tuo exemplo legitimas vxores deferant, et adulteras et sāctimoniales constuprent. Quod quàm sit peregrinum ab honestate, doceat vos alienæ gentis institutio. Nam in antiqua saxonia, vbi nulla est christi cognitio. si virgo in materna domo, vel maritata sub cōiuge fuerit adultera, manu propria strangulatam cremant, et supra fossa sepultæ corruptorem suspendunt: aut cingulotenus (vestibus abscissis) flagellant eam castæ matronæ, et cultellis pungunt. Et de villa in villam missæ occurrunt nouæ flagellatrices: donec interimant. Insuper et vinuli, quod est fædissimum genus hominum, hunc habent morem: vt mulier viro mortuo, se in rogo cremantis pariter arsura præcipitet. Si ergo gentiles deum ignorantes, tantum zelum castitatis habent: quid tibi conuenit fili Charissime, qui Christianus et rex es? Parce ergo animæ tuæ: Parce multitudini populi tui pereuntis exemplo tuo: de quorum animabus redditurus es rationē. Attende et illud, quid si gens Anglorum (sicut in Frācia, et Italia, et ab ipsis Paganis nobis improperatur) spretis legitimis matrimoniijs per adulteria deficit: nasciturq̀ sit ex ea cōmixtione gens ignaua et Dei contemptrix, quæ perditis moribus patriam pessundet: sicut Burgundionibus, et prouincialibus, et Hispanis contigit, quos Saraceni multis annis in festarūt propter peccata præterita? Marginalia Nihil factum quod non factū prius.Præterea nunciatum est nobis, quòd multa priuilegia ecclesiarum et monasteriorum auferens, ad hoc audendum duces tuos exemplo prouoces. Sed recogita quæso quam terribilem vindictam Deus in anteriores reges exercuit, eiusdem culpæ conscios, quā in te arguimus. Nam Celredum prædecessorē tuum stupratorem Sanctimonialium, et ecclesiasticorum priuilegiorum fractorem, splendide cum suis comitibus epulantem spiritus malignus arripuit: et sine confessione et viatico, cum diabolo sermocinanti, et legem Dei detestāti animam extorsit. Osredum quoq̀ regem Deiorum et Bernicorum, earundem culparum reum, ita effrenatum regem egit: vt regnum et iuuenilem ætatem contemptibili morte amitteret. Carolus quoq̀ princeps Frācorum monasteriorum multorum euersor, et ecclesiasticarum pecuniarum in vsus proprios cōmutator longa tortione, et verenda morte consumptus est. Et mox infra: Qua propter fili Charissime, paternis et obnixis precibus deprecamur, vt non despicias consilium patrum tuorum, qui pro Dei amore celsitudinē tuam appellare satagunt. Nihil enim bono regi salubrius, quàm, si talia commissa cum arguuntur, libenter emendentur. Quia per Salomonem dicitur: Qui diligit disciplinam, diligit sapientiam. Ideo, fili Charissime, ostendentes consilium iustū, contestamur et obsecramus per viuentē Deum et per filium eius Iesum Christum, et per spiritum sanctum: vr recorderis quàm fugitiua sit vita præsens, et quā breuis et momentanea delectatio spurcæ carnis: et quam ignominiosum sit, vt breuis vitæ homo mala exempla inperpetuū posteris relinquat. Incipe ergo melioribus moribus vitam compenere, et præteritos errores iuuentutis corrigere: vt hic coram hominibus laudem habeas, et in futuro æterna gloria gaudeas. Valere celsitudinem tuam, et in bonis moribus proficere optamus.

MarginaliaThe corrupt lyfe of Nunnes noted.In thys epistle here is to be seene and noted first the corruption and greate disorder of life which alwayes from tyme to tyme hath been founde in these religious houses of Nunnes: whose professed vowe of coacted chastitie, hath yet neuer been good to the church, nor profitable to the common wealth, & least of al to themselues. Of such young and wanton widowes S. Paule in hys tyme complayneth. 1. Timt. 5. which would take vppon them the wilful profession of single life, which they wer not able to performe, but falling into damnable luxurie deserued worthely to be reprehended. How much better had it been for these lasciuious Nunnes, not to haue refused the safe yoke of Christian matrimonie: then to intangle themselues in thys their superstitious vowe of perpetuall maidenhode, which neither was requyred of them, nor they were able to kepe.

Secondlye, no lesse are they also to be reprehended, which maintayned these superstitious orders of vnprofitable Nunnes, and of other religions: In the number of whom was thys foresayd Boniface otherwise called Winfride, who although in thys epistle doth iustlye reprehend the vicious enormities both of seculare, and of religious persons: yet he himselfe is not without þ^e same or rather greater reprehension, for that he gaue the occasion therof in maintayning such superstitious orders of such lasciuious Nunnes and other religions, and restreyning the same from lawfull mariage. For so we finde of him in stories that he was a great setter vp and vpholder of such blinde superstition, and of all poperye. Who being admitted by Pope Gregorye the second, Archbishop of Magunce, MarginaliaThe popish actes & doynges of Boniface Archbishop of Magunce.and indued with full authoritie legantine ouer the Germaines, brought diuerse countryes there, vnder the Popes obedience: held many great councels, ordained bishoppes, builded monasteries, canonised sainctes, cōmaunded reliques to be worshypped, permitted religious fathers to carye aboute Nunnes with them a preaching. MarginaliaThe Monastery of Fulda in Germanye builded by Boniface.Amongest all other hee founded the great Monastery of Fulda in Germany of English monkes: into the which no women might enter, but onely Lieba, and Tecla, ij. Englishe Nunnes. Item, by the authoritie of þ^e sayd Archbishop Boniface, which hee receiued from Pope Zacharie, MarginaliaChildericus the Frēch king deposed, & Pipinus intruded.
Dist. xl. cap. Si Papa.Childericus king of Fraunce, was deposed from the ryght of hys crowne: and Pipinus betraier of his maister was confirmed, or rather intruded in. From this Boniface proceeded that detestable doctrine which nowe standeth registred in the Popes decrees. Dist xl. cap. Si. Papa. which in a certayne epistle of his, is this. That in case the Pope were of most filthy liuing, & forgetful or negligent of himselfe, and of the whole christianitie, in such sorte, that he led innumerable soules with him to hell: yet ought there no man to rebuke him in so doing. For he hath (saith he) power to iudge all men, and ought of no man to be iudged againe. &c.

In the time of this Archbishop, Pope Gregorye the second, also Gregory the third, and Pope Zachary, and before these also Pope Constantine the first: wrought great maistres against the Greke Emperours, Philippicus, and Leo, and others, for the maintayning of images to be set vp in churches. MarginaliaImages in churches subuerted by Emperours, maintayned by Popes.
Philippicus for holding against images, lost his Empire & his eyes.Of whom Philippicus lost both his Empire and also his eyes. Leo for the same cause lykewyse was excommunicate of Gregorye the third. This Gregorye the third (so farre as I can coniuecture) was he that first wrote the. 4. bookes of Dialoges in Greeke, MarginaliaThe autor of the boke called the dialoges of Gregory.falsly bearing the name of Gregorye the first. which bookes afterwarde Zacharye his successor translated out of Greeke into laten. Item the same Gregory the third, first brought into the Masse canon, the clause for reliques beginning, Quorum solemnitates hodie in conspectu. &c. MarginaliaMemoriall of reliques offering & sacrifice for the ded brought in to the mas canon.Item brought into the sayde Canon the memoriall, the offering, & sacrifice for the dead: Like as Zacharie brought in the Priestes vesture and ornamentes: and as the foresayd MarginaliaThe Popes feete fyrste kissed of emperour Sigebert king of Westsaxōs.Constātinus also was the fyrst that gaue hys feete to be kyssed of the Emperours. But turne agayne into the course of our English storye.

In the tyme of this Egbert king of Northumberlād, Sigeberte or Sigbert reigned in Westsaxonie: a man of so cruell tyranny to hys subiectes (turnyng the lawes and customes of hys forefathers after his owne wil and pleasure) that when he was somewhat sharpely aduertised by one of hys nobles, an Earle called Combranus, to chaunge his maners, and to behaue him more prudētly toward his people: he therfore malciously caused him to be put to cruel death. MarginaliaSigebert slayne.Wherupon, the said king Sigebert cōtinuyng in hys cruel conditions, by his subiects cōspiryng agaynst him, was put from his kingly dignitie: and brought into such desolation, that wandryng alone