one sort against another, friars of one order against another, students against friars, townsmen against scholars, &c. As for example : — What ■WTiatdis- discord was between the archbishop of Canterbury and Roger, how'nttil- archbishop of York, between Lanfranc and Archbishop Thomas, "he")'')*'" ^^tween riieobald, archbishop of Canterbury, and Sylvester, abbot caiirch. of St. Austin's ; betM-een Walter, of Christchurch, and Sylvester, abbot aforesaid ; between William, archbishop of Cantcrburv, and .Teremias, prior of Canterbury, a.d. 1144; between the monks of Canterbury, and Odo, their prior, for translating the relics of Dunstan ; between King Stephen, and Roger, bishop of Salisbury ; between the bishop of Lincoln, and Roger, bishop of Elv, his son, A.D. 1138; between Pope Innocent and Anacletus, for the space of seven years ; the cardinals for money (saith Gervasius) sometimes holding with the one, sometimes with the other ; at last the election ■was determined by a sore battle between Lothaire, the emperor, and Roger, duke of Apulia, a.d. 1137 ; also between Pope Innocent IV. and the Emperor Frederic II.; between King Henry III. and William Rale, bishop of Winchester, when the king bade the gates of Win- chester town to be shut against him, a.d. 1243; between Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, and the canons of St. Paul.' Item, between the said lionifaee and the monks of St. Bartholomew, A\ho sat there in harness in his visitation, a.d. 1250; between the abbot of Westminster and monks of the same house, a.d. 1251. Item, between the aforesaid William Rale, bishop of A\'inchester, and Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, for a priest of the hospital in Southwark, a.d. 1252; between the said Boniface and canons of Lincoln, after the death of Robert Grosthcad, for giving of prebends, A.D. 1253; between the monks of Coventry and canons of Lichfield, for choosing their bishop in the time of King Henry HI.
And what should I speak of the discord which cost so much money between Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, and the monks of Rochester, for choosing Richard Wandor to be their bishop, A.D. 1328; between Robert Grosthcad, bishop of Lincoln, and th?
in Malth. r=iri
?
CONTENTION ABOUT OUR LADY. 297
canons of tlie same house, for wliicli both he ami they were driven to Richanii. travel to Rome, a.d. 1244 ; between Gilbert, bishop of Rochester, "aTdT delegate to Archbishop Baldwin, and Robert, the pope's legate, for iisi sitting on the right hand of the legate in his council at Westminster, to A.D. 1190; between the abbot of Bardney and the said Grosthead, ^^'^^'- about the visitation of their abbey, a.d. 1242. Item, between the coven t of Canterbury and the said Robert, bishop of Lincoln, A.D. 124o ; between Hugo, bishop of Durham, and Hubert, bishop of Sarum, and GefFery, archbishop of York, a.d. 1189; between William, bishop of Ely, the king's chancellor, and the canons of York, for not receiving him with procession, a.d. 1190 ; between the abbot of Westminster and his covent of Black Monks, whom King Henry HI. had much ado to still and make to agree, a.d. 1249. Item, between the aforesaid bishop of Lincoln and the abbot of Westminster; likewise between Nicholas, bishop of Durham, and .lohn, abbot of St. Alban's, a.d. 1246 ; also between Hubert, arch- bishop of Canterbury, and the monks there, for the house of Lambeth, A.D. 1146; and what a stir was between the preaching friars and the grey friars, mentioned in Matthew Paris, for superiority, a.d. 1243 ; also between the said grey friars and the prelates and doctors of Paris, about nine conclusions, condemned of the prelates to be erroneous.